Flight of the Reaper

by J. N. Chaney

  "Thanks, Captain," I replied. "We will try to stay out of your way."

  Elise and Path showed their respect and we all hung back.

  "Once we have cleared the planet, you will need to resume your places on the flight deck to repel the attack of the Union forces," Captain Kaldon said.

  He was significantly older than the rest of his bridge crew but fit. Only a slight limp and stiffness in his right hand seemed to slow him. His gray hair still had some brown in it and his eyes were full of intelligence and vitality.

  "I can’t wait to see this," Path said.

  "Really?" I asked. My sword saint friend rarely talked about what he wanted or hoped for. His meditative, ultra-calm, and effective existence focused on appreciating each moment without a lot of wanting stuff like good cigars and whiskey.

  "It will be very unique to see the planet open and allow us to launch," Path stated.

  "They will have to launch all of their ships soon," Elise added. "Once Nebs knows there is a hidden civilization under the surface, he’ll blow the planet to hell if he doesn’t get what he wants."

  I wanted to discuss this with Rejon, but he had moved to a position near the captain.

  "Gentlemen and lady," a young ensign said. "Please take your places in this row of launch seats and strap in for your safety."

  Elise smiled at the young officer and he blushed.

  "Stop flirting," I ordered.

  "I so wasn’t flirting," she fired back.

  Lights dimmed and switched to red. The countdown began.

  "Are you holding your breath, Reaper Cain?" X-37 asked.

  "No, X. I’m totally relaxed. What could possibly go wrong with a ship this size launching into space from an underground hangar?"

  A crude holo viewer showed the ceiling opening above the launch pad. That sight by itself was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. The sky was revealed as the aperture opened.

  "The crew of this ship are very intent on their work," X-37 observed.

  The bridge was far larger than the Jellybird or even the Nightmare. Dozens of people manned workstations, each with their own small screens and control panels.

  "They’re a lot more organized than I thought they would be," I said.

  "Starvation and patched clothing present a false image." Path looked around. "What I see is a strong people with strict laws and a unified purpose. They look like scavengers or pirates, maybe they even look like cannibals, but their society is formal and rigid."

  "You get all that from watching them work?" Elise looked at him quizzically.

  "Is there a better way to know them than through their actions?" Path held her gaze for a meaningful beat.

  "Good point," Elise admitted.

  "Lift off in three, two, one, engage engines," said Captain Kaldon.

  The ship shook so violently, I would have fallen had I been standing. The Shield of Xad moved slowly at first, then picked up speed.

  "Jelly advised they will follow when the way is clear," X-37 informed me. "She has experienced some difficulty with the local air traffic control authorities but has found a workaround."

  "What kind of workaround?" My words were shaking in time with the vibration of the ship launch. Rocket exhaust expanded around the ship, blocking the camera view until the ship climbed above it.

  "You don’t want to know, Reaper Cain. Two of her previous captains were smugglers."

  "As long as she doesn’t get herself blown to pieces, I’ll approve of her methods." If it worked, I didn’t care how Jelly did it.

  Rejon made eye contact once the ship had cleared the planet and the bridge crew cheered. I gave him a thumbs-up. He returned his attention to the captain and the bridge crew.

  "That is freaking amazing," Elise exclaimed as the main holo-view showed Xad below us.

  "Reaper, it is time to fight." Rejon strode toward us.

  "You can’t be part of the boarding party." Elise sounded almost worried and her eyes flicked to me, Rejon, then back to me. "That’s stupid."

  "I am a good fighter," he promised. "Much more useful there than on this bridge, where I will only undermine the authority of the captain."

  "Your choice, Rejon. Just don’t get in my way," I instructed.

  Rejon, his guards, Elise, Path, Locke, and I rejoined the soldiers preparing to defend the flight deck. By the time we arrived, the first of the fake system failures was done. Soon, there would be a simulated power failure that we hoped would bait the Union boarding party.

  All we were doing was choosing the time and place, which was half the battle.

