Multiple contacts filled the Executioner's tactical readout, half of them registered as hostile unknowns on the LSF database while the rest appeared to be Bounty Hunter ships fighting the hostiles.
Quatermain jinked and strafed among the asteroids dodging stray shots, "I sure hope they're just stray shots," while he tried to figure out what to do.
Suddenly a fighter crossed his field of view within meters of his cockpit and he recognized the infamous silhouette of an Anubis.
"Looks like I located The Order after all. And that means that I can't let any of these BGH live long enough to report that I was here."
He locked on to the nearest "friendly" target and easily maneuvered onto the Hammerhead's 'six'. Moments later the bounty hunter's VHF exploded and Quatermain switched to another target.
A few minutes later all of the bounty hunter ships had been destroyed and Quatermain found himself surrounded by The Order ships, while the warning siren of multiple missile locks reverberated throughout his cockpit. An incoming comm message automatically adjusted the volume down on the warning tone.
"LSF fighter, you are ordered to power down your weapons and deactivate your shields immediately. You have 5 seconds to comply."
Quatermain wasted no time in doing so.
"LSF, our scans detect a life sign in your cargo hold. Because you assisted us in destroying those BHG bilge pods, we will give you the chance to state your purpose in Order space before we decide what to do with you."
Quatermain swallowed hard before answering.
"That is an Order pilot in my cargo hold who I just rescued from Prison Station Mitchell in the Alaska system. He programmed the coordinates to get here into the ship's nav computer. My purpose here is to return him to you and locate information on an individual I'm hunting named Joshua Crews."
"There. Keep it short and to the point."
Several minutes passed while Quatermain surmised that The Order pilots were debating amongst themselves what to do.
"LSF, we have a transport en route to dock with you to accept that prisoner. Standby."
"Acknowledged. Standing by."
Three hours of cramped sitting later, after the rescued Order pilot had no doubt been debriefed half a dozen times, Quatermain was ordered to power up his engines and follow The Order ships.
An hour after that they arrived at a very large asteroid and docked in a hanger that had been carved out of it. The hanger was depressurized and apparently the entire "station" was operating without artificial gravity, so Quatermain stayed in his zero-g suit until he was escorted into an airlock.
Once there he shed the suit and found a tachyon pistol pointed at his chest.
"The pilot you rescued vouches for your story, the little that he knows of it, but we don't take chances."
Quatermain nodded.
"I'd be disappointed if you did."
The Order pilot smiled.
"That's the first smart thing you've said so far." He gestured to the other airlock door. "Now someone wants to speak with you. Move."
Quatermain propelled himself out of the airlock.
Several minutes of zero-g fumbling down tight corridors carved out of the asteroid took him to what was obviously an interrogation room. The lack of gravity made the ubiquitous table and chairs a practical impossibility. Instead, there were multiple handgrips fastened into the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room, since there really was no "up" and "down" in zero-g. He noted the single pair of restraints on one wall, but the guards made no motion to put him in them.
A few minutes later another man entered the room and eyed him up and down.
"I can handle this alone," he said. The other Order men left the room.
"Hello "Agent" Quatermain. You are every bit what the Lane Hackers described you as."
For the first time in years, Quatermain was unable to keep his surprise from showing on his face. Before he could reply, the man spoke again.
"There isn't much time. Crews is heading back to Liberty, and you need to be waiting for him when he reaches Newark Station. His "cargo" is far too dangerous to allow it to remain in their hands. You must destroy it and bring Crews to us. There is no room for mistakes."
Quatermain rapidly tried to digest what he was hearing.
"I want to know who Joshua Crews is and why he sent me and my team to Omega 55. And just what is his 'cargo'?"
The man hesitated before replying.
"Joshua Crews used to be human, just like you and I. There's no time to explain the rest to you right now. Your ship is being prepped. Follow me back to the hangar."
By the time Quatermain reached his fighter, the man had filled in a few more details.
By the time the Alaska to New York jump gate filled his field of view a few hours later, he had managed to digest only a small portion of it.
"You and I are going to have a very long chat, Mr. Joshua Crews, and one of us is not going to find it pleasant."