Her eyelids fluttered open and she coughed a smattering of dust. “Screw this crap.” Kyla touched fingertips to the sticky blood on her brow and scowled, wiping away auburn hair clinging to her forehead.
“How are you feeling?”
“Frigging magnificent,” Kyla groused. “How else might I feel after smacking into a planet?”
“Bitter, if I’m any judge. Can you move?”
“Feel like I’ve been tenderized, but I’m still intact. I’ll holler if I feel woozy or forget who I am.”
“Somebody shoot me,” Harun grumbled.
Taylor turned toward the grimacing operative as he tugged straps off his body, leaving wet, red handprints on the material. “Something I’ve fantasized about doing since the day you trundled aboard my ship unannounced,” Taylor asserted.
Harun accepted Taylor’s outstretched hand and winced while he tottered upright. “I’m not eager to experience that again.”
“For once the man is speaking sense,” mumbled Evan. He blinked confusion from his eyes, licked blood oozing between his teeth and massaged one shoulder. “Wasn’t sure you even understood the concept of common sense.”
Taylor ignored throbbing pangs in his skull and faced Connor, glimpsing one arm still propped on a console festooned in cracks. “And what do you have to say for yourself, airman?”
“An adequate enough landing,” Evan admitted. “You’ve had better though.”
Taylor wiped blood from his lips with the back of one hand and frowned when no response came. “Connor?”
Kyla approached the seat, her face wreathed in blood dribbling from the laceration on her forehead, and staggered as though struck. Moisture glistened in her bloodshot eyes, one hand lifted to cover her gaping mouth and breath wheezed out in choked gasps. Taylor hurried alongside and a hollow swell of agony clutched his heart.
“Oh God no,” Taylor stammered.
Metallic shards had ruptured through the piloting station and pierced Connor’s stomach, punching beyond his spine to pin against the chair behind. Eyes glazed with a milky patina stared through the window, focused on the sky he always dreamed of reaching as a child.
“Don’t…don’t do this to us.” Kyla grasped a wadded ball of his shirt and tried to rouse him with delicate shakes. “Wake up, Connor. Come back to us…please.”
Taylor wobbled backward and slapped his hand on a console, no longer trusting his legs. Inhalations burned his throat, his skin flared from a thousand unceasing pinpricks and tears painted runnels down his grimy, marred cheeks.
Evan placed a gentle hand on Kyla’s shoulder. “He’s gone.”
“He…he couldn’t…”
“Your freighter should have struck the surface much harder,” Harun said in a restrained tone. “Connor may have saved all our lives with his piloting.”
“Not for the first time,” responded Taylor, the words straining in his throat. In his mind he could hear a voice saying for the last time, though he could not bring himself to speak the thought himself.
A proximity warning flashed on one splintered terminal, its wail subdued and orange light sputtering. Schematics above the terminal displayed Blinkers on approach with weapons systems armed and locked on the Solar Flare. Taylor tightened his shoulders and closed his eyes, waiting for death to rain down on their crippled freighter. All he could do was hope their actions had given Rinko and the others enough time to broadcast the signal that might end a war. A sacrifice that might make all this worthwhile.
Yet nothing happened. No shots reduced their freighter to a charred crater.
Evan peered at the sky as a Confederacy starfighter sailed overhead in a casual loop. “What gives? The Blinkers have us dead to rights. Why aren’t they finishing us?”
“They want us alive.” Taylor felt a surge of renewed purpose. They would mourn Connor together as a crew, remembering the brave pilot, companion and friend he was, but their grief would need to wait. There was still a job to be done so long as one person continued standing. Taylor stabbed a finger at the nearest functioning console. “Kyla, seal the cargo hold doors and lock down the freighter. We can still keep the military base focused on us. We can give Rinko the time she needs. Our mission isn’t finished yet.”
“You think we can still do this?” questioned Evan.
“We won’t know unless we try.”
“Nothing’s responding,” Kyla replied from the console. “The loading ramp mechanism is a mangled ruin and the bay door was shattered in the crash. I can’t close a damn thing.”
