“You’re jeopardizing the life of the Admiral because you can’t handle a simple thing?” Lindsay asked. “You’re not Earth Fleet. You don’t deserve the uniform.”
The words stung more than Roy was willing to admit, but everyone, including his own crew could see the hurt in his eyes.
“It’s a temporary matter, Roy,” Benjamin said, briskly. There was no time to argue or debate the issue. “When the job is done, we’ll unlink the ships.”
“I think it would be an honor,” Petty Officer Lance Drake chimed in, unexpectedly.
Roy turned around, his eyes narrowed. “Excuse me, Private?”
“With respect, sir, we all think it would be an honor to fight so closely with the Lucky Liberty.”
Roy looked at the rest of his crew. “You all think this way?”
All members of Roy’s crew nodded in agreement.
“Yes, sir,” Lou said, trying to hold back a smile.
“You understand this is mutiny.”
“This ain’t mutiny, Allen.” Irons finally freed himself from Syracuse and Lou. “It’s tactical thinking. I don’t like it any more than you do but if it’s the only chance we got against something with that kind of firepower then it’s the only chance we got.” He walked right up to Roy and stood in front of him. “It’s for Mona. For the Admiral and the Earth. You can even lead the charge. Just tell us which way to go and that’s what we’ll do.”
Roy took a moment to analyze the arrangement. Irons’s crew was effective. And the Lucky Liberty, though old, was still a powerful ship. Combining them with his own team would be a worthwhile endeavor. And if James ‘Albatross’ Irons, who defeated much of the Catter Fleet just trying to save him and his crew, was worried about one ship based on tech specs and the word of one Nordic, it was probably for a very good reason.
“You’ll follow my command without question?” Roy asked.
“We end up dealing with this Slagschip, we’re just gonna shoot it. I don’t care what angle it’s from.” Irons held out his hand.
Roy took it and the two shook.
Benjamin took out his wet phone. “Good thing for Wartech water seals.” He dialed and held it to his ear. “This is Benjamin Stevens. I need a rush on connecting two ships.” He listened. “That’s right, they’re spacefaring. Earth Fleet. We’re going to connect the Drastic Nova to the Lucky Liberty. I want these two boats looking like one big ship, understood?” He waited. “I understand that. Just divide your teams. Half on repairs. Half on linking.” He listened. “Good. Get moving.” He put the phone away. “It’s all set up. Just fly the Drastic Nova to the shop and they’ll get to work on the linking process.” He unclipped the teleporter from his belt and turned to Sitasha. “We can get to work on making a larger version of this now.”
Sitasha started to speak but stifled her words.
“I understand your caution,” Benjamin said, sympathetically. “But if this can help us stop Haddron, then the sooner the better.”
Sitasha slowly nodded, fully understanding that it was the best course of action.
Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the bridge and as quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving Haddron standing in its place.
The Nordic’s eyes shot straight to the teleporter in Benjamin’s hand. His gaze then turned to Sitasha. “I have only seen your leaving me as a lack of faith, Sitasha,” Haddron accused. “But as you align yourself with the humans, I now see your full betrayal. An act that will be dealt with accordingly.”
“You son of a—”
“Captain Irons. You killed my friend. For that, you will pay more dearly than the Admiral.”
“You want the man that killed your Catter buddy?” Benjamin stepped in front of Irons. “Here I am.”
“Stevens, don’t!” Irons yelled but it was too late, Benjamin had already rushed toward the Nordic enemy.
“You might have pulled the trigger but you are not the catalyst for why.” Haddron launched himself forward and rammed his shoulder into the Wartech CEO, sending him flying across the room. Lindsay and Durham broke Benjamin’s fall but the impact knocked them to the floor.
“Draw your weapons!” Roy ordered his own crew.
“No!” Syracuse yelled. “The space is too small.”
Lou ran toward Haddron who tried the same technique only to hit a wall in the massive man. The strike sent Lou back a few feet but not airborne as it had Benjamin.
