Don't kill him.

“We need him alive.” I said and grabbed the cam drone and turned it off. Miranda lowered her gun and shot him in the leg.

“Son of a...” He yelled as a little blood floated from the part of his leg. Energy weapons mostly cauterized the wound but not always completely. She had just grazed him but I knew first hand how much it hurt.

“Harper. Secure the doors.” I said and she got to work closing it back.

“Status.” I said hitting the comms on the side of my helmet.

“We have engineering locked down my lord..” Jenkins responded.

“Roger that. We just took the bridge. Thanks for the assist with the gravity.” I smiled.

“Liked that one did you. Turns out these guys don't like zero g.” Jenkins said. I swore I could see him smiling in my head.

“You can turn it back on now.” I replied.

“Slowly. We have civs on board who are floating about.” Harper cut in.

“I hear you. Easing her on line.” Jenkins responded. I could feel the pull as stuff floating around the room slowly began to fall. Hopefully so had the civilians throughout the ship.

“Any causalities?”

“Rogers took a hit to the helmet, sorry to say he is still ugly as ever and we will have to put up with his ugly mug for awhile to come. Marshall is injured but stable for the moment and high as a kit. Gave him a double dose so he is sleeping it off.”

“Roger that. Sit tight.” I said and pulled off my helmet and walked over to the comms.

“Commander do you read me?”

“Roger Baron. Sitrep?” The commander replied.

“We have the bridge and engineering. You can pull along side and deploy the marines. We have injured in engineering.”

“Affirmative. Breaking orbit now. Will call in the rest of the fleet to assist.” He replied.

“Understood. Call the miners station and let them know.”

“Will do sir.” The commander replied. I brought up the intercom next hoping it still worked.

“Refuges of the Vanguard. This ship is now under imperial control. I know some of you will be scared or angry but I don't want any more fighting and no one else has to die. I ask you to lay down your guns and be smart. I grant amnesty for any persons who surrenders themselves willingly for any crimes he or she has done while aboard this ship. This is my word as Baron of this system. I know their or women and children among you and I do not wish to see them harmed in any way. Go to your quarters that you call home and stay there.

“Nice speech Baron.” The man who Miranda had shot spoke. “Really moving. Does that count for me as well?”

“That is a little hard given your an Osirian. Little hard for me to forgive crimes for a man not born in the empire.” I said turning toward him and looked at Miranda who rolled her eyes before pulling out a hypospray and jabbed it into his leg. He grunted as he clinched his teeth though the pain began to quickly fade.

“I don't think you can deport me given the war and all. Still no reason to let the bitch shoot me in the leg.” He glared at Miranda.

“Trust me. Next time you will be lucky if she aims for the leg. Besides she did you a favor. You rather have the rest of the crew know what you did to save them or that you went down without a fight.”

“Fair enough.” He shook his head. His own people would probably shoot him if they knew even if he did just save them all.

“Why did they try blowing up the ship?”

“The main guys in charge. Dead and Deader their.” He looked over to the two mens bodies that had used the launch keys.

“They where fanatics. Spoke of a promise land beyond the black.”

“New Edenist.” Harper looked over having just finished closing the second door. Unless they had someone like her that could hack it we were good until our people arrived.

“Yeah. Those are the ones. This ship was to be their arc. Said it was touched by the oracles to Sheppard them into the heavens beyond. Load of horse shit if you ask me.” He shook his head.

“Yet you came with them?”

“Alliance born. Not a lot of imperials liked us before the war and sure as hell can't go back home after voluntarily quieting. Luckily someone is always looking for pilots who don't ask a lot of questions.” He shrugged. Pilots were one of the highest paying jobs out there for the private sector though ones who had slip stream experience were rare. Outside of the military only one in a hundred knew how to make a slip stream jump.

“What about the rest of the crew. Are they religious as these guys?”

“The rest of the crew.” He shook his head. “No. A few but not many. Probably killed all of the zealots on your way in. The rest just saw the promise of a world out their provided them a little ray of hope. Not every man born into the empire or alliance is willing to die for it because they where born on this side of the line or that one.”

“Seems you guys put a lot of work into this ship. How many engineers on board?”

“All of them.” He shrugged.