Harun pointed beyond their fractured viewport at an expanse of dirt-smeared snow and lichen stretching for kilometers in all directions. A swift vehicle raced over the surface toward their smoking crash site. “Confederacy Trailblazer transport heading straight for us.”
Taylor unholstered his sidearm, clenched the sweat-stained grip and switched its safety off. “Arm yourselves and prepare to repel boarders.”
*
The sound of cracking gunshots bounced off walls as if thunder roaring on a distant horizon. Alexis crouched against one wall facing the lone entryway into the server hub, her breaths ragged and quivering fingers wrapped around Tessa’s handgun. She stole glances over her shoulder at irregular intervals, watching Rinko breach the military-grade security protocols preventing them from broadcasting.
Alexis steadied her quickened breathing and stared past the half-closed doorway at an empty hallway of austere white, its tranquility belying the deadly skirmish happening beyond. The communication channel between their team remained active and Alexis did not dare disable her receiver, even as her ear filled with frantic dialogue between Tessa and Reyes while they valiantly defended the besieged facility.
“Targets on the move again,” Reyes announced from his position on the roof. “I count nine making an offensive push. Two are down and one still unaccounted for.”
“A fireteam is advancing from the transport and pushing forward close to the treeline,” added Tessa. “They’re using strewn boulders for cover.”
“One down on the northern wall,” affirmed Reyes.
“Two are slipping around the eastern side and trying to flank us.”
“I see them. Nailed one in the chestplate. Damn, I lost the other.”
“She’s mine,” Tessa snarled.
Alexis fidgeted while she listened to their running commentary, almost wishing she could be out there battling alongside her friends and crewmates. She loathed gunfights, preferring instead to operate behind the scenes and provide support where necessary, but Alexis felt painfully helpless at the moment. Reyes and Tessa risked their lives delaying the troops and Rinko disarmed security preventing access to the network, all while Alexis waited. She waited for Tessa or Reyes to fail, she waited for soldiers to reach the communication servers, she waited for Rinko to achieve her objective.
“Sniper!” warned Tessa. “He’s moved beyond my field of vision to the rear of the Trailblazer near a rock outcropping. Canales, can you reach him?”
“I can’t – I’m pinned down!” His voice was strained and muffled, each word a ragged exhalation. “Damn sniper has me in his sights.”
“Hold tight. I’m relocating to another position. I’ll see if I can spot him.”
Sharp detonations struck the facility, followed swiftly by a grinding reverberation that traveled through the floor and rattled Alexis’ knees.
Tessa returned to the line coughing and breathing heavily. “Negative on the relocation. They’ve breached the windows and are launching flashbangs and smoke grenades. I’m falling back to my secondary defensive line.”
“The soldiers are directly beneath me along the wall,” Reyes said. “Be careful, Tessa. They’re moving to your position.”
“Troopers have entered the facility. I repeat, Confederacy soldiers are inside the installation. I’m moving to intercept. Canales, get your ass down here and—”
Gunshots interrupted her words and the communication channel fell silent.
>
Alexis licked her lips and pivoted toward holographic screens. “Rinko? Tell me you’re done.”
“I’ve almost circumvented the firewalls.”
“Confederacy troops are in the building. We don’t have long.”
“I already told you I can’t just – wait, I’m through!” Rinko hollered. “Local planetary defense network bypassed. I need you to connect with the long-range transceivers while I finish uploading all data packets to the system.”
Alexis shoved the handgun into her flight suit, abandoned her position and ran to the array of consoles. “I’m reorienting the installation’s antennas to establish a link with the Tangaroan communication relay. We’ll know soon enough if this is feasible.”
Rinko’s deft fingers seemed to move with a will of their own, leaping between keys and terminals as she continued her own upload to the network. “I’ll be ready in a moment.”
“Comm relay coming online and accepting my command authority,” Alexis announced. “Signal strength and orbital position are optimal. I’m connecting to Elathan and Delbaethi frequencies, along with all Confederacy naval vessels registered in the network that are within two parsecs from our location. The only ones I can see are a task force in the Tuatha system and the Ninth Fleet stationed on the Badarian Trade Route in the Tasian Sector. I’m also programing the signal to ping back from the comm relay and transmit to the military base here on Kanaloa.”
