It took several days to outfit the Solent with the new Callidus X4 Shroud system and both Charlie and Jayden having been educated on the system. To accept the system, several other parts needed to be upgraded or replaced. Father made a show of covering the extra funds and Ash started to get an even worse feeling about the deal. He already thought that he was being set up to fail. The Syndicate agent on Dottier was probably already dead and if he wasn't, there was no way to extract him without a fight. Ash knew that even if he succeeded, there would still be a balance on his bill with the organization.
"Ash, I'll have our forces on standby and ready to set sail for Dottier when we have our man and his payment. You have my word on this. We can't fight the entire Sharlah fleet on our own but there are ways that we can help. Your new cloaking device is proof of that."
"I understand Father, I wouldn't expect you to go to war on our behalf. I'll do my best." Ash replied.
The cargo bay door groaned upward and closed, blocking out the brilliant light of the ocean scene and casting a dark shadow over the crew standing behind Ash, waiting for orders.
"Let's get into the sky and then we'll talk. Charlie how much fuel do we have?"
"They refilled the Solent. We are topped off."
"That's great news, prepare for takeoff."
"Yes Captain Ash." Charlie said with an audible smile. Kate, Jayden, and Ruo shared a glance with the same theme.
"Jayden to the engine room, keep us cool if it starts to act up again. Kate, you're flying. Ruo, I want you to gather up the weapons and armor in the dining room. Make sure everything is loaded and ready to go. Check the oxygen in the suits, no leaks."
"Yes Captain." Ruo said and they all broke from the cargo bay to their tasks without another word.
That felt good.
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Ash called a meeting in the kitchen despite the pile of weaponry on the table. Charlie was ordered to hold off on setting a course to jump and set the Solent on a path directly away from Solaria 3. She assured Ash that there were no listening devices installed on the ship, at least none that she could detect.
"We've been given a task that seems impossible. I didn't say anything about it while we were on the planet because I wanted to let you enjoy life again for a few days."
The crew nodded their thanks but looked apprehensive.
"The Syndicate is responsible for us surviving the invasion. Kate's father, Mr. Young, worked out a deal with them that set everything in motion. They gave him the intel that something was coming. They took Charlie from Seriff because she was the only AI that they could get their hands on at that time. They smuggled the old Earth weapons onto our ship along with the armored enviro suits. They got the translation.. devices.. for us so we could talk to any aliens that we might find. All of this came at a steep price for Mr. Young and he payed it to keep his daughter safe and get her off world before the invasion landed.
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He payed it, but the agent never made it off Dottier with the credits and Father wants them and he wants the agent rescued though I don't really know which one is more important to him. The agent was alive the last time he contacted them. He is still at the Vista Freight installation where we took off from. The cloak will get us close, but the Sharlah will be able to visually see us once we hit the atmosphere. We have to land, get the agent, and get out before they kill us. Father threatened to torture and kill us himself if I didn't accept the deal and promised to provide support to Dottier if we succeed. He invested a lot of credits to cloak the Solent.
I want your thoughts on this."
The crew shifted their weight, looked around, and said nothing until Kate finally broke the silence.
"If my dad did all of that for me to get away, I don't think he would want me to come back and risk my life for the criminal who helped him." She said.
"That's a good point." Was all that Ash said.
Jayden spoke up next. "Do you think they would find us if we just.. took off with the cloaking device?"
"I don't know." Ash said grimly. "That would be a huge risk but it's on the table. Charlie, any insight?"
"I did manage to hack a lot of their data. Their reach is vast. Their fleet is far larger than Father was letting on and they have more than one. I believe the Callidus would have a hard time against the Syndicate in a stand up fight. It would indeed be a huge risk to cross them, but landing on Dottier is a huge risk as well."
"Ruo?" Ash said and looked to the newest member of the Solent crew. He felt guilty that he hadn't had much time to speak with her.
She took a moment to compose her thoughts before voicing them.
"They installed the same cloaking device that their fleet has?"
"That's what he said, yes." Ash answered.
"It is extremely effective. I think we could get close to Dottier. What if we do that, and then send a message back that we could not make contact with this Syndicate agent. If they can somehow track us, they'll think that we tried, even if we didn't." Ruo said.
"Okay. That's a little more risk but it might just work. Jay, what do you think?"
"The foxes won't help us? What other option do we have?" Jayden asked.
"No, the Callidus said the Sharlah aren't really a threat to them so they can't commit military assets to help us." Ash said.
"That's bullshit and you know it. They won't stop with us and they'll start multiplying now that they have a safe planet and resources. If that's what they do. I don't really know how they make alien babies."
"The Sharlah multiply just like humans do but they also use cloning technology and sometimes experiment with the species that they have conquered to make expendable soldiers." Charlie interjected.
"Wait what? Are you saying they make mutant soldiers from the people they take over?" Ash asked her.
"Yes, they do."
Jayden blew out a big breath. "Ash I don't know what to say. Maybe we should get close to Dottier and at least see what's happening there. I know it's a risk and it goes against what Mr. Young was trying to do but we're in debt now to the Syndicate and we can't have two alien fleets kicking the shit out of us. Lets see what it's like and make a game time decision."
"Ok. Charlie, what do you think?" Ash asked the ceiling.
It took her a moment to answer. It never took her a moment to answer.
"I.. I just want to protect you. I will go with you no matter what and I'll do anything to keep you safe." Charlie said. Her words coming slowly.
"Ok. Lets go to Dottier and lurk in the shadows. We'll find out how many Sharlah ships there are and see if we can make contact and if there's a path to the landing pad."
The crew nodded and each made eye contact with Ash before they walked away. It was a look of respect and thanks for how the decision was made. Kate was the only one who looked unsettled with the plan but that was understandable.
"Charlie set a course for the system but not the planet. Take whatever sensor range you expect the Sharlah could have and double it. I don't want them seeing our emergence from hyperspace."
"Yes Captain. Prepare to jump."