Why did Sean let himself get talked into these things.
The shuttle sat in the shadows of the small moon crater, its weapon pods fully stocked but as yet unpowered. Ger sat at the controls, reading a book, as Sean sat next to him in the cockpit. The older teen kept going over all the things that could go wrong, WOULD go wrong, in this mad scheme. Sean had long ago stopped trusting luck in any form.
"Would you relax," Ger said, leaning back in his chair. "If we die, we die."
"That is NOT the attitude I like in my pilots. Any chance of getting Craig over here to take your place?" Ger chuckled at that, cocking an eye at his companion.
"He's worse, one reason I get all the plum flying jobs." He leaned forward and checked a couple systems again. "No, don't worry. I'll get you to the ship and docked safely. It's once you get inside that you should worry about. Going in blind is never good."
Sean shook his head.
"Tell me about it..."
****
Lessa paced back and forth on the bridge. Every couple seconds she passed behind Kine in the command chair, and it was getting on his nerves. It was bad enough they would be risking ship and life in a foolhardy plan, but you NEVER wanted a nervous Lessa behind you. Always keep her where you can keep your eyes on her.
"Will you stop that," he sighed, not bothering to turn back towards her. "Find a chair and sit down, before your baby makes you topple over." He heard her stop, and a few moments later he felt a weight pushing on the back of his chair as she placed her hands on the top of the seat back, straddling his head. This was NOT an improvement.
"Anything yet?" Kine looked down at his sister's station, knowing the answer. They'd be shouting out at the first sign of the transport without being prompted. It's not like anyone was going to sit on the news, or look away from their screens and have to be reminded to pay attention. The look Amanda shot up at him said as much, so he just shrugged his shoulders at her and she went back to her job. He sighed again.
"Look, Lessa, I know you're nervous, we all are. Just have a seat and let us..."
"Got it!"
The call came from Nora, down in front of the Navigation Sphere. A split second later the holographic image that dominated the bridge showed the dot that had just come within range, and its projected course. Lessa let go of the chair, and stepped around to stand next to Kine.
"Get ready," she whispered...
****
Sean stood and floated through the door into the main shuttle compartment.
"Suit up!"
The eight teens quickly grabbed their helmets, fitting them in place and checking the seals. The space suits were a marvel, almost form fitting, clear helmets allowing enough room to turn your head and no more. Any larger and they became too big of a target. As it was, any shot that ruptured them was likely to have hit your head anyway. Sean sealed his own suit, and checked the radio.
"Wendi, you guys ready?" He saw her give an affirmative hand sign, and he returned it. The eleven year old was way too young for this, but... well, who couldn't you say that about? He turned around and slid back next to Ger, also now suited up. "How long?"
He was answered a moment later by the sight of the Liberty firing. The ship had been moved so it lay at about a seventy degree angle pointing out of the crater, at the expected path of the cargo ship. It now let loose with four missiles, then two more similar bursts. At that exact same moment he saw the second shuttle lift off from the far side of the crater, and in his seat he felt the jolt as Ger turned on all systems and launched them on their way.
****
"Three volleys away! Shuttles taking off!" Amanda's hands flew over the keyboard, occasionally reaching up to move the displays around on her screens as what information was important changed. Three beeps alerted her to an update, and she relayed the information. "Missiles on course! Target hasn't reacted! Shuttles have also fired!" She bit her bottom lip. This had to be just right. Too heavy an attack, and there'd be nothing for them to capture from the ship. Too light, and their boarding crews would be wiped out. She was glad Kine wasn't with them this time, partly as she had long ago decided to be on the shuttle crew whenever he was in danger, but now Wendi was putting her life on the line. If anything happened to her...
****
It took ten seconds for the shuttles to get within visual range of the cargo ship. Ten seconds in which they had no idea how it was reacting. Ten agonizing seconds in which Sean could just see the missiles bouncing harmlessly off of the hull, and a dozen hidden turrets revealing themselves to take the incoming shuttles out. Information was life, and every moment without it let his imagination run wild.
He didn't used to be this bad.
Sean, at one time, was as calm, as cool and as collected as a warrior could be. He could roll with the punches, letting neither the unexpected keep him from completing the mission, nor causing him to freeze and not withdraw to fight another day. He had been one with the ways of war.
Not now.
Now... he just wanted it to be over. He just wanted to get in, do it, and get out.
He wanted to live.
That, he knew, would be the death of him.
****
"All twelve have hit!" Amanda yelled, her voice full of glee at the hopefully good news. "Cargo ship has stopped all transmissions, and is still continuing at the same speed. Course has altered slightly, but not enough to have been a deliberate course correction. Shuttles are now approaching."
She looked back up at the Captain's chair. Kine was fastening his seatbelt, and Lessa finally was moving to a free chair. Amanda's brother looked down at her, his face serious but still with that slight smile in his eyes she loved so much.
"Lift off, and set course to follow."
Her hands were issuing the commands before she had even turned her head back to her controls.
