Chapter Three: New Command

Several hours later, Kody walked around his new ship, the Blue Dawn, to take-in the sights and get familiar with where everything was, and get to know some of his crew. As he walked onto the main bridge, an enlisted crewman stood straight and shouted. “Officer on Deck!” Kody walked up and saluted back. “At ease, soldier!” Kody started. “Status report of ship functions!”
“All green across the board, Sir. Just waiting for your remaining department heads to check-in.”
“Who do we have so far?”
“Major…err Lieutenant Colonel Tyron Jackson and Second Lieutenant Rylie Bistro have just arrived moments before you entered the bridge. Captain Bryon O’Neil and Corporal Madeline Anderson should here within the hour. As for the others, they are all presently on Earth including Chief Engineer, Malcom Hunter.”
“Good, I’m heading to the Comms room for a mission briefing. Have Colonel Jackson, and Lieutenant Bistro report to me there.”
“Yes, sir!”
Kody made his way back down the same corridor that led to the bridge, and to the Comms room which was just two rooms away. Inside, the Comms room was white with a gray trimming around the floors and ceiling. In the center was a circular platform about 6-inches high with a holo-lens at the center. A control pedestal stood in front with a touchscreen.
Kody walked up to the pedestal and began scrolling until he found the tab for FLEETCOM, tapping the screen he was brought to a new page with all the contacts belonging to Fleet Command, Admiral Gains fortunately was right the top and after tapping his name, the communication’s platform began to light-up until a holographic image of the Fleet Admiral appeared. “Status update, Colonel!” he said.
“All ship functions are up ready, and most of my chosen command crew will be here within the hour. The rest I’ll need to make a stop at Earth.”
“I’m afraid that another issue has come up that will prevent that. You are to travel to New Earth and evac Secretary of Defense, Lauren Campbell.”
“Understood, Sir. What of the remainder of my crew that are off-planet?”
“Text the names, and I will have them meet you at New Earth.”
“Yes, sir!”
After hanging up with HIGHCOM, Kody made his way back to the bridge to see if the remaining of his command crew, at least those present on Harmony, were onboard, and if not, how close they were to being so. Halfway down the hall, Kody was met by his friends Tyron Jackson and Rylie Bistro as they were heading to the bridge. “Colonel, sir!” said Tyron as he and Rylie stopped and stood at attention.
“At ease Lieutenant Colonel. You know you don’t have to be so formal with me.”
“Yes sir. Do we have any mission yet or are we seemly going to join the fleet?”
“We’ll join eighth fleet eventually, however, we have been tasked with extracting SecDef from New Earth, Top priority,” Kody stated before continuing. “Have you seen Maddie or Bryon yet?”
“Last I seen, they were entering the shipyard just after us,” answered Tyron.
“Us?”
“Me and the Lieutenant, we carpooled together.”
“Yes, my car was recently stolen and Lieutenant Colonel Jackson was kind enough to offer me a ride.”
“It’s ok, you don’t explain your reasons to me. You both made it, and that’s what counts,” Kody said before touching the nearby intercom. “AMI, do you have a status on Maddie Anderson and Bryon O’Neil?”
“Captain O’Neil and Corporal Anderson have just scanned in at ‘ship entry’” AMI stated.
“Good, then start pre-launch procedures. Who’s the next highest engineering officer currently onboard?”
“That would be Hassan Salib of the USC Engineering Corps, Colonel.”
“Have him report to me.”
“At once.”
Moments later, Kody along with Lieutenant Colonel Jackson and First Lieutenant Bistro, arrived back at the Bridge where Jackson and Bistro took their assigned positions. Kody, himself, headed over to the center where he was met by a holographic image of AMI on the data-pedestal. “Colonel, all systems are green across the board, and Chief Petty Officer Salib is behind you.”
“Good, begin launch at once,” Kody ordered. “Chief Petty Officer, as you know, until Malcolm Hunter is onboard, you are in command of engineering,”
“Yes, sir. I am aware. Is there any you need before we jump?”
“I assume that everything is operational?”
“Of course, sir. However, ship MPs did make an arrest just prior to your arrival.”
“I see. What about?”
“Stowaway trying to tamper with the reactor. Don’t worry, she was apprehended before any damage was done.”
“All right, I’ll see to her once we’re in hyperspace. You’re dismissed.”
Kody turned again to the command terminal that oversaw the whole Bridge. He stared for several moments out the surrounding windows and down at Harmony’s surface. He mind picturing a time when he was still a carefree major providing for his family. He squeezed his hand shut as if he were holding his daughter’s. Kody smiled briefly before he was snapped back to reality. “Colonel? Would you like to speak to crew before we depart?” asked Tyron.
