Atlantis Rising (31 page)

“Interesting,” Jon said.

“Oh, there’s a lot more rules
that was just a brief outline of how their ranking system works,” Illus said.

“It’s enough,” Jon said.

“Sir, new contact dropping out of
hyperspace,” Tactical said.

“Condition Red,” Vaes said.
“Where is it going to land?”

“Four hundred meters off our port
bow,” Tactical said. “Hold on, receiving IFF transponder.” The Buranis at the
Tactical station colored slightly, “Sorry, Sir, false alarm she is registered
as a mining vessel in bound from the Coria One mining outpost.”

“Secure from Condition Red,” Vaes
said. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I would rather be safe, than sorry.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Tactical said.

“So where does Deatra rank
according to this Royal Admiral?” Jon said.

“I believe the Princess is of First
Tier, heir to the throne. If that is correct then she outranks this Admiral.
That is… unless,” Illus said.

“Unless what?” Jon said.

“Several possibilities present
themselves,” Vaes said. “If he is speaking with the King and Queen’s voice,
then he out ranks all but those for whom he is speaking. If he can prove her
compromised, then he would out rank her, and be able to command her in her
father and mother’s name.”

“I can see this could be a tricky
situation,” Jon said.

Both Illus and Vaes nodded as Com
interrupted.

“Sir, the station is hailing us
priority one,” Com said. “They’re asking for Captain Hunter.”

“Put them through,” Vaes said.

Ghost appeared on the screen,
“Captain Hunter you’re needed on the station now. I’m clearing both the
Titan
and
Scythe
for immediate docking. Directions are being sent
now.”

“Ghost,” Jon said. With the Royal
Admiral on the station, all sorts of things ran through his head. “What’s
wrong?”

“Sir,” Ghost said. “Commander
Hawkins has been shot by Royal Admiral Vors. The nanites are repairing the
damage but it’s going to be close.”

“WHAT!” Jon yelled. “Helm, take
us to the station fastest speed. When we get in range Teleport me to Command on
the station. Ghost, have marines standing by. Who is currently in command of
the station?”

“Captain Gilas is, Sir,” Ghost
said.

“Did he have anything to do with
this?” Jon said.

“No, Sir. I don’t believe he did.
He has detained Vors and is awaiting your arrival,” Ghost said.

“Good,” Jon said. “Have him meet
me in Command.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ghost said.

“Captain Hunter,” Engineering
said. “We need the station’s shield frequency if we’re going to transport you
directly there.”

“Ghost, give them what they
need,” Jon said.

“Transmitting information now,”
Ghost said.

“I’ll speak to you in a minute
when I’m on the station,” Jon said “Hunter out.” The screen switched back to
the view of the station. “How long?”

“Thirty seconds Sir,” Engineering
said.

Jon nodded, “Vaes, dock the ship,
and secure her until you hear from me. If you don’t hear from me, assume the
worst and do whatever you need to do to survive.”

“We’ll come for you,” Vaes said.
“We have orders to protect you. I don’t like this, but you’re in command.”

“Ghost would have let me know if
this wasn’t safe,” Jon said.

“I hope so,” Illus said.

Jon frowned, “What do you mean by
that?”

“Just it is a Eutharan station
and the AI has certain routines that allow them to be over ridden,” Illus said.
“If this Royal Admiral has those…”

“Sir, we’re in range,”
Engineering said.

“Let’s hope not,” Jon said.
“Energize!”

“Excuse me, Sir,” Engineering
said.

Puzzled expressions filled the
bridge as they looked at Jon. Jon laughed, “Come on you don’t say that when
you’re ready to transport over?”

“Uh,” Vaes said. “No, we just say
‘Transporter Engage’.”

“Oh, I see you all need many
teachings,” Jon said. Then he got serious look on his face as he said,
“Transporter Engage.”

Jon appeared in the station’s
Command Center. Six marines and Ghost stood waiting for him.

“Report,” Jon said.

