11 Hours, 55 minutes later.
Halifax Nova, Human-Tarraxian hybrid, Captain of the Earth Medical Ship Solomon's Ring, sat in his quarters, his fingers laced together as he stared at his tv screen. His uniform was torn, scorched and stained in several places, the stench of wine and spices clung to him like glue, and his left shoe was missing. Before him, white numbers counted down against a black background. Beside him, his first officer, Kt'thia, Kikhrid of the planet Kikhoht, watched in silence.
"You sure you don't want to leave?" He asked her.
"I should be asking you that," she replied. "I would survive, even if the main reactor ruptured."
"Hmm." Nova leaned forward resting his chin on the backs of his fingers. "Invincibility does make going down with the ship an easy choice. Did you make sure someone will come retrieve you after?"
"I mentioned it to the crew of the last shuttle out," Cathy admitted. "Sir, what happened? How did Norland escape?"
Nova gave a shallow sigh. "Somebody left him alone on a Real Time Scanner table. He somehow looped his scans, so the monitors wouldn't flatline, and crawled off to find a pad. He didn't have to go far.
One room over. A service tech was installing a surgical lamp one room over, had his head buried in music, and apparently didn't hear the evacuation order. Oh, and he was logged in to the lighting and power systems with full administrator permissions. Darkness, confusion, and access to our computer was all Norland needed to get away from security. He had them chasing a ghost, operating doors and systems remotely.
He dragged himself through the ship, so there was a scent trail for me to follow, mostly the antiseptic used on him during his surgery, and I was able to track him as far as level two's food storage, where, surprise, surprise, he had rigged a blaster to the door. Oh, but he couldn't have just pointed it at the door and put me out of my misery, no. The bastard spread cooking oil on the floor so I would wipe out, then pointed the blaster at the wine rack. All the spices and alcohol. Boom!"
"I was wondering about the smell," Kathy interrupted. "I can't imagine it was a pleasant experience for a nose as sensitive as yours. But, where did he get the blaster?"
"His trail led through the morgue where we had him before he woke up. There must have been one left in there, under a table or something. That, or he hid one during the initial chaos."
"That would be an amazing amount of foresight for somepony in his condition at the time."
"Not really, Kathy, because we've done it before, back in the mines. Multiple times at that. The first time was about three years after I met Grin, there was this human thug that was transferred from some Likani prison, liked to cause trouble for anyone that didn't grovel at his feet, and when it came down to it, gave us a week's notice that he was going to kill us. Wanted us to be afraid, and wanted to draw a crowd to watch him put down the upstart kids. Grin was about six, and I was maybe twelve, so we had no chance against an adult human, especially not one as strong as him. So, we started a fight with an older Taraxian guard in order to get a weapon, and stashed it right there while we fought. So, we had nothing when they beat and stripped searched us, but when we got into a fight with the thug a week later, it was there when we needed it. Of course, we didn't use it, we just made sure he had it when the guards found us."
"The more you tell me of your past, the more I understand some of your habits. Though, I'm surprised that Norland was so young for all this."
"I don't know if he was ever that young. Sure, we would goof off and play as much as we could given the circumstances. But, his brain isn't wired like other pony's. When I met him, he asked if I could understand him, and did so in several languages before landing on standard. And, he learned Taraxian in a matter of months. From day one, he would analyze and track guard rotations and inmate politics like a trained intelligence operative. And, from what he told me, he may have been. Said his life before was all tests and questions, training and following instructions, but never being told why. Being allowed to play with the other foals when he did well, under strict supervision, but never seeing them otherwise." Nova shook his head. "I don't know what he was being raised for, or how it ended with him being thrown away like I was, but I hope those other foals had an easier time of things. Though, I have reason to believe they had their own troubles."
The captain cleared his throat. "Anyway, from food storage, I think he hid inside one of the food crates meant for delivery to Sevus, and used the pad to order someone to put it on a shuttle. Of course, I didn't realize that until it was too late. By the time I recovered from the overload of smells in food storage, he had remotely set off several small explosions by overloading the lights in several storage closets, triggered an alarm near one of the computer cores, and tripped an alarm on a weapons locker as distractions. I saw through all of those, but he tricked me with a quiet login near the bridge using the credentials of the tech he stole the pad from.
So, I headed there while he was being moved. Several other items were placed on the shuttle as well. Some industrial equipment, manufacturing tools, a furnace, micro-sintering metal printer, a force-field casting die matrix, five-axis cnc laser ablation mill. All sorts of raw materials, Copper-Beryllium Alloy, several tungsten compounds, three gallons of multireactive ferrofluid, elemental silicon, titanium, gold, and palladium, good old steel, leather, and aluminum, even epoxy and superglue. And then, there was medical equipment, scanners, surgical kits, medical lasers, neurological implants, nerve interfaces, and one Glycodexrin treatment kit.
