Part III: The King with Two

Chapter 18

Tilyer hit the door release to his cabin. The door hissed open to reveal the well-lit hallway beyond. Standing in the threshold, Linia looked up at him with a perplexed expression. "Ok Tilyer, what is this about?"

Tilyer cast a glance down the hallway before grabbing her wrist and tugging her into the room as the door hissed closed behind her.

Gabel looked up from the datapad he was reading in his bun. A concerned frown crossed his features.

"Tilyer, what the hell is this about?" Linia asked, turning to face him.

"I need to talk to you—to both of you," he said looking over to Gabel.

The big man laid aside the datapad and swung his legs over the edge of the bunk. "Alright, so talk."

Linia frowned and folded her arms across her chest, but nodded for Tilyer to go on.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he found a seat at the desk, turning to face the others. "Okay, I don't really know how to start this, so I'm just going to say it. This orbital bombardment on Belsavis Commander Venka is planning . . . "

"What about it?" Linia asked.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. "It's . . . it's just not right. I mean . . . "

"How can you know that?" she asked uncertainly. "What if Venka was right? What if they were just trying to dupe you and get you to defect?"

"I know okay? They saved me Linia—twice. If not for them, I'd be stone dead somewhere down on the ice plains. They aren't rebels. They just want to be left out of all of this mess to live their lives. Venka can't see that—he won't see that."

"Tilyer, I understand. I sympathize even. But you've said all of this before."

He shook his head, "No, I haven't—I mean, not all of it. I—I have to do something. I can't just let it happen." He looked up to Gabel, then glanced to Linia, "I need your help—both of you."

Linia narrowed her eyes, "What kind of help? Tilyer, what are you planning?"

He sighed, "I don't know—at least not yet. I haven't thought it all through, but I have a rough idea."

"And that is?"

Tilyer was silent a moment before speaking. "We have to blow up the ship."

"What!" Gabel shouted.

"Tilyer," Linia said in disbelief, "what are you thinking? Have you lost your mind? Even talking about something like that is treason!"

"I know it sounds drastic, but it's the only way."

"If the Enforcer goes down out here, it will cause even more trouble. The Empire isn't just going to turn a blind eye to the loss of a capital starship."

"Not necessarily," Tilyer replied slowly. "Linia, how long will it be until the long range communications are operational again?"

"Three or four days I guess."

"As long as they're still undergoing repairs, Commander Venka can't let High Command know what has happened out here. If the ship goes down, there won't be any way to transmit a message back to the core."

Gable shook his head, pressing his hands to his temples. "Tilyer, do you realize what you're suggesting? Overlooking the fact that you want to blow up an Imperial ship, what about the crew? There are almost a hundred people on this ship. You want to kill all of them to save your friends down on that damn planet?"

"No, of course not. If we play our cards right, no one has to die."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Linia asked incredulously.

"You're scheduled for the night watch on the bridge tomorrow, right?"

"Well yeah, but I don't see how that has anything to do with—"

"Okay, good."

"Tilyer, what are you getting at?"

The young officer ignored her, "And Gabel, as a technician, you have clearance into the engine room, right?"

"Well, yeah," he replied, "but only for emergencies. I never go there. I'm assigned to the fighter bay, you know that."

"Yes, but you have access, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Okay, well hear me out. Here is what I'm thinking. What if we were able to overload the ship's reactor? If Linia has the bridge, she could play down the warnings and then when the time is right, issue a call to abandon ship. No one would be the wiser, all of the crew would be able to get out, and all evidence of our tampering would be destroyed in the blast. It's almost perfect."

"Didn't I see something like that in a holofilm once?" Gabel asked uncertainly.

"No, of course not—at least, I don't think so . . . but I do think this has a real chance of succeeding. What do you guys think?"

"I think you're crazy," Gabel muttered.

"Tilyer," Linia began, "Just for a minute, let's say that what you're planning actually works—that we destroy the ship and everybody onboard survives. How will that solve anything? When a cruiser comes by looking for survivors, they will just pick up where we left off and the people on Belsavis will be facing an even bigger threat."

"So far, you, Gabel, me, and Venka are the only ones who know about the planned bombardment, right?"

"Well, yeah. The order isn't supposed to go out until the repairs are complete."

"So then if you two are with me, that just leaves one person we have to make sure never finds his way off the ship."

Gabel shook his head vehemently. "No. No way. I know what you're suggesting, and I want no part in it."

"Gabel's right," Linia said. "Do I have to remind you again that even talking about all of this is treason?"

"You think I haven't thought about that?" Tilyer stood, folding his arms over his chest. "Believe me, I know what is at stake here better than anybody, and that's why it has to be done."

"You're talking about killing a superior officer!" Gabel practically shouted.

"Not to mention blowing up an entire ship," Linia added.

"If one death can negate the deaths of hundreds," Tilyer replied, spreading his arms beseechingly, "why not take the opportunity."

"Because it's wrong, Tilyer. It's dead wrong." All of the former humor was gone from Gabel's features, replaced instead by a glower that creased his face in deep furrows as he stared at Tilyer.

"So what then? You want me to just sit by and let all those people die—all those people I owe my life to?"

Gabel struggled in search of words.

"Yes, Gabel, I agree with you. What I'm talking about is wrong. It's beyond wrong. It is against the code that we have all sworn to uphold. I know that. I understand that. But it would be pure evil if we sat by—when we had the power to stop this—and did nothing. Could you live with yourself knowing that you had the chance to save those people, to change the course of their lives for the better, and instead you just sat on your hands and watched them die? I sure as hell know that I couldn't. Could you, Linia?"

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair wearily. "No," she said in a small voice.

Tilyer looked over to Gabel. "Could you?"

For a moment he stared straight at Tilyer.

"Well, could you?" he repeated.

Gabel bowed his head in shame. "No."

"So then you'll help?"

"Yes," Linia said softly. "Yes, I'll do it."

Gabel just nodded weakly and bent forward to cradle his head in his hands.