Garrix arrived in the maintenance bay and grabbed a pulse rifle out of the
weapon's locker. She could hear the atmospheric exchange system and brought
the rifle to bear. The hangar doors opened and she saw Lt. Reston
accompanied by three commandos, all armed. The others must still be
onboard, in reserve. She kept the rifle pointed at them, "Welcome aboard
the hybrid leviathan Lt. Reston. Your ident chip, over there." She gestured
toward the main console.
"You will find everything in order, Captain. If you wouldn't mind, sir, I would like to see yours."
She checked the display and saw that all was in order. She pulled his chip out and tossed it back to him and placed hers in the reader. "You will find that I am who I say I am."
He gestured for his troops to lower their weapons. Garrix responded in kind. "Thank you, sir. If I may ask what you are doing here?" She related the cover story she had devised. Lt. Reston had no reason to disbelieve her story. "I would like to see the traitor Crais. To ensure that he is properly contained."
"You doubt me, Lieutenant?" she asked coldly.
Her tactic was working, she could see a little nervousness in his face and hear it his voice, "No, sir. It's just that he eluded capture for so long . . . "
"Lieutenant, if you have nothing to say, don't open your mouth," she used her most condescending tone. Garrix wanted him and his commandos to have no doubt she was in charge. She led him to the holding cells. "As you can see, the prisoners are being securely held."
Crais charged the bars and yelled out, "I'll kill you for what you did to me! You can't keep me imprisoned on my own ship." He reached through the bars toward them.
She grabbed his thumb and pulled it back. He tried to sink to his knees. "Do not talk to me again, traitor. I will enjoy teaching you to show proper respect. Additionally, the next time you stick something through the bars, I will cut it off." She released him and he backed away, glaring at her. Crais wondered how much of this was an act. Garrix walked away, ignoring him. Reston eyed him warily as they walked on. Stark and Zhaan eyed them coldly as they walked past.
"Are you sure the higher functions are disabled, Captain?"
She looked at him like that was an incredibly ignorant question. "If the higher functions were not disabled would I have been able to overpower Crais? No. The hybrid would have killed me," she answered patronizingly. They left the holding area, one of the commandos remained and the other two returned to the Vigilante. Garrix and Reston and proceeded to Crais' quarters. She took a seat behind the desk. "I require assistance for some repairs. I doubt your ship has anything onboard that can repair the starburst system, but you can help me get the pulse cannon operational again." Reston began to sit, "Did I tell you to sit, Lieutenant?"
He popped to attention, "No, sir. Sorry, sir."
"Don't apologize. Can you provide assistance or not?"
"Yes, sir. What parts do you require?"
She explained what was needed and Reston set two of his people to work on repairing the cannon. Fortunately Talyn's pulse cannon was compatible with the Vigilante's. Garrix was pleased at how well this was going. She trusted the repair team to do the job correctly, after all she was a Peacekeeper captain. She sought out Reston and found him at the Vigilante. "Lieutenant, I would appreciate a tour of the Vigilante. I have not yet had the opportunity to see one up close." He obliged and gave her a tour. She had timed this so that the repair team would comm in their job completion while she was onboard. She hoped this would provide her the distraction she needed to upload the sabotage program. It did. She now had to decide what to do about the commandos. With Talyn and Crais' help they could probably dispose of them, but the odds of having something go wrong was high. Too high. All she had to do now was get rid of the Vigilante. She was almost positive she had instilled enough fear in Reston that he would leave when asked.
Reston approached her, "Captain, they have completed repairs to the pulse cannon."
"Excellent. Let's go to command and test it." The test was successful. Garrix was pleased. She looked over at Reston, "I'm sure you and your crew would like to continue with your mission. Now that the pulse cannon is operational, I will be able to defend myself until I can return to Peacekeeper space. Your assistance is no longer required."
"Sir, I would feel more comfortable if I could leave a couple of my men with you. That way you would not be outnumbered in case something goes wrong with the prisoners."
"That's very considerate of you. I would appreciate the help, but I don't want to take away from your ability to complete your mission." She was trying to find a way to get him to change his mind without drawing suspicion.
