Seeker of Moons (Cassidy's Command Book 1) Page 9

  “OK, it may be that you get nowhere but carry on for now and get back to the bridge if it seems useless.”

  Kyle regained his scooter and headed towards the bridge, he thought to himself that the idea of installing all the weapons at the same time seemed strange but Kara was an experienced pilot and anyway, standard engineering had failed.

  He stopped to pick up some hot drinks before arriving at the bridge, Esther and Pixie were in the command chairs and engrossed in their tasks.

  “Engineer Cassidy reporting with drinks and I am afraid some bad news Sub.”

  “It’s ok Getaway, I’ve had a comms from Kara at the hangar so I know that things look bleak with the fighter.”

  Kyle looked into Esther’s eyes, they showed great tiredness and she seemed to be ageing by the day. He knew she was struggling with the responsibility of trying to keep her crew from harm and he did not want to make it worse, so chose his words carefully.

  “Sub, when will we hit the cloud?”

  “Around three and a half ship hours if the reactor holds up, we have this old girl going faster than she has ever gone and it’s a question of whether she falls apart before the first pirate ship reaches us.”

  “Is there anything I and the others can do to help?”

  “Yes Getaway I want you to gather everyone here by 14.00 hours ship time, including Shiner and the Secom, who might both need help. Make sure that all those who are able to wear armour are wearing it and have with them fully charged weapons.”

  Relieved that Esther was still making decisions it meant he wouldn’t need to. When he threw her a casual salute and turned to exit the bridge, he heard a muted, “Thanks for the drink Getaway,” coming from Pixie, who he had not really noticed, she was sitting quietly engrossed in her manuals.

  Kyle communicated with Freeman, who was not surprised by Esther’s orders and suggested that two extra air scooters were brought to the sick bay.

  Bambi and Buzz had already left the hangar having given up on fixing the fighter and were back in the mess tucking into double portions of Kalami stew from the auto vend.

  “What’s happening Getaway?” asked Buzz with his mouth full.

  “We have to meet the Sub on the bridge at 14.00, armoured and armed and I bet it’s not going to be good news”.

  “Getaway you had better get some food too, it sounds like the next meal could be some way off,” said Bambi.

  “You’re right, what’s good today?”

  “The stew isn’t too bad but that’s probably down to my lack of taste,” said Buzz.

  “Fine I’ll get mine in a minute. When you guys have finished here, get your military kit on and meet me at the sick bay, we need to get Freeman and Shiner kitted and mobile as Esther wants everyone there. Take your air scooters and I’ll bring a couple of spare vehicles for the wounded. If you get to the sick bay before me make a start, because I would guess it’s going to take some time to get both of them suited up. See you two later, I am going to take your advice and get some scoff while I can!”

  When Kyle got back to the mess with his selection of plated meals, Bambi was still at the table. “I was waiting for you Getaway.”

  “I can see that Bambi, what can I do for you?”

  “I just wanted to say…..well I don’t know what to say, it’s complicated. I think that you are interested in me because either you aren’t getting anywhere with Esther, or that your libido is now over active as the drug control has ceased. If it’s the first then hard luck mate, I’ve known Esther break a few hearts with her career focus. If it’s just the need for sex then I’ll get you a holograph machine from the recreation room and you can have your choice of beautiful women to lust over.”

  Kyle still hadn’t got the hang of women and his time in prison had not helped his social skills but even he could recognise Bambi was upset. “You are probably right on all counts.”

  “Thanks, I was right and you don’t really care about me”!

  “What I was going to say before you jumped me, was you may have been right on day one aboard but I thought we were getting close and yes I care and respect you. When you said you wanted to put our relationship on hold until Lengo was free, I decided that it would be safer and kinder to let fate decide if we have a future.”

  “Just words Kyle,” Bambi slammed her mug on the table for dramatic effect and stormed out of the mess shouting something which sounded like, “friggen men.”

