Solarian Down

The Seekers secured him and escorted both of them back to the Navy shuttle. Lenny had been sitting near the front refusing to look at him. But eventually she looked over to where he was sitting before getting up to walk to him.

“Why were you running a relay station when your men were stealing a battleship?”

John shrugged. “Periodically a good leader has to do the shit work so his men don’t get the idea he thinks he’s better than them. It was my turn.”

“And that is it. No great secret reason.”

“My men had the equipment and training and knew the plan. I was superfluous. No one wanted to do the relay station job. Months of sitting on a block of ice waiting for the fury of the Luthiel to die down so you can be picked up.” He shrugged again. “So I did it.”

She nodded. “Why the stutter?”

He smiled, “One of the things our people have in common. We think a person with a stutter is nice. Gentle. Nonthreatening.” He shook his head. “Which is funny. Because two of the toughest sons of bitches I ever met had stutters.”

She nodded again and went back to her seat. He watched her take her seat again. He kept watching even when she closed her faceplate and pretended she wasn’t looking at him.

On board the frigate Daroon and Cailhem met her as they landed. Even after Lenaga told them who he was they still did not look happy as they watched John being taken to the brig. They informed her that the victims from the Gulliver were being cared for in a makeshift medical bay. The Navy was salvaging the pirate ship and the commander of the frigate, Captain Fiel, would like to speak to her.

She nodded before they escorted her to the bridge of the frigate. By human standards the bridge was spartan. A circle of twelve chairs with Luminesced Floating Controls. Surrounding one chair with its own floating display. The Captain of the ship would normally be seated there. But Lenaga found him standing by it while communicating with his people. He turned to face her as she entered.

He smiled and approached as her men fell back to stand by the door. “Low Warden Dloc. Thank you for coming.” He said as he inclined his head to the right in the Luthiel greeting.

Lenaga returned the gesture. “Of course, Captain Fiel.”

“I had been hoping to question your friend, but when my team told me who he was…”

“As the Solarian’s would say, “It’s a bit above our paygrade.”

“Quite.” He replied. “I did write up a recommendation to the High Commander of the Navy. About you and your team’s capture of Blackwell as well as the rescue of the slave cargo from the Gulliver.”

She grimaced.

“You do -not- want a recommendation, Low Warden?”

“I bumbled into all of it. Captain. None of it was due to any hard work on my part.”

“Nonsense. Aside from you needing Blackwells help to take the ship, it was all due to your hard work.” He shook his head at her. “You came here seeking pirates and you found one. A bad one! And almost four hundred people owe their freedom to you. -That- is the truth, Low Warden.”

“Was the captain of the Gulliver Halsin Vaah?” She asked hopefully.

He shook his head. “The universe could not be that kind, I am afraid. It was Tuve Shor,”

She nodded her understanding. Tuve had been a particularly vile Luthiel. Not as vicious as Halsin, but no one would mourn his passing.

“Signature.”

“Details.” The Captain ordered as he approached the technician.

“Solarian. Small vessel. Best guess: Intelligence gatherer, It de-folded on the edge of our sensor range, Captain.”

He turned to Lenaga. “Perhaps it would be best if you and your Wardens found someplace safe. We may have to fold at any moment.”

Lenaga inclined her head to the right and left. “Right and Left, go to the victims and see what help you can render.”

“Where will you be?” Cailhem asked.

“Trying to get answers out of that bastard.” She fumed.

Johnathan was in a small cell with a bed and a toilet. Lenaga had the guard open his cell and let her in before he locked it behind her. She could see his hands were still bound. She grabbed his shirt before slamming his back against the wall.

“Ow!”

“What are they up to -Johnny-?” She gave a malicious smile.

“Uh, about 5’4” to 6’2”.” He shook his head. “Height’s not really a requirement in our unit.” He laughed. She brought her knee up but he pivoted his hips and she slid off the outside of his thigh. He leaned in as if he was about to kiss her and whispered. “You have a tell.”

She leaned in closer just grazing his lips with hers when, “Ghhnnnffuuu.” He groaned out as he bent over.

“Do I still have a “tell?” She smiled as she pulled her knee out of his crotch and let him go.

John stumbled a few steps before he could muster the strength to stand up. Lock his knees. Jump as high as he could and land hard on his heels. The pain was gone but the nausea? It remained in all of its “bitch kneed me in the nuts” glory.”

{All hands to stations. Combat eminent.}

He looked at her and she was furious. “Why’re you mad?! I’m the one just got wracked!” He said as he walked to the bunk and sat down.

She grabbed his shirt again. “John!?”

“What - did - you - see?”

“A small Solarian intelligence ship just on the edge of the frigates sensor range.”

“Huh… I didn’t think he cared.”

She shook him as she pleaded. “You didn’t think -who- cared!?”

“Wait for it.”

“I will -shoot- you!”

{Dreadnaught fleet approaching. Folding space.}

“Commander of the 7th Solarian fleet, Admiral Carpender.” He smiled.

They felt the shudder of folding space tremor through the ship. Johnathan wrapped his legs around Lenaga and pulled her onto the bed with him. She instinctively leaned in while he spun her toward the wall.

{We are in orbit around Luthiel. We are home.}

“Why are you smiling?” She asked. “You are as far from home as any human can be.”

He kissed her. “I’m a simple guy. I got you. I’m happy.”

“You are lying.” She shook her head before leaning in and kissing him back.

