Command Decision

  Hutu turned and watched Landais exit the bridge. Bending, Hutu gave a quiet order for the small bot to escort him to the service bay. He had placed as many sensors in the area as he could. It would have to be enough. He would deposit more on his return trip to the service bay.

  He was almost back to the shuttle when the red alert went off. With a curse, he knew that Josh, Cassa, and Pack had been discovered. Taking off at a run, he abandoned caution. He turned the corner and headed for one of the service lifts. He entered it, followed by the small service bot that suddenly seemed attached to him.

  He started to order it to return to duty when four soldiers entered the service lift. He pressed to the back and bowed his head. A silent curse flowed through his mind when they pushed back against him.

  “Rebels have been reported in the Cell Block,” one of the soldiers stated.

  “I thought that was where they were supposed to be,” another joked.

  “Yes, but not outside the cells,” a third soldier muttered. “The General has ordered a lockdown of the ship.”

  “A lockdown!” The fourth one said just as the lights in the lift flickered and went out. “What the….”

  The emergency lights came on illuminating the interior of the lift in a soft red glow. The first soldier turned to look at Hutu in irritation as the lift slowed. Hutu kept his gaze down.

  “You,” the man said. “You work in maintenance, what is going on?”

  Hutu slowly lifted his head and grinned. “Surprise,” he said, striking out and catching the soldier in the jaw.

  In the tight confines of the lift, the soldiers didn’t stand a chance against the powerful Knight of the Gallant. Hutu pushed back against one of the soldiers, holding him in place, while he fought with the other two still standing.

  He grunted when one of the men landed a punch to his side. Bringing up his elbow, he snapped it back against the man he had pinned against the back wall. Swinging around, he caught another in the stomach while the other fell backwards over the small service bot that was beeping and trying to get out of the way.

  Pulling his Staff from his side, he partially extended it and pressed it against both men. He sent a powerful shock through each man. They dropped to the floor with a solid thump.

  Hutu’s eyes danced in amusement when the little bot pressed into the corner of the lift and shook. He bent and stared at the small mechanical sensor that made up its eye. While the ‘bots’ didn’t have emotions, they were programmed to have reactions. Obviously whoever programmed this one went a step further.

  “It is alright, my little friend. I have no quarrel with you,” Hutu stated. “Now, can you escort me to the service bay from our current location if I get us out of here?”

  The little bot bobbed up and down and beeped. Hutu stood up with a satisfied grunt and stared at the doors. Pressing the end of the staff to the panel, he outlined it. The metal glowed brightly as he cut through it. The outer cover of the panel dropped to the floor with a loud ringing sound. Hutu stared at the mass of wires inside with a frown. He glanced down at the little bot and raised an eyebrow at it.

  “Do you know which wires will open this?” Hutu asked in amusement when the little bot rose up to scan the panel.

  Two thin arms came out. The bot moved several wires before snipping one and touching it to a circuit board. Hutu grunted, impressed, when the doors suddenly opened.

  “Well, if I must be stuck on a Legion Battle Cruiser, I prefer to be stuck with a handy service bot such as yourself,” he informed the small bot. “Come, I think you might be useful.”

  The bot took off down the corridor. Hutu followed it, pausing at times when soldiers passed him. He adjusted his helmet outside the service bay and walked quickly across to the shuttle they had arrived on. He stopped halfway up the platform when a Legion soldier suddenly stepped out of the back of the shuttle. The tall, thin male looked at him with an irritated glare.

  “What are you doing here?” The man demanded. “This shuttle is out of commission. I have a repair team coming."

  Hutu tilted his head and stared at the soldier. There was something vaguely familiar about him. He frowned, about to say something when the service bot charged up the ramp to the man.

  “Bolt,” the man said with an easy grin before it faded and he stared at Hutu again. “You heard me. I already have a team coming to work on this shuttle.”

  “Squeals?” Hutu suddenly asked in recognition. “Aren’t you the little boy who followed Cassa everywhere?”

