The Thief and the Commander : 16
Jan. 18th, 2001 12:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
manicdakChapter 16: Bounty
Tomorrow never came as far as meetings in the park went. Feliu never showed up, and Robin was angry at first then he was concerned. The bad news didn't stop once he'd reached his contacts at the I-GAS center on Utopia. As it turned out, the safe-house wasn't as safe as it was purported to be.
Feliu was missing.
*****
"God damn it," Feliu hissed into the deep and penetrating darkness of the time ship that he had called home for so many years. He'd known what his fate was to be as soon as he saw the crew that had teleported in to his temporary lodgings in the safe-house on Utopia.
He had long since lost any sunspecs he had ever owned during his stay in prison, and he was practically blind as he was led in binders through the corridors by a crew that had once called him "Sir". When they reached their destination they shoved him into a chair, and he felt someone place a pair of spectacles on his face.
He was soon greeted by the image of his father seated at his chair on the bridge. They were alone.
"Hello, Feliu," he said.
"What do you want?" Feliu muttered at him. "Just kill me and get it over with."
"Nah," Ganix said. "I think I'll leave that up to the Naturian. I mean, we can't have you alive and telling I-GAS all our secrets can we?"
"So kill me," Feliu growled.
"And miss out on the money?" Ganix' laugh bounced off the walls making Feliu cringe.
"What money?" He said once the laughter had subsided.
"Oh, just the price on your head, kiddo," Ganix replied. "See, the Naturian isn't particularly fond of atlases. He's not really a man you want to double-cross, son. He wants you alive so he can kill you himself, and I want the money. Two birds, one stone, you see. I mean, I'll have to do something to make ends meet now that my contacts on Utopia and in I-GAS seem to have been compromised. I wonder how that happened?"
"They're going to find you," Feliu murmured.
"Do you think they even care?" Ganix laughed. "I'm sure most of the planet would still rather spit on your grave than waste valuable resources trying to track down a time ship!"
"You'll see," Feliu muttered in defeat.
"See," Ganix said. "Not even you believe it! This is a time ship!"
"Yeah, I know," Feliu said. He wondered vaguely how his father could have made such a big mistake, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was common knowledge that all prisoners of the Utopian government were fitted with tracking software in their infoplants in the case of an escape. Ganix seemed to be under the impression that the Darkness would be unfindable in space-time as it had been in all the years it had served him.
The Darkness may not have been traceable, but the same certainly could no longer be said for Feliu. He would only have to manage to stay alive long enough for Robin to find him.
****
"That was fast," Axel commented as he stood by Ehren's desk and watched the Commander storm into the squad room followed by the Grand Admiral of I-GAS himself , the new Vice-Admiral (formerly the High-Commander), and Beatriu.
"What's happening?"
Axel paused for a moment, then retreated to the opposite end of the room and returned with a printout full of numbers: an action report.
"What's it say?" Ehren stood up and tried to glance over Axel's shoulder, but reading Action Reports had never been his strong suit.
"There's been a kidnapping," Axel replied solemnly.
Ehren took one look over at Robin's office and sighed. "Let me guess..."
***
"I want him found!" The Grand Admiral yelled, punctuating his statement with a fist in the air. "He is a valuable asset. He knows the ins and outs of Ganix Viernes operations. I can't believe we lost him. We're going to find him before the Detectives do. We are not going to be bested by that organization again. This is our jurisdiction!"
"I'm going to find him," Robin said. "I assure you. Let me assemble my own team..."
"Is that a good idea?" The Grand Admiral glanced at the former High-Commander. "Grey hasn't exactly shown the best judgment in the past when it comes to this man."
"I'm not going to let him go," Robin interrupted. "I want to bring him in. If we don't it's going to kill him."
"You have a galactic day to get him back," the Grand Admiral said. "No matter what. All of our resources are at your disposal. This is a valuable asset, Grey. I won't have you fucking up."
"No, Sir." Robin snapped off a salute and watched as the Grand Admiral and the Vice-Admiral left his office.
As soon as they were gone he turned to Beatriu.
"Get Rasa, track him," Robin said.
"Track him?"
"He has an infoplant now," Robin said. "The Utopian squad has got you pretty far already, but he's still on the move."
He handed over a small chip and Beatriu stared at it in her hand.
"Those are the codes!" He barked at her. "Go to it."
