{"data":{"id":17017,"title":"Brothers In Arms: Part Three","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/17017-Brothers-In-Arms-Part-Three","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17017","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17017","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Brothers In Arms","images":[{"id":22593,"name":"Brothers-In-Arms-Part-3.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/ycaez1cnycmwtr\/source\/Brothers-In-Arms-Part-3.jpg","alt":"","size":807822,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-03-22T17:42:22+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22593","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22593\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Brothers In Arms: Part Three was published originally in Jump Point 3.7. Read Part One here and Part Two here.\nRhedd Alert got hit two more times over the next several escort missions between Min and Nexus. The first was an overzealous solo pirate who had camped himself just outside the jump gate from Min. The memory of the Hornet attack was still fresh and had Gavin and the team on edge.\n\nThe hapless pirate attacked as soon as the first Rhedd Alert ship entered Nexus. There wasn\u2019t a thruster on the market that could turn him fast enough once the gate spat out six angry Rhedd Alert fighters and their transport.\n\nThey recovered the unconscious pirate in hopes of a bounty. There wasn\u2019t much left of his ship to salvage.\n\nThe next incident occurred inside the Tyrol system near the rendezvous at Haven. As they neared Tyrol V, the trio of ramshackle Hornets struck again. Walt was the first to see them coming.\n\n\u201cGav, we\u2019ve got incoming from behind the planet.\u201d\n\nGavin\u2019s team was a cluster of green icons on his HUD. Snug\u00adgled protectively within their perimeter was UEE Cassi\u00adopeia carrying a fresh batch of researchers. He zoomed the display out and saw a trio of red marks hurtling around the planet toward their position.\n\n\u201cIs that . . .?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou have got to be kidding me.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow the hell did they find us?\u201d\n\nGavin silenced his team with a curt word and considered a headlong race to Tyrol V. Haven was a reasonably large settlement for an otherwise underdeveloped system. Tyrol V didn\u2019t have any planetary defenses, though. The entire system was subject to the inevitable and imminent \u00adnova caused by its binary stars. Haven warranted both UEE and private investment in support of the unique research possibilities provided by the impending disaster. How\u00adever, since the entire system was ultimately waiting to evaporate, there wasn\u2019t much sense in dumping money into defense systems.\n\nGavin started crossing options off their list. Tyrol offered them no protection. If they fled the system, they could lead the Hornets on a merry chase, but prolonging the risk to Cassiopeia and its staff seemed a poor gamble.\n\nOn the other hand, their first head-to-head confrontation hadn\u2019t gone so well. After seeing the marauders\u2019 team\u00adwork in Nexus, Gavin was reluctant to take another tilt at them. Plus, he could already imagine Walt\u2019s reaction to willfully engaging them head on.\n\nPerhaps something a bit more diplomatic than fight or flight would yield better results.\n\nGavin tripped his comm link to broadcast on all local fre\u00adquencies. \u201cHornet privateers above Tyrol V, this is Rhedd Alert One with a team of fighters and UEE transport vessel. We are moving little of value other than civilian lives. Please reconsider your approach.\u201d\n\n\u201cHuh,\u201d Walt made what sounded like an appreciative sniff into his mic, \u201cyou think that\u2019ll work?\u201d\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t hurt to try.\u201d\n\nMoments passed with no response and no change to the marauders\u2019 course. \u201cWell maybe something more ominous will get their attention.\u201d Gavin triggered the open broad\u00adcast again. \u201cHornet brigands above Tyrol V, this is Rhedd Alert One with a team of fighters and UEE transport vessel. We have little of value other than our ammunition, which we will happily deliver directly to your ships if you do not reconsider your approach.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell that\u2019s definitely not going to work.\u201d Walt said. Gavin saw his brother\u2019s weapon systems go live.\n\nGavin left Boomer and Mei to guard Cassiopeia and Rhedd Alert engaged four-on-three with neither side hold\u00ading the advantage of surprise. This time, Walt and Jazza were both on the front line. The ensuing dogfight was far less one-sided than their first encounter with the Hornets.\n\nRhedd Alert gave a good accounting of themselves. Con\u00adtrary to their ramshackle appearance, the marauders\u2019 ships were surprisingly quick, their weapon systems in good repair. Despite the ferocity of the fight, Rhedd Alert kept the marauders\u2019 away from Cassiopeia. Walt seemed content to drive them off. Jazza gave chase.\n\n\u201cLet \u2019em go, Jazz,\u201d Walt said.\n\n\u201cLike hell,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m gonna swat me a Hornet.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you\u2019re not,\u201d Walt snapped the order. \u201cThey\u2019re going to turn around just long enough to pound you into a fine red mist, and we\u2019re going to have to sweep up whatever parts are left.\u201d\n\n\u201cGuys,\u201d Gavin said, \u201ccool it. Rendezvous at the transport.\u201d\n\nJazza broke off pursuit and moved to rally with Boomer and Cassiopeia. \u201cI just don\u2019t like him giving me orders.\u201d\n\n\u201cHmmm,\u201d Walt\u2019s temper was clearly under some strain, \u201clet\u2019s see. I\u2019m part owner of the company. You might wanna start associating my voice with imperative statements.\u201d\n\n\u201cKnock it off, both of you. Jazz, fall in. The Navy is pay\u00ading us to escort staff, not fight a turf war with a hungry pack.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou should have figured that out in Nexus,\u201d Walt said. \u201cYou made it a grudge match when we turned to fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cEnough! If either of you have anything else to say, it can wait until we\u2019re back on Vista Landing. Got it?\u201d\n\nBoth squads limped away with damaged fighters. Rahul took a hit to his legs and would need to visit the med techs at Haven before leaving the system. The job and the in\u00adjured were Gavin\u2019s first priorities, but Walt\u2019s deteriorating attitude had to be addressed. Before starting Rhedd Alert, they had always been opportunistic aggressors. This job was all about holding ground, and Walt\u2019s reluctance was becoming a real problem.\n\nGavin was the first to arrive back at Vista Landing. Rahul was with him and woke when they touched down. Though the techs on Haven had done their work well, Dell insist\u00aded on taking him to get checked out at the station\u2019s med center.\n\nThe rest of the squad arrived soon after. Gavin left Jazza to secure the ships and asked Walt to help him with the After Action Report in the upstairs office. Judging by the hushed demeanor of the crew, no one was under any illu\u00adsion that the brothers were going to discuss the report.\n\nWalt stalked into their small, shared office. He brushed past a pair of secondhand chairs and was standing at the window behind the scarred metal desk when Gavin closed the door behind them.\n\nWalt spoke without turning to face him, \u201cIf you\u2019re looking to fire off a lecture, I suggest aiming it at Jazza.\u201d\n\nGavin joined him at the window. The steel was cold where he rested his hands on the frame, the edges sharp. \u201cNo lecture. What I need is some answers. What the hell is go\u00ading on with you, man?\u201d\n\nWalt was cold and quiet.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re fighting against me,\u201d Gavin tried to keep months of frustration from his voice. He was wrung out and tired, but not all of that could be laid at Walt\u2019s increasingly cold feet. \u201cYou\u2019re picking fights with the rest of the crew. Hell, you\u2019re fighting everyone but the bastards attacking our transport.\u201d\n\n\u201cI fought just as hard as anyone out there,\u201d Walt snapped.\n\n\u201cLike hell you did,\u201d Gavin voice sounded loud and harsh against the glass. \u201cYou\u2019re fighting just hard enough to save your ass.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell you tell me, then. How the hell am I supposed to fight? You want me chasing after trophies like Jazz?\u201d\n\n\u201cIf that\u2019s what gets the job done, yeah. We\u2019re not the robbers any more, man. We\u2019re the cops. We\u2019re a deterrent. And when we\u2019re out there, we need to make a statement.\u201d\n\nWalt squinted, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes creasing as he shook his head in what looked like exas\u00adperation or disbelief. \u201cCan you hear yourself? Do you even know what you\u2019re saying?\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery time we bump into trouble out there, we need to jump on it with both feet. But I can\u2019t push you to do that. You don\u2019t like to be pushed.