Wings of Steele - Flight of Freedom (Book2) (47 page)

Finally alone, Lisa looked at Nina. “Ne-Ne..?”

Nina blushed, “That's what she likes to call me.”

Lisa just shook her head, “Whatever.”

“
I have a name for her too.”

“
Oh please,” waved Lisa, “don't tell me, I'm sure I don't want to know...” She watched Nina make a pouty face. “Oh for the love of... I know I'm going to hate myself for asking, what is...”

“
Layme!” interrupted Nina happily.

“
Ew, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little...”

“
You
did not.
Besides,” she said coyly, “it's cute.” Gus sat in between the beds watching the exchange like a ping-pong match.

“
If by
cute
you mean,
shoot myself in the head revolting
, then yeah, I guess it's cute.”

“
You're just
jealous...”

Lisa plopped down on her bed, next to her finished bag. “Of
what?”

“
Of having
fine, sensual, earth shattering sexxx...” s
he hugged herself, sliding her hands playfully up and down her own body.

Lisa put her face in her palms. “Oh. My.
God!
Just
kill
me now...”

■ ■ ■

“Sir, incoming message from -
the Revenge?”

Pappy looked up from the screens at the Freedom's command seat. “Who?” He waved his hand, “On screen.”
A video insert appeared on the big screen, Jack and Brian
standing on an empty bridge. “What the fu...” he caught himself. “Skipper, where the hell are you?”

“
On the bridge of our new ship, Pappy... a
brand new
missile frigate...”

“
I thought it was supposed to be a research vessel.”

“
Yeah, that was the cover story. The reality is quite different. This baby is all black ops and loaded for bear. Including a GOD drive and a Valkyrie anti-ship missile system.”

“
Jeez-us!
I can't fathom someone abandoning that. What the hell's been going on down there?”

“
Suffice it to say it's been a strange trip so far.” Brian nudged him in the ribs. “I am reminded by my cohort here, to extend greetings and salutations from the Queen...”

“
So you found the royal family then?”

“
Yes. And no.” Steele watched Paul's curiously baffled expression. “The royal family fell as casualties of the revolution. The
Princess
is the new
Queen of Veloria.”

Paul's eyes widened and more than a few faces on the Freedom's bridge looked up from their stations. “
Your
Princess? As in,
Alité?
Your
wife?
Please tell me you're pullin' my leg...”

“
Wish I could.”

“
What..? How..?”

Jack waved off his question, “I'll tell you all the details later, Pappy. We just wanted to test the ship's comms. She was stowed in a hanger with all her towers down; we wanted to be sure everything was functional now that we got her outside.”

“Crew,” reminded Brian.

“
Right,” nodded Jack. “And we'll need a few people to run her, just a skeleton crew for now. I need Ragnaar for navigation, Raulya for tactical and Toncaresh for engineering. Pick another ten. I'll probably use a couple of our Marines as well. Brian will bring the Zulu back up tonight, but he needs to come back on the shuttle, I'm going to need him here.”

Paul was taking notes. “Heken Noer's probably going to want to see that GOD drive...”

“You're right. Send him down on the shuttle with the crew; we'll get him back to you in a few hours.”

“
Will do. By the way, the convoy has arrived. The engineers are on the way down, you're probably going to see several trips, they've got about two-hundred guys. The supply ship is also in-atmosphere but she's taking her sweet time - she's heavy.”

“
The guys in the tower will guide them down, no sweat. Everything quiet up there?”

“
Almost too quiet. They know we're here though, that atmosphere GOD jump proves it. I just can't believe we missed them.”

“
Don't worry, they'll make another mistake. We'll find them...”

■ ■ ■

The Air and Space Port was starting to look a little more like an actual operational base. Shuttles depositing waves of Army Engineers and their gear on the concrete near the control tower stayed just long enough to disembark their human cargo and under direction of the tower, rotate away, taxi a short way out and lift off again to repeat the process later.

