by M. R. Forbes
The two scientists who had helped them were already there, waiting to go. Only two more scientists broke from the pack. The others were too afraid.
“Ten seconds until the mainframe blows,” Gant said.
“Colonel, ten seconds,” Hayley relayed.
“We need to go, now!” he barked.
Then he was moving, out the door with Hayley slung over his shoulder, the four scientists at his back. Currl moved into the corridor, too, exchanging fire with the soldiers and keeping everyone ahead of them covered.
Hayley held her arm over her face while Quark sprinted down the corridor. Stray rounds found their way past the Curlatin, and one of the scientists fell, hit in the back. Hayley felt a round hit her forearm, skipping off the lightsuit and leaving a painful stab. She kept trying to get her focus back, to restore her sight. They needed her.
They turned the corner, almost at the same time Currl cried out in pain, and his rifle stopped firing. Hayley desperately tried to get herself together, to see if Currl had any qi, but by the time she finally did, they were already halfway down the next corridor.
“Lift is up ahead,” Quark said.
“Currl is down,” Hayley said.
“I know, kid,” he replied. “We’re going to get even with whoever did this, I fragging swear it.”
“Put me down; I’ve got my focus back.”
“Can’t slow down now. Enjoy the ride.”
Hayley could finally see the scientists behind her, trying to keep up but falling further behind. Their qi had returned to a solid white. “The scientists.”
“Sorry, kid. You’re more important to me than they are. I’m getting you out of here.”
The enemy soldiers turned the corner, firing on them. The three scientists blossomed with purple before losing their qi altogether.
Quark reached the next intersection, turning left as bullets hit the wall beside them.
“We’re here,” he said, only stopping and letting her go once they were on the lift. He slapped the controls to send it up.
“Colonel,” she said, a thought worming its way into the forefront.
“What is it, kid?”
“How come we made it to the lift?”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw what the Nephilim are making down here. Why didn’t they release the hounds on us? And why was this lift just waiting for us to get on it?”
Quark’s qi shifted color. “Frag me,” he said softly. “They were herding us?”
“Herding you, I think.”
He cracked his knuckles.
“I guess I’m going to get my fight after all.”
Hayley swallowed hard. Yeah, it seemed like he was.
“Gather your strength, Hal,” Quark said. “You’re going to need it.”
“I’m good,” she replied.
He turned to face her, reaching out and taking her hand in his. “Whatever happens, I want you to know I’m proud of you. The kind of person you are. A million times better than me on your worst day.”
“That’s not true.”
“Of course, it is. And you know it. Also, I’m sorry for bringing you along on this one. I thought this would be a nice, easy mission. A good chance to get your feet wet and a good chance to use your specific skill set. Nobody should have to go through this their first time.”
“Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?” Hayley said.
He smiled. “That’s my girl.”
The lift reached the top of its shaft.
The massive doors started sliding open.
“We walk out together,” Quark said. “No fear.”
“No fear,” Hayley replied, trying to live the mantra. It was easier with the Colonel at her side.
They started walking, across the floor of the lift and out into the warehouse. The trucks and workers were gone, replaced with the modular containers creating a pattern of obstacles and cover across the space.
“Colonel Quark.”
Venerant Devain’s voice echoed in the warehouse.
“That you, Devain?” Quark shouted in reply. “You still pissed I don’t want to have sex with you?”
Hayley looked all around the space. The glow of her naniate-infused qi was visible beyond one of the containers near the back.
“There,” Hayley whispered, pointing.
“I bet she has no idea you can see her. Or that she can’t hurt you. I’ll stall. You go kick her ass.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hardly,” Devain replied. “There isn’t enough coin in the galaxy to make you appealing.”
“I don’t know about that. You went through an awful lot of trouble to bring me and my crew here. I’m going to fragging kill you for what you did to them, by the way.”
Hayley started moving, heading to the closest container and slipping around the side. She stayed tight against it, making it to an opening and sprinting across to the next.
“You and what army, Quark?” Devain said. “Oh, that’s right, you don’t have an army. Your entire Squad is down.”
“How’s your nose?” Quark replied. “I heard my girl Witchy made you uglier than you already were.”
It took a few seconds for Devain to answer. Hayley kept moving, crossing to the next module. She was getting close. Two more containers.
“How’s your ship?” Devain said. “What did you call it again? The Quasar, right? Have you tried to contact it recently?”
Hayley froze at the words. What?
“I don’t believe you,” Quark said, unshaken.
“I don’t care if you believe me. Your ship is gone, Colonel. Blown out of orbit. You’re a test for our latest ground soldiers. Your ship was a test for our pilots.”
“No,” Hayley said softly, shocked into place.
Nibia was on the Quasar, along with the rest of the Riders. She fought back against the tears that wanted to come. No fear. No pain. Not yet. The Nephilim Venerants were liars and manipulators. It wasn’t true until there was proof.
“You want to test me?” Quark said. “I’m waiting, bitch.”
Hayley recovered from her upset, in motion once more. She sprinted to the next container, sliding along the side to the corner.
