Blue solace complete ser.., p.19
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 19
“Cas and I can…”
“Let’s run then,” Hack said, interrupting Audre. “Charybdis Mercenaries don’t leave friends behind, Audre. Forget it. Dannol will lead the flight. You two have your pilots mirror Dannol’s movements.”
“Got it,” Cas said.
“Very well,” Audre said, a small smile creeping across her face.
“Beck.” Hack called his engineer as Dru and Selene joined him on the bridge, taking their seats.
“Captain?”
“We have four large battle cruisers on our tail. You said you’ve made more of those net things from that mission last year?”
“We have two, but they’re not large. We can probably disable two ships, but the other two… I don’t think so.”
“Okay, let’s do this. Load them up,” Hack said. He looked back to Cas and Audre. “We have two nets that can trap and disable two of the ships. The other two will need to be taken out,” Hack told them, bouncing Sami on his knee.
“Nets? What’s this? Are we fishing?” Cas’s sarcasm was strong today.
“They’re one of Beck’s side projects. We’ve used them before. They’re like little energy nets. You shoot it out, it hits the ship, grows and wraps around it, sending an energy surge through their system. They’re dead in the water. If they have back-up systems, their life support stays on.”
“Damn, man. And you didn’t think to share that?” Cas asked.
“They aren’t easy to make, so it didn’t seem practical to do them large scale. Now, we’re a little busy here, bro,” Hack said. “Whine later. When the first ship approaches, Dannol will drop behind you two and shoot a net. Hopefully, the same tactic works for the second.”
“What happens if it doesn’t hit?” Audre asked.
“It spreads out, like a large sheet. Anything runs into it is affected, including one of us, so be careful.”
“Okay.” She nodded, determined. “The last two ships?”
“Three of us to two of them. We need to disable them instead of destroying them, if possible.”
“Got it.”
The ships lined up, the Blue Solace at the front like an arrow. The pilots went all out, moving as fast as possible. Within the hour, the cruisers reached firing range. They fired, aiming straight for Hack’s ship.
“They’re firing disabling shots, Captain,” Selene said. “They shouldn’t be able to target us with our shield up. This doesn’t make sense.”
Dannol and the other pilots dodged shot after shot until the first cruiser reached range. Like Hack planned, the Blue Solace dipped behind the other two and fired the net. It hit spot on, wrapping around the ship and frying its system.
“Damn, that’s fucking awesome,” Cas said.
“Still need to hit the second ship,” Hack said. Gravy woofed softly in agreement.
The three remaining ships zipped around the stranded one and closed in. They flew side to side, not making easy targets.
“Silly cruisers,” Dannol said. “Auto target is a thing.” He flew out from the other two ships, then sped up to dip between two of the cruisers. He shot the second net, taking another one down.
Cas and Audre’s ships pinned the third ship, firing neutralizing missiles from two sides, disabling it. Unfortunately, the last ship proved more difficult. It managed to get a few shots off, missiles aiming to kill, not disable now. The Yellow Solace was hit, shields down, but not broken. The Green Solace flew in front of Audre’s ship, shields at full power.
Hack prepared to fire at the ship before it hit Cas, but before he could give an order, a small, dark ship appeared next to the last cruiser. It wasn’t a model Hack recognized, and it was tiny, a single passenger ship.
The way it appeared, though, was frightening. It was too sudden. One minute, it wasn’t there, and the next, a shield melted from around it, and it was perfectly visible. It zipped around the last cruiser, firing shot after shot and the ship was disabled, floating dead in space. As suddenly as it appeared, the mystery ship disappeared, shield wrapping around it again.
“Beck’s going to be so pissed,” Finn said. “He wanted to invent invisibility shields.”
“Did you guys see that too?” Audre asked. “A single passenger ship just took out a battle cruiser.”
“Oh yeah,” Hack said, whistling low. “Let’s focus. Now we have four ships to board and subdue. They likely have prisoners, so we need to get them out fast. We’ll divvy them up between us all.”
“Then blow their ships the fuck up,” Cas said.
