[05] Elite: Reclamation (48 page)

The pod sealed with a hiss.

Kahina had tied herself into a couch on the opposite side. She looked across at him.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

She didn’t answer, but simply closed her eyes and braced herself.

The pod eject controls were simple, designed to be used in an emergency. A single red button marked ‘ESC’.

Hassan hit it.

There was a clunk, a jolt and then something crashed into the back of him, crushing him into the couch. A massive weight slammed across his chest, cutting off his breath. Panic rose. He couldn’t move, couldn’t even turn his head. It felt as if his eyes were being squeezed out of his skull.

Witchin’ hell … that’s …

The pressure was relentless.

He dimly heard Kahina’s scream of pain before he passed out.

***

Pain and an incendiary rage.

Octavia’s unique physiology couldn’t be overcome by a few bullet wounds. She was injured certainly, but it only slowed her down.

She reached the bridge, barking instructions at her crew to stabilise the ship. They reacted in fear at her presence, already demoralised by the damage to the ship. She was splattered in blood, her left arm hanging useless by her side. Her crew gasped, their faces pale.

To her they were all expendible in pursuit of her dream.

‘Where’s that escape pod,’ she growled. ‘Find it and bring it aboard!’

The holofac systems were flickering with the damage the ship had suffered, but the astrogation scanners were still tracking with sufficient detail. The pod could be seen, its tiny drive units thrusting at full power.

‘Intercept course laid in,’ one of the crew responded.

The
Retribution
jolted unevenly as the ship got under way. Octavia could see the damage that had been inflicted. One of the drives was completely offline, auxiliary thrusters were compensating for the off-axis thrust of the other; the ship ‘crabbing’ unevenly forward.

Even half-crippled, a small escape pod was no match for the bigger ship. Octavia watched as the pod appeared on the forward viewer. The holofac overlay swirled across it, a targeting reticule providing range and intercept time. It wouldn’t be long.

The pod was running on a curving trajectory, its initial burst of acceleration exhausted. Octavia could see it was attempting to rendezvous with the
Black Monk,
which was still cruising alongside on its autopilot.

‘No …’ Octavia said. ‘Weapons, take out that Adder. Now!’

***

In the hold of Octavia’s ship a small device completed a predetermined countdown. It was not artificially intelligent, it had no concept of its role in the events that were taking place around it. Electronic components dutifully executed instructions as dictated by the commands of their programmer.

A homing signal began transmitting.

***

‘Hassan!’

Hassan blinked and shook his head.

Space, whirling stars, a ship.

‘Hassan!’

Kahina was yelling at him. He stared outwards, struggling to assemble his thoughts. That acceleration ...

The
Black Monk,
not far away; ahead in the viewer.

‘Can we get aboard?’ Kahina asked.

Hassan nodded. Quickly he reached forward, overriding the escape pod controls. If Octavia’s ship was still operational their escape pod was a sitting duck. No shields, no armour. A single round of auto-cannon fire would splash them into the void.

The escape pod banked around, locking onto the Adder’s trajectory. The
Black Monk
flew straight and true. All Hassan had to do was fly into the cargo bay.

A stream of coruscating energy flashed across space between them, lighting the cockpit with a fierce blue glow. Hassan yelled in surprise as the pod bucked and jolted. Space was filled with spinning debris, burning gas and trails of smoke. Kahina shrieked in dismay beside him.

The
Black Monk
was gone.

‘Shit!’

Hassan wrenched his head around and looked behind him.

It was the
Retribution
, closing fast from their starboard side. As he watched, grappling cables snaked out towards the escape pod. Another jolt signalled they were caught once more.

A holofac display flashed into life. Hassan and Kahina watched as Octavia’s form coalesced before them. Her face streaked with blood.

‘I thought …’

‘… you’d killed me? You have no idea what agonies I will put you through now, little boy.’

The display flickered and faded. The escape pod jolted as the
Retribution
reeled them in.

‘No …’ Kahina said, ‘no … I won’t … don’t let her take me!’

***

The distinct tones of a homing signal sounded across the bridge of the Federation battlecruiser.