\u201d Gavin felt his brother stiffen beside him, but he pressed on. He had to know if Walt was in this for the long haul. \u201cYou never did. You\u2019re like Dad in that way. You\u2019d rather cut and run than fight the tough fights.\u201d\n\nWalt turned his head sharply and yelled, \u201cWe had a damn good life doing that.\u201d\n\nThe vehemence of it took Gavin by surprise, and he stepped away. After a quiet moment, he leaned against the window frame again. The metal was warmer now from where his hands had rested.\n\nWalt and Gavin Rhedd stood shoulder to shoulder at the office window overlooking their small fleet of ships. They watched together for several minutes in silence until the last of the crew left the hangar. The lighting in the bay dimmed to a cool, cobalt blue, and Gavin\u2019s arms felt leaden. His feet hurt and he wanted desperately to sit, kick off his boots and drink himself into a stupor. But he\u2019d be damned if he sat while Walt still stood.\n\n\u201cWe could leave.\u201d The way Walt said it almost sounded like a question.\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t possibly mean that,\u201d Gavin pushed away from the window again.\n\n\u201cSeriously.\u201d Walt finally turned to face him. He was hunched forward in earnest appeal. It put them at eye-level and Walt\u2019s were round and imploring. \u201cWe could just go. This place is an anchor. Even if we turn a profit on this UEE job, what\u2019s next? Find more work? Hire more pilots and techs?\u201d\n\n\u201cIf all goes right, absolutely. We\u2019re creating something that we never had growing up, something bigger than just us. What exactly do you think we\u2019re working toward here?\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know, man.\u201d Walt sounded equally drained. \u201cI thought I did when we started, but it\u2019s just been one thing after the next. We\u2019ve got too many mouths to feed, and it doesn\u2019t look like that\u2019s going to stop.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt won\u2019t,\u201d Gavin said. \u201cThat\u2019s the responsibility we accept\u00aded when we started this place.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut this isn\u2019t our kind of fight, Gav. We\u2019re not Advocacy agents. Hell, we\u2019re not even starmen.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccording to the company charter and the contract that you and I both signed, that\u2019s exactly what we are. Soldiers for hire.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome on. We\u2019re thugs, man. We\u2019ve been flying all our lives, but we don\u2019t fight the fair fights. We pick on people who are either too dumb or too unfortunate to have profes\u00adsional protection. Maybe that ain\u2019t noble or exciting, but that\u2019s what we do, and we used to do it well. But this?\u201d Walt turned back toward the darkened bay, waving his hand inclusively at the ships and machinery below.\n\nGavin saw it then. He realized what had been eating at Walt all along. His brother wasn\u2019t worried about someone getting hurt in a fair fight. They\u2019d been in dogfights for most of their lives. It was being responsible for the rest of the team that scared him.\n\n\u201cI know we can do this.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow much risk are you willing to take to prove that?\u201d\n\n\u201cThis ain\u2019t about doing the easy thing, Walt. This game is all about trust. So you ask yourself . . . do you trust me?\u201d He hated that his voice had a pleading quality to it. Couldn\u2019t Walt see that they were already succeeding?\n\nGavin didn\u2019t get an answer. His brother stared instead at the ships in the darkened bay.\n\n\u201cWe need every pilot we\u2019ve got,\u201d Gavin said. \u201cAnd, let\u2019s face it, you\u2019re our best.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is going to blow up in your face, Gav. This will be just like when you tried to smuggle Osoians to the Xi\u2019an.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat would have worked, if you\u2019d backed me up.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey dumped you on an asteroid,\u201d Walt\u2019s voice rose in pitch and volume. \u201cYou lost Dad\u2019s Gladius with that deal. What\u2019s this one going to cost you?\u201d\n\nGavin\u2019s gut tightened, and he became uncomfortably warm in his flight suit. He realized that Walt had made his decision.\n\nHe swallowed once before trusting himself to speak. \u201cSo this is it, huh? We\u2019re just starting to get our feet under us. We\u2019re just learning to work together as a legit team.\u201d He knew this was going to happen. It wasn\u2019t a surprise, so there was no reason to be angry about it. \u201cGods! And to think I actually hoped you\u2019d stick it out with me.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t make it sound like that,\u201d Walt said.\n\n\u201cSound like what? You\u2019re just doing what you always do.\u201d\n\nWalt didn\u2019t say anything for a while.\n\nGavin stared out at their ships.\n\n\u201cWill you tell the others?\u201d Walt asked.\n\n\u201cTell them what? Everyone who matters is probably sur\u00adprised you lasted this long.\u201d\n\nHis lips drew tight into a hard line. His eyes burned a bit so he blinked them. He was tired and he needed a shower.\n\nGavin left Walt standing alone at the office window. When the rest of Rhedd Alert woke up the next morning, Walter Rhedd was gone.\n\nThe first few months without Walt went smoothly, with\u00adout incident. Paychecks started to roll in, and Gavin chipped away at some of their outstanding bills. They scavenged parts where they could. Dell proved to be a wizard reviving damaged tech. What little money remained after the bill collectors were pacified went straight to reloads.\n\nLosing Walt hurt. It showed Gavin just how much he had relied on his brother to keep the rest of the team sharp. The team\u2019s performance was obviously important, but even that paled when compared to the painful fact that Walt had actually abandoned him.\n\nNo one forgot their grudge match with the trio of mis\u00admatched marauders, and Rhedd Alert was ready when they met again. The Hornets hit them as they passed through the Teclis Band. From a distance, the band appeared to be a rippling wave of slowly pulsing lights. Closer, the wave resolved into a wall of tumbling asteroids.\n\nVeteran members of Gavin\u2019s team were quite accustomed to clinging to the underside of an asteroid. It wasn\u2019t that long ago that they\u2019d used the tactic to ambush transports themselves. So they weren\u2019t surprised to see attackers materialize from within the Teclis Band.\n\nGavin triggered his mic to address the squad. \u201cAll right, guys, we know these bastards fly like they\u2019re joined at the hip. I think we have the advantage in the band, but we can\u2019t let them pin Cassiopeia inside. Boomer, you\u2019re babysit\u00adting. Get that transport through and clear. Everyone else, with me.\u201d\n\nThe fighting inside Teclis was fierce. Gavin was in his element darting through tight seams, anticipating erratic rolling movements and using terrain to force the Hornets to break their punishing formations. His newer pilots were good, but they hadn\u2019t spent hundreds of cockpit hours in crowded space like he and Jazza had. Still, they managed to keep the Hornets hemmed in while Boomer and Cas\u00adsiopeia moved through the tumbling asteroids. Uncharac\u00adteristically, one pirate broke from the group and powered through the belt toward the fleeing transport.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got a runner,\u201d Jazza warned.\n\nGavin was already moving to pursue. \u201cI see it. Hold the other two here. They\u2019re easier to manage when they\u2019re not grouped up.\u201d\n\nHe darted around blind corners of tumbling stone and man\u00adaged to gain a few clicks on the faster ship. The Hornet rolled right and strafed around a jagged, monolithic spike of rock. Gavin thrust over it, gaining a little more ground.\n\nThe two ships shot from the treacherous confines of the Teclis Band, and Gavin landed a couple hits before the Hor\u00adnet rolled away. Then it was an all-out race for the fleeing transport.\n\n\u201cCassiopeia,\u201d Gavin called, \u201cthis is Red One, we have a hos\u00adtile inbound to you.\u201d\n\n\u201cCopy, Red One. Shields are up and we are ready for contact.\u201d\n\n\u201cBoomer?\u201d\n\n\u201cGot it, Gavin.\u201d\n\n\u201cCareful, old man. This one can really fly.\u201d\n\nGavin saw Boomer\u2019s Avenger rise and turn to face the charging ship. The Hornet rolled again. Boomer matched the oncoming ship, move for move. Both began firing, and their shields lit up like incandescent bulbs. The Hornet yawed starboard and Gavin missed with an out-of-range shot. Boomer\u2019s shield flickered and then fell.\n\n\u201cBoomer!\u201d\n\nThen a blinding shot from a neutron gun tore through Boomer\u2019s Avenger. Bits of hull flew off at odd angles as the Hornet sped past the wrecked ship and continued to close on Cassiopeia.\n\nThe Avenger\u2019s cockpit detonated. Gavin pulled up to avoid hitting Boomer and prayed that the older pilot had man\u00adaged to eject. Cassiopeia loosed a barrage of missiles, but the Hornet had countermeasures.