Read Refusing Excalibur Online
Authors: Zachary Jones
Refusing Excalibur (46 page)
Cold, nauseating shock ran through Victor’s body. He stood, took a step back. Savannah, burning, flashed before him.
Quill gave him a concerned look. “Are you all right, Captain?”
Victor shook his head and then locked eyes with the high councilor. “You’re going to destroy Lysander?”
“No, I am not destroying Lysander,” Quill said. “The Alliance delegates voted unanimously.”
“All of them?” Victor asked.
“That’s generally what
unanimously
means. Hard to believe, I know—the Free Worlds agreeing to anything.” Quill chuckled. “I suppose you can thank the Lysandrans for that.”
unanimously
means. Hard to believe, I know—the Free Worlds agreeing to anything.” Quill chuckled. “I suppose you can thank the Lysandrans for that.”
“They’re afraid their worlds would be next,” Victor said.
“Yes,” Quill said, “and rightly so, I think.” He squinted at Victor. “You don’t approve?”
“Watching one world die was more than enough for me,” Victor said.
Understanding dawned on Quill’s face. “Ah, yes. It didn’t occur to me that talk of destroying Lysander would conjure bad memories for you. I apologize.”
“So what will you do with the princess, if you’re not using her to broker a peace?” Victor asked.
“She’ll watch,” Quill said.
“Watch?”
“Yes, it seems appropriate, don’t you think? That the last member of the Lacano dynasty would be forced to watch as her world burns.”
Cold horror crept up Victor’s spine. It was happening again, and he had helped make it so. “Appropriate? No, I can’t say it seems appropriate. Cruel, more like.”
Quill tilted his head, giving Victor a curious look. “Odd. It almost seems you feel sorry for her.”
“I’ve been in her position,” Victor said.
“I see,” Quill said. “Well, clearly seeing Lysander burn would only cause you to remember Savannah’s fate. And causing you pain is the last thing I want to do to you after all the fine service you have given Mustang. I’ll not force you to stay.”
Victor nodded but not from gratitude. “Thank you, High Councilor.”
“By the way, that freighter you captured,” the high councilor said, “would you like me to buy it off your hands?”
“The ship’s not for sale,” said Victor. “I’m returning her to her crew.”
“I thought that was the vessel you captured the princess from,” Quill said.
“It is,” Victor said, “but her crew wasn’t aware that they were carrying Princess Lysandra.”
“I see. That is quite magnanimous of you,” Quill said. “Feel free to use the
Gryphon
’s ship servicing facilities to expedite the vessel’s repairs.”
Gryphon
’s ship servicing facilities to expedite the vessel’s repairs.”
“I will,” Victor said. “If you’ll excuse me, High Councilor, I need to attend to my ship.”
“Of course, but don’t be in too much of a rush,” Quill said. “The
Gryphon
's recreational facilities are open to your crew. I think they deserve to have some relaxation before they set out again.”
Gryphon
's recreational facilities are open to your crew. I think they deserve to have some relaxation before they set out again.”
“I’ll consider it. Thank you, sir,” Victor said. He turned and left the office.
The marines who escorted him to the office awaited outside. They fell in beside him while he walked back to the ship.
Along the way Victor observed the crew of the
Gryphon
, noting the grins and purposeful movements as they went about their duties. They knew they were on their way to murder two billion people, and they were happy about it.
Gryphon
, noting the grins and purposeful movements as they went about their duties. They knew they were on their way to murder two billion people, and they were happy about it.
Victor’s prosthetic hand creaked as he balled it into a fist. The Lysandrans had destroyed Savannah after twelve years of brutal warfare. These Free Worlders were going to do the same in the wake of a crushing victory, simply because they were scared.
He wondered if some of the worlds that the old man had showed him had ended up being destroyed this way. He suspected so.
When he reached the hangar bay where the
Alexander
and
Daisy Mae
were docked, the marines said their good-byes and left him to go the rest of the way alone.
Alexander
and
Daisy Mae
were docked, the marines said their good-byes and left him to go the rest of the way alone.
Victor entered the airlock and boarded the
Alexander
. Cormac waited just inside.
Alexander
. Cormac waited just inside.
