Resolute (Guild Series Book 4), page 5
“No one would,” Dex said, smiling over at him before turning back to her tablet. “It had to be done, though. People on Earth are too focused on themselves, and never think about those of us living beyond the atmosphere.”
Erik nodded, even though he knew she wasn’t looking in his direction. He read scattered lines across each page as he picked them up, optimistically hoping he’d come across something important. Most of the documents in this room were about supply shipments and updates on the count of items on hand. He was thinking this must have been a quartermaster’s office of some sort.
Footsteps alerted him to a new arrival, and he looked up in time to see two armored soldiers pass by the door. The man following them stopped to lean against the doorframe. “She already has you taking out the trash, huh?”
“Her wish is my command,” Erik said with a grin. He stood up and dropped the stack of papers on the desk before crossing the room to shake hands. “How are you doing, Tom?”
“Pretty good. I’ve got a fifth squad, now that we scraped together ten more recruits. Some of the new folks over in Armstrong have been asking about joining, as well. So I might get a couple more squads formed, if they do.” Captain Tom Fitz nodded at Dex when she looked up from her tablet. “Ma’am. We’ve swept this floor for audio and video bugs, and we’re moving upstairs. Nothing yet, so either the Coalition didn’t leave any behind or knew how to hide them from our scanners.”
“Thank you, Tom. Send in a report once you’re done. President Meyers may want to dig deeper before we start using any of these offices, though.”
He raised a fist to his chest and lowered it in a wave as he left to catch up with the militia soldiers running the scanning equipment. Erik couldn’t stop a swell of pride at how well the man had taken to the role of militia leader. Although, he supposed it was no longer a militia now that they’d formed a real government. A fancy name for the Alliance military would probably be devised during the meetings that also created the charter.
“What do you think of this office?” Dex asked, looking at the walls and the window that looked out on the central square.
“It’s a nice one,” Erik said. “I can imagine your desk right here, so you can look out on the square the few times you look up from your work. Lots of space for the secure server you have next to your desk in the Guildhall.” He smiled, stepping closer to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “It’s a good comfortable office for the vice president of the Alliance.”
Dex laughed, a melodious sound that always sent shivers of pleasure up his spine. She poked him in the ribs, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. “Not for me, sweetie. For you.”
“Me?” Erik looked at the office with a new perspective. He’d never thought about having his own space in the dome before. Before he started dating Dex, whenever his ship was docked on Luna he would always spend most of his day enjoying entertainment options and then head back to the Vagabond to sleep in his cabin. These days he spent his nights in Dex’s apartment, but also went back onboard the freighter when he had work that needed to be done there. “Why would I need an office?”
“You’re in command of the fleet,” she said gently. “It may not be much yet, but it’ll grow. When it does, you’re going to have a lot of extra responsibility on your plate. It’ll be much easier to run things from Luna than trying to coordinate it all from the Vagabond.”
He felt a stab of pain in his stomach at the thought of leaving his ship. He’d lived and worked in space since his father purchased an old freighter and took him off Earth when he was eleven. He could barely remember his life before that now, and the longest he’d ever been away from a ship was the days spent imprisoned aboard the Indomitable when they discovered it in the asteroid belt. Could he really handle a job that kept him chained to a desk?
“You won’t have to be here constantly,” Dex said quietly, as if reading her mind. “But there will be times when we need you on Luna to coordinate fleet movements, or when we start building patrol ships. Not that I wouldn’t be glad to see more of you.”
“I’d love to see more of you, too,” he told her, squeezing her against him. “This is just a big change. I don’t even know if I’m that good of a captain with one ship, much less trying to give orders to a fleet.”
“Erik, you are a great captain. Every person on the Vagabond would tell you that. You don’t let the power go to your head, and that’s what makes you one of the good ones.” She reached up to tap his temple, and then went up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. “Okay, let’s head upstairs and see what that looks like. A few more hours and we should be done.”