Now it was up to Wendi.
****
Wendi was sweating.
She had never been in combat before. Not really. Oh, she had been shot at, and that ambush on the London probably counted, but never before had she gone of her own free will to kill people.
She honestly didn't know if she could do it.
Wendi knew Lessa had tried to get her ready. The older teen had described, in bloody, gruesome, detail, what war was like. Had shown her video of the dead, the dying, trying to get her used to the horrors of war so she wouldn't freeze. But... even that great warrior had admitted nothing could be a substitute for first blood.
Let that blood not be hers.
She looked around the cabin. The other seven were experienced warriors, all veterans of not just earlier raids, but of the War itself. They had fought, killed, and survived. And here she was... well, not their leader, thank the gods, that was Sean's job. She was Lessa's arm. She was doing that great woman's will.
And that, somehow, was even more frightening.
Sean, in his dark brown spacesuit, re-entered the cabin. Holding onto a strap attached to the ceiling, he looked around.
"We're moving in to dock at a port close to the bridge. The other team is going for the cargo bay. No life rafts have launched, so who knows what it's like inside. Fire at anything that moves, or looks like it might move. It's us or them." Wendi thought he looked a little disgusted as he said that, but maybe it was her imagination. He was a warrior, a member of the Guard! She gave her head a quick shake. It had just been her nerves projecting. That's it.
There was a loud clanging sound, the shuttle shuddering. Wendi could hear the sound of hydraulics, as well as a few other bangs. One of the boys, Harry, went to the shuttle door control panel. He turned to Sean.
"No gravity, atmospheric pressure low and dropping." Sean nodded.
"Good. Let's hope most of the crew is gone, or at least out of action." He drew his weapon, the others doing the same. Wendi looked at her handgun. All that practice...
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up. Sean was looking down at her with an understanding expression.
"Don't worry," he said, and squeezing, "just stay with me and do what I say with no questions or hesitation." She nodded. Not smiling, he returned the nod and went to float above the hatch. Raising a hand, he waited while two teens grabbed a limp space suited figure and positioned it right in front of the door. Everyone grabbed a hand hold.
He lowered his hand, and both hatches opened.
****
The limp dummy shot out into the cargo ship passageway, along with all the air in the shuttle. A moment later Sean hurled himself out hugging the ceiling facing the floor. He had just cleared the hatch when they heard the sound of gunfire, the dummy shuddering as it passed the first intersection. Sean took aim at the source of the shots, and as the two suited crew members came within view he fired down at their heads. Their helmets jerked back, and the two bodies began to drift aimlessly as blood started to leak from the helmets. Sean bent his knees, got his legs around facing the right way, then pushed himself off down the passage they had been protecting. Wendi and the others followed.
****
"Rich says the cargo bay was decompressed and lifeless. They're raiding the supplies. Sean reports resistance, says Lessa is a motherfucker."
Amanda paused. She really should have edited that part out. She looked back, and with great relief saw the fucker of mothers in question wasn't upset. Maybe she was use to it by now. Lessa met her gaze.
"Have they reached the bridge?"
****
Sean picked himself off the floor.
It figured.
The only place on the whole god damned ship with gravity was the short hallway in front of the bridge door, and naturally he entered it at ceiling height. THIS was why any rational commander sent someone they didn't like up on point. Let them get their ass kicked by whatever random shit was awaiting the squad. Mother fucking...
"You OK, Sean?"
Turning his head, Sean saw Wendi walking up to him, followed by the others. Her expression was one of honest concern, which made it all the worse. He shook his head to clear it.
"Oh, I'm fine. I think I only broke what little ego I have left." He waved her towards the closed door in front of them. "Check and see what's behind that." Wendi quickly moved up to the door control panel. Like all space ships, it was designed to let you know the condition of rooms before you entered. Nothing worse than walking in on complete vacuum. She hit a few buttons, then gave a confused look at Sean.
"Um... there is no bridge."
"What?"
"This thing says it's just open space on the other side of the door."
Sean looked up at the ceiling. Gods save him from rookies...
"Let me see..." He walked over as she stepped aside, and took a look. Shaking his head, he looked down at the pre-teen. "This just means Lessa got a little enthusiastic in her attack and punched some holes in the bridge. That's probably a good thing, really, but with luck she didn't destroy the very data we're trying to steal." He glanced at the door. "At the very least, they probably didn't have a chance to delete it themselves." Sean paused, did some mental calculations, then addressed the others. "OK, here's the plan. Harry, you and Vivian go back to those doorways we passed and act rearguard. Make sure you grab onto something." They nodded and quickly left. "The rest of you get on either side of this door, and hug it tight. There's not much air left in here, but it'll still go out in a rush." He waited, giving the rearguard a couple minutes to get in position. A beep came through his speakers, sent by Harry, so positioning himself to the left of the door he hit the door override.
