Blah, blah, blah, you know this bit already (see chapters 1-16)
Vos amo más que nunca: PhoenixTears80, Pheniox-Skye, sara, ano, kas7, pari106, Mar, Zoe, Nerene.
Another short one...
Pro Patria Mori
Chapter 17
When the choice came, it was not how he had expected it.
Lucas was running almost before Ortiz's words had finished coming over the PAL. He was out of the moon pool and halfway down the corridor by the time his security guard, who had come to the conclusion that his duty was something of a joke, had realised what was going on. When he heard the sound of heavy feet pounding the metal deck behind him, he swerved sharply into another corridor. It didn't fool the guard.
Up ahead, he saw Lieutenant Krieg turn in surprise at the sound of running footsteps. "Hey Lucas," the older man said with a smile. "Where's the fire?"
But Lucas was already past him, and all he said was "Help me, Ben. I've got to save Robert."
Krieg stared after him in astonishment, then turned again as he heard more thundering feet. He saw the security guard barrelling towards him and made a split-second decision. He stuck out his foot.
Lucas heard the crash behind him and sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the loyalty and quick thinking of Benjamin Krieg.
"No answer, sir," O'Neill said, shaking his head. The atmosphere on the bridge was tense. Bridger was clutching the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were white.
"Where the hell are they?" he muttered.
At that moment the bridge door began to close. Bridger turned in surprise. Just before the door finished closing, an orange blur came hurtling through it, rolling as it hit the ground and straightening up into the shape of a running man. A moment later a crewman was sprawling on the deck, and Lucas was typing rapidly at a computer console.
So, this is finally it, is it? Bridger thought, with a feeling of impending doom.
Lucas was typing almost faster than he could think, trying desperately to remember the codes for the stealth system he had designed, when he felt someone grab him from behind. He reacted without thinking: using his chained hands as a club, he whirled around. His assailant dropped like a stone. Before he had hit the deck, Lucas was typing again.
It wasn't long before he was attacked once more. This time there was more than one. He fought tooth and nail, but found himself borne to the ground. His hands were uncuffed and recuffed behind him. Strong arms grabbed his elbows and pulled them back, hard. A knee ground into the small of his back. He was pulled into a half-crouching position, pinned, unable to move.
At that moment, the vidscreen was activated, and Lucas found himself staring into a face he never thought he would see again.
A flicker of surprise crossed Braithwaite's face. "Commander Wolenczak," he said evenly.
Lucas composed his own features into a mask that mirrored his captain's. "Sir."
Captain Bridger stepped in front of the vidscreen. "And you are?" he asked, calmly.
"Captain Braithwaite, of the Alliance of Free Nations vessel Freedom."
Bridger nodded. "You have something of mine."
"That's right," Braithwaite said. He looked off-screen and gestured. A moment later, Robert's face appeared on the screen beside Braithwaite's. He looked pale, and although he was trying to remain calm, there was fear in his eyes.
Bridger straightened up. "Return my crew and my shuttle, and surrender your vessel," he said.
Braithwaite smiled. "Ah, of course. UEO captains are all the same. You think you can take what you want without even fighting for it. Well, I'm afraid, Captain, that it will not be so easy this time."
Bridger's expression was cold. "What do you want?" he asked.
"It seems the situation is somewhat different from what I imagined," Braithwaite said, calmly. "I had been going to request that you desist from invading our colonies, and return those that you have subjugated since the beginning of this war. However," he continued as Bridger raised his eyebrows, "I see now that a simple exchange of hostages may be in order. You give me Wolenczak, I give you this one."
Lucas felt the knee press further into his back. He suppressed a grunt of pain.
Bridger thought for a moment. "What about the other hostages?"
"Fair's fair, Captain. A life for a life. The others will stay with me, to deter the UEO from... reprisals."
There was a moment's silence, then Bridger nodded. "Terms accepted."
Lucas saw Robert's face twist. "No," the young man said. Braithwaite looked at him in surprise. "Don't give him back to them," Robert said.
Lucas closed his eyes. Don't be a hero Robert, he thought. And for God's sake, don't tell them who you are.
But it was too late. "Dad, you can't do this," Robert said pleadingly. The surprise on Braithwaite's face intensified.
"So," said the captain, "I see I have misunderstood the situation once again." He gestured again, and a moment later someone off-screen handed him a pulse rifle. He thrust it against Robert's jaw.
"Surrender the seaQuest, captain," he said calmly, "or your son dies."
As if in reprisal for the ill-treatment of Robert, Lucas found himself being thrust to the ground. His face was crushed against the cold metal deck, a heavy weight pinned his shoulders, and he felt a rifle butt being pressed against the back of his head. Through the blood pounding in his ears, he heard Robert say something, yelling, a scuffle. Christ, Robert, this is no way to prove yourself, he thought desperately.
There was a gunshot.
Then there was an impact on the back of his head, a sharp pain, and he sank into darkness.
