I could see Coonts and Klutch approaching from the deserted mall. “Commander we saw our shuttles launch from the docks facing the view wall in our room.” No sooner than they had said it, two shuttles came from under the docking arm and docked into the vacant bays closest to us. I watched as the two pilots disembarked from the glossy black ships and cautiously moved towards the exit doors of the docking arm. They looked at the three of us in our armor suits and our weapons pointed in Enochey’s direction. We did not have to say a word to them as they took off running through the mall.
“Coonts, Klutch check the shuttles out and make sure they haven’t been sabotaged. If they check out get them ready to launch.” They both nodded and headed for the shuttles. I turned back to Enochey, and it looked like he was having a meltdown. I reached into Klutch’s suit coat and pulled out the credit vouchers. There had to be at least forty cards in my hand. I took the top one and threw it at Enochey. “You better spend it while you can because when Eiger comes around you won’t get another chance to.” Turning my back on him I headed for the dock entrance. I heard him screaming something incomprehensible and then I stopped when he yelled out he knew where Eiger was. I turned around. “If you are wasting my time, you might die sooner than later!” The Coram was practically pleading. “Cesil told me Eiger has captured two Chaalt and is taking them to outpost three. That is where he was going to take the Grawl to collect the reward. You said you would kill him if you found out where he was. Now you know!” I was shaken by his statement. He did not say one Chaalt he said two. I turned and ran towards the shuttles.
“Justice I need you to get the shuttles on board!”
“Acknowledged Commander, I will communicate with Coonts and Klutch to release the docking locks and I will manually retrieve them with the tow beam.”
“Roger that Justice I am on my way.” The Legacy uncloaked behind the shuttles and the first of the two moved away from the arm and disappeared into the hangar. Going through the airlocks I hit my thrusters. I shot across the void into the hangar as Justice locked the first shuttle down. I could see the hatch open and Coonts trot down the ramp. Turning around I looked out the hangar door as the second shuttle moved smoothly towards the Legacy. I was conflicted as to what I should do. Our scheduled rendezvous with Tria was not for another seventy two hours. It was a little over twenty hours in hyperspace to get to the abandoned mining facility. That was the agreed upon plan but the information Enochey revealed was setting my nervous system to panic mode. The odds of Eiger having Tria and her father were statistically low but my gut feelings were telling me that was exactly what happened. “Justice, how long would it take to get to outpost three from here?”
“Thirty nine point three hours in interdimensional space Commander. The odds of Eiger capturing Tria and her Father are now just over thirty two percent with the information from Enochey factored into the equation. There could be many unknown factors that could increase or decrease the odds. The one factor that stands out and would increase those odds in Eiger’s favor is the fact they were traveling in Rak’s transport. If Eiger was able to track the transport when it entered the exclusion zone he could wait until it departed to intercept it.”
34
I felt like my world was closing in around me and I had strange tingling feeling throughout my body. I closed my eyes and couldn’t help but think Tria was reaching out to me for help. “Justice, take us to outpost three as fast as possible!” Justice turned the Legacy away from the outpost at maximum velocity. He gave a five second warning of our transition and then took us into hyperspace. I don’t know if I had imagined Tria calling me or not but I would soon find out if my instincts were correct. No matter the outcome I would take care of Drayen once and for all.
I felt I had won a small battle with my inner beast back at the Coram outpost. I walked away from a situation where I felt a desperate need to kill Enochey. It was possible I had left him to a much nastier fate. When I walked away from the Coram, I felt his days were numbered whether I killed him or not. He no longer had his bodyguards to enforce his reign as outpost overlord and as Klutch pointed out, he was not well liked.
I went to the ready room and stowed my armor. Coonts and Klutch had already done the same, and I wondered where they were. I thought sure they would want to know how my mission had turned out. They must have gone to the galley to eat after not doing so for days. I stepped out into the hallway and headed to the galley but stopped short when I found my crew members in the science lab inspecting glossy black tubes that looked like the scopes on my long range hunting rifles. At the back end of each tube was a rope like braided cord with a large plug on the end. “What are you up to now Justice?”
