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"Reed's Raiders"
Rating: PG-13 Five “We have a lot in common, you and I. I think we can work well together.” Matthew Hayes scowled at the Nausicaan “escort” walking at his side. The smarmy tone grated on his nerves and behind him, both Money and McKenzie bristled as they picked up on his mood. Hayes was garishly attired in orange and green silk, with blaster, knife, and ammunition stuffed in his belt. Sascha Money and Fiona McKenzie wore long skirts slit high on the side, showing a judicious amount of leg as they moved, and tight leather bodices more appropriate for bar wenches than MACOs. Gunny, who watched his back, reminded Hayes of a Boomer pilot, with shirt tucked into breeches, into high-heeled boots, and his ridiculously short gray hair hidden under a kerchief. Gunny’s unhappy look wasn’t feigned at all, and Hayes couldn’t blame him. I’m a soldier, not a five-year-old trick or treater, Hayes thought again, but he saw the glimmer of the deck lights on McKenzie’s flawless skin, and mentally added, but I guess there are some good things about this charade after all. “What do you mean, ‘we can work well together’, Sakosh?” Hayes asked. “I see how much you resent your master,” Sakosh replied, baring his teeth. “You hate him from your very core, enough to challenge his authority. I am sure that you would have beaten him, if given the chance.” Hayes raised his eyebrows. The words hit too close to home; he deftly steered the conversation away from him. “So, what about you? I take it you aren’t happy with your current employment, either.” Sakosh spat on the pristine deck and Hayes resisted the urge to mop it up with the Nausicaan’s face. “Soresh is a fool. He accepted help from the Orions to capture this ship, which he never should have done.” “Never should have captured the ship, or never should have asked the Orions?” He kept a straight face at this new revelation. It explained a lot of things, including how the Nausicaans were able to plan a cunning attack in the first place. How can I let Lieutenant Reed know about this? Sakosh shrugged and answered, “You can never trust Orions where profit is concerned.” Hayes made a noise of agreement. They came to Cargo Bay One, where the Nausicaans had rounded up some of the Enterprise crew. “Some of the new slaves are in here. Sixteen, all under heavy guard. Most of them in technical fields, but some do not have any marketable skills. Sciences...they will make good manual labor somewhere. Do you wish to examine the cargo?" His stomach turned at the Nausicaan's referring of the crew as "cargo". If being a real pirate means being this immoral, I'm glad I'm a MACO. It took Hayes an effort to keep his own tone casual. "No. I'll see 'em later, once we take care of our problem." Sakosh nodded to the two Nausicaan guards as they went past. "I admire your self-control." "Get the unpleasant business over with first, then you have more time to enjoy the spoils." He glanced at Gunny, who was still keeping an eye on their surroundings and one hand on his blaster. "Isn't that right, Gunny?" "Yeah. I think we can all agree with that, Boss," Gunny replied, with a look at Money and McKenzie. Sakosh grinned and said, "I can appreciate the sentiment. Another reason why I believe we can work well together." "Don't try too hard," Money muttered under her breath. "Quit while you're ahead, Sakosh." Hayes consulted a mental map of the ship and realized that they were a deck below Main Engineering. “Where are most of the defenders holed up?” “Their engine room and their weapons room. We have control of almost every other important function.” Sakosh replied, his voice laced with frustration. “We must gain control of those strategic areas.” “What would you suggest we do, then?” “Soresh is more concern about the worth of the equipment and weapons. He is afraid that too much force will cause more damage than he wants,” Sakosh grumbled. “If I had my way, I would have cut into the barriers and overtaken the Humans a long time ago.” Hayes chuckled. “Spoken like a true Nausicaan. Brute force when you can do it.” “It has worked for us before. I see little reason to change it now. Soresh on the other hand, is weak-willed. He thinks he can bargain for more. He is greedy.” Hayes swallowed what he really wanted to say. “All right. How about we tackle Engineering first? More people, more resistance—“ he gave Sakosh a tight smile, “more opportunity to get some frustration out, right?” Sakosh laughed and pounded Hayes on the back. Although the major was not a small man, he nearly went flying down the corridor. Money slapped the Nausicaan’s hand with her rifle. “Watch it,” she hissed. “You hurt him, I hurt you.” Sakosh stared at her for a moment, then laughed again. “Your woman here values you