Flash Fiction # 459 -- Raiders/9

 Brick had started looking frightened, but a moment later, his eyes narrowed, and anger took the place of fear.  I was glad to see it.  He could prove to be a formidable barrier against trouble, besides a guide to whom we might trust.

I wanted more time.

"Krisin?" I said.

He looked at me and shook his head.  "Do something crazy and brilliant.  I'll do what I can to keep things from blowing up."

"That's not a good thing to say to me."

"I've served with you for years.  If you can't do brilliant, you'll do crazy.  Try to go for both.  Sailfor is going to make its move at any moment.  We don't have a lot to lose."

I didn't want that kind of responsibility, but even Lisel stared at me with a look of expectation.  I didn't know what to do.  If I was in my fighter --

Well, hell.

"Krisin, I need you."

"But --" he began with a half panicked wave at the controls.

"It won't be for long. First, I need you to fix the fighter."

"You can't catch up with the ship. She'll be into slide by now --"

"You know me better."

He blinked, blinked again, and then smiled.  "I'll be back within the hour," he told the others.  "Just keep things steady."

Krisin rushed out so fast that Lisel, Brick, and I could hardly keep up with him.  Brick yelled for his people to keep guard, but well back from the door into Admin.  They shouted some questions, but we never slowed.

Some of them would know what was going on.  I expected those people to follow us.  That was fine.  Even Brick looked back, hand on his weapon, and gave a nod.

"Bring them on," I said.  "We might need a distraction of our own."

"True.  What a damned mess."

He might have wanted to ask questions, but we were hurrying again, and there were more people around now.  I wanted to order them to head for the protected core of the station, but they weren't going to listen to me.

If we got this worked out, I'd send Brick back.

We hurried through the market.  It mainly was shut down, so no one stopped us.  But as we neared the opening to the bay, Krisin and Lisel finally slowed.

"Head straight for the repair bay," I said. I looked around to make sure Brick's people were not too close.  "It will take us past Sailfor.  Try to get them occupied without being obvious.  Just long enough for the three of us to get to the repair bay.  Then get to cover -- you and everyone you can gather."

Brick gave a quick nod.  His face kept changing from worried to angered.  "I'll have to be careful.  If even just a few of my people are working with Sailfor, they will not want to work against the ship.  Well, it'll tell me who to trust anyway."
"Be damned careful," I said.  I wouldn't have thought I would have cared an hour ago.  "Don't go too far.  Remember that you have others to protect."

He gave another nod.

Lisel put a hand on Brick's arm.  "Remember your children.  I will do what I can to protect them.  The fighter is our best first step."

Brick nodded.

We parted company there at the edge of the bay.  I had to work very hard not to draw my laser and just start firing at the smug SOBs that were lounging around their ship.  You could tell they were up to something, but Lisel herded me on without being obvious.  I had a hard time not looking back, though.  I felt them watching us, and it was not a pleasant feeling.

"Why the hell did the captain do this to us?" Krisin demanded as we hurried on.  He did look frantic.  "This isn't the sort of thing we should be handling, Tana."

"No. We shouldn't," I agreed.  "And I don't think the Captain realized how close the trouble was before she booted us off the ship.  But here we are."

"And what can we do?" he demanded.  "You take the fighter out and threaten them?"

"I'm not going to threaten them.  I'm going to blow their engines to hell."

"Uh..."  Lisel slowed, and so did Krisin.  "We could be wrong about them, you know."

"I know.  And that's why I'm going for their engines and not just blowing the whole ship to hell."

"Ah."  Lisel moved a little faster again.  "And with them trapped here, you have to assume that they won't rip a hole in the station."

"Right.  Lisel, you need to get back to the control deck and do your best to keep everything from going to hell.  I suspect there is still going to be trouble.  I wouldn't be surprised to see them try for another ship."

"Yeah," Lisel said and scanned the area.  "I'd say the little puddle jumper there will be their target.  Small crew, easy to take.  We'll have to  try and keep an eye on it."

"Yes," I said.  We were almost to the repair bay.  I could even see my fighter up on the braces and hoped we could get her down quickly.  I could see Briefly pointing to something on a screen.  She didn't see us heading into the area until one of the others pointed to us.  We'd gone past the zone where we should have stopped, and Lisel was already looking into the open section.

"Tana --" Befly began.

"No time," I said.  I took Befly's arm and pulled her aside.  "The station is about to suffer a catastrophic event -- unless I can get the fighter out."

"You can't -- we don't -- what the hell?"

I gave her a quick rundown, watching her eyes narrow and her mouth clamp shut.  "I didn't know what was going to happen.  We're stuck here --"

"Except you are going to take the fighter."

"I intend to blow the hell out of Sailfor's engines.  Krisin is staying.  We are not running."