by John Walker
“This is a nightmare,” Renz said. He turned to Kivda. “We need to hurry this operation. What about the Flotilla? How soon can our people evacuate?”
“I’ll give the order, but they’re engaging in that hangar right now. We hoped they’d have access to the data we wanted.”
“Pull them.” Renz returned to his seat. “Get them to the surface to back up our people there. If we can’t get what we want from the derelict station, we’ll take it from the prisoners on the planet. That’s our best bet. Make it happen. As for us, bring the ship closer to the planet. If any vessels attempt to go down there or flee, I want to engage.”
“Inda,” Porth said, “put a countdown on tactical for the arrival and get us a close approximation of where they’ll appear.” He stepped over to the pilot, collaborating with him.
Kivda gave orders to abandon the station. Maybe Filoa can give me what we would’ve gotten from there. She had quite a bit of information through my first interrogation. If only he hadn’t been interrupted. Probably for the best, though Ermil… he and his people… I’ll have trouble living that one down.
“We’ve got a distress call,” Inda said, “seems to be one of the soldiers. They’re floating.”
Kivda let out a sigh of relief. At least one man makes it. If we’re lucky. “I’ll divert the shuttle to grab him on their way out.” Hang in there. He’d have to survive the fight on the surface, but he’d be staying behind anyway. Better be with them than up here jostled around from a battle.
Which was certainly coming. As soon as the Prytin arrived, they’d be right back at it. If it’s Griel, then Renz will lose his mind. He’ll go after the man like a rabid animal. Much as he would’ve preferred some discretion, maybe even a conversation to allow the other ships to arrive, he knew better than to suggest it.
No, we’re in it like brawlers. Violence to satiate an ego. The best he could do was provide support throughout. And get our soldiers home safely. Number one priority. Right up there with finding the damn data. The chase was getting old. Finally, Kivda had enough of the pilgrimage.
***
Haulda led the newcomers to their destination personally. There was no time for them to get lost. Not with the sort of skirmishes that broke out all over the region. The invaders wanted these people badly enough to commit a large force… as the prophecy foretold. Taking advantage of that became imperative.
Fate only hands us so much. The rest is on us to complete.
The men and women following him seemed capable enough after they crashed their shuttle. Particularly the two who followed him. Their curiosity might serve them well. Haulda’s peers wanted to search them, check their equipment to learn more about where they came from. He held back to honor their privacy.
They’ve come to us in good faith. We can’t make them suspicious because we don’t trust them. If this crew wanted to tell their stories, they would’ve. Their goal is merely to leave. Strange heralds… but perhaps the best kind. They will not attempt to guide our direction when the deed is done.
“How much further?” Niva asked.
“We’re nearly there.” Haulda gestured. “At the end of this tunnel, we’ll reach the incline. That leads to a subterranean room where you’ll stage yourselves for the action required.”
Footsteps gave him pause. They were fast approaching, echoing down the chamber. Those behind him drew their weapons. He thought to do the same when the person called out. Sadila? A chill rushed through him. I didn’t expect any of Deilna’s people until we found ourselves on the verge of battle.
“Haulda!” Sadila shouted his name a second time. “They said you would be here!”
“Yes, I’m leading the heralds…” Haulda gestured at the others. “What’s the matter?” The woman stepped into the dim light. Blood covered her face, soaked her clothes. “What happened to you?”
“A large squadron of invaders approached the ruins,” Sadila said. “Enough that they could’ve stopped the efforts of the heralds. We hit them hard but… we… we lost people.” Her shoulders slumped. “Deilna…”
“What about her?” Haulda grabbed her by the shoulders. “What happened? Where is she?”
“She fell.” Sadila sobbed, going limp in his arms.
Haulda pulled her close out of shock. His mind went numb. Every nerve in his body stopped working. Sweat broke over his body as nausea made his muscles twitch. She can’t be gone. The thought bounced around his head. It’s impossible. I won’t believe it until I see her personally. Until I know for a fact she’s gone.