Her entire field of vision filled with a familiar, blood red qi. She didn’t have a chance to move as a massive hand clamped around her neck, lifting her in the air and pressing her to the container. A large snout with massive teeth hovered in front of her face.
“Got you,” Tibor growled softly.
“And now it looks like I have your girl, Witchy, too,” Devain said.
Quark didn’t say anything at first. Hayley could imagine his qi, the sharpest red she would have ever seen.
A hot wash of putrid breath passed over Hayley’s face. She could only barely breathe against the pressure on her throat.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Devain,” Quark said. “I’ll kill your pets, and then I’ll come and kill you.”
Devain laughed. “You would be dead already if that’s what I wanted, Colonel. You were captured, remember? For the first time ever. You only got out because I let you get out. Your words are nothing.”
“Just fragging do it!” Quark shouted.
“Tibor,” Hayley said softly.
The Goreshin’s qi shifted slightly. Curious.
“Tibor, you don’t have to do this. I saw you before. I saw you kill the soldiers. I know you don’t want to. I know she’s controlling you.”
“Shut. Up.”
A howl from further back drew her attention. A large, dark shape passed between two of the containers, heading toward Quark.
“It’s coming, Colonel,” Devain said. “Wait for it. Oh, and to motivate you a little more? If you win, I’ll let your Witchy go. If not? You know what happens if not.”
“I know you’re her slave,” Hayley said. “That she uses her Gift to keep you in line. To hurt you.”
“I said shut up.”
Hayley could hear Qu
ark’s boots on the floor, moving into position behind one of the modules, preparing for the Goreshin to appear. The one that had rushed past was a good meter taller than Tibor. A monster even bigger and stronger than this one.
“She can’t hurt me,” Hayley said. “I’m immune to the Gift. Let me go. I’ll kill her, and then you’ll be free.”
“You’re lying,” he said.
She could tell by his qi that he wasn’t convinced of his own statement.
“Then how did I break her nose?” she asked. “She can’t stop me. Not with the Gift.”
His qi shifted a little more.
“I can’t. If you don’t, she’ll hurt me worse for trying.”
The familiar sound of a plasma rifle firing filled her ears. She could hear Quark running, the other Goreshin giving chase.
“He’s going to kill Quark,” she said. “He’s going to kill my father. Do you have a father, Tibor? Do you know what that’s like?”
The Goreshin’s qi softened further. “Yes,” he replied. “Devain killed him.”
His hand came off her neck. She dropped to the floor.
“Kill her, and I’ll help you get out of here,” he growled.
She smiled, pulling her Uin and flicking it open. “Consider it done.”
12
Tibor stood in front of her, still red with anger. She glanced at the container where Devain was hiding.
“Can you throw me?” she asked the Goreshin.
“What?”
“Throw me, and then go help Quark.”
“I didn’t promise to help-”
“If he dies, our deal is off.”
Tibor grabbed her by the bulge of the anti-gravity plate on her back, lifting her easily. “I like you,” he said as he shifted his weight, hurling her forward.
She flew through the air, approaching the container, glancing back to see Tibor rushing in the direction of the fight. She rolled in the air, coming down a few meters short of the container and sliding on her knees past the edge. She spun to her feet as she cleared it, only a meter away from Venerant Devain.
“You,” Devain said, turning in Hayley’s direction and lashing out with the Gift. A gout of flame poured from her hands, spreading around Hayley.
From the outside, she appeared engulfed. Inside, she was unharmed, the naniates spreading around her but refusing to engage. She lunged out of the fire, Uin flashing toward the Venerant’s neck.
A shield of naniates rose in front of it, deflecting the weapon as Devain stumbled back.
“Surprise,” Hayley said, following up the attack with a hard punch that caught the Venerant in the jaw.
Devain fell onto her back, barely getting out of the way as Hayley came down, leading with her knee. She rolled back, reaching out with the Gift and grabbing the container beside them, trying to throw it into Hayley.
“No,” Hayley said, sending the command out through the visor. The container rocked and settled. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
She blocked another of Devain’s weak punches, grabbing the Venerant’s arm and twisting it, turning herself over the woman and bringing her knees down on her arms, straddling her. She pressed the Uin against the Venerant’s throat.
“You’re a Seraphim?” Devain said. “An archangel?”
“No,” Hayley replied. “Worse. Call off your dog, or I will kill you.”
Devain smiled, despite her situation. “Quark is going to die. So will you, whether I live or not.”
“Tibor-” Hayley said.
“Tibor is weak. He’s not in charge for a reason. Kill me, if you want. It won’t save him. They’ll hunt you, Witchy. From here to the ends of this world. You aren’t getting off the planet. I wasn’t lying about the Quasar.”
Hayley’s heart felt like it stopped. She glared down at the Venerant.
“Oh, was there someone you cared about on that ship?” Devain said. “They were Riders. You’re a Rider. I suppose there must have been. I didn’t know Quark had a new recruit, especially not one immune to the Gift. I thought the Gant was the only one. It’s too bad it won’t matter. My new soldiers will-”
Hayley pressed the Uin down with a fire and fury that drove it easily through Devain’s neck, killing her instantly.
