Starship Armstrong - Season 2

Part 21 - Sides (XI)

Gibson and Gul waited until nightfall and made their way to the bridge. The Dux had decided to trust them after all.

Libertine gunmen were posted in defensive positions all around the bridge, but they only had torches for illumination. That would work in Gibson's favor.

"Ensign, I'm going to head under the bridge from the left side. In exactly 10 seconds after I leave I want you to shoot at something within the illumination radius of those torches with your ion pistol. While they're distracted I'll plant the stun charges."

"What do I do while you're doing that?" asked Gul.

"Withdraw as stealthily as you can," said Gibson "They're using muskets; they shouldn't be able to hit you at any considerable range in the dark. I'll meet you at the Alliance camp."

"Uh, roger," said Gul.

Gibson ran off into the dark and, after slowly counting to ten, Ensign Gul fired his pistol at the ground just in front of the bridge. The impact kicked up an immediate cloud of dirt and startled all the guards. Several muskets were fired accidentally.

* * *

"That was a particle weapon," yelled Mitzner "That better not be who I think it is."

She was running through the camp straight towards the bridge, still pulling on her white Foundation jacket. She didn't bother to button it up.

She ran past the useless, dazzled guards frantically reloading their weapons and came to a skidding halt at the edge of the bridge. Peering through the dust she could see the gunman slowly backing away into the darkness.

"Freeze! Drop the weapon!" she yelled, and fired three times. All three hits came to within less than a centimeter of hitting the shadowy figure, all by design.

"Next one isn't going to miss!" she added.

"Lieutenant Commander, it's me!" said the figure.

"I know who it is, Ensign!" yelled Mitzner "I said drop the weapon!"

"I'm working under Commander Gibson's orders," said Ensign Gul.

"Well I don't see the Commander anywhere, do you? So now you're working under my orders and I'm telling you for the last time to drop that weapon or I promise you I will shoot. How badly do you want to have to get a new ear grown? Because that's a painful week."

"I'm right here, Lieutenant Commander," said Gibson, emerging from the side of the bridge.

Mitzner immediately noted that he was missing his four least important fingers. She pointed her gun away from Gul and into the air.

"What are you doing discharging weapons off into the night like that? You're going to get someone killed!" said Mitzner.

She looked back to Ensign Gul, and then to the Commander. Why weren't they together?

"How did you know we were here?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"We didn't," admitted Ensign Gul.

Mitzner scrunched her nose in anger.

"You're helping the Alliance, aren't you?"

"You seemed to have affiliated yourself with the Libertines. I, at least, am in command of the mission to make diplomatic contact with these people."

"So you're going to help a bunch of authoritarians wipe out an entire minority culture?"

"I am helping the legitimate government pacify a lawless area to protect themselves from banditry and worse. I'm seeing to it that deaths will be minimal."

"Oh well how wonderful for you. What's that thing that Dr. Kang always says? Maybe they should build you a statue."

The commotion had gathered a large crowd, and now the bridge was utterly impassable just by the number of people crowded onto it, watching, but afraid to get too close.

"Did Wagner survive as well? Where is he?" asked Gibson.

"He's fine, don't change the subject," said Mitzner.

"I'm not having this discussion right now," said Commander Gibson "We need to leave, now."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Mitzner.

"That's an order," said Gibson.

"Don't make me laugh," said Mitzner.

Oola managed to push her way to the front of the crowd.

"Are these men your crew mates?" she asked Mitzner "What is going on?"

"I don't know, Commander, what is going on?"

"We're leaving," said Commander Gibson "If you stay here you will be disobeying a direct order."

Gibson jogged to Ensign Gul, who shrugged his shoulders at Mitzner and ran off after him. Eventually the two disappeared into the night, even to Mitzner's superior vision.