Omega Force 3: The Enemy Within (12 page)

“
Twingo! Button her back up,” Jason called up to his friend. “We’ll be leaving shortly.”

“
All done up here,” Twingo yelled back. “Just closing the panels back up.”

Thirty minutes later the
Phoenix
was racing away from the transfer station towards her mesh-out point. Once again they were simply burning fuel in a long, lazy loop through the sector as they hadn’t a specific destination in mind. Jason was painfully aware that not only were they not making any money, they were risking a run in with a ConFed ship that might or might not be looking for a ship that matched the description of the gunship. But the strong ties and loyalty he had to Kellea, not to mention his friend Bostco, pushed him on to see how things would shake out.

“
So what did we learn from Crisstof’s First Son?” Jason asked, leaning back in the pilot’s seat as the canopy darkened.

“
Not as much as I’d have liked,” Kellea admitted, “but I can understand the need to be terse. I’m sure his communications are being monitored so, unsurprisingly, he spent much of his time encouraging me to turn myself in. But he did slide in a few bits of information.

“
The ConFed is still actively hunting me, specifically their Special Operations Section including the Intel division. I also learned that Crisstof is being held on the planet Aracoria.”

“
That’s not surprising,” Doc said. He had joined them once they had gotten back underway, but the med bay was still locked up tight. “Aracoria is home to more than a few ConFed Council members, most of them quite influential.”

“
Is it a capital world?” Jason asked.

“
No,” Kellea said. “It’s a terraformed planet that’s only been habitable for the last few centuries. But in that time it’s become home to many of the rich and powerful. The ConFed has one of their main battle fleets based there.”

“
So a smash and grab is out of the question,” Crusher said.

“
It always was,” Jason said with a snort. “There’s no way our little team is getting someone that high-profile out of a maximum security detention center. At least not without massive collateral damage and a guarantee of being hunted down by the ConFed Starfleet for the remainder of our short lives. Besides, just freeing Crisstof won’t accomplish much without knowing what’s happening behind the scenes.”

“
I wasn’t actually serious about busting him out,” Crusher answered. “But it brings up an interesting question: what do we do now that we know where he’s being held?”

“
I’ve been giving that a lot of thought,” Jason said.

“
You have no idea how little comfort I find in that,” Crusher said with a sigh.

“This is not one of your better ideas,” Doc said bluntly.

“
You say that so much it’s lost all meaning,” Jason said. “Think about it for a minute ... we have a chance to just walk right in and directly get information from Crisstof himself.”

“
You’ll be flying the
Phoenix
right into the belly of the beast,” Kellea protested. “I can’t believe that someone in orbit won’t recognize this ship.”

“
Besides that,” Twingo added, “how do you know Crisstof’s legal council will go along with this?”

“
I don’t,” Jason admitted. “But I have various methods of persuasion at my disposal.” Crusher let out a humorless chuckle at that. Kellea stared at the warrior for a moment before making the connection.

“
You’re just going to have Crusher scare him into submission?”

“
I’m hoping that won’t be necessary and that he will agree to allow us to be involved in the ... investigation,” Jason said. “But no, I had no plans to threaten him directly.”

“
Then who?” Kage asked, seeming barely interested in the conversation.

“
His family lives on Aracoria,” Jason said quickly, holding up his hands to cut off the chorus of protests. “Hang on! Of course we’re not
actually
going to hurt anyone. If he calls our bluff we’ll be blasting off from the planet pretty damn quickly.

“
I think it’s our only real shot of getting in to see Crisstof, and I also think we aren’t going to get much further until we do. All we have are some vague eyewitness accounts and a thing that looks like a pickled kelpen. By the way, Doc, what exactly are you doing with that thing in there?” He threw the last question out as casually as he could manage.

“
Nothing all that exciting,” Doc said evasively. “I haven’t learned anything useful, if that’s what you’re asking.”
It wasn’t ... but nice deflection. What are you up to in there?

“
So enter in a new course for Aracoria?” Kage asked, finally looking up from his console. Jason looked around the bridge; despite the looks of consternation on more than one face, nobody offered up any further protest.

“
Let’s hit it.”

*****

“Holy shit!” Jason said breathlessly as he got his first view of Aracoria. “You weren’t kidding about the money on this world.”

