A newly upgraded ship. A squad willing to do what they needed to to get back into the good graces of The Agency. A mission to pay off a debt. Zeus knew that despite clashes with the Klisk, Wights, gangs, corporate agents and eco-terrorists, this mission was likely going to be the most difficult of them all.

"ETA?" Zeus asked, biting his thumb.

"It was one hundred and six two minutes ago, so... one hundred and four minutes." Phil replied from the pilot's chair. "Zeus, go relax. Or get ready, or whatever. Please, you're stressing me out."

Zeus sighed and nodded. Best to let his pilot actually concentrate on her job. He left the bridge and began walking, bringing up his comm unit to speak to others. He connected to Kurt, Minnie, Kailey and Eliza.

"You know what the mission is, and who we're about to go up against. Tell me we're ready."

It was, surprising Zeus, Minnie who spoke up first, with her synthetic voice box, newly tweaked by a Zodiac agent.

"I have to protest again, Zeus," she said. "Renee has a crew that aren't guilty of whatever the Alliance is charging her for. Going in guns blazing is just going to bring Jonathan down on you."

"Thank you, Miss Warsaw," Zeus said sternly. "But the decision has been made. Either you're helping us, or you're going in the brig. Pick one."

Minnie was taken aback by the darkness Zeus's voice possessed with this statement. "I... understand. I'm sorry... All good here in Engineering."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Minnie hung up without waiting for permission, her eyes wide with shock and fear. Helping Olympus had started off being forced upon her, but seeing their methods she grew to believe that they would eventually see the light. That the Alliance was the true villain.

In one sentence, Zeus had made Minnie question exactly where Olympus fell. Whether they were truly different. They were going to kill dozens of Concordians to get to Renee...

Minnie grabbed an electro-driver and jammed it into the table. The table with her work for the mission electrified to a deadly amount. If they wanted to use her weapons, they'd need to lose a few things first. Minnie turned around, and was face to face with Kurt.

"Kurt," Minnie said, knowing exactly how much he had just seen. "I'm not doing it."

Minnie was terrified. She knew Kurt could end her in an instant, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"I know," Kurt said, handing Minnie a shuttle card. It was the key to start a shuttle up, and it belonged to Kurt. "Go. Warn them."

Minnie looked down at the card, then back up to Kurt. "This is registered to you. They'll know you helped me."

"Killing Alliance enemies is one thing, but you're right. A lot of Concordians are innocent people, led astray. They will die if Olympus goes aboard and they aren't prepared. So go."

Minnie smiled, the moment a bittersweet goodbye between former jailer and jailed. It had been Kurt that defended giving her freedom, and now he was giving it to her truly. She leaned forward and kissed the Dwarf's cheek, then bolted out of the engineering bay.

Minnie ran as fast as she could, using utility tunnels to avoid major traffic areas. When she reached the shuttle bay, she was happy to find it empty.

"I'm sorry, Olympus," Minnie said to herself.

Minnie opened one of the shuttles, but stopped when a bullet hit the hull of the shuttle. She turned slowly to see Tartarus walking towards her.

"No," she whimpered. Tartarus stood over her, his eyes drinking in the situation, then he pushed her into the shuttle. "What? Why?"

Tartarus didn't answer, but he typed onto the shuttle controls with knowledge he shouldn't really have, then left the shuttle, allowing it to not only close, but take off before he began firing at it.

"This is Agent Tartarus, we have a fly-away. Minnie Warsaw has betrayed us."