‘We have the signal,’ the captain said. ‘It’s the code that privateer woman gave us.’

‘Right on cue,’ Tenim said.

He and Jenu stood on the bridge of the Federation battlecruiser, trying to determine the outcome of the battle on the moon from their remote viewpoint. The Federation scanners had picked up the profile of Octavia’s
Retribution
the moment it had left the atmosphere of the moon. Some kind of battle had taken place, but it was difficult to determine precisely what was happening.

‘What is she doing?’ Jenu asked.

‘Struggling to reclaim her prize,’ Tenim replied. ‘She’s hoping to sneak off with the Loren girl and thus undertake whatever nefarious notion she has in mind. I imagine the girl is putting up a fight. It looks as if her plans have gone awry.’ He turned to the captain. ‘At your convenience.’

Jenu looked across the bridge as the captain signalled to the gunnery officer.

‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.

‘Insurance, as agreed,’ Tenim said.

‘For Octavia?’

‘Of course not. For the Federation, naturally.’

‘Ready, Commissioner,’ the captain reported. ‘Missiles locked on the tracking signal source and Octavia’s vessel.’

‘You’re going to shoot it down?’ Jenu asked. ‘But the girl’s aboard that ship she’s snagged!’

Tenim nodded. ‘The girl’s ship is tagged as fugitive, as is Octavia’s. Legally we’re in the clear. No more Imperial claim. A neat and tidy solution. Launch when ready, Captain.’

The captain turned and signalled to his gunnery officer.

‘Fire.’

***

Octavia’s contemplation was cut short as threat warning indicators flashed across monitors and the on-board klaxon shrieked imminent doom.

‘Incoming missiles, Domina!’

Octavia stared at the displays in disbelief. ‘From where?’

‘Federation fleet, Domina. Two locked on us, two pinging for the tracking device.’

Tenim! How dare you fire on me.

Rage surged through her mind, lighting her brain with fury. The Federation cared nothing for the Imperial girl, particularly if her death could be painted as an unfortunate accident. They’d have their negotiating position. Tenim would be rid of her too.

The ringing tones of the ECM defence systems echoed through the bridge. The missiles came on regardless. Octavia was not surprised to see them unaffected. Tenim would have used the most sophisticated weapons at his disposal.

She saw her helm officer plot an evasive high-G course.

‘Belay that! Divert all remaining power to shields, defensive fire …’

‘But, Domina!’

‘Hold our course, damn you … I will not lose my prize!’

The Helmsman took another look at the incoming missiles, his trembling hand hovering over the commit confirmation for the course change.

He lowered his hand.

It was the last thing he did. Octavia’s Lance and Fermann Widowmaker blew the back of his head right off. Some of the crew screamed at the unexpectedly loud noise that battered the bridge. Blood, bone, skin and hair splashed outwards, unhindered by gravity, splashing in all directions, heedless of whether it hit crew, controls or instruments.

Octavia leapt forward through the flying gore, obsessive desire in her eyes, a howl of wrath in her throat, angrily pulling what remained of him out of his seat and throwing his body out of the way, her crew scattering as they tried to avoid her.

The
Retribution
lurched briefly as the course took hold and then was abruptly cancelled. The ship continued running in a straight line.

Belatedly the turret weapons on the upper hull began spraying flak-fire towards the missiles. Explosions rippled briefly in the vacuum. The missiles ducked and weaved on their approach, easily evading the protective curtain the
Retribution
was trying to establish.

The first missile erupted against the starboard shields, a scintillating flash of energy, its fury dissipated and hurled back in the direction of attack. The second roared in a moment later adding its combined assault on the beleaguered barricades of the ship. The shields were ripped asunder; their generators overloading and burning out under the deadly barrage. The hull took an element of the impact but remained sound.

The final pair of missiles seemed to pause in their inbound flight, adjusting their course to track the source of the elusive tracking signal.

***

Hassan had tried everything to break the hold of the grappling hooks, thrusting the escape pod from one side to another, but it was to no avail. They were caught and they were being reeled in. There were no weapons aboard, there was nothing else they could do. The vast bulk of Octavia’s vessel grew in the cockpit windows. Explosions flashed violently, but the ship remained.

