Gliese 663: An ISC Fleet Novel (The ISC Fleet Series) by Rock Whitehouse

Author:Rock Whitehouse [Whitehouse, Rock]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BOHICASquared, LLC
Published: 2024-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Endeavour Shuttle One

Gliese 663C

Saturday, March 22, 2087, 21:00 UTC

Marine Lieutenant Kamaria Allen was nervous as they rode the shuttle from Endeavour over to Sierra-14. If this is a trap, we're the snap-bar, she thought. Or, the sticky paper. Or, the jaws. Depends on the kind of trap, I guess.

She'd handpicked this eight-person squad, including her Gunnery Sergeant Amari Butler. She needed the gunny’s talents along if this plan developed as intended.

On the way over, she thought about her new husband and best partner, Captain Liwanu Harry, who was aboard Enterprise. They'd met at Beta Hydri and became close in the days after the last battle on the Preeminent home world at Alpha Mensae. Now, they were inseparable, both legally and emotionally. But, regrettably, not physically, as there were now trillions of kilometers between them.

Not exactly what she expected to be doing.

She felt the tension more acutely as they entered the mining ship from the Endeavour shuttle, all of them dragging heavy equipment bags with weapons, ammunition, and the latest body armor, supposedly strong enough to take a blast from a Preeminent plasma rifle. She'd read the reports but remained skeptical they'd actually work as advertised.

They were here to prevent the pirates, whoever they were, from taking yet another ship and crew. Or kill them in the attempt, something she felt no reticence about. The pirates had already killed when they were resisted. If they showed up, they'd get the same from her.

She waved goodbye to the shuttle pilot, and as the hatch was closing, the mining ship captain, an older, thin man with the alliterative name of Morgan Mason, greeted her.

"Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Allen. Glad to have you here."

"Yes, Captain Mason, we're glad to be here. Hopefully, we'll just be excess baggage for a while. May I ask the status of your load?"

Mason nodded. "We're about three-quarters full at this point. I expect we'll be here for another week, ten days at the most."

"I see. Well, hopefully, we'll catch them in the meantime."

He smiled a relaxed smile that took Kamaria a little by surprise.

"Yes, that would be nice. Can I show you around?"

"Sure, once I get my people situated. Where are we bunking?"

The captain pointed to a passageway to the right.

"This way."

The Marines fell in behind their lieutenant, with the Gunny bringing up the rear. Mason led them forward to a large dorm room about twenty meters from the airlock.

"This is our spare bunk room. Over the last few years, we've pared down the crew size, so this space isn't used anymore. I had the beds made up, and the toilet and shower room were freshly cleaned and supplied. Anything you need, anything at all, just ask."

Kamaria nodded. "Thanks, Captain. This will do just fine." He turned to Butler. "Let them pick whatever bunk they want. But I want you and I just inside the door."

"Yes, Lieutenant. I'm on it."

She turned back to the captain. "Can I see the airlock and Process Control Room? That's where you think they've been breaking in, right?"

"It's our best guess, yes.

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