Not So Chance Encounters

[Kaden]

Kaden quietly went through his prelaunch routine of checking the U-26 Black Falcon for any problems. The chief had cleared the bird already but Kaden would have checked his instruments if he had been on the Osirus, let alone on this small military transport and he wouldn't have considered it a lack of faith in the chief's abilities.

"You're all clear to go whenever you are ready Captain." The voice came right into Kaden's ear...literally. The transmission was being sent to a small, semi-permanent chip located in the the flesh of his inner ear. It was just another sign of how technology and biology were being ever and ever more mixed as acceptance of AI, androids and cyborgs grew throughout the UIR.

"Confirmed," Kaden responded, his voice doing a good job of hiding how exhausted he felt. He was the only officer assigned to protect this transport. The UIR military was stretched awfully thin after Earthfall and, while the cargo the transport was carrying was valuable, it was not vital. The Admiral, and Kaden's personal God until he resigned his comission, had not even seen fit to provide this convoy with a ship escort. All they had sent was Kaden and his U-26. The poor fighter, used to being taken care of like a prized racing horse, had been stuffed in the hull with the cargo and it looked sorely out of place whenever Kaden saw it.

Kaden patted the dashboard of the combat craft as he prepared to go out on his last patrol of the "day". "We'll be back where we belong soon," he whispered, making sure that he was not transmitting as he did so. The last thing he needed was for there to be rumors that their only fighter pilot was going crazy and had begun talking to himself. This mission had been unpleasant enough to deal with.

Kaden lifted off gently from the hull as the air was sucked out of the landing dock and the gravity was turned off. He patiently waited for the doors to open and when they did he shot through them. The move was flashy and unnecessary, he could have eased out of the air lock, but after weeks of being locked up on this ship Kaden felt like he and his ship deserved to look like the combat weapons they were, if only for the people sure to be watching him from the port side windows.

As soon as he was clear of the ship he slowed down and settled into his usual patrol route. He let his mind wander and, as it often did, it stumbled its way down memory lane. He expected to find himself back on Takatifu but instead he found himself on Earth during his last stay there. He was standing next to Tamrin as they looked out over the lake at a Casino set up on the lake itself. The transport ship that would take them to the casino was slowly making its way away from them. They'd been five minutes late.

"We could go back to base," Kaden suggested quietly knowing full well that Tamrin had no intention of going back to base. That was fine. Kaden didn't really want to go to the base either but it felt like he should suggest it. That was the part he played in this dynamic. He would suggest the responsible and boring thing to do and Tamrin would suggest the thing they actually did. Kaden got to preserve his responsible, stick-in-the-mud image and Tamrin got to feel like she was pushing him into danger and excitement. It worked.

"I'll race you," she responded, beginning to slug off her outer coat and letting it drop to the dock at her feet.

Kaden hadn't heard from Tamrin since earthfall. He knew she could take care of herself but it didn't stop him from worrying about her. He had to wonder what had happened to her.

Kaden turned his mind away from his friend as he spotted a ship that was not the military transport he'd been sent to protect. It wasn't necessarily unusual to find a ship out here. This shipping lane was very popular. But even if they had been traveling to the same destination by the same route the chances of two ships being within visual distance of each other were slim to none. Space was big. There was no reason to crowd.

"I've got an unknown out here," Kaden reported. He waited for some sort of confirmation that his message had been received but none came. Kaden tried again and was greeted by the same silence. He cursed softly. His comms were being jammed. Definitely not a friendly coincidence then.

He briefly debated his next course of action. He could return to the ship and make sure they were aware of the situation but it would allow the unknown vessel time to either get in close or to run if they noticed their presence had been marked. He wouldn't mind if they ran but if they got too close they might be able to rip the shieldless transport apart.

But if he went after the ship alone he would be going in without any sort of back up and no confirmation that the ship he was escorting even knew what had happened to him.

He turned his ship towards the unknown vessel and increased his speed. If a fight broke out he wouldn't have had back up either way. He just had to hope that some wayward crewman was looking out the window and had seen where he'd gone.

[Gregoire]

"Cap'n." The voice belonged to Keith Astor, a heavy-built man who'd come straight out of the military into Greg's service. He was dressed in some old military fatigues, a vest of light armor hidden beneath his clothing. There was a gun strapped to his hip, its butt poking out from his pants. Greg had sent the order for most of the ship to prepare to board, which usually meant to prepare for an on board fight. Crew members strapped as much armor they could find lying around, and packed their belts with weapons. Greg himself was dressed similarly to Keith, including the gun. "Cap'n. The fighter ship's heading this way. He's spotted us, but I don't think the other ship has been alerted yet. What do you suggest next?"