"Two men will make little difference. Besides, sir, I would be remiss in my duties to protect my superior officers if I left you here alone." He was very insistent.
"Very well, choose your men. I will open suitable quarters for them." She would need help to take care of two of them. It would have to be soon after the Vigilante left. The explosion would rock Talyn and put them on the offensive. She proceeded to Crais' quarters before returning to the hangar. "Talyn if you can hear me, dim the lights." He did. "Good, I need you to listen, and relay this to Bialar once the guard leaves. Two commandos are being left onboard. Soon I will be going to the hangar to take them to their quarters. I will hide a pulse pistol between the holding cells and their quarters. Once I am in the hangar and all the commandos are there, release Bialar. I will need his help in disposing of them. Do you understand?" Talyn dimmed the lights again. So far everything was going well. She hoped it stayed that way.
When she arrived in the hangar, she saw Reston and two of his commandos at the base of the Vigilante's ramp. "Your other troops are all onboard?" she asked.
"Yes, sir. We will be leaving as soon as the hangar is secure."
"I will cycle the hangar from here," she turned toward the maintenance bay and the hangar controls. The commandos followed her. She cycled the hangar and knew time was short. It would only be 150 microts before the Vigilante blew up. She didn't speak to the commandos but turned and left the hangar. They followed. She hoped Talyn had kept his end of the bargain. They were almost to the crew quarters when the lights temporarily dimmed. She assumed this was a signal from Crais. Garrix swung around and delivered a pantak jab to the closest commando. Crais had hit the other on the back of the head with his pulse pistol. She was glad they were not wearing body armor.
"I see you got my message," he said to her.
"Yes, it seemed obvious after I used that method to communicate with Talyn." An explosion shook the ship.
"It seems your plan worked. We just have to dispose of these two."
Zhaan and Stark joined them. "It is unfortunate these two remained on board. I will leave this to the two of you. I don't want to know what you do with them," Zhaan sounded disgusted by the entire prospect. As a Pa'u it was no surprise she felt this way. The two of them walked away toward Stark's quarters.
Garrix looked at Crais, "Airlock?"
"I think we have little choice in the matter. Keeping them alive only adds to the dangers we already face." They dragged the commandos to the nearest airlock. Crais had Talyn cycle the airlock before they regained consciousness.
She looked at Crais, "I would like to apologize to you for trying to rip your thumb off. I felt that I couldn't let you get away with threatening me unpunished."
"My thumb is sore, but will be fine. I will admit I was a little concerned at that point. I thought perhaps you might actually try to turn us in." He moved closer to her.
"And now?" she asked quietly as she looked up into his beautiful brown eyes.
He gently grasped her arms, "I know that I can trust you. My life hung in the balance and you let me live. I will never doubt you again."
She put her finger to his lips, "You should not make promises you may not be able to keep. My agenda may not always match yours."
"Does it match for the present?" He longed to hold her tight.
"No," she paused for dramatic effect. "Right now I have no agenda. I have yet to decide what to do with this second chance I have been given." She broke free and walked away. When she was almost out of sight she glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. Crais smiled and followed, but not too quickly. He didn't want to appear overly eager.
When he arrived at the door to her quarters he saw that she had removed her jacket and was rolling the bottle of oil between her hands. She had heard his approach but had not yet turned around. She held the bottle up to the light, "I have found the oil is more effective when it is warm."
He came up behind her, caressed her bare shoulders, and began kissing her neck, "I believe we would be more comfortable in my quarters," and swept her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as he carried her to his quarters. Once there he gently laid her down on the bed. They helped each other undress. When they were finished, Crais took the oil from her and began massaging her back. She relished the feel of his touch. It was strong and yet gentle at the same time. She had been correct; it was still potent. The scent was intoxicating. She was ready now, but first she must return the favor. Garrix had Crais lay down on his stomach and she began massaging him with the oil. She inhaled deeply as she rubbed his back, savoring the moment. She could tell he was enjoying the attention. Finally he could stand it no longer, he rolled over onto his back.