“
It is quite the sight,” Kellea agreed. “But it also provides more than a few obstacles. The surveillance and security on this planet is second to none.”

“
It’s not that good,” Kage sniffed in disdain.

Jason returned to looking out the forward canopy as the computer took over flying duties in the planet
’s heavily-congested transfer orbits. Aracoria, while impressive on the daylight side, was positively stunning as they crossed the terminator and flew around the night side. The planet’s landmasses were so heavily populated they seemed to glow incandescently with practically no space left undeveloped. Even the oceans were dotted with bright lights that likely belonged to vast floating cities.

He had to remind that part of his brain that recoiled in horror at the ecological impact a population that dense would have that this planet was almost entirely artificial. After being terraformed and given an atmosphere
, no expense was spared at importing the needed water and biological material to make it a vibrant place to live. What normally would have taken eons had been done in just a few centuries. Pollution was a secondary concern since the massive machines that had belched out the atmosphere had been refitted to constantly filter and process the air, and even the oceans were continuously scrubbed and strained.

“
There’s no way this planet is self-sustaining,” he said as they were commanded into yet another holding orbit. The traffic handling around Aracoria was easily the most convoluted and confusing he had ever seen. Thankfully the computer was unfazed by the constant transfers and holds.

“
No part of this planet could sustain itself naturally,” Kellea confirmed. “Even the atmosphere would turn toxic and asphyxiate the population should more than three air handlers ever go offline at once. Food and other consumables are shipped in at a constant rate to the stations orbiting the equator and then sent down the elevators to be distributed.”

“
This seems like a colossal waste,” Jason mused. “I mean, why bother? There are so many sparsely-populated planets, why spend the money converting a dead planet into what amounts to the galaxy’s largest space station?”

“
Like space stations, there are some legal advantages to not being based on a naturally life-bearing planet,” Doc said. “While your average criminal or corporate tax-dodger may tolerate life aboard a station with processed food and recycled air, the truly vile and corrupt prefer open skies and endless beaches.”

“
That explains all the ConFed firepower clogging up the orbital lanes,” Twingo commented.

After another six hours of circling the planet, re-transmitting their credentials no fewer than eleven times, and agreeing to any searches of their vessel that
might happen upon landing, the
Phoenix
finally dipped her nose and began atmospheric entry.

“
Glad we’re not smuggling anything this trip,” Crusher remarked casually, drawing a look from Kellea.

“
Truly,” Lucky agreed.

“
Smuggling?” Kellea asked with scorn.

“
We’ve smuggled cargo onto planets more than once for you and your boss when you didn’t want to get your hands dirty,” Jason said with more venom in his voice than he meant, so he softened his tone before continuing. “Just because we carry cargo we’d rather the authorities not know about doesn’t mean we’re involved in the narcotics trade.” Kellea looked suitably chagrined as she turned away from him.

“
My apologies,” she said,

“
Don’t mention it,” Jason said. “Did we get a landing spot at the spaceport closest to our target?”

“
Not the closest one,” Kage answered. “But it’s not too far away. At least it’s on the same continent this time. Remember on Yara-6 we had to land so far away it was a six-hour shuttle flight to the drop-off?”

“
That sucked,” Jason agreed. “Nothing like trying to drag an unwilling prisoner onto a commercial sub-orbital flight and keep him quiet for six hours.”

The crew fell silent for the remainder of the flight to the spaceport. Jason occasionally
snuck glances at Kellea, and not just because she was easy on the eyes. If she were caught aboard the
Phoenix
during a random inspection, it would be game over for all of them.

In contrast to the gyrations they
’d gone through to get clearance to enter Aracoria’s atmosphere, from the time they entered the traffic patter to when the
Phoenix
’s main gear kissed the ramp was surprisingly short.

“
I need—” Jason trailed off as he looked the crew over.
Who the hell am I taking?
“OK. It’s Crusher, Doc, and myself. The rest of you keep your heads down. Kage, I want you constantly monitoring the area. At the first sign that someone is coming to check the ship out, get the hell out of here, we’ll meet up with you later.”

“
I wish I could go with you,” Kellea said.

“
I know. But you know the risk is far too great to take that chance,” Jason told her. “Don’t worry. We’ll be in and out before you know it.”

