Duty, Honour, Love
Chapter 29

Jane paced the floor anxiously worried that the crew was becoming fractious and Captain Stillway hadn’t returned. It had been hours since he had gone with the Confed Captain.

“Where is he!” Jane muttered aloud.

“Probably getting down and dirty with Karasena,” Danielle replied.

Jane halted and stared hard at Danielle. “Not helping Strong!”

Danielle just shrugged her eyes on the crew. “Want me to bash a few heads?” She said that with her fist smacking into her hand with a meaty slap that could be heard loudly.

The noise of the muttering crew slowed to a murmur. No one wanted to confront Strong they all knew the stories.

“Again that’s not helping,” Jane stated her eyes on the crew. She hated the feeling of being watched.

“If the captain doesn’t return soon we’re going to have a riot on our hands?” Billy said. He was one of bridge crew who was keeping a watch with Danielle.

Jane glanced to the Confed soldiers lining the railing of the mezzanine floor. She directed her gaze on the Human Confed sergeant.

“Where is Captain Stillway?” she said directly in USE.

“Returning,” Sergeant Fox told her also in USE.

“Not good enough!” Jane snapped at him. “How long?”

“Now,” Sergeant Fox said and gestured.

The doors opened and Mark stood there holding several white cardboard boxes with a stylised ‘T’ in USE on the sides. The whole crew turned to regard him.

“Number One,” Mark announced. “I want a detail to unload the rest of these from the ground car outside?”

Everyone hesitated while the scent of baked goods wafted through the open doors.

“Zac, Billy and Cain, front and centre!” Jane commanded.

“Aye sir!” The three crew snapped to attention.

“Quickly now, unload as the captain orders,” she told them.

The three quickly returned loaded down with white boxes.

“Pile the boxes on the stage, Jane distribute them from there. There should be a box with one savoury and one sweet for each of the crew,” Mark said. He handed a box he was holding to Jane. “I know you like filled donuts these are for you.”

Carefully she opened the box not knowing what to expect. She didn’t expect to replace two still warm cream filled donuts.

“Ok captain that’s the carrot so where is the stick?” Things like donuts had been considered sinful by her parents. In defiance she had eaten them when she could and for some reason she never got fat. She felt suspicious. “I get the feeling there’s a cost attached?”

“There isn’t one,” Mark told her.

“I have a hard time believing that?” Jane said. She knew he was hiding something.

“Jane,” Mark warned.

“Sorry sir,” Jane apologised. “I was worried that the Confed’s had done you harm?”

“These Confeds no.”

Jane regarded Mark’s face she got he was hinting at something. “Sir?”

“Eat your donuts I want a meeting with the department heads. We need to talk about something that has come to light.”

She did as she was told, as good as the change of diet was Mark’s comments didn’t sit lightly on her. The donuts sat in her stomach like lead balls. It didn’t take her long to gather the crew that Mark had asked for not that there was many of them left. Something she didn’t know what had her add Jaye and Loader Cain. Finally they gathered by the stage where Mark waited for them.

“Ok captain we are all here now what this about?” she said to him.

Mark’s face turned grim. “Someone in Central ordered our deaths.”

Jane stared at him hearing the gasps and curses around her, she was shocked by his statement.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Danielle exclaimed.

“The Confeds are lying!” Jane said automatically.

Mark looked sad adding to his grim expression. “This didn’t come from the Confeds. There is an Imperial Agent in the city. This same agent told me that Ulkoi had infiltrated Central probably the same Ulkoi that destroyed the squadron.”

“Ulkoi?” Jaye asked. “Is that those bastards name?”

“Ulkoi is a T’Arni word,” Daisy said. “It means unknown aliens.”

Jane had another problem. “Why?” She got a feeling it was related to the current war in some way. A quick scrutiny of Mark’s face meant her guess wasn’t that far off.

“To keep what we know a secret.” Mark went on to explain Kathleen’s orders. “It gets worse Captain Karasena was given the same orders by someone in her High Command.” He held up his hand. “And to let you know she and her command have refused the orders even when it means her own execution.”

“We’ve got to get out of here?” Danielle said panicked.

“Stand down!” Jane barked at Danielle.

Mark’s approach was more measured. “And where do you think you would go. We can’t get off this world even the locals can’t. We have a duty to protect civilians.”

“Isn’t that the Confeds job,” Loader Cain asked.

“There aren’t enough of them,” Mark stated.

“How about we unship the PD’s and mount them on the tops of the buildings here. The Ori is next to useless as it is,” Jaye said thoughtfully. “We have three torpedoes and the main gun. It’s only useful if some idiot comes within line of sight of the barrel?”

Mark considered what Jaye was saying made sense. The point defence railguns would be more useful protecting the city. “The torpedoes?”

“We’ll need to recalibrate the targeting system.”

“Yes we can get the Ezarans to help. They might have a few suggestions,” Cain offered.

“Make it so,” Mark told him.

Jane had more than a few reservations. “The Confeds will let us do all that. We are at war with them?”

“We’re helping them protect civilians. They aren’t the enemy the Ulkoi are.” Mark looked over the faces of those gathered around him. “I want a coherent plan that the Confeds will agree to. Then I want one were we can integrate the crew with the civilians. If it comes to the worst there will be a few survivors to tell the truth.”

It was a sobering note for all those assembled.

Jane broke it. “Ok people we have our tasks. The sooner we get them done the better.”

They split up Jane watched them go wondering what she would do now. It was going to be a long and fruitless day.