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  She gripped the printed sheet in both hands, scanning through the text. “This is along the lines of some communications I have seen from him, though this looks more...I don’t know...uh, almost paranoid. Chowd?”

  He quickly read the log. “It’s the Xeradax. It affects the user’s brain in the long term, and it fits with the information we’ve previously received that he is showing paranoid tendencies. It looks like his deterioration is more rapid than I expected at this point.” He stopped for a minute. “Where did you get this?”

  “From a friendly passing Phobos pirate.” Duvall’s dry words took him aback.

  “The words friendly and Phobos don’t usually go together.”

  Duvall’s face split into a grin. “This one was. He’s headed as far and as fast away from Otega as he can. The other interesting piece of intelligence he passed on is that there is major dissent in the Phobos ranks.”

  Chowd looked at Grayson. “Indeed? How is there dissent?”

  Grayson grinned. “Apparently the head of the Phobos pirates had been promised a wife to cement the treaty between the two factions of Phobons and Ru’Edanian rogues. She isn’t forthcoming. To make it even more interesting, he also stated that Crick is, in his opinion, no longer capable of leading the rogues.”

  A wife? Could that be his half-sister? He brushed it aside for thinking over later and digested the information Grayson and Duvall shared.

  The chimes on the door rang once again and the rest of the senior crew trooped in, looking rested. They stood upright, clearly determined to make the mission a success. He wondered what they would make of the latest development.

  Duvall moved to the end of the table, watching them all with a small smile. “Let’s get started. We have some very welcome news, if it is indeed true. Grayson?”

  “We have received information that tells us the Phobos pirates might not be committed to Crick and his plans. In fact, we think that they are abandoning him. We’ve already heard whispers of mutiny within the rogues. All of this could...” Grayson stopped, allowing the words to sink in before resuming. “We think this could make Crick just a little bit easier to defeat. It doesn’t mean simple, but perhaps this is the divine assistance we’ve needed for a long time.”

  No one made a sound, and Chowd waited as they absorbed the facts Grayson had shared. He did detect a lightening of their moods, and as they leaned forward their eyes glinted a little brighter.

  Grayson slipped another image up on the screen, and a video ran, showing small craft leaving the surface of Otega. “We’ve already heard from one stating that he feels Crick may be more than just a little paranoid. If that is the case, then we might be able to use that as leverage. He also suggested that there is a similar situation on the ground. If the rogues are truly in disarray, and we attack quickly, I feel we have a strong chance of success.”

  Duvall nodded. “I need to send some combat pilots, or one anyway, in to scout the area. We need someone who can get in and out quickly. I need a volunteer who can drop a relay device that will bounce transmissions back to us without being seen. Jemma? Are you up to that task?”

  “Yeah, I can manage that. I’m guessing you want me to take one of their spooks down and pretend I’m one of them?” Jemma’s fingers flew over her small palm unit. Her lips pursed as she checked something on her screen before glancing up. “Once that relay is in place, we’ll be able to hear and see what’s going on, making it easier to utilize our pilots to maximum efficiency. That works for me.”

  “We need to strike hard and fast.” Duvall rammed home his last statement with a clenched fist banging on the tabletop.

  Last night the crew had been unable to find the energy to begin, but with this new information and sleep, they were once more the cohesive unit Chowd remembered.

  The others had flipped open their hand units and began making notations, calling out points to consider in the plan. Chowd’s spirit rose, and the weight in his chest lifted again. This crew, the Elector’s family, would finish this. They were ready for whatever eventuated.

  * * * *

  “Just let me check this bit of code on the booster.” Meredith pinged the booster one last time, ensuring it worked optimally and nodded. “Yeah, that should be good.”

  Jemma climbed into the cockpit of the small spook as Raven fitted the booster into the missile bay. A feeling of excitement and trepidation hung in the air. People moved with purpose as they made preparations to take shelter behind one of the moons some fifty-thousand kilometers from Otega.