The lights all around the field and facility were the bright spot on an otherwise darkened planet, a welcome beacon of light that drew the shuttles and ships like moths to a flame. The tower greeted the first real traffic it had seen in months. The terminal and hangars accepted personnel and equipment; coming to life like a like a sleeping giant awakening from a long nap. Marines driving repurposed vehicles shuttled the newly-arrived soldiers from the landing zone to the entrance of the subterranean base, a flat, unassuming, concrete building between the two main hangars. This is where they would set up shop, their home away from home for the duration of their stay, with all the amenities of any permanent operational base.

Sitting out under the stars in front of Hangar Two, the Revenge's long, black hull caught a lot of glances from the soldiers as they passed while being shuttled to the underground entrance and disembarking in her shadow. She looked fast and stealthy.

“
Zulu One, Skipper, see you in a bit.”

Standing at the base of the missile frigate's ramp, studying her specs and systems on an e-Pad, Steele keyed his mic, “See you in a bit, Bri.”

Alité walked up from behind him, her carbine slung over her shoulder, helmet dangling from her hand. “She's beautiful...”

Steele smiled, “Yeah she is.” He grabbed her free hand, pulled her closer and kissed her, just long enough to quicken their pulses. “But not as beautiful
as you...
So how was your meeting?”

“
I think it went well, we covered a lot of ground. The biggest topic will be food and water. It's available, it's just getting it to them. We still don't know why they never left the city. People in the small towns and outlying areas seem to be doing much better than the people in the city.”

Jack nodded, “Sure, people in rural areas are more self-reliant, and they work together better. There's a reason city living is called a
rat race...”

“
A what? I've never heard of that,” her brow knitted.

“
In the city, it's all about who gets there first and can fight to take the most.” Jack shrugged, his armor barely moving, “It makes for competitive commerce, but it's not too good for the
humanity
in humans.”

“
But what do rats have to do with it?”

Jack snorted, clenching his teeth to keep from laughing. “Nothing sweetie, it's just a saying. So, we were busy today too,” he added, changing the subject.

She looked up at the Revenge, “I can see that. Where'd she come from?”

“
There's a subterranean hangar right below this one attached to the base. She was sitting on the elevator pad. They charged her systems and bought her up. She's a ghost ship, no records.”

“
Well she's not the Maultier you were hoping to steal... does this count?”

“
Pssch,” waved Jack, “this is
way
better.” He leaned closer and whispered into her ear, “She's got a GOD drive and a
Valkyrie anti-ship missile system.”

“
EXCUSE me!”

Jack spun on his heel, faced with the Army Engineer's command officer.
“Major,
good to see you, welcome to Velor...”

“
Is this how you people behave in the Marines?
Officers
fraternizing with
enlisted personnel?”
He motioned to Alité, scowling. “Marine, didn't you learn how to salute a
superior officer?”

She glanced sideways at Jack, not sure how to respond.

Steele was determined to do his best to clarify the situation diplomatically. “Sir we are in fact, in Indian territory. The natives are not fully compliant as of yet, we are working on...”

“
We're in a
secured location,
Captain. I expect protocols to be followed
completely.”
He stood with his hands on his hips waiting. Jack glanced at Alité and shrugged, saluting. She did likewise, mirroring him, using the opposite hand. Seeing this, the Major looked like he was going to go apoplectic.
“By the Gods,”
he exclaimed, slapping his forehead, “I have never seen such a
sorry excuse...”

“
I beg you
not to finish that thought, Major,” interrupted Jack. “It wouldn't be a good idea.”

The Major had an evil smirk, “Idea? It'll be a sad day in Hellion when I need a couple
Jarheads
to give
me
an idea. Now point me to your base commander.”

“
Ugh,” breathed Jack, taking a deep breath. He knew Admiral Kelarez would be forced to write yet another report on his behalf if he popped this ass in the mouth.
“Let's try this again,
Major,” he said calmly, extending his hand. “Jack Steele, Captain of the jump carrier, Freedom, and the
temporary
Base Commander.” He got a stunned, blank stare and a motorized, halfhearted handshake. “And this,” he motioned to his left, “Is Alité Galaýa Steele.
My wife
. And the
Queen
of Veloria. The
whole
planet.”

