Countdown, John Walker [online e book reader txt] 📗

“I’ve come this far,” Ronnie said. “Yeah, I’m in. I like Rita. She shouldn’t be left in the hands of that asshole any longer than is necessary.”

“Yeah, okay.” Dora paced up the ramp. “I’m confirming this with Markel but if he genuinely gave you the go-ahead… then yeah, I guess I’m in.”

“Great.” Zem hurried off. “I’m grabbing some gear! Make sure we’re ready to go when I get back! I won’t be long!”

“He’s intense,” Ronnie said. “Do you think this is legit?”

“Yeah, I do… unfortunately.” Dora motioned toward their Engineering section. “Give me a preflight check. I’ll get us a quick refuel. Techs up here better hurry too or Zem’s likely to shoot them.” She made her way to the bridge, taking her seat. Her eyes burned with exhaustion as she brought the computer online.

One of these people he’s bringing better know what they’re doing behind a flight stick. Dora established a connection with Ronnie, feeding her information about the various systems. She then set up a quick communication request with the Morrigan. I’m sleeping on this thing when we get to hyperspace.

Dora appreciated what they were about to do. An honest combat mission sounded good. Get in, drop a team off, provide some air support… she felt like she hadn’t done anything like that in a while. I don’t know why I’m excited about going behind enemy lines with no backup here. This is a freelance mission more than anything sanctioned.

She’d never been part of such a crew before. Not until they went into ervas space, at least. That had been the most dangerous thing she’d ever participated in up to that point. It felt like doubling down to rush after the pirate into his own territory. Zem may have had a plan, but that guy had an army.

Determination may make their numbers pointless. It all came down to who he brought with them.

A message came back from the Morrigan. Markel approved the mission. Moreover, Nostros and Torrence were on board with the operation. That makes me feel better. Those two were solid. They knew their jobs and hopefully, they’d keep Zem from leading them into anything too outrageous.

Though I guess I can’t say too much. I took a prisoner back to his people, flew around, and narrowly escaped with my life. Dora smirked at the thought. I need some data on Loch. On the planet we’re going to. Maybe I can settle my nerves if I know everything. But that wouldn’t come until Zem returned.

Until then, she had plenty to do. Launch preparations promised to take at least fifteen minutes. The refuel crew attached a line to her vessel, starting the process. They’d be on their way inside of thirty minutes depending on how fast Zem came back. Then… off to whatever destination.

She wished they had the coordinates. The longer she had to plot a course, the faster they could get to their destination. Yes, it would be bumpy but that might be a small price to pay if they could get a jump on their opponents. With such a small team, they needed every advantage they could muster.

At least this thing’s well-armed. May not be able to take on Loch’s ship, but it’ll certainly give ground defenses a real headache. Dora leaned back in her chair, waiting for all the processes to fall into place. She spent the next few minutes relaxing, watching the various system lights turn green. We’re on our way, Rita. Hang in there!

***

Zem filled up on gear, grabbing plenty of weapons and explosives for a protracted engagement. He didn’t anticipate needing it all, though once they left, they’d be scavenging anything they needed. Two duffel bags and a trolley carried everything he needed. Getting it back to the ship alone promised to be difficult.

“I can help.” Quartermaster Blenz proved to be a reasonable guy. He received word from Erris to let Zem take what he needed and offered a few suggestions here and there. When everything was ready to go, he took up position behind the trolley. “It’s no big deal. No one else needs to requisition anything for a while.”

“Thanks.” Zem hefted the bags. “I appreciate it.”

The vibe on the MerCon vessel differed dramatically from Confed military ships. Their crew felt more laid-back, as if they were just doing a job. They moved slower and chatted idly as they strolled whereas their naval counterparts did everything with a serious purpose. Those who slacked off on duty tended to hear about it.

“You guys don’t get up to much combat,” Zem said, “am I right?”

“No, not really. Truth be told, we offer support for Confed military vessels most often. That’s not to say we don’t fight in smaller battles. Small uprisings, that kind of thing. Generally, our involvement in conflict comes down to how much it’ll cost. Let me tell you, it’s all about money on a MerCon boat.”

“I bet.” Zem smirked at the thought of how much he and his crew cost the company. He doubted this guy cared much. One thing about the corporations was that their management staff generally only worried about their immediate budgets. Everything else was out of their hands. “How do you feel about what’s happening?”

“My briefing was vague. I think we’re getting more details soon, though. Then I’ll probably freak out. Right now, though… well, I’m ready to do my part. Whatever that entails.”

It may well involve blowing up. Zem kept his pessimism to himself. The ship may have been state-of-the-art, but if they weren’t experienced with fleet tactics, they’d be pretty useless. Former military personnel wouldn’t be much good with total civilians manning different stations. I wonder what the real soldiers think.

“How about working with the Gold Empire? You ever think that would happen?”

“Oh, we’ve done joint operations with them.” Blenz shrugged. “No