One of the marines started
helping Jon get into the battle armor they brought along for him.

“It’s not good, Sir,” Ghost said.
“Vors has escaped and is somewhere on level fourteen.”

“Seal off the level,” Jon said.
He cinched the chest straps tight and started placing the rest of the armor on.
“No one in or out until I arrive.”

“Sir?” Traffic Control said.

Jon turned as he spoke, “Yes?”

“The
Scythe
and
Titan
have docked,” Traffic Control said. “The
Arc Light
is attempting to
break free of her moorings.”

“Ghost, shut her down. No one’s
leaving this party until it’s over,” Jon said. He tossed the helmet back at the
marine who handed it to him, “No thanks.”

“But, Sir,” the marine said.

“When they come up with a better
model that I can see out of and not feel like my head is in a fish bowl I’ll
wear one. Until then, no thanks,” Jon said.

“Yes, Sir,” the marine said. A
few of them chuckled.

“The Princess and her guard have
disembarked from the
Titan
, Marc is leading them,” Ghost said.

“Damn it,” Jon said. “I didn’t
want this getting more complicated.” Jon was making his way to one of the
transport tubes as he spoke.

“It just has,” Ghost said.

Jon stopped just before he
stepped in and looked at Ghost, “What do you mean?”

“Vors has Terri and Gilas has him
pinned down,” Ghost said. “Vors is threatening to kill her if he’s not allowed
back on his ship and allowed to leave. He says he will release her once they’re
clear of the station.”

Jon’s face started to twitch as
controlled anger welled up. He reached up and thumbed the com unit built into
the armor.

“Captain Gilas?” Jon said.

“Jon?” Gilas’ voice sounded
relieved.

Jon stepped into the transport
tube as he spoke, “I’m on my way to your position. You tell that asshole if he
harms one hair on my sister’s head, there will be hell to pay.”

“He heard you,” Gilas said. “I
don’t think he believes you though.”

“He had better,” Jon said.
“Hunter, out.”

Jon slowed his descent and
stepped out of the tube and onto level fourteen. He stepped up to the door and
waved his hand over a panel. It brought up a small holographic display and Jon
typed his ID into it. The door cycled open and granted him access. They were
close to the standoff with Vors and Jon started down the corridor in a run, the
marines keeping pace behind him.

A couple of minutes later Jon
rounded a bend in the corridor and almost ran smack into Gilas. Bill was
standing there in full battle armor pointing a rifle at Vors and his men. Some
of the station’s marines had taken up similar positions.

Terri was kneeling on the ground
in front of Vors in pain. Vors had a hand full of her hair and had her head
pulled back. He was aiming a gun at her as he glared at Gilas.

“I said, let us back on our ship
and this will be all over,” Vors said.

Jon looked over at Bill and
smiled briefly, “Good to see you’re okay.”

Bill smiled, “Still healing, but
for the most part I’m alright. Almost died a few times but these nanites kick
some ass.”

Jon nodded as he peeked around
the curve again.

“I’m sorry, Jon,” Bill said.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Jon
said. “We were lax in security. From this point on, that changes.”

“Yeah, well no one is as sorry as
I am,” Gilas said. “I trusted him, and that’s the only reason he got near
Bill.”

“Mistakes happen,” Jon said.
“Bill is okay, and Terri will be too, if he knows what is good for him.”

Jon stepped around the curve and
out into view as he spoke, “Hey, asshole, that’s my sister, and it would really
make me happy if you let her go.”

“Commander Hunter, I’m guessing,”
Vors said. A grin crossed his face as all of the marines supporting Vors
leveled their weapons.

“That is a bad idea boys,” Jon
said. “I would point those weapons somewhere else.”

The hum of weapons cycling filled
the air around Jon as the station’s marines edged in closer.

“Yeah, well I want safe passage
to my ship,” Vors said.

“You don’t get it,” Jon said.
“You don’t have a ship.”

Vors frowned, “The
Arc Light
is my ship.”

