Discovered (A Galactic Battle Series Book 2)

by L H Whitlock

  “Well, that’s part of the problem. After we were thrown beneath the city, we were arrested for trying to escape back to the top.”

  “Why would they not want you to go back to the top?”

  “Another good fuckin’ question. Apparently, they’re afraid that if the Developers find out about them, they will finish what they started and really kill them this time.”

  “Ah, makes sense.”

  “Yeah. Problem is, we are locked up like fucking house pets. I don’t know if there’s a way out of these cages.”

  “Maybe we can come get you,” Gloria suggested.

  “It isn’t going to be easy…”

  “It was not going to be easy originally. At least now we know you are okay and where to find you. Before, we would have been searching a nebula for a grain of sand,” Lily said.

  “Well, I don’t exactly know how to get down here other than jumping from the bridge. It’s a place the Developers use for their public executions.”

  “So we search for this bridge and fly down there,” Lily suggested.

  “We coulds just be caught,” Alberta said.

  Brock paused for a moment. “No, I don’t think that would be the best plan. They probably won’t make you jump off the bridge. They would just kill you on sight.”

  “Okay, so we need to try to keep a low profile,” Lily said.

  Brock snorted. “You guys are great at keeping a low profile…”

  “Oh, shut up! Who is with you besides May?”

  “There is a mechanic who helped me named Alyssa. She is locked in a cage not too far from mine. And there is a Hilian here, maybe you know him, Ulrick, his name is Bixom.”

  Ulrick moved closer to the RAB. “Bixom, yes, I know him. Is he well?”

  “Oh, sure, he’s just hanging around in a cage, starving, and cramped as hell.”

  “We will be there in a day, we can not TIP directly into the space field or we will draw in too much attention. So we are going to fly in manually. Hopefully the Developers’ ship gives us coverage for a while and they do not realize it is stolen.”

  “Good luck and try to hurry.”

  “We will.”

  “I’ll try and call you guys again. It may not be safe to call but I will, if I can.”

  Lily sighed. “All right, be safe. We will be there soon.”

  With that the other end of the RAB fell silent and a strange sense of relief mixed with anxiety washed over Lily. She puffed out her cheeks and took a deep breath. Ulrick’s hand rested on her back, soothing her. She smiled up at him and followed him from the room. All they could do now was rest and prepare for the battle.

  42

  The red giant shone bright in the darkness of space, basking everything in a harsh glow. It wasn’t uncommon for a red giant to host a system, one with life-providing planets at that, but this star had an angry and explosive presence, an ominous glare that gave a silent promise of destruction.

  Silence consumed the room as they drifted closer to the Developer’s home world. The planet appeared to have been set ablaze, but really that effect was due to the sheer brightness of the reflection on the metal world.

  Debris and machinery filled the space field around the planet. The sparks of lasers from machines, welding ships, and weapons flashed like beacons.

  Massive skyscrapers jutted from the planet’s surface, some so tall they intruded into the upper layers of atmosphere.

  “So, the plan is to fly in and steal some single fighter units?” Gloria’s voice waivered, mimicking Lily’s feeling. Usually she felt at least some form of excitement when going into battle, but this time she couldn’t seem to swallow the lump in her throat.

  “Yes, that is the plan.”

  “This is the last of the weapons,” Gustavo announced as he entered the room and dropped two overloaded duffle bags to the ground. “Grab anything you can carry; we don’t know how far we are going to make it before being discovered.”

  Lily rummaged through the bag and pulled out various E-guns and shoved them into her belt and pockets, which she stuffed as full as she could while still being able to move.

  “Do we have any idea where the ships are?”

  “I’s found a few landing docks, one appear closest to bridge. We go there. Fighter units may be there,” Alberta said.

  Lily was about to respond, but a metallic voice filled the ship’s Comm. “Present entry code.”

  Lily’s breath caught. Gustavo, Tally, Evin, and Gloria all exchanged looks before turning to Lily.