Lou lunged forward, swinging a large right hook that was easily dodged by Haddron. Regardless of Mars training, compared to the Nordic’s speed, Lou Trevern might as well have been standing still.
Haddron back spin kicked the big Fleet soldier. That strike sent the man stumbling sideways before Haddron launched another kick, sending Lou in the opposite direction.
“You are not my target.” Haddron leapt backwards, giving himself running room then sprang forward.
His right foot hit Lou’s knee and launched him upward. His left foot met with Lou’s chin at a speed finally quick enough to topple the big man.
Haddron flipped backward and landed on his feet as Lou crashed on his back to the floor.
Everyone aboard the bridge stood stock still, unsure what any of them could do against such speed without being able to fire a weapon at Haddron. Finally, knowing that had to do something, they each advanced forward.
Haddron watched as both crews slowly started to surround him. “Are you all so eager to die for your Captain? Shall I put you in the ground beside him?”
Lindsay was the first to take action. She rushed at Haddron but he stepped forward and tripped her with his foot. Lindsay tucked to the ground and rolled. Her quick recovery was impressive, even to Haddron but her next attack would be short lived.
Lindsay came back at him and tried her own spinning kick. Haddron met her force with a ridge hand to the shin. The counter was fast enough to spin her back the other way.
Lindsay crumpled to the ground, yelling through gritted teeth, her hands holding onto her injured leg, unsure if it was broken.
“You delay the inevitable.” Haddron took note of the rest of the crew members.
Lieutenant Bobbi Sinclair and Syracuse both sprang into action, taking Haddron on from both sides. Bobbi was quicker than Syracuse but her strikes lacked the power to take Haddron down. It didn’t matter anyway. Her speed counted for little in the face of the Nordic. Syracuse had even less luck as each one of his punches was blocked. Finally Haddron jammed his fist into both of their ribs, blows that put them both on the floor.
Haddron looked around at the rest of the crew still standing. “Do you always let your people fight your battles for you?” he asked Irons.
James Irons snarled before he made his move. He stopped short when a boot smacked into Haddron’s face. Irons was surprised to see Durham landing and taking a fighting position.
“Get outta here, Boss.” He smirked. “Go save your woman.”
“Loyalty.” Haddron dashed at Durham, shoving his elbow into this gut.
Durham hit the floor, gasping for air.
Haddron turned to the rest of Roy’s crew. None of them made a move. He slowly looked to the other side to see Hannah standing, motionless.
“Hannah!” Irons yelled out.
Haddron smiled. It was an unsettling expression.
Irons took note of his injured crew and his rage boiled inside him. An insult to his ship was never a good idea but this man kidnapped Mona and harmed his people. For that, there was no excuse.
Haddron dashed at Hannah with Irons several yards behind him.
The Specialist ducked out of the way just in time and Irons finally made his way, crashing into Haddron and slamming him against a wall.
Irons put his forearm against the Nordic man’s throat and held him against the wall. “You get on the horn and you tell your people to let Mona go.”
“Why would I do that?” Haddron’s voice was raspy under the press of Irons’s arm on his throat.
“Cuz if you don
’t, you’re gonna join your Catter friend. Then me and mine are gonna send the rest of your people and that Slagschip to join you.”
The Nordic man started to laugh. The sound was like air mixing with water under Irons’s arm.
“You think I’m bluffing?”
“Oh no, Captain.” Haddron tried to adjust his head to breath easier. “I have every faith that you believe you will do as you say. And I might even be afraid if it weren’t for my hands being free.”
“What’s that supposed to—”
The strike was faster than anything he’d seen from Haddron so far.
Irons stumbled backwards, his hands clutching at his ribs.
Haddron readjusted his clothes. “Did you feel the crack, Captain? Any further and the bone would have punctured you lung. Give it time, though. Because I am not done with you, yet.”
