Refusing Excalibur (45 page)

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Authors: Zachary Jones

BOOK: Refusing Excalibur
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“In this galaxy, there’s plenty for a man like you to do,” Fara said.
A man like me?
Victor thought back to the old man and his offer to save the galaxy. “There’s plenty of fighting to be done, yes. But I think I’m done with fighting.”
“You may be, Victor.” Fara swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. “But that doesn’t mean fighting is done with you.”
“I don’t know. I feel like I’ve fought all the fights a man can have in one lifetime,” Victor said.
Fara dressed. “I don’t think it works that way, Victor,” she said. “But, in any case, you’re still the captain. Which means you need to get out of bed and into that shower.” She nodded her head toward the stall in the corner of Victor’s cabin.
“You don’t want to shower with me?” he asked.
“No time. I’ll get cleaned up in my quarters,” Fara said, zipping up the front of her jumpsuit. She opened the hatch and glanced behind her. “I’ll see you on the bridge.” She walked out and closed the hatch behind her.
Victor lay back down. He really didn’t feel like getting up. But Fara would come back to kick his ass if he wasn’t present for the jump. He swung his legs over the bed and got up to shower.
***
Victor slumped into his seat on the bridge. Fara was already at the helm, in her natural habitat.
“Lena just contacted the bridge again,” Fara said. “Looks like she’s been trying to reach you for hours.”
“I’ll deal with her later,” Victor said.
“After we jump?” Fara said.
“Whenever I feel like getting yelled at,” Victor said. “What’s the
Daisy Mae
’s status?”
“Prize crew reports Cormac’s repairs are holding,” Fara said. “They’re ready to jump after us.”
“Good,” Victor said. “How long until we reach the jump point?”
“T minus ten minutes, Captain,” Fara said.
Victor called engineering. “Cormac, is everything running like it should?”
“All systems are nominal, Captain,” said the starchild. “By the way, Princess Lysandra wishes to see Captain Dryer.”
“You’ve been fraternizing with the prisoner again,” Victor said.
“If, by
fraternize
, you mean
treating her injuries
, then yes, Captain,” Cormac said.
Victor grimaced. “Worry about keeping the ship running, Cormac. I don’t need to know what the princess wants.”
“Yes, Captain,” Cormac said.
Victor dropped the line. “Fara, take us through the jump point.”
“Aye,” Fara said.
Victor settled back in his seat, resting his cheek on his prosthetic hand.
Ten minutes later, Fara activated the jump drive, the stars shifted, and thousands of contacts appeared on the sensors.
“What the fuck?” said Fara.
Victor’s heart skipped a beat, then he saw all the contacts were friendly. It was the Alliance fleet.
A tightbeam transmission came from the
Gryphon
almost immediately. Holace Quill’s face appeared on Victor’s monitor when he accepted the transmission.
“Captain Blackhand,” the high councilor said. “Did you get him?”
Victor knew quite well which
him
he was referring to. “The emperor is dead, though not by my hand.”
“Who killed him?” High Councilor Quill asked.
“His own people,” Victor said. “A pair of Lysandran frigates ambushed him after he exited the Tenor 21 jump point. He died ramming his yacht into one of them.”
“You saw it happen?”
“No, but the freighter following me did,” Victor said. “I can transmit their logs to you now.”
“Please do,” the high councilor said. “It seems Uther Solari wanted to make sure the emperor didn’t escape and return to the empire. Likely because Solari’s hold on Lysander isn’t very secure.”
“Perhaps,” Victor said. “But that’s not all. The freighter also carried the emperor’s daughter, Princess Lysandra.”
“Her?” The high councilor’s eyes went wide. “Did you take her prisoner?”
Victor nodded. “Yes, she’s in my brig now.”
High Councilor Quill rubbed his fingers together with almost giddy enthusiasm. “Oh, very good, Captain. I’ll pay a generous bounty for her. Dock with the
Gryphon
immediately.”
Victor wasn’t quite sure what to make of the high councilor’s reaction, but he kept his face neutral. “That I can do. Can I also get docking clearance for the freighter following me?”
“The freighter? Yes, yes, of course,” the high councilor said. “I’ll be waiting for you at the airlock.” The transmission ended.
“Fara?”
“Setting course for the
Gryphon
now,” Fara said. “We wouldn’t want to waste the high councilor’s time, now would we?”
Victor nodded but was ill at ease. The high councilor’s demeanor and the Alliance fleet heading straight toward Lysandran space didn’t feel right to him.
***
A metallic tapping on the bars woke Lysandra from her nap. Cradling her bandaged hand, she sat up and looked to see the mercenary captain standing at the bars.
“This is where you get off, Princess.”
Lysandra rubbed her eyes with her unbandage hand. “What? We couldn’t have reached Mustang by now.”
“Did I say we had reached Mustang?” Victor said.
“Where are we then?” Lysandra asked.
“You’ll find out in a moment. Your hands please,” Victor said.
Lysandra stood and tried her best to look defiant. “Maybe I’d rather stay here.”
Victor was unimpressed. “I’m flattered you want to remain my guest, but, if you don’t cooperate, then I’ll have to turn in Lena and her crew for treason.”
“Treason!” Lysandra said.
“They provided aid and comfort to the enemy, namely you, during wartime,” Victor said.
“They didn’t know a war was on at the time,” Lysandra said.
“And maybe the court will take that into consideration,” Victor said.
She approached the bars. “Lena said you were a friend. Are you the kind of man who would turn in a friend for treason?”
“Do you want to find out?” Victor asked.
She sighed in resignation and held her wrists before her. “Fine.”
“Behind your back please,” Victor said.
