The Phoenix Conspiracy

  ***

  A broadcast filtered over the bridge speakers.

  “Attention all hands, this is Major Jenkins of Special Forces. You are to disregard the message from Intel Wing restoring command to Mr. Cross. That message is likely a fabrication. Until Intel Wing can be reached, Commander Presley is the CO of this ship. Her orders are to be followed to the letter. And she has the full support of Special Forces. Jenkins out.”

  Calvin wasn’t surprised by the shipwide announcement, but it was still a crushing blow. Hopefully the crew in engineering wouldn’t be swayed by it. As long as they stayed loyal, and engineering was sealed off, they could at least get to Abia. Probably …

  Calvin tapped his direct line to the major. “Major, this is Calvin.”

  “Calvin, I advise you to surrender yourself and the bridge immediately.”

  “Major, I have command of the ship. I’ve always had it. There is information in Abia,” he said, “and people in the fleet don’t want us to see it. They’ll sacrifice me and you and the whole ship to keep it hidden. But it’s there. And so long as it’s there, I have a job to do. And so do you. Your job is to enable me.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Cross, but I have orders to follow. And I see no evidence of any kind of conspiracy. Only evidence of your substance abuse.”

  “This isn’t about equarius! Give me time, and I’ll prove it to you. I can get you all the evidence you need,” said Calvin. “I guarantee I can make you believe me.”

  “Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. Frankly I don’t care. You lied to the ship. You lied to the crew, and I don’t trust you. Surrender, or we’ll take you down. Jenkins out.” The comm clicked off.

  “Well, I see he’s not a man to be reasoned with,” said Calvin.

  “Lied to the ship?” Miles scratched his head. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  “I could have told you that he wouldn’t listen,” said Shen.

  Calvin ignored them and set the comm for a shipwide broadcast of his own. “Attention all hands. This is Calvin Cross. And I’m speaking to you not just as your commander but as your friend. I’ve had the honor of being your CO for some time now. I even handpicked many of you because I knew we could trust each other. I am asking you for that trust now.

  “We are flying to Abia to continue our investigation, but Fleet Command has tried to take over our ship—even though this is an Intel Wing ship. Obviously we cannot let them.” He hated lying to his crew like that, pretending that Intel Wing really wasn’t part of the maneuver to remove his command—though the Intel Wing he knew would never have been party to such a thing. It was sickening to think they’d been corrupted every bit as easily as the fleet. But his crew had to believe otherwise for now.

  “The fleet thinks it can control us and keep us from uncovering the truth. But we have a job to do, and, dammit, we’re going to do it! Because we’re Intel Wing, and we’ve sworn an oath to protect the Empire—even from itself. An oath that requires us to do whatever it takes to complete our mission. And right now that means standing together, as one, to defend this ship!”

  He clicked off the comm, thinking charismatic speeches were not his forte. But if his words didn’t rally the crew, his broadcast at least helped him rally his own nerves and desire to fight. Ultimately he knew his success depended less on the crew’s opinion of him than it did on the Nighthawk’s defense walls.