“Will that work?”
Alexis offered a shrug without slowing her dancing fingertips. “Maybe? It’s worth a shot.”
“What about broadcasting farther afield?”
“I’m accessing the faster-than-light network, but with FEDRA monitoring all communications in the Heliades, I can’t guarantee when or even if our information will reach the naval authorities. We’ll have to hope the Ninth Fleet is enough.”
Rinko tightened her shoulders and climbed onto her tiptoes, a habitual mannerism when stricken by nervous anticipation. “Upload complete. I’m transferring system control to you.”
Alexis inhaled one final breath and initialized the sequence. “Transmitting all files to the comm relay.”
A progress bar materialized on one screen, sweeping across at an agonizing pace. Finally the green column flashed and a blinking message appeared on the monitor:
BROADCAST SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.
“You did it,” Alexis whispered.
Rinko sagged and braced herself on one counter wearing a fragile smile. “We all did.”
Alexis turned away and spoke frantic commands over their communication channel. “Reyes, Tessa, withdraw to our position. Do you copy? Disengage and fall back. Does anyone read me?”
“The line is still active,” said Rinko.
“If anyone can hear, please answer me.” Droning static countered Alexis’ entreaties. “Something’s wrong. I need to go find them.”
Rinko gripped her wrist with one hand. “You can’t!”
“I’m not leaving them out there. Stay here. I’ll be back soon. Promise.”
Alexis scurried through the entry gripping her handgun, hugged one wall along the short hallway and emerged into a chamber foggy with pale gray smoke. Blinking moisture from her stinging eyes, she slid behind a desk and surveyed the area, her ears aching from constant gunshots firing in the enclosed space. She moved between furniture riddled with bullet holes, brushing wood and plastic shavings on the floor with her boots, and noticed Tessa crouched among upended chairs and overturned desks. Ejected casings and spent magazines littered tiles at her feet.
Tensing her muscles, Alexis scampered closer and thumped to a stop pressed against one table, peering down a slender pathway with her gun raised. She squeezed the trigger and loosed incapacitating rounds at the blurred silhouette of a soldier positioned ahead. The crackling energy spirals missed and burst through a window beyond, leaving a scorched circle enveloping the hole.
“The mission’s finished, Tessa,” Alexis yelled. “Rinko broke past their security routines and transmitted the data. We need to leave. Where’s Reyes?”
Tessa rammed a fresh clip into her rifle. “Lost contact with him a couple minutes ago.”
Alexis felt her face grow ashen and cold. “Does that mean…?”
“Don’t know what it means, except he isn’t able to respond.” A bullet pierced the wooden barrier and sprayed tiny slivers in an arc, battering Tessa like needles. She hissed and ducked behind their cover with welts rising from her cheek and neck. “Get back inside with Kaneshiro and barricade the door. I’ll hold them off.”
“Not without you!”
Tessa snapped upright above the desk and fired several rounds. “You’re not throwing your life away for me. Now go, damn you! I’ll provide cover.”
Alexis hunkered against one desk as bullets splintered furnishings and shattered electronics, raining mangled pieces through her hair. She braced one hand on the surface and prepared to sprint, casting a final glance toward Tessa as she stood and squeezed off a quick burst.
Tessa voiced a stifled wail and tumbled backward into a twisted fall, her arms flailing and blood spurting from her chest.
A piercing shriek fled Alexis’ throat. “Tessa!”
Alexis darted under a hail of gunfire and skidded alongside, dragging one boot through red splotches sullying the floor. Dark ruby stained Tessa’s flight suit above the gunshot wound, spreading tendrils over the fabric like meandering rivers.
Tessa grimaced and inhaled shaky breaths through her clenched teeth. “I t-told you to l-leave.”
“I’m getting you out of here whether you want me to or not.” Alexis flung Tessa’s arm over her shoulders and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Think you can cover us while we run?”
“You’re a st-stubborn piece of work, Lawrence.”
“Too late to change now.”