"Yes, Sir," she saluted and fled the room.
***
He knew it would only be a matter of time before Feliu's track came to a stationary spot. He left his office and found himself in front of Ehren's desk. The Ensign was trying very hard to look interested in his database work.
"I'm sure you've heard by now," Robin said.
"I'm sure you know that I don't care," Ehren replied.
"Look, I don't have time for your childish games right now," Robin said. "A life hangs in the balance, and you may not like him, or me, but..."
"Why me?" Ehren finally looked up. "Don't try to guilt me. Tell me why."
"I dont' have time for this," Robin growled. "Don't make me quote the manual. I know you know the rule about going into the field alone."
"So? Take Axel or something," Ehren muttered.
"Axel doesn't have experience in the field!" Robin shouted loud enough to gain the attention of the entire squad. "Axel has never been in the field with me. You have. I know you'll have my back. That is the why! Now get your lazy Earthian ass up, Recruit, and follow me!"
"You don't have to yell," Ehren said calmly as he stood up. "And it's..."
"Ensign Behrent," Robin growled. "I fucking know. Let's get a move on."
Ehren was immobile with the shock of his proper name coming out of Robin's mouth and was only startled into progressing when Robin grabbed the front of his uniform and began dragging him out of the room. Ehren quickly righted himself and followed Robin through the hallways, practically having to run to keep up with him. When they arrived in the communications room, Beatriu was waiting for them.
"They've stopped in the Milky Way...Naturian time," she said.
"Good," Robin said.
"Not good," she replied. "He's on the Darkness. You'll never be able to teleport into that thing. It will bounce you right back into space-time if she doesn't recognize your sig."
"So, we'll port on to the Nature and take a physical transport," Robin said.
"I have a better idea," Ehren spoke up. He excused himself much to Robin's dismay, but returned a minute later holding an ICD triumphantly aloft.
"So..." Robin looked at him curiously. "You're just going to call them up nicely and ask for them to open up a port?"
"Well, yeah," Ehren said. "Kind of."
"You can't be serious." Robin rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should have left you at your desk."
Ehren glared at him.
"I really appreciate your faith in my abilities, Robin,” he said. “But as it just so happens, I know the port keeper's brother."
Previous || Next
Tomorrow never came as far as meetings in the park went. Feliu never showed up, and Robin was angry at first then he was concerned. The bad news didn't stop once he'd reached his contacts at the I-GAS center on Utopia. As it turned out, the safe-house wasn't as safe as it was purported to be.
Feliu was missing.
*****
"God damn it," Feliu hissed into the deep and penetrating darkness of the time ship that he had called home for so many years. He'd known what his fate was to be as soon as he saw the crew that had teleported in to his temporary lodgings in the safe-house on Utopia.
He had long since lost any sunspecs he had ever owned during his stay in prison, and he was practically blind as he was led in binders through the corridors by a crew that had once called him "Sir". When they reached their destination they shoved him into a chair, and he felt someone place a pair of spectacles on his face.
He was soon greeted by the image of his father seated at his chair on the bridge. They were alone.
"Hello, Feliu," he said.
"What do you want?" Feliu muttered at him. "Just kill me and get it over with."
"Nah," Ganix said. "I think I'll leave that up to the Naturian. I mean, we can't have you alive and telling I-GAS all our secrets can we?"
"So kill me," Feliu growled.
"And miss out on the money?" Ganix' laugh bounced off the walls making Feliu cringe.
"What money?" He said once the laughter had subsided.
"Oh, just the price on your head, kiddo," Ganix replied. "See, the Naturian isn't particularly fond of atlases. He's not really a man you want to double-cross, son. He wants you alive so he can kill you himself, and I want the money. Two birds, one stone, you see. I mean, I'll have to do something to make ends meet now that my contacts on Utopia and in I-GAS seem to have been compromised. I wonder how that happened?"
"They're going to find you," Feliu murmured.
"Do you think they even care?" Ganix laughed. "I'm sure most of the planet would still rather spit on your grave than waste valuable resources trying to track down a time ship!"
"You'll see," Feliu muttered in defeat.
"See," Ganix said. "Not even you believe it! This is a time ship!"
"Yeah, I know," Feliu said. He wondered vaguely how his father could have made such a big mistake, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was common knowledge that all prisoners of the Utopian government were fitted with tracking software in their infoplants in the case of an escape. Ganix seemed to be under the impression that the Darkness would be unfindable in space-time as it had been in all the years it had served him.