  Lily shrugged. “Well, I do not know what it is either!”

  “Oh gods! I knew this was a bad idea. Such a bad idea, we’re totally dead.” Tally dropped her head and gave a heavy sigh. “Well, I guess all we can do now is join the crazy.” She knelt beside the bag and pulled out several weapons, tossing them over her shoulder to Evin. Her twin cocked one of the guns, gave a slight frown, then shoved it into his pocket.

  The metallic voice once again echoed off the steal walls. “Present entry code.”

  There was a brief pause then the voice started again. “Incorrect.”

  After another moment of silence the voice once again spoke. “Incorrect. Manual override initiated.”

  “Fucks…” Alberta mumbled over the Comm.

  “Alberta!”

  “Sorrys. Guessed wrong.”

  The ship drifted to a landing pad. Developers were scattered over the surface, leaving only a small clearing in the center.

  “Prepare for battle. We need to get out of the ship and get to the fighters,” Lily instructed.

  “No! We can’t land. If we do, we have no chance,” Gustavo said.

  “Shit! You are right. What do we do?” Lily couldn’t pull her eyes away from the windows and the horde of machines they displayed. The sky outside held a tan smog and she could swear she felt the putrid smell of oil penetrating through the ship’s walls.

  “We jump, abandon ship,” Alberta suggested through the Comm.

  “Oh, great idea Alberta, we could just jump out and fly to safety. Why didn’t we think of that before?” Gloria crossed her arms and glared out the window.

  “Tallys and Evins cans fly.”

  “Oh!” Lily spun around to face the twins. “I forgot about that!”

  Tally gaped at her. “I am not your personal shuttle. Besides, we can’t carry all of you. The brute is probably three hundred pounds alone.”

  “Could you control the fall so we wouldn’t die from the impact?”

  Tally looked out the window. “I don’t know. I think… maybe… but that’s a long way down.”

  “Just do your best. It is our only option.”

  “Wahoo!” Alberta shouted through the Comm. “I meet you down at the dock.”

  “Well, at least one of us is excited about this,” Gloria mumbled.

  Lily snorted. “You can always count on her to like the crazy shit.”

  “We go now,” Ulrick declared, marching past the group and leading the way down the hallway.

  “Tally, you will take Alberta and Gustavo and me. Evin will take Gloria and Ulrick,” Lily instructed.

  Tally and Evin nodded as they ran. By the time the group reached the dock, they were gasping for air. Alberta pressed a button and the chute opened.

  “On the count of three, link arms and jump,” Lily instructed.

  Ulrick linked one arm around Evin. The Hilian’s form dwarfed the small, slender man. Gloria linked onto Evin’s other arm and they jumped through the opening.

  Tally was right behind Ulrick with Gustavo and Lily on one arm, Alberta on the other.

  The moment Tally jumped from the ship, Lily’s heart leapt in to her throat. Air rushed past her so fast that she could hardly breathe. Her watery eyes squinted as she tried to keep an eye on Ulrick and Gloria below her. The ground was approaching fast, too fast. Why wasn’t Evin lifting up?

  “Tally, pull up!” They were falling so fast, her voice was nearly lost in the wind.

&
nbsp; “I’m trying!” Tally shouted back.

  “Tally!” Lily shouted as the top of a large skyscraper passed them.

  Tally jolted up and released her grip of Lily at the same time. Gustavo tried to keep his hold on her, but the suddenness had him grasping at air. Lily and Gustavo clung to each other as they fell, neither one of them finding any words. Alberta fought with Tally but was dislodged. Lily briefly saw her collide with a single fighter unit and cling to a groove in the top of the round ship.

  Lily and Gustavo hurdled toward a skyscraper. Lily yanked her E-gun out. Gustavo wrapped his arms tightly around her. She fired three shots at the approaching window, and the glass webbed just in time for them to crash through it. She tucked around Gustavo and he did the same to her. They each took the impact on their shoulders, which was so intense that they were ripped out of each others’ arms.