\n\nThe marauder\u2019s first pass took out the missile launcher. Gavin met the Hornet head-to-head as it swept around and fired on the transport again. He struck clean hits as they passed, scarring the mismatched armor plating along one side. He turned hard and his ship shook with strain, pressing him forward in his harness, vision dimming at the edges.\n\nHe righted the Cutlass in time to see the fleeing Hornet pause, hesitating over a small drifting shape. Gavin\u2019s target\u00ading system identified the object. Boomer\u2019s PRB flashed red.\n\n\u201cNo!\u201d He had one hand pressed against the canopy. With successive blasts from the neutron gun, the pirate deliber\u00adately tore apart Boomer\u2019s drifting body. Then the Hornet pulled up and raced back toward the Teclis Band.\n\n\u201cMy target just disengaged.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re running.\u201d\n\nGavin barely registered the shouts and cheers from his team.\n\nOverkill.\n\nPilots call it getting OK\u2019d. He didn\u2019t know for certain where the term was first coined, but OKing a pilot adrift was breaking one of the few unspoken and universal rules of engagement. Lose a fight, and you might lose your ship. Get beat badly, and you might come out of rehab missing a limb or with some sort of permanent scarring or nerve damage. But to fire on a pilot adrift with only the pressurized skin of a survival suit for protection? It was inhuman.\n\n\u201cEveryone,\u201d worry wrenched Gavin\u2019s gut and he couldn\u2019t keep it from his voice, \u201cform up on Cassiopeia. We have a pilot down.\u201d\n\nSomething in his voice quieted the line. His ships emerged from the Teclis Band and rallied to the transport.\n\nGods.\n\nWhat was he going to say to Dell? Gavin swallowed hard, blinking fast and trying to think. He should do something. The transport had been hit. He might have other injured pilots. Maybe Walt had been right.\n\n\u201cHold position until we recover Boomer.\u201d He switched channels to address the transport. \u201cCassiopeia, this is Red One. We\u2019re scrubbing the mission. Prepare for return to Nexus.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh . . . Red One, damage is minimal and under control. We are able to proceed.\u201d\nGavin couldn\u2019t. He had to get Boomer back to Vista Landing.\n\nJazza\u2019s voice shook. \u201cGods. They OK\u2019d him, didn\u2019t they?\u201d\n\nHe didn\u2019t answer.\n\n\u201cTake him home, Gav. We\u2019ll tag his ship and tow it on the return trip.\u201d\n\nHe nodded, knowing she couldn\u2019t see, but not trusting him\u00adself to speak. What was he going to tell Dell?\n\n\u201cGet him there fast,\u201d Jazza said.\n\n\u201cI will.\u201d\n\nGavin\u2019s mobiGlas buzzed and he activated it. Anyone he actually cared to speak with knew to find him in the office if they needed to talk. Dell was in the med center. She\u2019d made it abundantly clear that she did not want to see him. Jazza had returned with the team after the mission, but they were giving the family a wide berth. Anything getting past his message filters was probably important. And any\u00adthing important was most likely bad news.\n\nThe incoming message was from Barry. Suspicion of bad news, confirmed. He connected the call.\n\n\u201cGavin. Buddy. Listen, I\u2019ve got some news. This is just a \u2019heads up\u2019 call, okay? Not a big deal. Is your brother there with you?\u201d\n\n\u201cWalt left,\u201d even to his own ears, Gavin\u2019s voice sounded flat. \u201cYou can give your message to me.\u201d\n\n\u201cI got word from a buddy of mine in Contracting. They\u2019re issuing an FTP on the Tyrol contract. It\u2019ll probably go out in the next day or two. Sorry, Gavin.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t be,\u201d Gavin wasn\u2019t angry with Barry. He really wasn\u2019t. But his words were coming out sharper than he meant them to. \u201cJust tell me what the hell an FTP is.\u201d\n\n\u201cSorry. FTP is a Failure To Perform notification.\u201d\n\nHe knew it had to be bad. Barry wouldn\u2019t have called if it wasn\u2019t. Damn it! What was next? Vanduul attacks? He\u2019d gone over and over every report from Brock\u2019s files. Never \u2014 not in any file \u2014 was there evidence of such coordinated and vicious attacks.\n\nBarry read his silence correctly. \u201cHey, these things get issued all the time, man. I\u2019m just letting you know that it\u2019s coming so you don\u2019t freak out. A couple holes in a trans\u00adport is nothing when you\u2019re going through a lawless system like Min. They won\u2019t pull your contract for that.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat will they pull it for?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d Barry drew out the word, speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully. \u201cYou\u2019d have to receive back-to-back FTPs. Or if you lost the transport or something, that\u2019d obviously do it. But Major Greely is pulling for you guys. He\u2019s big on the UEE\u2019s plan to enfranchise local civilian contractors.\u201d\n\nJust what he needed. More pressure. \u201cThanks, Barry.\u201d\n\n\u201cKeep your chin up, buddy. You guys are doing fine, okay? I mean, you should hear what goes on with other contracts. Seriously, this is nothing.\u201d\n\n\u201cThanks again.\u201d Gavin disconnected the line. It certainly didn\u2019t feel like they were doing fine. The office door slid open, and Jazza stood silhouetted against the corridor lights.\n\n\u201cJazz?\u201d Gavin\u2019s stomach sank. He tried to swallow but his throat was tight. \u201cWhat is it? Where\u2019s Dell?\u201d\n\nShe took a step inside and the room\u2019s lights reflected in the wet corners of her brimming eyes. She held herself together, but the effort to do so was visible.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s Boomer,\u201d she said, \u201cIt was too much damage this time. He\u2019s . . . he\u2019s really gone.\u201d\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026","de_DE":"Writer's Note: Brothers In Arms: Part Three wurde urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 3.7 ver\u00f6ffentlicht. Lies Teil Eins hier und Teil Zwei hier.\nRhedd Alert wurde bei den n\u00e4chsten mehreren Eskortmissionen zwischen Min und Nexus noch zweimal getroffen. Der erste war ein \u00fcbereifriger Solopirat, der sich direkt vor dem Sprungtor von Min. gelagert hatte. Die Erinnerung an den Hornissenangriff war noch frisch und hatte Gavin und das Team auf Trab.\n\nDer ungl\u00fcckliche Pirat griff an, sobald das erste Rhedd Alert Schiff in den Nexus einfuhr. Es gab kein Schubd\u00fcse auf dem Markt, das ihn schnell genug drehen konnte, nachdem das Tor sechs w\u00fctende Rhedd Alert K\u00e4mpfer und deren Transport ausgespuckt hatte.\n\nSie fanden den bewusstlosen Piraten in der Hoffnung auf ein Kopfgeld. Von seinem Schiff war nicht mehr viel \u00fcbrig, um es zu retten.\n\nDer n\u00e4chste Vorfall ereignete sich innerhalb des Tiroler Systems in der N\u00e4he des Treffens in Haven. Als sie sich Tirol V n\u00e4herten, schlug das Trio der heruntergekommenen Hornissen wieder zu. Walt war der Erste, der sie kommen sah.\n\n\"Gav, wir kommen von hinter dem Planeten.\"\n\nGavins Team war eine Gruppe von gr\u00fcnen Symbolen auf seinem HUD. Besch\u00fctzend in ihren Umkreis gekuschelt, trug die UEE Cassiopeia eine neue Gruppe von Forschern. Er zoomte die Anzeige heraus und sah ein Trio von roten Markierungen, die um den Planeten herum in Richtung ihrer Position huschten.\n\n\"Ist das...?\"\n\n\"Du willst mich wohl verarschen.\"\n\n\"Wie zum Teufel haben sie uns gefunden?\"\n\nGavin brachte sein Team mit einem kurzen Wort zum Schweigen und betrachtete ein kopf\u00fcberes Rennen nach Tirol V. Haven war eine relativ gro\u00dfe Siedlung f\u00fcr ein ansonsten unterentwickeltes System. Tirol V hatte jedoch keine planetarische Verteidigung. Das gesamte System war der unvermeidlichen und bevorstehenden Nova unterworfen, die durch seine Doppelsterne verursacht wurde. Haven hat sowohl UEE- als auch private Investitionen zur Unterst\u00fctzung der einzigartigen Forschungsm\u00f6glichkeiten durch die bevorstehende Katastrophe gerechtfertigt. Da jedoch das gesamte System letztlich darauf wartete, sich zu verfl\u00fcchtigen, war es nicht sinnvoll, Geld in Verteidigungssysteme zu werfen.\n\nGavin fing an, Optionen von seiner Liste zu streichen. Tirol bot ihnen keinen Schutz. Wenn sie vor dem System fliehen w\u00fcrden, k\u00f6nnten sie die Hornissen auf eine lustige Jagd f\u00fchren, aber die Verl\u00e4ngerung des Risikos f\u00fcr Kassiopeia und seine Mitarbeiter schien ein schlechtes Spiel zu sein.\n\nAndererseits war ihre erste Kopf-an-Kopf-Konfrontation nicht so gut verlaufen. Nachdem er die Teamarbeit der Marodeure in Nexus gesehen hatte, z\u00f6gerte Gavin, sie erneut zu attackieren. Au\u00dferdem konnte er sich bereits vorstellen, wie Walt darauf reagierte, sie absichtlich direkt anzusprechen.\n\nVielleicht w\u00fcrde etwas Diplomatischeres als Kampf oder Flucht bessere Ergebnisse bringen.\n\nGavin hat seine Kommunikationsverbindung unterbrochen, um auf allen lokalen Frequenzen zu senden. \"Hornet Privateers \u00fcber Tirol V, hier ist Rhedd Alert One mit einem Team von J\u00e4gern und UEE-Transportschiff. Wir bewegen wenig Wert au\u00dfer zivilem Leben. Bitte \u00fcberdenken Sie Ihre Vorgehensweise.