  Kyle sat at the table, head in his hands meal not started and feeling just a bit confused, then a soft hand touched him on the shoulder, it was Kara.

  “Having women trouble Getaway, can I join you?”

  “Sure Kara, grab a chair and I am sorry we let you down prepping the fighter, I hear it was going to be your mission to attack the pirate craft and after what you’ve been through you must have been looking forward to the payback.”

  Kara shook her head and her shoulder length black hair continued to dance for a milli-second after she stopped, “No Getaway, it’s more important that you all escape, I don’t want to think about you either being caught or destroyed and the possibility to cover the Moons escape seemed a fantastic opportunity and a noble cause. That’s history now let’s get back to you, what are your motives with Bambi?”

  “I don’t have a motive, I think I like her but she is right, it may just be my recent lack of female contact and I guess she is lashing out as she still has feelings for Lengo.”

  “I think you are partly right,” said Kara, “I also think that she is struggling with her guilt of surviving and being free, whilst Lengo is still a prisoner in the pirate’s city. You may not get any sense out of her until she resolves those feelings, so if you do have genuine feelings for her my advice is, be patient and be a good listener.”

  “Thanks Kara, I hear what you say and it makes sense but I don’t know myself yet whether I want to get in too deep with Bambi but I will be there for her as a friend anyway.”

  “Well Getaway, time is moving on you had better get back to your berth and get suited and booted and I will see you later.”

  Kara got up from her seat, squeezed Kyle’s shoulder and made her exit from the galley. He drained the last few drops of machine Kaffoo from his mug and headed back to his quarters to get ready. He spread out his undergarments and armour components on the floor, inspecting each piece as he laid it down. He then peeled off his coverall and underwear and headed for the shower, stopping to command the entertainment centre to play a set from his favourite electro music group ‘The Strange Fruits’.

  In the shower he felt able to relax under the warm spray, he tried to put his women problems into perspective against the impending battle with the pursuing pirates and a shortened life expectancy. Kyle switched the water off, turned the dryer on and after a couple of minutes stepped out of the shower. He thought that’s strange the thumping beat of the ‘Strange Fruits’ had been replaced by lilting melodies from some girl group. How did that happen he said to himself, looking over to his bed he found the answer. Kara was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a crimson bath gown, grinning like a mad person.

  He didn’t know what to say but knew from looking at the half open gown that she wasn’t wearing a stitch underneath and although she was a good fifteen years older than him and did not have the toned body of Esther or Bambi he was suddenly attracted.

  “I think I can help you resolve part of your problem Getaway and it might help me too,” Kara suggested mischievously.

  The imagery was all too much for Kyle and acutely aware of his excited naked state he bounded into the bed dragging Kara backwards with him.

  An hour of frenzied love making later the pair arose in a panic as the time was now 13:45 and they were seriously late but were both still smiling. Kyle began to feverishly put on his undergarments and Kara helped him to attach his armour. As the helmet went on she kissed him on the cheek and said, “Let that be our secret Getaway, have a great life you are a fine young man.”

&
nbsp; Before he could ask what she meant, Kara threw on her gown and raced out of the room.

  Too late to worry about events, Kyle threw his Dominator over his shoulder, grabbed the air scooter outside his door and raced towards the sick bay. Before he had gone far he met the other four, mounted two up on air scooters coming the other way.

  “Where have you been?” scowled Freeman.

  “Had trouble with the damned armour fastening,” Kyle lied. “Anyway glad to see you guys are ahead of the game, we’d better get to the bridge fast.

  At exactly 14:00 the five armoured crewmen walked or hobbled onto the bridge and found Esther standing purposefully by the command console dressed in her body armour but lacking her helmet.

  “Thank you all for coming and first up I need to give you our situation report. In around 25 minutes we will be entering the Cerebus cloud, but unfortunately the first of the chasing pirate attack craft will be there about 2 minutes before us, they are on a parallel course and are simply outrunning us.