  25

  Rockets slammed into the containment doors of the flight deck—a much different design than on a Union ship. The ship crew were ready. Some were designated as defensive fighters only. The larger group, however, were ready to swarm on the Dark Lance at the first opportunity.

  "I believe Rejon wants the Dark Lance for his own ship," X-37 hypothesized. "This would give him a stronger political position among his own people and in relation to us."

  "We’ll see who gets what when we actually win. Give me an update on the security hacks you are so worried about, X."

  "I began the final stages the moment the UFS Dark Lance dropped her stealth cloak to attack. If my calculations are correct, the Archangels are being summoned to their armory as we speak," X-37 answered. "Once there, they should become delayed, to put it mildly."

  "Are you ready, Path?" I asked.

  He answered with his usual calm. "Of course."

  "Locke?"

  "I am ready, Reaper." The CSL of Wallach gave me a curt nod.

  "You know I’m good to go," Elise said before I could check her one last time.

  Warning lights flashed. The ragtag Xad army tensed, expressions unflappable.

  "Breach imminent. Breach imminent. Prepare to repel boarders," the intercom announced.

  "Here we go," I murmured, readying my HDK and moving forward.

  Explosions bent the doors inward. A pair of Union attack shuttles swooped in, guns blazing as they dropped their ramps.

  "Hold," I called. "Stay behind cover. Wait for my signal."

  "On the Reaper’s command," Rejon shouted, his helmet comm louder than his officers’ or squad leaders’.

  Only two shuttles could land at the same time. Once they had dropped two squads each, the shuttles backed out and peeled away so two more could drop members of the boarding party.

  "Now! Open fire! Hold positions and do not advance," I bellowed.

  Xad soldiers fired on the two Union squads from all sides. They were my enemy and I wanted them dead. Still, the slaughter turned my stomach and made me hate Nebs even more. What the hell were we doing to each other?

  The second pair of shuttles brought reinforcements.

  "Heavy guns, shift fire to the attack shuttles," I ordered.

  Machine guns poured tracer rounds into the shuttles as they opened ramps. Union soldiers died as they tumbled out, phosphorescent bullets punching through their armor. Those who survived scrambled for whatever cover they could find—parked Xad shuttles, maintenance hatches, or the bodies of their comrades.

  "Hit them hard," I yelled. "No mercy!"

  "Reaper Cain, you must allow them to attach the boarding tubes if you wish to fight your way onto the Dark Lance," X-37 advised.

  "Understood, X." I fired, reloaded, and looked for another target. "But we need to make it real. Hurt them. Get them to overcommit."

  "How will you know they have overcommitted?" X-37 asked.

  "When I see the Archangels."

  "That will be a problem, Reaper Cain. It is unlikely you will see them during this engagement."

  "What did you do, X?" I aimed but decided I didn’t have a good target. The Union soldiers had learned not to poke their heads up. Like Nebs, they had probably underestimated the scavengers. Hell, I’d underestimated them. They looked like space bums. What neither I nor the Union had factored in, however, was that they had survived the harshest e
nvironments imaginable for hundreds of years.

  That made them tough and had forced them to rely on each other when the chips were down.

  Each pair of shuttles that made it onto and off of the flight deck added to their numbers. The Xad soldiers were winning for now, but battles never went as planned. I knew that better than anyone.

  "I lured the Archangels to their armory—as you suggested during an earlier discussion of my plan—and issued a stand down order," X-37 said. "If the code hack remains in place, they will believe the entire battle was called off and they were assigned pre-inspection maintenance duties."

  "They’ll hate the hell out of that. Way to piss them off." I chuckled. "But I was hoping to use the Xad troops to overwhelm them with numbers—take them out once and for all."

  "That would have been useful but would have resulted in a high number of Xad soldiers dying," X-37 replied.

  I spotted one of the boarding tubes snaking between the Dark Lance and the Shield of Xad flight deck. "Not to sound ungrateful, but now we’ll probably run into them about the time we reach Nebs."

