“See? It’s all in the way you ask, isn’t it hon?”
“Oh God, I hope Jason’s plan kicks in soon,” Larry groaned.
Chapter 31
“You've done some good work here, Major,” Congratulated Commander DeHansen as he arrived at the bottom of the bridge ramp way. “We're still fighting in a few compartments but we have control of most of the ship.” He was broad in the middle, and had a toothy grin. This was a potential political victory for him with Command, being the last remaining boarding Captain.
“We lost a lot of good people. Has Command gotten control of the lower decks on the main carrier?”
Commander DeHansen's smile soured at the mention of the counter incursion. “They took four lower decks and stopped. We don't know what they're up to but it won't matter for long. Reinforcements are en-route.”
“Good. The sooner they clear that up, the sooner we'll have a sonic sensor package on deck. If Command equipped us all with them, we would have never been blind sided by these cloak suits.”
“I doubt that would have made all the difference considering how expensive these scanners are.”
“I could tell you the names of the people I lost today because we were sent in without a full kit.”
DeHansen straightened his uniform and cleared his throat. Cumberland was imposing, and all of his men were staring. “I'll pass the recommendation up in my report. In the meantime, assemble four teams to sweep the command deck of the Triton and seal it off. I don't want to lose ground while our techs begin rebuilding these terminals and linking into the ship controls.”
“I have an issue with that order, sir.” Private Baram said as she aimed her sidearm levelly at Cumberland's head.
A thought occurred to him then, he'd never seen her without her helmet. “I should have verified idents,” Major Cumberland grumbled.
“Major! What's going on?” DeHansen demanded.
“I think one of theirs mixed in with my team when we regrouped on the upper deck. You're surrounded, you know. No where to run.”
“If your people don't lower their arms and surrender immediately, a comrade of mine will fire all of this ship's torpedo ports. The vessels on our port and starboard side will be destroyed.”
“Along with a good part of this vessel,” Major Cumberland tested. Everyone could hear him, all the boarding teams, Command, and anyone else wearing a communicator. The Command channel was abuzz already, there was no point in silencing the infiltrator, the damage was done. With decks on one of their own ships out of their control, parts of the Triton still sealed off and a potentially devastating threat, morale would sink like a stone.
“I do not have the switch. Kill me, and you accomplish nothing. Disarm yourselves and surrender.”
“I don't think so, lady. There's no power in your torpedo rooms, we verified,” Commander DeHansen objected. “You put that down and come quietly. You might end up in a cell instead of an early grave.”
“Commander McPatrick, are you still there?” asked the stranger.
“This is Command. Commander DeHansen; please be aware that most of the torpedo rooms on that ship are powering up. You are not authorized to surrender. Negotiate with the representative,” Major Cumberland overheard through his communicator.
“I'm plenty alive, good to hear your voice Agameg,” replied the tall, fair haired man from the hallway behind them.
“Some kind of automatic stasis, right?” asked Cumberland, shaking his head. “Should have finished you off properly.”
“Put 'em down everyone. We're taking our ship however we can and you have a lot more to lose,” Oz said as he slowly entered the room with his hands up. There was a glint in his eye Cumberland didn’t like one bit.
Major Cumberland nodded; “Listen to him. We're finished here,” he ordered the soldiers on the bridge.
“Belay that! We have the high ground aboard this ship and it came at great expense!” Commander DeHansen countered. “Commander McPatrick, I can promise a fair trial for you and all your people if you surrender immediately. Haven't enough people died here?”
“Trust me, we don't want to launch all our torpedoes at close range, but if you and your people don't leave us be, I won't have much of a choice. Our people are out of the areas that will be damage anyway, why do you think you’ve been able to take the port and starboard sides with less opposition? Oh, and you can call me Oz.”
“It's time to let this one go, DeHansen.” Major Cumberland agreed. “A few thousand people on those destroyers will thank us when they find out what they were about to do here.” He unclipped his rifle and slowly placed it on the deck at his feet.
A number of the other soldiers started following his example.
“I haven't been ordered to authorize a surrender, Major,” Commander DeHansen turned to the soldier next to him and ordered; “If he puts his sidearm down, shoot him.”
“Command hasn't seen everything I have. The people on this ship will do anything to keep it from being captured, fight down to the last man. We haven't even seen what's at the core of the structure,” Cumberland said calmly as he drew his sidearm.
More than half of the soldiers were following his example. Commander DeHansen's men were watching along with him, some of them looked unsure, a few were about to follow the majority, Cumberland could see it.
DeHansen drew his sidearm and fired in one smooth motion, catching Major Cumberland several times in the chest.
The armour had been weakened by previous damage and let most of the damage though. Cumberland's chest felt as though it was in a vise, his world was one of incredible pain. His legs buckled, his back struck the floor, then his head. Spots of light drifted across his vision, and the sounds of a fire fight breaking out surrounded him. He let his head roll to the side and caught sight of Spence firing at DeHansen and the few men who stood with him, his teeth gnashed, eyes fierce.
He wanted to tell him to lay down arms, let it run its course without him, not to ruin his career. At least Spence could say he was just following a dead Major's orders.
Then the sounds of weapons fire was gone, and Spence rushed to him. “Don't try to move Sarge, it's all right. I hear these folks have some pretty good med tech.”
Every attempt at a shallow breath brought intense pain and forced his body to spasm. “Done it now. Command will have your head,” he managed between gasps.
“This? Command will wash this out, try to forget it ever happened.”
“You too,” Cumberland struggled. “You're a witness, Private.”
Then Oz was there, injecting something into his neck. The pain seemed so less important suddenly, like it was a physical footnote. “You'll be fine. Might spend some time in a stasis tube regenerating, but we'll get you fixed up.”
“Maybe start a new career. Think there's room for a new Major aboard, Commander?” Asked Cumberland. His senses were beginning to spin, and everything was fading away. He was going into emergency stasis.
“I'd be honoured.”
“Money,” he mouthed as he let his eyes close. “That's what I-” A rush of heat and light interrupted him.
Oz snatched the dead Major's sidearm up off the deck and fired it several times at the dying Commander. Everyone was watching the Major, no one was looking out for Commander DeHansen. Oz made sure he was dead before looking back at the man at his feet, the only enemy he’d tried to save. Cumberland he'd heard him called several times as Agameg and Jason tracked him through the ship. He seemed like the kind of man he could have fought along side if things were different.
“Jason, the bridge is under control. What’s Command doing?” Oz asked, standing slowly.
“They’re ordering the port and starboard destroyers to detach. Looks like they’re about to do something from a distance, even with their command ship hard docked.”
“He’s right. They are not interested in agreeing to your terms, Oz,” Agameg verified mournfully.