“What about the others?” Haulda asked. “How many are left?”
“I… don’t know… they’re mustering with your forces. I have to… you know what I am now… what I must do.”
“Yes, I know.” Haulda stepped back. “Clean yourself first. You cannot look like this as the high priestess.” If Deilna’s truly gone. His heart knew though his mind refused to accept it. “Go quickly. We’re running low on time ourselves.” He watched her hurry off without a word then continued along the path, albeit at a slower pace.
“Your mate?” Niva asked. “She’s…”
Haulda nodded. “Apparently so.”
“I’m sorry.” Niva gave him some space. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Do your part,” Haulda said, “and her death will have purpose.” He swallowed his emotion, focusing instead on getting them where they needed to be. I’ll have time to mourn later. The thought crushed him. I can’t let this sap my will. Not now. But he couldn’t help but question the purpose of her death.
Why now? On the eve of realizing our destinies, why should the divines take her from me? Perhaps his faith needed one final test. And if I hadn’t been up to the challenge, what then? He didn’t want to consider the ramifications of faltering at the eleventh hour. Not when the lives of his people, his entire culture, stood on the line.
I’ll make this work for you, Deilna. No matter what.
***
Once the woman hurried off, Niva slipped back to speak with the others. She stepped between Lysa and Kyle, whispering what happened to them. The news seemed to alarm Lysa the most, who went tense as she finished talking.
“What is it?” Niva asked.
“The whole point of this action,” Lysa said, “is that we’re helping to fulfill some sort of prophecy. One of the people responsible for interpreting those signs just died. That might be a really bad thing for this culture depending on what sort of backup plan they have.”
“That young girl is taking over,” Niva replied. “If she’s up to the task, then things should work out.”
“It’s a time of turmoil,” Kyle added, “when leaders fall in battle and another has to take their place. Winning the average over, building their trust, shaking off the grief of losing their commander… all that stuff is about to happen right before a major fight. It’s going to be tough for them.”
“I see.” Niva nodded. “I hadn’t thought of all that.”
“Now we can worry about more than one thing.” Lysa sighed. “At least our task should be relatively simple. Or at least direct.”
“We’re here,” Haulda called. “Just up this slope and to the blank wall. We shove it open and we’ll be in the building.”
Niva stepped away from the others, checking her computer. The schematics showed their destination was two hundred yards away. Some of that would have to be covered in the open. Running from building to building offered some protection until the last third of the distance.
And until that shield is up, we’re susceptible to aerial attack. Niva took the lead, hustling to the wall. As she arrived, Milna practically appeared beside her.
Niva smirked. “Not going to let me out of your sight, huh?”
“Not when you need me,” Milna replied. She pressed her hands against the wall. “Together then? As if we’re on the same team?”
“I thought we were,” Niva replied. She leaned against the wall.
“Ah, just like
a Prytin. Always taking the opposite side of an argument.”
They pushed together. At first, the wall didn’t budge. Then, it vibrated. Stone scraped on stone as it slid inward and to the right. Once they could squeeze through, Milna took a step back. The room beyond was pitch-black. No external light got in there at all. Which meant they’d at least be out of sight.
“Okay, this might be good.” Niva paced in, shining her computer’s light around the area. The space proved surprisingly clean. A little dust accumulated but otherwise, there was no broken-down stone, no growth… just stone floors and walls along with a table on the far side near a flight of stairs. “We can definitely stage in here.”
“I’ve brought lanterns,” Haulda said. “I’ll leave them with you so I can get back to my people.”
“Thank you for guiding us,” Kyle replied. “We appreciate it.”
“Do not let us down.” Haulda squeezed back into the corridor. “We’ll know when you’ve established the power to the defenses. And we’ll arrive shortly after. Farewell. I’ll see you on the battlefield.”
Niva dove into the plan. “Quilla, Andrews, you are on medical duty in case we have terrible luck. Remain here and take stock of everything we brought. Kyle, Lysa, you’re with me. We’re going for the defenses. Jok and Milna, you’re on security overwatch. Keep an eye out for enemies that might have already made it in here.”
