Empire's Legacy

Chapter 10: Solar Storm

The comm crackled before either Grey or Amy could respond.

"Captain, the hopper's aboard the Sophia and safely stowed," Taz said. "If you don't need me for anything I'll head back over."

"Roger that. See you back on the Sophia." Grey glanced from Amy to Ramina. "If you want to come back, we should kit up in actual biohazard gear. Wouldn't hurt to have a team along to deal with body disposal."

"That's a substantial project, to say nothing of the financial outlay," Ramina pointed out.

"I know some people," Amy said. "I can call in some favors. The Waratah will still be mine. Ours. Commission won't hear anything about it beyond whatever they might already know. And I'll put some feelers out on the virus while I'm at it."

Grey switched on his inter-ship comm. "Kate, how's it looking over there?"

"There's a category three solar wind storm coming in off Albor," Kate said, her voice distorted by static. "It's picking up a lot of spatial debris in its path, and at the rate it's going, it's probably going to hit category four by the time it reaches us. If the chute is still extended when it hits, it's likely to snap, so you'd better make a decision pretty quick as to whether you're coming home or you're staying over there until the storm passes, because we need to retract the chute ASAP."

"Shit," Grey said. "We're on our way back now." He motioned to Amy and de Sara and headed out of the lab at an ungainly job. "Be prepared to retract the chute as soon as we're back on board the Sophia. As soon as it's secure, be ready to flash. I don't want the Sophia anywhere near that storm when she hits." He killed the comm and muttered, "We don't have the credits for repairs."

The ride back to the Sophia was bumpy; turbulence was riding strong in advance of the storm. As soon as their boots touched down in the access port and the ship pressurized around them, Grey's helmet was off and he had his finger on the comm on the bulkhead.

"Status, Kate."

"Benji and Taz are pulling the chute in now," she said. "It'll be locked in six, Captain."

"How long until the storm hits?"

She hesitated. "Seven minutes."

"Dammit." Grey closed his eyes and rubbed his jaw. "Kate. Three minutes out, start moving the Sophia away from the leading edge of the storm. Keep retracting the chute as you go. As soon as it's locked, flash. I'm not liking our odds. Give me as much time as you can."

"Got it, Cap."

Grey released the comm button and turned to Amy. "The Waratah will be fine in the meantime?"

Amy shrugged as she stepped out of her suit. "There's no reason why she shouldn't be. She's been sitting in this region of space for two hundred years and has probably been battered by innumerable storms. The asteroid field makes this a particularly nasty spot, but aside from some bumps and bruises on her hull, the Waratah seems to have born up well enough."

The Sophia lurched, knocking Amy against the lockers as she tried to hang her suit and sending de Sara and Grey crashing into the access hatch.

"The Sophia, on the other hand, I'd worry about," Amy said, picking herself up out of the lockers and unhooking her helmet from her foot. "What was that?"

"Kate?"

"Asteroid, sir. Caught us under the port side. Sorry. We're fine now."

"Kate..."

There was a spark from the comm panel and then Kate's voice emanated from the speaker, echoing around the room. "All hands, this is your pilot speaking. You may want to hold on to something."

The ship began to shake. Amy watched, unnerved, as a bolt in one of the deck plates slowly began to work loose. Before it could fly free, Grey's boot came down on it, trapping it in place. And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the shaking stopped.

Amy let go of the lockers and looked down at her hands. Her knuckles were white. "Do you often travel that way?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Emergency travel only," Grey said. "I'm going to my bridge."

Kate started apologizing the moment Grey's head appeared at the top of the ladder and continued as he hoisted himself up into the bridge.

"Kate," he said finally, "my ship is still flying, isn't she?"

"Um. Yes."

"We're all still alive."

"...yes."

"Nothing on my ship has broken? There aren't any giant holes I should know about?"

She looked at him and then stared at the deck. "There might be a small hole in the chute," she said in a small voice. "But I think it's only a small one," she continued in a rush. "It was only a small piece of rock. It broke off the asteroid that impacted the hull and then flew off towards the chute and it was still retracting and there wasn't anything Benji or Taz or I could do and it went straight through the side." She stopped and gazed at Grey anxiously.

Grey pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sure it's fixable," he said reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. Taz and Benji will come up with...something."

The flight console started to beep at the same time as a red light began to flash. Kate spun around and slid back into her seat, fingers flying over the panel.

"What's that?" Grey asked.

"Proximity detector," Kate said.

Grey rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that, Kate."

"What are we close to?" Amy asked, poking her head up onto the bridge.

"Not sure," Kate replied, frowning at her sensors. "I'm getting a message from a Commissioner ship telling us to come to a stop." She looked up at Grey. "What do you want me to do?"

He shrugged. "We're not carrying anyone or anything illegal and for the moment it's in our best interests to cooperate with the Commission. All stop. Send a message asking what they want."

Amy pulled herself up onto the bridge and came up behind Grey. "What do you think it is?" she asked quietly.

"No idea," he answered. "Might be a routine inspection. There's a lot of smugglers operating in this area."

"Answer back, Captain," Kate said.

"Put it on the vidscreen."