“Since we installed the new weapons and negation systems aboard the Legacy, I have been collecting detailed data on the weapon removed from Alfa base and now have intimate knowledge of the system and every aspect of its operation. I miniaturized the projector and made small improvements to the weapon. I have been working on this project since I achieved a complete understanding of its design. What you see on the work bench is the product of my intense research into creating a beam weapon adaptable to your Zaen battle armor. I have improved the efficiency of the beam projector and the weapons energy consumption. You will have at least fifteen successive shots before the armor suits power source must recover from the power drain. I have just finished the protective armor cladding for the tubes and they should be able to withstand considerable abuse without disabling the weapon. The only drawback is I will have to remove one of the existing weapon launching tubes from your armor. I feel the benefits of the new weapon will far exceed those of the extra launching tube. The new weapon will penetrate the battle armor shields of all known combatants with the possibility of damaging shields on shuttle size targets. I am also working on hardware that will give your armor negation capability. I still have considerable work to do on the negation system. We will not know how effective the new capability will be until it is tested in a combat situation. I have hopes that when cloaked the chances for you being detected by most intruder alert systems will be below fifteen percent. I manufactured the hardware to mount the beam weapons and with your permission will start immediately.”
Coonts and Klutch were looking at me like puppy dogs waiting on a treat. They already knew what my answer would be, so I poked fun at them by making a show of looking indecisive. The looks on their faces said they didn’t get it so I just went ahead and said it. “Get it done Justice we have a just over thirty hours before we may have to use every weapon available to us. I will not leave outpost three without Tria and her father.” Leaving the science lab had me thinking I was glad the evil robot was on my side. I went to the galley with the intention of eating. Thinking I had heard Tria call out to me was still weighing heavy on my mind. I picked at the food for a few minutes and pushed it aside when Klutch and Coonts joined me. They both had trays loaded with food. Coonts asked me about my mission and by the time I got it all out most of the food on their trays sat untouched because they now shared my concern for Tria and her father. Coonts finally voiced what I knew all along. “Commander, we should have killed Drayen when we had the chance.” Klutch looked me in the eyes. “I will not leave the outpost without correcting that problem Commander.” I could only give him a halfhearted smile. “You will have to wait in line my friend.”
Getting up I emptied my tray into the recycler and excused myself to my cabin. I went to bed knowing I would not sleep again until Tria was safely on the Legacy. I woke almost nine hours later covered in sweat. I was having a nightmare and in it the rage I called the beast was killing on a scale that had me trembling. How could I do such a thing? Was I so far separated from my humanity I was capable of the horror I had witnessed in my dream. The burden of this reality was the crushing weight of the bodies that were heaped in mountains along the path behind me. I was being wielded as a weapon by my maker and he had already passed judgement on all who would stand against me. Was I th
e only cure for the wide spread corruption infecting the galaxy?
I went to the science lab to see how Justice was doing with the modifications to our armor. When I entered the lab I was taken back by the appearance of my armor. The ghastly skeletal image was once again on my armor and now it didn’t look like a good paint job, it looked like it was etched into the glossy finish of the suit. My armor now had a smooth cowling with just the tip of the beam projector protruding from the end on the right arm. The rope like power cord was covered by an armored shroud that plugged in at the shoulder. The left arm still had the suit’s original launcher tube. Just above the tube was the modified needle gun. I walked around the suit and saw the munition backpack was now half of its original size. Now it only had to supply munitions to a single launcher tube. In place of the extended pack was a larger weapons clip. It had enough room for more than just the new shotgun that was attached to it. Just below the clip and the backpack was a good size magazine pouch that had a dozen reloads for the shotgun. It could also double as storage once it was empty. I could see Klutch’s armor had a slightly different bestial image on it but I was sure the Tibor would approve of the horror his armor now presented. Justice was still reworking Coonts armor so I left the lab and went to the galley in hopes of eating something this time.