“
What..?” The Major's voice was deadpan and his face changed from ruddy to completely blanched, then to an odd pale green. Jack almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He decided to have a little fun at the officer's expense.

“
She is armored for her safety and she is under the protection of the UFW Marines, since she is the last remaining member of the Velorian royal family.”
He turned to
Alité and winked slyly, “I am sorry for this, your Majesty, he is simply uninformed... a little boorish, perhaps, but I'm sure he meant no disrespect...” he turned to the Major, “You didn't, did you?”

“
N-no of course not,” replied the wide-eyed officer.

He turned back to his wife, “See? His is apologetic for his behavior, please forgive him...”

“Yes, please forgive me, your Majesty...”

Jack grabbed her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes, “You are a wise and kind Monarch, my Queen, please tell me it is unnecessary to spill his blood over this indiscretion...”

“What?” The Major's eyes turned to saucers.

Alit
é caught her husband's game, a curl turning at the corners of her mouth. She turned away, her nose in the air. “He has my leniency. Remove him from my presence,
immediately.”

“
Thank you your Majesty,” bowed Jack, “thank you.” He turned to the Army officer, “I'd get going, if I were you.” He leaned close to the man, whispering, “See that sword over her shoulder? I saw her cut a man in half with
one stroke
yesterday,” he motioned across his mid-section. “Horrible,” he shuddered.

The Major never looked back as he hustled off, hoping he hadn't stepped into some sticky inter-planetary quagmire.

Hand-in-hand, the pair walked up the ramp of the Revenge, laughing. “We have her all to ourselves for the next few hours,” said Jack, “want to save some water and share a shower..?”

■ ■ ■

Lisa's heart pounded, she was unsure of what to expect, standing there on the concrete, Nina and Gus standing with her. They watched the soldiers from their shuttle pile into a truck that looked different yet the same as any truck back home on Earth.
Back on Earth.
That was a concept that was increasingly harder to come to terms with. Traveling through space was difficult enough to wrap you head around, but hey the astronauts were capable, so it wasn't
that
foreign. But then there were the jump gates, created by the Ancients,
architects of the universe...
who no one knew or could identify. She was told the gates had existed for as long as anyone could remember and longer than records had been kept. Suddenly there was nothing that could be labeled as familiar, even the stars looked different.

But the air smelled, well, like air. A blast of it hit them in the back as the shuttle they had arrived in, turned and slid away to the first runway before lifting unceremoniously off. And then they were alone, the Three Musketeers of sorts, standing on a landing pad of an alien world.
Alien world.
That thought made Lisa's stomach jump. Like her heart wasn't pounding hard enough. She was somewhat comforted by the fact that she and Nina were both wearing their Glocks, but you can't kill fear. She took a deep breath and held it, trying to slow her heart rate and quiet her nerves.

“
Hey! What are you doing out there? Get off the landing pad. I have more ships coming in!”

They looked around but could not see the owner of the disembodied voice anywhere. “Where do we go?” yelled Lisa.

“Go into the terminal! The gold building in front of you!”

■ ■ ■

The driver dropped them off under the nose of the Revenge in front of Hangar Two, the building's massive main door, yawning widely. He zipped away as soon as they were clear of his vehicle.

“
Where are we supposed to go from here?” asked Nina, looking over her shoulder, watching the hover car head back to the main terminal.

“
No fucking idea,” replied Lisa, hefting her duffel bag on her right shoulder. “Let's go look around.” The walk to the door was curiously deceptive in its length, both of the girls tiring under the weight of their hefty duffles. “I feel like we're walking under a city block on stilts. This thing is huge,” she said, looking up at the underside of the hull.

