Chapter 10
So far, our plan had been working perfectly.
In the last four days, we had infiltrated a handful of doppelgangers, gotten our message spread across corporate space, and even run a few interdiction missions, picking up vital supplies.
It looked like our disinformation campaign was doing exactly what we wanted.
"We have received a distress call," Torvyn said.
He was sitting at the head of the large table in the Starbreaker's ready room. The meeting consisted of senior leadership only, so me, the Knights, and a handful of department heads from around the ship. All people who had been crew for a very long time.
It had come with a cost, though. Everybody was exhausted.
For the first time since I met the Knights, they were showing signs of being tired pirates.
I glanced around the table and saw the dark circles under Torvyn's eyes, the half-drunk cup of coffee next to Lyrin, Vaelix rubbing his bloodshot eyes, and Kaedren actually falling asleep in his chair.
I cleared my throat. "Where is it coming from?"
"A Human Development Colony," Vaelix said.
Silence filled the room. It was so quiet I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I saw Torvyn flinch and realized I was pushing a significant amount of anger through the Tether. It was so strong that I heard Kaedren growl.
"A forced breeding camp," I said quietly, my words laced with venom. "The exact type of target I want to hit."
"It would be a significant blow to the corporations," Torvyn said.
"There aren't many of these colonies, and they are heavily protected," Kaedren said.
"The distress call looks legitimate. We ran multiple scans on the message and the transmission, and there are no viruses or tracers attached to either," Vaelix said, displaying the data on the room's viewscreen.
Kaedren studied the transmission text, his eyes narrowing. "The phrasing is wrong. Too clean. Too structured." He highlighted a section of the message. "This reads like someone studied our previous rescue operations and built a template."
"This seems like something the corporations would dangle in front of us to put us right in their crosshairs," he continued. "A few days after we put our plan into place, and a target this valuable just happens to send a distress call? I don't like it."
"It could be a trap," Lyrin said, nodding in agreement. "But it could also be legitimate. Do we have any intelligence on the colony's activities for the last forty-eight hours?"
"We hacked their surveillance satellites and analyzed the feeds. Everything appeared to be within normal operating parameters," Vaelix said.
"There are many ways that data could be falsified, especially by the corporations," Torvyn said.
Vaelix nodded. "That is true. However, we have not seen any evidence of an increase in shuttle launches to or from the colony. If it were a trap, they would need to bring in reinforcements."
Kaedren pulled up the corporate security posture on the colony.
"It is true that the current forces they have on the planet are no match for the Starbreaker.
It isn't just firepower, it's numbers and training too.
There are more forces than we would typically see, but not enough to stop us if we raided it. "
"What choice do we really have?" I asked, making eye contact with each person in the room.
"If we don't go, the corporations use it against us," Torvyn said slowly. "They'll say the Starbreaker won't risk their own lives."
"But that isn't true," Kaedren said.
I paused. He was right. It wasn't true. But I'd seen how corporate propaganda worked on Sigma-9, how they'd twisted everything we did into something sinister.
"You're right," I said. "But the corporations control the narrative in their space. They'll make it true in the minds of the people we're trying to reach."
Kaedren's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. He understood.
"And if we go and it's legitimate, we win," Lyrin added. "Those women win."
"And if it's a trap?" Kaedren asked.
I looked at him. "Then we still showed up. We become martyrs if it comes to that. The fire still spreads. The corporations lose even if they take us off the board."
Kaedren held my gaze for a long moment. Then he nodded once.
"So we go," Torvyn said. "Are we in agreement?"
"I will get my teams prepped," Kaedren said.
"The medical bay will be converted into a triage center, and I will make sure our best medics are on the shuttle," Lyrin said.
"I will remain aboard the Starbreaker and prepare defensive countermeasures for a worst-case scenario," Vaelix said. "I will also ensure we have the most up-to-date intelligence on the colony's security posture before you launch."
"I will get a team of survivors together to greet the women we rescue. They've been through this and are ready to help," I said.
Torvyn nodded. "I will pilot the shuttle myself." He sent the Starbreaker's flight path to the room's viewscreen. "We will arrive in two hours. Be ready to go. Dismissed."