"Not yet," she whispered and began rubbing the oil onto his chest. He closed his eyes and moaned in anticipation. He longed to have her, and began to caress her chest. He didn't have to wait long, she needed him as much as he needed her. They didn't care how much noise they made. It felt good to be together again.
"You will find everything in order, Captain. If you wouldn't mind, sir, I would like to see yours."
She checked the display and saw that all was in order. She pulled his chip out and tossed it back to him and placed hers in the reader. "You will find that I am who I say I am."
He gestured for his troops to lower their weapons. Garrix responded in kind. "Thank you, sir. If I may ask what you are doing here?" She related the cover story she had devised. Lt. Reston had no reason to disbelieve her story. "I would like to see the traitor Crais. To ensure that he is properly contained."
"You doubt me, Lieutenant?" she asked coldly.
Her tactic was working, she could see a little nervousness in his face and hear it his voice, "No, sir. It's just that he eluded capture for so long . . . "
"Lieutenant, if you have nothing to say, don't open your mouth," she used her most condescending tone. Garrix wanted him and his commandos to have no doubt she was in charge. She led him to the holding cells. "As you can see, the prisoners are being securely held."
Crais charged the bars and yelled out, "I'll kill you for what you did to me! You can't keep me imprisoned on my own ship." He reached through the bars toward them.
She grabbed his thumb and pulled it back. He tried to sink to his knees. "Do not talk to me again, traitor. I will enjoy teaching you to show proper respect. Additionally, the next time you stick something through the bars, I will cut it off." She released him and he backed away, glaring at her. Crais wondered how much of this was an act. Garrix walked away, ignoring him. Reston eyed him warily as they walked on. Stark and Zhaan eyed them coldly as they walked past.
"Are you sure the higher functions are disabled, Captain?"
She looked at him like that was an incredibly ignorant question. "If the higher functions were not disabled would I have been able to overpower Crais? No. The hybrid would have killed me," she answered patronizingly. They left the holding area, one of the commandos remained and the other two returned to the Vigilante. Garrix and Reston and proceeded to Crais' quarters. She took a seat behind the desk. "I require assistance for some repairs. I doubt your ship has anything onboard that can repair the starburst system, but you can help me get the pulse cannon operational again." Reston began to sit, "Did I tell you to sit, Lieutenant?"
He popped to attention, "No, sir. Sorry, sir."
"Don't apologize. Can you provide assistance or not?"
"Yes, sir. What parts do you require?"
She explained what was needed and Reston set two of his people to work on repairing the cannon. Fortunately Talyn's pulse cannon was compatible with the Vigilante's. Garrix was pleased at how well this was going. She trusted the repair team to do the job correctly, after all she was a Peacekeeper captain. She sought out Reston and found him at the Vigilante. "Lieutenant, I would appreciate a tour of the Vigilante. I have not yet had the opportunity to see one up close." He obliged and gave her a tour. She had timed this so that the repair team would comm in their job completion while she was onboard. She hoped this would provide her the distraction she needed to upload the sabotage program. It did. She now had to decide what to do about the commandos. With Talyn and Crais' help they could probably dispose of them, but the odds of having something go wrong was high. Too high. All she had to do now was get rid of the Vigilante. She was almost positive she had instilled enough fear in Reston that he would leave when asked.
Reston approached her, "Captain, they have completed repairs to the pulse cannon."
"Excellent. Let's go to command and test it." The test was successful. Garrix was pleased. She looked over at Reston, "I'm sure you and your crew would like to continue with your mission. Now that the pulse cannon is operational, I will be able to defend myself until I can return to Peacekeeper space. Your assistance is no longer required."
"Sir, I would feel more comfortable if I could leave a couple of my men with you. That way you would not be outnumbered in case something goes wrong with the prisoners."
"That's very considerate of you. I would appreciate the help, but I don't want to take away from your ability to complete your mission." She was trying to find a way to get him to change his mind without drawing suspicion.
"Two men will make little difference. Besides, sir, I would be remiss in my duties to protect my superior officers if I left you here alone." He was very insistent.