Alexis heaved upright with Tessa’s weight settled on her and lugged the weakening woman, each ungainly stride a struggle against exhaustion and burning muscles. Tessa lifted her rifle in one wavering hand and discharged rounds at soldiers positioned throughout the smoke-hazed research installation.
Broken computers and equipment became tangled underfoot and Alexis felt warm liquid from Tessa flowing down her ribcage. She raised her handgun and fired indiscriminate rounds at any shadow she glimpsed until the handgun clicked empty and Alexis let the weapon drop.
One bullet tore into Tessa’s thigh above her prosthetics with a splash of red and she pitched sideward howling, thrusting Alexis against monitors adorning one wall. Her shoulder bashed the surface with a jarring crunch and left cracks in messy, concentric rings. Alexis shoved off and willed her wearying body to keep moving. The narrow corridor leading to the server room waited ahead, its entrance within reach.
“Almost there,” Alexis promised. “You survived having your legs crushed. You can survive this.”
She stumbled around the corner toiling to stay on her feet, cringing against cramps slithering down her legs during the final desperate stretch. Rinko stood at the threshold waving them onward. She rushed outside to meet them and helped bridge the distance until they crossed into the chamber.
Tessa slumped onto her knees and collapsed vomiting blood, dragging Alexis down with her and sending the weapon skittering across tiles.
Alexis dived away from the door as a bullet pinged into its surface. “The gun, Rinko!”
“Your flight suit, Lex.” Rinko lay on the floor and held Alexis in an unwavering stare, her eyes no more than frightened shells. “You’re covered in blood.”
“It isn’t mine.” Alexis retrieved the assault rifle and shoved it into Rinko’s hands. “This is still coded to Tessa. Slice through the biometrics so I can use it!”
Rinko spun the weapon across her lap and set to work while Alexis turned toward the entry, her heart thumping an erratic, thudding rhythm. “Come on, come on.”
“I’m trying!” Rinko barked.
Shadows appeared from the corridor beyond
and Alexis heard footfalls as soldiers closed in on their location. With their adversaries cornered and wounded, no trooper could afford a lapse in caution. Gun muzzles poked around the corner, followed by barrels and gloved hands holding the weapons.
“Here!”
Alexis wrenched the rifle around, spun onto her knees and unloaded a punishing burst of sizzling electrical currents. The cascading streaks caught one trooper on the torso and scorched through his protective chest armor, sending ripples of blue-white lightning branching over his body. A second soldier leveled her weapon but arcing bolts ripped across her stomach, marring the uniform in blackened, powdery ash, and she crumpled to the floor with rigid fingers still clenching her rifle. Alexis tossed her depleted firearm aside and lunged for the entry, glimpsing troopers spread throughout the chamber beyond.
She slammed the door shut, flinching while bullets dented against its surface, and bolted the lock in place. “That won’t hold them for long.”
Rinko’s soft voice drifted to her ears. “Alexis.”
She turned and saw Rinko kneeling beside Tessa. Spasms racked her body and bubbling globules of vivid cardinal vented from her mouth with each fumbling attempt to draw breath. Fluids leaked from shorn clothing and spread outward in a glossy puddle.
“Tessa doesn’t have much time left,” Rinko said.
Alexis lowered herself to the ground, unmindful of the blood tarnishing her boots and pants, and wrapped her fingers around the fallen woman’s warm, twitching hand. “Tessa, can you hear me?”
Quavering pupils found Alexis and Tessa responded with a frail nod, her lips clenched and trying to staunch the gurgling flow.
“You saved our lives,” Alexis affirmed. “Rinko and I could never have done this without you.”
“Evelyn,” she whispered.
“Who’s that? I don’t know what you mean.”
“My n-n-name…my name is Evelyn.”
Rinko clasped her other hand and leaned forward. “Thank you for all you did, Evelyn. For us, for our crewmates, and for Elatha. I’m proud to have known you.”
Evelyn struggled to spread her lips in a smile but a violent shudder seized her body and both legs convulsed. Jade eyes wilted and a final, burbling wheeze fled her throat. Alexis released the limp hand and slumped backward until her back touched one wall.
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