The ready room emptied quickly, everyone moving with purpose toward their stations. I was nearly to the door when Torvyn's hand caught my wrist.
He pulled me back gently, turning me to face him. The room was empty now, just the two of us, and the image of the colony was still glowing on the viewscreen.
He didn't say anything. Just drew me closer, his other hand finding the small of my back.
I let him hold me for a breath, then turned my head before his lips found mine.
"I don't need your sexy body to get me ready for this mission," I said, allowing a small smile to soften the rejection.
He exhaled, something between a laugh and a sigh.
I stepped back, breaking contact, and met his eyes. "We both need our heads clear for this. After. If we make it back."
He held my gaze. Something shifted in his expression. He understood what I was offering, and what I was asking for now.
"After," he agreed.
I turned and walked out, feeling his eyes on my back until the door sealed behind me.
The remaining survivors of our first rescue all volunteered to help meet the new women when they arrived. There was a buzz in the air when I told them what was about to happen, and everyone wanted to do whatever they could to help.
After that, I helped Lyrin get the medical bay transformed into a triage center, then we both made our way to the shuttle bay to get kitted out for the mission. Lyrin offered me a blaster this time, saying I'd earned it on the last mission.
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to take it. To feel less helpless if things went wrong.
"You're thinking about it," he said.
"I am."
"Then take it." He pressed it into my hands. "You don't have to use it. But having the option isn't weakness."
I looked at the weapon, then at him. He was right. I'd been so focused on what kind of symbol I wanted to be that I'd forgotten I was also a person who might need to defend herself.
"Okay," I said, clipping it to my belt. "But my words are still my primary weapon."
Lyrin smiled slightly. "I'd expect nothing less."
"Five minutes until launch. Final call for battle stations," Vaelix said through the ship's loudspeaker.
Torvyn was already at the shuttle's controls, and Lyrin had strapped into his seat. Kaedren stood next to the boarding ramp, blasters in two of his hands, the other two conducting final checks on his teams.
I strapped in across from Kaedren, pulled my helmet on, and locked it in place.
"Any last intelligence updates, Vaelix?" I asked.
"No change in the pattern of life movements at the colony. Everything appears to be operating normally," he said.
"They haven't detected the Starbreaker yet?" Lyrin asked.
"We have been shielding our emissions, and our engines are pointed away from the planet. The only plausible way they could detect us is through visual observation. We updated the harmonics on the shields to reduce the ship's glare and its RADAR cross-section size," Vaelix said.
"So we're cloaked?" I asked.
"For lack of a better word, yes," Vaelix said.
"Launch in thirty seconds," Torvyn said across the ship's communications network. "Commencing radio blackout."
"Godspeed, team. We'll be ready when you get back," Vaelix said.
The Starbreaker's shuttle bay doors opened, and we shot out of the ship.
I glanced out the front viewport and watched as the grey orb grew large enough to fill the entire view.
I bounced in my crash couch as the shuttle broke through the atmosphere.
Torvyn pushed the shuttle into a steep dive, and the crash couch folded around my body. I was ready for it this time.
The g-forces eased as Torvyn leveled out, just below a layer of clouds. I pulled up the shuttle's front camera and watched as the colony grew larger. Torvyn lined up an approach vector, and the other four shuttles fell into line behind us.
"Something is wrong," I said. "The place is empty. All the buildings are intact, and nobody is here to greet us."
Kaedren pulled up the video feed, too. "Where are the colonists?" he asked. "Shouldn't there be somebody near the landing pad? Torvyn, has anybody hailed you?"
"Negative. Authorizing weapons release, we are about to set down. Primary stations," Torvyn said.
The security team stood and charged their weapons.
Kaedren was at the front, grasping the ramp release switch.
The shuttle vibrated as Torvyn set it down, and as soon as the light above the ramp turned green, Kaedren released it.
The door dropped open, and the security team sprinted off the shuttle, fanning out into a defensive position.
I released my harness and stood. Lyrin did the same, putting a hand on my arm and holding up a finger. I nodded. The plan was for Kaedren to confirm the landing zone was free of threats, then we would breach the first building.