Lawrence White - Knights of the Chosen

He grimaced and went back to work. “I don’t think so.”

In the end, Sergeant Jacobs set up a small infirmary in Gortlan’s shop, and Krys was belted onto a bed.

Akurea went back to the storage room in hydroponics carrying a portable analyzer. She plugged it in and called George. “Should we try this again?”

“I’ll give you twenty minutes, then I’ll need to refresh your oxygen.”

“Okay, but not before checking with me.”

“I’ll keep a constant watch on the analyzer and let you know if I see anything out of the ordinary.”

“I could get used to having you around, George. I like you.”

“Mike taught me how to like.”

She went to work on the computer, beginning with removing a side panel. “Who is he?”

“I have to defer that question to Captain Stven, Ma’am. I can tell you that he’s First Knight. Without his timely assistance, we would not have a Queen.”

“What happened?”

“Chessori are what happened. This is her ship, you know.”

She looked up from her work. “The Queen’s ship? No, I didn’t know.”

“You selected a room in crew quarters when you came aboard, but we have quite a few vacancies on the executive level if you’d like to move up.”

“I just want somewhere to work on this computer. I’ll need another computer, one of ours, to which I’ll transfer schematics.”

“Then you’ll want quarters with an office. I have several available. I suggest you move to compartment 1F. The rest of the crew is quartered on that level, and that’s where most meals are taken.”

“I’ll check with the Captain.”

“Not necessary, Akurea. He’s too busy for housekeeping chores. Just do it.”

“Okay. Not that I have anything to move. I didn’t bring a thing with me. Do you have the capacity to provide fresh clothing?”

“I do. What would you like?”

“Anything that’s clean,” she replied instantly, then reconsidered. “I’m not part of the crew, so I’ll stick to my current uniform.”

Akurea banged her hand on the table in frustration. She’d spent hours trying to get the computer to boot up. The computer itself appeared to be running normally, but she needed a password, and she had not stumbled onto one that worked.

Tom O’Brien just happened to be passing the open door of her quarters when he heard the slap and the ensuing expletive. He poked his head through the door. “Anything I can help with, Commander?”

“Who are you?”

“Tom O’Brien, one of the pilots.”

“Are you good with finding passwords?”

“No, I’m not your guy. Permission to enter?” She waved him in, frustration still pouring from her in waves. “So that’s the prize we went to so much trouble to get?” he asked.

“Huh. Some prize. I can’t get in.”

“That was a brave thing you did, going in with the Protectors to get it.”

“I went in with soldiers. The Protectors stayed outside.”

“No, you went in with Protectors. They’re all Protectors, Ma’am.”

“No wonder they were so good. Being brave isn’t part of my job description, but getting the computer was far easier than being a spy for a year and a half. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to be free of that. I wish we could have brought some of my people with us.”

“Actually, it’s better that they stay in place. It will just be for a little while, but whoever goes back there to ferret out the Chessori will need some help from people on the ground. I suspect you’ll be asked for the names when we get some spare time.”

He crossed the room and joined her behind her desk. “That’s one ugly screen,” he said, blinking his eyes as he tried to focus.

“It’s a terrible screen, and it’s given me a headache.”

“Have you tried covering it with a transparent sheet of something that will change the color? You might get something that’s less harsh.”

She sat back in her chair and turned to face him, a weary smile on her face. “That’s a great idea. Why didn’t I think of it? I’m Akurea Skvechavka’a.”

“I know. Pleased to meet you. You have a password problem, huh?”

“I do. I’ve tried everything I can think of. I’m down to random characters now, and it’s going to be pure luck.”

“Have you asked for help?”

“From whom? No one else here knows the Chessori language.”

“Well, not me, that’s for sure. How about another computer? George is pretty talented.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief that she could have missed something so obvious. Impulsively, she stood up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Tom.” Then she stepped back, suddenly embarrassed. “Sorry. I don’t recognize your rank. Have I blundered?”

“Definitely not. We’re all on a first name basis here, the few of us that have more than one name. I’m a captain.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a captain and a pilot, but our captain is a commander. You outrank him. How does that work?”

“It works very well. We only have one captain, and that’s Stven. He’s my boss.”

“This is a very strange ship, sir.”

“It’s Tom, and no, it’s not so strange at all. It just takes a little explaining. You haven’t seen the half of it yet, but I’m sure you will before long.” He looked at the computer. “You might want to secure that thing. We’ll be engaging some Chessori in a little while.”

She shuddered. “Who flies the ship? George?”

“Hardly. He’s smart, but he can’t shoot back. Like you said, some things about us seem strange on the surface, and I hope it stays that way from the Chessori perspective. I’m off to do battle. You might want to strap yourself into something that’s soft. Do you have an objection to being stunned?”

“Stunned!”

“Wouldn’t you rather not be awake for it?” he asked softly.

Her right eye ticked, and she shuddered again. “I would,” she said in a soft voice.

“If it comes to that, I’ll see what I can do. Nice to have met you, Akurea.”

She just stared at him as he left. Too many things around here just didn’t make sense. “George,” she said softly, “what’s going on here?”

“I’m sorry, Akurea. You’ll have to ask Captain Stven or one of the Knights. Tell me about this password problem. Are you going to teach me a new language?”

“I don’t think I have any choice…”

The first group of oncoming Chessori neared, and Stven and M’Sada left the net. O’Brien passed the word that gunners were to hold fire unless they felt they had a sure shot. This particular batch of Chessori would flash by at high speed, and it would be over in a heartbeat.

Just before merging, the scree sounded, and he started taking evasive action, demanding the maximum performance from George.

His shields took a few hits, but they were glancing shots and there was no damage. As far as he was concerned, the ships that had flashed by were now out of the picture. They would come about and attempt to attack from the rear, but he wasn’t going to turn around under any circumstances.

The scree continued as he changed course. The twelve Chessori in front of him were now off to his right side. To his surprise, they spread out into an umbrella pattern and just held there. Unfortunately, they were forcing him away from his jump point. They could easily stay there for hours, and the scree continued strongly. These guys really did seem to count on the scree to disable opponents.

His thoughts went to Krys, and he knew he had to end this. He moved in closer, but the Chessori just moved back. They were just inside the maximum range of his guns.

This was not the time to hold back. Resolve’s cannons opened up on four Chessori, each targeted by two powerful guns, and their shields quickly lit up. The Chessori returned fire, but they were far out of range for their own guns. One Chessori disintegrated, and the others pulled back and headed away, possibly damaged.