by Ron Schrader
Most of the people standing nearby and listening to Davis were vocally expressing their fear and doubt. They couldn’t accept that there was any real hope of rescuing their friends and family who’d been made to work in the mines, and they feared for their own lives. Tuck and Dal were the only two willing to consider Davis’ plan.
“We don’t got much more to lose,” said Tuck. “Might as well go out fightin’ if that’s how it plays out.”
“Yeah,” Dal chimed in. “And with just the three of us, maybe we can sneak in easier, not get caught?”
Davis nodded. “Then what are we waiting for?”
As the sun made its way into the sky, the three men began the walk back to where Davis had left the AGV, each man carrying a blade, and Dal carrying the rifle Davis had brought to the camp. There was little more than light conversation as they walked, staying alert with the understanding that Davis was now a fugitive and most likely being pursued.
“It’s down there,” Davis said as they came up over the ridge that looked down toward the opening where he’d landed the night before.
“I don’t see nuthin’ there,” said Tuck, beginning to question everything he’d heard.
“You don’t see it because I turned the cloak on before I left it.”
Dal and Tuck looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
“It’s invisible,” Davis added, seeing their confusion.
As they reached the clearing, they could tell that something was there when the cloak flickered as they came closer to the machine.
Davis reached opened the door revealing the visible interior of the vehicle, located the camouflage switch, and disabled the cloak. In an instant, the AGV appeared before them, almost startling the two locals, who were probably not familiar with any of the technology they’d seen since the general and his fleet had arrived.
They both stood frozen for a moment, staring at the vehicle, wide-eyed, their foreheads wrinkled, a look of awe on their faces.
“You coming?” Davis asked with a smile, breaking their focus on the AGV. He then reached across to the passenger seat and grabbed the second rifle he’d left there.
Dal reacted upon seeing the weapon by aiming the rifle in his hands at Davis. “Not trying to trick us, are ya?” Dal questioned.
Davis slowly held the rifle out with his left hand, barrel pointed toward the sky. “You’ll need this Tuck,” he said cautiously, “in case we’re spotted on the way. I can’t exactly shoot while I’m flying this thing.”
Tuck walked over with a grin on his face and grabbed the weapon. “This ought to be fun,” he said as he climbed into one of the backseats of the vehicle.
Dal followed, walking around to the passenger side, where he climbed in as Davis fired up the engine.
Moments later, the thrusters began pushing the AGV into the sky, and Davis maneuvered it in the direction he’d come from the day before. As the vehicle began to accelerate toward the mine and the general’s ship, Davis wondered if they’d even be able to find the girl without getting themselves killed. Without her help, though, Davis knew the odds of freeing the slaves and getting off this planet alive were stacked heavily against him.
Chapter 14
Reav maneuvered the Ghost quietly in the darkness toward the graveyard of transport ships that rested eerily on the valley floor, adorned with rust and dirt that had gathered over years of neglect.
Kalla could see the Vie in the darkness as they approached, massed together like a swarm of ants guarding their home.
Reav hovered a few meters off the ground, just far enough away from the Vie to give Kalla some distance to start with.
“Okay, you boys ready for this?” she said with a grin. “I’ll keep them occupied as long as I can, so do what you need to do. And try to hurry, please.” Kalla toggled a lever that opened the side door.
“Don’t let them get too close,” Jarek warned as he grabbed hold of Kalla’s arm and pulled her toward him.
She stared into his eyes and smiled, quickly leaning in to steal a short kiss. “I won’t,” she said softly.
Jarek released his grip on her arm, still looking into her eyes. “Here, you’ll need my sword,” he said while pulling the scabbard from his shoulder and handing the weapon to her. Before she could argue with him, he pushed her away and jumped out of the Ghost, landing on the ground below. “Try and hurry,” were the final words she heard before Reav closed the door.
