Echoes of the Storm

Chapter 13

At the airlock, Stone motioned for his men to relax. He poked Kellen's hand, which rested ominously on the blaster at his hip. "No need to appear threatening," Stone told him.

Whoosh. The airlock opened and five Corona troopers stepped into the corridor. Stone was careful to keep any emotion from showing on his face, but his pulse quickened as they parted to allow their commander to step past.

Perfectly creased crisp black uniform. Silver shoulder stripes, three shiny disks on his service bar with two rows of medals. Could've been me.

"I'm Stone," he said, glancing at the commendations just long enough to see a familiar bar. "Commander Roeda, I see you survived Maileb." Wouldn't hurt to be friendly.

The commander pursed his thin lips, accentuating a gaunt look and deep set eyes, and pushed past him. His troops fanned out in a semi-circle.

Stone got the hint. Apparently, the man was in no mood for small talk.

"Your SNC-44 has been upgraded considerably," Roeda said, taking his time to turn around.

Pretentious bastard. Stone didn't like him, but didn't hesitate. "Nothing illegal about that, commander." He placed his hands behind his back, purposefully not within easy reach of the blaster holstered at his hip. Too bad the Corona troops weren't doing the same, their rifles held menacingly across armored chests.

"You're beginning to worry my men," he added. "Is there some point to your visit?"

Roeda sniffed the air. Suddenly eight more troopers poured through the airlock. Stone and his men were surrounded just as he'd expected. He touched the comm device on his wrist, all the while giving Roeda the show of a lifetime. His face flushed. "Commander, what is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed.

"By the Grand Emperor's authority, I am commandeering this ship."

"What!" Stone shouted. "You can't do—"

The trooper nearest Stone placed a blaster rifle in his side. Two others brought their sights to bear on Stone's men. Roeda issued orders sending nine of his troopers to engineering.

"Shall we proceed to the bridge?" Roeda tilted his head, his smoke gray eyes cold. "I believe you have an announcement to make. If your crew cooperates, they will live. If they do not, they will die...and you along with them."

Stone nodded sullenly. The troopers prodded him down the corridor with Roeda at his side. There was no way he'd turn his ship over to this bastard without a fight.

#

"Commander," Danner shouted. "Emergency signal from the captain."

"Yes, Mr. Danner." Arlee had been watching the scene unfold on the airlock monitor. Stone's stance, the look he sent. Arlee needed no emergency signal. He knew exactly what was happening.

"Give me visuals. Two E, levels three and four, and shift this airlock to secondary," Arlee ordered. "Danner, warn Engineering they're about to have company. Then tell Crater and his men that there's one guard at the airlock. If they move up the port ladders they won't run into any the bastards. Remind them to keep it quiet."

"Aye, sir," Danner replied shakily.

"Janos, can we scan that scout ship?"

"Can't get past their shields." Janos' slim fingers slid across her control panel. "If you want numbers, I counted fourteen in the airlock. That would leave four, maybe five, on board the scout."

Arlee acknowledged the petite tech with a nod. "Danner, did you copy that? Pass it on to Crater."

"Yes, sir. Signal from Engineering." Danner concentrated on four separate streams on his monitor. "There," he said. "Corona troopers moving down Four C."