  I haven’t an alternative plan and unless anyone else has one we carry on at full speed and see what happens, it could be messy but if we get any luck we may just get to the cloud before the enemy.

  “Has anyone seen Kara recently? She is not answering my comms”

  Kyle breathed in and blurted out, “I saw her about 2 hours ago in the mess and she seemed ok then, do you want me to go and look for her?”

  Before Esther could answer, Pixie interrupted, “Sub, we’ve got a ship to ship comms coming in from the pirate craft.”

  “OK, Pixie put it on the Command Screen, Esther hurried back to her chair so that the broadcast camera would display just her. The others stood in the background but looked on intently.

  After a few seconds the screen sprang to life with the head and torso of the pirate captain comming into view. Dressed all in black, his albino skin, dotted with scarlet scabs marked him out as Blancovite by birth but he spoke the universal language without an accent.

  “Hear me The Seven Moons of Septimus, this is Captain Horis Vimbon of the Walendian Astral Defence Force Cutter 'Brotherhood', reduce your speed and prepare to be boarded.”

  Esther beckoned Pixie to activate the two way communication facility and Vimbon smiled as he saw the form of the Sub accentuated by the curves of the body hugging armour.

  “Captain Vimbon, Sub Officer Fuentes of The Seven Moons of Septimus, thank you for your interest and we would be glad of your escort to the cloud gate, we are being pursued by pirate forces and we must clear this sector as soon as possible.

  “Sub Fuentes, please do not play games with me, you are required to halt and make ready to be boarded, you are believed to be carrying a number of citizens of Chamtofi against their will and your departure from this sector will not be permitted.”

  “Captain Vimbon, we have no citizens from your planet on board this ship but we do hold two murdering pirate scum in our brig and they will be turned over to the proper authorities beyond the cloud gate. The Moons has already been boarded by pirates twice and many of our colleagues have been killed in the process. We will not stop until we are through the cloud gate but you are welcome to follow us.”

  Esther nodded to Pixie who cut off the two way communicator, “Pixie, how long until we make the cloud?”

  “Less than five minutes Sub but the Brotherhood has now passed us and is manoeuvring to block our path into the cloud, the second ship is holding position behind us to block any attempt to escape.”

  “Maintain full speed and hold our course, where is Kara? We could really do with her help now.”

  Freeman hobbled over to the navigators console. “I’ll see what I can do Sub.”

  Pixie piped up again, “I’ve news about Kara she has launched in the Slasher and is taking position for an attack run on the enemy.”

  “What the hell is she doing,” shouted Esther to nobody in particular “she cannot fire any weapons.”

  The communicator came alive again and it was Vimbon, “As you can see on your screens you are not able to enter the gateway and if you do not immediately heave to we will fire.”

  Esther looked over to Freeman, “Can you move all power from the ships periphery deflectors to the bow area? We may have to take fire very soon.”

  “Aye, Aye Sub, deflector power now at Five Standard for Bow and Bridge.”

  “Still stalling for time Sub Fuentes,” came a mocking broadcast from Vimbon, “this is your last chance we will commence fire in Ten…..Nine…..Eight,” but his countdown was interrupted as one of his bridge crew alerted him to the attack run of Kara’s fighter. The transmission broke off whilst the Brotherhood took frantic evasive action, as the tiny fighter lined up an attack on the unprotected propulsion vents.

  The Moons was still rushing headlong for the cloud and the ship acting as gatekeeper was no longer in position, as it moved frantically to get out of the way of the pursuing fighter.”

  “Sixty seconds to cloud entry Sub,” Pixie announced out loud.

  “Maintain speed and course,” Esther responded.

  Kyle could not take his eyes off the large viewing screen in front of the crew seats. The display was programmed to slow action down, so that activity was not seen at a blur and he was mesmerised by the way the fighter hung on to the tail of its prey, it made him think of being chased by angry buzzflies in the garden on his homeworld.