“Captain, I—” Cormac stopped when he looked Victor in the eyes. “Is something wrong?”
“There is,” Victor said. “Get Fara and meet me in my cabin. We need to speak privately.”
***
“What’s this about, Captain?” Fara asked when she walked in.
“Close the hatch,” Victor said.
She did, then crossed her arms. “Okay, care to explain why you have me and Cormac in here?”
“I know why the Alliance fleet is out here,” Victor said.
“I thought that was obvious,” she said. “They’re counterattacking the Lysandran Empire.”
“It’s more than that,” Victor said. “They plan to destroy the planet Lysander itself.”
Fara’s hands fell to her sides. “What?”
“Why would the Alliance take such an extreme action?” Cormac asked.
“High Councilor Quill convinced them. Apparently it was an easy sell,” Victor said. “They’re afraid, if they don’t destroy Lysander, then the Lysandrans will do to their worlds what they did to mine.”
“Victor, the fact you took the trouble to tell me and Cormac this out of sight of the crew suggests you’re planning on doing something drastic,” Fara said.
“I plan on doing something very stupid and likely fatal,” Victor said. “I want to give you two a chance to opt out.”
“You’ll try to stop this fleet, won’t you?” Fara said.
He shook his head. “Can’t be done. But we might slow them down and give the Lysandrans early warning.”
“You’ll help the Lysandrans?” Fara said.
“I know. I don’t really believe it either. But…I can’t let another world suffer the same fate as Savannah,” Victor said. “Even if that world is Lysander.”
“I will assist you any way I can, Captain,” Cormac said.
Victor nodded to the starchild, “Thank you, Cormac.” He turned to Fara. “I completely understand if you don’t want to get involved in this, Fara.”
Fara glared at him. “Fuck you, Victor, if you think I’ll skip out on you like that. You think I would’ve stayed on with you for as long as I have if I was afraid of getting killed during one of your crazy acts of heroism?”
“I’m sorry,” Victor said. “I just wanted to let you both know what your options were.”
“Does Gaz know yet?” Fara asked.
“No, I figured it would be a bad idea to discuss high treason inside the
Gryphon
’s med bay,” Victor said.
Gryphon
’s med bay,” Victor said.
“Okay, well, I’m pretty sure he’d be willing to help,” Fara said. “This is exactly the kind of thing he would find amusing.”
“I suppose then it’s just a matter of—” Victor was interrupted by a loud knock at the hatch.
Worried glances were exchanged while Victor got up and walked past Fara. He drew his pistol and opened the hatch. Gaz’s tattooed face was on the other side. “Gaz!”
“Captain!” Gaz said, leaning in to look at Cormac and Fara. “What’re all you doing in here?”
Victor grabbed Gaz by the shoulder and pulled him inside, closing the hatch. “How did you get out of the med bay?”
Gaz shrugged. “They let me out. Almost all healed. And, besides, I overheard some of their crew talking. The ’lliance seems intent on destroying Lysander. I thought I’d let you guys know.”
Victor nodded. “We were just discussing that.”
“You all already know?”
“The captain just told us,” Cormac said.
“And now the captain is floating the idea of committing high treason in order to stop them,” Fara said.
Gaz glanced left and right, then smiled, baring his spiked teeth. “Well, shit, sign me up!”
Victor chuckled. “Good to have you back, Gaz. Now we just need to do two more things.”
“Which is?” Gaz asked.
“First, we need to get the crew off the ship. They’re all Mustangers, so we can’t rely on them to turn against their people,” Victor said. “Second, we need to enlist the help of Lena and her crew.”
“That’ll be easier said than done, considering you took her prisoner,” Fara said.
“I think she’ll be more than willing to help once I tell her how I plan on breaking out the princess,” Victor said.
Chapter 29
Getting the crew off the ship was easy; they had been cooped up in the
Alexander
for weeks, chasing one battle after another. The twenty Free Worlders were more than eager to take advantage of the luxuries the
Gryphon
had to offer.
Alexander
for weeks, chasing one battle after another. The twenty Free Worlders were more than eager to take advantage of the luxuries the
Gryphon
had to offer.
