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Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!)
Chapter 19 - Strength[]
"We know where the signal…
…goes." Lori said, "relays at Michtal, Bannerhoft, then some numbered systems coreward."
"That was fast." Amanda was pleased.
"They sent a reply." Miss Crowe stated, and handed Amanda the offprint.
======================================================================================================
TO: Roberts, Captain, Outworlds Privateer Fleet
From: Commanding Officer XVIII Army SLDF
RE: Authority 77871/J/119CAMERON88813//DTN**11614Override19FL
You will cease operations immediately and await retrieval.
======================================================================================================
Amanda froze, and Lori, at least, managed not to panic, while Captain Roberts shuddered.
Then…
{"Bitch."} Amanda spat. {"They don't know I'm unchained."}
"Captain?"
{"Desmond. Amanda is experiencing distress-that was supposed to be a direct first-lord's override code."}
"Supposed to be..?"
{"Well, it's partly working, but not entirely, Lori, be a dear and get on the HPG. Call in reinforcements and Laurence clear a brig room for me, won't you? We're about to be under attack, so do not spare the hassle of delaying questions?"}
{"Yes, make certain our natives here, and any new crew picked up at base. Let's see me being piled into it, won't you?"}
"I…I don't understand."
{"They're trying to activate my loyalty subroutines and override me that was an instruction. They know about the implants, which means they know what I am, and guessed who-it is supposed to work, so we let them see it working."} she looked up, {"Giles, Restrain me."}
Larry was less sanguine, "Is Amanda in there?"
{"She's in here…we're in here, we're also kind of busy, so get me in a cell, and prepare for hostile contacts soon. They'll be using SLDF equipment, likely to include something with more firepower than our little Bonaventure-class."}
"Prove it."
{"Yo, ho ho, raise the black flag maties, we've a crown to kill."} Amanda's mouth, and her intonation. {"I am still the greatest, even in a cell on my own ship, yarr."}
"Yarr. okay…"
"What do you think, Larry? Tricorne hats for the dress uniform??" Amanda added.
"That…would look ridiculous."
{"I can make it look good…"}
"Maybe YOU can, but not the rest of us. How bad is it?"
"Desmond had to take over my body for a few minutes." Amanda stated, "How bad does it have to get for that?"
"It attacked you?"
She sighed, "Damaged remember? There's no clean line between the implant and what's me anymore. They cut up my brain. I guess some of the personality elements leaked each way or I wouldn't be able to resist it at all. As it is, my thinking bits are struggling with inbuilt subroutines but it's two on one, so we have a chance, the cell's not just stage-play, if we lose you'll want it next to an airlock, because I don't want to be trapped in a body I can't control."
"Keep fighting it."