“
I seriously doubt that,” she said with a half-smile. “I’ve seen you guys in action too many times to believe this is going to go as planned.”

*****

“Why is he along?” Crusher asked, gesturing at Doc after the shuttle had dropped them off in a residential area. “No offense, Doc.”

“
None taken.”

“
He’s the only one among us who is cultured enough to talk his way out of any potential situations. You’re here in case it doesn’t work,” Jason said. “I could really learn to love this place,” he continued. “The buildings remind me of home.”

“
How so?” Crusher asked as he looked around.

“
The residences aren’t cubes in a mile-high tower crammed into a megacity,” Jason said as he breathed in the slightly sweet air. “They’re stand-alone dwellings with a lawn and some room.”

“
It would be considered horrifically decadent on some planets, but I do agree with you,” Doc said. “This wouldn’t be a bad place to retire.” They walked along the street, painfully aware of how badly they stuck out, and followed the directions Kage had given them to a two-story dwelling that looked like it was made from some sort of natural stone cut into blocks.

“
Around the back,” Jason said as he looked around. They dipped off the street and hoped they weren’t being observed by either a sharp-eyed neighbor or electronic surveillance. They crept along the right side of the house and easily jumped the low wall into the backyard. While Crusher scanned the perimeter and Doc looked lost, Jason moved quickly to begin testing methods of entry. When the latch for the first door he came to depressed and allowed the door to swing inward, he simply stared at it dumbly for a moment before turning to Crusher. “They leave the backdoor unlocked? This really is like home,” he whispered. “OK, quietly now.”

The trio slipped into the home and closed the door silently behind them. They moved into the home until voices could be heard drifting
from one of the front rooms. Jason drew his snub-nosed blaster and moved back a step to confer with his compatriots. “It sounds like the wife and two small children. How should we proceed?”

“
I want to go on record as saying I’m completely revolted by this approach,” Doc said.

“
I want to go on record as saying if Doc isn’t offering any solutions he should shut up,” Crusher said.

“
I want you both to shut up and be serious,” Jason said through clenched teeth. “We don’t know if they have some sort of automated alarm that will go off if she screams, or any other nasty surprises.”

“
I don’t think you going in and waving your weapon in their faces will necessarily shock them into inaction,” Doc said as he watched Jason flip the weapon’s selector to
stun.
“While I can’t believe I’m saying this, I think Crusher should go first and frighten them while you and I grab the children, as they’re almost certain to bolt.”

“
Oh, great,” Crusher said, “so I get to go scare the small children again?”

“
I don’t like it,” Jason disagreed. “You’d likely give the mother a heart attack, or whatever her equivalent is. I’ll go in first and then Crusher comes in when I signal.” To head off any further argument, Jason turned and moved decisively into the room that presumably held their target’s family.

“
Who are you?!” the woman screamed in Jenovian Standard.

“
Quiet!” Jason snapped and brought the blaster up level to her face. “Just do as you’re told and nothing happens to you or your children.”

“
Oh Gods! Please! Take whatever you want!”
Shit, this is going to spiral out of control fast.

“
I said QUIET!” The woman ignored Jason completely as her panic attack kicked into high gear. The children were no better as they began to wail and cling to her. “Mother fu— Crusher! Now!”

A deafening roar shook the house as Crusher stomped into the room, all fangs and claws. Jason hadn
’t expected quite such an energetic display, and almost dropped the blaster. But it did have the desired effect. All three beings were completely cowed and whimpered quietly while staring at Crusher with wide, terrified eyes.

“
Are you fucking kidding me with that?” Jason said to him out the side of his mouth before addressing his hostages again. “Now, that’s better. As I said, I’m not here to harm you.” Even as he said it he knew it sounded absurd with a growling Galvetic warrior standing beside him. “We’re all just going to sit here and wait for your husband to come home.”

“
What did he do?” she whispered.

“
Nothing yet, it’s what I hope he’ll do that will determine what we do next,” Jason said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but just bowed her head deeply once and kept her mouth shut. “So ... when do you expect him?”

“
He will normally be home within the next three turns,” she said with a little more strength in her voice.

“
Three hours? This is going to be awkward for a bit,” Jason muttered to Doc before turning back to the woman.