  Jemma would need to make a slow and circuitous entry, drop the relay booster onto the lunar-like landscape, then slingshot around the planet, using a convoluted trajectory to get away. Meredith knew the maneuver would be tricky, as did Raven and Jemma herself.

  The alarm wailed its mournful warning, and they moved into the safe zone, the glass sliding shut between them and the decompressing shuttle bay. They watched as the small ship powered up, Raven holding his breath beside her, and she detected stress lines fanning around his mouth. The shuttle rose and exited the bay, into the blackness of space.

  “She’ll be fine. If anyone can achieve this, it’s Jemma.”

  Raven nodded stiffly but said nothing, his gaze following the trail of her burners before she executed a sharp turn and was beyond their sight.

  Meredith rubbed his arm. “When you’re ready, join us for a coffee in my office.”

  He gave a curt nod without a word and she left the area, heading for the security suite. She could do nothing more there.

  For herself, there was great uncertainty. This could all go horribly wrong, and her gut churned almost continuously. She had gotten what she wanted, to see the action, but deep down she acknowledged her fear at being quite this close.

  She hooked up the listening equipment in her seat, watching the blip of Jemma’s stolen ship move slowly toward their projected location. She swallowed, waiting for anything that could go wrong.

  Meredith continued working on the information they had, though in all honesty, it felt unnecessary at this point. But the coffee and actions kept her mind employed while she waited. If she didn’t have something to do, she’d go mad. No one had ever told her about the long, anxious hours of waiting before this kind of mission.

  They’d counted on Jemma’s part of the mission taking maybe an hour or so, and that time had nearly elapsed. Meredith looked forward to seeing Jemma return safely to the Elector.

  “How’s it going?” Chowd’s words had her jumping with fright. Her intense concentration meant she hadn’t heard him move in behind her. Meredith dropped her head back to lie against him, savoring the heat of his body.

  “Won’t be long, and we should see her drop the relay beacon. Once that’s in place, then we’ll get a more accurate idea of what is happening.” Even as she murmured, Meredith could see the effective deployment of the relay.

  “How soon can you bring it online?”

  “Once it lands, it will open the casing shell, releasing the relay dish. Thank heavens Raven was able to manufacture this so quickly.”

  Chowd’s body tensed behind her. “What are the chances of it not working?” Fingers kneaded at her knotted shoulder muscles, and she groaned slightly as they released under his touch.

  “Around five percent.”

  A blip appeared on the screen beside her, and she waited. Another blip appeared, then another.

  “It’s working.” Her hands flew over the keyboard, tapping in the command to activate the program that would allow the data to start flowing to her screen.

  “I’ll inform Duvall immediately.” But he didn’t move. Instead he continued to rub her shoulders and watch the screen.

  “Go on. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

  Chowd gave her shoulders a final squeeze before he left.

  Once more she waited alone, the air cool in the empty security offices. Meredith looked for ways to extrapolate as much as possible from the jumble of information flowin
g through the system. Voice messages streamed around her, though it wasn’t her job to scan them. No, the comm officer would deal with that. But she listened as she worked, looking for something that would tell her what was going on inside the bunker on Otega.

  She tweaked and the squark of a voice transmission filled the air. It was hard to hear over the static, and she tapped into the system, adjusting the levels until she could clearly hear the words.

  “I don’t care that the one you had is gone. That was the agreement.” The tense words came through the comm link, and she stopped. She didn’t recognize the voice, but it angrily demanded an answer.

  “Our lord does not answer to you,” a haughty voice returned, and she nearly giggled, but she managed to restrain herself. I really don’t need vids with this lot to listen in on.

  “So you have no intention of completing our agreement. Get Crick Sur Banden for me, or this alliance is concluded.”

  “Oh my!” The import of what she listened to hit her. There was more than just dissent in the ranks, and here she had the proof they sought. She touched a trembling hand to the commbutton. “Duvall? Are you listening to what I am?”