Haddron rushed at Irons and slammed his fist into the Captain’s jaw, spinning him one way before switching sides to throw an open palm strike into Iron’s chest. Air was violently shoved out of the Captain’s lungs. Irons tried to regain his breath but the pain from the broken rib made it too difficult for anything more than several shallow inhales.
Haddron didn’t let up, striking Irons again and again. Each time Irons was about to fall one way to the floor, Haddron moved to that side and kept him on his feet.
Roy Allen looked on in fear at the speed and viciousness of the Nordic’s attack. He glanced at Petty Officers Reginald Dyer, Lance Drake and Specialist Linda Moyer who stood frozen in their spots as Haddron continued his destruction of James Irons.
The Nordic finally slowed down. His hits were weaker without using his full speed but in Irons’s current state, it was hard for the Captain to tell what hurt and what didn’t.
The lights finally went dark after the last left cross to the head. Irons was out.
Haddron continued his attack. “You thought you could stop my revenge?” He struck Irons. Blood splattered to the floor. “Oh, Captain, if only you hadn’t harmed Kar’libon. I might have let you watch as your own people tear themselves apart.” He hit Irons again. “And they will, Iron Albatross. Fire and chaos will reign as they fight over common loaves of bread. And when the dust has settled and the fires are doused, your Admiral will be released. Back into a world ripped apart and your body entombed in your beloved ship.” He raised his hand with blinding speed. “Goodbye, Captain James Irons, victor of the Ka’traxis Brood War.”
“To Hell with that!”
Haddron turned to see Roy Allen aiming a gun at him. Roy didn’t wait for any recognition or talk. He jerked the trigger.
The bullet hit Haddron in the humerus part of his arm. He could feel the bullet hit the bone and he yelled out in pain, falling off Irons and hitting the floor. Roy continued to fire while Haddron could only roll off away on the floor.
One more shot hit the floor next to Haddron. He popped to his feet and pressed the lens on his teleporter.
Roy fired into the light but when the brightness faded away all that was left was a bullet hole in the wall of his ship.
He looked at his crew still standing and shook his head, disappointed at their inaction, before running to Irons.
“Irons. Irons, wake up.” He checked his pulse but couldn’t feel anything. “Check the others. Make sure they’re ok,” he ordered his crew.
They sprang into action.
Syracuse waved off Hannah’s assistance and she hurried to Roy and Irons.
“Captain Allen? Is he..?”
Roy shook his head. “I don’t know, Specialist Xuyen. I can’t tell. Come on, Irons, wake up. Everyone assist anyone who can’t walk. Get these people to the hospital!”
He leaned down and gently shook Irons. “Irons. Captain. Come on, James, snap out of it.”
James Irons did not respond.
Fifteen
Haddron’s Truth
Mona Collins could hear loud explosions going off outside the ship. The walls muffled what would have been deafening but even they could not keep all of the destructive noise out.
Each boom from the guns, each time an object outside of the ship blew up, the sound of it startled her. She didn’t know if the ship was attacking or being attacked and feared that the whole ship was going to blow up.
Mona rose from the single white bench, dusty from lack of use and took in her surroundings. The cell was an eight by eight foot cube with walls eight feet high. Three of the walls were a solid spotless white while the forth was clear. It almost reminded her of an art gallery or museum wall. And under different circumstances, it might have been easy to appreciate the symmetry of such a simple room.
The ceiling itself glowed from no discernible light source. It was as if the entire thing was illuminated without a bulb. It glowed softly and was almost pleasant. She could certainly understand how such a place could have a calming effect on its occupants. No doubt that effect was a part of this ship’s imprisonment process.
Another explosion snapped her out of it. She was a prisoner and no amount of symmetry or soft lighting was going to change that. Haddron’s incarceration had been for a very long time and unless someone were to break her out, the Admiral could expect to be Haddron’s prisoner for the same amount of time. It was an uncomfortable thought. One she wasn’t prepared to accept.
