by G J Ogden
Aster’s face looked pale; he hesitated, looking lost in his own thoughts, but then nodded and turned away.
Maria caught his arm and held him. “Lieutenant, wait,” she said, but though it was Aster’s arm she gripped, she was looking at Raina.
“Maria, don’t start…” began Raina, but Maria cut her off.
“Hold on, let me speak,” said Maria. “I won’t try to stop you fighting if that’s your choice. But, if they punch through your gates, you can’t win against ten squads, and you know it.”
Maria paused, giving Raina an opportunity to object, but she was silent. There was a difference between audaciously facing down a challenge despite difficult odds, and deluding yourself that you can win a no-win scenario.
“When they storm in here shooting a pulse cannon, it’s not just your own men and women that will be in the firing line,” Maria continued, pointing to the hangar housing the refugees. “Those children are no longer safe here.”
“What are you suggesting?” Raina asked, levelly.
“Give me four more ships,” said Maria, “and we’ll take them all with us to the GPS station.”
Diana’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Raina nodded, “I agree, Sal, that’s a hell of a complication, especially as we’re mostly talking about kids here.”
“Yes, children who any time now could be in the middle of a warzone,” said Maria. “This spaceport has just become the worst possible place for them.”
“But if we evacuate them then Kurren could twist it and say we’ve taken them hostage,” said Diana, and Raina nodded again. “It would be a powerful way to rally any remaining dissenters to his side.”
“Diana, you know that they can’t hold out again Kurren’s forces for long, in this compound or any other on the base,” said Maria, growing tired of pushing the argument, “Best case is they are captured and imprisoned; worst case is that Kurren makes good on his threat and executes the adults. Either way, these kids end up without their families, trapped here.”
Diana ran her hand through her straight red hair and held the back of her neck, letting her chin fall almost to her chest.
“Whatever we do, we have to do it fast,” Raina said.
Diana looked up and brought her hands together in front of her. It was a posture that Maria had grown to recognize over the years; a sign that Diana was mentally preparing herself to make hard choices.
“To any that choose to come, I will offer sanctuary,” said Diana, calmly, “but they must understand what that choice means for them. They may never be able to return.”
Maria let go of Aster’s arm and he turned back to face Raina, waiting for her order.
“Okay, damn it, prep the additional ships for snap launches. No pre-flight, just fuel them to go,” said Raina. “And suit up, Lieutenant Aster, because you’re taking one of them out.”
Aster bolted forward, his eyes wide. When he spoke, his words came in hurried bursts. “No, let me stay! I want to fight!”
“You’ll do as ordered, Lieutenant,” said Raina. She was touched by his loyal reaction, but didn’t allow it to show. “Now get out of here, while there’s still time!”
Aster was conflicted between his natural instinct to obey his commander and his personal desire to stay and fight by her side.
“Lieutenant, if you’re not gone in the next five seconds, I’ll have you relieved and locked in a cell.”
Aster clenched his fists and held his ground, but in a battle of wills with Raina, he knew he’d lose. He refused to acknowledge the order, but turned and ran towards the flight deck, fists pumping by his sides as he ran.
Maria waited until Aster was gone and then looked at Raina, eyebrows raised. “You were never one for subtlety,” she said, with a wry smile.
Raina snorted a laugh. “He’s a good officer. Raw and impetuous at times, but he’s loyal. He’s a fan of yours too, by the way...”
Maria recoiled, “What do you mean?”
Raina laughed properly this time, “Don’t worry, Sal, it’s just professional admiration. Everyone knows of the famous flyer who went planetside and returned to tell the tale.”
Maria rolled her eyes and was about to protest when the spaceport’s warning klaxon sounded three times in close succession, each beat resonating through her body like the vibration of a drum. Moments later there was the sound of weapons fire from the watch towers along the main gate.
Raina anxiously watched the crew in the watchtowers frantically aim and fire out in the street beyond. Looking back to Maria, she said, “You have to go. I mean it this time.”