I finished my meal and went to the hangar to inspect the new shuttles. When I got there, Justice had his creepy appendages shoved into every available opening on the ships. All of the equipment bays and utility hatches were open. I couldn’t decide if he was disassembling the ships or putting them back together. I thought about bitching to him about it but already knew he wouldn’t be doing it without a good reason.
I went to the brig to see if Justice let the Murlak starve to death. The darkened cell door cleared on my command and I caught Kergan drinking from his hands at the sink. Justice had a better moral compass than I did because the Murlak looked to be in good shape. I sat down on the bench across from his cell. I could tell by the look on the Murlaks face he knew I would not kill him. He looked almost smug. If he was trying to annoy me it was working. “Dema had that same look on his face when I threw him off the ship. It was most unfortunate we were in hyperspace at the time.” The smug look disappeared and was replaced with just a hint of a smirk. “If what you say is true, then you have determined I am a valuable trading commodity and you will not risk killing me” I shook my head and stood up. “Your clan sibling Cesil thought the same thing just before I killed him. His ship and crew suffered the same fate as yours did.” I was satisfied with the shocked look my last comment got me and blacked out the cell. “Justice, remember the toast you tried to poison me with, that’s what the Murlak gets to eat as long as he is on this ship.”
“Acknowledged Commander.”
I left the brig and made my way back towards the hangar as I passed the ready room I saw that Justice had moved my armor back to its storage locker. Sitting on the chair in front of my locker was a pile of credit vouchers. I had forgotten about them and wondered what they totaled. “Justice what is the total of the credit vouchers taken from Enochey?”
“The cards total nine hundred and seventy two million one hundred and sixty thousand Commander.”
“Separate out five million for each of the crew and put the rest aside for the primitive race protection fund. If you are done dissecting the shuttles, I would like to take a look at them.”
“Commander, I have found deficiencies in several of the self-maintenance and environmental systems. The targeting system was for different weapons than those that have been retrofitted. The Galactic Union energy weapons required a much more robust software and A.I. management system to ensure reliable accuracy. The shield upgrade while of a modern design, it lacked a properly functioning power source to fully utilize the enhanced performance capabilities.”
“Justice, are you trying to tell me we wasted close to a billion credits on junk shuttles!”
“Not exactly Commander, but I believe you would have been justified in retaining all of the credits Klutch confiscated from Enochey.
“It’s a little late for that Justice. Can you repair or replace the systems so the shuttles are ready for combat operations?”
“I have removed and replaced as many systems as possible. This entailed the removal of the best systems from one shuttle to upgrade the other. When I have completed the repairs and upgrades, you will have one fully functional battle ready assault shuttle Commander.”
“And what about the other one Justice?”
“The proper Earth term to classify the other shuttle’s status would be hangar queen Commander. When better systems become available, I will install them on the parts shuttle until it is finally completed and ready for duty.”
“Justice, when you mentioned a more robust A.I. management system I assume you meant another subsystem of yourself.”
“That assumption would be correct Commander. I have also installed the equipment necessary for boarding the Legacy with our defensive shields in place. The new systems will allow the shuttle to make a temporary hole of sufficient size to exit and enter the hangar during combat operations.”
“What’s our current ETA to outpost three?”
“Eleven hours thirteen minutes Commander.”