  “Meredith? What are you talking about? We haven’t got past the jumble of voices yet. What can you hear?” Duvall demanded.

  “Hang on and I’ll patch it in through your personal comm.” Once more she tapped into the systems. “Okay. You should be able to hear them in a minute. The Phobons have just demanded something that is gone. I’m thinking it’s the girl we’ve heard about. The Ru’Edans are saying Crick doesn’t have to answer though, and that wasn’t taken very well. Just hang on.”

  Another voice came across the line. One she knew. Crick Sur Banden. “How dare you demand my presence.”

  “We had a deal, Crick, the girl for the alliance. Get her for me, or it’s done. We all know you cannot hold anything now, anyway,” the pirate taunted, and Crick Sur Banden’s harsh breathing filled the air.

  “I don’t need you now. My rogues don’t need you to bolster their ranks. We number in the thousands and can defeat anyone.”

  Meredith could hear the false bravado clearly in the wobble of his words. Barsha! He didn’t believe what he was saying.

  “Then our alliance is at an end.”

  The communication ended abruptly, and she sat there, stunned. “Duvall? Did you hear that?”

  “Yeah. Get up to the bridge right now.”

  She stood, taking only a second to grab her personal unit and stuffing it into a pocket before taking off at a run. Crew got out of her way as she ran, her chest heaving with the exertion.

  Meredith reached the bridge in record time. Duvall was in conversation with Chowd and Grayson, and she moved forward. “Started without me?”

  “Something like that. Jemma is due back soon. But judging by the exodus I’m seeing from Otega—” He indicated toward the screen, where blips of ships departed from the planet. “—we need to attack sooner rather than later. He’s going to be off-balance with the Phobos departure. His men will be questioning his leadership.” Duvall stalked around, spearing his fingers through his hair while he spoke. Nervous excitement rippled through her belly.

  “I can see if I can tap into my source. See what’s going on down there. I don’t normally do this directly, but I think in the situation, we don’t have time to use the more roundabout fashion.” Chowd pulled a small, portable device from his pocket, one that she’d never seen before. He tapped in a message and waited.

  The comm officer hurried toward them. “We have an incoming message from Pilot Cardnew.”

  Chowd turned. “Put her on speaker.”

  “Can you hear me?” Jemma’s voice filled the air.

  “Yeah. What’s going on?” Duvall demanded as he watched the radar feed.

  “There are ships going everywhere. All Phobos pirates, but they’re heading away from the planet. Duvall, what the hell is happening down there?”

  “There’s been a major event. Do you think you can break away and take a different route?”

  “Already doing that. I should to be there in about an hour or two. Have a hot coffee waiting for me. I suspect I’m going to need it.” The fierce words made them laugh.

  The communication between the small Phobos craft and the Elector faded away. “I want to know as soon as she lands. Prepare for a meeting in thirty. My office.” Duvall turned away, and Meredith knew they had been dismissed.

  Chapter 16

  “Chowd has received an answer from the surface. The rogues are in mutiny, the Phobos pirates have pulled out, and Crick is holed up currently with his closest allies. I think, though, that rather than an assault on the planet, we would be better coaxing him out.” Duvall strode around the table.

  Chowd’s body was tight, every muscle locked down as his mind absorbed the plans they’d laid. Soon. Then he would avenge his mother and the many thousands who’d died at his father’s hand. With the thoughts came the grip of tension.

  Everyone at the table and those standing behind nodded, each and every one of them committed to whatever it took to rid the universe of Crick Sur Banden.

  “In his current state, I think he’d be more open to this kind of ruse, but still, it needs to be executed carefully. We need to take the Elector in closer to the surface. I know of an area of dead space, somewhere outside of the trajectory of weapons fire, where we can hold him off. One of my contacts discovered it some time back.” Chowd stood and pointed to a section on the surface. “We have to be exact in our piloting, but it’s something they wouldn’t expect us to be aware of. I’m not sure they are even aware of it, it was only discovered by accident by my contact down there.” He jabbed a finger at the map, showing a clear patch, free of asteroids and space junk. “If we stand off here, making sure our Raptors are behind these moons here and here, we can use the Elector itself as bait. They’ll bring everything they have to bear and we’ll be under heavy fire. Any pilots he has left will pour into the breach.” He closed his eyes, and let the final point coalesce in his mind.