"Very well, choose your men. I will open suitable quarters for them." She would need help to take care of two of them. It would have to be soon after the Vigilante left. The explosion would rock Talyn and put them on the offensive. She proceeded to Crais' quarters before returning to the hangar. "Talyn if you can hear me, dim the lights." He did. "Good, I need you to listen, and relay this to Bialar once the guard leaves. Two commandos are being left onboard. Soon I will be going to the hangar to take them to their quarters. I will hide a pulse pistol between the holding cells and their quarters. Once I am in the hangar and all the commandos are there, release Bialar. I will need his help in disposing of them. Do you understand?" Talyn dimmed the lights again. So far everything was going well. She hoped it stayed that way.
When she arrived in the hangar, she saw Reston and two of his commandos at the base of the Vigilante's ramp. "Your other troops are all onboard?" she asked.
"Yes, sir. We will be leaving as soon as the hangar is secure."
"I will cycle the hangar from here," she turned toward the maintenance bay and the hangar controls. The commandos followed her. She cycled the hangar and knew time was short. It would only be 150 microts before the Vigilante blew up. She didn't speak to the commandos but turned and left the hangar. They followed. She hoped Talyn had kept his end of the bargain. They were almost to the crew quarters when the lights temporarily dimmed. She assumed this was a signal from Crais. Garrix swung around and delivered a pantak jab to the closest commando. Crais had hit the other on the back of the head with his pulse pistol. She was glad they were not wearing body armor.
"I see you got my message," he said to her.
"Yes, it seemed obvious after I used that method to communicate with Talyn." An explosion shook the ship.
"It seems your plan worked. We just have to dispose of these two."
Zhaan and Stark joined them. "It is unfortunate these two remained on board. I will leave this to the two of you. I don't want to know what you do with them," Zhaan sounded disgusted by the entire prospect. As a Pa'u it was no surprise she felt this way. The two of them walked away toward Stark's quarters.
Garrix looked at Crais, "Airlock?"
"I think we have little choice in the matter. Keeping them alive only adds to the dangers we already face." They dragged the commandos to the nearest airlock. Crais had Talyn cycle the airlock before they regained consciousness.
She looked at Crais, "I would like to apologize to you for trying to rip your thumb off. I felt that I couldn't let you get away with threatening me unpunished."
"My thumb is sore, but will be fine. I will admit I was a little concerned at that point. I thought perhaps you might actually try to turn us in." He moved closer to her.
"And now?" she asked quietly as she looked up into his beautiful brown eyes.
He gently grasped her arms, "I know that I can trust you. My life hung in the balance and you let me live. I will never doubt you again."
She put her finger to his lips, "You should not make promises you may not be able to keep. My agenda may not always match yours."
"Does it match for the present?" He longed to hold her tight.
"No," she paused for dramatic effect. "Right now I have no agenda. I have yet to decide what to do with this second chance I have been given." She broke free and walked away. When she was almost out of sight she glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. Crais smiled and followed, but not too quickly. He didn't want to appear overly eager.
When he arrived at the door to her quarters he saw that she had removed her jacket and was rolling the bottle of oil between her hands. She had heard his approach but had not yet turned around. She held the bottle up to the light, "I have found the oil is more effective when it is warm."
He came up behind her, caressed her bare shoulders, and began kissing her neck, "I believe we would be more comfortable in my quarters," and swept her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as he carried her to his quarters. Once there he gently laid her down on the bed. They helped each other undress. When they were finished, Crais took the oil from her and began massaging her back. She relished the feel of his touch. It was strong and yet gentle at the same time. She had been correct; it was still potent. The scent was intoxicating. She was ready now, but first she must return the favor. Garrix had Crais lay down on his stomach and she began massaging him with the oil. She inhaled deeply as she rubbed his back, savoring the moment. She could tell he was enjoying the attention. Finally he could stand it no longer, he rolled over onto his back.
"Not yet," she whispered and began rubbing the oil onto his chest. He closed his eyes and moaned in anticipation. He longed to have her, and began to caress her chest. He didn't have to wait long, she needed him as much as he needed her. They didn't care how much noise they made. It felt good to be together again.