“Fuck!” Sami clapped his hands and laughed.
“Oops,” Cas said. “To be fair, you’re the only one I know who brings his son to a space battle.”
“Yeah, well, watch your mouth,” Hack said, blushing. “Selene, you gather everyone up. Cas, Audre, we’ll do this one at a time. We need to hurry, but you know they’re full of mercs.”
“Yes,” Audre said. “We don’t want any more casualties if possible.”
Hack carried Sami to their quarters. Leti met him at the door, beautiful face full of worry. Rizzie and Pepper were taking a nap, unaware of what was happening. Maia and Silas were, of course, with Leti, watching the battle out the window.
“Sorry, baby. I didn’t have time to bring him back before we were in the thick of things. You hear Finn’s updates?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m worried about that mystery ship. What if it’s still here or comes back?”
“We’ll leave the ship guarded, but we need to hurry before more Concords come. Finn said none of the ships got a distress call off, but you never know.”
“I understand,” Leti said. “I need to stay with the kids. Lilah’s giving birth. Finally. Bad timing, but it’s happening. Princess is here with me. Maia’s going to direct the refugees you bring back, and Silas will help guard the ship. Be careful and stay focused. Draif and Cordy will both keep me updated.”
Hack kissed his mate deeply, then forced himself to step away. He dropped kisses on each kid’s head and left. Gravy and Pax followed him. He stopped, turned around. “Guys, you can’t come with. Go back and protect the kids.” He tried to push the two back toward the rooms. They didn’t budge. “Damn it.”
Dru ran past, Monty perched on her head. “Come on, Hack,” she said. “We got asses to kick.”
The older refugee children herded the rest of the children on the ship the opposite way, toward Leti. Hack knew his mate would keep them calm and protect them if needed. Gods, he was so lucky to have Leti. He wished he could stay and help him, but he was the fucking captain.
“Damn it,” he repeated and followed Dru, Gravy and Pax alongside him.
Chapter 8
The shuttle flew them to the first disabled ship. The Yellow Solace crew was already there, forcing their way into the docking door.
“Blast it,” Audre ordered, and one of her men blew the door in with a pulse cannon. The Concord mercenaries behind it were blown back, dead in an instant.
Hack and his crew pushed through, stepping through debris. Turning the corner, they were instantly met with more Concords. Audre and her lieutenant led them, shooting their way through the first wave, personal shields holding well.
“Audre, take the right passage,” Hack said. “Cas, take the left. That should head toward the prison cells. We’ll take the bridge.”
“Oh, and Cas?” Audre paused, looking over her shoulder. “I love your hair beads.”
Cas scowled. “Leti gave them to me.”
“Leti is currently wearing a sweater with sheep pirates on it,” Hack said. He patted Cas on the shoulder.
“I mean it,” Audre said, frowning. “They look good.” She sighed when they both looked skeptical. “Men can be so stupid.”
The three groups separated, and Hack led his forward, slowly and quietly clearing out each room as they went. Most of the rooms were empty, but a few had groups of two or three. Walking into one, a man screamed, rushing Hack. Pax leapt forward, digging his teeth into the man’s throat. Draif shot the second one, and the room was clear.
“Why did we even come?” Morgan asked. “I haven’t gotten to shoot anyone.”
“Oh, poor baby,” Cordelia said, pushing into the next room. Empty.
Finally reaching the bridge, they found the reinforced door welded shut, and Hack knew not a one of them brought a pulse cannon. “On it, Captain,” Beck said, pulling out a torch.
“You brought a torch?” Draif’s voice was dry, and he watched Beck in amusement.
“Of course,” Beck said. “Why wouldn’t I?”
In minutes, he had the door open and the battle began. The bridge was flooded with Concords. Apparently, most had decided to hole up here, waiting for power to return.
Selene didn’t hesitate, running into the room, dodging fire. She tossed miniature grenades into groups, blasting mercenaries and equipment both. Morgan and Draif followed her as Dru and Cordelia started working the other side of the room.
