Chapter One
A plume of fire erupted into black space. Heatwaves billowed across the Boomerang’s cockpit. Eli squinted into the flames and turned his head aside, even though he couldn’t feel the heat.
The blast hit the scout, and she shuddered through Eli’s chair. “What the hell is going on over there?”
“The Ulysses’ port tender just exploded,” Jood reported. “Life support is out on most of her ventral decks.”
Eli shot forward in his seat. “Move us in closer.”
“That will be too dangerous,” Jood countered. “She’s carrying large quantities of Agranite, not to mention entire decks loaded with every caliber of Riclium known to man. She could blow at any moment. We must maintain a safe distance.”
Eli swiveled around and locked his gaze on his friend. “There are still people alive over there, aren’t there?”
“Indeed.” Jood checked his instruments. “The marauder has sustained heavy casualties on her ventral decks, but the bridge and cannonade are still intact. From what I can tell from here, the Parker-Nolan Grenade is still operational as well.”
“Move in, then.” Eli kept his voice low, murmuring in a dangerous undertone. He was in no mood to negotiate with anyone right now. “Position us near her aft docking hatch. We might be able to evacuate the survivors.”
Jood opened his mouth again, but when he cocked his head to examine Eli’s expression, he changed his mind and shut it again. Good. Eli might have set this ship up as a glorified playground without order or command, but today wasn’t the day to test his patience.
River engaged the Boomerang’s engines, and she rotated around the Ulysses at a tentative creep. River angled the scout facing the docking bay, but it didn’t open.
“Communications are still offline,” Jood told him. “We’re facing one of her largest ammunition stores. If she blows now, we won’t stand a chance.”
Eli faced the window. Screw the Ulysses and screw the horse she rode in on. Screw it all. “Move us closer.”
River glanced over her shoulder, not toward Eli, but toward Jood. Eli saw them exchange a significant look. If Jood intended to overrule Eli’s orders, he would do it now.
Jood always went out of his way to treat Eli with tact and delicacy. He never stepped on Eli’s toes, but putting the whole ship in danger just might tip him over the edge. If Jood did take this opportunity to assume command of the ship, Eli wouldn’t be able to stop him. He wasn’t stupid enough to delude himself about that.
Just then, the intercom crackled over at the engineering station. A familiar female voice yelled through the static. “Jesus Christ, Eli! What are you still doing here? Get into the Excelsior Channel. There isn’t a moment to lose!”
Eli swiveled over to Jood’s console. Captain Samantha Heller’s bloodshot eyes and soot-stained cheeks wavered on the display before the signal steadied. “We won’t run off and leave you stranded, Sam. Besides, we wouldn’t be able to fight the Mysterium force without the Parker-Nolan Grenade. If anyone’s going after them, you are.”
“We can’t!” A boom echoed down the intercom, and an explosion went off behind Sam’s back. She cringed and cast a hasty glance over her shoulder. “We have to get the internal coolant pumps back online and restore life support to the lower decks. We still have people alive down there, not to mention replacing the tender we just lost. We won’t be going anywhere for a while. You could…”
Another muffled woof interrupted her. Eli frowned. “What the hell’s going on over there, Sam? We’re worried the explosions will ignite your ammunition stores. We’re in position at your aft end. We’re standing by to evacuate you if you need it.”
Sam shook her head. “The ammunition stores are sealed off by protective bulkheads. The explosions can’t reach them. It’s everything else we have to worry about.”
A piercing scream distracted her again. “Are you sure, Sam?” Eli asked. “We could lift some of your people off while a skeleton crew stabilizes the ship. Don’t try to be a hero.”
She cracked a weak grin. “That’s your job, right? We’ll handle it. I just wish we had another qualified mechanic to fit the tender. Our engineers were both knocked out when the tender blew. Maxwell is down there working on the coolant system alone.”
Before Eli could reply, Jood bent under his arm and spoke into the intercom. “I will come aboard, Captain Heller. I believe I can be of assistance to you and your crew.”
Eli whipped around. “But you said…”
Jood cocked his head, and his eyes sparkled. “I believe Miles will be useful over there, too—if you agree to let him come.”
Eli turned back to the display. “Are you sure the ship is safe, Sam? Are you confident she can contain these blasts?”
“Absolutely. We sustained most of the damage during that last battle. Once we get the coolant system back online, we won’t have to worry about anything but cleaning up the mess.”
