Fox cocked an eyebrow. “A private contractor who doesn’t know how to shoot in the middle of Drahkonis space?”
“I didn’t say that I don’t know how to shoot,” Ernest said defensively. “I’m just not very good at it. Hence my asking for your help.”
“Be that as it may, I’m afraid I can’t go back in there.”
Ernest frowned. “Did they kill her?”
“How Michelle died is none of your business.”
Ernest threw his hands up. “Not Michelle. Sasha. You said you tried to rescue her.”
“Oh…” Fox said, blinking. “No. She’s being held in the spire as bait. They hope I’ll bite, but it’s too heavily fortified, and I’ve had a rough few days. I wouldn’t make it out a second time.”
Ernest’s eyes lit up. “You need to get this Sasha girl out of the spire. And I need someone who knows their way around the city to get me inside the spire so I can download the comms data. You can’t tell me fate didn’t bring us together.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Fox fumed. “I’m not going back in there.”
“Listen. If you help me out, I’ll make an exception and provide safe passage off Roth.”
“That’s all fine and well, but there’s no point in leaving Roth only to be dropped on some forgotten waste.”
“Then I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
Fox raised his eyebrows. “ASTRA HQ is a long way away from human space.”
“I can send the data to my client using my quantum communicator. I won’t be in a hurry after that.”
“You might not be able to get Sasha on your own,” Corri pressed, “but I bet you could do it with Ernest’s help.”
A Vosan never leaves the weak behind and never leaves an honorable deed undone, his father’s voice said inside his head.
Fox rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying I’ll do it, but I’m willing to hear your plan. After my escape and the fight that broke out in the city center, they’ll have doubled down on security at the gates.”
Earnest smiled. “While flying over, I spotted three large holes in the dome. They’re undergoing repairs, but I reckon they’ll be at it for weeks.”
“There were no holes in the dome when I arrived,” Fox said. “Those must have been created by whoever attacked the other day.”
“Right,” Ernest said. “And they didn’t appear to be heavily guarded either. That’s our way in.”
“There’s no guarantee the city’s air defenses won’t detect this ship, even when cloaked.”
“We aren’t taking Sable.” Ernest wrapped his knuckles against the bulkhead. “Corri is going to stay here and keep an eye on her.”
“Why do I always have to stay?” Corri objected.
“Fox and I have combat experience and we need someone to keep an eye on things out here. To be ready in case we need to make a break for it.”
Corri clearly didn’t like the explanation but she nodded anyway.
“If we aren’t taking Sable, how do we get through those holes.”
Ernest climbed to his feet and moved to a hatch at the end of the cabin. “I’ll show you.” He pulled the hatch open and ducked into a dark space.
Fox followed and the lights activated, revealing a small cargo hold containing several stacks of secured crates and something sizeable covered with a black sheet.
Ernest pulled the sheet free to reveal a vehicle.
“We take this baby.”
Fox ran his eyes over the machine. It was some kind of personal transport big enough for four passengers. It looked light yet sturdy. “What is it exactly?”
“It’s a skimmer. Small enough to go undetected by most scanners. Fast enough to get us in and out in minutes. And she’s got a plasma canon in case things get hairy.”
Fox scratched his chin. “Vismark is entertaining another slave lord this evening in the hopes of taking out competition, so they’ll be preoccupied. Probably have security focused on the spire.” Fox smiled properly for the first time since arriving on Roth. “We’ll need to work out the finer details, but this might just work.”
“Right,” Ernest said. “We wait until nightfall. Head in under the cover of darkness. I’ve already calculated the most suitable hole for the skimmer to enter. If we travel with lights out, the Drahk shouldn’t see us at all. Their eyesight is poor at the best of times. The trick will be landing close to the spire. The skimmer’s wings extend so that she can glide. Even on take-off, her engines run almost silently, but she’ll be hard to hide. Even with her wings retracted. Do you know of any buildings we could use near the spire?”
Fox recalled the repair works halfway up the spire. “I know of something much better.”
16
Night Skimming
Kelvin leveled the skimmer above the dome, aiming the machine’s nose at the gaping hole. He made minor adjustments, bringing the hole line with the readings on his dash.
Just like the simulation training, he thought, trying to pretend this wasn’t a real-life situation with real-life consequences.
“Okay, Fox,” he said on the comm channel. “I’m about to kill the engines and glide. They won’t even hear us coming.”
“Let’s hope they don’t see us either.”
“Here goes nothing.” He waited for the coordinates reading on his dash to flash green before flicking the engine ignition.
The skimmer’s nose dipped a fraction as the wind caught its wings and it began to glide.
Kelvin fixed his focus on the lowest hole in the dome, manually keeping it between the target spikes on the skimmer’s nose.
An eastwardly gust rose up and pushed them aside.
He pushed his weight into the controls to compensate, cursing the wind under his breath.
The gust whipped into a gale and threatened to push them off course entirely.
“Is everything okay?” Fox asked.
“Just peachy,” he answered through gritted teeth.
Kelvin pushed against the manual steering stick with all his strength. The wings whistled and the skimmer shuddered, but it just about held their course.