He waited until everything else was on board before ordering his wife's Cryo-chamber to be loaded. Maybe because he knew security would be all over it, as would I. And, we were. And, we fell for a trick as old as electricity. He put another pad in a different shuttle, on speaker, with a recording of him screaming that a crate had fallen on him. He was convincing, and we ate a flashbang for letting ourselves be distracted."
Done with his long winded story, the captain leaned back on the couch. "My ears are still ringing."
"I'm sorry I missed it." Cathy glanced down at Nova's feet. "And the missing shoe?"
"I'd rather not talk about that," the captain said quietly, maintaining a stoic expression.
A moment passed silent between them, only to be interrupted by the flash of the tv switching over to a close up of Norland's face. He had a clear shoeprint on his face, and a bloody nose. "Hal?"
"You have some nerve, Mr. Norland," Cathy cut in. "You were going to be released. Your bounty was going to be rescinded. You would have been able to stay with your family. And Captain Nova risked his career to secure that for you."
The old stallion nodded once. "I know. That's why I did this. To protect him."
"Really?" Nova scoffed. "Doesn't feel like it. You do know I'm still on the ship, right? And I'm staying here, no matter what that countdown leads to."
"You've always been as stubborn as I am," Grin observed. "You told me that I could be a symbol, that I could influence those who might try to follow in my path. Well, if you really want that, there is something I need to do first. And, I can't be restrained by the rules, or watchful eye, of the Galactic Assembly if I want to succeed." He looked down. "I don't think I've ever asked this of anypony before, but please, trust me."
"It would be easier to trust you if I knew what you were planning," Nova pointed out. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what the old stallion was planning. "Where are you going? What is so important to you that you would risk everything like this?"
"There are wrongs that must be put right." The old pirate shrugged. "I've caused a lot of pain, but there are things I can do to make up for that. There are weapons, devices, and even old subordinates of mine that can't be allowed to roam free."
Kt'thia held up one of her legs. "And you plan on doing what, exactly? I ran some of your medical scans. You aren't in any condition to wage a war on the remnants of your pirate group."
The stallion nodded slowly. "I know. I stole copies of those scans. I didn't know about the bone fragments still in my spinal column, and I would bet my last doctor didn't either. Good thing I'm not planning to wage a physical war."
"Just let us help you!" It was taking everything Nova had not to pull his hair out. "We have a spinal injury specialist, we can probably even get you walking. The White Flags would be more than happy to help take out any of your old crew. Hell, I'd quit my command and go with you if you asked! And I promise you, you will still get to stay with your family. There is no reason for this!"
Norland shook his head, turning his attention to the console beside him. "I appreciate it, Hal, but I can't spend the rest of my life the prisoner of some Bounty Hunter's guild, no matter how well treated I would be."
Nova glared at the stallion. He wasn't getting through to him, but he had at least one more card to play. "Even if your grand-daughter is part of that guild?"
The stallion looked up suddenly, face as close to panic as Nova had ever seen. "What do you mean?"
"I spoke with the leader of the White Flags while you were recovering from surgery. Berry is with them, assisting with a case, under the direct supervision of their prince. She is scheduled to return to their base by the end of next week. And, you should know, the leaders of the White Flags are like your wife, ancient ponies awoken from cryo-chambers. Their princess is the one who sent me to look for you, because Pinkie was a friend of hers, and she wanted to protect Berry by getting your bounty rescinded."
"Damn it, Hal," Norland said quietly as he leaned against the console, covering his head with his hoof. "I just want to disappear again, make sure Pinkie and Berry are safe, for us to live in peace."
"You, of all ponies, should know that won't happen like this. Come back, and we can help."
"Thank you, Hal, but no," Norland straightened up in his chair, "I will turn myself in to the White Flags, my final act as pirate, rather than be handed to them as a crippled relic. I have at least that much dignity left."
"And the timer?"
"I honestly have no clue what will happen. It was the first thing with a countdown that I was able to access."
"Well, it's going to happen in the next few seconds."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Norland said with a smirk. "Whatever it was, there wasn't even a password on it. Well, until I added one."
"Really?" Nova stared at the screen as it switched back to the final seconds of the countdown. The encrypted password and multiple layers of security made it seem as though the timer was linked to some critical system. Hell, even the lights had passwords to override their preprogrammed schedules. He glanced down at Kt'thia. "Did your team find anything about the countdown?"
She shook her head. "Only that it was being broadcast throughout the ship, with no apparent source."
On screen, the countdown reached three, two, one, and finally zero. There was a loud click from the other room, but otherwise nothing.
Nova was the first to react, burying his face in his hands. He would never live down the shame from this. He and Norland were even for their last battle now, this humiliating defeat was more than enough payback. He recognized the sound. "Damn it, Grin," he half cried, half laughed, "you really are an asshole."
Kathy recognized it as well, but walked over to the other room, a kitchenette, to confirm for sure because that click was followed by an unfamiliar trickling sound. She saw the cause immediately. "Sir, your tea-maker turned on without a cup in it."