“
That whole
no tires
thing on their cars is kinda weird, doncha think?”

Lisa adjusted the bag on her shoulder as she walked, “We've traveled in a
spaceship
, to a
different galaxy
, looking for
my brother
on an
alien world
, and you think
no tires
is weird?” She couldn't help laughing, “Holy shit, woman,
you're
weird.”

“
HEY!
Where you going?”

They stopped in their tracks looking around. “Who said that?” whispered Nina.

“I don't know,” replied Lisa, “but this bodiless voice thing is annoying...” Gus broke to the right, crossing in front of her and disappeared, her duffel blocking her view. She unshouldered it and watched Gus sprint toward Jack coming down the ramp of the missile frigate, Alité behind him. They were both dressed in camouflaged tactical pants and a white 2ndSkyn, their armor left on racks in the ships' small armory.

A wave of relief washed over Lisa, she didn't feel so completely lost now.

■ ■ ■

The Marines stationed at Boney's farm were back on base by the crack of dawn, replaced by a smaller contingency of Army Engineers that would install some new defensive systems around the farm to protect the new Prime Minister of Veloria. A formal meeting with the Major assured Jack and Alité that the security and progress of her planet would be ensured in the manner her new government outlined. Confident the Major was a better officer than a diplomat, it was clear there would be no more misunderstandings.

With the temporary crew of the Revenge aboard, including a few of the Freedom's Marines, the only ones left on the ground were Ensign Tusker who would fly the ship's shuttle up and Jack, with Lisa in the rear seat of the Remora fighter. Once in orbit, they would recover to the missile frigate.

Jack made sure Lisa's gloves and helmet were on and properly sealed to her flight suit. “OK, now when you get up there, the lineman will connect all your leads and strap you in.”

“Then what do I do?”

“
Enjoy the ride,” he grinned, tapping her helmet. He pulled his own helmet on and secured it, watching his sister climb the long ladder to the cockpit. Being a Remora that nestled to the belly of the frigate, the vertical stabilizers for atmospheric flight were on the bottom of the craft instead of the top. The landing legs were longer than all the other fighters he'd been in; they looked so fragile in comparison.

He hefted himself up the ladder and dropped into the cockpit, scanning the controls. Fairly standard except for the specialized docking controls over on the left console. A wash of cool air filled his suit as the lineman connected his umbilicals. Strapped in, he waited for the ladders to disappear. “How you doing back there, all tucked in?”

“Snug as a bug in a rug.”

“
Can you hear me OK?”

“
Yep, just fine.” She wiped a bead of sweat off her eyebrow through her open visor.

“
OK, cool. Now you'll feel some G forces in the atmosphere, but almost nothing once we get out above it...”
“You're not going to go crazy are you?”

“
No... and the gravity balancing system inside helps reduce felt Gs. So even if I did, you wouldn't feel much. It's much more responsive but less strenuous than a jet aircraft at home on earth.” He began flipping switches, the screens and systems winking on.

“
Just don't make me sick.”

“
I won't. If you feel funny for any reason, there's a green knob all the way on the right in the low corner, see it?”

“
Yes...”

“
That's your oxygen. The little dial next to it shows the flow. Turn it up if you feel funny and it will make it go away. Don't wait though; ralphing breakfast in your helmet would be
really sucky.”

“
Thank you,
Captain Obvious.”

“
A couple more things, if for any reason the ship loses cockpit atmosphere, your helmet's visor will come down automatically and seal your suit.”

“
OK.”

“
If we need to eject...”

“
Eject?”

“
Yes
eject
. If we need to do that, there is a loop under your seat between your legs. It's red and yellow striped, you put both hands on it and pull. Hard.”

“
Swell.
Looking forward to
that
. That's sarcasm in case you're wondering.”

“
Yeah, I think I got that,” he smirked to himself.

“
Have you ever ejected?”

“
Nope.”

“
Let's not start, OK?”

