Confederation, Omiri and Carthan. All but the Carthan Navnet were demanding a fee. Left with little choice he selected it and viewed their managed territory.
At a closer glance, the situation in the Rega Gain system looked much as it should, according to the information they already had. There were active fire fights and areas of lingering resistance scattered throughout the solar system. Most of them were hot spots were United Core World Confederates were refusing to abandon settlements and a few older cities, while others weren’t as well marked, offering few details. 'All right, it looks like Tamber is still our best option. There’s still a little fighting on one side of the moon, but not as much as in some other places.'
'I know, I'm confirming that by reviewing the available propaganda now,' Lewis replied.
'The good news is the Carthans have several open ground areas that are marked for safe landing. This one looks pretty clear,' Jake brought up a broad section of land in the middle of one of the Tamber moon's southern continents. 'No conflict markers for several thousand kilometres either.'
'I can verify that. The Carthans are assuring people that the Tamber moon is open for business, most vessels without a permit are being directed to the Dower Wastes so they can land while they get proper clearance to set down in a recognized port. Clearance for orbit isn’t available for any part of the solar system.”
'Wonderful. Well, the Carthans are coming in at the right price and we need a place to set down and get organized anyway. Contact Tamber Control and set us up for a landing. Remember, if anyone asks, Ayan's the Captain,' Jake smiled.
'I have to ask, Jacob; why don't you assign me to Captain the Clever Dream myself?' Asked Lewis.
'Because someone would probably slag you if they discovered an AI in complete control of a ship. Oh, that reminds me; try not to behave like an artificial intelligence. The last thing we need is someone tracking you and this ship back to Pandem.'
'So you’re telling me to pretend I’m a human.'
'That’s right.”
“Okay, should be easy. I’ll speak more slowly and unnecessarily add details about my personal life to the conversation while complaining about something I cannot change, like the weather, or my height.”
“That ought to do it,” Lieutenant Garrison laughed. “I’ll listen in.”
When Jake came down the ladder leading to the lower airlock Minh was making sure the hatch leading to his Ramiel fighter was secure. He could see he was still shaking even in the dim light of the small compartment. 'You all right?' he asked quietly.
Sitting down on a short bench beside a tool locker, Minh retracted his headpiece. The thin impact absorption plates folded into each other and fit into his collar. He exhaled and lowered his face into his hands. At the sound of the clamps releasing his Ramiel fighter he twitched, but didn't look up. 'I should have known I wasn’t ready. Sorry Jake.'
'Ayan told me you had to take some time after you came back.'
'More like, spend several weeks in containment while therapists rushed me through reintegration therapy.'
Jake sat down on the opposite bench from Minh, who had taken his head out of his hands. He looked tired, older somehow. 'Why'd they rush?' He asked quietly.
'I didn't want to be there. I had friends, my sisters, and nieces and nephews I'd never met and I couldn't wait to see them. After a couple weeks they cut me loose. They checked in a few times a day from there. Everything was a little too loud, I felt a little unsteady but it was better than being paced by a panel of doctors. I was just happy to be in touch, even if it was so scary sometimes, you know?'
Jake couldn't help but think of his time on the Samson, before he had memories to draw on. He didn't trust anyone. It took him a long time to find people he could leave in charge of the ship, even for an afternoon, without locking the Samson down completely. That was a kind of isolation he became accustomed to, and he was just starting to emerge from his shell. He couldn't imagine what Minh's forced isolation was like, what lasting effects it could have. Sure, they had both attended the mandatory seminars regarding long term isolation in Freeground Fleet Academy, but few people had ever spent so long alone in space with so much uncertainty and so little reassurance. There was no way for Minh to know if anyone was looking for him, or if his body would be found centuries later, aimlessly adrift. Only weeks after he was rescued by a Lorander exploration vessel, he returned to flying a starfighter. 'What triggered this? Do you know?'
'It started when I woke up in hyperspace. If I were in a Uriel fighter I would have seen the cockpit around me, been able to stretch, but that Ramiel just wraps around you like a suit. Great for control but, man, I felt like I was trapped. Well, not trapped, but like I was naked. Both maybe, I don't know,' Minh said helplessly. 'My rep with the squad is shot now though.'
'No one knows what happened, other than a stats increase. The only people who got on comms with you were Ayan and I. We can fake a stim overdose in the records and that'll explain the whole thing.'
'That'll do it,' Minh chuckled. 'Were my stats that high? High enough to look like a stim OD?'
'They were through the roof. I've seen interrogation stats that never made it that high.'
'Interrogation stats? It sounds like there's a story behind that, you'll have to share some of your shadier adventures some time.'
'They're not as exciting as they sound.'
Minh held his hands out in front of him, testing his steadiness. His shaking had almost completely gone. 'After spending a few years adrift you'd be surprised at what I find exciting. Dinner. Dinner is exciting, and new combat boots, that's pretty interesting too. Oh, and materializers with patterns from the Sol System. If I weren't on energy rations like the rest of the crew my quarters would look like a Sol System Emporium.'
Jake laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I could see that.'
'Speaking of exciting, it looks like I'm good to go again. When we land I'm getting into my old Uriel with Slick and we're going to go see what's up with the Triton first hand.'
'Are you sure you're good for it?'
Minh gave him a withering look. 'A Ramiel is one thing, it feels like an oversized vacsuit with fusion fuelled thruster underwear. The Uriel feels like a rig, and I won't be alone. Slick's good people, laughs at half my jokes, oh, and he's a good pilot and SIO.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I'll be fine, Dad.'
'Okay, okay. I was hoping we could send someone, even though everyone who knows anything about Freeground protocol is aware that sending a scout into that kind of situation is strictly prohibited.'
'This isn't Freeground.'
'I was hoping you'd say that. No risks though. If we're going to get the Triton back we're going to need up to date information.'
'Aye, Captain. Just make sure that the whole fighter wing is ready to go the moment I get back.'
'It'll be ready, but I don’t think it’ll be going anywhere for a while. We’re going to be concentrating on setting ourselves up somewhere while we figure out the next step. Even if we get the Triton back some of the crew will have to live somewhere else while we conduct repairs.'
“Gotcha. You set up a homestead, while I’m playing recon.”
“Get some sleep while you're in transit, relax a bit.”
'I don't think I'll have a problem dozing. Those Uriel seats are so comfortable I'll be stealing one for my quarters when we've got our ship back.'
'If we manage to get the Triton back I'll have the crew manufacture one for you.'
'Do you think Oz's plan is going to work?'
Jake leaned back against the lightly padded bulkhead and thought for a moment before offering his opinion. 'If it were just a hundred boarders who came in shuttles I'd have no doubt. I saw the final tactical data though; there were three operable destroyers, one of them had some kind of command segment. Sure the whole security team, our incursion teams and a lot of volunteers stayed behind to help, but who knows how many people the boarders have. Could be thousands.'
'I’m going to assume Oz has the high ground here. He’s got to have about a thousand people left aboard.'