Beck dodged shots and settled behind a large chair and pulled out a tiny pyramid-shaped object. He fastened it to his hand and shot it toward a group in the corner. Bright bolts of electricity—it looked like fucking lightning—burst from the object, frying the mercenaries Beck aimed for. Damn, Hack loved his engineer.
Hack called his fire, pushing a large wave of molten heat toward a large group, hidden behind consoles. The metal melted, and the fire hit the mercenaries. Their screams filled the room.
Meanwhile, Pax darted through the room, biting down on legs and jumping toward throats. Cornered by three men, Cordelia planted her foot in one man’s gut and pushed him toward the hunting cat. Pax was on him in an instant and the man was dead. She quickly took out the remaining two with her vibro-sword.
Gravy stayed at Hack’s back, barking loudly in warning when an enemy approached from behind and tearing into their calves when they got too close. Soon enough, some of Audre’s crew joined them, and the bridge was secured. The Concord captain knelt at Hack and Audre’s feet.
“Cas has the prisoners secured,” Finn said. “He loaded them into his ship since it was the closest.”
“Finn, Morgan, take the captain here back to the ship and lock him up. We’ll question him later,” Hack said.
The three crews moved on to the next ship, then the next. The Concords fought hard, but against the three crews, they didn’t stand much chance. The third captain was already dead when they reached him. Poison.
The fourth ship was the hardest. It had the most mercenaries onboard, and they were spread out, ready to ambush the Charybdis mercenaries. The three groups had lightened in numbers too as the wounded returned to their ships. Three of the refugees from Hack’s ship stepped in, replacing Dru, Finn, and Ava, and, finally, the Concord ship’s crew fell. The captain of the last ship was also already dead by poison.
“That’s so weird,” Cordelia said. “The Concords aren’t known for their loyalty. Why would they kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner?”
“Maybe they’re more afraid of their boss than us,” Draif said, flipping the dead captain over. All of the Concords were human, and this one was no exception. “Hmm, look at this tattoo. The other dead captain had it too. Right here on the back of their hands.”
“Did the two we took alive have that? I haven’t seen it on anyone else,” Beck said.
“I didn’t see it on the one I took back to the ship,” Cordelia said.
“Me neither,” Morgan said.
Hack took a picture of the tattoo and sent it to Leti. “Come on, let’s get these ships blasted.” Pax and Gravy followed him and the others back to the shuttle. They arrived back on the Blue Solace to complete chaos. The additional passengers crowded the cargo bay and the hallways, and many of those passengers were in dire need of medical aid. Hack didn’t remember the other rescued groups being quite this bad.
Maia, Silas, and Sebastian sorted people, helping them to the med-bay or sending them toward the commons if their injuries could wait. Hack had to admit that the new permanent additions to his crew sure came in handy at times like these. Hack strode past, trying to stay out of the way.
Nettle ran around the med-bay, Juniper and two of the older children assisting him as best they could. Cordelia and Morgan dived in, organizing the crowds.
“I’m going to the commons,” Beck said. “I’ll get it ready for the newly rescued folks.”
Hack found Dru sitting in a chair next to Lucas’s bed with her leg in a cast seal. “The fucker ripped my favorite pants,” she muttered. She was pale and clearly in pain but managing. Ava was in a similar way with a shot to her arm and a slash on her abdomen. She hurt but was stable.
Finn sat on the edge of Lucas’s bed, bandage over his forehead. The tip of one ear was missing. “How can you not be injured,” he asked Hack. “You always get injured.”
Hack grinned. “Don’t jinx it. Your ear going to be okay?”
“Yeah,” Finn said, wincing. “Nettle’s going to sew the tip back on when he gets time. This is so embarrassing.”
“Come on, remember when Morgan took a shot in the ass? Now that was embarrassing,” Lucas said.
“Lucas,” Morgan said from behind Hack. “No one is supposed to ever mention that again, remember?” He growled at the men as he helped an elderly Wello man sit down.
Finn laughed. “Okay, I feel better now. Damn it, Lilah, what are you doing up?”
Lilah held a newborn in her arms, wrapped in a soft green blanket, one of Leti’s if Hack wasn’t mistaken. She walked slowly around the med-bay, helping people get settled.