\"\n\n\"Huh,\" Walt machte das, was wie ein anerkennender Schn\u00fcffler in sein Mikrofon klang, \"denkst du, das wird funktionieren?\"\n\n\"Es kann nicht schaden, es zu versuchen.\"\n\nMomente vergingen ohne Reaktion und ohne \u00c4nderung des Kurses der Marodeure. \"Nun, vielleicht wird etwas Unheilvolles ihre Aufmerksamkeit erregen.\" Gavin l\u00f6ste die offene \u00dcbertragung wieder aus. \"Hornet R\u00e4uber \u00fcber Tirol V, hier ist Rhedd Alert One mit einem Team von K\u00e4mpfern und UEE-Transportschiff. Wir haben wenig Wert au\u00dfer unserer Munition, die wir gerne direkt an Ihre Schiffe liefern, wenn Sie Ihre Vorgehensweise nicht \u00fcberdenken.\"\n\n\"Nun, das wird definitiv nicht funktionieren.\" Sagte Walt. Gavin sah die Waffensysteme seines Bruders live gehen.\n\nGavin verlie\u00df Boomer und Mei, um Kassiopeia zu bewachen, und Rhedd Alert stellte vier gegen drei an, wobei beide Seiten den Vorteil der \u00dcberraschung hatten. Diesmal standen Walt und Jazza beide an vorderster Front. Der anschlie\u00dfende Luftkampf war weit weniger einseitig als ihre erste Begegnung mit den Hornissen.\n\nRhedd Alert gab eine gute \u00dcbersicht \u00fcber sich selbst. Entgegen ihrem bauf\u00e4lligen Aussehen waren die Schiffe der Marodeure \u00fcberraschend schnell, ihre Waffensysteme gut repariert. Trotz der Heftigkeit des Kampfes hielt Rhedd Alert die Marodeure von Kassiopeia fern. Walt schien zufrieden zu sein, sie zu vertreiben. Jazza verfolgte sie.\n\n\"Lass sie gehen, Jazz\", sagte Walt.\n\n\"Zur H\u00f6lle\", sagte sie. \"Ich schlage mir eine Hornisse vor.\"\n\n\"Nein, bist du nicht\", hat Walt die Bestellung aufgegeben. \"Sie werden sich nur lange genug umdrehen, um dich in einen feinen roten Nebel zu stampfen, und wir m\u00fcssen die verbleibenden Teile auffegen.\"\n\n\" Leute\", sagte Gavin, \"beruhigt euch. Rendezvous beim Transport.\"\n\nJazza brach die Verfolgung ab und wechselte zur Rallye mit Boomer und Cassiopeia. \"Ich mag es nur nicht, wenn er mir Befehle gibt.\"\n\n\"Hmmm\", Walts Temperament war eindeutig unter Druck, \"mal sehen. Ich bin Miteigent\u00fcmer der Firma. Du solltest vielleicht anfangen, meine Stimme mit zwingenden Aussagen zu verbinden.\"\n\n\"H\u00f6rt auf, ihr beide. Jazz, antreten. Die Marine bezahlt uns f\u00fcr die Eskorte, nicht f\u00fcr einen Rasenkrieg mit einem hungrigen Rudel.\"\n\n\"Du h\u00e4ttest das in Nexus herausfinden sollen\", sagte Walt. \"Du hast es zu einem Grollspiel gemacht, als wir uns dem Kampf zuwandten.\"\n\n\"Genug! Wenn einer von euch noch etwas zu sagen hat, kann es warten, bis wir wieder bei Vista Landing sind. Verstanden?\"\n\nBeide Truppen humpelten mit besch\u00e4digten K\u00e4mpfern davon. Rahul nahm einen Schlag auf die Beine und musste die Mediziner in Haven besuchen, bevor er das System verlie\u00df. Der Job und die Verletzten waren Gavins erste Priorit\u00e4ten, aber Walts verschlechterte Einstellung musste angegangen werden. Bevor sie Rhedd Alert gr\u00fcndeten, waren sie immer opportunistische Aggressoren gewesen. Bei diesem Job ging es darum, sich zu behaupten, und Walts Widerwillen wurde zu einem echten Problem.\n\nGavin war der erste, der zur\u00fcck in Vista Landing ankam. Rahul war bei ihm und wachte auf, als sie landeten. Obwohl die Techniker auf Haven ihre Arbeit gut gemacht hatten, bestand Dell darauf, ihn mitzunehmen, um sich im \u00c4rztezentrum der Station untersuchen zu lassen.\n\nDer Rest der Truppe kam kurz darauf an. Gavin verlie\u00df Jazza, um die Schiffe zu sichern, und bat Walt, ihm beim After Action Report im oberen B\u00fcro zu helfen. Nach dem ged\u00e4mpften Verhalten der Besatzung zu urteilen, war niemand in der Illusion, dass die Br\u00fcder den Bericht diskutieren w\u00fcrden.\n\nWalt stolzierte in ihr kleines, gemeinsames B\u00fcro. Er stie\u00df an einem Paar gebrauchter St\u00fchle vorbei und stand am Fenster hinter dem vernarbten Metalltisch, als Gavin die T\u00fcr hinter ihnen schloss.\n\nWalt sprach, ohne sich ihm zu stellen: \"Wenn Sie eine Vorlesung absagen wollen, schlage ich vor, sie auf Jazza zu richten.\"\n\nGavin schloss sich ihm am Fenster an. Der Stahl war kalt, wo er seine H\u00e4nde auf den Rahmen legte, die Kanten scharf. \"Keine Vorlesung. Was ich brauche, sind ein paar Antworten. Was zum Teufel ist los mit dir, Mann?\"\n\nWalt war kalt und ruhig.\n\n\"Du k\u00e4mpfst gegen mich\", versuchte Gavin, Monate der Frustration von seiner Stimme fernzuhalten. Er war ausgewrungen und m\u00fcde, aber nicht alles davon konnte Walt zu seinen immer k\u00e4lteren F\u00fc\u00dfen gelegt werden. \"Du f\u00e4ngst Streitigkeiten mit dem Rest der Crew an. Zum Teufel, du k\u00e4mpfst gegen alle, au\u00dfer gegen die Bastarde, die unseren Transport angreifen.\"\n\n\"Ich habe genauso hart gek\u00e4mpft wie jeder andere da drau\u00dfen\", schnappte Walt.\n\n\"Zum Teufel mit dir\", klang Gavins Stimme laut und hart gegen das Glas. \"Du k\u00e4mpfst gerade hart genug, um deinen Arsch zu retten.\"\n\n\"Nun, dann sag du es mir. Wie zum Teufel soll ich denn k\u00e4mpfen? Du willst, dass ich Troph\u00e4en wie Jazz verfolge?\"\n\n\"Wenn es das ist, was den Job erledigt, ja. Wir sind keine R\u00e4uber mehr, Mann. Wir sind die Bullen. Wir sind ein Abschreckungsmittel. Und wenn wir da drau\u00dfen sind, m\u00fcssen wir eine Aussage machen.\"\n\nWalt blinzelte, die Lachfalten an den Augenwinkeln knitterten, als er den Kopf sch\u00fcttelte, was wie Verzweiflung oder Unglauben aussah. \"Kannst du dich selbst h\u00f6ren? Wei\u00dft du \u00fcberhaupt, was du da sagst?\"\n\n\"Jedes Mal, wenn wir da drau\u00dfen in Schwierigkeiten geraten, m\u00fcssen wir mit beiden F\u00fc\u00dfen darauf aufspringen. Aber ich kann dich nicht zwingen, das zu tun. Du magst es nicht, wenn man dich schubst.\" Gavin f\u00fchlte, wie sein Bruder neben ihm steif wurde, aber er dr\u00fcckte weiter. Er musste wissen, ob Walt auf lange Sicht dabei war. \"Das hast du nie getan. In dieser Hinsicht bist du wie Dad. Du w\u00fcrdest lieber abhauen und rennen, als die harten K\u00e4mpfe zu k\u00e4mpfen.\"\n\nWalt drehte den Kopf scharf und schrie: \"Wir hatten ein verdammt gutes Leben dabei.\"\n\nDie Vehemenz davon \u00fcberraschte Gavin, und er trat zur\u00fcck. Nach einem ruhigen Moment lehnte er sich wieder an den Fensterrahmen. Das Metall war jetzt w\u00e4rmer, von wo aus seine H\u00e4nde ruhen.\n\nWalt und Gavin Rhedd standen Schulter an Schulter am B\u00fcrofenster mit Blick auf ihre kleine Flotte von Schiffen. Sie beobachteten gemeinsam mehrere Minuten lang schweigend, bis der letzte der Besatzung den Hangar verlie\u00df. Das Licht in der Bucht wurde zu einem k\u00fchlen, kobaltblauen Licht gedimmt, und Gavins Arme f\u00fchlten sich bleiern an. Seine F\u00fc\u00dfe schmerzten und er wollte verzweifelt sitzen, seine Stiefel ausziehen und sich in eine Bet\u00e4ubung versetzen. Aber er w\u00e4re verdammt, wenn er sitzen w\u00fcrde, w\u00e4hrend Walt noch steht.\n\n\"Wir k\u00f6nnten gehen.\" Die Art und Weise, wie Walt es sagte, klang fast wie eine Frage.\n\n\"Das kannst du unm\u00f6glich so meinen\", schob Gavin wieder vom Fenster weg.\n\n\" Im Ernst.\" Walt drehte sich schlie\u00dflich zu ihm um. Er wurde in ernsthafter Bitte nach vorne gebeugt. Es stellte sie auf Augenh\u00f6he und Walt's war rund und flehend. \"Wir k\u00f6nnten einfach gehen. Dieser Ort ist ein Anker. Selbst wenn wir mit diesem UEE-Job einen Gewinn erzielen, was kommt dann? Mehr Arbeit gefunden? Mehr Piloten und Techniker einstellen?\"\n\n\"Wenn alles gut geht, absolut. Wir erschaffen etwas, das wir nie erwachsen geworden sind, etwas Gr\u00f6\u00dferes als nur uns. Was genau glauben Sie, worauf wir hier hinarbeiten?\"\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df nicht, Mann.\" Walt klang genauso ersch\u00f6pft. \"Ich dachte, ich h\u00e4tte es getan, als wir anfingen, aber es war nur eine Sache nach der anderen. Wir haben zu viele M\u00fcnder zu stopfen, und es sieht nicht so aus, als w\u00fcrde das aufh\u00f6ren.\"\n\n\"Wird es nicht\", sagte Gavin. \"Das ist die Verantwortung, die wir \u00fcbernommen haben, als wir diesen Ort gegr\u00fcndet haben.\"\n\n\"Aber das ist nicht unsere Art von Kampf, Gav. Wir sind keine Advocacy-Agenten. Zum Teufel, wir sind nicht mal Starm\u00e4nner.\"\n\n\"Laut der Firmencharta und dem Vertrag, den wir beide unterschrieben haben, ist das genau das, was wir sind. Soldaten zu mieten.\"\n\n\"Komm schon. Wir sind Schl\u00e4ger, Mann. Wir fliegen schon unser ganzes Leben lang, aber wir k\u00e4mpfen nicht gegen die fairen K\u00e4mpfe. Wir setzen auf Menschen, die entweder zu dumm oder zu ungl\u00fccklich sind, um professionellen Schutz zu genie\u00dfen. Vielleicht ist das nicht edel oder aufregend, aber das ist es, was wir tun, und wir haben es fr\u00fcher gut gemacht. Aber das hier?\" Walt drehte sich zur\u00fcck in Richtung der abgedunkelten Bucht und winkte mit der Hand, einschlie\u00dflich der Schiffe und Maschinen darunter.\n\nDa sah Gavin es. Er erkannte, was die ganze Zeit bei Walt gegessen hatte. Sein Bruder machte sich keine Sorgen, dass jemand in einem fairen Kampf verletzt wurde. Sie waren die meiste Zeit ihres Lebens in Luftk\u00e4mpfen. Es war die Verantwortung f\u00fcr den Rest des Teams, die ihm Angst machte.\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df, dass wir das schaffen k\u00f6nnen.