“Wait!” Kalla yelled as she scrambled back to her feet. “That’s my job.” But it was already done. Jarek had begun yelling and causing commotion down below, which Kalla and Reav could see from the Ghost as they hovered only a few meters above.
With the massive group of Vie now headed his way, Kalla watched helplessly as Jarek took off into the open field, leading them away from their den. “Well, go!” Kalla shouted at Reav, not at all happy Jarek had changed the plan last minute.
“Yes, ma’am!” Reav replied. Without hesitation, Reav skillfully maneuvered the Ghost toward one of the massive grounded vessels, landing on top of the old ship. Reav got up from his seat after shutting the vehicle down and turned toward Kalla. “You’re like him, aren’t you,” he said, stating more than asking. “I knew you weren’t just crazy, but how?”
Kalla went about her business as though Reav had said nothing. “Just lead the way,” she ordered, opening the door. “But stay close.”
Nodding in agreement, Reav walked toward the door and exited the Ghost, pulling a pair of goggles over his eyes that allowed him to see better in the darkness.
Sword in hand, Kalla stayed close behind Reav, alert and ready to eliminate any attacker that dared come near them.
Reav guided them to a service ladder that led down the side of the ship near the entrance. He began climbing down the ladder as Kalla jumped past him and landed on the ground below. Seconds later he reached the end of the ladder, stepped onto the ground, and led them to the entrance, which was already open.
“Is it supposed to be open already?” Kalla asked, cautiously looking all around.
“Probably not,” Reav replied.
“Well, there’s a good chance we’ll run into some Vie, then,” she said as the two walked up the long ramp. “I should go first. Just tell me which way.”
Reav lead the way up the ramp but stopped just short of entering the ship. “After you,” he said, motioning Kalla to take the lead while he reached down to unholster his pistol, preparing for what might come.
The two walked quietly into the hallway from where they had entered the massive ship, paying close attention to their surroundings.
“I can smell them,” Kalla commented just loud enough for Reav to hear her. “Can’t tell how many, but they’re in here.” She listened for a moment until she was satisfied they were clear for now. “Where to?” she asked.
“It’s going to be toward the middle of the ship,” Reav said quietly.
Kalla deducted that due to the size of the ship, and having entered near what looked like the front, they’d need to go fairly deep inside to reach the engine room, putting them at greater risk of making it back to the Ghost without incident. “Just stay close to me and keep quiet,” she urged, tightly gripping the sword as she walked through the long corridor.
Following close behind, Reav directed their course until they found themselves standing just outside the engine room, having avoided any unwanted encounters with the Vie so far. “So how do we get in?” he asked.
With the door shut and no power from the ship to open it, Kalla dug her fingers into the metal and used her brute strength to pry it open just enough for them to slip inside and then back out again with an engine stabilizer in hand.
Reav waited outside while Kalla poked her head in, making sure the room was free of intruders, before squeezing through the opening and stepping inside.
Just as Reav passed through, several Vie dashed toward him, clawing at the entrance, catching part of his arm.
Kalla reacted in
stantly as she pulled Reav away from the attack, swinging the sword rhythmically at the entrance until the small group of Vie had been effectively dealt with. She then turned to Reav and examined his arm to find that only his jacket and shirt had been torn, with no flesh affected. “You better watch it, Reav,” she said with a stern look. “That was a bit too close.”
Reav agreed with a nod and continued leading the way toward the back section of the engine room where several stabilizers could be seen attached to a framework next to the massive engine.
Pulling a small multi-tool from his belt, Reav began the quick work of detaching two of the stabilizers. The last thing he wanted to do was come back here for another part, so he figured that bringing two back would improve the odds of getting one that worked.
Once he’d finished detaching the engine parts, Reav produced a roll of thin rope from his jacket and proceeded to tie straps around the stabilizers, allowing hands-free carrying of the bulky objects. Handing one to Kalla, he slung the other over his head and prepared for the journey back to the Ghost.