  Instinctively Lily tucked and managed to land in a roll. Shards of glass sliced at her arms and tore through the fabric in her pants, leaving behind a trail of blood.

  It took her a moment to realize she was still breathing. Pain radiated through her hips, arms, shoulders, and legs, and large cuts in her arm stung. She groaned and rolled over to look for Gustavo. He was slumped next to a support beam.

  “Gustavo?” She waited breathlessly for his reply. “Gustavo!” she yelled. Panic pushed her body up. She scrambled over to him on her hands and knees, and then she rolled him over onto his back. His tanned face was drenched in blood and his golden hair was stained red. She pressed trembling fingers to his throat.

  “Gustavo?” She gave him a shake but he didn’t respond. “Gustavo?” Her voice cracked. Lily pressed her hands over his chest and pumped, her training overriding her fear, her grief. She fitted her mouth over his and breathed.

  She touched her fingers to his neck again, but still no pulse. Gustavo’s lips had paled and his skin seemed washed of color, no longer holding its healthy glow. She pressed her hands to his chest and pumped, again and again.

  Bullets clanged off the ground next to her. Lily whipped around to see a trio of Developers speeding toward her. They appeared silly, one a giant wheel with two long, skinny arms and no torso or head.

  She hefted Gustavo up, wrapping one of his limp arms around her neck. She dragged him a few steps before the taller man’s weight pulled her down.

  The Developers were almost on her. She pushed Gustavo to the side, jumped to her feet, hooked her arms under his, and dragged him several steps.

  A bullet skimmed her leg. Gustavo fell from her grip and she staggered backward, narrowly missing another bullet. She pulled out her E-gun and shot. Her bullet connected with the Developer’s giant wheel but it continued rolling toward her. She focused her bio-energy again and shot. This time the bullet connected with the wheel and exploded it. The Developer teetered off balance and fell onto its side. She thought she had found a weakness until the long arms hoisted it back upright and it continued its pursuit.

  With one last glance at Gustavo, she had no choice but to run. Even if she were a healer, she wouldn’t have been able to do anything for her friend. He was already gone.

  43

  “My team is coming for me, we need to get out of these cages and get the hell out of here.” Brock looked past his dangling legs and into the abyss of darkness beneath him.

  “I can be of service with that, but first I need assurance that you won’t go bad on your deal,” May said.

  Bixom scoffed. “We will not go back on our word; it is Hilian honor. Besides, you have no chance of getting out of here without us.”

  May frowned. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Anyway, I can get us out of here.”

  “Why didn’t you mention that before?” Brock nearly snarled. “Okay, get us out of here, then.”

  “There’s one small problem with that.”

  Brock nearly rolled his eyes, but he remembered Lily scolding him on his patience and telling him that was the reason why he was never given any diplomatic positions. Well, that and he tended to not be an entertaining host.

  “What problem is that?”

  “The drop is quite far and the only way for you to survive is to stay in the cage and allow the metal to take the brunt of the impact.”

  “Do you have a way to get the doors open?”

  “I could get some welding guns and we could get them open like that. Then, I can use them to cut through the chain.”

  “Okay, but hurry. We don’t have much time.”

  “Right-o, I’ll be back in a jip!” May climbed up the chain and swung from beams on the underbelly of the city until he was out of sight.

  “You trust him?” Bixom asked.

  “Fuck no,” Brock bit out. “But what choice do we have?”

  “You are right.”

  Brock thought about calling out to Alyssa, but he didn’t want to alert whoever may be hiding below them.

  He sat back anxiously and tried to relax but his mind kept wandering to Lily and the team, wondering if they were okay and if Alyssa was hanging in there. He hated that she was so far away from Bixom and him.

  ***

  Alyssa leaned against the metal bars and pressed her face against them, enjoying the coolness against her hot cheeks. She peered, yet again, in to the darkness and tried to make out anything, but there was nothing to be seen. May said that there was someone on watch, but she didn’t know if she believed that or not. She didn’t see anyone or hear anyone, yet she didn’t dare call out to Brock in fear that May was right and they were really being watched.

