“We’re almost to your ship. Make sure you leave the door open for the princess,” Victor said.
“I will, Victor,” Lena said. “Just hurry. The high councilor sounds pissed.”
“I’ll be there in less than thirty seconds,” Victor said.
Unarmed crew loitered near the airlock to the
Daisy Mae
. Victor and Gaz shooed them away with their weapons.
Lena appeared at the airlock and waved at them, yelling, “Come on!”
Victor nodded in Lena’s direction. “Go, Princess. This is where we part ways.”
Despite herself, Lysandra felt a sense of gratitude toward the mercenary captain. Even if it was him who had put her in this situation in the first place. “Thank you, Captain.”
Victor shrugged and turned to leave but stopped in his tracks when Fara’s voice came over the radio.
“Captain, a bunch of marines just showed up outside the
Alexander
’s airlock!” she said.
“Shit! How many?” he asked.
“A lot. It looks like they’re cramming a platoon in the corridor,” Fara said.
“Can you keep them out?” Victor asked.
“Yeah, I slammed both hatches shut in their faces, but now the corridor is blocked for your reentry,” Fara said.
“Okay, just hang on. We’re on our way,” Victor said.
“Are you fucking crazy, Victor?” Fara’s voice crackled. “The three of you can’t take on that many!”
“I’ll think of something,” Victor said.
“The fuck you wi—”
“Fara! Fara, what is it?” Victor asked.
Lysandra couldn’t help but stand there, watching Victor as he seemed to will his radio into responding.
“Lysandra, what are you waiting for?” Lena’s voice echoed through the corridor.
She turned toward the airlock but stopped when Fara finally answered over the radio. “The major leading the marines just contacted me or, more precisely, contacted you,” Fara said. “He seems to think you’re aboard the
Alexander
with the princess.”
“Their internal surveillance systems must still be down,” Cormac said.
“Whatever the case, they think you and the princess are here,” Fara said. “I’m using that.”
“What? Fara, what are you planning?” Victor asked.
“Get aboard the
Mae
, Victor,” Fara said. “It looks like all seats on the
Alexander
are booked.”
“Fara, stop! I’m coming to get you,” Victor said.
Lysandra, to her surprise, reached out and grabbed Victor by the shoulder.
Victor turned around and shrugged her hand off his shoulder. “Don’t try and stop me!”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Lysandra said.
“She is right, Captain,” Cormac said. “Fara is giving us a chance to escape.”
Lena came running down the corridor, a pistol hanging at her side. “What the fuck is the hold up?”
Lysandra turned toward her and couldn’t help but smile, despite the tension of the situation. “I think there's been a change of plans. Do you have room for three more?”
Confusion played out on Lena’s face until her gray eyes went wide with understanding. “Yeah, so long as you’re coming, I can take on more passengers.”
Lysandra nodded and grabbed the mercenary captain by one of the straps of his armored pressure suit to pull him toward the airlock. He barely resisted.
When they reached the airlock, an explosion reverberated through the hull of the
Daisy Mae
.
“What was that?” Lysandra asked.
“Explosive bolts,” Cormac said. “I think Fara just blew the
Alexander
’s docking clamps.”
Lena hit the button to close the outer hatch. “We should do the same.” She walked to the nearest intercom and hit the button. “Sticks, blow—”
“Wait,” Victor said.
“Why?” Lena asked.
He nodded toward Lysandra. “They think she’s on the
Alexander
.”
Lena glanced at Lysandra and then back at Victor. “Okay, so?”
Resignation shone in his black eyes. “We should wait and give Fara time…time to draw away the Alliance pickets.”
Lena’s mouth fell open, but she quickly composed herself and nodded.
“Captain, what are your orders?” asked the
Mae
’s pilot from the intercom.
She leaned into the intercom. “Nothing, Sticks. I’m coming to the bridge.”
“Aye, aye.”
“I’m coming with you,” Victor said.
“And me,” Lysandra said.
Lena shrugged. “Sure, why not. Nothing a bridge needs more than an audience.”
It was a bit of a squeeze, but none of the
Mae
’s bridge crew seemed to object to the presence of guests. They were too focused on what was going on outside the ship.
Lena settled into her seat and looked at one of her monitors.
“Captain, can we get out of here?” asked one of the
Mae
’s helmsman.
“I’d like to know what’s going on outside first, Sticks,” Lena said. She looked to Cormac. “I don’t suppose you could hack into the
Gryphon
’s sensors systems?”
The starchild shook his long head. “Not from here, and there would be little point if I tried to. The explosion knocked out the
Gryphon
’s external sensors.”
“I don’t like flying out there blind.” Lena tapped her armrest with her index finger.
“We made sure to time the sabotage just before the fleet jumped,” Victor said. “The Tenor 21 jump point will only be a short distance away once we launch. And, if Fara’s doing what I’m thinking she is, then the Alliance pickets will be drawn away.”
“Do you think we’ve given her enough time?” Lena asked.
Victor sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Okay.” She turned her attention forward. “Sticks, blow the clamps. Let’s get out of here.”
“Roger that, Captain,” Sticks said.
A loud bang echoed as the explosive bolts detonated. Lysandra grabbed the back of Lena’s seat as the
Mae
lurched from under her.
“Tune up the AG field,” Lena said. “We don’t want to send people tumbling all over my bridge.”
“Thank you, Lena,” Lysandra said.
Lena glanced and smiled at her. “Anything for you.”
“We’re in space,” the helmsman said.
