Resolute (Guild Series Book 4), page 3
The lift emitted a quiet ding as it arrived at the desired deck. The doors slid open to reveal a short corridor. At the end, the corridor curved to the left to lead to quarters occupied by the highest ranking officer on board the ship. A wide door was at straight ahead, flanked by two Marines holding flechette rifles. They gawped at the group of officers exiting the lift, sharing a glance as if unsure of what to do.
Admiral Yumata strode toward the doors without hesitation, stopping only when he was a few feet away. He stood there in silence for long moments, as the Marines tried to figure out what they should do. Vegley recognized them as part of the squad that Guildersen had attached to himself and corrupted into his lackeys. She knew their first instinct had to be to call their sergeant and ask for orders on how to handle the situation.
“Marines!” she bellowed. “You will open those doors for the admiral. Now!”
She saw one of them gulp, while the other hurried to comply with the order. He slapped the panel that read his biometric information and released the locks on the door. They slid aside silently, admitting the group onto the Indomitable’s command deck.
Guildersen was standing at the railing, sneering down at the people working on the main bridge below. “Ensign, if your group can’t work faster than that you will be reporting to my office for punishment at the end of your shift. That would be your third time, wouldn’t it? Do you know what happens the third time I have to punish one of you useless fools?”
“No,” Yumata said quietly, stopping a few feet behind his former XO. “What exactly happens, Cyrus?”
That fat man whirled in surprise, moving with more grace than someone so large should possess. “What? How? You were supposed to never leave the docking bay,” he spluttered.
Yumata didn’t offer an answer, instead turning to look at the senior officers manning stations on the command deck. He spoke a greeting, and then stepped around Guildersen’s bulk to approach the railing and look over the bridge. There were gasps of surprise, and a few shouts of joy to see their old leader returned.
Guildersen followed the movement with his beady eyes, then turned to look at the group of officers who had followed the admiral onto the command deck. “Vegley. I should have known you’d be involved in something like this. You just made your last mistake, commander. Enjoy that title for the few minutes you retain it.” He shifted his gaze to the Marines standing in the open doorway. “Arrest these officers on charges of insubordination and mutiny. Transport them to airlock seventeen, and I will meet you there shortly.”
“Belay that,” Yumata said, not turning away from the bridge. “Arrest Mr. Guildersen for gross negligence and failure to comport himself as an officer of the fleet.”
The captain gurgled a laugh. “You have overstepped yourself too far this time, Yumata. Indomitable is my ship, and you no longer have any authority here. Marines, send in another squad to arrest the admiral, as well. We will return him to Earth to face the Executive Committee.” The gloating expression on his face was enough to make Vegley want to punch him. She was already participating in a mutiny, what did she have to lose?
Before she act on her desire, Marines brushed by her. Two of them stepped up next to Guildersen, and without a word grabbed his arms. The captain let out a surprised squawk as the Marines twisted his arms behind his back, getting his wrists as close together as possible before snapping restraints around them. Vegley turned to see the remainder of the Marine squad standing in the corridor, with the two door guards trying to stay out of their view. It was the same squad that had been waiting in the cargo bay, and returned the committee member to the shuttle.
“Thank you, sergeant.” Yumata turned at last, to stare at his former first officer as the large man struggled against the soldiers. “Take Mr. Guildersen to the shuttle to wait with Mr. Abernathy. We will send them home shortly.”
“Yes, admiral,” one of the marines said. Both of them yanked hard on Guildersen’s arm, generating a cry of pain and rage.
“You can’t do this!” he screamed in a voice pitched high with fear. “I am the captain of this ship, and you will obey me. Commander, I will forgive your mutinous actions if you end this charade now. I am ordering you to release me this instant!” His words were cut off as the doors to the command deck closed. Vegley couldn’t keep the grin from her face as she imagined what the fat bastard would be going through.
Yumata stepped forward to face the senior officers who had followed him from the cargo bay, as well as those still sitting at stations on the command deck. “It is an honor to return to this great ship. I hope that we can work together in the days and weeks to come to restore the Indomitable to her full glory. Commander, the first thing we need to do is get started on repairing our railguns and torpedo launchers. I believe we have everything we need waiting in the cargo bays?”
“Yes, admiral. The new railguns and torpedo tubes are in Cargo Bay One. I will make sure the crews get started on the work today.”
“Excellent. Ladies and gentlemen, return to your departments. I will be meeting with each of you in the days to come so we can discuss how to get your individual sections working at a high level once again.”
The officers saluted and left the command deck, Vegley following behind. It had been less than an hour since she met the shuttle in Bay Two, but she already felt more energized and optimistic than she had in the last month. It felt right to have the admiral back on board the cruiser, and she knew the rest of the crew would be feeling the same way.
Four
Tuya Sansar was still fuming. She’d spent weeks talking to the voice through the grate, convinced she had finally connected with the brother that she hadn’t seen in eight years. Hadn’t been in the same room with in twelve. Instead, it turned out to be the traitor who’d sold out both crews and was responsible for Altan being imprisoned in the first place. Mad as a hatter, to boot. Her hands kept clenching, and she wished she could have gotten close enough to wrap them around the scrawny traitor’s neck.
