Wanderer's Escape (15 page)

Jess flew the Wanderer close in to the shuttle, then caused it to reach out with powerful fields whilst breaking hard at the same time.  As the ship reached the shuttle the closing speed was greatly reduced.  The ship's fields grabbed the shuttle and dragged it in to nestle securely against the hull, safely within the ship's shields.  Anyone within the shuttle would have been shaken up badly but Jess hoped they'd have nothing worse than a few bruises.  He couldn't worry about that now.  It was time for the trickiest part of his plan.

Jess forced the ship into jump space, a rougher than normal transition because of the shuttles bulk sticking out from the Wanderer's usual clean lines.  Almost immediately he dropped back into real space – right in the middle of the pirate fleet.  A fleet which was only just responding to the Wanderer's sudden appearance and capture of the shuttle.

Jess expected the fleet to go after the containers, to destroy them, in retaliation for the loss of their prize.  Both the message transmitted to the station and Matt's words made it clear that was the price of any resistance.  Now Jess had to stop them.

The fighters were his first target.  Fast and agile he had to take them down before they scattered too widely.  His first pass took him tearing through them, weapons firing in all directions.  He managed to collapse the shields of three and disable them with the Ion Cannons.  Two more were ripped apart by laser fire.  The plasma cannons badly damaged one more but several others evaded the slow moving plasma bolts.  Jess launched six of the agile fast attack missiles.  All six found their targets, having been launched at near point blank range.  Four tore the targeted ships apart, the other two inflicted significant damage, leaving the struck fighters reeling and struggling to regain control. 

In a single pass he had disabled three fighters, destroyed six and badly damaged another three.  That left two fully operational fighters and the five corvette grade ships to deal with.  The two fighters were already streaking away in opposite directions, and the corvettes were moving too.  Two were closing on the freighter to defend it while the other three turned towards the Wanderer.  The two active fighters would be able to start destroying containers within a minute or so.  On their current course the three corvette's would be able to do the same within a couple of minutes
– their longer ranged weaponry making up for their relative lack of speed.

Jess pulled the Wanderer around in a tight circle and blasted towards the three Corvettes, jerking the ship through evasive manoeuvres as he closed.  The sheer mass of firepower from the three ships meant the Wanderer took multiple hits.  The newly reinforced shields were holding but weakening fast.  Hooked into the ship Jess felt as if his skin was being flayed by sand.  In response he was lashing out with every weapon he had.  Lasers, ion cannons and plasma cannons all focused on the closest of the Corvettes.  Despite starting at full power the corvette's forward shields flickered and died as the range shortened, the weaponry Jess could bring to focus was massively more powerful than the last time he'd faced a corvette.  The Wanderer's shields were close to buckling too but Jess persisted.  He chose a near collision course with the corvette he'd been pounding.  As the separation between the two ships rapidly reduced the corvette started to turn away, but it was much too late.  With only a handful of seconds till impact Jess launched two of the heavyweight missiles and threw the Wanderer into jump space.

The two missiles struck the corvette before it had any chance to launch defences, the explosions ripped the ship apart and triggered far more massive explosions as the engines were destroyed.  The explosion was so intense it bled over into jump space.  Due to the nature of that medium the Wanderer was already clear of the area before the blast occurred, moving far faster in jump space than in real space.  Even so it was badly rocked by the blast.

Dropping back in to real space a short distance later Jess saw that the explosion had crippled one of the other Corvettes and shredded the shields on the final ship that had come after him.  Once again pulling the Wanderer into a tight turn he lined up on that final ship.  The Wanderer's shields had recovered partly and had to endure far less punishment than before.  With more time Jess targeted critical systems, taking out the main thrusters and sensors.  Leaving the corvette stranded and partly blinded.

Checking the larger picture he cursed.  Both fighters were approaching containers.  Neither was significantly closer to the Wanderer than the other, but one fighter would be able to attack four containers in quick succession where the other could only target two.  For most people the decision would have been clear – take out the first fighter.  Thoughts accelerated massively Jess was able to analyse the feeds from each of the containers.  The four containers held thirty-five people, the other two only held twenty – but nineteen of those were children.  There were only two children amongst the thirty-five in the other set of containers.

Hating himself for making such a decision, for not having avoided getting to this situation, Jess threw the Wanderer into jump space.  Heading for the fighter closing in on the containers full of children.  He had the weapons firing even as the ship dropped into real space.  The fighter was rocked by the concentrated volley of weaponry causing its own fire to go wide of a container.  Jess didn't give it long enough to correct.  Pouring fire into the fighter at point blank range even the plasma cannons struck home.  The shields buckled almost immediately then the fighter erupted in an explosion.  At point blank range the blast rocked the Wanderer, burning out several already overloaded shield generators.

Not pausing to recover Jess threw the Wanderer back into jump space and towards the remaining fighter.  Too late.  The fighter had destroyed two containers already and a third was blown apart even as Jess reached for jump space.  In desperation he brought the Wanderer back out between the fighter and the fourth container – just in time to absorb the punishment intended for it.  More shields burnt out under the onslaught. 

Jess was aware some hull areas were covered by only minimal shielding now.  In desperation he lashed out with every weapon he could focus on the fighter and launched the remaining six fast attack missiles.  The fighter shuddered under the weapons assault but it's shields held somehow.  Return fire scorched a burning line of fire down Jess's leg as it pierced the shields and burned away a patch of hull near the engines.  Then the missiles struck home erasing all evidence of the fighters existence in a massive explosion.

Jess quickly checked the status of the final container.  It was undamaged.  Six people had survived thanks to Jess but twenty-nine had died, including the two children.

