Night Traveller (Gay Romantic Sci-Fi)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six 

Mike Oliver knew the other two men didn't want him along but that was just too bad. This was his job. They'd invited the Patrol to Asra and he wasn't going to sit around on his backside when a ship had been attacked. Not for the first time, he wished he had his own Patrol ship, even if it was just a shuttle. How could he be expected to operate efficiently if he was planet bound? They might just as well have settled for a police constable if all they wanted him to do was handle the drunk and disorderly, the traffic and the fines. 

"So, what's the story?" he asked as the three of them strode along, only a few minutes away now from the docking bay and the AISS second ship. "What's happened?" 

The partners exchanged a silent look, evidently deciding via some indecipherable means that Trenwith would be the spokesperson. "The Argos was escorting a small vessel, the Sprite, from Asra to Burra. Apparently they were just about to switch to FTL when they were fired upon by an unidentified craft. The Argos fired back and damaged the attacker, but unfortunately not until they had taken a hit themselves. The space drive was hit and they can't jump."  

Callan was concentrating on his wristcom, replying to a message he had just received. "Good news," he announced, rather grimly. "Terry says he can send out their rescue vessel to bring the Argos back here. That means you can take the Rover and complete the contract." He spoke to Trenwith.  

"Terry?" asked Oliver, still trying to get a handle on the situation. 

"One of the sub managers at Poseidon," explained Callan. "They have a decent sized trawler that can transport smaller ships. We'll have to pay for it but it'll be cheaper in the long run than breaking a contract." 

The three men entered the docking bay and stopped beside a small ship which looked to Oliver as if it might have been a patrol vessel in a previous life. A couple of men and a woman all in dark green uniforms came towards them, looking alert and ready for action.  

"My team," said Callan crisply. "I'll introduce you once we're on board. We better get going, Argos and the client are waiting, the trawler will meet us there." 

Dane unlocked the hatch and they all piled aboard, Dane going straight to the pilot's seat. He caught the momentary flash of envy on Oliver's face. 

"Can you fly?" he asked over his shoulder. "Would you like to be my second?" 

The Lieutenant stared longingly at the control seat next to Trenwith, Dane thought he heard a small sigh before the other man reluctantly declined. "Another time perhaps. I need to find out what's happened with your other ship." 

"You and me both," replied Callan, opening up his console unit. "I'll see if I can get through to Pele." 

Oliver went to peer over his shoulder and saw a dark-skinned face appear on the screen. "Sir?" 

"Pele? Callan here, we're on our way to you. Are you alright? Was anyone injured?" 

"Rene has a broken arm, but otherwise nothing worse than a few bruises sir. We were lucky." The woman's warm voice came through clearly. 

"The Sprite?" 

"All fine, they weren't hit." 

"That's good." Callan went on to tell his other pilot about the arrangements he had made with the trawler. "Let the Sprite know that the Rover will be there shortly to escort them to Burra would you?" 

"I'll need to talk to them about the attack first," Oliver announced firmly. He just caught the quick look exchanged between Callan and Trenwith before he was distracted by Pele on the screen. "Sir? Who was that?" she asked in surprise. 

"Lieutenant Oliver, our new Patrol representative," Callan told her, his face carefully expressionless. "Naturally, we'll offer him every assistance." 

"Er ... yes sir," the reply sounded rather doubtful. 

"Have you seen or heard anything from the assailant ship?" he changed the subject smoothly. 

"Nothing ser, it appears to be just drifting." 

"ETA two minutes," reported Trenwith from the pilot's seat. 

"I think I can see the trawler now," reported Pele. "Yes, it's the Hummer, they've just made contact." 

"Go ahead with recovery arrangements, Pele. I want to check out the assailant ship then meet up with you on the Hummer. I've arranged for them to transport us back to Asra while Trenwith takes the Rover onwards with Sprite." He turned to Oliver. "I assume you'll want to come with me now to take charge of any survivors? You'll be able to talk to Pele yourself once we're all on the Hummer." 

The Lieutenant nodded, it appeared that he was going to be very busy for the next couple of hours. "Any idea who would want to attack your ship?" he asked. 

"Not specifically. Pirates I imagine, hoping for valuables," replied Callan. 

"Maybe," agreed Oliver doubtfully, it sounded a bit of a risky gamble unless the pirate had information about the cargo. "Who's your client on board the Sprite? Are they carrying anything valuable?"  

"Ser Jian Chang, a business man and his party," came the smooth answer. "I don't know what, if anything, they are carrying with them. It can't be anything bulky, they're only a small ship." 

Oliver stared hard at the governor, was he serious? He had to know that 'Jian Chang' was the most common name in the galaxy, like 'John Smith' or 'Mohammed Khan' in some other cultures. 

"I'll need to interview him, whoever he is. I think it's more likely he was the main target, rather than your ship." 

Callan pursed his lips. For a minute Oliver thought he was going to argue, but instead he replied, "I'm sure he'd be only too happy to co-operate with the Patrol, but perhaps we should wait and see what we can discover on the other ship. We might find the answer to all our queries right in front of us." 

"Docking with the other ship now," reported Trenwith. "Make sure you are all secure." Everyone sat. There was a slight bump as the ships made contact and then Callan was on his feet, heading towards the hatch. The three crew members followed quickly, stunners held at the ready and Oliver joined them, his own weapon in his hand. He considered briefly whether he should insist on leading the party but decided against it. Callan and his team were accustomed to working together, he would let Callan lead the way and be prepared to back him up.