“This is Squadron Leader Winston Kani, Commonwealth Fighter Command. We're in need of urgent assistance. Right now we'll take any port in a storm. If you're an enemy of ColSec you're a friend of mine.” He could hear faint muttered comments in the background, but just before he was about to say something the channel crackled in reply.
“We've got help on the way, Squadron Leader. Keep your communicator open. Our team will head for your location. Just hold on for a few moments. You understand?”
“Message received and understood,” Kani replied. “Thanks, Hanoi. Out.” Snapping the communicator closed, he said, “See? Sometimes wishes do come true.”
“What the hell is a Free Starship?” Nguyen asked.
“I don't know, and right now, I don't care, either. We can work out the details later. For now I'll be happy enough to be on the way out of here.”
“Not to spoil your mood,” Dixon replied, “but there are bad guys heading our way, and I don't think they're going to sit back and watch us leave. Incoming in thirty seconds minus.”
Taking his position behind the battered desk, Kani said, “Fire discipline, people. Make each shot count. Hopefully we've got friends on the way.” He glanced back at the panel, still locked tight. “Though if any of you feel like a quick prayer, I'd say we could use all the help we could get.”
Chapter 10
“What?” Curtis said.
“That's what it says, Teddy,” Tom replied, scanning over the file that Hanoi had fired at their communicator, a brief microsecond pulse too brief to show up on any of the station's sensors. “Kani's on the run with two others, and they're holed up in an office on the lowest level. Pretty close to the exit, actually. Though I'm guessing they've got every guard in the place heading their way.”
“Great!” Voronova said, climbing up to their level, panting for breath. “We can go and rescue them. I think we need to head down this tunnel.”
“Wait a minute,” Curtis replied, blocking her way with an outstretched arm. “There's no point just opening the hatch in their office. We'll just have all sorts of hell heading for us if we try that. We're going to have to split into three groups. Voronova, you are to count to thirty after we're gone, then head out to get the hatch open and escort your people to one of the shuttles...”
“We can't wait,” she protested, but Curtis shook his head.
“We've got to. Tom, you're going to find a spot further up from the ColSec force that I'm damned sure is already heading their way, and cause the biggest damn distraction you can. I want them to think that we've sent in a battalion. Anything to draw them off for long enough that we can get them out, and into the tunnel network.”
“Where are you going?” Tom asked.
“In case you've both forgotten, we've still got a mission to complete, and none of this means a damned thing if we don't get the data Saxon stole from Keranos. I've got all the pass-codes I need to access it, but I've got to get to a secure terminal. There isn't one in that office. I need to make it up to the highest level.”
“Then I'm going with you,” Tom said.
“Last time I checked,” Curtis replied, “I was in command of this operation. You two have got to go and rescue Kani and the others, if for no other reason than that I'm going to need something to distract the guards while I make my strike. Now this isn't a conversation. On your way, Tom.” Sliding into a side tunnel, Curtis glanced back at Voronova, and said, “Count thirty, then go get your friends, and for God's sake don't try any stupid heroic stunts. You can leave those to me.”
“Commander...”
“That's an order,” he replied, swinging carefully onto a ladder, his feet flailing around for a desperate second before finding the rung he was looking for, resuming his ascent through the decks. It had taken almost an hour for them to climb up to this level, miles of twisted tunnels and maintenance shafts to traverse from Ransom's hidden clinic. He glanced at his watch, grimacing as he saw the time. In ten minutes, they were going to have to be on their way out of here, or risk getting caught by the two Federation Starcruisers that he knew were on the way.
He paused to glance at the layout grid on his datapad, checking his route one last time, then scrambled quickly up the ladder, rubbing the beads of sweat from his forehead, smearing his hand on his battered jumpsuit. Even at his lowest ebb, he'd still made sure to keep up his physical conditioning, the equipment at his old recreation center eminently suitable tools to work out his frustrations, and his work in the Titanian labor gangs had built him up still further. That was serving him now, but even so, he knew that he was pushing his limits.