Kalla walked to the entrance and stuck her head out to get a good look at the area around the door. Satisfied there was no present danger, she placed the stabilizer outside the room and then slid through the opening. Just as she’d slung the object over her shoulder again, a screech echoed throughout the ship. “We need to go now!” she said ordered as she helped Reav through the opening.
The two began running through the main hall of the ship, Kalla moving only as fast as Reav could run so as not to lose him, but as they ran toward the exit, the screeches seemed to grow louder.
“That-doesn’t-sound-good,” Reav said in between labored breaths, slightly winded from running.
“Just stay close,” Kalla replied.
When they reached the exit, Kalla stepped through the doorway first to find a dozen or more Vie wandering just outside, caught off guard at the presence of two people in their midst. With no time to climb the ladder, she grabbed Reav and threw him up on top of the ship, Reav’s arms and legs flailing about as he flew through the air and smacked down on the cold, hard steel of the ship’s exterior.
“Run!” she yelled up to Reav just before jumping with full strength and landing on her feet atop the ship.
Gun shots from up ahead could be heard as Reav ran toward the Ghost, firing at the Vie that were now climbing like spiders to the top of the vessel. Right behind him, Kalla was slicing her way through a mass of Vie as more and more of them climbed to the top in a crazed frenzy.
Barely making it to the Ghost, Reav jumped inside and guarded the doorway while Kalla rushed through the onslaught of attacking Vie.
Only a few meters away, she launched herself forward. “Close the door now!” she yelled, diving through the opening just in time for the door to shut behind her.
Like ants, the Vie began surrounding the Ghost until it was buried under a blackness of scratching and banging as they attempted in vain to breach the solid metal exterior. But even the glass windows, thick enough to endure the pressure of space, would not give way to the Vie’s attempts to get inside.
Reav raced to the pilot’s chair and fired up the engines, igniting the thrusters and performing a stationary burn. The Vie near the underside of the Ghost were killed instantly by the burning-hot flames, while the rest simply ran from the heat that burned their sensitive skin. Once clear of Vie, Reav launched the small ship into the night sky, several meters in the air, and maneuvered away from the metal graveyard below.
Kalla guided them toward her ship where they had planned to meet up with Jarek, hoping he was already there waiting for them, but as Reav landed the Ghost next to her ship, it was clear that they were alone.
Killing the engines to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention, Reav turned to Kalla, who stood next to him, peering out the cockpit window of the Ghost. “We actually made it,” he exclaimed with a sigh of relief.
Kalla just nodded as she stared out the front window that faced the open field, watching intently for Jarek’s arrival, but within minutes, she was done waiting. She grabbed both of the engine stabilizers and opened the door to the Ghost. “You go home,” she said to Reav before stepping outside the small craft. “I’m going to find Jarek.”
“But I can help,” Reav offered.
“Go home,” she ordered.
Kalla ran toward her ship and jumped up on top with both engine stabilizers and laid them next to the panel containing the damaged part. More concerned with finding Jarek right now, she jumped back to the valley floor. Reav hadn’t left yet, but the Ghost’s engine was running. Assuming he would follow her order to leave, Kalla focused on her search. She stared into the mist, still hoping Jarek would show up on his own, but she didn’t want to waste anymore time waiting.
Not knowing for sure where Jarek had gone, Kalla randomly chose a direction, making the best guess she could, and began to run at full speed. Thoughts flooded her mind as she ran, thoughts of finding him dead. She needed to find him. Suddenly, an idea came to her and she stopped abruptly, standing alone in the darkness. Remembering the connection she’d had with him the other night, she wondered if she could do it again, maybe figure out where he was.
She crouched down and began focusing on Jarek. The connection was made almost immediately, and she was suddenly looking through his eyes. She could see him running through the darkness, the sound of thunder gaining on him from behind. But nothing around him was familiar, leaving her helpless to do more than watch and hope that he’d find a way to safety.