She only lingered for a moment, bouncing back to her feet and reminding herself that just because Devain said something was so, that didn’t make it so.
A crash sounded from behind one of the containers, followed by a grunt from Quark. A moment later he was thrown out into the open space between the modules, out where Hayley could see him. His qi was covered in purple. His body was broken and probably bleeding out.
A dark shape emerged, walking steadily toward him.
“Tibor!” Hayley shouted. “She’s dead, damn it. Keep your fragging promise.”
The other Goreshin turned at the sound of her voice.
Tibor rushed him from the side, slamming into him, slashing with sharp claws.
They rolled on the floor together, growling and shouting, arms and legs flailing at one another too fast for Hayley to keep up.
She ran across the floor to where Quark lay battered and broken.
“Colonel,” she said. “Dad.”
“Heals so fragging fast,” he said, spitting out blood. “Did I hear you right? She’s dead?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good girl.”
He reached under the collar of his lightsuit, pulling out a small pendant. A Gantean star. It had a small crystal in the center.
“I’ve been holding this thing since I tangled with your mom on Azure,” he said. “In case of an emergency.”
He yanked it from his neck and held it out to her. She stared at it, enthralled with the color of the energy stored within it. She had never seen anything like it.
“Take it,” he said. “Crack it open and shove it down that fragger’s throat. I’m not agile enough, but you are.”
She grabbed the star. His qi was fading, turning darker with each passing second. She glanced at the two Goreshin. The larger one was on top of Tibor, pinning him to the ground.
“Yes, sir,” she said. “Hey, asshole!”
The Goreshin turned his head, looking back at her.
“Yeah, you. Big and ugly. You haven’t fought me yet.”
He laughed, climbing off Tibor. The smaller Goreshin’s qi was weak, but he wasn’t dead.
The Goreshin growled, taking two steps toward her, claws out and ready to fight. Hayley watched his qi, stepping toward him, her Uin in her left hand, the Gantean star in her right.
“Give it your best shot,” he grumbled.
Hayley charged, taking short, quick strides. His qi shifted as he decided on his defense, the color of his energy betraying his intentions. She spun away from his left claw, bending deeply backward to slide under his right. She flicked the Uin closed, hooking her arm around his neck, vaulting over his shoulder and spinning behind him. He tried to reach back and grab her, but his arms didn’t have the range of motion.
“Get off, bitch,” he said, turning to back into one of the containers.
Hayley swung her hand around to his face, breaking the crystal on one of his sharp teeth before dropping it into his mouth, the chain wrapped around his incisor.
She let go, felling between his legs and rolling out ahead of him as his back smashed into the container, leaving a dent in it. He lunged for her, and she just barely managed to dive ahead of him, the edge of his razor claw catching her lightsuit and leaving a large tear in it.
He roared and took a step in her direction.
Then the crystal, and the Goreshin exploded.
Hayley was thrown forward by the force of the blast, sliding meters across the floor. Blood and flesh and bone landed around her, the large humanoid’s demise leaving a stain around the place where he fell.
She picked her head up, first looking back to make sure the Goreshin was dead, and then turning to Quark. His qi was deep purple.
She forced h
erself up, rushing over to him.
“What was that?” she asked.
“The crystal? I have no fragging clue. It came from the Gehenna. Gant said not to use it unless I was desperate.” He laughed. “I guess it worked.”
“It did,” she replied, looking him over. The worst of his wounds was across his pelvis, punctured and broken and bleeding. “You need to unzip your suit.”
“Forget it, kid. I’m not stripping in front of you.”
“Give me a break. I’m a fragging doctor, and I’m not letting you die.”
He grumbled, but he complied. Or at least he tried to. She had to help him out of the armor, pulling it down to his knees and leaving his body exposed. She focused her attention on the wound, pulling another poultice out of a tightpack and placing it on the large gash.
“Are you strong enough?” Quark asked.
“Shut up,” she replied. “I’m doing this.”
“We’re still in enemy territory.”
“I know, that’s why I need to do this. You won’t be able to walk otherwise.”
She put her hand on top of the poultice, calling to the Meijo. It traveled down her arm and into the herb-infused bandage, and from the bandage to his flesh.
The area heated up, the flesh and muscle and bone healing beneath.
“You think what Devain said about the Quasar is true?” Quark asked.
“The Nephilim had better hope not,” Hayley replied.
“My sentiment exactly.”
Quark’s head turned, and he reached for a sidearm that wasn’t there. Hayley could hear Tibor approaching behind her.
“What are you doing?” the Goreshin asked.
He had changed back to his human form, smaller and leaner than his second form, but equally hairless.
“I’m a witch doctor,” Hayley said. “I’m healing his wounds so we can get the frag out of here.”
“You kept your promise. You saved my life.”
“I set you free. Your life wasn’t in danger.”
“Nuls was seconds from killing me. You killed him. You saved my life.”
“Okay, then I guess I did.”
“I have a life-debt to you. I’ll stay with you until I save your life.”
“You don’t have to do that.”