“Can’t you ‘talk to her’ from here?” Tannis asked.
“No. In case of attack I didn’t want anyone to be able to remote control her. But if I can get close enough to the biometric reader, I can take over. She’s my ship. I can override anything.”
“Okay, I’m taking her in,” Daisy said.
Directly in front of them, a split formed in the giant hull, revealing the docking bay beyond. Daisy flew them in and touched down gently beside a line of shining new shuttles that made Tannis’s mouth water. In fact, everything was shining and new.
She was inspecting the docking bay through the monitor when Callum leaned down and scooped her up. Her mouth opened to protest that she was strong enough to walk but then snapped closed again—she was by no means sure it was true and besides, she liked being held in his arms.
He carried her down the ramp. A man waited for them at the bottom, his violet eyes showing he was one of the Collective. He was dressed in the black uniform of the Corps and drew to attention when he saw Callum.
“Sir, I’m to take you to the bridge. The captain will meet you there.”
Tannis gazed around her as they walked along the wide silver corridors, then rode up to the next level in a some sort of ultramodern elevator, just a wide shaft that swept them upward as if they were flying and opened directly onto the bridge. She quickly took in her surroundings, assessing what could be used to their advantage. Three men occupied the area, all dressed in the same black uniforms. All drew to attention as Callum entered.
He ignored them and carried her across to a chair situated in front of the main console.
“This place is huge,” she said.
Compared to El Cazador it was. The ceilings were high, the corridors and rooms wide with little in the way of furniture.
“She was designed with certain physical attributes in mind,” Callum said. Standing in front of her, he spread his wings.
“Very impressive,” she murmured.
“I wasn’t told anyone else would be boarding.” The captain’s voice took her attention from Callum. She studied the man. He appeared somewhere in his midthirties, but of course that meant nothing with the Collective. He could be anything up to four hundred years old, and when she looked closely, she could see the age and experience reflected in his eyes. He also sounded suspicious.
Callum gave her a small smile and then turned to face him. His posture changed; he appeared to grow, become more commanding. “I didn’t think it was any of your business, Captain.”
Tannis almost smiled at the tone—he sounded so like the old Callum—the Leader of the Universe who didn’t have to answer to anyone.
The captain must have recognized it as well. He nodded. “I’ll have someone show you to your quarters. We should be arriving at Trakis Four within a few hours and then we’ll head home.”
“I don’t think so. I’d like you to gather your men together, Captain.”
“Why? I’m afraid we don’t have the time right now. We have a problem with the ship that I need to see to before we reach Trakis Four.”
Callum swore softly. “Don’t tell me—the reactor units?”
“Yes. How did you—”
“Because she failed the initial test runs on the reactor units. They broke down under pressure. That’s why she was back in the dockyards. I gather they failed to tell you.”
The captain remained silent.
“Idiots.” Callum paced the deck for a few minutes, then turned to the captain. “I’ll deal with it. You get your men together and gather in the docking bay.” As he spoke, he strolled toward the bank of consoles. The captain frowned; he stepped forward, but it was too late. Callum reached out and pressed his palm to the reader on the console.
He flinched as the blood sample was taken, and then he smiled. “I’m taking over control of my ship, Captain. You can stand down.”
“That’s not in my orders, sir.”
“Fuck your orders.” Callum closed his eyes briefly and the captain swayed, his hand going to his head, his eyes widening. “That was only an example. Get your men to the docking bay. And if you feel bad about this, then remember—I’m still head of the Council.”
The captain nodded and left the bridge, the other Collective members following.
“So did it work?” Tannis asked. She wanted reassurance things were going to plan. Exhaustion tugged at her mind, and her body felt lethargic and heavy. The need to give in, to lie down, close her eyes, and just drift away was almost overwhelming. The painkillers were still working, but she was taking too many and could no longer counteract the effects, at least not without going completely wired.
“Yes—I have control.”
At his words, she relaxed and allowed herself a huge yawn. Callum reached down and picked her up. “Come on, I’ll get you settled, and then I need to make sure that the captain and crew leave quietly.”
…