The Admiral walked to the other side of her cell, trying to find some weak point to exploit. The three white walls were completely solid. No windows, doors, or cracks as far as she could tell. Even the edges between the floor and the walls were one piece. No seals at all. Her only window was the fourth, completely transparent wall. If not for the faint reflection of light she would have thought there was no wall there at all.
Mona approached it and saw two more identical cells across a broad walkway. She assumed there was another cell right next to her. And if it was anything like the two she could see, it was also empty. She was alone in the Brig of Haddron’s ship. Practically solitary confinement.
She slammed her fist on the clear wall. The wall rippled like water under her fist. She stepped back, shocked at the discovery. Then she slowly reached out to touch the clear surface. It was solid. Even pushing on it did nothing. No bend and no give, like a brick wall. She hit it again, and again it rippled like water traveling outward after a rock was dropped into it.
“Reactionary materials.” Haddron stepped in front of the cell wall. One hand clutched his wounded arm.
Mona took note of his injury, curious to how he got it but more concerned with how she could exploit it.
“Much of Shugaar’s construction is done in this way,” Haddron continued. “It is perfect for making alterations when the need arises. They also maintain their shape during seismic activity.” He touched the wall. “Historically speaking, I’m sure Earth could have used such materials long ago.”
“Haddron, this is—”
“Justice. Justice for my false sentencing.”
“It wasn’t false. I was there. I saw everything.”
“What you saw, you saw from afar and from a single vantage. A vantage obscured by debris.”
“Are you really that warped that you don’t see your own crime?”
“There was no crime, Admiral!”
“You killed human soldiers!”
“Is self defense a crime? They were slaughtering prisoners of war. They were committing atrocities against the enemy. An enemy that was bound. Captured— Much like I was and now yourself. The difference was they were being tortured. I pledged loyalty to Earth Fleet to defeat the Ka’traxis Brood. I did not ally myself or my people to barbaric war criminals.”
Mona stepped away from the clear wall, suddenly confused by Haddron’s words. They didn’t match what she witnessed. “No. There were no prisoners. There was only you and the human soldiers.”
Haddron swallowed, holding back his temper. “Were you not on the low ground? Did you never consider that what you saw was a skewed view of the truth? Do you remember the final gun shots after
the soldiers were…” He swallowed. “Dispatched?”
“I thought that was a Nordic thing,” Mona said. “A victory shout of some sort.”
“There is no victory shout amongst my people, Admiral. My planet. My people. We are not a war skilled species. We are not conquerers or tyrants. This is not news to you. I am a rarity amongst those of Erra. An anomaly. I know this of myself. It is genetic defect that I am who I am as I am. Those shots were no celebration of victory. They were mercy killings. Those Catters, as you call them, were suffering. Beyond all healing. They asked to be saved. I ended their pain.”
“We always thought you killed both sides,” the Admiral muttered.
“And you weren’t wrong. But the why of it all, you have always misconstrued. And because of your inability to listen to reason, you now stand as you do. As I once did. A prisoner. You will watch as your planet’s people tear themselves apart while I enact the second phase of my revenge.” Haddron started for the door to the Brig.
Mona rushed back to the clear wall and pressed her hands against it. “Even if you’re telling the truth, it’s done. That can’t be taken back. But it’s not too late for you to stop this before it gets worse.”
“I could not stop it on my own, now, even if I wanted to. It is for your people to end it.”
“Captain Irons will come for me.”
Haddron turned around. “I wouldn’t bargain on that. In case you are correct, though, it won’t be for quite some time. Long after the chaos has already erupted in your cities. That is, of course, assuming that Captain James Irons is still among the living.”
Sixteen
It Doesn’t Look Good
The hospital gurney crashed through a set of double doors. Two medics traded analyses back and forth as they ran through the hallway, pushing the gurney past doctors and nurses.
“Pulse dropping,” one medic said.
“Just keep that oxygen pumping,” the other replied. He looked down at the patient on the gurney. “Sir, can you hear me? Sir, I need a response.”
NORDIC WRATH (War In the Void Book 2) Page 10