\"\n\n\"Wie viel Risiko bist du bereit einzugehen, um das zu beweisen?\"\n\n\"Es geht hier nicht darum, es einfach zu machen, Walt. Bei diesem Spiel dreht sich alles um Vertrauen. Also fragst du dich selbst.... vertraust du mir?\" Er hasste es, dass seine Stimme eine flehentliche Eigenschaft hatte. Konnte Walt nicht sehen, dass sie bereits Erfolg hatten?\n\nGavin bekam keine Antwort. Sein Bruder starrte stattdessen auf die Schiffe in der abgedunkelten Bucht.\n\n\"Wir brauchen jeden Piloten, den wir haben\", sagte Gavin. \"Und, seien wir ehrlich, du bist unsere Beste.\"\n\n\"Das wird dir vor der Nase explodieren, Gav. Das wird genauso sein wie damals, als du versucht hast, die Osoianer in die Xi'an zu schmuggeln.\"\n\n\"Das h\u00e4tte funktioniert, wenn du mich unterst\u00fctzt h\u00e4ttest.\"\n\n\"Sie haben dich auf einen Asteroiden geworfen\", stieg Walts Stimme in Tonh\u00f6he und Lautst\u00e4rke. \"Du hast Dad's Gladius mit diesem Deal verloren. Was wird dich das kosten?\"\n\nGavins Bauch straffte sich, und er wurde in seinem Fluganzug unangenehm warm. Er erkannte, dass Walt seine Entscheidung getroffen hatte.\n\nEr schluckte einmal, bevor er sich selbst vertraute, zu sprechen. \"Das ist es also, was? Wir fangen gerade erst an, unsere F\u00fc\u00dfe unter uns zu bekommen. Wir lernen gerade erst, als echtes Team zusammenzuarbeiten.\" Er wusste, dass das passieren w\u00fcrde. Es war keine \u00dcberraschung, also gab es keinen Grund, dar\u00fcber w\u00fctend zu sein. \"Bei den G\u00f6ttern! Und ich hatte gehofft, dass du es mit mir aush\u00e4ltst.\"\n\n\"Lass es nicht so klingen\", sagte Walt.\n\n\"Klingt wie was? Du tust nur, was du immer tust.\"\n\nWalt hat eine Weile nichts gesagt.\n\nGavin starrte auf ihre Schiffe.\n\n\"Wirst du es den anderen sagen?\" fragte Walt.\n\n\"Was soll ich ihnen sagen? Jeder, der wichtig ist, ist wahrscheinlich \u00fcberrascht, dass du so lange durchgehalten hast.\"\n\nSeine Lippen zogen sich zu einer harten Linie zusammen. Seine Augen brannten ein wenig, also blinzelte er sie an. Er war m\u00fcde und brauchte eine Dusche.\n\nGavin lie\u00df Walt allein am B\u00fcrofenster stehen. Als der Rest von Rhedd Alert am n\u00e4chsten Morgen aufwachte, war Walter Rhedd weg.\n\nDie ersten Monate ohne Walt verliefen reibungslos, ohne Zwischenf\u00e4lle. Gehaltsschecks begannen zu rollen, und Gavin chippte einige ihrer ausstehenden Rechnungen ab. Sie pl\u00fcnderten Teile, wo sie konnten. Dell erwies sich als ein Zauberer, der besch\u00e4digte Technologien wiederbelebt. Das wenig Geld, das nach der Beruhigung der Geldsammler \u00fcbrig blieb, ging direkt in die Nachladungen.\n\nWalt zu verlieren tat weh. Es zeigte Gavin, wie sehr er sich auf seinen Bruder verlassen hatte, um den Rest des Teams auf Trab zu halten. Die Leistung des Teams war offensichtlich wichtig, aber selbst das verblasste, verglichen mit der schmerzhaften Tatsache, dass Walt ihn tats\u00e4chlich verlassen hatte.\n\nNiemand verga\u00df ihr Grollspiel mit dem Trio der ungleichen Pl\u00fcnderer, und Rhedd Alert war bereit, als sie sich wieder trafen. Die Hornets schlugen sie, als sie durch die Teclis Band gingen. Aus der Ferne schien die Band eine pl\u00e4tschernde Welle von langsam pulsierenden Lichtern zu sein. N\u00e4her betrachtet, l\u00f6ste sich die Welle in eine Wand aus taumelnden Asteroiden auf.\n\nVeteranen aus Gavins Team waren es gewohnt, sich an die Unterseite eines Asteroiden zu klammern. Es ist noch nicht lange her, dass sie mit der Taktik Transporte selbst \u00fcberfallen hatten. So waren sie nicht \u00fcberrascht, als sie sahen, wie Angreifer aus der Teclis-Band heraus materialisiert wurden.\n\nGavin l\u00f6ste sein Mikrofon aus, um die Gruppe anzusprechen. \"Alles klar, Leute, wir wissen, dass diese Bastarde fliegen, als w\u00e4ren sie an der H\u00fcfte verbunden. Ich denke, wir haben den Vorteil in der Band, aber wir k\u00f6nnen nicht zulassen, dass sie Kassiopeia hineinstecken. Boomer, du passt auf das Baby auf. Bringen Sie den Transport durch und r\u00e4umen Sie ihn. Alle anderen, mit mir.\"\n\nDie K\u00e4mpfe innerhalb von Teclis waren heftig. Gavin war in seinem Element und flitzte durch enge N\u00e4hte, antizipierte unregelm\u00e4\u00dfige Rollbewegungen und benutzte das Gel\u00e4nde, um die Hornissen zu zwingen, ihre strafenden Formationen zu durchbrechen. Seine neueren Piloten waren gut, aber sie hatten nicht Hunderte von Cockpitstunden in \u00fcberf\u00fcllten R\u00e4umen verbracht, wie er und Jazza. Dennoch gelang es ihnen, die Hornissen einzusperren, w\u00e4hrend Boomer und Kassiopeia sich durch die st\u00fcrzenden Asteroiden bewegten. Ungew\u00f6hnlich ist, dass ein Pirat aus der Gruppe ausbrach und durch den G\u00fcrtel in Richtung des fliehenden Transports fuhr.\n\n\"Wir haben einen L\u00e4ufer\", warnte Jazza.\n\nGavin war bereits dabei, sie zu verfolgen. \"Ich sehe es. Haltet die anderen beiden hier fest. Sie sind einfacher zu verwalten, wenn sie nicht gruppiert sind.\"\n\nEr flitzte um blinde Ecken des taumelnden Steins und schaffte es, mit dem schnelleren Schiff ein paar Klicks zu machen. Die Hornisse rollte nach rechts und umgab einen zerkl\u00fcfteten, monolithischen Felsspie\u00df. Gavin stie\u00df dar\u00fcber und gewann etwas mehr Boden.\n\nDie beiden Schiffe schossen aus den t\u00fcckischen Grenzen der Teclis Band, und Gavin landete ein paar Treffer, bevor die Hornet wegrollte. Dann war es ein totales Rennen um den fl\u00fcchtenden Transport.\n\n\"Kassiopeia\", rief Gavin, \"hier ist Roter, wir haben einen feindlichen Eingang zu dir.\"\n\n\"Verstanden, Red One. Die Schilde sind bereit und wir sind bereit f\u00fcr den Kontakt.\"\n\n\" Boomer?\"\n\n\"Verstanden, Gavin.\"\n\n\"Vorsichtig, alter Mann. Dieser hier kann wirklich fliegen.\"\n\nGavin sah Boomer's R\u00e4cher aufsteigen und sich dem Ladeschiff zuwenden. Die Hornisse rollte wieder. Boomer passte zum ankommenden Schiff, Bewegung f\u00fcr Bewegung. Beide begannen zu schie\u00dfen, und ihre Schilde leuchten wie Gl\u00fchbirnen auf. Die Hornet gierte nach Steuerbord und Gavin verfehlte mit einem Out-of-Range-Schuss. Boomer's Schild flackerte und fiel dann.\n\n\" Boomer!\"\n\nDann riss ein blendender Schuss aus einer Neutronenkanone durch Boomer's Avenger. Bits des Rumpfes flogen in seltsamen Winkeln davon, als die Hornet an dem zerst\u00f6rten Schiff vorbeiflog und sich weiterhin auf Kassiopeia schloss.\n\nDas Cockpit des R\u00e4chers ist explodiert. Gavin hielt an, um Boomer nicht zu treffen, und betete, dass der \u00e4ltere Pilot es geschafft hatte, sich zu entfernen. Kassiopeia l\u00f6ste eine Flut von Raketen, aber die Hornisse hatte Gegenma\u00dfnahmen.\n\nDer erste Durchgang des Pl\u00fcnders l\u00f6schte den Raketenwerfer aus. Gavin traf die Hornet Kopf-an-Kopf, als sie herumfuhr und wieder auf den Transport schoss. Er schlug saubere Schl\u00e4ge, als sie vorbeikamen, und vernarb die unpassende Panzerung auf einer Seite. Er drehte sich hart um, und sein Schiff zitterte vor Anstrengung, dr\u00fcckte ihn in seinem Gurtzeug nach vorne, die Sicht verdunkelte sich an den Kanten.\n\nEr richtete das Entermesser rechtzeitig auf, um zu sehen, wie die fliehende Hornisse inneh\u00e4lt und z\u00f6gerte \u00fcber eine kleine, driftende Form. Gavins Zielsystem identifizierte das Objekt. Boomer's PRB blinkte rot.\n\n\"Nein!\" Er lie\u00df eine Hand gegen die Haube dr\u00fccken. Mit aufeinanderfolgenden Explosionen aus der Neutronenkanone riss der Pirat den driftenden K\u00f6rper von Boomer absichtlich auseinander. Dann fuhr die Hornet hoch und raste zur\u00fcck zur Teclis Band.\n\n\"Mein Ziel hat sich gerade gel\u00f6st.\"\n\n\"Sie laufen weg.\"\n\nGavin registrierte kaum die Schreie und Jubelrufe seines Teams.\n\nOverkill.\n\nDie Piloten nennen es OK. Er wusste nicht genau, wo der Begriff zum ersten Mal gepr\u00e4gt wurde, aber wenn man einen Piloten treiben lie\u00df, brach man eine der wenigen unausgesprochenen und universellen Regeln des Engagements. Wenn du einen Kampf verlierst, verlierst du vielleicht dein Schiff. Wenn Sie hart geschlagen werden, k\u00f6nnen Sie aus der Reha kommen und ein Glied vermissen oder mit einer Art permanenter Narbenbildung oder Nervensch\u00e4den. Aber auf einen Piloten zu schie\u00dfen, der nur mit der unter Druck stehenden Haut eines \u00dcberlebensanzuges zum Schutz treiben will? Es war unmenschlich.\n\n\"Jeder\", so die Sorge, riss Gavins Bauch und er konnte es nicht von seiner Stimme fernhalten, \"formiere dich auf Kassiopeia. Wir haben einen Piloten am Boden.\"\n\nEtwas in seiner Stimme beruhigte die Leitung. Seine Schiffe kamen aus der Teclis Band und sammelten sich zum Transport.\n\nBei den G\u00f6ttern.\n\nWas wollte er zu Dell sagen? Gavin schluckte hart, blinzelte schnell und versuchte zu denken. Er sollte etwas tun. Der Transport war besch\u00e4digt. Er k\u00f6nnte andere verletzte Piloten haben. Vielleicht hatte Walt Recht.\n\n\"Halte die Position, bis wir Boomer gefunden haben.\" Er wechselte die Kan\u00e4le, um den Transport zu adressieren. \"Kassiopeia, hier ist Rot Eins. Wir schrubben die Mission. Bereitet euch auf die R\u00fcckkehr zum Nexus vor.\"\n\n\"Ah.... Roter, der Schaden ist minimal und unter Kontrolle. Wir sind in der Lage, fortzufahren.\"\nGavin konnte es nicht. Er musste Boomer zur\u00fcck nach Vista Landing bringen.\n\nJazza's Stimme zitterte. \"Bei den G\u00f6ttern. Sie haben ihm zugestimmt, nicht wahr?