by Sarah Noffke
“Several months?” asked Julianna with alarm. “We can’t wait that long. Felix is up to something.”
“I figured you couldn’t. Also, the orders keep getting backlogged, so I’m guessing something is wrong on the mining end. I suspect as much at least, based on what I know about where they come from,” said Hatch.
“What about it?” asked Eddie.
“They can only be mined from a single planet called Berosia. It’s an incredibly underdeveloped world way out on the frontier,” said Hatch.
“We’re used to that sort of thing,” said Eddie. “So you need us to buzz over there and mine you some crystals, is that right?”
“I wish it were that simple. Mining isn’t an easy operation. It involves explosives,” said Hatch.
“Why didn’t you lead with that?” asked Eddie. “I’m all over this.”
“I understand that Lieutenant Fletcher has someone on his team who is skilled with explosive ordinance,” said Julianna.
“Yeah, they needed those to fight the Mamaths,” said Eddie, nodding.
“You’re going to need Fletcher’s team,” cut in Hatch. “That’s the other piece of this. I suspect that the reason the crystals are on backorder is that the planet is overrun with pirates. They know that the aether is highly valuable and many of them go to great lengths to steal and sell them on the black market.”
“Fight some pirates and steal some cloaking crystals,” said Eddie, slapping his hands together. “We can do all that. Then you’ll have what you need to make our personal cloaking devices?”
Hatch nodded, his gaze back on the Q-Ship as he drifted off into deep concentration.
“Captain?” asked Pip.
“Yes?” answered Eddie.
“Will you remember me in a day?” asked Pip.
“Of course, buddy,” said Eddie, giving Julianna a curious look. “What’s with these questions?”
“Knock-knock,” said Pip.
Eddie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, I’ll indulge you one last time. Who’s there?”
“What? You’ve forgotten me already!” said Pip, laughing at his own joke.
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Berosia Airspace, Davida System
Berosia wasn’t an easy planet to get to, making the crystals even more valuable. The QBS ArchAngel had to gate twice, and still the planet was a good way off.
“I think we should consider jumping back to the ship,” said Julianna to Eddie.
He read the hesitation in her voice. “You’re worried we’re going to run into trouble?”
“I’m betting on it, based on past experience,” said Julianna. “Carnivore, this is Strong Arm. Do you copy?”
The comm clicked several times before Lars’ voice came over it. “Copy, Strong Arm. I’m right behind you.”
When given the option to stay on Kezza, Lars declined immediately. He said he’d enjoyed reconnecting with his family, but his duty was with Ghost Squadron. Since then, he’d appeared lighter, like a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Julianna suspected that many of his demons had been buried on Kezza, all for the better.
“I see that,” said Julianna. “We’re landing on the eastern side of the mountain straight ahead.”
The planet of Berosia was as Hatch had described it—completely undeveloped. It reminded Julianna of Sagano, with its thick forests and tropical climate.
“The mountain that looks like a lady’s face,” said Eddie, apparently trying to clarify. There was a row of mountains ahead.
“A human lady or a Kezzin female?” joked Lars.
“Since she has a round nose and smooth cheeks, I’m going with ‘human lady,’” said Eddie.
“I see the one you’re talking about. You humans sure are ugly,” said Lars.
“Right back at you, buddy,” said Eddie.
“All is clear for landing,” said Pip overhead. “I’ve scouted and founded no evidence of pirate activity.”
“Well, maybe the good doctor was overly cautious and worried over nothing,” said Eddie. He turned around, looking at Lieutenant Fletcher. “Have your team on high-alert anyway. Pirates are masters at hiding and those trees could be covering a lot.
“Yes sir,” said Fletcher. “I suspect you’re right.”
Julianna set the Q-Ship down at the base of the mountain, in a clearing of sorts. She watched the radar as Lars did the same thing. He was carrying the other half of Fletcher’s team, as well as a few rounds of the explosive. The supply had been divided up, for obvious reasons.