Twenty minutes later, still holding the connection with Jarek, Kalla began to realize that he wouldn’t make it without help. She could almost feel the drain his body experienced as he continued to run for his life from the relentless pack of Vie, and she recognized that his pace was beginning to slow.
Out of nowhere, a metal object suddenly appeared in the distance. As he got closer, Kalla realized, as did Jarek, that it was a mangled and twisted Ghost. He reached the downed ship and began pounding on the door.
“Open the door!” Kalla yelled as she watched, unable to do a thing to help.
Jarek’s gaze turned to the onslaught of Vie headed straight toward him when suddenly he fell backward into the Ghost and the door slammed shut.
Mentally drained from holding the connection for so long, Kalla finally let go, believing Jarek was safe for now. She stood and ran back the way she’d come, planning to fix her ship and then find the damaged Ghost. Having only gone a short distance to begin with, she arrived back at her ship just minutes later and began the task of replacing the broken stabilizer.
Under normal conditions, the repair job on her ship would’ve been easy, fixed in under an hour, but conditions were anything but normal. As soon as she started making noise, Vie began to show up. And while the first few attacks were easy for her to fend off, it soon became clear that she needed to get inside her ship where she’d be safe.
At first she sat, trying to be patient. Then she paced. But the Vie weren’t going anywhere. I’ve got to rescue Jarek, she kept telling herself, but until she could finish fixing her ship, there was nothing she could do.
Giving in, she finally found herself in her own bed, waiting, hoping Jarek was all right. Outside, she could still hear the Vie screeching and banging. Her eyes closed for what seemed like just a second when she woke abruptly, jumping from where she lay.
She ran to the cockpit to find it was morning, no Vie anywhere to be seen. She listened intently before racing to the door and back outside to finish the repair she’d started the night before.
Less than twenty minutes later, she was sitting in the cockpit, ready to fire up the engine for the first time since landing here. Kalla initiated the power sequence on her ship as though there had never been a problem, the soothing hum of the engine sounding just like she remembered it.
About to take off, Kalla heard a faint banging noise. Brushing it off as nothing more than Vie, she began lifting off the ground. But as th
e ship lifted higher, the noise grew louder, coming from up top. Worried that she may have overlooked something during the repair, Kalla landed to investigate.
“It’s about time,” Jarek called out as he jumped down off the ship in front of the open door.
As she watched him standing just inside the doorway, a feeling of relief swept over her. “You’re here!” she said just before running toward him. “Are you okay? Where have you been?” she asked as they embraced.
“I’m fine,” he responded. “Spent most of the night in a broken Ghost with Reav.”
Kalla smiled as she looked up at him, happy and relieved that both men were all right. “I told him to go home,” she said sternly, though inside she was grateful he’d disregarded her order.
“Well, he didn’t, and it’s a good thing,” Jarek replied with some difficulty. “Gave me a chance to rest.”
“I know,” Kalla replied.
Jarek looked at her inquisitively. “What do you mean you know?”
“Oh, nothing,” she said with a smile. “So, speaking of Reav,” she said, changing the subject, “where is he?”
“Still in the Ghost. He needs a ride,” Jarek said. “I’m gonna take a guess and say your ship’s fixed, so whenever you’re ready, let’s go pick him up.”
“How does now sound?” she replied as she turned and walked back aboard her cruiser.
Without responding, Jarek followed her onto the ship and into the cockpit.
Once seated, she worked the controls with ease, starting the engine and preparing to fly. Moments later they were on their way to find Reav, the mission now officially a success.
“So what happened out there last night?” Kalla asked as they searched for Reav and the damaged Ghost.
“Well,” Jarek began, “Reav told me he was heading home like you told him to but decided he’d better stick around and look for me. He never did find me, but fortunately for me, I found him. Said he’d drained the Ghost’s batteries searching and ended up crashing in the middle of nowhere. He was sitting there alone for close to an hour before I spotted the Ghost.”