The Enclave (The Verge) (31 page)

“Not quite.  The Admiral would not approve of you leaving the
Australia
.  Not without a through medical.  He’s worried about you.”  Hillier stuffed the medical gown into the now empty duffel bag and shoved the lot into one of the empty lockers.

“But you’re helping me anyway.  Why?”  Katherine put it bluntly.  She would take whatever help he offered but the motivations behind it were important.

“I really can’t tell you as I don’t know myself.  There is something going on here that does not ring true and I would like to ferret out the reason why.  You are my best hope of doing it as it seems to be centered around you.”

Katherine gave Paul a level stare as she assessed what he had said.  Finally she just shrugged.  “Fair enough.  Either way, the more Federation Personnel we have down there the better.”

“Now.  How are you going to get me off of this ship without Baverstock finding out?”

Chapter

Thirty-Four

The solution was easier than she thought.  It also helped that a strange ship had just jumped through the Stargate into the Junter System thirty minutes ago, placing the
Australia
instantly on the alert.

“…It has Alliance markings but it claims to be a Val Myra ship.”

“Who is in command?” Hillier asked.

Katherine glared through the cockpit window to the place in the Northern Hemisphere where the
Braidon Hills Enclave was supposed to be.

The storm that the
William Light
flew through that morning had now covered the area over the Enclave.  If she craned her head a little further to the left, Katherine could see the Alliance Frigate that had just arrived in system.  It was small compared to the
Australia
, but they were not looking for a fight.  The ship was powered down and when she first sighted it, Katherine could see some extensive hull damage along its starboard side.  The ship looked to have dodged through a whole lot of Hell to get here.

Katherine’s attention was caught by Hillier’s very loud and very exasperated sigh.

“…Course it’s a Val Myra ship.  The
AFV Australia
has the situation under control…  Unless you think a beaten up frigate can take out a fully equipped Federation Carrier?”

“No Sir.  I wasn’t suggesting that, we were just curious is all.  Berth 198725 has been assigned to you.  It is close to the AFV
Adelaide.
”

“Roger that.”

Hillier jabbed a finger and cut the connection.  “Do I look like an Information Service Now?”

“To New Holland you do,” Katherine replied as she turned her head to stare back out the cockpit window.  “Some of the people down there need something to put the wind up them.”

“Are they that bad?”  Hillier asked, but Katherine gave him no reply.  Her thoughts had turned again to the
William Light
with the hope that they had arrived safe and sound back at the
Adelaide.

“The New Hollanders remind me of cliques from high school, with the usual sniping and power plays that come with them.”  Katherine turned away from the wi
ndow as the shuttle hit Junter Three’s atmosphere; the friction of entry causing everything to flare orange and yellow.

“The arrival of the Val Myrans has caused the local cliques to erupt in a panic, worried that they may lose power or prestige or whatever it is that cliques need.  They are petty, sneaky, dirty rotten bastards.
”

“Why don’t you tell me what you really feel Katherine,” Paul said as he finessed the shuttle controls to limit the buffeting from the entry angle.

“Can’t, the language would be too harsh for your sensitive ears.”

Paul gave her a short bark of laughter before turning his attention back to communications with the New Holland Port Authority.

Katherine tuned the conversation out as her thoughts turned back to the
William Light
and the Enclave.

Where the hell is Nigel Hyde?

Sure, Barkley and that bitch Ross knew him but that alone did not confirm that Hyde had been at the facility at all.  And if Hyde
had
been there, he certainly was not there now.  Katherine knew the bastard well enough to know that there was no way he would have stayed away from a fight.  He loved dealing death to much to miss out on any chance he got to dish it out.

Perhaps the slimy toe rag got off world to go and ruin someone else’s planet before the
Adelaide
had even arrived in system?  Perhaps he was hiding out in some other part of the Northern Hemisphere laughing at their attempt to get him.  Perhaps…

Katherine mentally shook herself.

Perhaps’s will get you nowhere, except to have you jumping around at every possibility that moves.  That thought process could lead to the path of insanity.

Katherine
observed with detached silence as Paul bought the shuttle down and followed the instructions of the now obsequent Port Authority pilot to the berth assigned them next to the
Adelaide
.

The
Adelaide’s
exterior showed no signs of the
William Light’s
return and even the crewmen patrolling the quay and guarding the Sally port looked as if everything was normal.

Katherine made a mental note to congratulate her crew on their professionalism.  It would never do to look panicked to these New Hollanders.

After a quick flash of comms traffic from Paul to the
Adelaide
, Katherine saw the familiar form of Richard Coulthard appear at the entry lock.

He stood still, waiting for them.

“Commander, it is nice to see you mobile.”

Katherine tried not to grin.  “Contrary to popular rumor, I am still alive and kicking.  And I will kick the butt of the first person who mentions anything about leg wounds or arrows to the knee.  Understood?”

“Perfectly Commander.”  Richard’s white toothy grin glared brightly against the dark contrast of his skin.

“Any news yet from the
William Light
?” Katherine asked her XO as the small group walked the corridors of the
Adelaide
.

“They got back about thirty minutes ago.  The prisoner has been secured in the brig
waiting for the security team from the
Australia
to retrieve her, and the rest of your squad are waiting to be debriefed in the-”

“The
Australia
is sending a team?”