Four days ago, his only concern had been where he was going to get his next drink. Now he was climbing through the maintenance tunnels of a century-old space station, on a mission that would make or break the nascent rebellion he was attempting to create. He still couldn't quite bring himself to believe that they could be successful, that they would find a way to make the dreams of the rebels a reality, but more than ever, he was determined to try. If for no other reason than that it was a better way to die than getting into a drunken brawl in a bar.
One more level. He pulled himself up the final rungs, the drone of the alarms sounding in the background as he moved to the hatch. By now, with luck, Tom would have started his diversionary attack. He had to move, and quickly. Working the opening sequence, he rolled out into the corridor, looking around for any guards before running down the corridor to his destination.
They'd have spotted him in a moment, as soon as he emerged from the shaft, but that wouldn't mean a thing if they didn't have anyone to deploy. He could hear sirens in the distance, smell faint traces of smoke in the air from the battle taking place two levels down. The crack of a lone gunshot, followed by a bitter, anguished scream.
The keypad protecting his target fell to his first assault, the codes provided by Saxon giving him all the help he needed to open the door. Inside, a wall-mounted terminal flashed up sensor data, but he only gave it the most cursory glance before moving to the dataport, sliding a connector into position. The download began in an instant, and while it worked, he pulled out a keyboard, entering commands to examine the data for himself.
There it was. Struve 2398. Less than a dozen light-years from their current position. From all the prospecting data, Keranos must have ridden on a survey ship, seeking new minerals for the Federation. Somehow, during the sweep, he'd found something that the others had missed, the opportunity to scavenge components from his ship.
A light flashed on, and he ripped out the connector, stuffing it in his pocket. He'd have all the time he needed to examine the data later on. For the moment, he simply had to get away from there, work his way down to a shuttle dock. Though that promised to be easier said than done. He turned back to the shaft, hoping to escape the way he had come, but the hatch was locked shut, and his command codes failed to work.
It had taken longer than he'd expected for them to realize that Saxon had betrayed them. Now he was faced with the same problem as Kani, working a way out. A smile curled his lips, and he realized that there was one route out of the complex he could be certain of, even if it was likely to be crowded. He looked back into the room, pulling open the weapons locker and grabbing a pair of sonic shotguns, snatching a set of heavy-duty headphones and jamming them onto his head. No point going without taking a few souvenirs. He raced down the corridor to the elevator, grimacing as he saw the controls restricted to internal service only. Not that it mattered. He knew where he was going.
Stepping through the doors, he clicked the charge cycle on the shotguns, priming them for an assault. The elevator mechanism ground into life to send him dropping down the two levels to the battle floor. If his memory of the layout was correct, he'd be stepping right into the middle of a firefight in progress, though at least he'd be attacking from an unexpected direction. He raised the shotguns, aiming them at the door, and wai
ted for them to open.
With a chime, the elevator reached its destination, and before he had more than a thin crack opening out onto the level beyond, he fired a full-volume pulse at the enemies ahead. Some of them had taken the time to don their heavy armor, protecting themselves from any conceivable assault. Luckily for Curtis, most of them hadn't, and a cascade of collapsing ColSec agents dominoed down the corridor, toppling into each other, slamming their hands to their heads as their agonized screams filled the air, almost as loud as the sonic blast that had caused them.
Instantly, those still standing turned their attention back to Curtis, and he slammed tight the door control with less than a second to spare, a dozen rounds crashing into the metal, ripping deep rents into the surface that prevented them from closing. Discarding his shotguns to the deck, he drew his pistol, firing blind as he dived to the floor, taking cover behind a crippled guard, bullets slamming through the air all around him.
“You crazy bastard!” Tom yelled, ducking out of a side corridor, firing a quick volley of bullets from his position. Curtis took the chance he'd been given, sprinting forward, towards the enemy agents blocking his way, firing wild shots to support Tom's covering fire, other bullets spilling out from the office up ahead. He slid past a petrified ColSec guard, clutching his arm from a recently-acquired wound, and ducked through the doors, Tom right on his tail.