“Yes, of course. The crew should know what we are about to get into,” Kody said grabbing the PA mic. Attention all hands! I am Colonel Kody Davidson, your new commanding officer and as such I just wanted to debrief your all on what has recent transpired as well as our current mission.” Kody paused for a brief moment than continued. “Several hours ago, the Russian colony of Aurora was attacked by an unknown enemy. Who this enemy is or why they attacked Aurora we don’t yet know but we believe they are extra-terrestrial in nature, humanity’s first contact and now they have their sights set on New Earth. As most of you may also know, Secretary of Defense, Lauren Campbell, is also there attending a peace summit. That’s our mission, travel to New Earth, locate Secretary Campbell and evac her off planet. It is also very likely the these ‘aliens’ may already be there so we are possibly jumping into a combat-ready situation. I just wanted you all to know that as long as I am your commander, I will not keep anything from you and please know that your well-being and safety will always be my top concern. That is all.”
Kody than turned back to face the forward display “Begin launch.”
Moments before the Dawn jumped to hyperspace, Kody took one last look towards Harmony in the direction of the region of New Sierra. Knowing that he was possibly heading to a combat zone with an unknown ‘alien’ armada, Kody’s current thoughts were of his daughter, Amy. No matter what was waiting at New Earth, Kody was determined to return to her. With a quick, deep breathe, Kody’s next view was the stars being stretch as the hyperdrive was initiated.
Once all was green with the jump, Kody turned to leave the Bridge but just before he could head down the hall, he was stopped by Tyron. “Where you are going, Colonel?” He said.
“The brig. MPs arrested a saboteur earlier, I heading to interrogate her. You have the bridge till I get back. Let me know the moment we drop out.”
“Yes, sir!”

****

It around ten or fifteen minutes for Kody to walk the distance from the Bridge to the security brig where this so-called saboteur was being held. Two MPs stood guard just outside the main door as he approached. Both MPs stood at attendance upon seeing Kody. “Colonel! We weren’t expecting you. Are you here to speak with the prisoner?” said the female MP.
“Of course, what can you tell about her?” inquired Kody.
“Not much, sir. Her name is Natalie Lorne, 33-years-old, single. Hasn’t filed a tax return in five years. Arrested seven times, five as a juvenile, for protesting space expansion and government overreach.”
“Ok, thank you, Sergeant.”
“Maybe you can get something else out of her, because she isn’t talking to us.” Said the male MP unlocking the door and leading Kody inside. “Wait here, I’ll bring her out.”
“No rush, I got time.” Kody replied, sitting down at the interrogation table. After a few moments the MP returned with Natalie. He undid one her cuffs, before recuffing it to a bar under the table and sat her down opposite of Kody. “If you need anything, Colonel just holler, and my partner and I will be back in here.
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Kody turned back towards Natalie and opened his holo-tablet to her record. “Ms. Lorne, seems like you’ve been a busy girl. Says here that this isn’t your first arrest.”
“So! What is it to you?!” stated Natalie.
“Nothing, but it should be of great concern to you. You see, I have you on attempting to tamper with my ship’s reactor. You how much time you’re at for that, with your record?”
“I’m sure you’ll be telling me.”
“Yes, of course. Well, with your prior history, You’ll most likely get the maximum sentence of 40-years and that’s just for attempting to tamper. If you had actually done anything,” Kody chuckled a little. “Well then, that’d be the death penalty.”
“What is it you want to know? My life story? The FSP? What?!”
“Well, knowing anything on the Free Space Party would be great, but I don’t really care; that’s a matter above my pay grade. No, I want to know why you picked my ship?”
“I didn’t pick your ship. It was just the target I was given,”
“Ok, why? Out of the ships in the USC fleet, the Blue Dawn is almost insignificant.”
“I don’t know why. I was just told to plant a device on the reactor and leave,”
“A device? What kind of device?”
“I don’t know, about medium sized-circular like a UFO,” Natalie said, holding her hands about a forearm’s length apart.
“Did it have a red indicator light on the top with a nine-digit keypad?!” Kody said sounding a little concerned.
“Yeah, exactly. You know of it?”
“Unfortunately, I do. Sergeant, Get in here!” Kody said standing up.
Almost in an instant, both Sergeant Samuels and Lieutenant Ryan came in. “Yes, Colonel?” started Samuels.
“I need you organize teams to search the ship immediately!”
“Yes, sir! May I ask as to the nature of this search?”
“We may have an armed bomb onboard! Move, this is not a drill! Take Ms. Lorne, she knows what to look for.”
“At once!”
Both MPs rushed out with Natalie Lorne in toe, while Kody walked over to the intercom to hail the Bridge. “Hello, Colonel? What’s up? We’re about halfway to New Earth-” began Tyron before being cut off by Kody.
