Free Prison Planet (THE RIM CONFEDERACY Book 3) by Jim Rudnick Page B

over Gravity as the Power Plant was having some issues, but that’s not all, Sir. Our convict was the one they had to ‘borrow’ out of the local jail and march up to the Plant on that peak behind us. It was she that got the turbines out of their fubar deal, Sir,” the Provost said.
    Tanner tried to comprehend what he’d just heard. The part that really stuck out was the convict pick up was a woman—one who could handle a volcano power plant issue. He shook his head.
    “XO, let’s find out what the—wait, Provost Sergeant, can you ask for someone to bring us that convict here—here in the park, I mean?” he said.
    The Provost Guard gave a quick “wilco” and then used his throat mic to speak to someone at whatever Newton Security command might be.
    “Sir, their ETA is nine minutes ... a heli-hover in directly from the Power Plant,” he said as he pointed up and behind them.
    While the away team stood around and waited, Tanner had turned to watch that peak above them, especially at the cut in the volcanic cone where the power line towers marched down the slope toward Newton. A minute or two later from that cut in the cone, a roundish looking heli-hover craft rose above the cone and moved swiftly down toward them in the park. It was only a few miles, and the craft moved down and down, and then it was in front of the away team, landing fify feet away.
    As the door popped open on the passenger entry side, only two people got out, both clothed alike in orange jumpsuits with air tanks on their backs and tool belts asunder with tools of all kinds.
    One of the Provost Guards must have barked some kind of a command to his team via their voice mics, and they all formed a wide formation, their sidearms in their hands. Not another person moved on the away team as the orange-clad passengers walked up at leisure and stopped facing the away team. One motioned to the other who pulled off their mask and helmet and then shook out what was matted long red hair.
    “Sorry there, Captain, but had a job to do. Didn’t mean to put you behind, timeline-wise ... but my real allegiance is not to the Confederacy, but to Newton,” she said as she continued to run her fingers through her hair that glistened with sweat.
    Oddly, Tanner thought, it made it shine as brightly as a fire-plug.
    “Provost Sergeant, at ease,” the XO said, and the guards holstered their weapons but moved to stand between the away team and the passengers.
    It was then they noticed the other passenger had also doffed his helmet and mask and had the same reddish shade of what little hair he still had, also glinting with sweat.
    “Captain—my apologies. This is Muri Ankara, your, well, I suppose she’s your convict soon as I turn her over to you—but know, Sir, that she is also my daughter—and I would imagine that you’d like an explanation, Sir?” he said quietly.
    Tanner nodded and stared at the beautiful redheaded woman and her father in front of him.
    “Power Plant is just about my daughter’s life’s work—she fought to get us the funding to build this micro-plant. She went to school over on Juno and then Carnarvon for the education to manage same. And she installed every single nut and bolt to get us the power from the volcano you see behind you, Sir,” he said with pride in his voice.
    “Dad ... enough. I’m sure the captain just wants to put me in shackles and get me over to Halberd. He’s not interested in anything here on Hope and even less for us Newton folks,” she said and slowly removed the backpack air tanks and the tool belt. She shucked herself out of the orange jumpsuit and was left standing in front of the away team in simple shorts and a T-shirt soaked with perspiration. Trying to dry herself off with the shaking of the shirt, she paid little attention to the Provost Guards who now moved up to surround her and took charge by just standing there as she shook with exhaustion.
    She nodded and looked at Tanner, who was still staring