Oz took up point as they heard a machine start in the distance and rustle the sugar cane stalks. They made their way at a slow jog down one of the rows leading to the broadcast center in the middle of the field. It was marked clearly by several focusing dishes and burst transmitters, all pointed at the stars like wide white concave eyes surrounded by long antennae like multicoloured rods.
Behind them several objects were making their way to their ship and once they had put a kilometre between them and the craft, Oz slowed to a stop. When he turned around his targeting system outlined a large machine and several smaller ones. Two were identified as automated security, one was some kind of technical assistant and there were several small maintenance bots.
“What do you think the big one is?” he heard Minh ask over their point to point network.
“Some kind of harvester,” Ayan answered. “They had them on the Freeground colony, or at least something that kinda looked like it.”
“Will the charges take it out?” Oz asked.
“Just barely, unless there's some solid fuel left in the afterburner. I'm blowing it,” Ayan said as she pointed her index finger at the hull of the ship.
As soon as her signal was received the Needle exploded, filling the air with concussive sound, lighting up the field and the sky with blue and yellow light and sending a wave through the green rows of sugar cane.
“Guess there was some fuel left,” Minh chuckled.
Oz scanned the ground for movement for several seconds and paid close attention to the sensors in his suit just in case there was some energy left in one of the robots that had gone to investigate the crash. “We got 'em, time to move on.”
A Bug In The Works
“We've cut off the feed sir, but anyone looking at the entertainment systems aboard saw the first two minutes and nineteen seconds of the assault,” said the wide eyed internal data management officer.
The command chair on the bridge of the Diplomat was always a source of irritation for Hampon. It was far too large, his feet didn't touch the deck, and people stared when he wasn't looking. He didn't take the opportunity to command in person often, but when he heard that Jacob Valance had gotten free he dropped everything and headed straight for the command chair.
“Why did it take so long?”
“His interface, it was different somehow. It looked a bit like a direct neural connection to the ship.”
“Where is he now?”
“He just cut through a security door using one of our own plasma torches,” the officer reported, looking up and meeting his eye for the first time in days. She had been serving on the circular bridge for months, and managed to suppress the smile he knew she had every time she saw him.
“How did he get a high powered plasma torch?”
“One of our maintenance staff surrendered it when the escapee threatened his life. We have the maintenance worker in custody now.”
“Because taking him into custody will solve all our problems,” Hampon muttered. He brought up the holographic list of damage and casualties incurred as Jake made his way though the command carrier. The sheer magnitude of it was staggering; the man was equipped to wage a one man war and Lister knew that a good part of that was thanks to the years of experience he had in the field as a bounty hunter and equipment from the Triton. “We only have ourselves to blame,” he sighed as he established a link to his best security officer. “Captain Fornier, have four teams of your best men go on a hunt for Jake Valance. You are to force him off the ship and kill anyone you find with him. Make sure that there is no doubt in his mind that you're trying to kill him, use live rounds and every measure you'd normally use to neutralize a dangerous escapee. The faster this is accomplished the better. We have over two hundred fifty thousand new initiates aboard, he must not be allowed to spook them or we will have a nightmarish mess to clean up. Or rather, you will be left to clean it up. Do you understand?”
The Captain saluted, her steel blue eyes were steady and devoid of emotion as she acknowledged him. “I'll lead a team myself. You do realize that there is a high chance of fatality using live rounds.”
“Yes, thank you for reminding me,” He rolled his eyes and glowered at the Captain, an expression he was sure would have more weight if he didn't look like he was ten years old. “If you kill him by mistake I'll dock your staff one week's pay. You have two hours, then I'll have to put some kind of escalated measure into place and you will be fired.”
Here's hoping we can keep track of him once he lands on Pandem. Hampon thought to himself as he cut the transmission and turned his attention back to the most important thing on his mission screens. The preparation for deployment of the West Watcher army on the planet below.
He brought up the holographic display of the First Battle Group and it filled his field of view. Tank divisions, ground command vessels and hundreds of dropships, fighters and picket ships were preparing to launch from every carrier in the fleet, all bound for the green and blue planet below.
The Little Things
Jake Valance's arm unit finished downloading the maps and medium priority security command codes to his control unit nearly instantaneously. “Thanks, now get to a safe place, I don't suggest trying to get away in an escape pod, they'll cut you to pieces,” he said to the officer through his comm unit. Without his guidance Jake wouldn't have been able to avoid most of the teams searching for him.
“I'm going to the planet with the West Keeper army. They won't notice me if I head to the dropship loading area. That's the surest way off.”
Jake stopped and looked at the smaller fellow. “How far off is that?”
“Nine decks down and three sections over, but not too hard to get to,” he replied, half smiling.
“It's an invasion army?”
“Yes.”
Jake thought for a moment, looking down the long berth hall. There were three directions; the nearest exit as instructed by his collaborator who had done far more than he had to to help him. There was the bridge, where he might get a chance at taking his revenge on Lister Hampon for everything he'd put Jonas and himself through. The last direction off the ship made the most sense to him; the main launch bay, where he might be able to slip through the service crawl ways and maintenance rooms to a ship or escape shuttle.
“You're him, aren't you? The Captain Valance, the one who frees slaves and captures Regent Galactic ships.”
“That's me,” Jake said after a moment's pause. “Though I'm pretty sure my reputation is just a bit inflated.”
“Your chances of sneaking off this ship aren't good as long as you're wearing that armour. You should drop it and find a spare uniform in one of those crew quarters you're passing. The dropships are loading so fast they probably wouldn't notice you.”
He's right. If I try to blend in like one of the crowd I'd have a chance as long as someone doesn't recognize me and point me out. We're not actually that far from the Enreega system, not far enough to be away from all the Newsnet affiliates, anyway. Even if I don't get pointed out, I'm definitely in the facial recognition database as Jonas. “I'll get off ship somehow, don't worry. Thanks for your help. Don't get caught. Oh, and why are you helping me anyway?”
“Let's just say a lot of Regent Galactic Officers think this Order of Eden cult is a great big steaming pile. Good luck out there.” The soldier said before cutting communications.