The next step was talking to Lena. Victor opened the hatch to the cargo hold. The thirteen merchant crewmen inside turned to face him, and the sullen redhead approached.
“So what the fuck do you want?” Lena asked.
“I need your help,” Victor said.
“No,” Lena said immediately.
“You haven’t heard what I need your help with,” Victor said.
“I don’t care! You steal my ship from me like a common pirate and kidnap Lys…my passenger!” Lena leveled an angry finger at him. “I’ll help you with nothing.”
“Does that include rescuing the princess?” Victor asked.
Her jaw fell open. “Rescue? You
just
turned her over! Why the hell would you want to rescue her for?”
just
turned her over! Why the hell would you want to rescue her for?”
“Because Holace Quill intends to destroy her homeworld,” Victor said. “And he’s going to make her watch.”
Lena’s gray eyes went wide. “What? Why? Are the rest of the Free Worlds going along with this?”
“The Free Worlds are afraid Lysander will do to them what they did to my homeworld,” Victor said, “unless Lysander is destroyed first. Holace Quill himself is doing it for personal reasons.”
“Personal reasons?” Lena asked.
“Revenge, for the death of his son,” Victor said. “He died when we ran into the Lysandran invasion fleet.”
“But Lysandra wasn’t responsible for any of that!” Lena said.
“As if that matters,” Victor said. “She’s the daughter of the man who he blames for his son’s death. Though the only person he should blame is himself.”
“Why is that?”
“Because High Councilor Quill knew the Lysandrans were coming,” Victor said. “Uther Solari told him, as part of his own plot to eliminate the emperor and all his loyalists.”
“Jesus, no wonder the Alliance defeated the Lysandrans so easily,” Lena said.
“Yeah, High Councilor Quill knew their whole plan of attack,” Victor said. “But he still sent his son and me to scout for them, just to make it appear that the Alliance had detected the invasion on their own. And probably to give his son the credit for the discovery.”
“But instead his son was killed,” Lena said.
“Yeah, the emperor moved faster than expected,” Victor said. “We ran right into their fleet, and Harlan, the high councilor’s son, died trying to slow them down.”
“I see,” Lena said. “So how do you plan on stopping this fleet?”
“We can’t, but we might delay it,” Victor said. “Part of that involves getting Lysandra off the ship. Without her, Holace Quill’s revenge will be incomplete.”
“You think that will keep him from attacking Lysander?” Lena asked.
“Of course not, but I think it can delay the Alliance long enough to get a warning to the Lysandrans,” Victor said.
“So what do you need me and my crew to do?” Lena asked.
“Get to your ship,” Victor said. “She’s in the next hangar over. The
Gryphon
’s crew should be finished repairing her by now.”
Gryphon
’s crew should be finished repairing her by now.”
“I want to help break out Lysandra,” Lena said.
“You are, by getting your ship ready to launch. I’ll bring the princess to you,” Victor said.
“You’re giving her to me?” Lena asked.
“Yes, your job will be to take the princess away from the Alliance fleet,” Victor said. He nodded toward the hatch leading to the airlock. “Now go. I’ve already told the
Gryphon
’s crew to let you board your ship. I trust you and your crew can keep quiet about this?”
Gryphon
’s crew to let you board your ship. I trust you and your crew can keep quiet about this?”
Lena nodded. “Yeah, we can.”
“Good,” Victor said.
“Will there be some kind of signal to let me know when you’re getting started?” Lena asked.
“It’ll be hard to miss once we do. Just make sure the
Daisy Mae
is ready to go when I bring the princess to you.”
Daisy Mae
is ready to go when I bring the princess to you.”
“You got it, Victor,” Lena said. She turned to her crew. “All right, folks. Vacation’s over. Say good-bye to our host and get back to the
Mae
.”
Mae
.”
Lena and her crew departed the airlock, leaving Victor alone in the cargo hold. He let out a long breath. Time to get on with the dangerous part.
Victor returned to the bridge, noting how empty the ship felt with most of her small crew gone. On the bridge, Fara, Cormac, and Gaz waited for him.
“Lena and her crew headed to the
Mae
. How’s the rest of the plan coming along?” Victor asked.
Mae
. How’s the rest of the plan coming along?” Victor asked.
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