Chapter 9
NINE
JETT
Back in the Security headquarters, Jett felt a sense of deja vu. Everything looked and felt exactly as it had, but he was no longer the nexus of the division. It ran without him, just as it did before he’d joined the ship. He’d been but one of many in the long life of the ship.
Ollie strode into his old office, confidence a sheer coat over concern.
“What do I need to know to not fuck this up?” he asked as he collapsed at his desk, braid swaying with the movement.
Jett laughed. “You won’t fuck this up, Ollie. Leave the on-ship work to me and you handle the logistics.”
“I need to know what the plans are anyways.” Ollie sighed. “Or at least a broad idea of what to do. Especially if I have to do this again in the future.”
“I hope you don’t. The CDF should be the ones responding to this, and maybe they will.
But timing is important and we might be the closest ship with a full contingent of qualified people.
” Jett slumped down into a chair, mind buzzing through scenarios.
“I can’t say for certain until we know what kind of ship we’re checking out.
Requirements vary.” He ran a hand through his hair and very deliberately didn’t think about rescue missions to smaller ships.
“Broadest scenario I can give is this: we’ll need multiple teams to secure and evaluate the ship’s passengers and systems. If it’s a big ship, we’ll need to make some quick judgements on the systems based on what the distress signal says.”
“Checking the passengers versus,” Ollie waved a hand, “I don’t know, Hydroponics?”
Jett nodded. “I’ve never checked out Hydroponics on a ship. That’s something you stop at port for, not call for help.”
Running through the major systems in his head, Jett selected what he believed were the most important, and most likely to fail. “Engineering, Life Support, Passengers, and the Bridge are the most likely locations we’ll need to check.”
“I’ll take Engineering. I have some experience with those systems.” He smiled. “Not much, but more than you.”
Jett didn’t argue the point; he’d already decided where he’d go. “I want Cosma and Jack as the other two team leads, and we can pick some backups if the ship is larger than expected.”
“And what’s the procedure? Or am I overthinking it?”
“Probably overthinking it. You clear the area, check the systems, secure the passengers, and get back to the ship.” Ollie didn’t need procedure laid out for him like a diagram. He wasn’t Head of Security for no reason.
“There are risks you need to know about, too.”
“What kind of risks?”
“The kind that could get you or someone else killed, maimed, or captured. If there are hostiles on the ship, we’ll likely be in combat with them. And I wouldn’t underestimate how determined a band of pirates can be when they have a prize like a corporate ship in their hands.”
Leaning back in his chair once more, Ollie leveled Jett with a look that said he knew there was more Jett wasn’t telling him. He probably wouldn’t push, but Jett needed him to understand what could happen, even if it wasn’t probable.
“I got my scars at the hands of pirates…while on a rescue mission.”
Ollie stared at him for a moment, eyes wide. “Are you okay doing this? Is that where you got your scars?”
Jet nodded, but didn’t speak.
“Does Eddie know about that?”
Jett shook his head.
Ollie’s eyes widened; he nodded but didn’t speak. Jett knew that there were whispers about what happened to him, questions that no one dared ask and that he wouldn’t answer. This was as much as he’d opened up to someone in years.
“Whatever happens,” Jett said, “keep yourself and your team together and safe. Leave the bodies and hope we can retrieve them later, otherwise you might get yourself or others into a worse situation.”