Collision Course (Class 5, #6)

Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42

He hadn’t managed to find a way to open the door for Rose, but Sazo suspected it couldn’t be done. Somehow, the automatic mechanism was no longer operating, and he guessed the Hasmarga babies might be responsible.

Now that Rose was out, it was time for him to step up and find a way to open the bay doors.

He was also trying to find Pyre. Her threat to keep Rose captive had collapsed when both he and the Hasmarga had come to the Havelan’s position. There was no more destruction of the moon to hold over the Kimol’s head.

Pyre had gone quiet as soon as the Hasmarga had joined him, and now he hunted her through the systems on the ship.

He also put out a call for information on how to operate the launch bay doors, and Borji assured him they would get that information from the Kimol and send it through.

“They want to know if it’s safe for Captain Priyan to come out of the comms station,” Borji said.

“Does she know how to open the doors?” he asked.

“Let me get back to you.” Borji cut out and then cut back in moments later. “They’re saying she might have someone in the comms station with her that could take a look. But they won’t come out without a guarantee of safety.”

Sazo paused. “They’re frightened of the Hasmarga?”

“Sounds like it,” Borji said.

“I’ll speak to them.” Sazo hailed the Hasmargan ship and explained. “Will your warriors let this technician work the launch bay doors?”

“To get the young lives and Gerna out safely, yes. I will order it so.” Captain Tiern looked furious. “But there are dead babies on that ship.”

“I know. If it helps calm things down, the technician wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, and wouldn’t have had any say in the decisions that led to it happening, either.” He had taken a long time to learn that lesson. It was logical, and he had once thought he was all about logic, but he had come to realize that, at least in the beginning, it had been a lack of control of his emotions that had led to some of his less successful decisions. Rose had shown him how to step back and take stock first. Apply blame where it really belonged.

She had taught him about the great detective and logical thinker, Sherlock Holmes, and how he had solved problems.

He hadn’t needed any lessons on what Sherlock Holmes would do for a while, now. He could work things out on his own.

“That does help,” Tiern said. “I will pass this on to my warriors. They are in the launch bay now, looking over the mechanism with your two people.”

Sazo switched back to Borji. “The tech will be safe. The Hasmarga won’t attack.”

“Got it.” Borji went silent, then came back. “It sounds as if the person is refusing, no matter what assurances they have been given. I don’t think they’re going to follow orders.”

“It wouldn’t matter, even if they wanted to follow orders. I’ve locked them in.” Pyre’s voice came over the comms, and it was back to gleeful.

“Because you lost Rose as leverage?” Sazo guessed.

“Yes. Whether you and the Hasmarga cause damage on Dimal is out of my control, but I can control what happens to the captain and her remaining crew.”

Sazo realized he didn’t care, either way. “Fine, play your games with them. Let us out of the launch bay, and we will be on our way.”

“I can’t,” Pyre said. “It’s like the captain’s office. The cables are damaged. They need to be replaced before it will work again.”

That just saved him a lot of time. “Fine. We’ll break out.”

“No!” The panic was clear in her voice.

“Why no?” Sazo asked. “You want us gone.”

“I want you gone, but not at the cost of a hull breach. I’m in this battleship now, and I won’t go back to the small mine runner I was originally installed in. All my negotiations for concessions with the Kimol will be for nothing if my ship’s too damaged to use.”

Too bad. They didn’t have time to find and repair cables on an unfamiliar ship.

Sazo cut off comms and connected with Dav.

Through his helmet he could see two of the Hasmarga warriors standing with him, looking at the launch bay door mechanism. Dav turned, and Sazo caught a glimpse of Rose sitting beside Gerna, the two babies eyeing her suspiciously.

One of the two remaining warriors stood guard in the doorway out to the passage, weapon in hand, scanning for threats, while the fourth warrior carefully lifted one of the dead babies and carried it to Gerna and laid it beside her.

“I’ll let them know they’ll have to move back into the passage,” Sazo said. “The bay doors are too damaged to override or repair. We need to blow them.”

“What with?” Dav asked.

“I’m placing four charges in a drone right now. I’ll send it to the breach point the Hasmarga made for entry. Get one of them to lead you there. We need to blow it open.”

“That works.” Dav sounded pleased.

“One problem,” Sazo said. “Pyre doesn’t want the bay doors blown. She’s taken most of the ship and she doesn’t want us to damage it.”

“I don’t care what she wants.” Dav moved toward Rose. “Explain to the Hasmarga, and we can get going.”

By the time Dav had told Rose the new plan, the Hasmarga were on board, and the lead warrior stood beside Dav, ready to go.

“The others will move everyone into the passageway,” Sazo said. “Their captain has told them what’s happening.”

“How long will the drone take to get here?” Dav asked.

“Fifteen minutes.” Sazo had sent it at its top speed.

Dav helped Rose to her feet, kissed her, and then jogged away, the Harmarga keeping pace.

“What are you up to?” Pyre’s voice cut through.

“What are you up to?” Sazo returned.

“I’m protecting my ship,” Pyre said. “Don’t get in my way.”

Sazo heard echoes of himself in her words. He’d gone to extremes to protect his ship in the past. But Pyre wasn’t coming up with solutions, she was just blocking anything she didn’t like, with no compromise, no long term strategy.

“No reply?” Pyre asked. It sounded taunting, but Sazo thought there was an edge of fear there.

He kept silent.

Let her worry.