  "That is not the plan. They are locked inside their own armory."

  "They’ll get out," I replied. "Or there will be a squad of them who didn’t make it to the armory in time to get locked inside."

  "Be that as it may, I’ve added two Archangels to the roster—a code that will work regardless of what gear you are wearing. Once you reach the bridge, you will be able to walk through the door like you own the place. It is a near perfect plan."

  "No, X, it’s not. But it’s all we have now."

  Rejon rallied his people. "Soldiers of Xad, prepare to attack!"

  Several hangar doors opened onto the flight deck, revealing the rest of the Xad fighting force. Men and women roared their readiness to do battle.

  The second boarding tube attached. Squads of Union soldiers swarmed onto the flight deck.

  "At them," Rejon called. "For Xad, unity, and freedom!"

  We all charged, firing rifles, pistols, and shotguns until we were close enough to fight with blades and stun clubs. We still had gravity, but the Xad squad leaders had prepared us all for fighting without it. Rejon’s soldiers moved naturally despite the EVA gear incorporated into their armor.

  Maybe I wasn’t a natural like them, but I felt ready to lose gravity and/or atmosphere if that was what happened when we crossed between ships. Boarding tubes were notoriously vulnerable—as X frequently reminded me.

  I jumped high and kicked the first man I came to in the face, throwing him backward. Elise and Path drew blades and cut their way through our enemies.

  "Locke, stay close." I glanced at him to see if his injuries were giving him problems.

  "I’m with you," Locke said.

  "Elise, Path, don’t get too far ahead," I ordered over our squad level comms.

  "Okay, Reaper." Elise huffed, slightly out of breath.

  "Reload and bump your magazines," I instructed, following my own advice. "I’ll take point. The only thing that matters for us is getting onto the Dark Lance and making sure as many of Rejon’s people as possible follow us."

  "Got it." Elise bounced on the balls of her feet with enthusiasm. "Let’s do this."

  "On three. One, two—" I sprinted forward early to make sure I was first. I didn’t need the kid or the sword saint getting themselves killed before we really got started.

  They were both highly skilled and motivated, but this required a full ration of Reaper rage.

  "Die, you assholes!" I kept charging forward, firing my pistol and slashing with my Reaper blade. I kicked people off their feet, shouldered men and women into walls, and pushed through anything they put in my way.

  My friends followed. Rejon and his best fighters came next. We battled our way onto the boarding tube.

  "Don’t slow down," I yelled over my shoulder. "We have to reach the other side before they disconnect it."

  "Attention, all Union forces. Attention, all Union forces. Repel borders. Repel borders," Dark Lance loudspeakers blared.

  "My analysis suggests the Archangels will hear this alert and will attempt to escape my trap,” said X.

  "Are the blast doors as hard to get out of as into?" I remembered my poor experience with the Nightmare’s Archangel armory.

  "There is an eighty-nine percent chance they will find it difficult to break free," X-37 said.

  "Not reassuring. What exactly do you mean by difficult? Seconds, minutes, days?"

  "Thirty-seven minutes," X-37 replied.

  "That is weirdly specific, X, but thanks." I moved into new a hallway that was empty. "Can you raise the Nightmare?"

  "Real time communication is difficult in our current situation," X-37 told me. "I can update you on the ship’s status. The Nightmare is thirty-nine minutes from arriving. Novasdaughter has partial control of the crew, with most of them back in confinement. She advised she will offer whatever help she can when she arrives."

  "Thanks." I signaled Elise, Path, and Locke to follow me and for a squad of Xad soldiers to take another hallway. "Look sharp."

  "I am putting a route to bridge on your HUD. This will take you around hardened security elements," X-37 said.

  "Great, X. You’re the bomb."

  "Filing compliment for later analysis," X-37 advised.

  "How are we going to get into the bridge?" Elise asked.

  I held up my cybernetic arm. "I’ve got this, unless X comes up with an easier way."