Her estimate turned out to be overly optimistic, which he knew as soon as they got to the top of the stairs and found Tom waiting with a hand out. He shook his head. “We found the bugs. Main conference room up here is covered with them, as is the big corner office.”
“The one they’d expect Meyers to take,” Erik said. It made sense. The Coalition administrator had to realize what direction things were moving when she fled the dome, and anticipated the day the Guild finally moved in to take over the building.
Dex was looking in the direction of that office, her eyes unfocused as she thought through the ramifications. “Okay, let’s get a demolition team in here, Captain Fitz. Tear down the walls in every room on this level, make sure there aren’t any devices hidden where the scanners wouldn’t find them. If we find more than a handful, do the same to the first floor.”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s going to take a few days, and will set back the repairs and reopening.”
“That won’t be a problem. President Meyers and I added in a cushion for any unexpected issues we came across, and both of us thought this kind of thing most likely. Let me know when the full sweep is complete, and I’ll finish my inventory of the building then.”
Tom saluted, turning away to pass the new orders to the soldiers running the scans. Erik was smirking at Dex when she turned to look at him, and she raised her eyebrows. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, raising his hands. “You’re just incredibly sexy when you’re giving orders, that’s all.”
“Oh yeah?” She reached out to poke him in the chest. “I’ll remember that when we get home tonight, mister. See how you like me giving orders then.”
“I think I’ll like it a lot,” he said around a laugh. As he followed her back down the stairs and through the main doors of the building, Erik couldn’t help but think there were a few perks to a job that might keep him dirtside more often than he’d like. The kind of perks he could get accustomed to pretty easily.
As soon as they entered the Alliance Hall, someone rushed over to meet them. “Ms. Avila, the XO of the Waterloo has been trying to get in contact. She’d like you to call as soon as you can.”
Dex acknowledged the request, leading Erik into the office she shared with Meyers. The Alliance president was out visiting the newest residents of Armstrong dome with Prime Minister Brighton, the latest rescues from the factory the Coalition leadership had been using to punish political rivals and dissidents. With the door closed, she approached the large screen on the main wall and keyed in the commands to call the frigate in orbit around Luna.
Moments later, Commander Mags Richtaus filled the screen. She was scowling, but Erik couldn’t decide if it was frustration with them for taking so long to reply or about the issue she was reporting. “Madam Vice President, Captain Frost. Twenty three minutes ago, our sensors picked up a shuttle departing the Indomitable. We were unable to get a visual since it exited on the far side of the cruiser, but we’re fairly certain it was the cargo shuttle that arrived early this morning.”
“Why is this interesting news, commander?” Dex’s brows were furrowed, and Erik could see she was trying to come up with a reason for the report.
Mags stared at the screen for several seconds, biting her lip as she came to a decision. “Ma’am, I’m going to tell you this in the strictest confidence. It’s something that no one outside of Admiral Holgerson, Captain Andrews, myself, and our senior intelligence officer knows.”
Dex nodded solemnly. “Whatever you tell us will go no farther than this room, commander. You have my word.”
“We have been receiving data bursts from the Indomitable. It started almost as soon as we arrived, and at first we thought it must be an attempt at misinformation. Each burst is a short report, much like the fleet intelligence division used to send out. We’ve been able to verify some of the data received, and feel that it is accurate. For instance, yesterday’s report told us about three railguns that were nonfunctional and only made to look operational. A closer scan of those emplacements verified the weapons are damaged in such a way as to present no danger.”
“That’s a great source,” Erik said, shocked at the turn of events. “Do you have any idea who could be sending this data?”
“No, Captain Frost. Admiral Holgerson thinks it might be an operative planted by Intelligence at some point, perhaps when the Syndicate frigates transported personnel to the cruiser. Whoever it is must not realize that the Waterloo is working with the splinter government, or they agree with our views on the matter. Whatever the case, we’re happy to have the information.”