“No,” Jon said. “She is my ship,
until the Eutharan Empire settles the docking fee for her.”

“That’s absurd,” Vors said.

“Our station, our rules,” Jon
said. “However since you’re not going to pay, I see no reason to keep her
plugged in.”

“What do you mean?” Vors said.

“Ghost,” Jon said.

Ghost shimmered into view behind
Jon, “Yes, Sir?”

“Shut down all umbilical lines to
the
Arc Light
and cycle her computers down,” Jon said.

“Yes, Sir,” Ghost said.

“Wait!” Vors yelled. “If you do
that the crew will suffocate. You know a docked ship can’t run its reactor high
enough to generate enough power to run their systems.”

“Yes, I do know that,” Jon said.
“You seem to think you’re in charge here, and you’re not. Lay down your weapons
and surrender.”

“This station is property of the
Eutharan Empire. You have no authority,” Vors sneered.

“Ghost, proceed with the
shutdown,” Jon said.

“If you do, I’ll kill her,” Vors
said. He shoved the gun hard against Terri’s temple making her yell in pain.

“You do that, and you kill a
Princess of the First Tier,” a familiar female voice said.

Jon glanced back as Deatra
stepped into view. Her marines raised their weapons and positioned themselves
so there was no clear shot to the Princess.

“What?” Vors said.

“That woman is Terri Hunter,
correct?” Deatra said.

Everyone was stunned into silence
as Deatra spoke. Some of the marines supporting Vors seemed to hesitate, as if
trying to decide what to do.

“Then she is Princess Terri
Hunter-C’loth, First Tier, and you are breaking some major laws,” Deatra said.
“This man is…” Deatra motioned at Jon. “Prince Jonathan Hunter-C’loth, Heir to
the Throne, my bond-mate.”

Jon did a double take, and
suddenly a few things fell into place. Marc, Gilas, and Terri were all staring
at Jon as though he had just grown another head. Deatra smiled in his direction
as if saying she was sorry.

Vors started laughing as he
leaned down next to Terri.

“You hear that? You have just
been promoted from Bitch to Princess.”

“I’m very serious,” Deatra said.
“Let her go now, and surrender.”

“I can see you are and I have no
doubt to your claim. Even you can’t lie about such things,” Vors said.
“However, I speak with the King and Queen’s voice and I’m ordering you to let
me pass.”

“That won’t happen,” Jon said.
“I’m ordering you to lay down your weapons.”

Several of Vors’ marines laid
their weapons down and backed off.

“Captain Hunter, I’m sorry,
Prince Hunter. You have a lot to learn about our culture,” Vors said. “I speak
with their voice, I out rank you and Princess Deatra. The King and Queen tasked
me with securing this station and I plan to do so. Now that you fall under my
command it should be rather simple.”

“See that’s where you and I
disagree,” Jon said. “This is our station, and we’re not on Euthara. Here, regardless
of rank, I am King. Since you’re on my station I’m ordering you to lay your
weapons down.”

“Seems we’re at an impasse,” Vors
said. “Let me on my ship, and let us leave, and we will settle this through the
King and Queen.”

“What ship? You don’t have a
ship, that’s been stripped from you,” Jon said. “Captain Hawkins now commands
the
Arc Light
.”

“You can’t do that!” Vors said.
“I’m a Royal Admiral, and my ship can’t just be stripped from me.”

“You’re not a Royal anything,”
Jon said. “I’m stripping your rank and status.”

Vors yanked on Terri’s hair and
made her yell in protest as his anger built.

“You’re walking a thin line with
me,” Jon said. “Hurt my sister again, and I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Vors knew Jon had the authority
to remove his ship; although his rank would have to go up in front of the King
and Queen before it was stripped. This was a standoff he couldn’t win, and it
was getting worse by the second. He looked up at Jon, and then at Deatra, his
mind made up. He flipped the safety off on his handgun, and started to squeeze
the trigger as he spoke.