For a moment the two women looked at each other; there was so much more Maria wanted to say, but there wasn’t time. Instead, she reached forward and pulled Raina toward her, hugging her tightly. Raina initially resisted – she was not one for displays of emotion and Maria knew this – but then reluctantly reciprocated.
“Be safe, Kira,” said Maria, before pushing back to look at her friend. “And give him hell.”
“I will,” said Raina, and then the muscles in her jaw tightened as she forced back the emotions rising inside her. “I’ll see you when it’s over.”
Raina looked across to Diana, nodded respectfully, and then set off in the direction of the gunfire.
“That’s our cue to leave...” said Maria, looking at Diana. She pointed to a small patrol craft in hangar pod one. “That’s our ride.”
A vibrant mechanical whine filled the air, rising rapidly in pitch and volume; Maria recognized the sound instantly.
“Get down!” she cried, and threw herself at Diana, dragging her to the deck. An energy pulse ripped through the solid metal gate that barred the entrance to the spaceport compound and rippled overhead, slamming into the briefing room they had all met in earlier, blasting it to pieces. Maria got to her knees and looked past the smoldering pile of rubble towards the outer perimeter of the compound, checking for any sign of damage to the dome, but saw none.
“Those idiots could have vented us all into space!” said Maria, as Diana stood and dusted herself off. Behind them the firefight was intensifying, and Maria could see squads of soldiers pushing through the fresh hole created by the pulse cannon.
“Then let’s get everyone out of here, before they decide to fire that thing again,” said Diana.
They ran to the ship and were met by Aster. He passed Maria a sidearm and weapon belt which she clipped around her waist, thanking him.
“We’ve pushed out our four fire ships and two hardened salvage vessels, in pods three to seven, and are loading people as fast as we can,” reported Aster as he drew his weapon and held it at low ready. “Unladen, we can just about fit everyone in, but it will be a pretty rough ride.”
“It will have to do,” said Maria, loading a clip into her sidearm and placing it in the holster on her belt. “As soon as everyone is on-board, get them out. Bypass all pre-flight and just launch.”
“We may need to squeeze a few into your ship too,” said Aster, “I’m having them brought over now.”
“That’s fine, there’s room for five or six if we get cozy,” said Maria, nervously watching the corner of the hangar pod, which was obscuring her view of the firefight in the main courtyard of the compound, for any sign of Kurren’s soldiers.
Then the rising mechanical whine of the pulse cannon began again and it felt like the air around them was shaking.
“Take cover!” shouted Maria and she threw herself down on the deck. The pulse ripped through hangar one and slammed into the dome, piercing a small hole, no bigger than a fist. Moments later the hangar collapsed under its own weight and a thick blanket of silver-grey dust flooded onto the launch strip and then suddenly whipped past Maria as it was blown out into open space through the punctured shell of the dome. Maria felt herself being drawn backwards, air rushing past her face, filling her lungs with the chalky, bitter-tasting dust. She clawed at the ground, trying to stop herself as warning klaxons soun
ded all around her. Seconds later the invisible pull stopped and she sat up, coughing. The safeguards had kicked in, firing a web of dense fibers across the breach to seal it. The deck’s emergency venting, normally used to extinguish fires, kicked in to suck away the remaining dust. Maria spun around and saw the mass of broken girders and metal panels where the hangar pod had been, and beyond it the pulse cannon sat atop the modified transport, flanked by the soldiers of Kurren’s new army, advancing toward them in their gleaming blue amour.
Maria climbed to her feet and saw Aster and Diana on their knees just ahead, wiping dust from their eyes. Further down the launch strip, still just beyond the pulse cannon’s line of sight, the last of the evacuees were getting to their feet and being helped into the waiting ships. But it was taking too long, Maria realized, and unless she did something, the pulse cannon would have another opportunity to fire before they could launch. She ran to her ship and shouted to Diana to get on board. Coughing and wiping streams of grainy water from her eyes, Diana ran up the platform and climbed into the cockpit.
