Chapter 9

I put my hands on my head, and Oxy followed suit as I said, “Okay, Sweetheart, take us to the lock-up.” Trix took us through office areas and a hanger to get to the lock-up. It was a much shorter route than the one we had planned to take to avoid populated areas. No one questioned that mercs were escorting prisoners through their office area, hanger and the central courtyard.

It took about 15 minutes to get to the lock-up. We stopped at a yellow line at the beginning of a seven-meter hallway with a shimmering force field. Trix pressed a comm button and reported, “Corporal Trix Pallo, service number 487, police guard unit three with two prisoners for lock-up.”

“Where is your Sergeant, Corporal Pallo?” The gravelly voice of one of the guards asked.

Trix answered without hesitation, “The wimp went to the infirmary to get a Band-Aid for his boo-boo.”

Trix held her wrist up to the scanner, and the force field vanished. “Okay, you may approach.”

The lock-up was behind a wire mesh gate at the end of the hall. The guards had a clear line of sight down the entryway. There was a steel desk with a console, cell monitors and two guards in addition to the Sergent in charge. Even though lights had been turned down low, I could see ten cells with solid green steel doors along three sides of the interior of the lock-up.

The Sergent unlocked the steel mesh gate and said, “Cell nine is open. Put them in there.”

The gate was half-open when I kicked it and bowled the Sergeant over. I drew my needle gun just as Oxy pulled hers out, and Mom rushed forward and shoved her blaster under one of the guard’s chin. To my surprise, even Trix threatened the guards with her useless blaster. The two guards had their hands up as their Sergeant tried to get back on his feet.

We took the lock-up by surprise, and we had the Sergeant and his two guards disarmed and on their knees with their hands behind their heads within seconds. Mom moved between the guards and the emergency alarm box just in case one of them decided to go for it.

I called out, “Senator Vaytoo?”

“Over here, son. Cell number four.”

I went to the console and opened cell number four. A distinguished-looking gentleman walked out of the cell dressed in plain grey prison coveralls. I scanned his wrist to verify his identity and asked, “Anyone else here who shouldn’t be?”

“Yes, my wife in cell two and my son and assistant in cell six. The rest are common criminals.”

I opened cells two and six, “Okay, let’s put these boys and girls in cell four and get the hell out of here. But first, Sergent, I will need your uniform.” I pointed my needle gun at the other guard, “Yours too, Private.” You’re about my sister’s size.” Once Sis and I changed, we herded the last two guards and Trix into cell four. Trix still carried her useless blaster.

I was about to shut the cell door when Trix said, “You cannot leave me here. It is required that I go with you.”

I looked at her confused and continued to shut the cell door when Mom said, “Wait a second.” I opened the door wider for Mom as she went into the cell, pushed back Trix’s coal-black hair, and looked at her ears. They were tiny and bat-like, with no lobes to speak of.

Mom looked at me and said, “She’s a Colation mercenary. She needs to come with us.”

I just closed my eyes and groaned. Captured Colation Mercenarys doctrine required them to serve their captor for at least one year and no more than three years before their captor could release them from bondage. If their captor refused to take them into bondage, they would return to their home planet and sell themselves into slavery for five years to rid themselves of the shame of not being worthy of service to a superior adversary. I had myself a personal bodyguard for a year.

“Okay, bring her along.”

Mom gestured for her to come out and handed her a working blaster.

I quickly trained my needle gun on Trix, “Holy shit, Mom, what are you doing?”

For God’s sake, lighten up. “She will take better care of you in a fight than I can. You may not have noticed, but she had plenty of time to kill you back there but didn’t.”

“I got your ass covered sweetheart.” Trix mimicked the name I called her earlier as she smiled at me, pursed her lips and blew me a kiss. “I would have killed you if ordered before he raped your Mom, but I do not condone rape. They got what they deserved. So I let you live.”

Oxy was giggling and was thoroughly enjoying my discomfort.

Embarrassed that I was not the hotshot hero I thought I was, I started barking orders. “Not one word out of you, Oxy. Now let’s get this bunch of rebs out of here. Trix, you’re upfront with me. Oxy, Mom, you got the rear. I want all you rebs to stay in the middle and do what you’re told, or I will leave you here.”