  May had stopped by what felt like several hours ago and told her the new plan. Now all she could do was anxiously wait.

  She hummed to herself. Music was forbidden but she had once heard her Mentors listening to a melody. It was soft, beautiful, and although it had no words it had great emotion. She found it warmed her heart. She hadn’t known what that feeling was before, but now she did. She had the same feeling when she was with Brock.

  Sometimes she liked to make up her own song and imagine what it would sound like with the same instruments playing it, but it never came out quite as well.

  Metal clanged above her and her cage rocked slightly. That must be May!

  One splash sounded through the air like a roar, and then a second. Immediately she heard commotion start from below. A beam of light shone, searching the expanse of cells, and for the first time she could see hundreds of other cages, all spaced out far enough to prevent the captors from seeing each other in the dark. It was hard to tell for sure but Alyssa swore she saw prisoners slumped inside of them.

  The beam scanned the cage next to her and she found her gaze stuck on a decomposing body. Large worms wove between the bones, fat and slow with gluttony.

  Bile burned her throat and pushed past her lips, the sight too much. She hadn’t been able to smell the decay over the oil and rot, but now it seemed clear as day. The light moved on and May settled atop her cage.

  “You ready?” he asked, but he was already welding through the chain.

  The cage dropped. Her stomach lurched into her throat and she opened her mouth to scream, but only silence came out. The bottom of the cage crashed into the water and she was thrown against the metal. It took her breath away but she was surprisingly unharmed. May’s plan had worked.

  Cold, thick water swallowed her. Frothy bubbles captured her and she flailed her arms, panicking briefly before remembering what she had to do. She pushed against the door, but it was stuck. She pushed again and again, but it didn’t budge. She gripped the handles and screamed into the water. Oil and filth filled her mouth, choking her.

  Bracing her legs against the door, she pushed off with all her might, but it did not budge. The cage continued to plummet to the bottom and her lungs burned.

  She hit something hard and the cage tipped onto its side. A cloud of sand billowed around her and all she could do was stare at the dark surface above.

  44

  Lily sprinted through the open roo
m. It looked to have once been an office of some sort, or a meeting room, but it was now cleared out aside from a few remaining pieces of trash.

  She dodged behind a pillar as she wove her way towards the glass. Her breath came out in puffs and her cuts had stopped hurting—from the adrenaline, she supposed—but blood ran down her right arm and she knew she had to stop the bleeding soon.

  Weaving behind another pillar, she chanced a glance behind her and was met with the vision of the three towering wheels hot on her tracks.

  The end of the room was approaching quickly. It sickened her to leave Gustavo behind; he deserved a warrior’s burial. She cursed her weakness.

  There was no way she could outrun the Developers pursuing her, but maybe she could trick them. She shot at the glass in front of her. After a couple of rounds the glass shattered, raining onto the city below. She ran for as long as she dared and then slid out the opening, grasping at the edge of the floor with both hands. Glass cut into her palms and she winced with pain. The wheels raced past and fell to the city below.

  Lily twisted to watch, but a long, metallic hand grasped the front of her shirt and hoisted her up.

  Face-to-face with a Developer, she kicked and struggled against his iron hold. The machine in front of her seemed unfinished, a torso somehow kept afloat with arms nearly triple its length.

  He flung her out the window. Air whisked past her so fast that her eyes watered. Instinctively her hands rose to break her fall, as though that would do anything. Her team flooded her mind. Their happiness. Their strength. Their tears. As long as they were safe, she was content with whatever happened to her. She could embrace it.

  45

  Brock’s cage collided with the water, immediately engulfing him in an icy abyss. He pushed open the door and kicked to the surface. Bixom surfaced with a gasp next to him. They ducked beneath the water as the spotlight drifted over their position.

  When Brock breached again, he looked around for Alyssa but couldn’t make much out.