Greg was settled inside his captain's chair, one heavy boot propped up on the table in front of him. The chair was located on a low platform overlooking the rest of the small bridge. The rest of the crew were there as well, busy at their own stations, keeping the ship on course and preparing for their Captain's orders. The small computer screen to Greg's immediate side was relaying important information continuously, as well as emitting a low beeping sound at the fighter ship's approach.

The Captain sucked in a slow breath through his teeth, then leaned forward to stare at the vast window at the front of the bridge. The window itself had a complex network of sensitive computer wires running through it, and the image of the outside space was plagued with the computer's readings, small bits of texts and lines that indicated distances and generalized statistics. It was a small bit of fancy, fresh technology Greg had installed on the ship while on some rich planet, fueling up. In the window, floating further off, among the stars, was their intended prize--the cargo ship. Then, coming closer, the minor annoyance, the fighter ship.

"What type of ship do you suppose that is, Astor?" Greg asked idly.

Astor tilted his head upwards, his eyes raking over the window. "...Possible... UIR ship, sir? Next course of action?" The man's tone had a slight edge of nervousness etched in it. Greg calmly tapped a finger against his cheek, leaning against the chair's back.

"Don't engage unless he shoots first," He said. "If he does start blazing, attempt to disable him. Let him board if he wants. One more hostage for the taking." Greg glanced past the fighter ship to the convoy they wanted. "We don't want the other ship running off scared. As far as they know, we're a clunky old merchant ship cluttering things up." Astor gave a nod of understanding, turning back to the area he was in charge of to give the orders. Pushing himself up from the chair, Greg wandered to the edge of the low platform, folding his arms across his chest and watching the small ship get closer and closer.

[Kaden]

As Kaden approached the ship he tried to hail it but his comms were still being blocked. It was a frustrating situation. Protocol demanded he let the unknown ship know that it was approaching too close to a military vessel and to turn around. It protected everyone from lethal misunderstandings. But with his comms down he had no way of communicating with the ship without firing a shot.

Kaden carefully lined up the Falcon and then fired a burst of energy fire across the bow of the ship. It didn't hit the ship but it went right in front of their nose. It was the only warning he could give that they had to turn around and he hoped they listened.

[Gregoire]

The fighter ship continued to approach the Laika. Greg stood idly, waiting. He wasn't too worried about the small ship being much of a problem, especially since it appeared to be working by itself and not with a couple other ships like usual. The Laika was a sturdy ship--it had to be, to deal with the way Greg used it.

A few minutes passed before there was finally a reaction from the other ship; a shot of energy whizzed past the front of the Laika. The crew members on the bridge all seemed to flinch at the same time, wincing like the ship had actually been hit.

"Wait," Greg called out. Astor, who was bent near a couple crew member's computer screens, turned his head to look at his Captain. The fighter ship hadn't directly attacked them, which meant he hadn't immediately assumed they had bad intentions. Unless the fighter pilot inside the ship was a terrible, terrible shot, it looked like a warning. "Hail him. See what he wants." Acknowledging Greg with a nod, Astor turned back to his station immediately to relay the command.

[Kaden]

Kaden carefully retargeted the ship's the engines as he waited for the reaction to his warning shot. He didn't have to wait long. The small light in his dashboard that had been blinking red ever since his comms had gone down turned a bright, steady green and his ear was filled with the staticy silence of an open connection instead of the dead silence of the past few minutes.

He waited to see what the ship had to say only to get a standard hail signal asking for identification. He hit the button to respond immediately. Alright, if you want to pretend like you're doing nothing wrong, he thought to himself as he rattled off his identification.

"This is Captain Kaden kai'Zeke of the United Republic Fleet. You have come unlawfully close to a military transport. Identify yourself or vacate near space," or both. He wouldn't mind knowing who he was dealing with. "If you do not do either hostile actions will have to be taken against you."

[Gregoire]

The small computer near Greg's chair lit up, and he turned towards it. The fighter pilot had responded almost immediately to the Laika's hail, his picture materializing on the small computer screen. As Kaden spoke, Greg slipped back into his chair and into view of the computer monitor. "Oh, apologizes, Captain Kaden. This is Steve Manchen, Captain of the Flying Bluebird," Greg said, lying smoothly. There were many places where Greg's name had been spread in a very negative light, and he didn't want the chance of having Kaden recognize it.

Leaning forward in his chair, Greg twisted his face into an expression of concern, like he was being wronged unjustly. "Hostile action, sir? This ship is a licensed merchant vessel, though it's been damaged slightly. We're traveling in an authorized shipping lane, Captain, aren't we? Just trying to find the fastest way to the next planet for some repairs. Is this not allowed?" His eyebrows drew together, a frown on his lips. He was calculating what to do next. The other ship, the beautiful main prize of all of this, was waiting just out of view. Before he could get his prize, however, he needed to figure out what to do with this Kaden.