All spaceship door, for safety reasons, won't let you open them if conditions don't match (or at least aren't an improvement on) those of the room you're currently in. That was just common sense. However, it only took a few hundred deaths for easy overrides of that fundamental safety system to also be installed. The story of the Denesin family dying a slow, horrible, death because they couldn't leave their nice, safe, supply-free cabin and get to the storage rooms because of the vacuum in the passage between was legend. Man had come to learn there is no action so silly or stupid that, at some point, won't be the only realistic thing you can do to save yourself.
Or commit piracy.
The sound of the air rushing by slowly faded, as the sound conducting gas vanished into the bridge then out into space. Sean waited a second, then poked his head around. Bodies were floating. Signaling with his hand, he sent the others in.
****
"Bridge entered," Amanda relayed. She sensed movement, and saw that Lessa had stood and was walking down to the second level to stand next to her. Man, she though, Lessa was NOT happy being stuck back here during this raid. Putting a hand on Amanda's chair for support, Lessa leaned over and looked over her station.
"Was there any sign of a distress signal? How much time do we have?"
Amanda shook her head.
"No idea. We probably should assume some warning got out, but we should be done well before any ship gets here. But," she added, looking up at Lessa, "We're going to have to assume some system on that ship identified us and that we'll no longer be welcome at ANY Federation port."
Lessa nodded.
"Good. Like we should be going anywhere near those murderers for any reason other than retribution..."
****
The computers were still working. That was one positive discovery among Sean's day of bad luck. Hacking would have been so much harder if they had been forced to either physically remove memory units, or try and use the portable power cells they'd brought to bring isolated systems online. As it was, they just had to find secret codes and "convince" them to download onto their memory cards. Easy.
Luckily, that wasn't Sean's job. He had gotten them here, and would get them out. His six companions were the ones responsible for draining the computers.
Sean floated around the bridge. It was a two level affair, not much different in layout from the Liberty. It's crew had been five, assuming none had been sucked out the two meter hole down on the first level floor. Five dead... plus the two he had killed, and the three bodies they had passed... Sean pulled himself over to one young man with an ensign's patch. He couldn't have been much over twenty, and his face... there had been beauty in that face. Beauty now marred by an expression of horror and pain, by death sudden and pointless. Sean reached a gloved hand out and closed the man's eyes. Yet another death...
"Fuck this." Sean looked over at Wendi, who was near the navigation controls. "Wendi, where are we at the moment?"
"Wha?" The question caught her off guard. "Um, we're closing in on the current position of Rhea. We probably should be going soon so we're not around when we come within their sensor range."
"Not my problem," he muttered, causing her to look up in shock. Sean looked around. "OK, change of plans. Everyone, finish doing what you're doing and get back to the shuttle. Wendi is in charge."
"WHAT?!" The girl pushed off and floated up to him, eyes wide. "What about you?!?"
"I," Sean said, "am deserting. The escape pods on this thing have some navigation controls, so can bring myself down on Rhea no problem. It's been nice knowing you."
He stuck out his hand, and in a daze Wendi shook it. The others came up, forming a rough circle, and one by one said good bye. They were not friends. He had never really had the knack for that. But, they were companions. They had fought together. They had saved each other's lives. The bonds of respect are in some ways closer than that of friendship... and Sean knew in his heart he would always regret leaving these boys... no, men... and women. But... to stay was to compromise what little self respect he had left.
"Go," he said, and with a final nod the others floated towards the hatch. Wendi stayed for a moment, eyes still unbelieving.
"Why?"
"Because you're going into death, and I won't kill or watch you be killed anymore."
She didn't understand. He knew that. Idealism hadn't been beaten out of her yet. Give it time, he though... if she has time. Bracing his feet, he put his hands on her and shoved the pre-teen towards the door. The others were waiting, and in a moment... he was alone.
Alone.
Sean looked around the bridge. A part of him had anticipated this decision. At his belt inside the suit was his wallet, with enough money to easily start a life. Maybe he could find Vince again... no, no. Best to start over completely. He'd land on the other side of the moon from Catty. Find a place to stay, a job... maybe as a body guard. Hook up with a cute guy with long hair...
It was a plan.
There was slight tremor in the control panel his hand was resting on. Probably the shuttle taking off. Time for him to go.
****
"Shuttles have both detached, heading back to us."
"Right!" Kine sat up, happy. A perfect mission. No losses, no large Federation fleet wandering by to blow them into little pieces. He looked down at Lessa. "So, we continue with the plan, or do you want to hide again until you've seen what information they've found?"
Lessa shook her head as she looked up at him.
"No, no, take us towards Xeres. Time to get the fuck away from this system."
Kine nodded, and looked down at the navigation station.
"Make it so."
****
The Liberty was nowhere to be seen when an escape pod ejected from the cargo ship Golden Leaf. The teardrop shaped craft floated away from the body of its parent, then gently reoriented itself until it was pointing at a distant ball in space. With the mass of the gas giant Hikaru at its back, it began accelerating towards the ball of ice its occupant would soon call home.
Assuming he could get the landing systems back on line...