  The man jerked back and looked warily around before staring back at Hutu with an intense expression. Hutu saw him nervously swallow and wave for him to step further into the shuttle. It was only when they were out of sight of the rest of the crew that the man spoke in a low, rushed voice.

  “Who are you? Are you with Cassa and Pack?” The man demanded.

  Hutu lifted his hand and removed his helmet. Bantu’s jaw sagged in disbelief and he hissed. Running a hand down his face, Hutu watched the younger man pale.

  “A Gallant Knight! I’m so dead,” Bantu groaned. “You do realize that you, Cassa, and Pack are like the most wanted fugitives in the galaxy, don’t you?”

  “How did you get involved?” Hutu asked.

  “Cassa and I have kept in touch. I’m just doing this for her… and because it is good to show the Legion that they aren’t all powerful,” Bantu muttered with a heavy sigh.

  Hutu chuckled. “Is the little bot yours?” He asked with a nod toward the bot which was rocking back and forth and watching Bantu.

  Bantu grinned. “Yes, I’m in charge of programming them. This one was an experiment,” he admitted.

  Hutu turned when the lights flashed again. “Do you know how to fly this thing?” He asked grimly.

  “Yes,” Bantu replied, turning toward the front. “I’ve set the bay shields to release on my command,” he added. “You know, if General Landais ever catches me, I’ll be dead.”

  Hutu slapped Bantu on the shoulder, sending the young man forward from the blow. “I guess this is your welcome to the rebellion,” he chuckled. “I see them coming. Fire up the shuttle.”

  “You know the fighters are going to shoot us down before we make it to the planet,” Bantu replied in resignation. “This is not how I expected my day to begin.”

  Hutu ignored Bantu and focused on firing at the two soldiers who rushed toward the fleeing trio. Both men dropped to the floor. The move drew the attention of the other members of the crew.

  “Hurry,” Hutu shouted.

  “Go! Go! Go!” Josh yelled in return, running up the platform behind Cassa and Pack.

  Hutu decided it was time to take control of the shuttle. He slapped his hand on the platform control and turned toward the cockpit. Pack was already sliding into the co-pilot’s seat.

  “Move, Bantu,” Hutu shouted, heading for the pilot’s seat. “We are going to be moving a little faster than you are used to.”

  Bantu practically fell out of the seat as he scrambled to get out of Hutu’s way. Hutu ignored the man. He slid into the pilot’s seat and quickly gripped the controls.

  “Cassa, do your magic,” Hutu called over his shoulder. “We are about to have company.”

  “Not if I can help it,” Cassa muttered. “We’re clear. Go, Hutu. It won’t take long for them to figure out what I’ve done and try to bypass it.”

  “What did you do?” Bantu asked, curiously glancing down at the tablet.

  “Hello, Bantu,” Cassa said with a strained smile. “I’ve locked down the fighter bay doors and have taken the weapons system offline.

  “Isn’t that the program I was playing with a few years ago?” He asked, practically falling in her lap when the shuttle tilted at a crazy angle.

  “Strap in,” Josh snapped.

  Bantu looked up, startled, and nervously swallowed at the look of warning in Josh’s eyes. He nodded and sat back in his seat, grabbing at the straps. The loud roar of the engines drowned out any other convers
ation.

  *.*.*

  The shuttle swept through the doors of the service bay just as they were about to close. Josh swore he could hear the sound of metal on metal. Darkness engulfed them. In the corner across from him, a slight movement drew his attention to the service bot locked to the floor.

  “Where are the fighters? They should be all over us,” Bantu whispered.

  Cassa shook her head. “Not if they are locked down inside the Battle Cruiser,” she stated.

  “Hang on,” Hutu called over his shoulder. “We have some ground fighters headed this way.”

  “Can you get to the moon before they get here?” Josh asked, rising out of his seat.

  “It will be close,” Hutu responded.

  Josh watched as Hutu skillfully maneuvered the shuttle toward the thin layer of debris circling the planet. They would lose themselves in it. There were several small ‘satellite moons’ caught in the gravitational pull between the larger moons and the planet.