Tiller said, “But that lady talked about holding them off.”
“She didn’t say she succeeded,” Vesper replied. “What’re we doing?”
“Standby,” Niva said. “If there are forces out there, you, Tiller, and Alon will jump in to help.” She moved up the stairs to the door. It was unlocked. Nudging it open, she winced from the sudden rush of sunlight. I expected this to lead to a building… not outside. “Okay, Jok, you and Milna are up first. Get out there to be sure we’re clear.”
Jok nodded. “We’ll get to high ground.” He hurried out.
Milna hesitated, staring into Niva’s eyes for a lingering moment before following him.
I wonder if we’ll even make it through this situation before our situation comes to a head. Niva watched the others set up equipment on the table. Medical supplies, rations, a comm booster… all things that promised to help Haulda’s people. He should’ve come with us. Prepped the area for their fight.
Unless he already had.
This plan feels insane.
“Hey,” Jok’s voice crackled in her ear, “we have found a position with decent visibility on the complex. I can see the entrance and the building you’re after. Milna’s patrolling the area. You have a straight shot to the building. Head out though because we do have company in this place.”
“How many?”
“Scans show five right now.” Jok hummed. “I can’t confirm. There’s something weird about this. Tightly grouping might be masking their numbers. Given the amount of space the dots are in though, I can’t imagine you’d see more than two extras. Anyway, we’ve got plenty of people to handle this.”
“Got it.” Niva rasped down, “Kyle, Lysa! We’re up! Let’s go!” She waited for them to join her. “There are men out there so stay alert. We’ll double-time it. Move!” She led the way, hustling toward the next building. The lack of Kahl air support boded well. Ground forces didn’t bother her nearly as much.
“Contact.” Milna’s calm tone came over the line. “Engaging.”
“No!” Niva called. “Do not…” Weapons chirped off to her left, a flurry of blaster activity. “Damn that insane creature! Run, guys! Run!” She broke into a sprint, foregoing the building she planned to go for and instead heading straight for their destination. The doors appeared to be closed. That better be unlocked!
“Get down!” Kyle shouted. Niva didn’t hesitate, tossing herself into the air. She landed on her stomach though immediately rolled to her side.
Beams flew by overhead. Each one probably would’ve scored a hit if Niva had reacted a second later. She shot back in that direction, chipping away at the stone wall where the enemy took up a defensive position. Kyle did the same. Their concentrated attack melted some of the rock, suppressing further assault.
“We’re pinned,” Niva said, “we need some backup, Milna. Since this is your mess, maybe you can get yourself over here to help fix it!”
“I’m almost done,” Milna replied, “only one more to go.” She paused. “Oh, and you’ve got him busy. One second.” Three shots rang out. A man dashed from the position, running toward a different set of cover. Niva and Kyle took him together, loading him up with half a dozen bolts.
He flopped to the ground, hitting hard enough to throw dirt in the air.
“He’s down.” Niva stood.
Lysa rested on her stomach. She wasn’t moving. Kyle hurried over to her, tapping her gently on the shoulder. The woman rolled over, brows furrowed. “God… what happened?” Smeared blood marred her forehead. A cut just under the hairline bled. “My head… Was I shot in the head?”
“You’d be very dead if so,” Niva replied. “No, you seem to have landed on something hard.” She ran a scan over her. “No concussion. You’re insanely lucky. Come on.” She and Kyle helped her up. “We’re almost there. Jok? Do you see any more soldiers? Are we clear to proceed?”
“There are more coming in through the front,” Jok said. “Milna, are you in position to see?”
“I sure am. Looks like six more. I can get three of them before they take cover. Let’s do this, Jok.”
“Let us know if any get away,” Niva said. She compelled the others forward. “Move. Before they stir up more trouble.” They picked up the pace, closing the distance. Only a little further. Get the defenses up, start the fight, get out of here. Simple enough. As if anything had been up to that point.