\"\n\nEr antwortete nicht.\n\n\"Bring ihn nach Hause, Gav. Wir markieren sein Schiff und schleppen es auf der R\u00fcckfahrt ab.\"\n\nEr nickte, wusste, dass sie nicht sehen konnte, aber er vertraute sich nicht an, zu sprechen. Was wollte er Dell sagen?\n\n\"Bring ihn schnell dorthin\", sagte Jazza.\n\n\" Das werde ich.\"\n\nGavins mobiGlas brummte und er aktivierte es. Jeder, mit dem er tats\u00e4chlich sprechen wollte, wusste, dass er im B\u00fcro war, wenn er reden musste. Dell war im Krankenhaus. Sie hatte sehr deutlich gemacht, dass sie ihn nicht sehen wollte. Jazza war nach der Mission mit dem Team zur\u00fcckgekehrt, aber sie legten der Familie einen weiten Bogen. Alles, was an seinen Nachrichtenfiltern vorbeikam, war wahrscheinlich wichtig. Und alles Wichtige waren h\u00f6chstwahrscheinlich schlechte Nachrichten.\n\nDie eingehende Nachricht kam von Barry. Verdacht auf schlechte Nachrichten, best\u00e4tigt. Er hat den Anruf verbunden.\n\n\"Gavin. Buddy. H\u00f6r zu, ich habe Neuigkeiten. Das ist nur ein Vorwarnanruf, okay? Keine gro\u00dfe Sache. Ist dein Bruder bei dir?\"\n\n\"Walt ist gegangen\", sogar auf seine eigenen Ohren, Gavins Stimme klang flach. \"Du kannst mir deine Nachricht \u00fcberbringen.\"\n\n\"Ich habe von einem Kumpel von mir in Contracting geh\u00f6rt. Sie stellen ein FTP \u00fcber den Tiroler Vertrag aus. Es wird wahrscheinlich in den n\u00e4chsten ein oder zwei Tagen rausgehen. Tut mir leid, Gavin.\"\n\n\"Brauchst du nicht\", war Gavin nicht w\u00fctend auf Barry. Das war er wirklich nicht. Aber seine Worte kamen sch\u00e4rfer zum Vorschein, als er es beabsichtigte. \"Sag mir einfach, was zum Teufel ein FTP ist.\"\n\n\"Tut mir leid. FTP ist ein Fehler bei der Benachrichtigung.\"\n\nEr wusste, dass es schlimm sein musste. Barry h\u00e4tte nicht angerufen, wenn er es nicht getan h\u00e4tte. Verdammt noch mal! Was kam als n\u00e4chstes? Vanduulische Angriffe? Er hatte jeden Bericht aus Brocks Akten immer wieder durchgegangen. Niemals - nicht in irgendeiner Akte - gab es Beweise f\u00fcr solche koordinierten und brutalen Angriffe.\n\nBarry las sein Schweigen richtig. \"Hey, diese Dinger werden die ganze Zeit ausgestellt, Mann. Ich lasse dich nur wissen, dass es kommt, damit du nicht ausflippst. Ein paar L\u00f6cher in einem Transport sind nichts, wenn man durch ein gesetzloses System wie Min. geht. Sie werden deinen Vertrag daf\u00fcr nicht k\u00fcndigen.\"\n\n\"Wof\u00fcr werden sie ihn ziehen?\"\n\n\"Nun,\" Barry zog das Wort heraus, sprach langsam und w\u00e4hlte seine Worte sorgf\u00e4ltig aus. \"Du m\u00fcsstest Back-to-Back-FTPs erhalten. Oder wenn du den Transport verloren hast oder so, dann w\u00fcrde das nat\u00fcrlich reichen. Aber Major Greely zieht f\u00fcr euch Jungs. Er ist begeistert vom Plan der UEE, lokale zivile Auftragnehmer zu befreien.\"\n\nGenau das, was er brauchte. Mehr Druck. \"Danke, Barry.\"\n\n\"Kopf hoch, Kumpel. Ihr Jungs macht das gut, okay? Ich meine, du solltest h\u00f6ren, was mit anderen Vertr\u00e4gen passiert. Im Ernst, das ist nichts.\"\n\n\"Nochmals vielen Dank.\" Gavin hat die Leitung getrennt. Es f\u00fchlte sich sicherlich nicht so an, als ob es ihnen gut ging. Die B\u00fcrot\u00fcr schob sich auf, und Jazza stand silhouettiert gegen die Flurbeleuchtung.\n\n\"Jazz?\" Gavins Magen sank. Er versuchte zu schlucken, aber seine Kehle war eng. \"Was ist das? Wo ist Dell?\"\n\nSie trat einen Schritt hinein und die Lichter des Raumes spiegelten sich in den nassen Ecken ihrer prallen Augen wider. Sie hielt sich zusammen, aber die Bem\u00fchungen, dies zu tun, waren sichtbar.\n\n\"Es ist Boomer\", sagte sie, \"es war diesmal zu viel Schaden. Er ist.... er ist wirklich weg.\"\n\nWIRD FORTGESETZT......","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Brothers In Arms: Part Three was published originally in Jump Point 3.7. Read Part One here and Part Two here.\nRhedd Alert got hit two more times over the next several escort missions between Min and Nexus. The first was an overzealous solo pirate who had camped himself just outside the jump gate from Min. The memory of the Hornet attack was still fresh and had Gavin and the team on edge.\n\nThe hapless pirate attacked as soon as the first Rhedd Alert ship entered Nexus. There wasn\u2019t a thruster on the market that could turn him fast enough once the gate spat out six angry Rhedd Alert fighters and their transport.\n\nThey recovered the unconscious pirate in hopes of a bounty. There wasn\u2019t much left of his ship to salvage.\n\nThe next incident occurred inside the Tyrol system near the rendezvous at Haven. As they neared Tyrol V, the trio of ramshackle Hornets struck again. Walt was the first to see them coming.\n\n\u201cGav, we\u2019ve got incoming from behind the planet.\u201d\n\nGavin\u2019s team was a cluster of green icons on his HUD. Snug\u00adgled protectively within their perimeter was UEE Cassi\u00adopeia carrying a fresh batch of researchers. He zoomed the display out and saw a trio of red marks hurtling around the planet toward their position.\n\n\u201cIs that . . .?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou have got to be kidding me.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow the hell did they find us?\u201d\n\nGavin silenced his team with a curt word and considered a headlong race to Tyrol V. Haven was a reasonably large settlement for an otherwise underdeveloped system. Tyrol V didn\u2019t have any planetary defenses, though. The entire system was subject to the inevitable and imminent \u00adnova caused by its binary stars. Haven warranted both UEE and private investment in support of the unique research possibilities provided by the impending disaster. How\u00adever, since the entire system was ultimately waiting to evaporate, there wasn\u2019t much sense in dumping money into defense systems.\n\nGavin started crossing options off their list. Tyrol offered them no protection. If they fled the system, they could lead the Hornets on a merry chase, but prolonging the risk to Cassiopeia and its staff seemed a poor gamble.\n\nOn the other hand, their first head-to-head confrontation hadn\u2019t gone so well. After seeing the marauders\u2019 team\u00adwork in Nexus, Gavin was reluctant to take another tilt at them. Plus, he could already imagine Walt\u2019s reaction to willfully engaging them head on.\n\nPerhaps something a bit more diplomatic than fight or flight would yield better results.\n\nGavin tripped his comm link to broadcast on all local fre\u00adquencies. \u201cHornet privateers above Tyrol V, this is Rhedd Alert One with a team of fighters and UEE transport vessel. We are moving little of value other than civilian lives. Please reconsider your approach.\u201d\n\n\u201cHuh,\u201d Walt made what sounded like an appreciative sniff into his mic, \u201cyou think that\u2019ll work?\u201d\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t hurt to try.\u201d\n\nMoments passed with no response and no change to the marauders\u2019 course. \u201cWell maybe something more ominous will get their attention.\u201d Gavin triggered the open broad\u00adcast again. \u201cHornet brigands above Tyrol V, this is Rhedd Alert One with a team of fighters and UEE transport vessel. We have little of value other than our ammunition, which we will happily deliver directly to your ships if you do not reconsider your approach.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell that\u2019s definitely not going to work.\u201d Walt said. Gavin saw his brother\u2019s weapon systems go live.\n\nGavin left Boomer and Mei to guard Cassiopeia and Rhedd Alert engaged four-on-three with neither side hold\u00ading the advantage of surprise. This time, Walt and Jazza were both on the front line. The ensuing dogfight was far less one-sided than their first encounter with the Hornets.\n\nRhedd Alert gave a good accounting of themselves. Con\u00adtrary to their ramshackle appearance, the marauders\u2019 ships were surprisingly quick, their weapon systems in good repair. Despite the ferocity of the fight, Rhedd Alert kept the marauders\u2019 away from Cassiopeia. Walt seemed content to drive them off. Jazza gave chase.\n\n\u201cLet \u2019em go, Jazz,\u201d Walt said.\n\n\u201cLike hell,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m gonna swat me a Hornet.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you\u2019re not,\u201d Walt snapped the order. \u201cThey\u2019re going to turn around just long enough to pound you into a fine red mist, and we\u2019re going to have to sweep up whatever parts are left.\u201d\n\n\u201cGuys,\u201d Gavin said, \u201ccool it. Rendezvous at the transport.\u201d\n\nJazza broke off pursuit and moved to rally with Boomer and Cassiopeia. \u201cI just don\u2019t like him giving me orders.\u201d\n\n\u201cHmmm,\u201d Walt\u2019s temper was clearly under some strain, \u201clet\u2019s see. I\u2019m part owner of the company. You might wanna start associating my voice with imperative statements.\u201d\n\n\u201cKnock it off, both of you. Jazz, fall in. The Navy is pay\u00ading us to escort staff, not fight a turf war with a hungry pack.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou should have figured that out in Nexus,\u201d Walt said. \u201cYou made it a grudge match when we turned to fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cEnough! If either of you have anything else to say, it can wait until we\u2019re back on Vista Landing. Got it?