Katherine cut Richard’s telling mid-sentence.

“Yes.  It was thought more ‘prudent’ that Doctor Ross be taken into Federal custody above the planet, than be held planet side due to recent incidences.”

“Polly talk for we can’t trust New Holland as far as we can throw them and only an Alliance Ship could try and nab her from the
Australia.
”

“Yes Captain”

“Did you know this Paul?”  Katherine shot the question to the aide before Richard had finished agreeing with her.

“The Admiral was going to take any prisoners whether the local government agreed with it or not.”  Paul glanced across to Richard.  “They shouldn’t have even known about this mission.”

“They did.  We have been getting aggressive requests from them wanting access to any prisoners that were taken.”

“We were followed out when we left.  Mark had to lose the tail before we could head north.” Katherine said.

“Mr. Prockter and your brother are currently sorting out that little issue.  It seems that the First Counsellor was trying to get himself set up as a permanent leader.”

“What a very naughty boy.”

“Yes.  Well.  The fool did not realize that the help he had been getting to do this was supplied by Alliance plants.”

Katherine could not believe what her ears were hearing.  “The man is that gullible?”

“Director Prockter had found some interesting information on some of Chandlers closest supporters.  Several of them were being paid ‘under the table’ so to speak to help nudge our ‘hero of democracy’ into doing this takeover.  It would have left New Holland open to be annexed by the Alliance as a threat on their border.”

“Lucky he was caught in time before he ruined New Holland for good.”

“I wouldn’t trust a politician as far as I can throw them.”

“It’s lucky that our electoral process doesn’t require us to do that,” Paul said.

“There would be a lot of strained back muscles if we did.”  Richard could not keep the smirk from his face.

The fact that the smirk
was there at all told Katherine that she had nothing to worry about when it came to her people.

When they stopped before the debriefing room door, Katherine hesitated.  She could not rid herself of the niggling thought in the b
ack of her mind that now Alpha Squad knew what had been done to her, knew now that she was the reason that Adveral colony was destroyed, would they still respect her and accept her as their Commander?

She knew the thought was irrational, but still, it was there.  Katherine mentally shook herself. 
Get it together woman!  Deal with it if it happens.

She glanced at the men on either side of her and turned back to the door.  Taking a deep breath, Katherine motioned the door open.  All talking within the room cease as the door revealed the trio to the people
seated within.

“Captain!”

Katherine did not see who said it, but that one simple word bought everyone to their feet and they all stood staring at her as she stayed in the doorway.  It was a sign of respect that unexpectedly touched Katherine emotionally in more ways than she cared to admit, even to herself.

Raising a hand, Katherine gestured for them all to sit and the three moved into the room.  Katherine and Richard, to their customary seats and Paul took a spare chair where he could at the table.  The eyes around the table watched as the aide took his place.

“It’s nice to see you all well and whole.”

Tom could not hide the worry he must have felt for her.  None of them could.  After all, the last they saw of her, she had a gaping leg wound and was with 57.

“Thank you.  It’s nice to see that everyone managed to survive the trip back.”

“I hope that’s not a slight against my flying.”

Katherine flashed Mark a smile but gave no reply.

“I’ve been told that Ross is now secure in the brig and that a security team from the
Australia
is arriving to transfer her into their custody.”

The crew around the table nodded and Katherine saw how worn, tired and dirty they all were.  They all were in need of food, a hot shower and sleep.

“We had a run in with a Tiger on the way back.  It was bought down and a team from the
Australia
was going to investigate it.”

“A Tiger?”

“Before you say it.  I don’t think Hyde was on board that ship,” Tom said quickly raising his hand.  “It was too slip shod on its attacks.  No impingement on your piloting skills Hunter.”

Mark shrugged.  “No worries.”

“If Hyde was on that ship we would not be back here.  A shuttle craft against a well piloted Tiger stood no chance.”

“If you hadn’t have used that device Tom, then we wouldn’t be here ourselves,” Steve spoke up from the back of the table.

“You used the Ontolic Ring?” Katherine’s eyes widened at the news.

“Yes.  I used it to take out one of their generators, otherwise the
Australia
would be looking for us instead of them.”

“Does this mean that Hyde wasn’t there at all?” Varden’s eyes stayed fixed on Paul as she spoke.

“He had been there.  Barkley as good as told me.  That doesn’t mean that he was there at the time we hit the base.”  Katherine glanced around all the faces at the table.

“It does mean that he might be stuck planet side somewhere, or that he had an escape route off planet.  Knowing Hyde, he would have had an escape route planned.”

“The
Australia
is arranging search sweeps of the northern hemisphere to determine if there are any other facilities like the one you discovered.”  Paul stared right back at Varden.

“There won’t be.  Not on this planet at any rate,” Katherine spat.

“So we lost him.  Again,” Mark muttered.

“Don’t worry Mark, we’ll get him,” Steve replied.  “And I’m sure the Val Myrans will be after him as well.”

“Joshua said as much before his was whisked away by Pritchard’s people.”

“The Governor General?” Katherine could not keep the disbelief from her voice.

Richard just shrugged his shoulders.

Katherine looked again around the table and could not help but smile at everyone.