[Kaden]

"In this case sir, yes it is," Kaden responded to the small image of the man he assumed was the captain. He turned his eyes away from the picture that was in the top right corner of his targeting screen and keyed up the military transport. As long as he had comms he had to use them to warn the ship. "If you'll excuse me sir," Kaden said, turning off his end of the communication for a moment though he could still see the unknown captain in real time.

The captain of the military transport popped up on his screen. "Captain Zeke," she said with a look of confused disapproval. Behind her he could see the bridge. It was almost empty and he had to wonder why? Hadn't the unknown ship shown up on their sensors? Shouldn't they be arming themselves?

"Commander Quicklyle, there is an unknown ship inside my patrol perimeter that is approaching the Isis. I am engaging in communication but so far they have not turned around." He glanced back to the small image of the Manchen to make sure he was still there. "They identified themselves as the Flying Bluebird Captained by a Steve Manchen. Orders?"

Quicklyle looked off screen and addressed her crew. Kaden couldn't hear what she was saying since she hadn't included him in her communications. The slight discourtesy annoyed him but he said nothing. A moment later she was back. "We have no record of this ship Captain. It does not show up on our sensors." Was she calling him a liar? If the ship wasn't showing up that was all the more proof that it was up to no good. What merchant vessel could hide its signal? "But I obviously take your word that one it out there." He relaxed slightly, not realizing that he'd started to get angry. "Continue to communicate Captain, try to find out more information. We are going to try to locate their signal and call for back up."

"Ma'am, if I may, there is no back up. That is why they only sent me. Earthfall has stretched everyone's resources." It was the understatement of the millennium. The galaxy was in an uproar over Earthfall. There were uprisings everywhere. The fleet was running around trying to put out multiple fires and seemed to be fighting a losing battle against chaos.

"I know Captain. We'll do what we can. If they get too close you have leave to use lethal force." Kaden frowned slightly. The people on the "Flying Bluebird," may not be who they said they were but that didn't mean he wanted to kill them or leave them adrift in space which was almost the same thing.

"Yes Commander. Zeke out," he flipped off the communication. It hadn't taken long but to talk to her but he was still worried he'd alerted the Bluebird that they were under suspicion. Then again, they would probably assume that either way since he'd fired on them. Flipping the communication with Manchen back on Kaden said, "You are ordered to vacate near space Captain Manchen. You can return to this course after we have passed by."

[Gregoire]

The captain of the fighter ship excused himself, muting his side of the exchange. Greg leaned backwards in his chair, causing it to tilt backwards with his weight. He propped his elbow against the chair's arm, his chin resting against his hand. This wasn't looking particularly good for Greg. Kaden was most likely doing something to alert the other ship, if he could get through, or in the least checking up on the fake name and ship Greg had given. Standard. It just meant Greg had to work this situation to his advantage faster.

Astor approached him just out of view of the computer, a questioning look on his face. Greg waved his hand at him dismissively. Just as he did, Kaden's picture popped back up. "You are ordered to vacate near space Captain Manchen. You can return to this course after we have passed by." Greg kept the concerned look on his face, shifting in his chair.

"Captain? Have I done something wrong? As far as I know being close to another ship isn't a crime," Greg said. "And as well I'd love to vacate near space, Captain, as you ordered. I really would. But my ship--as you know, I told you a couple minutes ago--has been damaged. We're trying to rush through this shipping lane to the nearest planet for some repairs, and your ship just happens to be nearby. I'm not sure how long my poor beauty will last, especially if we're ordered to go float off in some distant area until you pass by. Surely you don't want to strand us out here?" The tone of his voice had a practiced level of uneasy anxiety to it. The words were so familiar on his tongue that he barely had to remember them anymore.

Then an idea struck him, and Greg leaned forward in his chair. "If it makes you feel any better, Captain, you're more than welcome to come aboard and inspect my ship." He spread his hands out. "That way we all win. You feel better, and my ship doesn't get stranded out in the middle of nowhere because the engines stopped working."

[Kaden]

Kaden hesitated a moment. He hadn't taken note of the fact that the Bluebird was damaged. He'd been too worried about getting through to the transport. "Well," Kaden began and stopped because he realized that he hadn't come to a clear decision yet. To speak before you knew what you planned to say was a sure way to get yourself into trouble, or so he had always been taught. Actions that came before thought were as potential discourteous and dangerous as handing a person a knife blade first. "A moment Captain. I'm afraid I don't have the authority to make that call. Please wait while I discuss the matter with my superior officers." He did not mute the channel this time, trying to show Manchen that he had nothing to hide. Hopefully it would keep him from making any action that would change this situation. Right now Kaden felt they had the upper hand, if only slightly. He did not want things to change.