  “It still amazes me that your spaceships can maneuver through debris like this without getting damaged,” Josh murmured.

  Pack glanced at him with a puzzled frown. “Your ships cannot?” He asked in surprise.

  Josh shook his head. “Not yet,” he replied in a light tone.

  “How are we going to get to the Tracer? It is still on the planet,” Pack asked.

  Hutu nodded to the moon. “The rings move in a tight, but fast circle around the planet,” he explained. “I had Jubotu move my ship to a remote location on the other side of the planet. We will catch a ride past the Legion forces and escape down to the planet once we are clear.”

  Pack grinned. “Brilliant strategy,” he exclaimed.

  “Thank you,” Josh responded with an answering grin.

  “You thought of it?” Pack asked in surprise, turning to stare at Josh.

  Josh resisted the urge to make a sarcastic response and failed. “I do have them on occasion,” he retorted dryly.

  *.*.*

  “Where are they?” Roan demanded in a hard voice.

  “The scanners are offline, General,” one of the ensigns replied.

  “Find them,” Roan ordered through gritted teeth. “I want a complete scan of the ship. I want to know how the rebels were able to get on my ship and if they had any help.”

  He turned toward his office, needing time alone. His mind swept back to the man he had seen in the corridor. There was an arrogance to the alien that irked him.

  Walking over to his desk, he picked up the patch that had been discarded down on the planet. Instead of sitting down, he walked over to the window. The emergency lights were still on, casting his office in a dim red haze. It wouldn’t have bothered him if it wasn’t for the fact that it was another thorn in his side – proof that not only had the rebels snuck in under his security, but they had escaped with a prisoner and brought an advanced Legion Battle Cruiser to its knees.

  His lips twitched in sardonic amusement. The two finger salute continued to play over and over in his mind. Whoever the man was, he had thrown down a challenge that Roan was not about to ignore.

  “Who are you?” Roan murmured, lifting the patch up to gaze at it. “More importantly, where did you come from?”

  Roan grimaced when the console on his desk pinged. Turning, he drew in a deep, calming breath before he walked over to the desk. He braced himself for what was about to come. Obviously he had not found all of the spies aboard his ship.

  “Director,” Roan greeted in a stiff voice.

  Chapter 23

  “After we get back to the ship, where are we heading?” Josh murmured, staring out into space as the satellite moon they had landed on moved around the planet, away from the Legion forces searching for them. “We still haven’t found any more clues to where Ash could have gone.”

  “We will find him,” Hutu said confidently. “Devona has her team searching the area. She stated a short range freighter pilot took off shortly before we arrived. One of the service bots noted an additional crew member that was not on the ship’s register. She is obtaining video and will send it to us as soon as possible. If it is your friend, we will know where to start.”

  “What are we going to do in the meantime?” Pack asked.

  “We will head to a secret rebel base on one of the outer moons of Tesla Terra,” Hutu replied. “It is a desolate place and unlikely to be discovered by the Legion forces. Your father and I started it nearly thirty years ago when we realized what Andronikos was doing.”

  Josh turned when Cassa came to stand behind him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. She stared out the front window down at the planet.

  “KGO, come in,” Devona’s voice echoed over the communication console a moment before she appeared on the screen in front of them.

  “This is KGO, over,” Hutu replied.

  “I’m sending the video I’ve retrieved. Hutu…,” Devona paused before she continued. “You should know that the Director ordered the destruction of all cities on Jeslean that support the Gallant Order. He wanted to send a message to any that dare oppose his rule.”

  “No!” Cassa whispered, her eyes wide with horror.

  “My parents are there!” Bantu exclaimed, pushing forward. “We’ve got to warn them.”

  Devona’s grief stricken face reflected Bantu’s and Cassa’s distress. She turned when someone spoke behind her. Her lips tightened in anger.

  “We gave as much warning as we could. The Legion forces are attacking any vessel fleeing the cities. Legion soldiers are coming. I must leave. Long live the Gallant Order,” Devona stated before the screen went blank.