Mags paused, examining both of them on the screen before continuing. “We received a data burst forty five minutes ago. The data included tells us that Admiral Yumata has returned to the Indomitable. Not only that, he led a mutiny against the captain, who was his former first officer. The intel in the burst also says that Captain Guildersen was placed on the cargo shuttle along with a Military Committee member who traveled with Yumata.” She paused again, locking her gaze on Erik. “There were four other prisoners placed on the shuttle. Two of them I’ve never heard of, but the other two I think you know.”
He gasped, knowing there were only two names that he could care about from that ship. “Tuya.”
“Yes, Captain Frost. Altan and Tuya Sansar are on that shuttle, heading for Earth.”
Eight
Tuya felt the shuttle vibrate as it lifted from the deck. She knew she should be worried about where it might be taking them, but she was too happy to be with her brother again to care. They could be dropped off right in the Executive Committee chambers, and she would still be smiling. As the shuttle passed through the ion barrier, shuddering a bit with the transition, she only leaned her head over as far as she could to touch his.
The man and woman who had shared the cell block with them were yelling, confusion and anger in their voices. They kept demanding to know where they were going, and the woman would pepper her demands with requests for drugs. Her voice had gone wavery, and Tuya could see sweat pouring down the woman’s face when she glanced over. Withdrawal symptoms, for sure.
“Whass goong on?” The voice came from the man in a business suit, and she saw his eyes blink open before squeezing closed again. After half a minute, he tried again. Blinking rapidly, the man turned his head slowly to get a look at who else was in the shuttle. When he saw the fat man beside him, his eyes locked in. “Captain Guildersen? Where are we?”
“The same shuttle you brought Yumata to my ship on,” Guildersen said through gritted teeth. “You were supposed to keep him on a tight leash, Abernathy. Not let him lead a mutiny.”
“He promised it was just a short trip to talk the officers into cooperating with you.” Abernathy’s voice had a whining quality that was grating to Tuya’s ears. She could imagine him growing up as the spoiled scion of some obscenely wealthy family. The kind of man who was accustomed to everyone doing what he told them to do. “Mrs. Onassis is not going to be happy about this.”
“No, the chairwoman will most decidedly not be happy. You’re going to be lucky if they only kick you off the committee.” Guildersen’s face was growing redder with every word. Tuya wondered if she might get to watch him have a stroke. She thought she might enjoy that.
“She can’t kick me off the committee. My dad paid handsomely for that seat.” Abernathy looked away from the fat man at last, looking at the four people strapped in across from him. “Who are these people?” She could hear the sneer in his voice, the disdain of sharing a shuttle with people who were obviously far below his social station.
“Don’t worry about them!” Guildersen yelled. “They’re scum. Traitors and addicts. Nothing. Worry about how we’re going to get the Indomitable back!”
“You and I can convince the Executive committee to authorize a strike team,” Abernathy said dismissively. “We’ll take a dozen shuttles, two dozen squads of soldiers, and be back in control by this time tomorrow.”
“Are you really that stupid?” Guildersen’s voice had gone quiet, and Tuya couldn’t help but think that was a dangerous thing in a man with a volatile temper. “The railguns may be damaged, but most of the defensive weaponry is still operational. We’d be lucky to get half those shuttles close to the cruiser.”
“So we send more,” Abernathy said, his voice going high pitched with panic. Tuya could see it in his eyes now, the way his pupils were expanding and contracting rapidly as he stared around at them. “We send every shuttle we have. They can’t shoot them all down.”
“No, we just shoot it down instead. Kill all of the mutinous traitors.” Guildersen was snarling now, and seemed to look right at her with the last words.
Abernathy and Guildersen continued to talk, but their words were drowned out as the shuttle passed through Earth’s atmosphere. The turbulence was enough to jar her head as it bounced against Altan’s, and she reluctantly pulled away. Cargo shuttles such as this were built with heat shields to absorb or deflect most of the high temperatures generated by atmospheric entry, but as she felt the interior begin to warm she thought it might be time to consider replacing them.
