Blood Impulse

Part 17.2 - THUNDERBOLT

Homebound Sector, Haven System, Battleship Singularity

As it had before, the screen at the front of the room powered on, to display the visual data of Command's hail. Base Oceana's dark crystalline conference table was still occupied by the same four men it had been a few hours ago. General Hommer's pudgy face was redder than usual, "Gives!" his grating cry sounded, "What is the meaning of this?"

Admiral Gives looked him in the eyes, his cold gaze enough to make Hommer flinch. "The meaning of what?" he asked, daring the General to specify further.

Neither General Hommer nor General Quentin replied, their unease clear. Reeter curled his lip, disdained by their cowardice, but it was Vince Ramseyer in his pinstriped suit who responded. "Mister Gives, you were to have the Singularity docked at Base Oceana ten minutes ago. What is the delay?"

"There is none," the Admiral said simply. "The Singularity will not be docking at Base Oceana again." Certainly not for her own destruction.

Ramseyer folded his hands calmly atop the table, curiosity in his gaze. "Are you defying a direct order, Mister Gives?"

There was no denying it. "Yes, I am," he said without even a moment of hesitation. "Under the seventh clause of the original United Countries Space Command charter, I, Admiral William Gives move to separate from Command with the support of the Battleship Singularity's crew."

Reeter's eyes went as wide as saucers. "You can't do that."

"Quite to the contrary, I just did." Admiral Gives was well aware of the implications, as was the table of his stunned adversaries. "Command is corrupt. I will not serve an organization that will threaten the people it was created to protect, and I not will serve an organization that killed thirty-two of my crewmen and then threatened the existence of my ship."

Reeter curled his manicured nails into his palms, "You are no longer serving anyone. You were relieved of your duties when you were brought up on charges. You have no authority on which to use Article Seven." The young man held his poise only barely, digging his nails into his own skin, struggling to remember that this was a public broadcast. An outburst would hurt his public image.

Admiral Gives could very easily read his frustration. The young man ought to know better than to let his enemies know they'd struck a nerve. It was only evidence that Reeter hadn't predicted this move. "When you court martialed me, you made one mistake, Admiral." Reeter's cruel intentions would be his downfall. "Do you know what it was?"

Reeter stared at his adversary through the communications link, grating his perfect teeth into dust. The Steel Prince's perfect calm had never been so infuriating.

"You left me with my ship," not that Command or the New Era had ever been given a choice about that. "And that means I still hold every authority aboard these decks." Without missing a beat, Admiral Gives picked up the handset on the console beside him, enjoying the rising looks of horror on the faces of the tribunal board.

Reeter narrowed his eyes, realizing exactly what Gives intended to do. "You cannot do that."

Watch me. "Breaker, breaker," he said into the handset.

The response from the ship's core came in the form of three mid-range tones: long, short, short. She was listening, as was the crew, watching him eagerly.

"General Override Zero Strike. Admiral, Gives, William, S." As he fed the necessary information in for the command override, the jaws of the two generals seemed ready to hit the floor. "Battleship Singularity. Zero. Strike. Omega. Nu. Nu. Delta. Psi. Override Confirm." He read out the string of security numbers, easily making eye contact with the men who had pushed him to do this. He finished, "Breaker. One. Four. Accept or deny."