“
Promise. OK, sealing cockpit...” he pulled the canopy lever and it motored forward on its track, locking down automatically with a hiss. “You're going to be able to hear all our communications, but I'm the only one who hears you.”

The lineman saluted sharply and waved them out, Jack returning the salute. The dark form of the Revenge had already disappeared, and its shuttle was just taxiing out into the daylight ahead of the Remora. “Rem One to Tower, taxiing.”

“Clear to taxi Rem One.”

Jack rotated the anti-grav grip on the throttle and it bounced gently off the concrete. He barely nudged the throttle and the fighter began to slide forward, heading for the open rectangle of daylight at the end of the hangar.

He angled his visor to cut the sun's morning glare off the gold terminal as they taxied around the end of it. The Engineer's transport ship sat on the parking pad north of the Tower, a swarm of men offloading and distributing equipment and gear, trucks moving about.

He didn't need the full runway, hell he could just about launch anywhere, so the tower directed him to the first clear area and turned him north towards the highway that lead into the capital city.

“Clear to launch, Rem One. Clear skies...”

“
Thank you, Tower. Launching.” He flipped the igniters for the burners and heard the throaty bump. Easing the throttle forward and twisting the anti-grav grip simultaneously launched him off the runway in less than fifty feet. Standard forward flight achieved in a matter of a couple seconds, he released the twist and switched off the toggles for the anti-grav, retracting the landing gear. “Anti-grav off, gear up and locked.”

“
Wow it's beautiful. So green...” Lisa looked to the left, her eyes following the cluttered ribbon of highway to the capital city. “What's that gray stuff over there?” She squinted. “Are those buildings?”

“
That used to be their capital,” he shook his head inside his helmet, “not any more. You'd think if you're going to have a revolution, you'd want to take something over, not just destroy everything. What's the point of that?”

After a circuit over Boney's farm, the city and back over the Air and Space Port, Jack pointed the Remora up the valley toward the crystal blue ocean. The planet was feeling a little familiar and he was getting attached to his little corner of it. When they passed over the downed space station, azure blue waves lapping against its shining steel hull, he explained to Lisa what they surmised had happened, sad as it was.

“Ready?”

She took a deep breath, bracing herself. “Go for it.”

He added a little power before pulling the nose up and bumping the throttle hard, sucking them both back into their seats. “That's not too bad,” she grunted, “how fast are we going?”

“
About twenty-thousand.”

“
Oh, is that all,” she replied, attempting nonchalance.

■ ■ ■

Heken Noer spent several hours in engineering inspecting the Revenge's GOD drive, engines, and power cells before returning to the Freedom with an impressive spread of notes, readings and observations. But not before sharing his wisdom with Toncaresh and the Marines' best engineer, Draza Mac.

Sitting in the ship's command station, Lieutenant Brian Carter was busy studying and learning on-the-job. It was a good feeling being in command - even if it was temporary. He keyed his mic, “Go ahead, Shuttle One.”

“On final approach,” said Tusker's voice in his earpiece.

On a frigate, there was no tower or flight control, the bridge handled it all. “Copy Shuttle One. Get it done, as soon as we have you and the Skipper aboard we're going to test the jump system.” He looked over at Raulya, “Tactical, location of our Remora?”

She flicked her display and brought up a 3D view on her screen. “He's coming up through the atmosphere as we speak. ETA less than ten minutes.”

“
Good.” Weapons all charged?”

“
Aye, sir. All power cells at full charge.”

Brian rubbed his forehead. “Did we figure out who handles the jump system?”

“That would be me,” Ragnaar raised his hand. “Navigation or helm could do it, but navigation is probably best choice.”

■ ■ ■

Just sitting still and holding station above Veloria, the Freedom was the busiest ship in the task force. Pappy keyed his mic, “Bridge to tower, did we get all our shuttles and Cyclones back from the surface?”

“
Yes, sir. All personnel from the surface, back aboard. Currently we have four Lancias on patrol and the Zulu is launching momentarily to do some surveys and surface mapping.”