“Their can't be that many. This work is novice at best.” Harper replied holding a bunch of power cabals up.

“Most have only been at it for a few months now.” The man replied.

“Omega protocol?” I asked an he nodded.

“Whats that?” Harper looked at me. Not that a tech like her would need it.

“Every imperial war ship has a stock pile of memory engrams on ice in the med bay. The concentrations can cause serious side effects but contains a vast amount of photographic memory engrams. It is to be used only in situations such as when a ship is badly damaged and no rescue is coming that the means out way the risk.” I replied. That much information all at once could cause all manner of neurological disorders. Thankfully no ship carries combat engrams for this very situation. Even in boot camp they were given in increments instead of all at once. If not a group of civilians could become skilled serial killers.

“I am guessing you have had a few shots yourself.” The man looked at me. “They deluded the doses to reduce the side effects. Trained engineers over saw them.”

“How did you arm the nukes. They are encoded with each officer having a different code. The keys alone wouldn't have worked.” That I was still wondering though I had prepared for it just in case. Their was always a way around safe guards.

“A woman came on board. Never gave a name but she was eager to help. Think she might have been a fanatic as well. She only talked to those two.” The man shrugged.

“You get a look at her?”

“Barley. Not bad looking. Black hair, purple eyes. Nice tits. Liked to show them off so I wasn't really looking at her face.” He smiled. I gave Miranda a look and she nodded. We knew a woman in Spec ops who fit that description. Apparently someone in the military knew about these nut jobs and had given them the ability to blow themselves up and save others the trouble. “You came in on the gun ship didn't you?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Smart. Their was a woman on board?”

“She is safe. Girlfriend?” I replied.

“Friends who enjoy similar recreational activities.”

“What does that mean?” Harper glanced over.

“Fuck buddies.” Miranda smiled.

“Oh.” Harped nodded and went back to what she was doing. Checking one system after another.

“Do you know what happened to the crew?” I said wondering if he knew more then the others. He probably had killed our two best leads.

“Gone before they found her. I checked the flight logs or what I could find of them. The computer systems needed a complete reboot and a lot was lost.” he said. That sounded man made. A complete system wipe though if it was it never got a chance to finish. “Best I could figure this ship was in deep space. Off the map. Way off the map. She jumped from destination unknown but got thrown off course before it reached wolf. It drifted the rest of the way. Most of the escape pods had been jettisoned.” If they had been in the black their was no way to know where they had vanished to.

“The command crew should have been on board at least.” Miranda replied

“Hey I just work here sweetheart. They tell me where and I fire up the engines. Personal is on deck twenty five. Take it up with them.” He shrugged. Miranda put her hand back on her gun ready to shoot him again. Some time passed as we waited before the marines arrived. Harper opened the door back up.

“Baron.” The lead marine said as he stepped forward.

“How many men with you?”

“Two platoons my lord. The other went to engineering. The other ships are on the way as well to provide additional manpower.”

“Good. I ordered the vagrants to return to the crew section. Securing the armory should be your top priority. Anyone still wanting to put up a fight will head their first if not already there.”

“Agreed my lord.”

“This fucker is huge.” A familiar voice said and in walked Nova.

“She insisted to come along sir. Said you would need her.”

“She will need a protective detail. I want you and Harper to go to the weapons...”

“...bay and disable the nukes. That is why I am here. We are keeping this ship right?” She smiled. I both loved and hated her at times. Even if this ship wasn't battle ready it could carry a shit ton of ore when the route opened. The only catch to keeping her was it couldn't carry nukes. It kept the nobility in line.

“Yes. Have the cores moved to the destroyer.” I responded. Hell she would probably want to stay and repair this old bird. It was like giving a obsessive compulsive a giant puzzle.”

“Yes. That's what I figured.” She nodded,

“I will send two men with them.” The lead marine replied.

“Miranda. Take our friend here to medical and see that you get attention for those burns. That is an order. Your off duty for the rest of the day.” I said before she could object.

“Yes sir. Carver. You and the others stay at his side. I don't care if he has to go take a shit you go with him.” Miranda looked at him.

“Yes captain.” He nodded. I shook my head at her wonder if she wanted him to wipe my ass as well.