Vos amo más que nunca: PhoenixTears80, Pheniox-Skye, sara, ano, kas7, pari106, Mar, Zoe, Nerene.
Another short one...
Pro Patria Mori
Chapter 17
When the choice came, it was not how he had expected it.
Lucas was running almost before Ortiz's words had finished coming over the PAL. He was out of the moon pool and halfway down the corridor by the time his security guard, who had come to the conclusion that his duty was something of a joke, had realised what was going on. When he heard the sound of heavy feet pounding the metal deck behind him, he swerved sharply into another corridor. It didn't fool the guard.
Up ahead, he saw Lieutenant Krieg turn in surprise at the sound of running footsteps. "Hey Lucas," the older man said with a smile. "Where's the fire?"
But Lucas was already past him, and all he said was "Help me, Ben. I've got to save Robert."
Krieg stared after him in astonishment, then turned again as he heard more thundering feet. He saw the security guard barrelling towards him and made a split-second decision. He stuck out his foot.
Lucas heard the crash behind him and sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the loyalty and quick thinking of Benjamin Krieg.
"No answer, sir," O'Neill said, shaking his head. The atmosphere on the bridge was tense. Bridger was clutching the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were white.
"Where the hell are they?" he muttered.
At that moment the bridge door began to close. Bridger turned in surprise. Just before the door finished closing, an orange blur came hurtling through it, rolling as it hit the ground and straightening up into the shape of a running man. A moment later a crewman was sprawling on the deck, and Lucas was typing rapidly at a computer console.
So, this is finally it, is it? Bridger thought, with a feeling of impending doom.
Lucas was typing almost faster than he could think, trying desperately to remember the codes for the stealth system he had designed, when he felt someone grab him from behind. He reacted without thinking: using his chained hands as a club, he whirled around. His assailant dropped like a stone. Before he had hit the deck, Lucas was typing again.
It wasn't long before he was attacked once more. This time there was more than one. He fought tooth and nail, but found himself borne to the ground. His hands were uncuffed and recuffed behind him. Strong arms grabbed his elbows and pulled them back, hard. A knee ground into the small of his back. He was pulled into a half-crouching position, pinned, unable to move.
At that moment, the vidscreen was activated, and Lucas found himself staring into a face he never thought he would see again.
A flicker of surprise crossed Braithwaite's face. "Commander Wolenczak," he said evenly.
Lucas composed his own features into a mask that mirrored his captain's. "Sir."
Captain Bridger stepped in front of the vidscreen. "And you are?" he asked, calmly.
"Captain Braithwaite, of the Alliance of Free Nations vessel Freedom."
Bridger nodded. "You have something of mine."
"That's right," Braithwaite said. He looked off-screen and gestured. A moment later, Robert's face appeared on the screen beside Braithwaite's. He looked pale, and although he was trying to remain calm, there was fear in his eyes.
Bridger straightened up. "Return my crew and my shuttle, and surrender your vessel," he said.
Braithwaite smiled. "Ah, of course. UEO captains are all the same. You think you can take what you want without even fighting for it. Well, I'm afraid, Captain, that it will not be so easy this time."
Bridger's expression was cold. "What do you want?" he asked.
"It seems the situation is somewhat different from what I imagined," Braithwaite said, calmly. "I had been going to request that you desist from invading our colonies, and return those that you have subjugated since the beginning of this war. However," he continued as Bridger raised his eyebrows, "I see now that a simple exchange of hostages may be in order. You give me Wolenczak, I give you this one."
Lucas felt the knee press further into his back. He suppressed a grunt of pain.
Bridger thought for a moment. "What about the other hostages?"
"Fair's fair, Captain. A life for a life. The others will stay with me, to deter the UEO from... reprisals."
There was a moment's silence, then Bridger nodded. "Terms accepted."
Lucas saw Robert's face twist. "No," the young man said. Braithwaite looked at him in surprise. "Don't give him back to them," Robert said.
Lucas closed his eyes. Don't be a hero Robert, he thought. And for God's sake, don't tell them who you are.
But it was too late. "Dad, you can't do this," Robert said pleadingly. The surprise on Braithwaite's face intensified.
"So," said the captain, "I see I have misunderstood the situation once again." He gestured again, and a moment later someone off-screen handed him a pulse rifle. He thrust it against Robert's jaw.
"Surrender the seaQuest, captain," he said calmly, "or your son dies."
As if in reprisal for the ill-treatment of Robert, Lucas found himself being thrust to the ground. His face was crushed against the cold metal deck, a heavy weight pinned his shoulders, and he felt a rifle butt being pressed against the back of his head. Through the blood pounding in his ears, he heard Robert say something, yelling, a scuffle. Christ, Robert, this is no way to prove yourself, he thought desperately.
There was a gunshot.
Then there was an impact on the back of his head, a sharp pain, and he sank into darkness.