Free Subservience by Chandra Ryan Page A

Parker
didn’t want the man’s help. He couldn’t exactly tell him that though. “It’s not
exactly difficult to just sit around waiting.”
    “Of course it isn’t,” he said dryly. “Sorry. I must have
been confused by your continuous sighing and the annoying clock checking.”
    He ignored the pointed looks he received and went back to
watching the clock. Twenty minutes. He had ten minutes left. Ten minutes and
Harlow would return. He wouldn’t let himself consider the alternative.
    As the minutes ticked off, though, the alternative loomed on
the edge of his mind. And when the clock hit twenty-eight minutes he had to
ask, “She wouldn’t actually expect us to leave her behind, would she?”
    “She’d kick your ass if you didn’t.”
    “Captain to XO.”
    Parker nearly jumped with excitement at her voice but he
managed to pull it together before he embarrassed himself. “XO here. Good to
hear your voice, Captain.”
    “Likewise. We’ve got the prisoners and are boarding the
shuttle.”
    “Aye, Captain.”
    The time passed slowly as he watched the computerized
progress of the shuttle. It crept slowly across the monitor until he heard her
voice again.
    “Captain to XO.”
    “XO here.”
    “Open the bay doors.”
    “Aye, Captain.”
    Fifteen minutes later he heard her voice over the
communicator again. “We’re onboard and the prisoners are secured. Take us out
of here, XO.”
    He breathed a sigh of relief before hitting the last button
in the sequence. They’d flown through normal space to get here but with the
prisoners onboard they couldn’t take that chance. The ship was a target now.
And they’d have to use the cover that subspace would provide them. Black
surrounded him, closed in on him, and then a burst of light flared though the
room as the ship tore back into regular space.
    “Give me our status, XO.” Her voice crackled over the
communicator.
    Staring out the viewscreen, he felt his throat tighten at
the two large vessels that flanked them. “We’ve reached the coordinates,
Captain. But I think we might have a problem.”
    “What kind of problem?”
    A low, hollow boom shook the ship as they were fired on.
    “That kind of problem, sir. Two R48-type fighters.” How the
hell had they found them?
    “I’m almost to the bridge. Tactical, shields to full and
return fire. XO, get us the hell out of here.”
    The bridge burst to life as the crew began following the
captain’s orders. Punching in coordinates, Parker had to grab on to his chair
as another missile hit the hull of the ship. When the ship stilled he turned
back to his screen. He’d entered the coordinates but nothing had happened. The
ship wasn’t responding.
    “Subspace engines are off-line, Captain.”
    “Like hell! That blast wasn’t enough to take out the
engines. Engineering, report!”
    “It wasn’t the blast. We haven’t isolated the source of the
malfunction yet, but it appears to be software related.”
    “Find it and fix it!”
    Software didn’t write itself. If it was a software
malfunction there was only one plausible explanation. And judging by the
captain’s reaction she knew what it was.
    “We’re working on it, Captain.”
    The swoosh of the bridge door opening and the sound of her
heels striking against the metal floor told Parker the captain was back.
    “Tactical, aim everything at the lead vessel.
Communications, send out a distress beacon. Hopefully there’s someone close
enough to pick it up. XO, are the fixed-space engines still up?”
    Looking at his monitor, he nodded. “Yes, Captain.”
    “Then turn us forty degrees to portside. That should give
our communications array some protection.”
    “Aye, Captain.”
    Barkswell turned to the captain. “They’ve launched drop
vessels.”
    He turned to see the radar. Six small blips were headed
toward them. Each one could hold fifty hostiles.
    “Shit! They’re going to try to board.” Her voice had an edge
to it. “Blue team to holding