She backed away as the platform finished its descent. “So, Denny, where have you been so far? What do you do for GR?” She tried to keep her voice calm, curious.
He stood up, turning around, but still not looking directly at her. “Oh… I can’t…well…” The stuttering was back in full force. “I just… just move stuff.”
“Yeah, I guess someone has to.” She forced a smile. “You’re close to the door. Why don’t you take a crate with you and sit down for a breather.”
“Thank you!” He let out an exhausted sigh and grabbed the top crate, huffing as he headed for the door.
He didn’t come back immediately, which is what Jayda wanted. “Nick…” He didn’t answer right away. “Nick, you there!” She hissed, trying to keep her voice down.
“I am!” He hissed back. “What do you want? I’m waiting to hear from our two guys. They haven’t reported in yet.”
“They’re fakes! Sound the alarm.”
She glanced over her shoulder, making sure the boy didn’t hear her.
“How do you know?”
“This boy isn’t any more than eighteen, his uniform doesn’t fit and he has no specific job.”
“How can you tell? He can’t get two words out of his mouth.”
“Alliance would have cured him of that before sending him out on a ship, any ship. GR require at least two science specialties, and he’s got blood on his pants legs.” Jayda did her best to whisper, fighting the panic bubbling in her chest. “They’re not GR! Do something!”
A double-chirp in her ear was his response, a warning tone sent to all the crew, repeated every five seconds. “That’s it?”
“Until we see a deliberate action.”
“I’m telling you…” Denny appeared in the doorway, interrupting the rant she was about to go into. “…I want reports. Do it!”
Denny came into the bay, grabbing another box, quietly moving it out.
“It’s not proof!”
“It is!” She kept her eyes on Denny, her word limited. “I know what I’m talking about. You do it or I will!”
“Hang on!” He shouted at her in her ear, but didn’t cut the link. “Get your suits on and out of there, fast!”
The alarm shifted to a rapid chirp in her ear. “What’s going on?”
“They weren’t taken to medical. They’re in ejection chutes.”
“Told you! We have to stabilize the situation!” She eased past Denny to the doorway. “Do you want me up there?” He continued with the crates, not seeming the least bit alarmed by her change of demeanor. “Is it escalating?”
“Scanners indicate the eight men who just entered the ship are armed. Breeze get yourself clear. Lock the med lab down! Taylor, do you hear me.”
Nick repeated her name, not getting an answer.
Jayda stood at the door to the storage room, Denny was inside. He had a crate, waiting for her to move out of the way. She spun around on him, pulling one of her hand lasers out. “Don’t move, kid.” The boy’s face turned pale. “Who are you?”
“G… GR! Distress signal… please… don’t shoot!” Besides stuttering, he started to tremble.
“Don’t lie to me! You’re no more GR than I’m President of the Alliance.” She pointed the pistol at his head. “Is that their blood on your legs?”
He looked down, turning his leg until he saw the evidence. Jayda didn’t know anyone could look any whiter, except Snead. “I didn’t…couldn’t…” The boy’s eyes started to get blurry. “I don’t want… please don’t hurt me. I never killed… they did…”
He really couldn’t talk now. Total terror filled his eyes. “Answer me, head nods. The real GR crew are dead?” Head nod. “You didn’t kill them?” His head shook, emphatically, the tears more evident. “They did.” Nods. “They’re pirates.”
Denny dropped his head to his chest. “I don’t want… to be. They said… if I don’t…” Stutters were turning to sobs.
No pirate would cry. “How old are you, really?”
“Fourteen, fifteen… I think.” He gasped out the answer. “Help me?”
Pirates recruited from their own, or from the kids they grabbed on colony raids. She lowered her weapon, but didn’t take it off him. “Put down the crate. Don’t signal anyone. Remove your comm and slide it over to me.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Half-tossing, he slid the comm to her, hard enough it ended up in the corridor behind her. “You believe… believe me?”
“I want to.” Jayda took a deep breath. “I’m locking you in here. You better hope I live long enough to let you out again.”
He nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks as she closed the door and set the security codes.
Picking up his comm, she saw it was the basic model. They could communicate with each other, identify themselves, but nothing else. She opened one of the crates and dropped it inside.
“Jayda, what are you doing? Get into lockdown!” Nick hissed in her ear.
“This is my station and I’m not going to let them hunt me down.” She headed back towards the med lab. “Focus on Adams and his guy. If they get ejected have bots ready to catch them. Status on boarding party?”
“Reaching medical in ten seconds. Breeze, get to Jayda. Taylor and patients are ready. They’ve taken down their target.”
Jayda heard boots, ducking behind the next bulkhead.
“Breeze, you have two men on your heels, get to cover!” Nick wasn’t whispering anymore, but shouting orders.
Just as Breeze reached the bulkhead, Jayda reached out and grabbed her arm, jerking her to cover, then dropped to one knee. Breeze took position over her, laser charging.
Jayda listened to the softer steps coming up on them. Holding up her fingers, providing a countdown. Breeze followed through with the final mark, spinning around the corner and opening fire on the men sent to take her down.
Jayda hit the man to her left. Full-on shot, right below the windpipe. He slid down the wall. The second man scrambled for cover, firing haphazardly as he tried to backpedal in the lighter gravity.
Breeze took a measured aim and