Julianna stood up and looked at the lieutenant. This was their first real mission together. She and Eddie weren’t used to having a team of soldiers, and although it was supposed to make their job easier, it also made it more complicated.
“Comms up?” asked Julianna.
There was a collective yes from the ship.
“Lieutenant, the captain and I are going to go in first to survey the area. Wait for our orders,” said Julianna.
He nodded his consent. “We’ll be ready and waiting.”
“Great,” replied Julianna and then her gaze fell to the floor of the Q-Ship. “Carnivore, I want you with the Q-Ships. We need to be in position to make a fast get away if something happens. Do you copy?”
“Copy, Strong Arm," answered Lars. “I’ll keep visual from this location.”
“Very good,” said Julianna, securing her weapons. Seriously, they needed better guns. After mining a bunch of cloaking crystals, their next mission needed to be to steal real weapons. Maybe if they encountered any pirates on this trip they’d have something decent they could confiscate.
“All right, ready to roll out,” imparted Eddie, giving her an excited look.
“Let’s go and see what this planet is all about,” said Julianna.
~~~
A hot wind hit Eddie’s face when they disembarked from the Q-Ship. Whereas Sagano was covered in flat lands and forests, Berosia was uneven terrain and littered with tall peaks.
“Up for a hike?” asked Eddie, looking up at the steep jaunt ahead. According to Hatch, this was the location for a large crop of the crystals.
“Why is it so quiet?” asked Julianna, looking around, worry on her face.
“Why are you always fretting? Maybe there aren’t any pirates. Maybe Hatch was being overly concerned,” said Eddie.
Julianna scanned the tropical forest where they stood, an uncertain look on her face. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right about this place. There’s no noise.”
“No noise is good, me thinks,” said Eddie, his laugh loud in the silent forest.
“I don’t know,” Julianna repeated. “Let’s get up to that ridge and to the mouth of the first set of caves. From up there we might get a better idea of what’s going on here.”
“And remember that it could be nothing. There’re thousands of mountains on this planet, all rich with these crystals. We might have chosen an untapped one,” said Eddie.
“Which is why there’s a clear trail all the way up there?” asked Julianna sarcastically.
“Good point, Fregin. Never mind. We’re probably screwed,” said Eddie.
“Probably,” agreed Julianna, setting off first.
~~~
The hill… Well, it wasn’t really a hill. The mountain—the giant steep-ass mountain—sloped straight up, requiring the pair to lean forward and use their hands to secure their balance several times. If Julianna and Eddie, both enhanced individuals, were having this much trouble hiking up to this cave, Eddie thought it was unlikely that pirates could do it on a good day.
He observed that Julianna wasn’t out of breath, although the hike was taking a toll. This was the first time he had seen her break a sweat.
She straightened slightly and looked at the valley below. They’d only been hiking a short while and already gone up a couple thousand feet in elevation, which gave them a killer view.
“Q-Ships look like little ants down there,” said Eddie.
“Th
ey sure do.” Julianna nodded over to a wide ledge below them. “Maybe we should have parked the ships right there.”
He laughed. “Yeah, but then we wouldn’t have gotten in this amazing hike.”
“True, but my concern is for the team,” said Julianna. “If it took us this much effort to get up the mountain, just think about how long it will take them.”
Static filled the comm for a moment. “Fletcher here. You worried us normal humans are going to hold you back?”
“We’re banking on it,” said Eddie. “And Strong Arm is right. This mountain is a bitch. Pip and Lars, can you relocate the ships here? Keep them cloaked, though, since they’ll be in the wide open.”
“Copy, Blackbeard,” said Lars. “I’ll follow behind Pip.”
Eddie looked to Julianna, sweat beading on his forehead. “Good call, Commander. You’re always thinking.”
“Thank—”
Shots from below sprayed the side of the mountain, making both duck down at once. Gravel and rock flew up from the attack. Out in the wide open, there was nowhere for Julianna and Eddie to go except for up, away from the assault.