The wind abated as suddenly as it had arrived and Kelvin eased off the steering, his arms stiff from the effort. He made a minor adjustment, bringing them back to their original approach. He resisted the urge of scratching at the sweat tickling his side under his flight suit. Letting go of the controls would leave them at the mercy of the weather.
That was too close.
The glittering dome quickly swallowed the surrounding darkness as it rose to meet them. Some of the brighter city lights twinkled through the panels.
Kelvin kept his eyes on the gaping maw, scanning for signs of activity, and was glad to find none.
He made minor adjustments every few seconds, compensating for changes in air current and air pressure, keeping the skipper aimed true.
They plunged through the hole.
The wind died away completely, and Kelvin realized how noisy it actually was outside. By comparison, the sky under the dome was silent.
He maintained course, heading for the spire.
As they drew near, he could just about see the outlines of the repair platforms Fox had described.
The middle of the tower was enveloped in darkness, the city lights below not reaching that high. A narrow white line shone about two thirds of the way up, indicating the throne room windows.
The skimmer glided smoothly, closing in on the tower fast.
Kelvin pulled the controls and banked to the left, bringing them to the lowest repair platform as they’d planned, hoping that the platforms above would at least partially conceal the skimmer from prying air traffic.
Kelvin put the air brakes on maximum and ignited the engine just long enough to fire a hissing booster. The down thrust made for an almost silent landing, the platform creaking slightly under the skipper’s weight.
He retracted the wings as Fox disembarked, heading straight for a hole in the wall.
Kelvin joined him as he poked around the wall. “Looks just wide enough to fit through.”
“Good.” Fox said. “It means it’s too narrow for Drahk.” He leaned down and squeezed in head first, sliding through the hole with apparent ease. “Come one.”
Kelvin forced his upper body through the hole, but his holster got stuck. He pulled as hard as he could and barely budged an inch.
Fox came back. “What are you doing?” he whispered.
“I’m stuck.”
Fox rolled his eyes before grabbing onto Kelvin’s arms, his grip much stronger than his lithe body suggested.
With a single yank, Kelvin crashed to the floor in a pile.
He got to his feet as quickly as he could, dusting himself off and trying not to feel stupid. “Thanks.”
“Keep up,” Fox said under his breath. He turned and ran to the end of the service shaft. He looked both ways before taking the left into a main hallway walled and paved with stone. Despite his speed, Fox moved with elegance and grace.
Kelvin felt like a bumbling ape struggling to keep up.
Fox suddenly lifted his hand before a cross-junction, signaling for Kelvin to stop.
Kelvin obeyed as soon as he could and still almost ran into the Vosan.
He gestured to his left and pressed his body into a narrow recess in the wall on the left, almost blending in with the wall.
Kelvin rushed to the recess on the right and squished himself in like a bag of potatoes.
He held his breath as footsteps thudded along the hallway.
They stopped at the junction. Clicks and clacks echoed off the stones. The footsteps continued.
Once they’d faded, fox slipped out of his recess and Kelvin followed.
The Vosan checked both ways again before speeding onwards. They cautiously rounded a sharp bend and arrived at a door.
Fox held his chronograph to the control panel and the lock disengaged.
He pushed the door open gently, and on finding no one inside, slipped into the red room.
Kelvin followed and Fox closed the door behind him.
The Vosan moved to a terminal inserting a data crystal into a slot.
He hacked the system using his chronograph much like he did the door. The terminal issues a series of bleeps and Fox removed the crystal, handing it to Kelvin.
“Is that it?” he whispered.
Fox shrugged. “What did you expect? A party. We get in. We get the data. We get Sasha. We get out. That was the plan.”
“Okay,” Kelvin said. “You said the Drahk tend to keep slaves on the lower levels.”
Fox nodded. “Yes. But if we happen to find a slave on our way, we’ll ask them.”
“Wait, you didn’t mention that while planning. Won’t they raise the alarm?”
“Not if we play things right,” Fox said. “Most Drahk slaves will turn a blind eye if they know it’ll hurt their masters.”
“Got it.”
Fox nudged his head at the door. “Now come on before someone finds us.”
A scrape outside caused them both to freeze. A jumble of clicks confirmed their fears.
“Hide,” Fox whispered before disappearing into a tight opening under a terminal.
Kelvin tried to squeeze into the gap at the next terminal over, but he could barely get his legs in let alone his whole body.
He turned as the door swung open, revealing two Drahk.
They stared at Kelvin, their scales raised on the side of their necks.
Kelvin’s eyes darting around the room looking for somewhere to hide even though the situation was well beyond the point of hiding.
The nearest Drahk reached for his weapon.
Without thinking, Kelvin pulled his trigger twice, felling the alien.
The second turned tail and fled.
Fox popped out of his hiding spot and sped after it. “Come on,” he growled.
Kelvin bounded after Fox, losing sight of him around the bend.
He arrived at the junction, looking in all directions, but he couldn’t see or hear anyone.
“Fox?” he said. “Where are you?”