“Carry on Justice I will be mission planning with the crew if you need me.” There was no use in bitching about only having one shuttle. I knew Justice was looking out for all of our best interest. As I walked by the galley I ran into Coonts and told him to give Klutch a heads up, we were going to have a war gaming session in the conference room in twenty minutes. He gave me a quick nod and went to find Klutch. I went to the conference room and took my place at the table. I sat and stared at the chair where Tria usually sat and wished she was here and the Legacy was heading someplace else in the galaxy. The more I thought about it the darker my mood became. I would have to deal with Eiger as well as Drayen and I knew there would be no containing the beast. The murderous mayhem in my dream resulted from my willful release of the Oolaran soldier I had subconsciously been trying to restrain. Pandora’s Box was on the verge of being opened and I prayed I could find my way back to the human being I once was. If Eiger or Drayen has harmed Tria, I held out little hope I would be anything other than a trained killing machine from that point on.
Justice set up our customary water decanters, and I saw he still set a glass for Tria. He wasn’t about to write off Tria’s chances of coming back with us. Coonts and Klutch came in and sat down. They both looked as antsy as I felt. Coonts took a drink of water and looked at me. “Commander the events that led up to our recovery of the shuttles did not allow me the time necessary to examine the shuttles to insure they were properly updated. For that I apologize. Justice has informed me of the extensive list of deficiencies along with the removal of one shuttle from flight status. I wish to forfeit the funds you have set aside for me and put them towards a replacement shuttle.” I gave the Grawl a small halfhearted smile. “Coonts, it is water under the bridge. We thought we were being dealt with honestly and that was not the case. You could not have known about Enochey’s treachery so let’s put it behind us and chalk it up as a learning experience.” The puzzled look on Coonts face made me move on while he contemplated the meaning of my statement.
“I called this meeting so we could plan our attack on Drayen’s stronghold. Last time I was there he had never had a threat to his security. It would be stupid to think he has not made preparations to ensure his safety. No matter what he throws at me I am not leaving without Tria or I will die trying. I will give you both a chance to take the shuttle and return to Alpha base. If you go with me, there will be no turning back. Anyone or anything that stands in our way will be destroyed. We are not going into that sewer worrying about collateral damage. They have stepped across a line a long time ago that should have brought them to judgement. It is my fault they have not answered for their crimes. There is no place in this universe for these sick animals and I am going
to kill them all.” The looks on my crew’s faces were grim and determined. “We are with you Commander no matter the outcome.” Justice was right, this was my family, and they had my back come hell or high water. “We need a plan that will cover us if Eiger shows up while we are on the outpost. Our chance for a successful mission outcome will be questionable if Eiger drops a few shuttles loaded with troops on the outpost behind us. We have to figure out a way to eliminate Eiger from the equation.”
Klutch took a big drink of water and cleared his throat. “We have a small bargaining chip as long as Eiger values the life of his clan sibling. If he does not, we should still try to use Kergan as bait to lure Eiger out into the open where Justice can get a shot at him. I think the odds of Tria and her father still being on his battleship would be miniscule. I think he would have turned them over to Drayen for any possible bounty.” Coonts said, “Commander, can we even be sure if Eiger and Drayen know of our relationship with Tria?” I thought about it for a minute and couldn’t decide if it was knowledge either Drayen or Eiger would know or not. “That’s an excellent question Coonts and one we need to consider before we attempt to bargain with them. I don’t want them to use Tria or her father as a shield or as hostages. We know Drayen was holding Tria for Chaalt tech when I took her. But he couldn’t know she was in on the assault at the pirate outpost or the research station. All the witnesses who could say they saw her on Eigers outpost are dead. After the way the Zaen’s held up their end of our armor deal, I would say they will remain silent on anything that has to do with us. Tria had very limited exposure to anyone at the research station and was cloaked most of the time. The Overlord and his command personnel who actually saw her there are also dead. We know for a fact Xul and Graf didn’t tell him so we might have an advantage as long as we use it properly. Eiger will be close by Drayen’s outpost. If Drayen loses his enforcer, he may want to bargain with me rather than have a confrontation regardless of his preparations. There is a chance if we go to Drayen and play this out like we have trade goods and a clan sibling of Eiger’s for sale, he will set up an ambush using Eiger.”
First of my Kind Page 49