“Lieutenant, get to your ship and launch now!” Maria yelled over to Aster, who was coughing up a slimy grey bile onto the deck.
Aster wiped his mouth on his sleeve and called back, “There’s no time! We need to push the soldiers back.”
Maria ran over to Aster and pulled him to his feet. “Launch now, before it’s too late!”
Aster’s face was white and he was still struggling to breath from the sudden influx of dust and grime. “Sir, the cannon…” he croaked.
“I’ll take care of it,” said Maria, pushing him away in the direction of the other waiting ships.
Aster stumbled a few paces away from Maria, and looked back at the cannon and then at Maria, “But, how?”
“Aster, damn you, just go or I’ll shoot you myself!” shouted Maria, and in that moment, she felt like she might actually do it. She raised her weapon and aimed it just to the side of his head. “Go!”.
Finally, Aster obeyed and started running. Maria waited for a few seconds to make sure he kept going and then jumped onto the boarding ramp of her ship, just as the piercing, metallic chime of bullets striking the hull made her duck and swing around, weapon raised. Three soldiers had broken through Raina’s line and were advancing, firing as they ran. More bullets bounced around her, but Maria held her position, controlled her breathing and aimed. She squeezed the trigger twice and the first soldier fell, holding his leg. More bullets landed around her, closer this time. She aimed, breathed, squeezed the trigger and the second soldier fell, blood gushing from his neck where the amour was weakest. The next volley was closer still, but Maria did not flinch. She fired again and saw the spark as the bullet deflected off the armor. Another round and again it did not penetrate. The soldier slid to a standstill, knelt and raised a rifle. Maria dove off the platform as the bullets ricocheted off the hull where she had stood moments earlier. She rolled, out of control, knocking her head and scraping her hands, but she managed to hold on to her sidearm. Dazed, she scrambled onto her knees, moved to raise her weapon towards her attacker, and was met with the barrel of a rifle pointing at her forehead. The soldier stood above her, blue armor shimmering under the harsh lights of the docking pod. Three cracks pierced the air and Maria flinched, expecting to feel pain, but instead the soldier fell forward, almost on top of her. She rolled to the side just in time and felt the thud of the soldier’s dead body resonate through the deck. She glanced up and there was Commander Raina, smoke snaking from the barrel of her rifle.
Maria stood and held her shoulder, which felt bruised and sore. She could feel the wetness of blood soaking into the fabric. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” said Raina, calmly. “Now, for the last time, get the hell off my deck.”
Raina had swung around and begun firing on the advancing soldiers, before Maria could say anything more; and suddenly she realized that she had left so much unsaid. Earlier, when she had hugged Raina and said goodbye, it was still with the hope that she would somehow make it through, but now it was clear in Maria’s mind that it had been false hope, and that this would likely be the last time she would see her friend alive.
Bullets rattled off the hull above her, snapping her back into the moment. She sprinted into the main compartment of the ship, slamming the door-close button as she entered, and climbed into the cockpit. Diana was in the second chair, already strapped in.
“What kept you?” asked Diana
“Just a little unwanted attention,” said Maria, entering commands into the console with well-practiced proficiency. The center display panel went red and flashed up the words, WARNING - LAUNCH OVERRIDE ENABLED. Maria cleared the display and fired-up the reactor; the energy pulsing though the ship made it shake violently.
“Maria!…” exclaimed Diana, gripping the arms of her chair.
“Don’t worry,” Maria replied, calmly. “This is just a gentle shimmy compared to what this ship can handle.” She finished inputting her sequence of commands and the lights in the cockpit dimmed. Dials and readouts flashed up all around them and then an alarm sounded and the central display flashed up the words LOCK DETECTED. Maria grabbed the control yoke. “Hold on!” she shouted. Diana didn’t reply, but the instruction wasn’t necessary, as Diana was already clutching the chair as if her life depended on it.