A commotion in the right corridor grabbed his attention.
A door burst open, and Fox emerged in the hallway, running. “Back to the skimmer.” His breaths were coming fast.
Five Drahk crashed through the door after Fox.
Not needing to be told twice, Kelvin ran ahead, Fox catching up to him almost instantly.
Damn Vosans are fast.
Luckily for him, the Drahk were no faster than humans.
They arrived back in the maintenance shaft and Fox shoved Kelvin inside. “Move it, Ernest. They’re right behind us.”
Kelvin reached the hole and pulled himself through. His belt got stuck again. “Shit.”
Fox pushed him from behind and he tumbled onto the platform outside.
He turned to help Fox through and found him facing down a squad of Drahk.
“Fox?” A particularly tall guard with a hideous scar said. “Bring him to Lord Vismark.”
Fox fired his blaster, taking two down before three more pounced on him. He slipped free but a another caught hold of his leg and he fell to the floor.
He tried to get up again, but the Drahk with the scar slammed the butt of the rifle in the back of Fox’s head.
Kelvin scrambled back as they clawed at the hole, snapping and growling.
He spun to the sound of a Drahk gunship and ran for the skimmer. He jumped into the pilot’s seat and ignited the engines, kicking the launch boosters and shooting into the air just as the gunship banked around the corner.
A stream of plasma burst from its canon.
Kelvin pulled the skimmer back, narrowly dodging the sizzling energy.
One hit from that thing and I’m dead.
17
Masters and Frogs
Fox stood inside the dark crate, watching through a narrow slot, unable to move or speak for the invisible blades stabbing at his skull.
The throne room had been split into two camps. A long table had been placed in the middle of the floor. Lord Vismark and his advisors sat at one end, and Lord Darris and his retinue sat at the other. Dozens of Drahk warriors guarded their respective masters at either end of the room.
“Welcome Lord Darris,” Lord Vismark boomed. “I appreciated your agreeing to proceed with the meeting despite the actions of Lord Gauck.”
“Lord Gauck was a fool,” Lord Darris said. “I had a feeling he would attack one of us sooner or later. I hear you dealt with him accordingly.”
“Of course,” Lord Vismark chuckled. “He and his men provided the meat for tonight’s feast. You’ll find his head adorning the feast hall. I look forward to showing it to you.”
“No doubt,” Lord Darris said. “Once again, you’ve proven yourself a worthy ally.”
“I do aim to please,” Vismark said.
“Then perhaps you will tell me what’s inside the crate by the throne,” the Drahk slave lord pointed in Fox’s direction, a hint of nervousness in his tone.
“Ah yes. Nothing to worry about,” Vismark insured him. “It’s a surprise, and you’re going to enjoy it.”
“You should trust your allies.”
“Trust?” Lord Darris spat. “I can’t trust someone who cowers inside a suit. What are you anyway? You’re too slight for a Gladnark. Perhaps you’re a Tharavar or a Simorian. Maybe even a Gaian.”
“I’m a businessman, and we are here to discuss business,” Vismark said, smoothly avoiding the question. “I trust you’ve agreed to my terms.”
Lord Darris sighed. “You’re no fun Lord Vismark. Very well. To business. My accountant will transfer the documents to you this evening. You will notice several adjustments.”
“Such as?”
“Not much. My shareholders have been gnawing at my heels for months, but I simply don’t have the bandwidth to deal with their needs, so I’ll have to take three more shipping lanes than you propose.”
“That’s ridiculous. The seventeen in my proposal were more than generous.”
Lord Darris shrugged. “My shareholders direct the vehicle. I just steer where they want me to go.”
“I’ll settle for one lane and two shipments of Alamonium.”
“Two lanes, ten shipments of Alamonium, and a full transport of first-grade slaves.”
“One lane, three shipments of Alamonium, and half a transport of third-grade slaves.”
Darris pounded the table. “You insult me with a paltry offering, Vismark. You aren’t the only one with a population to feed.”
An advisor tried to whisper something into Darris’s ear, but the slave lord pushed him away. “No. I refuse to deal with someone so unreasonable.”
Lord Vismark spread his hands. “I think what I’ve got in the box will change your mind.”
“I doubt anything you have could do that.” Darris laughed.
“You’d be surprised. I’ve been working on a product that will change the market entirely.”
“Well, I do like surprises.” Darris gave a toothy grin. “But any tricks and I’ll rain fire down on your cities and take everything you hold dear.”
“Please, Lord Darris. Such threats are unnecessary among friends,” Vismark said. “Doctor Grong, let’s put our wares on display.”
“Yes, m’lord,” Grong said. “Tick, open it up.”
Tick grunted as he positioned himself before the crate, blocking Fox’s view of the throne room.
A crack issued from the corner and light spilled into the box.
Tick heaved and the cover snapped off entirely. The large Drahk threw the broken wooden panel over his shoulder and stood aside, clutching his rifle again.
“Come on out, Fox,” the Doctor ordered.
The device drove knives into his head, and his body did as the doctor told him despite his objections. He walked to the table and stopped by Lord Vismark’s side.
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