Heart aching Jess stretched his awareness out to the rest of the battle zone.  The freighter and the two undamaged corvettes had turned and were making a run for it.  Trying to cover enough distance to jump clear.  The three heavily damaged fighters were trying to limp away, as was the heavily damaged corvette that still had propulsion.  Three fighters and one corvette remained completely unable to move.  The danger to the containers was eliminated. 

The danger to those within the containers remained though.  Already the air would be getting stale and the temperature dropping dangerously low.  There was no chance of any ship from the station reaching and recovering more than two or three of the containers in time to save the occupants, even if they launched immediately.

Jess was tired and battered from the battle but his work wasn't finished yet.  He started with the container he'd just saved from destruction by the fighter.  The Wanderer drew close to the container then used its fields to drag the container into contact with itself.  Then he jumped to the next container and so on.  The containers were small enough that the Wanderer could capture four at a time, even with the shuttle still nestled against its belly.  Once he had the first four he jumped the ship, now wallowing badly with the additional mass of four containers and the shuttle, close to the station and released the containers.  Then it was on to the next four and so on.

With twenty-seven surviving containers Jess needed to make seven runs.  Even with the Wanderer's agility and ability to short cut via jump space it was a race against time.  Now the video feeds from the containers were invaluable – allowing him to prioritise those containers with the most people, or with many children, to be picked up first, along with those where the occupants were clearly in trouble.

By the time he dropped the third cluster of containers off the area around the first two groups was busy with tugs and shuttles pulling the containers into cargo bays.  From the chatter over the radio he knew that the entire station had mobilised to bring the containers in and treat those inside.  So far no messages had been sent to the Wanderer which Jess was glad about.  He still harboured a lot of anger at the people of the station for getting him, Sal and Ali into the current situation.

Once the final three containers were dropped off by the station Jess jumped the Wanderer a good few minutes flight away from both the station and the remaining pirate ships.  The freighter and two corvettes continued their run for freedom.  For the moment Jess was content to let them go. 

Finally having some time Jess had the Wanderer extrude an elongated corridor to meet the shuttle's airlock.  Jess made his way into the corridor.  Heart heavy from what had already happened, and fearing the worst, he patched into the airlock's emergency communication circuit and spoke to those in the shuttle.

“Whoever is in the shuttle,” his voice sounded tired, drained, even to himself.  “I'm sorry for the rough ride and for having to overpower your ship.  The battle is over and the pirates have been defeated.  The containers have been taken to the station and are being recovered now.” 

He felt it best not to mention the three destroyed containers or the fact that at least some of those in the final containers he'd rescued might not make it.

“You will see that your airlock leads to a pressurised corridor.  Please send out your captives.  If you wish to join them feel free.  I will say this once though.  Don't make me come in there to get them.  If you do I won't be held responsible for my actions.”

He killed the circuit without waiting for a reply.  He didn't want a dialogue, just wanted this nightmare to be over.  Nothing happened for a couple of minutes, then he detected vibrations that suggested the inner airlock door was being opened.  Soon after the outer door opened and he grinned in relief at seeing Ali and Sal standing there, both looking tired and worried but otherwise unhurt.  His smile froze as he took in the two men standing behind them each holding an automatic pistol pointed at one of the captives.  Both men looked to be well into their fifties and had a hard look about them.  Jess was sure they'd use the guns if provoked.  The one standing on the left spoke.

“Right.  You've seen our captives.  You've seen they are healthy.  Now the four of us are going back inside and you're going to let this shuttle go.  If what you say is true then once we are safely back on the station you can discuss their release with the governor.  Until then any hostile action means we shoot one of them.  Nowhere fatal to begin with, but it will still hurt like hell.  Don't try anything.”

Jess stared, mouth open.  The man who'd spoke reached out and triggered the control to close the outer airlock door.  As it started to slide shut Jess reached out for the ship, for the familiar acceleration of his thoughts. 

Immediately the closing door seemed to slow to a crawl.  Jess reached out with the ship's fields.  First jamming the door so it couldn't close, then slamming a shield between the two men and Sal and Ali.  He stepped forward to pull them both out of the airlock.  The man behind Ali fired... then screamed as the gun exploded taking part of his hand with it.  Jess was in no mood for half measures.  He'd ensured any weapon fire wouldn't kill the two men but felt they deserved significant pain if they tried anything.  The other man dropped his gun as if it had suddenly turned into a scorpion then tried to aid his colleague.

Jess pulled Sal and Ali from the airlock then allowed it to slam shut.  Sealing the corridor he had the ship shove the shuttle away
– none too gently – and then let himself return to his normal speed of thought.  Almost before he could react Ali had him in a fierce hug, crying against his shoulder.  Sal threw her arms around both of them and the three of them stood hugging each with tears running down their cheeks.  Jess could hardly believe that he had the two of them back.

Chapter Fifteen

After the initial relief of being back together the three of them headed to the living area.  Jess retracted the corridor behind them and left the shuttle where it floated immobilised.  The people on the station could rescue the two crew, he had no desire to.

Once they reached the living area the questions started.

“
What happened?” asked Sal shakily.  “What the hell happened.”

“
What do you know so far?” replied Jess.

“
We were being held in a cell for days.  The conditions weren't bad and they didn't mistreat us, but I hated being confined again.  It made me realise how valuable our freedom is. 

Our guards seemed fairly relaxed.  Things were settling into a routine.  Then suddenly they appeared outside our cell shouting at us to stand up.  They wrenched the door open then dragged us from the cell at gun point.  It was terrifying.  They wouldn't tell us what was happening.  Just kept telling us to shut up and move faster.