“That’s second nature right now! Drop us out and indicate a code red throughout the ship! There is a possibility that a bomb is onboard! Patch me into the ship-wide comm system.”
“Yes, Colonel! You have the comms.”
“Attention! This Colonel Kody Davidson, due to an emergency situation, I am delaying our mission to New Earth temporarily. Now I do not wish to alarm anyone, but we may have an explosive device hidden somewhere on the ship. I am authorizing all personnel to drop non-essential duties and assist in the search. I am sending everyone an image of the possible device, please keep an eye out and if you spot it, notify the nearest security team.”
Almost immediately after Kody’s announcement, had the entire crew of the Blue Dawn drop whatever they were doing and started searching every nook and cranny for anything suspicious or out of place. The whole ship was in an uproar as Kody made his way back to the Bridge for a status report. Waning to get back to the soon, Kody jumped on the closest elevator which was one for medical personnel, but it was the fastest way to the Bridge. Any other crew member not with the medical team would need permission but Kody had command access.
Winding through the bustling crew personnel, Kody hurried down the main hallway until he came to bulkhead that lead to the Bridge. Kody walked in and headed over to the central console where Lieutenant Tyron Jackson was coordinating with the rest of the Command crew. “Jackson, status report?!” Kody commanded.
“Colonel? All is clear here the Bridge, crew quarters, and med bay. No bomb found!” replied Tyron. Bomb disposal is now searching the science labs and should reporting in about fifteen minutes.”
“Good, but pull them back and search engineering at once!”
“Sir? Another hunch?”
Kody didn’t say anything, he just walked back heading for engineering. Though, he didn’t need to say something, Tyron know his answer would have been yes or something along those lines. Following on Kody’s request, Tyron rerouted the bomb disposal teams to the engineering level for immediately search. Kody of course beat them there shortly after the main security team with Ms. Lorne. Sergeant Courtney Samuels noticed him right off and walked up to him. “Colonel, sir. We already took the liberty of searching this area?”
“Did you find anything?”
“I believe we have. There is a device attached to the main reactor but something seems to be blocking internal scans so I can’t say if it’s a bomb or simply a piece of the reactor.”
“Show me.”
Kody followed the security team to where the so called ‘mystery object’ was. Seeing the device, he knelt down to exam it while being careful not to touch it. After a few moments, Kody, still in a partly knelt position, looked down at ground eyes shut and a frown on his face. Sergeant Samuels noticed his reaction and spoke first. “Well, Colonel? Is that the bomb you spoke of?”
“I’m afraid so, and that’s the good news.”
“And the bad?”
“The design is new and I have no idea how to disarm it.”
“Colonel, I can disarm it!” stated Natalie.
“Because she probably planted it!” inquired the MP Major.
Natalie turned to him with a sight frown on her face before she turned back to Kody. “Trust me Colonel, I did not plant this bomb. Your MPs arrested me before I could do anything. It must have been my partner?”
“Partner? You said nothing about a partner when we arrested you.” Said Sergeant Samuels.
“You never asked, and authority figures can’t be trusted. At least according to Burke”
At this moment, Kody’s eyes perked up and he looked straight at and walked directly towards Natalie until he was mere inches from her. “What did say?!” he inquired in a serious tone.
“What, that I don’t trust authority?”
“No, the other thing! You just said a name, Burke?! Is he Anthony Walken Burke?!”
“Yeah, I believe so. I never got his full name, why?”
“DAMN IT! Sergeant, stay with her while she disarms that bomb,” Kody ordered before turning to his commlink. “AMI, I need you to run a scan on every civilian the entered and left the ship prior to our departure. Search any mention of the name Anthony Walken Burke!”
“One moment, Colonel.” Replied AMI through the speaker. “I have found one match, a Tony Burke signed in as a civilian contractor for reactor maintenance.” She said.
“When did he sign out, maybe I can give HIGHCOM a search radius.”
“I have no record of Mr. Burke signing out of the ship, Colonel”
“What do you mean you have no record?”
“ I mean, he either left the without signing out, or –
“He’s still onboard!?” Kody said with a little concern in his voice. “AMI, do another search. All abnormalities throughout the ship no matter how insignificant.”
While AMI was busy scanning the ship, Kody headed back to the Bridge. All the while thinking about each time he crossed paths with Burke and each time he slipped through his fingers, and down here was his next opportunity to get him. Anthony Burke was NOT going to get escape this time. Walking through the bulkhead doors and entering the Bridge, Kody approached the center console. “AMI update?”
“What’s up Colonel?” asked Tyron. “Did you find the bomb?”