“I thought I ordered you all to bug out of here?” Curtis said, looking daggers at Voronova.
“Technically, I'm not in your chain of command,” Voronova replied.
“And I'm a civilian,” Tom added.
“Have you at least managed to get the hatch open?” Curtis asked.
“We're ready to go,” Voronova said, gesturing at a dark-skinned man looking at Curtis with grim suspicion. “This is Squadron Leader Kani. Flight Lieutenant Nguyen and Dixon have gone on ahead.”
“Dixon?” Curtis asked. “Never mind.” As bullets cracked into the desk, sending shards of debris flying into the air, he said, “Introductions can wait for later. Who's got ammunition?”
“Just the two of us, Teddy,” Tom said.
“Then we get to be rear guard,” Curtis replied. “The rest of you get moving, right now. Have, what was it, Nguyen, pioneer a way to the nearest shuttle. Should be five decks down. We've got to be moving in the next five minutes, or we're going to end up taking up permanent residence.”
“Got it,” Kani said, nimbly ducking through the hatch, wriggling his way through the tunnels. Curtis turned to see the ColSec forces moving forward, carefully picking a path over the tangled bodies on the deck, the dead mingled with the dying. At least they'd cut a bloody swatch through the local security forces, though that would be cold comfort if they didn't make it out with the information they were looking for.
“What about Alvarez?” Tom asked.
“I didn't get a chance to make it to Medical,” Curtis said. “We'll just have to hope that they decided to keep him alive. Assuming he isn't already dead.” He looked at Tom, and said, “You think I like any of this? Nothing that happened here today was my idea.”
“Easy, buddy,” Tom said, lining up a shot. He fired into the air, skimming close to the advancing column, but they ignored his attack, continuing to march implacably onwards, heedless of the covering fire the two of them were offering. All of those who might be vulnerable were already out of the action, and their pistols were almost useless against armored targets. He glanced back, watching as the last of the others dropped through the hatch, then tapped Tom on the shoulder.
“Time to go.”
“You first.”
“Tom...”
“Damn it, you're the tactical genius, and if you get yourself shot, all of this was for nothing, so get the hell out of here, right now!”
With a curt nod, Curtis turned to the hatch, taking the distance in three quick strides and sliding into the hatch, feet seeking out the ladder beyond. He looked back at his friend, still calmly shooting at the advancing enemy troops, distracting them even if he couldn't delay them.
“Come on, Tom!” Curtis yelled, and his friend emptied the last of his clip into the enemy guards, turning to run for the hatch, before a terrible crack filled the air, a bullet slamming into his back, sending him stumbling to the deck. For a second, instinct took over, Curtis taking a step up, desperate to save his friend, but hands reached out to pull him back, drag him into safety, and with a last reluctant look into the office, he slammed the hatch closed, running a diagnostic sequence to jam it for a precious moment, and followed Voronova into the darkness below.
“I'm sorry, Commander,” she said, “but you were right earlier. If we don't get the information we came here for, none of this was worth it, and we'll have all risked our lives for nothing. They might not kill him out of hand. More likely they'll hold him for interrogation.”
“If that's the case,” a gruff voice said, “killing him would be a mercy.”
“Assuming he isn't dead already,” Curtis said, quickly working his way down the ladder, struggling to keep up with the nimble Voronova. The group sped through the levels, periodically glancing up, waiting for the hatch above them to open. At this point, one salvo of automatic fire could wipe them out, but each step took them closer to safety.
“Three minutes before we have to get out of here,” Voronova said. “Assuming the ships are on time.”
“The Federation Fleet is nothing if not punctual,” Curtis replied.
“One more level,” Kani said, now sliding down the ladder for greater speed. “Hanoi's your ship? I thought it was a tanker.”
“It is.”