  Duvall countered, “We should also formulate an alternate plan, one in preparation that he won’t take the bait. He’s a wily opponent. I wouldn’t be surprised, even in his least lucid moment, that he doesn’t sniff a trap.”

  Meredith tensed beside him, and he gripped her shoulder. Chowed spoke quietly but with determination. “In that instance, I will take a small crew down to the surface while you continue to engage with the rogues.”

  “I’m not so happy about that, but I do agree,” Duvall said. “We need to get to Crick and neutralize him. Based on the information we’ve gathered, it’s clear that if we remove the head, then the rest of the body will follow. My only wish is that I could join you.”

  Chowd smiled at how his old friend still wished to command every landing team they sent away.

  “Everyone needs to be armed, so when this meeting breaks, Chowd and the security officers will need to see you down in the firearm hold. Everyone dons flak jackets as well as breathing apparatus. If we fail, we might be on our own in a life capsule.” Duvall’s words were terse.

  “If it’s going to happen, it should be sooner rather than later. We don’t want to give them time to regroup,” Grayson said thoughtfully. “I’ll also give the command for every non-essential power system to be turned off. We can re-route the power to our shields, guns, and thrusters. That will increase our ability to react.”

  “When do we expect backup?” Jod’s voice broke through the subdued conversations as orders were relayed to subordinates in low tones.

  “In the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. None of us expected this break or that we’d be engaging so soon.” Duvall shook his head. “We can’t rely on them helping at this point.”

  “If we can generate a message once we’re about to take position, one that doesn’t sound staged, I think we could entice him out. Get him on one of the shuttles.” Meredith spoke quietly, and Chowd knew she didn’t want him leading the
charge on Otega. She continued to look for any way possible to make that a non-event. He laid a hand over her trembling fingers. They tensed then relaxed.

  “Okay. I want to be in position in the next hour. Make all arrangements, then ping me to let me know your preparations are in place. Meredith? Continue to monitor every system. I want to know if he so much as sniffs our plan in the air.” Duvall looked directly at Meredith, and she nodded.

  A mixture of emotions, elation that it would soon be done and fear that they could fail, ran through Chowd. He took a long look at everyone around the table, memorizing their faces, the determination, and in more than one, a tinge of expectation and apprehension. Then he stood. “Captain, before we go, I want to say it has been an honor to serve with you, and I truly hope that isn’t the last time I get to say that.”

  A ripple of laughter broke out around the room.

  One by one, they filed out, until it was just Chowd, Mellissa, Duvall, and Meredith. “Duvall...”

  Duvall stopped Chowd’s words with a raised hand. “I know. When this is over, though, you’d better be planning a damn good ceremony.”

  Chowd nodded before reaching for Meredith’s fingers. They left the room, and he tugged her along the corridor to his cabin. “Chowd, what are you doing? We don’t have—”

  His kissed her. Once wasn’t enough. She tasted ripe and sweet, and he savored her. For an instant, his muscles tightened, and he pulled her close to his body.

  “I need you to stay out of the way. No jumping in and trying to save the day. Promise me, Meredith.”

  “I promise. But you stay safe too. No heroics. I have a plan for the rest of our lives. And that’s going to be a long time. Together.” Her voice sounded ragged with intense emotions, and it pained him that she felt such fear. But not once did she ask him to walk away.

  “Wear the jacket and make sure you have your pistol on you at all times.” He pressed a last, hard kiss against her lips before he turned. He found it the hardest move he’d ever made and the fire in his chest seared him. But he had to get to the firearms hold and start arming everyone. She could look after herself, but the physical wrench felt like he had left a part of himself behind.