“Where’s the jump point?” Lena asked.
“Ten thousand klicks away.”
“Plot a course and punch it,” Lena said.
The helmsman slammed the throttles forward.
“Where’s the
Alexander
?” Victor asked.
Lena tapped her monitor. “Jesus!”
Victor walked up to Lena’s seat, standing on the opposite side from Lysandra and bent over to look at the monitor. “What is it?”
“The entire fleet’s broken formation to catch her,” said Lena. She glanced at Lysandra. “The high councilor must really want you back.”
“No, look at the weapon fire,” Victor said. His voice was level, but with a melancholy edge to it. “If the high councilor thinks the princess is aboard the
Alexander
, then he’s settled for having her dead.”
“More than settled.” Then Lena said, “There aren’t any ships moving to intercept us.”
“They may not have noticed us launch,” Cormac said.
“Good. I hope it stays that way,” Lena said.
Lysandra lay a hand on Lena’s shoulder to get her attention. When the freighter captain looked up at her, Lysandra stared in Lena’s eyes and shook her head and then glanced at Victor.
The mercenary captain was still hunched over the captain’s seat, watching as the entire Alliance fleet bore down on the
Alexander
.
Lena took the hint. “Oh, God, Victor. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head slightly. “Focus in on the
Alexander
please. I want to see this.”
“Are you sure?” Lena asked.
“Yes,” Victor said.
Lena nodded and tapped her screen, focusing in on the
Alexander
.
Lysandra couldn’t help but watch herself. The
Alexander
’s icon indicated the frigate had already sustained heavy damage, leaking atmosphere and fuel. Her drive output was down by half. But still Fara flew the frigate with incredible skill, flying recklessly close to Free Worlds’ warships.
Light kinetic fire pummeled the frigate’s shields, battering the hull beneath, but the Alliance warships in pursuit dared not use heavier weapons for fear of hitting one of their own.
But Fara was almost out of time or, more precisely, out of cover. The
Alexander
broke through the edge of the fleet and into open space.
The Alliance frigates chasing her unleashed a vicious volley from their main guns. To Lysandra’s amazement, Fara actually evaded the first couple shots. A third one hit and sent the
Alexander
drifting, helpless.
“Jumping in three…two…one!”
The
Alexander
and the ships about to kill her disappeared in an instant, replaced by the stars and empty space.
Lena tapped her monitor. “No contacts. Good. Sticks?”
“Captain?” the
Mae
’s helmsman asked.
“Move us away from the jump point, full burn,” she said.
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
Sighing with palpable relief, Lena rose from her seat and turned to face Lysandra. She smiled and embraced her.
“I’m so glad to have you back,” Lena said, the top of her forehead brushing Lysandra’s chin.
“I’m glad to be back,” Lysandra said, squeezing tight the smaller woman, drinking in the smell of her hair. Then, out the corner of her eye, she saw Victor walking toward the bridge’s exit.
“Victor,” she said. “I’m sorry about what happened to your ship and crew.”
He stopped and turned to face her, resignation in his eyes. “Fara was the only person aboard the
Alexander
. I left the rest of the crew on the
Gryphon
. They were all Free Worlders, so I couldn’t expect them to turn against their own people.”
“So how do we warn my homeworld about the Alliance fleet?” Lysandra asked.
Victor shrugged and shook his head. “We can’t. The Alliance fleet is blocking the most direct route, and we can’t get to Lysander before they do if we take a detour. I’m sorry, Princess, but I’m afraid I’m out of tricks on this one.” The mercenary captain turned and left the bridge.
Lysandra’s heart sank to her stomach. He was right of course. Even with her limited knowledge of astrogation, she knew they couldn't warn Lysander in time.
Tears streamed down her face.
“Lysandra? Is there anything I could do?” Lena asked.
Lysandra turned toward the smaller woman and kissed her.
Chapter 31
It was over; he had failed again. Victor stared at the bulkhead of his cabin as if he expected it to say something. It didn’t; it just stood there being what it was, while Victor sat on his cot being whatever he was, wearing the same pressure suit he had worn since the escape from the
Gryphon
. The reek of his own body filled his nostrils, and he didn’t care.
He was spent, used up. Giving his best shot, all he had accomplished was getting a friend killed. More than a friend really. Now she was gone, and the great void in his soul got just a little bit bigger.
A knock sounded at the door.
Irritated someone would interrupt his brooding, Victor got up off the cot and opened the door.
“Captain,” Gaz said. He sniffed the air coming from the cabin and grimaced. “Oh, man, I don’t think you’ve ever smelled this bad before.”
Victor scowled at the pit fighter. “What do you want, Gaz?”
“I’d like the badass merc captain I’ve been working with for the last five years to come back,” Gaz said.
Victor shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t help you on that one.” He tried to close the door, but Gaz placed a hand on it to keep it open.
“Look, I get it,” Gaz said.
“Do you now?” Victor said.
Gaz’s lip curled into a sneer, showing a row of spiked teeth. “Yeah, I fuckin’ do. Fara was my friend, and I knew ’er longer than you did. Which I think counts more than the fact you and ’er liked to fuck.”
“So what?” Victor said.
“So what? I’ll tell you fuckin’ what! I know, if Fara was here, she’d be kicking your ass,” Gaz said.
“Yeah, probably,” Victor said. “So are you going to do that in her place?”
“A man who spends five days moping in his cabin while there’s shit to get done ain’t worth the effort,” Gaz said.