Kahina watched it with terror, Hassan with growing fear.

‘There must be something …’ Her voice sounded small and faint.

‘There’s nothing,’ Hassan replied, ‘nothing. We’ve no weapons, nothing.’

‘I won’t wake up a burnt out old woman …’ Kahina was close to hysteria, her voice wavering. ‘I won’t … you can kill me first … don’t let her take me …’

Hassan cast about the narrow cockpit for anything he could use, but the interior was deliberately sparse, even the controls were simple. Basic navigation computers, minimal holofac systems, a distress transmitter, food and rations, emergency canopy blast bolts …

His heart thudded in his chest.

Blow the canopy, a few seconds of pain and we’ll both be beyond Octavia’s reach forever.

He could end it now. Kahina would never know; it would be a kindness. Better death than torture or aging in an instant of perceived time.

You were right Sushil, someone always ends up getting hurt ...

He gestured at the comm interface, pulling up the canopy blast commands.

Warning! Ejection codes required. This process cannot be aborted. Confirm!

‘What are you doing?’ Kahina asked. ‘Emergency canopy blast … what does that mean?’

He looked at her, ‘I can stop her from getting hold of us. Eject us into the void.’

Kahina stared at him, puzzlement cracking into realisation and terror before falling into acceptance.

She reached out and grabbed his hand.

‘I’m sorry …’ His voice cracked. Words seemed woefully inadequate.

‘You came back for me,’ she said, favouring him with a faint smile. ‘It’s enough. Now … before it’s too late ...’

His fingers moved towards the display. A brief gesture was all it would take …

A shadow passed across the cockpit. Hassan turned and looked up as the dark panels of another ship flew alongside at close range.

‘What?’

Drives roared, a ship was chasing down the pod. He cursed and then blinked. The ship was familiar. A flat low profile, twin exhaust outlets framed with outrigger thrusters, a glare of actinic thruster flux … a Cobra.

‘Signorina, hope I can be of service …’ A jaunty voice with a thick accent crackled across the narrowband comms.

Hassan watched in disbelief as the Cobra spun around its centre axis, weapons blazing. The cables securing their escape pod to the
Retribution
were shattered, snaking and flailing away into the darkness.

Hassan watched, bemused as their tiny vessel spiralled free from its captivity. He wrestled the controls back to an even keel and then found himself laughing, a giddy sense of unexpected relief washing over him.

‘It’s Luko! He came back!’ Kahina was screaming from beside him. Ahead the Cobra was banking around, lining up to scoop their pod to safety.

More missiles surged out of the darkness, seeking targets. Hassan and Kahina stared, watching them.

‘Come on, do it … do it.’ Hassan murmured.

The missiles locked on, turning onto a new course.

He punched up the holofac in glee.

***

Octavia, still clinging to the navigation console watched in disbelief as the holofac flickered into life. She recognised Hassan, he was looking at her with contempt.

‘Octavia.’

‘What do you want, little boy? I will show no mercy now.’

‘Justice must be served. Wrong acts cannot go unpunished. Don’t you agree?’

‘What are you talking about?’ she snarled. ‘This changes nothing, your friend will die under my guns. I will still have you and the girl.’

‘No …’ Hassan was shaking his head. ‘It’s payback time.’

She laughed ‘You really are the most contemptable fool.’

‘I found your transponder,’ Hassan interrupted conversationally. ‘I might be a coward but I’m no fool. I wasn’t going to fall for the same trick twice. So I bolted it back into your cargo bay. Even I figured the Federation would double-cross you. First thing they teach you in Alliance space, never trust the Feds. Who’s the fool now?’

Octavia’s eyes widened in horror.

The tracking device was aboard the Adder, it should have been destroyed …

The threat warning indicators lit up again as the missiles established their target lock … on her ship.

‘You’ve got about five seconds,’ Hassan said, watching his own instruments for a moment before giving her a last look, ‘then order will be restored and all will be right with the void.’