“All right. Crack your hatch. We’re coming in.” He straightened up. “Take us into her bay, River.”
No one said a word while the Boomerang tiptoed ever closer to the Ulysses. The hatch creaked halfway down and ground to a halt. It froze there at a comic angle. River tilted the scout upward and turned her sideways to squeeze through the partially opened gate.
Jood switched off the intercom and swiveled his chair to stand up. He headed for the gangway, but Eli shot out a hand to stop him. “I appreciate you volunteering to help the Ulysses. You didn’t have to do that. I know this isn’t what you signed up for.”
Jood examined him closely, with his head to one side. “It appears that your particular brand of idiocy is eroding my critical thinking skills, Eli. I was merely concerned for the Boomerang’s safety, but if Captain Heller is confident the danger is minimal, I see no reason not to expedite the Ulysses’ repairs. I was mistaken in believing she was not capable of communications. I should have waited to communicate with her before I assumed assistance was not possible. If I have learned one thing on board this ship, it is that you will place humanitarian concerns above everything else, including your own interests and those of the people around you. Perhaps, in the years of our association, I have come to view that policy as not quite as foolhardy as reason would lead me to believe.”
Eli snorted. “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It was intended as one. Now, unless you require something else from me, I will go see whether Miles is willing to assist with the Ulysses’ coolant system.”
Eli started after him. “I’ll come with you.”
Down the gangway, Eli stuck his head into the galley, where Waylon Brooks, Yasha Aliyevah, and Miles Blunt sat buckled into their safety pods. “All three of you load out. We’re deploying to help repair the Ulysses.”
Waylon frowned. “Are you sure that’s safe?”
Eli crossed to the lockers where they stored repair toolkits. “Sam says they have the explosions contained, and that’s good enough for me. They need all the extra hands they can get.”
“You know something about marauder coolant systems, do you not?” Jood asked Miles.
“Yeah, sure. That’s a piece of cake.”
“Good, because Maxwell is working on it alone and both the Ulysses’ engineers are injured.” Jood took another two cases from the lockers and passed one to Miles. “I will be helping refit the replacement tender, if you require assistance with anything.”
He held out the case, but Miles only looked at it. A shy smile crept over his lips. “Um…thanks, but… I need that one.” He pointed to the case in Jood’s other hand.
Jood looked down at it. “You do? Why?”
“That one has the phase oscillation scope in it. I’ll need that to reset the coolant pumps’ timing cycle…if you don’t mind, Jood.”
Jood blinked down at the case in his hand. “Oh. Of course. By all means.” He took back the first case and handed Miles his own. Then he cocked his head the other way and looked up at the ceiling. “I hear River extending the landing struts. I will meet you all on the platform, then.”
He walked out. The moment he left the galley, Waylon chuckled. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone correct that dude.” He clapped Miles extra hard on the back. “Score one for you, sonny.”
Waylon strutted away, too. In the quiet that followed, Eli stole a peek at Miles. “You heard what Jood said. He’ll be working on the tender and the rest of us will be on board the Ulysses, too. If you need something, don’t hesitate to track one of us down. You’ll be working alone with a Squadrons commander. Don’t let him intimidate you just because you’re…well, you aren’t one. Some Squadrons officers don’t think anyone outside the Squadrons is worth their time.”
Miles bit his lip, and a crazy glint came into his fresh, innocent face. “Thanks for saying so, but I don’t see Commander Maxwell being anywhere near as intimidating as Jood.”
Eli laughed out loud. “You’re probably right.”
“Maxwell looked like a gruff, shaggy, grandfatherly type to me,” Yasha chimed in. “I’m sure he’s a big teddy bear under all those whiskers.”
“I can definitely handle that.” Miles took his case and left the galley to follow the other two.
Yasha advanced to the locker. “Do you have one of those for me?”
Eli’s smile evaporated. “I don’t want you helping with the repairs. You’re coming with me.”
Yasha’s head snapped around to stare at him. “Doing what?”
“I need you to come with me while we talk to Captain Heller about…about something.”
She shrugged. “You’re the boss.”
Eli headed for the hatch, and she fell in at his side. “Don’t let the others hear you saying that.”
Chapter Two
Jood took Waylon to join the Ulysses’ crew in fitting the new tender, and Miles vanished somewhere. As soon as Eli showed up in the marauder’s docking bay, a petite ensign hustled up to him. “Excuse me, sir. I’m Ensign Roxanna Merchant. Captain Heller is indisposed at the moment and apologizes for not being here to welcome you aboard. She sent me to escort you to her.”