She had managed to hear her brother’s voice, though. It was the one happy moment to come out of the entire debacle, hearing Altan before the guards pushed them back into their cells. She thought the Marine pointing a stun pistol into the room she’d heard the voice come from had fired, but she wasn’t sure since she was struggling against a couple of soldiers at the time. They’d shoved her back into the cell, tossed her on the bed, and spit out a string of curses promising harsh punishment if she tried to escape again.
The cell felt even smaller now, as she paced back and forth. She managed to get six steps before having to turn and walk back to the other side. Six steps she’d made at least a few thousand times in the days since hearing Altan’s voice. After pushing herself to build up strength following the removal of her cybernetic implants, she felt restless in her cage. Like a lion forced to look through the bars at all the appetizing snacks walking by.
There had to be some other way to get out of the short corridor of cells. She thought back to her original plan, the one she’d concocted after infiltrating the crew as someone coming off the frigates that brought hundreds of new people to the cruiser during its journey from the asteroid belt. She’d been smuggling parts for a plasma torch into a storage closet nearby, planning to cut her way into the service tunnels and find her brother’s cell. It had seemed like a good plan, but after several weeks of being cooped up in one she knew it was overly ambitious.
She thought about faking an illness. A trip to the nearest medical bay would give her a slight chance of escaping, and if they brought a doctor or nurse into her cell it would give her a hostage to use as leverage to try something. But she was afraid the Marine guards wouldn’t care enough to attempt getting her treatment. She’d noticed their attitudes growing more lax and unfeeling since the ship reached Earth.
Tuya growled in frustration, banging her fist against a metal bulkhead. There was little power behind it, her muscles still in the early stages of recovery from her surgery. In fact, she was starting to feel exhausted just from the pacing. Her thighs were quivering, and her calves felt like they were on fire.
She was just about to sit on the bunk to give her body a rest when she heard the clattering of the door’s four magnetic locks being individually released. Tuya straightened, facing the door and tensing for what might be coming. The guards hadn’t seemed overly upset since the escape attempt, but she knew how soldiers could hold grudges. Or perhaps Richard was being tortured somewhere and telling them it had all been her idea.
When the cell door slid open, two Marines were standing just outside. One was holding a stun pistol loosely, pointed at the floor but ready to raise and fire in half a second. The other was holding a pair of restraints. “Approach, prisoner.”
Tuya eyed the restraints, considering whether she should rush the Marines and try to barge through them into the corridor. But she knew there would be at least one other soldier standing guard at the end of the corridor. She grit her teeth and complied with the order, walking slowly forward and holding her wrists in front of her stomach. The restraints were cold on her skin, the edges of the plastic rough as they rubbed against her hands and wrists. Once they were tightened and locked, the Marine grabbed her arm and pulled her into the corridor.
A third Marine was waiting just outside the door, this one also holding a stun pistol. Tuya was surprised to see them treating her with such caution, but also angry at the thought of where they might be taking her. She’d endured torture on the Indomitable once before, and wasn’t looking forward to repeating the experience without the pain dampening effects of her implants. She glared at each of the Marines defiantly, then looked around the hallway.
The console at the rear where a Marine usually sat to monitor and control access to the cells was vacant. There were a couple more Marines at the opposite end, though, where the short security hall met the main corridor. A disheveled man was standing next to one soldier, complaining about something as he twisted his wrists in restraints. Not far from him was a zoned out woman who had the look of a drug fiend. She kept asking the prisoner next to her if he was carrying a hit of zoom. The final Marine was on the other side of that man, his gaze directed further down the corridor.
Tuya’s glare stopped, and she felt her eyes go wide as she looked back at the man standing near the drug addict. He was average height, with dark hair that had grown long during his confinement. His face was turned toward her, a secret smile on lips beneath features that were so like her own. “Altan,” she whispered.
He nodded, raising his bound hands to rub at his nose and gesture for her to stay quiet. She was so amazed to see him that she almost called out his name again, fighting a strong desire to run forward and throw her arms around him. The restraints digging into her skin brought her back to where she was, and she lowered her head in acknowledgement. The Marine holding her arm pushed her toward the small group of prisoners, and Tuya managed to adjust the course enough to end up beside Altan. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from his face.
“Alright,” one of the marines said. She seemed to be in charge of the other four. “We’re going to lead these prisoners to the location specified in the transfer orders.” Turning, she spoke directly to them. “If any of you give us the slightest bit of trouble, you’re going to arrive with a bloody lip. More, if you continue to be difficult. Is that understood?”
The Marine didn’t wait for an answer, waving as she took a left into the wide corridor. The other soldiers followed, two beside the prisoners and two behind with stun pistols unholstered. Tuya could hear the disheveled man complaining to someone called Mika that he was supposed to be released soon, but she tuned it out as she kept glancing over at Altan. Their arms rubbed together as they walked, and she reveled in the contact.