"Commander Quicklyle. The Bluebird is reporting damage and claims they would have difficulty moving far enough away for regulations. They are suggesting that I board their ship while you pass." Quicklyle popped back up on his screen when he hailed her and she listened carefully to what he said. "They are on the channel now Commander," he added to let her know to watch her words.

"Are they," she asked, a graceful eyebrow rising as she did. Kaden didn't know her well enough to place her tone. It was mostly neutral but she seemed slightly annoyed. He could empathize. The fleet had a million things to deal with that were actually important. No one wanted to be delayed to deal with damaged civilians. Dealing with civilians in general could often be a test of patience. In any military organization you learned a sense of urgency and efficiency. Things were done as quickly as possible and with as little waste of resources as possible. But most civilians seemed to think that the Fleet had all the time in the galaxy to deal with their problems.

"Manchen," Quicklyle asked, meeting Kaden's eyes as she seemed to come to a decision.

"Yes Commander," Kaden said, his eyes briefly darting back to make sure the Captain was still on the line. Quicklye nodded and then motioned towards her own communications officer. A moment later her attention was on someone else and Kaden had to assume she had opened a direct line to the Bluebird. He had just taken a back seat in the negotiations. He was only an observer now and he'd be given orders he had to follow when it was all over.

"Captain Manchen," Quicklyle said with stiff courtesy, "we appreciate the difficulties you are having. However we do not have much time to stay and assist you. As I'm sure you know, Earthfall has stretched everyone's resources," she continued using Kaden's words of moments before, "even the Republic's." Kaden thought those words were unwise. It was one thing to be honest about their resources among themselves but there was no point in weakening the position of the Republic and the Fleet by admitting their shortcomings to the public. Now Manchen knew they were in a hurry and he was sure to use that to his advantage, pressing a deal on the Commander since he knew they were hard pressed for time.

"Captain Zeke will board your ship," Kaden's eyes widened in surprise, his only outward sign that he disagreed with the Commanders orders. He didn't realize until just that moment that he'd discarded that as an option in his own mind. Though he hadn't come up with an alternative plan, he had easily seen the problems with that one. Out of his fighter and on an unknown ship he'd be surrounded by potential enemies and stripped of his main weapon. What sense did that make? "He will take command of your bridge until we pass by and he shall leave a distress beacon with you since your own seems to be among the damaged parts of your ship," she continued, giving them an excuse why they were not showing up on the Isis' sensors that did not make them criminals. "Is this acceptable to you?" She asked almost as an after thought.

A lot of the officers in the fleet forgot that they were supposed to be servants of the people, not their masters. While dealing with civilians could be stressful one should never forget the military's role in the community. But Quicklyle had just ordered an unknown captain to give over control of his ship to a military officer as if she had a right to and just expected he'd go along with it. Kaden's mouth pressed together in a firm line of disapproval but he kept his mouth shut. It was the first lesson he'd ever learned, long ago in the streets of the Lion's Den. And he'd only had to relearn it when he'd gotten to Earth and the Flight Academy.

Kaden turned to look at Manchen to see how he was taking this news. He wasn't aware of it, but he was looking for some hint of triumph in Manchen's eyes. Any and all UIF officers could be ransomed back to the fleet if they ever got kidnapped. The UIR figured it was easier to throw money at the criminals than to risk losing highly trained officers to lethal misunderstandings. Kidnapping and corruption were so common on the outer fringes of the galaxy that this policy made much more sense than any other and Kaden agreed with it though he normally hated the idea of dealing with filth, especially the human variety.

So when Quicklyle said he would be boarding the Bluebird Kaden found himself looking for some hint that Manchen was thinking he'd just scored the chance at a Captain's ransom. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he saw it. He could not disobey Quicklyle's orders. But at least he'd be better prepared for treachery.

[Gregoire]

Flashing a big smile to the captain Kaden, Greg leaned back. "Happily." More waiting. Greg tapped his finger against the chair's arm, watching the screen and waiting. A few moments passed before the other ship opened a direct line with the Laika. Greg perked up. "Oh, indeed. Earthfall's effect has been far spread and deep." He had to surpress the smile that came when the woman said that the pilot would be boarding their ship. He wasn't sure how likely it was that they were going to nab the larger ship anymore, but sometimes hostages could be just as nice. Especially a UIF fighter pilot.

With a solemn frown on his face, Greg breathed in deeply and nodded his head reluctantly. "It seems necessary, Commander. Thank you, you are truly a life saver." Astor, still standing just out of view, lifted his eyebrows. Greg motioned at him to start gathering some men to send down to the hatch, where Kaden would be arriving soon. At the same time he kept his eyes focused on the screen, to Kaden's picture. "You're welcome aboard, Captain Zeke. We'll be happy to have ya."