  We settled into a fast-moving formation as we hurried through the ship. I led the charge, then came Path and Elise. Locke brought up the rear, frequently walking backward to watch our six.

  The sounds of battle echoed from hallways, and the intercom directed defenders to key positions. It wasn’t long before I received a more personal message.

  "What the hell do you think you’re doing, Reaper?" Nebs demanded.

  "I’m coming for you, jerkoff. It’s about time we settled this once and for all."

  "Big talk for someone who has been running from me since the day we met," Nebs said, his voice too loud in my head.

  "Reaper Cain, I am facing at least three assaults; one from the Dark Lance AI and two from the vice admiral. It seems he is in fact running parallel LAIs," X-37 said.

  "Keep your head down, X. Make them look for you." It was the only thing I could think of in the moment. "That should take them out of the equation for a few minutes at least."

  "It will also eliminate my ability to assist you. And before I hide, I must warn you the Archangels have broken free of the armory."

  "That was fast," I muttered.

  "They will be slowed by the Xad boarders, but not for long, I fear," X-37 responded.

  "No problem, X. Can you warn the Xad troops?"

  No response.

  "Great," I grunted.

  "What happened?" Elise asked.

  "The ship AI and Nebs’s LAIs are chasing X through the digital landscape. We’re on our own for a while.”

  "I hope he’s okay," she commented.

  The closer we moved toward the bridge, the more I felt Nebs plotting to destroy us. Without X, he couldn’t hack into our comms to harass me remotely. There were pros and cons to the situation, the pros mostly being that I didn’t have to listen to the asshole.

  I paused at a speed lift. "This is it. We ride this up to the bridge. When we step out, there will be a welcoming party."

  "A party?" Locke’s brows knitted in confusion.

  "Not the good kind," I replied.

  He studied the intersection. "We should clear out this area as a fallback point. And if one of the Union forces is left here, they might take control of the lift and leave us stranded halfway to our destination.”

  I nodded, as I understood his logic. Having a fallback point was a basic tactic that existed for a reason—it saved lives and missions.

  "Let’s get it done." I was already moving. "Time is not on our side."

  Locke showed his worth, immediate
ly locating controls that would allow us to limit access to the intersection serving the list. It wasn’t the worst place on the ship for a last stand if it came to that. The man was limping badly but keeping up. Tough as a Wallach CSL, I thought, remembering the ordeals he had endured to earn the title.

  The room I searched contained something different—a frozen security screen.

  "Are you seeing this, X?" The question might endanger my LAI, but there was something on the screen that unnerved me.

  "They brought a prisoner this way when the Xad soldiers boarded the Dark Lance. I suspect they don’t want this man captured," X-37 said. "He is a Union scientist."

  "Can you identify him? Is that Hastings?" I suddenly wondered what Elise might think if her father turned up in the middle of all this.

  "Certainly not. This man is Doctor Jaxon Ayers, a long ago discredited xenobiologist who has not published a scientific paper for over ten years," X-37 said.

  Instincts mattered to Reapers. They also had to be turned off when they became a distraction. Without knowing why, I turned off the monitor and memorized which hallway the guards had taken the man down.

  "Area secure," Locke announced.

  "Fantastic," I muttered. "Time for our meeting with the admiral. I hope he has some decent cigars to steal.”

  26

  "There will be bridge guards," I said as the lift descended toward our destination. "X-37 tricked the ship AI into allowing us entry, but the guys watching the camera won’t be fooled. Shoot first and ask questions later."

  "Maybe he sent them to deal with boarders," Elise suggested.

  "He didn’t," I said.

  "Fine. I just hate shooting first. What if they’re just a couple of Union jerks doing their jobs."

  "Don’t get soft," I told her, then felt like I was the jerk. "We’re doing what we have to do. It sucks, but if you hesitate, you’ll be dead or in a cell two minutes after the door opens."

  "Okay." She was bouncing slightly on her the balls of her feet, holding her weapon ready.