She had thought him dead for so long, after the remains of the ship he was on had been found. The Telemachus had been presumed destroyed when it collided with an errant asteroid, though no one could ever say for certain. The few remnants of the ship that were found couldn’t point to any specific cause. Her desire to join him in the trade lanes turned into anger, and a determination to honor his memory in the only way she knew how. By joining a Guild ship.
The walk through the corridors was long, but Tuya was unable to focus on anything around them. If the Marines had suddenly scattered and run away, she never would have been able to tell where she was on the massive cruiser. But she didn’t care, because she’d be with Altan at last. She kept fantasizing about calling their parents with the news that their son was still alive. That thought brought up the startling idea that after so long without hearing from her, they might be wondering if both their children were now dead.
“Halt!” the corporal in charge of the half-strength squad barked. There was a full squad of Marines approaching from the opposite direction, guiding a grossly obese man toward the entrance of a cargo bay. The man was struggling against the grip of the soldiers, screaming obscenities and threats as they disappeared through the portal.
The group of prisoners was led through the same doors a minute later, and Tuya took her eyes away from Altan long enough to glance at the vast openness. The deck was larger than any other cargo bay she’d ever been in, with only a single battered cargo shuttle occupying it. The ramp was extended, and two Marines were pushing the heavyset man up it. He was protesting the entire way, using his bulk to push the Marines off balance as he bellowed at them to obey his commands. “I’ll have you guarding a shit pile in the middle of the desert, you brainless morons. I’m your captain!”
Tuya was shocked to realize the man was Guildersen, the officer she’d first encountered when the Vagabond arrived with a cargo pod destined for the Syndicate cruiser. She’d heard many things about him in her short time as a member of the crew, none of them good. She wondered how such a man could have been promoted to captain; she’d been baffled that he’d managed to rise to commander and XO of the most important ship in the system.
The Marine closest to her was snickering quietly, and she shared a confused look with her brother as they stood watching Guildersen disappear into the shuttle. “What’s going on?” she asked under her breath.
“No idea,” Altan whispered. “I just hope we’re going to be on that shuttle when it leaves the ship.”
She faintly hoped for the same outcome, but wondered where the shuttle might be heading if they were sticking a senior officer on it. The last thing they needed was to somehow escape the Indomitable just to end up in some high security detainment center in the middle of nowhere. When the corporal motioned for the group to follow her up the ramp, Tuya could only say a silent prayer and hope for the best.
The interior of the shuttle was in even worse condition than the outside. The decking was bare metal, covered in dents and scrapes from all the cargo hauled during the years. The walls were rougher, with the inner hull gouged open in some spots. One hole was wide enough that she could even see the outer hull on the other side of the inch wide gap that separated the two skins of the ship.
The shuttle pilot was staring at the still struggling Guildersen in confusion as the four other prisoners were escorted up the ramp, turning with raised eyebrows as they entered the shuttle. “Uh, what’s going on, fellas? This ain’t exactly a luxury transport.”
“Prisoner transfer,” the corporal said, her tone making it clear she was eager to get this over with and move on to more exciting jobs. “Four going Earth-side.”
The shuttle pilot looked around and shrugged. “Let me get some jump seats set up for you. I wasn’t expecting more company after this one.” He hooked a thumb at Guildersen, sitting next to an unconscious man in an expensive business suit.
While the seats were being prepared, the corporal stepped over to stand a few feet away from the fat man. He stopped his struggles and yelling to look up at her visor, a wide sneer on his face. “Guildersen,” the woman said. “I guess you can’t bully your way out of this one. You fat, disgusting pig.”
The man’s face grew redder with each word, his chins wobbling as he seethed. “I want your name, corporal. You just earned a dishonorable discharge and time in the worst prison I can find.”
“Corporal Diana Velez,” the Marine said with a smirk visible just below her face shield. “Good luck finding me. You fucking maggot.” She hawked up a thick wad of phlegm and spat it at his face. Then she turned and walked away, impervious to the yells and obscenities thrown at her back.
The pilot made short work of extending a few extra seats, and the four prisoners were shoved into them. Tuya made sure she got the spot next to Altan, directly across from Guildersen. His shouts and shrieks stopped for a moment, and she saw recognition flare in his eyes as he looked at her. She gave a smirk, raising her restrained hands to give him both middle fingers. That set him off on another apoplectic fit of rage.
She didn’t hear a word of it, enjoying the feel of her brother’s shoulder rubbing against hers. Part of her was still trying to say this was nothing but a dream, as the Marines snapped restraints around each of their chests to hold them in the seats while the shuttle descended to the planet. The straps were tight against her chest and stomach, but she pushed against them enough to lean her head against Altan’s.
“Altan,” she said in a cracking voice. “I never thought I’d get to see you again, big brother.”
“I thought the same thing for too long, little sister. You don’t know how great it is to have you with me now.”
“Well, the circumstances could be better,” she said with a laugh. “We don’t even know where this shuttle is taking us.”
“Away from here,” he said. “And we’re going together. That’s all that matters.”