\u201d\n\nBoth squads limped away with damaged fighters. Rahul took a hit to his legs and would need to visit the med techs at Haven before leaving the system. The job and the in\u00adjured were Gavin\u2019s first priorities, but Walt\u2019s deteriorating attitude had to be addressed. Before starting Rhedd Alert, they had always been opportunistic aggressors. This job was all about holding ground, and Walt\u2019s reluctance was becoming a real problem.\n\nGavin was the first to arrive back at Vista Landing. Rahul was with him and woke when they touched down. Though the techs on Haven had done their work well, Dell insist\u00aded on taking him to get checked out at the station\u2019s med center.\n\nThe rest of the squad arrived soon after. Gavin left Jazza to secure the ships and asked Walt to help him with the After Action Report in the upstairs office. Judging by the hushed demeanor of the crew, no one was under any illu\u00adsion that the brothers were going to discuss the report.\n\nWalt stalked into their small, shared office. He brushed past a pair of secondhand chairs and was standing at the window behind the scarred metal desk when Gavin closed the door behind them.\n\nWalt spoke without turning to face him, \u201cIf you\u2019re looking to fire off a lecture, I suggest aiming it at Jazza.\u201d\n\nGavin joined him at the window. The steel was cold where he rested his hands on the frame, the edges sharp. \u201cNo lecture. What I need is some answers. What the hell is go\u00ading on with you, man?\u201d\n\nWalt was cold and quiet.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re fighting against me,\u201d Gavin tried to keep months of frustration from his voice. He was wrung out and tired, but not all of that could be laid at Walt\u2019s increasingly cold feet. \u201cYou\u2019re picking fights with the rest of the crew. Hell, you\u2019re fighting everyone but the bastards attacking our transport.\u201d\n\n\u201cI fought just as hard as anyone out there,\u201d Walt snapped.\n\n\u201cLike hell you did,\u201d Gavin voice sounded loud and harsh against the glass. \u201cYou\u2019re fighting just hard enough to save your ass.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell you tell me, then. How the hell am I supposed to fight? You want me chasing after trophies like Jazz?\u201d\n\n\u201cIf that\u2019s what gets the job done, yeah. We\u2019re not the robbers any more, man. We\u2019re the cops. We\u2019re a deterrent. And when we\u2019re out there, we need to make a statement.\u201d\n\nWalt squinted, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes creasing as he shook his head in what looked like exas\u00adperation or disbelief. \u201cCan you hear yourself? Do you even know what you\u2019re saying?\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery time we bump into trouble out there, we need to jump on it with both feet. But I can\u2019t push you to do that. You don\u2019t like to be pushed.\u201d Gavin felt his brother stiffen beside him, but he pressed on. He had to know if Walt was in this for the long haul. \u201cYou never did. You\u2019re like Dad in that way. You\u2019d rather cut and run than fight the tough fights.\u201d\n\nWalt turned his head sharply and yelled, \u201cWe had a damn good life doing that.\u201d\n\nThe vehemence of it took Gavin by surprise, and he stepped away. After a quiet moment, he leaned against the window frame again. The metal was warmer now from where his hands had rested.\n\nWalt and Gavin Rhedd stood shoulder to shoulder at the office window overlooking their small fleet of ships. They watched together for several minutes in silence until the last of the crew left the hangar. The lighting in the bay dimmed to a cool, cobalt blue, and Gavin\u2019s arms felt leaden. His feet hurt and he wanted desperately to sit, kick off his boots and drink himself into a stupor. But he\u2019d be damned if he sat while Walt still stood.\n\n\u201cWe could leave.\u201d The way Walt said it almost sounded like a question.\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t possibly mean that,\u201d Gavin pushed away from the window again.\n\n\u201cSeriously.\u201d Walt finally turned to face him. He was hunched forward in earnest appeal. It put them at eye-level and Walt\u2019s were round and imploring. \u201cWe could just go. This place is an anchor. Even if we turn a profit on this UEE job, what\u2019s next? Find more work? Hire more pilots and techs?\u201d\n\n\u201cIf all goes right, absolutely. We\u2019re creating something that we never had growing up, something bigger than just us. What exactly do you think we\u2019re working toward here?\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know, man.\u201d Walt sounded equally drained. \u201cI thought I did when we started, but it\u2019s just been one thing after the next. We\u2019ve got too many mouths to feed, and it doesn\u2019t look like that\u2019s going to stop.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt won\u2019t,\u201d Gavin said. \u201cThat\u2019s the responsibility we accept\u00aded when we started this place.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut this isn\u2019t our kind of fight, Gav. We\u2019re not Advocacy agents. Hell, we\u2019re not even starmen.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccording to the company charter and the contract that you and I both signed, that\u2019s exactly what we are. Soldiers for hire.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome on. We\u2019re thugs, man. We\u2019ve been flying all our lives, but we don\u2019t fight the fair fights. We pick on people who are either too dumb or too unfortunate to have profes\u00adsional protection. Maybe that ain\u2019t noble or exciting, but that\u2019s what we do, and we used to do it well. But this?\u201d Walt turned back toward the darkened bay, waving his hand inclusively at the ships and machinery below.\n\nGavin saw it then. He realized what had been eating at Walt all along. His brother wasn\u2019t worried about someone getting hurt in a fair fight. They\u2019d been in dogfights for most of their lives. It was being responsible for the rest of the team that scared him.\n\n\u201cI know we can do this.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow much risk are you willing to take to prove that?\u201d\n\n\u201cThis ain\u2019t about doing the easy thing, Walt. This game is all about trust. So you ask yourself . . . do you trust me?\u201d He hated that his voice had a pleading quality to it. Couldn\u2019t Walt see that they were already succeeding?\n\nGavin didn\u2019t get an answer. His brother stared instead at the ships in the darkened bay.\n\n\u201cWe need every pilot we\u2019ve got,\u201d Gavin said. \u201cAnd, let\u2019s face it, you\u2019re our best.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is going to blow up in your face, Gav. This will be just like when you tried to smuggle Osoians to the Xi\u2019an.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat would have worked, if you\u2019d backed me up.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey dumped you on an asteroid,\u201d Walt\u2019s voice rose in pitch and volume. \u201cYou lost Dad\u2019s Gladius with that deal. What\u2019s this one going to cost you?\u201d\n\nGavin\u2019s gut tightened, and he became uncomfortably warm in his flight suit. He realized that Walt had made his decision.\n\nHe swallowed once before trusting himself to speak. \u201cSo this is it, huh? We\u2019re just starting to get our feet under us. We\u2019re just learning to work together as a legit team.\u201d He knew this was going to happen. It wasn\u2019t a surprise, so there was no reason to be angry about it. \u201cGods! And to think I actually hoped you\u2019d stick it out with me.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t make it sound like that,\u201d Walt said.\n\n\u201cSound like what? You\u2019re just doing what you always do.\u201d\n\nWalt didn\u2019t say anything for a while.\n\nGavin stared out at their ships.\n\n\u201cWill you tell the others?\u201d Walt asked.\n\n\u201cTell them what? Everyone who matters is probably sur\u00adprised you lasted this long.\u201d\n\nHis lips drew tight into a hard line. His eyes burned a bit so he blinked them. He was tired and he needed a shower.\n\nGavin left Walt standing alone at the office window. When the rest of Rhedd Alert woke up the next morning, Walter Rhedd was gone.\n\nThe first few months without Walt went smoothly, with\u00adout incident. Paychecks started to roll in, and Gavin chipped away at some of their outstanding bills. They scavenged parts where they could. Dell proved to be a wizard reviving damaged tech. What little money remained after the bill collectors were pacified went straight to reloads.\n\nLosing Walt hurt. It showed Gavin just how much he had relied on his brother to keep the rest of the team sharp. The team\u2019s performance was obviously important, but even that paled when compared to the painful fact that Walt had actually abandoned him.\n\nNo one forgot their grudge match with the trio of mis\u00admatched marauders, and Rhedd Alert was ready when they met again. The Hornets hit them as they passed through the Teclis Band. From a distance, the band appeared to be a rippling wave of slowly pulsing lights. Closer, the wave resolved into a wall of tumbling asteroids.