“Whatever she wants,” Eli replied. “I suppose I’ll have to ask you for permission to come aboard.”
Ensign Merchant blushed at him. “Captain Heller warned me that you’d be most irreverent of Squadrons protocol. The whole crew has standing orders to ignore your unorthodox methods of doing things.”
“That’s perfect. By all means, ignore me.”
Roxanna turned to Yasha. “May I say what a privilege it is to meet you, too, Lieutenant Colonel. Everybody on board knows about you. You’re famous. You’re my hero.”
Yasha colored and looked away. “Please. You can ignore all that with me, too. I’m not a lieutenant colonel anymore. I’m as much a wanted criminal as Eli.”
Roxanna resumed leading them off the platform. “I just had to say that. Don’t expect everyone in the Squadrons to forget your record just like that.”
She ushered Eli and Yasha through the ship, but they didn’t go near the bridge. She led them to a lift and exited on the sixth level. From there, she showed them to a Sick Bay crowded with wounded.
Roxanna steered them to an office. Sam sat on the desk while Doctor Tim Knox tried to get near a cut above her eyebrow. Sam slapped his hands away. “Will you quit babying me? I told you it isn’t serious. Now leave me alone and go tend to your other patients.”
He tried to fight his way past her and press a sealant ampoule to the cut. “They aren’t the captain, are they? Will you hold still? I swear, you’re worse than a toddler.”
Sam whipped around when Eli appeared. “Oh, thank God! Something useful to do. Do your people have everything they need? I gave my crew orders to treat your crew as our own. If they need anything—at all—I want to know about it.”
“Thanks,” Eli replied. “Actually, I want to talk to you about something.”
She turned to Tim. “Would you mind giving us some privacy? You have my promise that you can put sealant all over my body as soon as we’re finished.”
Tim cackled. “Really? Yay.”
“As a matter of fact,” Eli interrupted, “I wouldn’t mind if Tim stuck around for this, too. He might be able to help us.”
Sam raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure? I don’t mind offending him.”
“Thanks a lot,” Tim spat. “So nice to know I’ve earned your respect and consideration.”
“I hate to break up this comedy act,” Eli interrupted, “but unfortunately, this is no laughing matter. We have some information about the situation back on Earth. I don’t think any of us should be going anywhere near the place without considering it.”
“You neutralized Wescott,” Tim countered. “He won’t be causing us any more trouble.”
“He’s dead,” Yasha chimed in.
Sam turned to study her. “You’re Lieutenant Colonel Aliyevah, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not,” Yasha told her. “I’m just Yasha, and yes, I killed Admiral Wescott, which means there will be a price on my head, too, on top of the charges I’ll be facing if I return to Earth.”
“That doesn’t mean a thing,” Eli cut in. “Wescott wasn’t the problem.”
“No, the Mysterium is,” Tim returned.
Eli shook his head. “Wrong again.”
“What could be worse than the Mysterium?” Yasha asked.
Eli swiveled to face her. “Don’t you remember what Tanner told us about Wescott not being the highest Squadrons officer in charge of this debacle? Wescott said he was trying to bring down the Squadrons, to destroy them completely. He said the system was already in place to accomplish that. He said nothing could stop it, not even killing him.”
“That’s impossible,” Sam argued. “No one could completely dismantle the Squadrons. It’s an international cooperation between dozens of countries. One man couldn’t do it.”
Eli kept his attention on Yasha. “Tanner said those security codes came from a high-ranking Squadrons officer—maybe the highest. We thought they came from Wescott, but he isn’t the highest. Do you remember?”
“But he didn’t tell us who that was,” Yasha replied.
“You said the Squadrons was governed by the United Earth Defense Committee. You said there were only two committee members who weren’t heads of state from the member countries. And then he said…”
Yasha compressed her lips. “He said, ‘not all’.”
Sam frowned. “What does that mean?”
Eli inspected Yasha. “Do you have any idea who he meant?”
Yasha looked down at her fingers. “The only other person he could mean was…”
“Chairman Amos,” Tim interrupted. “Chairman Sherman Amos.”
Sam gasped out loud. “You’re out of your minds! He couldn’t be involved in this. He couldn’t!”
Eli glanced over at Tim. “Do you know him?”
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