“We’re under attack,” whispered Julianna, moving faster than before. “Fletcher, we need your team on as back up now.”
“We’re in transport. We’ll be on the ground in—”
“Twenty seconds,” said Lars, completing Fletcher’s sentence.
Shots from overhead fired into the tree from the cloaked Q-Ships.
“We’ve got you covered,” said Pip over the comm.
Shots fired from the mouth of the cave zoomed right past their heads. Eddie dove onto Julianna, knocking her flat to the ground. From on top of her, he covered his head from the oncoming bullets.
“We have enemy fire from the cave,” said Julianna.
“I’m on it,” said Lars. “Pip, take care of the forest floor.”
“We need those Q-Ships on the ground. We’re stranded over here,” yelled Eddie, his face pressed into Julianna’s.
“My team is jumping out right now,” said Fletcher. “Pip needs to be able to maneuver.”
Eddie pushed up off of Julianna when all he could hear was the firing from the Q-Ships. She gave him a strange look—relief mixed with awkwardness. “Sorry if I invaded your personal space. Didn’t want to see holes in you.”
“Thanks. I’ll survive the trespassing,” said Julianna, taking the hand he offered her. She swiveled her head over her shoulder, eying the cave.
“Do you think you got them, Carnivore?” asked Eddie.
“Hard to tell,” said Lars. “We’ll cover your backs from here.”
“My team is on the ground,” said Fletcher over the comm, but Eddie could clearly see them as they moved ahead, guns at the ready.
“Whoever was firing has either been shot down or has retreated,” said Fletcher.
“Or they’re waiting to ambush us when we get up there,” said Julianna.
Fletcher agreed with a nod. He yanked a grenade from the side of his arm and pulled out the pin. Then he threw it toward the mouth of the cave, a good distance from the group. Everyone covered their heads at once, bracing for the explosion. It rocked the mountain a moment later, making many lose their footing.
Through the dust of the explosion, Julianna said, “You think blowing up the cave is a good idea? What if you block our entrance?”
“Then I’ll blow us up a new one,” said Fletcher, his voice light and calm in the face of all this danger. Eddie instantly liked the guy more. It was easy to keep ones cool on a regular basis, but to do so when in battle was impressive. It was the mark of a true soldier.
“You’re the explosive expert, so whatever you say,” said Julianna.
“I appreciate that,” said Fletcher, motioning to a few of his team members who had explosives strapped to their back. Carrying them into the mountain was a dangerous job, but Fletcher’s team had nearly fought over the responsibility. “You three, I want you to spread out. Don’t clump together in case one of your explosives gets triggered.”
They all nodded at once.
“Commander, you ready to see who’s waiting for us?” asked Eddie.
“Yes, and let’s hope the gunfire was a mistake. Otherwise we’ll hand them their asses on a fucking silver platter,” said Julianna.
“With a side of fries and a cold beer,” said Eddie. Oh, that sounded so good right then it made his stomach give a lurch. He rubbed his abdomen. Just wait, he told himself.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lady Face Mountain, Planet Berosia, Davida System
Scurrying down low, Julianna sped up the last bit of scree, throwing her back against the front of the cave. Eddie followed suit, meeting her on the other side. Fletcher’s team were stationed down lower, crouched close to the rock-strewn ground.
“Fire on the ground has ceased,” said Lars over the comm. “We will stay on alert.”
Julianna didn’t answer. Instead she peered around into the mouth of the cave. It was dark and smelled of minerals and dank. Only a few feet away were the bodies of three Kezzins. Pirates by the look of their dress and shitty guns.
She kicked the nearest pistol away right as Eddie joined her. He leaned down and checked the bodies.
“Dead,” he said, standing.
“It’s their own damn fault. We just came to grab a few crystals. No one had to die,” said Julianna.
“When have you ever known pirates to share?” asked Eddie surveying the rest of the cave from where they stood.