The Darkness may not have been traceable, but the same certainly could no longer be said for Feliu. He would only have to manage to stay alive long enough for Robin to find him.
****
"That was fast," Axel commented as he stood by Ehren's desk and watched the Commander storm into the squad room followed by the Grand Admiral of I-GAS himself , the new Vice-Admiral (formerly the High-Commander), and Beatriu.
"What's happening?"
Axel paused for a moment, then retreated to the opposite end of the room and returned with a printout full of numbers: an action report.
"What's it say?" Ehren stood up and tried to glance over Axel's shoulder, but reading Action Reports had never been his strong suit.
"There's been a kidnapping," Axel replied solemnly.
Ehren took one look over at Robin's office and sighed. "Let me guess..."
***
"I want him found!" The Grand Admiral yelled, punctuating his statement with a fist in the air. "He is a valuable asset. He knows the ins and outs of Ganix Viernes operations. I can't believe we lost him. We're going to find him before the Detectives do. We are not going to be bested by that organization again. This is our jurisdiction!"
"I'm going to find him," Robin said. "I assure you. Let me assemble my own team..."
"Is that a good idea?" The Grand Admiral glanced at the former High-Commander. "Grey hasn't exactly shown the best judgment in the past when it comes to this man."
"I'm not going to let him go," Robin interrupted. "I want to bring him in. If we don't it's going to kill him."
"You have a galactic day to get him back," the Grand Admiral said. "No matter what. All of our resources are at your disposal. This is a valuable asset, Grey. I won't have you fucking up."
"No, Sir." Robin snapped off a salute and watched as the Grand Admiral and the Vice-Admiral left his office.
As soon as they were gone he turned to Beatriu.
"Get Rasa, track him," Robin said.
"Track him?"
"He has an infoplant now," Robin said. "The Utopian squad has got you pretty far already, but he's still on the move."
He handed over a small chip and Beatriu stared at it in her hand.
"Those are the codes!" He barked at her. "Go to it."
"Yes, Sir," she saluted and fled the room.
***
He knew it would only be a matter of time before Feliu's track came to a stationary spot. He left his office and found himself in front of Ehren's desk. The Ensign was trying very hard to look interested in his database work.
"I'm sure you've heard by now," Robin said.
"I'm sure you know that I don't care," Ehren replied.
"Look, I don't have time for your childish games right now," Robin said. "A life hangs in the balance, and you may not like him, or me, but..."
"Why me?" Ehren finally looked up. "Don't try to guilt me. Tell me why."
"I dont' have time for this," Robin growled. "Don't make me quote the manual. I know you know the rule about going into the field alone."
"So? Take Axel or something," Ehren muttered.
"Axel doesn't have experience in the field!" Robin shouted loud enough to gain the attention of the entire squad. "Axel has never been in the field with me. You have. I know you'll have my back. That is the why! Now get your lazy Earthian ass up, Recruit, and follow me!"
"You don't have to yell," Ehren said calmly as he stood up. "And it's..."
"Ensign Behrent," Robin growled. "I fucking know. Let's get a move on."
Ehren was immobile with the shock of his proper name coming out of Robin's mouth and was only startled into progressing when Robin grabbed the front of his uniform and began dragging him out of the room. Ehren quickly righted himself and followed Robin through the hallways, practically having to run to keep up with him. When they arrived in the communications room, Beatriu was waiting for them.
"They've stopped in the Milky Way...Naturian time," she said.
"Good," Robin said.
"Not good," she replied. "He's on the Darkness. You'll never be able to teleport into that thing. It will bounce you right back into space-time if she doesn't recognize your sig."
"So, we'll port on to the Nature and take a physical transport," Robin said.
"I have a better idea," Ehren spoke up. He excused himself much to Robin's dismay, but returned a minute later holding an ICD triumphantly aloft.
"So..." Robin looked at him curiously. "You're just going to call them up nicely and ask for them to open up a port?"
"Well, yeah," Ehren said. "Kind of."
"You can't be serious." Robin rolled his eyes. "Maybe I should have left you at your desk."
Ehren glared at him.
"I really appreciate your faith in my abilities, Robin,” he said. “But as it just so happens, I know the port keeper's brother."
Previous || Next