The ship lifted, spun one hundred and eighty degrees on its axis, briefly bringing the pulse cannon into view dead ahead, and then jinked violently to the right, all in the matter of a few seconds. The maneuver had moved them out of the pulse cannon’s firing arc, and the warning in the center console vanished.
Diana was breathing heavily; the immense forces of the sudden maneuver had squeezed the breath from her lungs, and she was struggling to take in air. Eventually, she recovered enough to take stock of her new surroundings, but instead of looking out towards the docking pod, the view through the cockpit glass was of the battle raging in the courtyard.
“Aren’t we facing the wrong way?” said Diana. Sarcasm was rarely her first choice, but on this occasion it seemed appropriate.
“I’ve got to take out that cannon,” explained Maria, sliding her thumb and forefinger upwards on a panel next to her. Two red bars rose in time with the movement, and as the bars rose, Diana could hear the soaring mechanical whine of a pulse cannon charging.
“They’re going to fire again!” Diana called out, gripping the seat even more tightly. Were Maria not so preoccupied she might have laughed; this was the first time she’d ever seen Diana even close to losing her cool.
“They’re not the only ones with pulse cannons,” smiled Maria. She brought the ship higher and then jinked it back to their earlier location in a maneuver that was as ferociously aggressive as the first. She caught sight of Diana in her peripheral vision, and she looked like she was going to be sick. But the maneuver had worked as Maria had intended, bringing the improvised enemy pulse cannon directly into her sights. She watched as the cannon tried to elevate to target her, but she was too high. Maria smiled and squeezed the trigger, sending a stream of concentrated destruction directly though the transport housing the pulse cannon, obliterating it completely. The closest blue boots were enveloped in the detonation, while many of the others scattered for cover like insects. Maria switched to mass cannons, and concentrated bursts of fire across the rear ranks, forcing them to fall back. Beneath them she could see Raina’s forces recovering and taking up solid defensive positions.
Maria’s command panel, built into the arm of her chair, bleeped and she looked down, scanning the data.
“The other ships are all in their tubes,” she shouted across to Diana.
“Then let’s go,” replied Diana, a little timidly. “A little slower, though, if possible?”
Maria grinned and then entered a sequence of commands into the panel. Reaching back for the yoke, she then swung the ship around and accelerated rapidly towards Launch Tube One as the outer doors depressurized and began to slid
e open. The center display flashed on, indicating minor impacts to the aft quarter from small arms fire; Maria pushed the yoke forward and pulsed the thrusters, taking them lower and making them harder to hit.
“Another ten seconds for the doors,” said Maria.
“Wait, look down there!” shouted Diana peering down at the deck.
Maria tried to follow her line of sight, but couldn’t see anything. “What is it?”
“There are three more civilians; a woman and two boys,” shouted Diana.
Maria cursed, remembering that Aster had said they needed to take on some passengers before leaving. “I’ll swing back and set her down,” she called over. “Go to the side hatch and get ready to pull them in!”
Diana unbuckled her straps and stumbled out of the cockpit and down to the hatch. She grabbed two hand holds and squeezed tightly. “Ready!” she shouted, and the ship plummeted so rapidly that for a fraction of a second, Diana’s feet lifted off the deck plating. There was then a solid thud as Maria set down hard, followed by a pneumatic hiss as the hatchway opened and the ramp extended. Two boys, perhaps eight and eleven, appeared outside; Diana stretched out her hand and pulled them inside.
“It’s okay, you’re going to be okay!” she shouted to their terrified faces. “Sit in those seats.” Neither boy said a word and ran to the seats, practically falling into them. “Where’s your mother?” Diana shouted back to them, but neither appeared to hear her; their faces were gripped with fear. Diana stepped out onto the platform and saw the missing woman on the ground, facing away from Diana, cradling her knee. Diana ran out, ducking instinctively as bullets chimed off the ship’s armor, and grabbed the woman under her arms. “Don’t be afraid!” she shouted as she dragged her back to the ship, using every ounce of her strength.
As soon as she had cleared the ramp, she fell back, exhausted, and shouted “Clear!”