\n\nVeteran members of Gavin\u2019s team were quite accustomed to clinging to the underside of an asteroid. It wasn\u2019t that long ago that they\u2019d used the tactic to ambush transports themselves. So they weren\u2019t surprised to see attackers materialize from within the Teclis Band.\n\nGavin triggered his mic to address the squad. \u201cAll right, guys, we know these bastards fly like they\u2019re joined at the hip. I think we have the advantage in the band, but we can\u2019t let them pin Cassiopeia inside. Boomer, you\u2019re babysit\u00adting. Get that transport through and clear. Everyone else, with me.\u201d\n\nThe fighting inside Teclis was fierce. Gavin was in his element darting through tight seams, anticipating erratic rolling movements and using terrain to force the Hornets to break their punishing formations. His newer pilots were good, but they hadn\u2019t spent hundreds of cockpit hours in crowded space like he and Jazza had. Still, they managed to keep the Hornets hemmed in while Boomer and Cas\u00adsiopeia moved through the tumbling asteroids. Uncharac\u00adteristically, one pirate broke from the group and powered through the belt toward the fleeing transport.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got a runner,\u201d Jazza warned.\n\nGavin was already moving to pursue. \u201cI see it. Hold the other two here. They\u2019re easier to manage when they\u2019re not grouped up.\u201d\n\nHe darted around blind corners of tumbling stone and man\u00adaged to gain a few clicks on the faster ship. The Hornet rolled right and strafed around a jagged, monolithic spike of rock. Gavin thrust over it, gaining a little more ground.\n\nThe two ships shot from the treacherous confines of the Teclis Band, and Gavin landed a couple hits before the Hor\u00adnet rolled away. Then it was an all-out race for the fleeing transport.\n\n\u201cCassiopeia,\u201d Gavin called, \u201cthis is Red One, we have a hos\u00adtile inbound to you.\u201d\n\n\u201cCopy, Red One. Shields are up and we are ready for contact.\u201d\n\n\u201cBoomer?\u201d\n\n\u201cGot it, Gavin.\u201d\n\n\u201cCareful, old man. This one can really fly.\u201d\n\nGavin saw Boomer\u2019s Avenger rise and turn to face the charging ship. The Hornet rolled again. Boomer matched the oncoming ship, move for move. Both began firing, and their shields lit up like incandescent bulbs. The Hornet yawed starboard and Gavin missed with an out-of-range shot. Boomer\u2019s shield flickered and then fell.\n\n\u201cBoomer!\u201d\n\nThen a blinding shot from a neutron gun tore through Boomer\u2019s Avenger. Bits of hull flew off at odd angles as the Hornet sped past the wrecked ship and continued to close on Cassiopeia.\n\nThe Avenger\u2019s cockpit detonated. Gavin pulled up to avoid hitting Boomer and prayed that the older pilot had man\u00adaged to eject. Cassiopeia loosed a barrage of missiles, but the Hornet had countermeasures.\n\nThe marauder\u2019s first pass took out the missile launcher. Gavin met the Hornet head-to-head as it swept around and fired on the transport again. He struck clean hits as they passed, scarring the mismatched armor plating along one side. He turned hard and his ship shook with strain, pressing him forward in his harness, vision dimming at the edges.\n\nHe righted the Cutlass in time to see the fleeing Hornet pause, hesitating over a small drifting shape. Gavin\u2019s target\u00ading system identified the object. Boomer\u2019s PRB flashed red.\n\n\u201cNo!\u201d He had one hand pressed against the canopy. With successive blasts from the neutron gun, the pirate deliber\u00adately tore apart Boomer\u2019s drifting body. Then the Hornet pulled up and raced back toward the Teclis Band.\n\n\u201cMy target just disengaged.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re running.\u201d\n\nGavin barely registered the shouts and cheers from his team.\n\nOverkill.\n\nPilots call it getting OK\u2019d. He didn\u2019t know for certain where the term was first coined, but OKing a pilot adrift was breaking one of the few unspoken and universal rules of engagement. Lose a fight, and you might lose your ship. Get beat badly, and you might come out of rehab missing a limb or with some sort of permanent scarring or nerve damage. But to fire on a pilot adrift with only the pressurized skin of a survival suit for protection? It was inhuman.\n\n\u201cEveryone,\u201d worry wrenched Gavin\u2019s gut and he couldn\u2019t keep it from his voice, \u201cform up on Cassiopeia. We have a pilot down.\u201d\n\nSomething in his voice quieted the line. His ships emerged from the Teclis Band and rallied to the transport.\n\nGods.\n\nWhat was he going to say to Dell? Gavin swallowed hard, blinking fast and trying to think. He should do something. The transport had been hit. He might have other injured pilots. Maybe Walt had been right.\n\n\u201cHold position until we recover Boomer.\u201d He switched channels to address the transport. \u201cCassiopeia, this is Red One. We\u2019re scrubbing the mission. Prepare for return to Nexus.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh . . . Red One, damage is minimal and under control. We are able to proceed.\u201d\nGavin couldn\u2019t. He had to get Boomer back to Vista Landing.\n\nJazza\u2019s voice shook. \u201cGods. They OK\u2019d him, didn\u2019t they?\u201d\n\nHe didn\u2019t answer.\n\n\u201cTake him home, Gav. We\u2019ll tag his ship and tow it on the return trip.\u201d\n\nHe nodded, knowing she couldn\u2019t see, but not trusting him\u00adself to speak. What was he going to tell Dell?\n\n\u201cGet him there fast,\u201d Jazza said.\n\n\u201cI will.\u201d\n\nGavin\u2019s mobiGlas buzzed and he activated it. Anyone he actually cared to speak with knew to find him in the office if they needed to talk. Dell was in the med center. She\u2019d made it abundantly clear that she did not want to see him. Jazza had returned with the team after the mission, but they were giving the family a wide berth. Anything getting past his message filters was probably important. And any\u00adthing important was most likely bad news.\n\nThe incoming message was from Barry. Suspicion of bad news, confirmed. He connected the call.\n\n\u201cGavin. Buddy. Listen, I\u2019ve got some news. This is just a \u2019heads up\u2019 call, okay? Not a big deal. Is your brother there with you?\u201d\n\n\u201cWalt left,\u201d even to his own ears, Gavin\u2019s voice sounded flat. \u201cYou can give your message to me.\u201d\n\n\u201cI got word from a buddy of mine in Contracting. They\u2019re issuing an FTP on the Tyrol contract. It\u2019ll probably go out in the next day or two. Sorry, Gavin.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t be,\u201d Gavin wasn\u2019t angry with Barry. He really wasn\u2019t. But his words were coming out sharper than he meant them to. \u201cJust tell me what the hell an FTP is.\u201d\n\n\u201cSorry. FTP is a Failure To Perform notification.\u201d\n\nHe knew it had to be bad. Barry wouldn\u2019t have called if it wasn\u2019t. Damn it! What was next? Vanduul attacks? He\u2019d gone over and over every report from Brock\u2019s files. Never \u2014 not in any file \u2014 was there evidence of such coordinated and vicious attacks.\n\nBarry read his silence correctly. \u201cHey, these things get issued all the time, man. I\u2019m just letting you know that it\u2019s coming so you don\u2019t freak out. A couple holes in a trans\u00adport is nothing when you\u2019re going through a lawless system like Min. They won\u2019t pull your contract for that.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat will they pull it for?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d Barry drew out the word, speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully. \u201cYou\u2019d have to receive back-to-back FTPs. Or if you lost the transport or something, that\u2019d obviously do it. But Major Greely is pulling for you guys. He\u2019s big on the UEE\u2019s plan to enfranchise local civilian contractors.\u201d\n\nJust what he needed. More pressure. \u201cThanks, Barry.\u201d\n\n\u201cKeep your chin up, buddy. You guys are doing fine, okay? I mean, you should hear what goes on with other contracts. Seriously, this is nothing.\u201d\n\n\u201cThanks again.\u201d Gavin disconnected the line. It certainly didn\u2019t feel like they were doing fine. The office door slid open, and Jazza stood silhouetted against the corridor lights.\n\n\u201cJazz?\u201d Gavin\u2019s stomach sank. He tried to swallow but his throat was tight. \u201cWhat is it? Where\u2019s Dell?\u201d\n\nShe took a step inside and the room\u2019s lights reflected in the wet corners of her brimming eyes. She held herself together, but the effort to do so was visible.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s Boomer,\u201d she said, \u201cIt was too much damage this time. He\u2019s . . . he\u2019s really gone.\u201d\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026"},"links_count":2,"comment_count":25,"created_at":"2019-03-26T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"7 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 22:22:46","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":17016,"next_id":17018}}