“She always gets like that when she gets shot.” I said to Carver once she was out of ear shot.

“That happen a lot?” He looked at me and I shrugged. I think this was her third or forth time being shot. This was the first time though the guy who had shot her hadn't died tragically.

“Their was a reporter as well who wanted to come over.” The Marine added.

“Let us secure the ship first.” I smiled though I admired Ms. Bakers tenacity. A little while later Jenkings came up onto the bridge with his team.

“You good?” I said noticing he had a spider web cast on his arm.

“This. Nothing major my lord. Besides I left handed.” He smiled holding up his arm.

“Well you won't need either. I am putting the ship under your command Captain. She is a giant floating **** trap with most of the systems out of commission and will take years to probably repair. But least she is big enough to carry that ego of yours.” I smiled.

“Thank you sir.” He bowed. After the other ships arrived and swept the ship floor by floor they gathered the crew in the mess hall. Their where a few minor skirmished but nothing that wasn't quickly dealt with by the marines. Ms. Baker came on board and I gave her back her cam drone and invited her to join us so she could record the official surrendering of the ship.

“Everyone we have found so far is here my lord. It's a big ship though my lord. Some might be hiding.” The Marine Commander said. I walked up and stepped up onto a table.

“Can I have your attention please.” I said loudly as I put my arms behind my back. Everyone looked my direction with only a few hushed whispered to be heard.

“I am the newly appointed lord of this star system. As I promised over the intercom no one here will in anyway be charged for any crimes on board this ship. I know many of you will see me as the bad guy but your own captains was going to blow up this ship and everyone on it to assure the ship wouldn't be taken.

“Why should we believe you.”

“That is not my concern. If any of you believe as he did that **** is a noble way to die for religious ideals then it will become my concern and I will grant that **** without mercy or reservation to protect the people of this system as well as the people in this room.” I scanned the room looking around. “I know some of you are deserters or draft dodgers. A crime punishable by execution. However. Those of you who I am speaking to now have a choice. In times of war a lord may commute a mans obligations to the empire if the mans services can be better served elsewhere in the service of the empire. You all have some engineering experience I am told.”

“Therefore. I offer you a place on the crew of this ship for a term of service of no less then five years as required by law. You and your families will be allowed to live here on this battle carrier as you spend the next five years repairing it as you have been already doing. You will even be paid for this work. At the end of five years you will be free to go by which time this war should be over.”

“And if we refuse?” A voice spoke up.

“Then you are no longer my problem and you can plead your case before a military tribunal for dereliction of duties. I can only hope they show you the mercy I do now.” I replied and looked around but everyone was quit. “Any one not affiliated with the military who wishes to stay will also be welcome military or not. If you wish to leave transportation will be provided.” I gave one last look around and then stepped off the table. Afterwards I decided to return to the ship and went to my quarters to change out of this space suit. The body suit underneath was the worst part. Sure you could survive if the suit was punctured since air was only provided to the helmet but it had a tendency to ride up in places.

As I stepped into my quarters I smiled. I had spent more time here when traveling to the planet then I had on the planet. Hell I had spent the better part of my military life on a ship traveling from one campaign to another. I put the helmet down and pealed off the outer suit tossing it aside on the bed. I saw I had a message and checked it to find a message from Anastasia.

“Hello, my lord. I heard why you had to leave in such a hurry. I hope you are well and return soon safe and sound. Me and the Steward will keep everything in working order while you are gone. I have included the information of today's events should you wish to peruse them at your earliest convenience. I was contacted by the shipping guild and reported what you told me to tell them. They seemed displeased with your meeting and hoped I might persuade you to be more agreeable the next time we talked. She smiled. It took us seconds to get here but it would be days before I got back. “I hope to hear from you soon.” The feed went dark and the data she sent opened. I sure as hell didn't feel like looking it over now. I walked to the bathroom as the door opened where I saw Miranda lounging in the tub naked as a jay bird. An old earth saying I never understood since they where an extinct species by the time I was born. I saw a little pad behind her ear. A dermal micro-speaker. It creates tiny vibrations in the inner ear to play a song. She seemed to be quit happy in the tub just lounging in the water for a change instead of the gung ho army girl I knew for all these years.