The shuttle jerked beneath them a few times, pushing her against the straps over her chest and stomach. Tuya kept her jaw clenched to keep her teeth from rattling, smiling as she saw a trickle of blood from Abernathy’s mouth. The fool kept talking, and bit his tongue a second time when the braking thrusters fired. She heard him cursing, and got the impression that sort of thing happened to him a lot.
As the shuttle slowed, the turbulence also lessened. She could hear air flowing over the surface of the ship, and wished there were windows in the compartment to allow her to see where they might be going. She tuned out the four different voices with their various complaints and demands, leaning against Altan again.
It seemed only seconds later when she felt a gentle bump, and the hum of the thrusters faded away to be replaced by a ticking sound as the hull plates continued to cool from reentry. There was a faint ozone odor, but it was overridden by years of grease and other smells from the multitude of cargo containers the shuttle had carried.
“Alright, folks. We’ve reached your final destination.” The pilot spoke with a chipper tone, but Tuya could see wariness in his eyes. He kept a hand close to the stun pistol strapped around his waist, as well. He punched a few keys on a small pad, and the shuttle’s door slowly lowered. The interior was flooded with late afternoon sunlight and the smell of grass. Real grass, not the hydroponic imitation that some people would grow on Luna and the colonies.
The pilot looked over his six passengers with squinted eyes. “I’m going to release you, and you’re going to walk down that ramp. The controls are locked, so you couldn’t go anywhere if you did try to overpower me. Once I’m back in the air, my orders are to wait thirty minutes and then call in your position to the local authorities.” He glanced at each of them for a few seconds, as if looking for evidence that his words had sunk in. “Walk down the ramp and be picked up in an hour, or fight me and have to walk back to civilization.”
With his words echoing in the shuttle, the pilot tapped a button on the wall display. There was a loud click, and Tuya felt the restraints around her torso release. She hadn’t realized until that moment how tight they had been, and she took in a deep breath of the fresh Earth air. Guildersen was the first on his feet, maneuvering his bulk toward the pilot with angry steps.
“You will return us to the Indomitable right now, or I will have your head. Do you hear me?”
The pilot barely flinched, smoothly drawing the stun pistol and raising it. “Keep moving, sir, or I’ll have to make the others drag your unconscious body out.”
Guildersen’s face went red again, and he sputtered for a few seconds before he could get his words out. “I am a captain in the Syndicate fleet. You will obey my orders!”
“I don’t work for the fleet,” the pilot said calmly. “Last chance. Walk or drag, but either way you’re exiting this shuttle.”
Abernathy pushed past the large naval officer, jutting his face forward and stabbing a finger into the pilot’s chest. “I am a member of the Military Committee. Do you understand what that means? If you don’t take us to Hong Kong right now, you’ll be convicted of kidnapping a committee member. Instant death, my friend.”
The pilot laughed in his face. “Do you think I’ll ever go back to Syndicate territory again after this? I don’t know how I let Admiral Yumata talk me into this at all, but I know the kind of hell I’m in for if anyone ever finds out. Once I’m off the ground, you’ll never see me again. Now move it, down the ramp.”
Tuya glanced at Altan and shrugged. They rose from their seats just as the drug addict pushed past. “Get me off this thing,” the woman screamed. “I feel them crawling on me. They’re under my skin.” There were trails of bloody scratch marks on her wrists, as far up as her restrained hands could reach. Her eyes were wild, and she didn’t even stop as she bounced off Guildersen and ran down the ramp.
“Mika wouldn’t do this to me,” the last prisoner was moaning. “I’m supposed to be back on duty. Why would they send me off the ship?”
Altan was staring at him with desperate sadness, and Tuya realized it was the same look he’d always had as a kid when she got in trouble for something he did. “You did this,” she said. “You got us transferred off the ship.”