much, it seems. I suppose you are fortunate, that you have such loyal female company to guard your back and warm your bed.” Hayes rolled his eyes and bit his tongue. Judging from Sascha’s furious expression, she’d pound him no matter what he said. Women, he thought with grim humor. I can’t win. He wisely kept his mouth shut. Gunny chuckled and said, “Don’t underestimate them, Sakosh. They can be dangerous. I can remember them leaving a mark or two in my time.” “In your dreams, Gunny,” McKenzie said amicably. “Every night, Mac,” Gunny replied. “You must be so sleep deprived.” Hayes shook his head and tried not to smile. “Enough, you two. We’ve got a job to do. Sakosh, how many of your people are outside the engine room right now?” “Eight, not counting the members of your band” Sakosh replied, putting emphasis on that word. “Good.” He waved Sakosh to go up the ladder first. “Go on. If I get the feeling you’re pulling something on us, I won’t hesitate to shoot you in the back. Understand?” “Understood, but like I said, I think we can work together well. You know, you haven’t even given me your name.” Hayes shrugged. “I give it to those who’re entitled. Which you aren’t.” Sakosh sighed and began to climb the ladder. Hayes followed, with Money and McKenzie close behind. When they emerged through the hatch in front of Engineering, he saw a group of Nausicaans, plus Lieutenant Kelby, Crewman Rostov, Ensign Lori D’Angelo and Travis Mayweather. Rostov and Kelby were arguing over an exposed circuit panel in the wall, buying some time until Hayes and the others arrived. “Forget knocking on the door. We’re gonna kick it down,” Hayes said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Is communications working in there?” “Should be,” Rostov answered in a sullen voice. “Who’s in there?” “That damn Vulcan,” Kelby groused, “and her paramour.” T’Pol and Tucker, Hayes thought with a wicked smile. Obviously, Kelby isn’t fond of either one of them. “Are the charges ready to go?” “Whenever you say so,” Travis answered with a huge grin. “All right. Everyone take some kind of cover. Not gonna do any of us a bit of good if the blast knocks us out, too.” He waved at the joint Nausicaan/Human strike team, thinking This is kinda screwed up, but if this works...Deliberately, he punched the button to the intercom. “Last chance, Tucker. We’ve got explosives rigged out here. Give up and no one’ll die unnecessarily.” Trip Tucker’s scornful voice echoed in the hall. “Ya blow open the blast shield, we blow the warp core. Your choice, Hayes.” “You’re bluffing, Tucker. You don’t have the guts.” “Wanna bet? I’m not gonna let ya or that son-of-a-Brit take over the ship.” “Had your chance, Tucker. You’d better hope you go pretty quickly, ‘cause I won’t let that happen if I get a hold of your hide.” He thumbed the com button, then flashed his team with hand signals. “All right, let’s do our worst. Let ‘em rip!” Rostov glanced at Kelby, who nodded. He brandished the detonator, then pushed the button. There was a sharp bang, then smoke poured from the blast shield. It spread quickly over the corridor, hiding everyone—and everything—from view. Hayes counted down the seconds, then Gunny shouted, right on cue, “Dammit, they’ve betrayed us!” Someone else yelled, then the sound of laser fire rang around Hayes. Nausicaans fell as Hayes’s team turned on their “allies” and made short work of them. Suddenly, a weight slammed into him and knocked him onto his back. Reflexes took over and he tried to throw his attacker off him, but another shockwave shook the corridor and sent him on his back again. The person on top of him was knocked flat on him and before he could react, a pair of lips locked onto his own. What the hell—? He choked as his brain froze and Major Matthew Hayes, MACO commander and career soldier, melted like overheated lead into the deck. Then abruptly, the kiss was done, and whoever it was had vanished. He lay there for a long minute, stunned, and tried to get his brain back into gear. What the hell just happened?? “Major? Major? You all right?” He tried to sit up and suddenly, he was aware of a faint scent. Flowers? Why am I smelling flowers? “I’m fine,” he replied hoarsely. “Just...got the wind knocked out of me.” Which isn’t that far from the truth, he thought wryly. Hayes looked up through the thinning veil of smoke and saw Nausicaans lying on the deck unconscious. Travis knelt on one side of him; Tucker on the other. Hayes realized that the commander had raised the blast shield covering Engineering. “Major, everything’s secure,” McKenzie reported. “I got a hidin’ place prepared for our friends,” Trip said. “Let’s get ‘em squared away.” Hayes nodded and calmly began issuing orders, not daring to betray the turmoil inside him. |
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