“Our getaway starship is a tanker?”
“Beggars can't be choosers, Squadron Leader,” Curtis replied, as they finally dropped down to the deserted deck below. He looked up and down the corridor, initially surprised by the lack of ColSec presence before spotting a woman at the end of the passage, standing next to the airlock, clutching her arm, blood oozing out between her fingers.
“Had an unwanted guest,” she gasped. “You Curtis?”
“That's me,” he said. “Where is he?”
“In the shuttle,” she replied, gesturing with her head. “Thought we might need another prisoner. He isn't dead. Quite.”
“Kani, take the helm, and get us the hell out of here,” Curtis said. Looking at the muscle-bound man standing by the hatch, he said, “You know any first aid?”
“Some.”
“Medical kit should be in there somewhere.”
“I don't take orders from you.”
“Then you can damned well stay behind, but I don't think you'll like the orders ColSec are likely to be handing out any better than you like mine!” He walked up to the man, red-faced with rage, and said, “I've gone through too damned much today already. You want to be the person who volunteers to help me work out my rage?”
The man looked down at him, a faint smile drifting across his lips, and he replied, “No, sir, I guess I don't.” He stepped into the cabin, Curtis taking a last look around, the final rebel to leave the station, the sound of rushing feet heading for them. They'd moved just quickly enough.
“We'll be back,” Curtis said, softly enough that nobody else could hear it. “This isn't going to be the end of the story.” He slammed the hatch closed, and the shuttle lurched away from the station, drifting clear as the docking clamps disengaged.
“Hey, we got problems,” Voronova said, dropping on front of the sensor station. “Tell me that isn't a warp dump in progress.”
“Sorry, I don't lie to junior officers,” Curtis said, peering over her shoulder. He reached for a headset, and said, “Shuttle, ah, Three-Niner to Hanoi. Come in.”
“Commander?” a disbelieving Cordova replied. “We're tracking you all the way, sir, but we're also picking up a...”
“We've got it. Far as I can see the
y're twenty minutes ahead of schedule, and right in our projected flight path. Prepare course change.” He paused, then said, “And just in case I don't make it back to the barn, our target is Struve 2398. The Cinnamon Belt. Though I hope to be hand-delivering the data to you shortly.”
“We'll be waiting, Commander, and we don't have any intention of leaving the system without you. Don't worry. We've got something left up our sleeve.”
“I hope so,” Voronova said, her hands running across her station. “Two ships emerging now, both Starcruisers. Cygnus and Arcturus in line-abreast formation, both already at battle stations.” Eyes wide, she looked up, and said, “If they launch fighters, we'll never beat them to Hanoi.”
“Squadron Leader,” Curtis said, turning to the helm, “I have been reliably informed that you are the hottest pilot in known space. I've hung out with enough fighter jockeys to know that they all think they're the best. Now you're going to have a chance to prove it. Do whatever you have to do to evade those fighters.”
“You're in safe hands, Commander,” Kani replied, a gleam in his eye. “Better strap down, people. This is going to be the wildest ride you ever had.”
Chapter 11
“Confirmed, Major,” Montgomery reported, looking up at the sensor display. “Two ships, inbound course, and they've opened their launch bays. Scramble almost certainly imminent.”
Rojek nodded, adding, “Our shuttle won't be docking for five minutes. Unless we head in to cut that down a little, there's no chance that they'll arrive before the fighters.” He frowned, then said, “Make that four minutes. I don't know who they've got flying that shuttle, but I'd recommend him for psych evaluation.”
“We can't go in closer,” Norton replied from the helm. “The fighters would tear us to pieces.”
“If I might make a suggestion,” Saxon said, two pistols still trained on her, “Heading in closer is exactly what we need to do. Down into the defense perimeter to pick up the shuttle. If I remember my astrogation, then you should be able to build up enough speed to pass the gravitational threshold through a close flyby of Coronado.”
Starcruiser Polaris: Blood of Patriots Page 11