Lysandra hesitated, then turned around and placed her hands behind her back.
The cuffs clicked on with surprising gentleness. The mercenary took care not to put them on too tightly.
“There,” Victor said, opening the bars. “Come with me. You’re expected.”
Lysandra walked from the cell, and Victor took hold of her left arm, leading her to the bow of the ship.
When they reached the airlock, both hatches were already opened. On the other side waited several armed and armored Mustanger Marines and an older man in a business suit. It took her a moment to recognize the man as High Councilor Holace Quill.
Victor led her through the airlock.
When they crossed the threshold to the other ship, High Councilor Quill opened his arms and said, “Welcome aboard the Mustang starship
Gryphon
, Princess Lysandra.”
“High Councilor,” Lysandra said, showing him her cuffed hands from behind her back. “I’d shake your hand, but, as you can see, my host has trust issues.”
The mercenary grunted.
“Well, given that your people launched an unprovoked attack against the Free Worlds, you can understand if there’s a deficit of trust,” the high councilor said.
“I had nothing to do with that,” Lysandra said.
“Then why were you trying to reach your father’s fleet?” High Councilor Quill asked.
“I think you know why,” Lysandra said.
Quill’s smile hardened. “So should I address you as Empress then? Now that your father has…passed.”
A skillful deflection, she had to admit to herself. “No, by law, I’m still a princess until I am coroneted.”
“Ah, I see,” Quill said. He turned to one of the marines. “Major, relieve Captain Blackhand of his prisoner.”
“Yes, sir,” the marine said. She and one of her subordinates approached. “Captain Blackhand?”
“She’s all yours, Major,” the mercenary said, giving Lysandra a gentle push.
Lysandra offered no resistance as the marines took her away.
***
Victor watched as the princess was led away. Then High Councilor Quill cleared his throat.
“Join me in my office, Captain Blackhand? I’d like to discuss your reward with you, along with other matters. And I’m sure you have questions as well.”
Victor nodded. “That I do, High Councilor.”
“Well then, follow me,” High Councilor Quill said, turning to walk down the corridor opposite where the princess was taken.
Victor fell in beside the high councilor, and four marines took escort positions around them, two in front and two in back.
As they continued through the ship, the crew stopped and made way for their head of state. All of the crew stood straight and saluted as the high councilor passed. Victor observed a genuine respect behind the salutes, not just rote discipline.
“The crew seems upbeat,” Victor said.
“After their recent string of victories, in no small part due to your help, why shouldn’t they?”
“I suppose,” Victor said, “winning two wars in the space of a few weeks must be good for morale.”
“The war with the Lysandran Empire is not over yet,” the high councilor said.
“True,” Victor said. “But I see little reason for this war to last much longer.”
“Agreed,” the high councilor said. “I suppose you were surprised to run into the Alliance fleet on your way back to Mustang.”
“A bit,” Victor said. “Though I guess I shouldn’t be. It makes sense you would try to capitalize on your victories.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what we’re doing out here,” Quill said. “Ending this war now, once and for all.”
Something about the finality of the high councilor’s statement bothered Victor. It continued to nag him when they arrived at the high councilor’s office a few minutes later. One of the marines opened the door, and Victor followed Holace Quill inside.
The high councilor walked around his desk and settled into his chair. “You will pardon me, Captain Blackhand, if I say that you look a bit…disappointed.”
Victor shrugged. “I didn’t quite get what I wanted.”
“Ah, yes. You mean the emperor. I suppose the irony of him being killed by his own people is of little satisfaction to you,” the high councilor said.
“If you recall, I agreed to work with you so that I would get the chance to kill him,” Victor said.
“Did I not give you that chance?” Quill said.
“You did,” Victor said. “But circumstances conspired to keep him from my reach.”
“I hope you don’t hold me responsible for that.”
Victor shook his head, “Of course I don’t, High Councilor. It’s just…”
“I understand,” said the high councilor. “But I think the compensation you will get for delivering the princess to me will go a long way toward tempering your disappointment.”
“If nothing else, it will ensure my retirement is a comfortable one,” Victor said.
“You’re retiring?” High Councilor Quill asked.
Victor nodded. “The man who killed my homeworld is dead and his empire in the hands of a usurper.” He shrugged. “I’d say my work is done.”
“When do you plan on retiring?” the high councilor asked.
“As soon as I return to Mustang,” Victor said.
“I don’t suppose I could persuade you to stay on? I could make it worth your while,” Quill said.
Victor shook his head. “I was never in it for the money. And, besides, I’m already the wealthiest mercenary in the Free Worlds.”
“True, but I thought you’d want to see things to the end,” Quill said.
“What’s to see? You’re leading the fleet into the Lysandran Empire to extract concessions from Uther Solari.”
“Is that what you think the fleet is out here for?” Quill asked.
“I did…until you just asked that question,” Victor said. “If the fleet isn’t here to force a peace with the Lysandrans, then why are you here?”
Holace Quill’s face hardened. It was a look Victor had seen on another ruler’s face five years ago. “To make sure the Lysandrans never threaten the Free Worlds, or anyone else, ever again.”
Victor’s stomach tightened. “How?”
“We’ll destroy the planet Lysander, as punishment for what they did to your homeworld,” Quill said.

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