The betrayal chapter 18 snippet

Stifling a yawn, Kate crossed the space dock flight deck towards her fighter. She took her time as she walked, her eyes examining everything around her. This was probably going to be the last time she ever saw this facility, she told herself as she ducked under a wing. Whether she survived the coming attempt on her life or not, there would be no life left for her in the fleet.

Carrying her katana, she could feel the comforting weight of it in her hand as she walked. There was no way in hell she was going to leave such a piece of fine workmanship behind. While there was nothing she could do about her furniture, she mused, she could at least take the sword with her. The rest of her belongings, she would have to collect all over again.

In whatever Fleet I end up serving in, she thought bitterly.

Before her, gleaming in the bright light was her fighter. Kate felt a pang of bittersweet pride wash over her as she stopped to look at it. She was proud, and always would be proud, to have been the top fighter pilot to have ever graduated from Top Gun. However, on the other hand she was angry she was leaving in a fighter instead of a capital ship. While no one can ever take her accomplishments away, she thought, they could relegate her to second-rate status easily enough!

As Beatty already has done, she thought with a snort.

Approaching the fighter, Kate kept her face an unreadable mask. There was no reason to let the world see what she was feeling, she reminded herself. Nodding to her flight Chief, she stopped at her fighter. With a hand that worked on automatic, she punched in her security code.

Kate sighed as the canopy started to open on her fighter. Once it had completed its task, she climbed up the ladder to the cockpit. The chief certainly did a good job getting the bird ready, Kate thought as she placed her scabbard and garment bag on the rear seat. So far, everything had gone the way she had planned it, and she hoped it would stay that way.

Once everything was in place, she settled down into the pilot’s seat, her hand plugging the flight suit into the environmental controls. A two-day trip to Haven was ahead of her, she mused, so she might as well make herself comfortable. Brushing her hand against a certain spot by her left leg, the hidden compartment there popped open. With a knowing grin, she placed her kimber inside it and closed it back up.

Kate sighed as she completed her checklist and hit the controls to lower the canopy. Feeling the blast of fresh air in her face, she watched as the navicomp and targeting systems came on line. A smile crossed her face as a slight vibration filled the cockpit from the thrusters firing up.

“Flight control,” she said into her throat mike. “This is Foxtrot-nine-delta-five requesting clearance for take off.”

###

Johansson watched the small fighter disappear from his tracking monitor. So, he thought, she was finally on her way to Haven now. With an evil chuckle, he reached across and activated the FTL communications system on his desk. Making sure it was on a secure channel that Almir knew nothing about he looked at the man before him.

“She’s on her way,” he spoke, his grin never leaving his face.

“We’re ready for her, sir,”

“Just make sure she doesn’t leave that planet alive,” he said. “Or don’t come back yourself.”

“Don’t worry, sir,” the man said. “I’ve wanted that damn slave b**** dead for a while.”

“Just make sure you accomplish the task, Colonel,” Johansson said. “Need I remind you that our Leader doesn’t tolerate failure?”

“No, sir,” the man swallowed hard as he contemplated the consequences of failure.

“Good hunting, Colonel,” Johansson said as he killed the link.


Now it was just time to sit back and wait for her to walk into the trap, he thought as he leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head.