“I guess I believe people will change,” she said, her tone coated in condescension.
“No, you don’t. Otherwise you’d be a therapist and not a soldier,” said Eddie.
“Can’t put anything past you,” said Julianna as Fletcher arrived beside the pair.
“I have one of my snipers hidden in the trees. She’ll assist the ships with clearing out the pirates below,” said Fletcher.
“Great,” said Eddie, breathing deeply. “Now we just have to get through these pirate-infested tunnels.”
“Luckily Hatch provided us an option,” said Julianna. She reached into her pack and pulled out a small drone, about the size of the palm of her hand. It was, of course equipped with a camera, but in a dark cave, that would provide little help. She fired the drone up and it rose into the air, sending out sonar pulses immediately. This told the device about the space around it and where it was free to fly. Julianna nudged the drone which hovered directly in front of her and it shot forward, flying down the open cave that disappeared into blackness.
Also from her pack, she retrieved a radar screen. Currently it had a single blue light, which told the location of the drone.
“It knows to keep flying forward, right?” asked Eddie.
“Correct,” said Julianna. “It’s a scouting drone so it won’t retreat until we call it back.”
“Or it gets blown up,” said Eddie.
“Which will give Hatch yet another reason to want you dead,” said Julianna.
“It wouldn’t be right if he didn’t despise me just a little bit,” said Eddie as a red light blinked on the screen.
“Found one,” said Julianna, eyeing the screen. “Looks like the next pirate isn’t too far ahead.”
“Why do you have to assume it’s a pirate?” joked Eddie.
“Well, it could be Little Red Riding Hood and she’s lost as fuck, but I’m going to go with pirate,” said Julianna.
Another red dot blinked on the screen.
“Think we just found Grandma,” said Eddie.
“Two pirates,” Fletcher said, sounding confident. “My team can handle that if you want to stay here and send back surveillance from the drone.”
At once, a blanket of red dots consumed half the radar. Ten to fifteen of them.
“I don’t think that’s Red and grandma after all,” said Eddie.
“I’m guessing that’s a large cave room where they are mining,” said Julianna.
Eddie nodded.
“What happened?” asked Fletcher.
“It appears they know we’re here and spying,” said Eddie.
“Which means we need to get a move on it before they have time to react,” said Julianna. “Let’s try for diplomacy and if that doesn’t work we hand them their ass.”
“In a doggy bag,” added Eddie.
“We’re going in first.” Julianna gestured to herself and Eddie. “Fletcher, keep your team on our heels. Explosives stay here until we clear the pirates.”
“Yes, Commander,” said Fletcher, retreating to convey the orders to his men.
Julianna gazed over at Eddie, who looked like a kid on Christmas morning. “You know the plan. Let’s move out.”
~~~
Together, Eddie and Julianna moved soundlessly through the darkened cave. Their enhanced vision made it so they could make out the curve of the walls and the slope of the ground. An ambient light shone ahead giving them all they needed to sneak through the caves. Conversely, Fletcher’s team would be carrying flashlights, but they were still at the entrance of the cave.
The noises of footsteps and whispering echoed ahead. Eddie halted at a bend in the tunnel, sure that the pirates were stationed just head. He pulled a small blue marble from his pocket. He was certain he would have to use this, but he’d agreed to try Julianna’s approach first.
“We come in peace,” she began, her voice clear and loud. The noise in the cave area ahead halted. Eddie could have sworn he heard the Kezzin all hold their breath.
“We aren’t here to fight. We’ve come for a supply of aether crystals. That’s all,” continued Julianna.
There was a loud laugh. “You’re mistaken, human. This is not your mountain and you aren’t wanted here.”
“Give us a supply of aether and we will leave then,” said Julianna. She was poised, her tone full of strength. It was impressive, although Eddie still didn’t think this would work. Negotiating with pirates was a nasty business.
This time many of the Kezzin laughed together, a sound like wood being sawed. “Do you have any idea how much these crystals are worth?”