  Esther’s announcement broke his torpor and he could not help shouting, “What about Kara?”

  “Kara has our cloud co-ordinates and course so she should be able to follow.”

  The display showed the fighter gaining on its prey and there was a collective realisation that Kara was not going to pull out. Dodging the direct thrust of the engines, Kara targeted her impact just forward of the thrust ports and with only seconds before impact Kyle heard over his comms implant, “Thanks Getaway, don’t forget me and don’t be sad, this is for me.”

  There was no time to respond. The screen suddenly flared as the two craft came together at speed, in a burst of crimson energy that flashed for a few seconds, then went back to being the blackness of space.

  All those on the bridge were stunned and Bambi sobbed, “Why, why? She had done her job and moved the enemy ship.”

  Secom Freeman ventured, “I thought Kara might do something like that, she was not the same person I remember before the Moons was captured and had been asking me what explosives we had on board. The crimson flash was a Folarium burst, she must have filled the Slasher with the stuff.”

  They all seemed to have a view on the motive for Kara’s actions but Kyle kept his thoughts to himself. He was at once both proud of his late friend and gripped by the thought that he should have recognised the signs and tried to talk her out of throwing her life away.

  The moment was broken by Pixie, “The second ship is gaining rapidly and my calculations indicate a boarding attempt.”

  “Sub with your permission,” Freeman said with authority, “Getaway take your team armed and ready to the rear air lock, if the worse happens do your best son and be quick about it.”

  “Aye, aye Secom, Let’s go team, time to play at soldiers again.” The group set off on their air scooters and soon disappeared down the maze of corridors.

  Esther addressed both Freeman and Pixie, "What are the pursuers trying to do we are seconds away from the cloud gate and they have no chance to come alongside?”

  Freeman leaned back in his chair, “My guess is they have hit us with an electronic marker and if that is the case we don’t have time to find and remove it. They intend to track us through the cloud, out the other side and board us there.

  Chapter 6

  An Unwanted Mission

  When Kyle and the others reached the rear air lock, the Moons had already entered the swirling mist of the cloud gateway and this corresponded with a slight sense of nausea induced by cloud travel.

  Kyle spoke into the Communicator console, “Bridge this is the Welcoming Party, can we have a s
ituation report?”

  It was Esther’s face that came on the screen, the tiredness of the last few days was clearly telling, but he thought she was doing fantastically to keep going with only a few minutes sleep. “Kyle get ready we should be exiting the cloud in the next few minutes and although sensors don’t work in the cloud we think if our friends are still close behind, they will want to make their move as soon as we emerge.”

  “OK, we have our Dominators, some stun grenades and of course our body armour so we can provide a warm welcome. Good luck to all of you on the bridge and you can rely on us to do our best here, Getaway, out.”

  Kyle encouraged the others to relax whilst in the annexe to the air lock. He looked at them slumped in their seats, all three of them looked disheartened and defeated before they started, they didn’t look up to a combat situation.

  “Shiner how’s the arm?”

  “Grade A my man, you want to try an arm wrestle?”

  “Not at this moment but once we are in the clear you can try bending your arm putting it in your pocket and pulling out the credits you owe me,” he said poking Shiner’s repaired arm with his finger, which was a pointless exercise as the premium armour would withstand a direct plasma bolt.

  “OK gang check your weapons, confirm charge and visors down,” Kyle said with as much authority as he could muster.

  He got the three reports he was hoping for, 100% charge status and he commanded his visor to close as did the others, the helmets and visors locked into position.

  Back on the bridge, Esther, Pixie and Freeman could do no more, the engines were still generating maximum thrust and the autopilot course was holding steady. They peered at their respective console screens which had a quadrant of the forward view of the ship at the top right of the screen. It was still showing a thick mustard coloured soup swirling around the ship but if their course was true and their speed calculations were accurate they were expecting to appear in the Germinus II system with its twin red and yellow suns.