Kody didn’t answer, he just stared at the overhead display of the ship’s interior waiting for AMI’s response. After about a minute, AMI replied via her Holo-platform. “Colonel, I’ve scanned the ship and found only one thing out of routine of ship function.”
“Where?” asked Kody.
“The somewhere near the emergency docking bay at the bowels of the ship.”
“What’s the closest security team to that location?”
“That would be Bryon’s unit,” replied Tyron. “Just checked in that all was good.”
“Have all remaining teams converse at that location.” Kody ordered as he turned to leave.”
“Kody, what’s up? I’ve only ever seen you get like this once before. Is it…him?” Tyron inquired grabbing Kody’s arm. “Is it, Burke?”
Kody stood there, staring off into nothing and then turned to look directly at Tyron with concern and fear in his eyes. For a brief moment, Kody didn’t speak than he nodded his head and help a long blink. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” he finally said. “I will not let him get away this time. He will pay for his crimes, one way or another.”
“Just be careful, you were nearly reprimanded last time we encountered Anthony Burke,” reminded Tyron.
“I remember, don’t I will be careful but he isn’t escaping this time.”
Just then AMI spoke again. “Colonel, if I may. I did an information search of Anthony Burke and found something that could assist you.”
“What is it, AMI?” inquired Kody.
“Well, as you may be aware, Anthony Burke is formerly of the California Republic Army,”
“Yes, dishonorably discharged. How’s this help us now?”
“Burke still has a functional neural implant albeit deactivated, but not by the CRA.”
“Deactivated? Can you remote activate it?”
“Yes, and give a more exact location of his whereabouts.”
“Do it!”

****

As AMI worked on getting Burke’s implant back online, Kody along with a security unit made their way to Burke’s last known location. They knew that they on the right tail when they came across Captain Bryon O’Neil’s team dead in a corridor near the elevator to the Dawn’s emergency escape shuttle. Bryon, fortunately was not among his slain men but his standard service rifle was laying on the ground so he was present…maybe taken captive by Burke for use as a hostage. “AMI? How’s the progress on Burke’s implant?”
“One moment, I have to reroute my online signature so not to alert California cyber security of my presents.”
“Just hurry. Burke might have Bryon.”
“One moment…and…there! His implant is online.”
“Nice. Where is he, exactly?”
“About 78 yards from your present location in one of the lower hanger bays. Captain O’Neil is also there.
“We’re enroute,” stated Kody. “Remember, we’ll taking Burke alive if possible. However, he won’t go quietly so I’ll forgive anyone that kills him in defense of themselves but one way or another Burke does not leave this ship. Understood?”
“Understood, Colonel. We have your back.” replied one Marine.
Kody and began down the corridor moving at a quick pace while checking corners for possible traps and other surprises Burke may have placed to delay any pursuit of the Dawn’s Security teams. After a quick two minutes Kody and team came to the last room where Burke was holdup with Bryon held hostage. They paused just outside the door for a silent briefing where Kody motioned his hands to indict he would enter first with the others following just behind and taking positions on Kody’s left and right sides.
Making one final check of his B7W Combat Service Rifle, Kody entered the room. “It’s over Burke! You’re surrounded, surrender!” Kody stated while aiming his rifle at Burke who quickly grabbed Bryon to use as a human shield.
“Ah, Major Kody Davidson, we meet again. It’ll end the same as before, with me escaping. Only difference is that you’ll be dead this time,” Burke said before continuing. “Bomb I planted will explode soon.”
“Overconfident as always. You bomb has been taken care of, it’s done. You are not getting away. Even if you get off this ship we can track you now.”
“My implant, right. We’ll take care of that.” Burke said as he shoved Bryon to the side before flipping his shotgun around and blows the back of skull out. As the gunshot went off, Burke’s lifeless body fell quickly to the floor. The Two MPs surrounded Burke corpse and kicked away the shotgun that was laying next to him. Kody himself walked over to Bryon and helped him to his feet. “You ok, Bryon?” he inquired.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Maybe a bruised ego and a concussion from the butt of Burke’s gun.”
“Good, head over to the infirmary and get checked out. I’ll need you at your best once we arrive at New Earth.”
“Yes…sir,” Bryon replied as he stood and stumbled a bit as he tried to walk.
“Soldier,” Kody said addressing one of MPs. “Make sure Captain O’Neil gets to the infirmary safely.” He ordered.
“Yes sir!
Kody watched as Bryon walked out with the MP, as he hit comm button on his wrist device. “Tyron? Come in?”
“Colonel! Is the situation under control?”
“Yes. If there are no more threats, get us back into hyperspace, and have MPs escort Ms. Lorne to the Bridge, and have Chief Petty Officer Salib report there as well.”
“Right away, Sir!”