Subservience by Chandra Ryan

if he thinks
one of the hostiles made it onto the ship.”
    Lee nodded. “And if I record the encounter we might just get
that evidence we need.”
    “That’s the plan.” She looked at Parker. “After you leave, I
want you to stay by the door. They can’t take him off the ship. You’re to use
any force necessary to make sure they stay onboard. Am I understood?”
    “Perfectly, Captain.”
    “Good. See you on the other side, Parker.”
    She left her quarters before she could consider the
ramifications if her plan didn’t work. It had to work. And she had her part to
do. She’d just made it around the second bend when the call came over the com.
    “Breach.”
    She ran the rest of the way. “Stun, don’t kill. We need them
alive for interrogation.”
    The conflict took longer than she would’ve liked to contain,
but after all the hostiles were subdued she started making her way back to her
quarters. She had one of the men with her wear an assailant’s uniform in the
hopes of misleading Vance. They just needed him to think he was safe enough to
confess and it’d all be over. This whole episode would be nothing more than a
memory. As she approached her quarters, though, she knew something was wrong.
It was too quiet. It took her a moment to realize that Parker wasn’t where he
should be.
    She ran into her quarters and searched the rooms but they
weren’t there. Where the hell had they gone? “Captain to Barkswell.”
    “Yes, Captain?”
    “Locate Commander Vance and Lieutenant Commander Parker.”
    “They are in shuttle bay two, Captain.”
    “Seal it down and send security there immediately.”
    “Yes sir.”
    She ran toward shuttle bay two at full speed. Whatever Vance
was up to, he had Parker. And it was her fault. Her plan had failed somehow.
    When she reached the bay she pressed her palm against the
scanner and the door swooshed open with a soft hiss. “Stay back, Captain.”
    Inside the hangar Vance had a weapon pressed to Parker’s
head. It made her heart race and her palms sweat but she had to focus. They had
a job to do. “Where is the prisoner?”
    “Vance gave him something. He’s unconscious but alive in the
shuttle.”
    Vance pointed the weapon at her. “And now that you’re here,
we can get off this ship.”
    “It’s over, Vance.” She shook her head. “I’m not going to
give that order. I know why you’re doing this. And I’m not going to let you get
away with it.”
    “Please. If you had it all figured out you never would’ve
left me alone with Lee.”
    She turned to the security officer still standing behind
her. “Officer.”
    “Yes, Captain?”
    “Please return to my quarters and search for a digital
recorder.”
    “Yes, Captain.”
    That seemed to get Vance’s attention. “What?”
    “I let you near Lee to lure you into confessing everything.
I don’t know what’s on that recorder, but I’m interested in finding out.”
    It took a few minutes but eventually the man’s voice came
over her com badge. “I found it, Captain.”
    “Patch it through to the Prime Minister’s office immediately.
Whatever’s on the device is his concern and his alone. Use clearance code
alpha, sigma, prime.”
    “Yes, Captain.”
    “It’s done. It’s over, Vance. Let Parker go.”
    He shoved Parker in her general direction but then turned
the weapon on her again. “It’s not over. You don’t get to win. Not this time.
If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me.”
    It took her a split second to realize he had his gun pointed
at her head. He meant to kill her. As the weapon discharged, though, a streak
of black raced in front of her vision. He hadn’t hit her. Weapon fire filled
the hangar as her security team showed up. But she still didn’t understand.
Everything was happening so fast. Vance collapsed under the hail of laser
bursts. Only then did she see the body lying in front of her on the floor.
Parker had been the streak of black. Or rather his uniform had been.