Lunar Conspiracy

A New Lead

Alex led them back to where Tava had left Athena and wished them luck in their mission.  Tava nodded to the strange creature, extending similar sentiments and thanks for the return of her crew.  She couldn't quite bring herself to call Alex friend or foe.  But she doubted they would ever meet again.

She headed for the bridge first, hoping to get them back on their way.  She was a little surprised when she felt the engines thrumming beneath her feet, suggesting they were already on their way.  Then she smiled, the surprise melting away quickly.  Of course Jornea would want to fly.  It wasn't surprising at all.

The only question was, where were they going?

Tava stepped onto the bridge, casting a contemplative look across the pilots back.  She was still quieter than usual, but she was beginning to move with her typical enthusiasm again.  She glanced over her shoulder as Tava sat back in the Captains chair.

"Skelly gave us a heading."

Tava frowned.  Kartk's gaze snapped across the bridge towards the pilot, incredulousness seeping into his tone.  "You're going to follow the collecting maniac's instructions?!"

Jornea shrugged, her gaze turning back to switch between out the front shield and the Nav computer as she got them moving.  "I will when they demonstrate precognition and tells me where I can find a lead on finding Tava's husband."

Tava sat straight in her seat, excitement and worry slamming to the forefront of her heart.  "Where is he?!  Is he alright?!"

A soft smile crossed Jornea's face, fast enough Tava thought she might have imagined the wistfulness.  "Sorry.  We're just going to have to see when we get there."

It only took them five days to reach the orbiting space station.  Tava thought it looked like a prison.  Which made sense.  She just hoped her husband wasn't being treated like a criminal for her own actions.

Quorra quickly did a couple scans and started rattling off information.  "Roughly forty individuals.  Most of them in cells.  Looks like a three to one ratio of prisoner to guard.  Their defenses are all facing inward.  They expect trouble on the inside of the station rather than the outside.  It should be an easy breach, and as long as we keep the cells closed, we'll only have to deal with the guards.  Unless you'd like to open up all the cells as distraction, but may I remind you that signing on thirty people of questionable morals might not be the best idea."

Tava frowned.  Quorra had a point.  She couldn't very well dangle a way out of captivity under all those peoples noses and not expect them to want a ride.  And she doubted she'd have the time to psyche eval all of them before someone showed up and realized there was a problem.

"Jornea, dock us up.  Quorra.  Can you disable any distress calls before they go out?"

Quorra nodded.

"Good.  Kartk, let's go."  He quickly got to his feet and turned over the gunner station to Quorra.  Tava hesitated, eyeing Jornea carefully.  "Feel up to some excitement?"

Jornea grinned, the first genuine spark of her old self Tava had seen in a few days.  Tava chuckled a little, glad to see it.

"Call up Kit.  We'll be heading out in five minutes."

Jornea quickly opened up a com line to the engine room to call Kit, then hurried after them.  Kartk finished settling his weapons across his back and rolled his shoulders.  As war parties went, this one was a little sparse, but Tava felt they more than made up for it in tenacity and insanity.

Kit met them at the hatch and they quickly went sliding through.  Tava smirked at the three guards that had come to see who had come to visit.  She wondered how many unscheduled ships they got here, considering all three were wary, but not nervous.  This could turn out to be easier than she had first thought, especially since they didn't immediately recognize her as a wanted fugitive.