***
Renz turned to Kivda. “Report. How are preparations proceeding on the surface?”
“Soldiers are in position,” Kivda said, “they’re gathering in shuttles to get to those ruins. We’ll take as many prisoners as we can.”
“Good. And the Flotilla?”
“Our people are out. They’ve collected Ermil and are heading to the planet to join the others.”
“The ships are arriving!” Inda shouted. “It’s the Brekka!”
“Griel…” Renz smiled. “Oh, fate does smile on us. We can hold him long enough for our allies to arrive. Then crush him on the spot. This will be a good day.” He patted Kivda on the arm. “You have to hand it to that bastard, he found a way to be here without our tracker. Maybe one of his people put in some kind of distress call.”
“Yes, they’re very impressive.” Kivda rubbed his eyes. “Do you think we can take them?”
“One ship? Absolutely.” Renz pointed at Porth. “Ready our weapons, move to engage. All hands to battle stations. Prepare to annihilate them.” This will be a glory-filled day.
“Another ship is arriving,” Inda said, “definitely the Triton. Though we have some more time for them.”
“Good, the more damage we do to the Brekka before they arrive, the better.” Renz strapped himself in. “Bring your best today, ladies and gentlemen. We’re about to do the Kahl military a great service in destroying this lot. I promise you all rewards once that ship is destroyed. Focus all your attention to that simple task.”
***
Griel turned to Molush a minute before they arrived at their destination. “Have you picked up any good scans from the area?”
“There are high concentrations of radiation consistent with a space battle,” Molush replied. “Something big has been destroyed. Otherwise, I’m reading one ship. Nothing else. We’ll need to be there for life readings and that sort of thing. I’ll have everything we need in a few moments.”
“Excellent. Authen, the second we appear, bring all defenses online. I’m pretty sure we’re about to throw down with whoever that is. Probably a pirate there to pick up their friends after the Flotilla took a beating from their warp.” Griel rubbe
d his chin. It can’t be a Kahl vessel. Who would call them for help?
The ship shimmered for a moment as they left warp speed. Molush brought the viewscreen online, zeroing in on a Kahl battleship.
Griel huffed. I stand corrected. The fact it belonged to General Renz didn’t surprise him. Not entirely. Though he had doubted the man’s resourcefulness, he knew better. After all, rising to the rank of a Kahl high commander meant something. If only the fact they could manage larger fleets.
“Hello, my old friend,” Griel muttered. He turned to the Flotilla. It had been ravaged. Most of the modules were detached, possibly obliterated. The main structure suffered dozens of hull breaches; holes large enough to pilot a shuttle through. Those look like blast marks. Meaning they had been attacked.
Why would Renz use that thing for target practice? Why not board it and take what they wanted? Griel figured maybe they didn’t want to struggle with living pirates, people desperate not to be boarded. If that’s the case, they may have murdered everyone onboard.
“Molush, I need to know where Niva is.” Griel tapped his foot. “Habitable planets, pockets in that Flotilla thing, whatever you can find, do it fast.”
“I’m working on it.” Molush shook his head. “The Flotilla has some life signs but not many. Prytin… Rhulin… a couple Kahl. No Niva as far as I can tell. I’ll extend to the planet next. See if I can’t bring her up on a hail.”
“Shields up,” Authen announced, “we’re ready to engage.”
“By all means, take us toward them.”
Molush said, “Renz is also ready. They are on their way.”
“Eager to fight,” Griel replied, “I like it.”
“Shouldn’t we,” Molush shrugged, “you know… wait for the Triton?”
“I don’t recall suggesting we do,” Griel said. “Did you hear anything like that Authen?”
“No, sir, I didn’t.”
Molush grumbled. “You don’t have to condescend to me.”
“My apologies,” Griel said. “Focus on gathering information. We’ll worry about going another round with the Lord Coward here.” How many times am I going to get the chance to go at you? Pressure weighed at him, gnawing at his guts. We might not meet again if we don’t finish our business today.