“Lilah,” Hack said. “You literally just had a baby. Sit down and let Nettle and his sidekicks deal with this.”
She gave him a frustrated look. “Nettle said the same thing, but I’m fine.”
“Please, Lilah,” Ava said weakly. “Come sit with me, so we don’t worry about you.”
“Very well,” Lilah said, huffing and taking a seat. Ava winked at him. Hack grinned. Gods, he loved his crew.
“Permission to blast some ships, Captain?” Dannol’s voice was cheery and light through the comm.
“Permission granted. Enjoy the view.” Hack wished he was near a window, but he had things to do. “Come on, Dru and Ava,” Hack said. “Let’s get you two to your quarters, so you’re out of the way. Can you help, Lilah?”
“Please,” Ava said. “Then you could stay with me tonight as I heal.”
“Fine,” Lilah said, grumbling. “You probably shouldn’t be left alone.”
Hack left them in their rooms, heading toward the cells. Selene and Draif were already there. Selene was keeping each man separate. Hack nodded to her. “I’ll take one; you and Draif take the other. Ask about who they’re working for and mention that the other two captains killed themselves.” They set recorders to pick up the interrogations and split up.
Hack entered the prisoner’s cell and stood in front of the seated man. Pax sat on one side of Hack and Gravy on the other. The captain from the first ship they’d boarded looked tired and pissed.
“What the fuck do you want?” the man asked. “The Concords will pay my ransom, man. Just tell them it’s Captain Barron.”
“Ransom? Who said we’re going to ransom you?” Hack crossed his arms and let his fire seep through his eyes, knowing they’d glow a hot white. Gravy growled, low and menacing, while Pax stalked closer to the man, licking his lips. Barron shrunk back.
“Why not? That’s normal protocol.”
“You attacked my ship, you piece of shit,” Hack said, growling. His tattoos turned gold, glowing with his fire. “Why wouldn’t I just kill you the fuck now? Give me a reason.”
“It was just a job,” Barron said, stuttering. “The higher ups took a big contract. All of the Concords are after you. We were to disable your ship, board it, and take back some stolen item.”
“Stolen?”
“Yeah. They said you stole some item from an important person. That person’s paying to get it back.”
“Who’s this important person?”
“Don’t know, man. I’m just one captain. You want to know more details, ask Captains Teshain or Morral. They’re all buddy-buddy with Admiral Sharp.”
“Teshain and Morral are dead,” Hack said. “They killed themselves.”
Barron’s eyes widened, and he paled. “Why would they do that? You get caught by another mercenary, you’re ransomed. That’s just what happens.”
Hack shrugged. “You tell me. Why would they be so afraid of failing or being questioned that they kill themselves?”
Barron shook his head, amazed and baffled. “We just got orders. Get back a stolen object. I don’t understand.”
Hack pulled the picture of the tattoo up on his communicator, the odd image projected from the small device. “Do you recognize these?”
Barron pushed back against the wall, face slack with horror. “They had them? Teshain and Morral had them?”
“Yeah. What are they?”
“A few months ago, the admiral makes this new friend. I don’t know who it is, never saw them, but I heard things,” Barron said. “Mercs that make the admiral unhappy start disappearing. Supposedly, they go visit the admiral’s friend. That’s what they say anyway. Never been so happy to not be in the inner circle, you know? Anyway, word is, they disappear for a while, then come back with those tats. But they don’t really come back, you know what I mean?”
“No. Explain.”
“When they come back, they’re different, silent and empty. It’s not them no more. They still do their job, but they’re just shells. Get it?”
“I think so,” Hack said, brow furrowed. “You didn’t notice Teshain and Morral acting like this?”
“Didn’t really talk to them about more than the strategy for our attack. Thinking back, I can see it. Teshain always had a sense of humor, you know? He’d crack a joke, make a sarcastic remark. Barely spoke this time.”
“So, you know nothing about the Concords’ client?”
“No,” Barron said, shaking his head. “You going to ransom me?”