  Josh turned Cassa into his arms and held her tightly against him. Everyone was silent as the impact of what the Legion had done sunk in. The murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives weighed on their conscience.

  Bantu turned and quietly walked back to the bench and sank down. Josh saw the haunted look in the other man’s eyes. For a moment, Josh was pulled back to the day he saw his father die. The pain and desolation had been suffocating. The difference was his father had died in a tragic accident. This was genocide.

  “The Legion has to be stopped,” Josh growled with icy resolve.

  “Yes… It does,” Hutu replied, reaching for the controls. “It is time to get the Tracer. I will try to contact the rebel leaders there. The destruction of the Gallant Order headquarters will be a devastating blow to our cause. If we are lucky, the bases outside of the cities will still be intact.”

  *.*.*

  Josh sat in the small galley aboard the Tracer several days later. His fingers absently stroked the rim of the cup in front of him. He jerked back to the present when Cassa walked in. Her cheeks were flushed and she was drawing in deep, calming breaths. An amused smile tugged at Josh’s lips.

  “How is the training going?” He asked, sliding to the side so she could sit down next to him.

  “Better,” she replied. “Bantu is rusty, but he is picking it up. He is motivated. He is working on a program to work against the Legion forces.”

  “His inside knowledge will be an advantage,” Josh replied, playing with a strand of her hair that had come loose. “You’ll have him in shape before he knows it. I know I should regret ordering the gateway fixed, but I don’t. I’m glad I’m here. I just regret that I couldn’t have done more to prevent the deaths of your father and brother.”

  Cassa turned and raised her hand. She tenderly placed her fingers against his lips. She had that familiar, fierce expression on her face again. Josh pressed a kiss against her fingers.

  “What has happened is not your fault,” Cassa replied in a firm voice. “The Legion’s actions belong solely on the shoulders of the Director.”

  Josh reached up and caught her fingers. He tugged her closer, wrapping his other hand around her neck and leaned forward. He paused a second to stare deeply into her eyes before he pressed a kiss to her slightly parted lips.

  Josh started to deepen the kiss wh
en the sound of someone clearing their throat broke through the haze of desire. He slowly ended the kiss and pulled back to glare at Bantu, who was standing in the doorway with his arms folded. Josh took his time releasing Cassa. The message in his touch and in his gaze was clear – she belonged to him.

  “What do you want?” Josh asked in a blunt tone.

  “Food,” Bantu responded with a crooked grin.

  Josh didn’t miss the look of disappointment when the other man glanced at Cassa. Sitting back in his seat, he cupped Cassa’s hand in his and waited as Bantu stepped into the narrow area.

  Bantu fixed himself a drink and a plate of food and came to sit down across from them. A moment later, Hutu stepped into the room. He quickly fixed himself something to eat and sat down next to Cassa.

  “We will be at the base in a few hours,” Hutu replied. “The Legion ships have left Jeslean. We are hoping most of the residents in the cities were able to escape to underground shelters. It will be days before we find out how many survived. Rebel troops have not had a chance to search for other survivors. From the initial reports, eight cities were decimated by the attacks.”

  “What about the rebel bases?” Josh asked with a frown.

  Hutu glanced at Josh. “They remained undetected. A decision was made not to engage the Legion forces,” he responded.

  “What makes the Gallant forces any different from the Legion if they left the people in those cities to die?” Bantu asked bitterly, pushing his plate away from him.

  Josh glanced at Bantu. He could see the grief and guilt on the other man’s face. He understood Bantu’s anger.

  “It would have been suicide to engage the fighters,” Josh replied in a calm voice.

  Hutu nodded. “The loss of the secret bases there would have been devastating to the Gallant’s fight against the Legion. As it is, two of the underground bases will be out of commission for a while. These bases are our only hope of defeating the Director. We’ve spent years building them while trying to undermine the Legion’s defenses. You can help, Bantu,” he stated.