She was tempted to bite him when she felt his tongue slip past her lips but she forgot. She pulled him closer and held him tight until…

“Ahem.” They looked up to see the guard outside John’s cell. “No physical contact with the prisoner.”

“Seriously elf? Where was this concern for contact when she was kneeing my balls?”

The guard replied, “I found that part amusing.”

She smiled and patted his shoulder. “I have a rather large report to write.”

John’s head fell back in defeat as he unwrapped his legs from her so she could get off the bunk. John watched as the guard let her out of the cell. The Wardens had been given a room aboard “The Arm of Albus.” Lenaga and her men spent the next few hours trying to complete their reports. Just when Daroon couldn’t go five minutes without sighing, there came a knock at the door.

“Thank Sersira.” He said.

“Yes?” Lenaga asked aloud.

Captain Fiel opened the door. “Low Warden, I thought you would want to know. We have a ship coming to retrieve Blackwell.”

Lenaga stood and headed toward the door. “When does it arrive?”

“Any moment… I should mention the ship is from the Seekers of Truth from Black Oak.”

She cringed. The interrogators from Military Intelligence were not known for having a light touch.

Captain Fiel continued as she and her team walked toward the Brig. “You had to anticipate that they would be interested.”

She sighed. “I suppose I had put it out of my mind.”

They were almost to his cell when the Captain got word that The Seekers ship had docked. They were on their way to collect their prisoner. When Lenaga arrived she saw John sitting on his bunk staring at the wall. He looked up when he realized he had company.

“Well, hey guys.” He smiled. “They been treatin ya well?” He asked as he approached the bars. None of them smiled. “What is it?”

Captain Fiel answered, “The Seekers of Truth are on their way to collect you. They are the…”

“Ah shit.” He interrupted as his head hung low.

Lenaga stepped closer to the bars. “You could just tell them what you know.”

He looked at her. “Except I don’t know shit. I’m a -mercenary-. The Solarian Military Command doesn’t share information with me. Hell, they don’t even pay me! I make my livin off of theft and salvage. Not the SMC.”

They sat in silence until they could hear approaching feet. Six men in Blue light armor were heading toward them. Helmets in place carrying Hard-light repeaters. Captain Fiel walked toward them to make his greeting. Cailhem felt Daroon nudge him. He picked up on Daroon’s hint as both of them moved to stand between the Seekers and Lenaga and John.

It took her a moment to realize what they were doing when they stepped in front of her. She quickly turned and reached through the bars to pull John to her. They only had a few moments before Daroon cleared his throat in warning. She hated releasing him but she did.

“I love you.” She said.

He smiled and nodded.

As she stepped away the first Seeker stepped to the bars. “Johnathan Blackwell?”

“Eat me!”

VRRZZZZTT!

The Seekers were motioning for the guard to open the cell before John had hit the deck. They strapped him to a floating gurney and headed back to the landing dock. The Fist of the Intelligence Hand took off his helmet revealing a young face with long brown hair.

“You do not looked pleased, Low Warden.”

She had been watching them carry John down the hallway. Now, she looked at the young man. “That is because I am not pleased, Fist.” She said cooly as they began to follow his detachment of men.

He nodded. “I have not heard the whole story but I understand you were stranded with him for some time.”

“What is your point?” She asked as she could not tear her eyes away from the gurney.

He shrugged. “What is he like?”

“Funny, intelligent, irritating, duplicitous and -stupid!-”

The Fist’s nod went unnoticed.

“What do you hope to learn from him?” The Captain asked.

That got Lenaga’s attention.

The Fist took a moment to think before answering. “His knowledge of our people and culture is too thorough for most enemies. We believe he is working with some element of Luthiel and we want to know who that it is.”

Lenaga groaned. John was not going to give that information up just because they asked.

“I do understand your feelings on this matter, Low Warden.” The Fist said as they stepped into the loading area for the landing dock.

She looked at him. “You will forgive me if I doubt that.” She stated harshly.

“You should not. My brother is stationed at Olevian Crafts. He was on duty the night Blackwell stole “The Sword of Ardule.”

“I am sorry. Was he hurt?” She asked.

The Fist had been watching his men secure Blackwell’s gurney to their ship. But he turned to her with a shocked expression when she asked that. “Has no one told you?” He looked at the Captain for confirmation.

The Captain gave an almost embarrassed shrug. “We have been so busy it did not occur to me, but they were stranded just after the theft…” He looked to Lenaga.

The man shook himself before continuing. “Uh, yes. My brother is fine. Blackwell’s men used tranq’s instead of real weapons.” Lenaga’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He shook his head. “No one died that night.” He looked to see that his men were ready. When they showed that they were prepared to leave he turned back to the party. “I -am- sorry. We will be as gentle as we can.” He said before he donned his helmet and turned to get on the shuttle.

`They watched as the shuttle disengaged from the ship. There are no viewing ports in a warship. But there are a multitude of scanners. The four of them gathered around the nearest scanner. They watched as the small shuttle throttled away until it finally folded space and was gone.

Cailhem exhaled a loud breath as the Captain made his excuses to leave.

“Well,” Said Daroon. “I knew I would feel good.” His friends looked at him stunned. “But I did not know I would feel -this- good.” He smiled.

“What are you talking about?” Lenaga asked in disbelief.

“-Our- people call them sleeping needles.” He smiled even broader than he had been.

“No.” She said with a tone of mortification. She looked back at the screen as if something there would show her the truth.

“I may be missing an eye but that does not make me any less observant, Low Warden.”

The three friends laughed happily much to the confusion of the nearby crewmen.