by M. R. Forbes
The rounds whipped past her, whistling in her ears, striking the ground at her sides. Somehow, they missed their aim a little bit off, just long enough for a group of Outworlders to show up from nowhere, firing into the back of the soldiers.
“Serendipity,” Gant said in response to the surprise defense, rushing up to Abbey’s side. His face changed as he looked at her. “Oh. Uh. Queenie. You have. Oh.”
Abbey looked down. She thought the slugs had missed her. They hadn’t. She had four holes across her abdomen, all of them surrounded by fresh blood. She still didn’t feel a thing.
“Whoa,” Benhil said, seeing the damage. “Shit, Queenie. I’m sorry.”
“Shut up,” Abbey said. “I’m not dead. Keep moving.”
“What? Are you kidding?”
“No,” Abbey said. “Move, Reject.”
She didn’t know what the hell was happening, and there was a part of it that was scaring the shit out of her. There was also a part of her that was grateful for it. If whatever Clyo did had made her bulletproof, right now she would take it.
Then again, if she were bulletproof, that meant at least some portion of Thraven’s followers were, too.
“There,” Pik said, pointing as they crossed the spaceport. The Imp was visible ahead, slightly shrouded by smoke from a nearby ship.
“Hold up,” Airi said, freezing them while a Shrike blew past, searching for targets. “Go.”
They ran the last hundred meters, sprinting for the Imp. Abbey reached it first, entering the code to lower the ramp and waiting while the others piled in. She scanned the air one last time, noticing one of the Shrikes slowing and turning back toward them.
“We’ve been spotted, Luc. Cold launch.”
“I don’t know if this thing can hold up to a cold launch, the way she was shaking before,” Bastion replied.
“I’m on it,” Gant said, crouching in the area between the seats and working to unscrew the cover there with a small piece of metal he pulled from his pants pocket. He vanished below the floor as Abbey closed the ramp and the engines came online, making the whole ship shiver.
The Imp shrilled a sharp warning tone.
“Shit,” Bastion said. “We’re marked. Whatever you’re doing down there freak-monkey, you better make it quick.”
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?” Gant said. “Give me a few seconds.”
“We don’t have a few seconds. I’m hitting the throttle.”
“Wait,” Gant said.
It was too late.
The Imp lurched forward, knocking Abbey back as she tried to reach a seat. The Imp vibrated harder than anything she had ever experienced, threatening to tear itself apart in the process.
“You asshole,” Gant said.
Abbey grabbed hold of the side of the ship as they were bounced around, the stabilizers struggling to keep the ship level.
“Frag it’s hard to fly her like this,” Bastion said.
“I told you to wait,” Gant shouted. “I’m going to break your face when we get back to the Faust.”
Abbey pulled herself to the front of the shuttle, falling into the co-pilot’s seat. The Shrikes were adjusting course, changing direction to attack them. A few of the other ships were starting to rise from the spaceport at the same time, attempting to escape.
“Use them as cover,” Abbey said, pointing.
“I’m trying. I’ve got about fifty percent control like this.”
“Gant,” Abbey said. “Tell me you have something.”
“I’ve got something,” Gant said. “Don’t get us killed for another five seconds or so.”
A plasma bolt hit the side of the Imp, absorbed by the shields but still managing to knock it sideways.
“Ow,” Gant shouted. “I said don’t get us killed, you worthless piece of farble.”
“Farble?” Bastion said, his translator glitching as badly as Abbey’s.
“There,” Gant said.
The Imp responded with an echoing clang, the vibration vanishing instantly. Bastion hit the throttle, changing vectors and swooping down toward one of the rising starships, two Shrikes giving chase.
“Wooo. Yeah,” Bastion said, rolling the Imp and crossing beneath the ship, so closely that the top of the shuttle nearly brushed the hull. He snapped it up and over as one of the Shrikes slowed to make the maneuver, and the other crashed into the ship, passing through its shields and exploding.
Then they were streaking toward orbit, ascending in a smooth, straight line with the other Shrike still trailing. The smaller Outworld ships were deadly to slower maneuvering freighters and battleships and could go toe-to-toe with the best of the Republic’s starfighters. Against the shuttle? It should have been no contest, but Bastion turned it into one.
The Imp slipped and rolled, the vibrations gone, the engines reacting with an acute sensitivity that belied the design. Wherever Captain Mann had gotten her, the engines had been tweaked, the computers updated, the vectoring thrusters overhauled. They spiraled and corkscrewed, evading the Shrike’s plasma bolts as they streamed around them, threatening to put a well-placed bolt into their vulnerable rear.
“Ruby, we’re coming in,” Abbey said, contacting the synthetic.
“I’m tracking you,” Ruby replied. “On an intercept course. Passing coordinates now.”
“Got ‘em,” Bastion said. “ETA fifteen seconds.”
The Imp continued to haul ass, through the upper edge of the atmosphere and into the vacuum beyond. Abbey could see the larger invading battleship now. It was unlike anything the Outworld was supposed to possess. Nearly two kilometers long, tall and wide, with a twin bow and a deep hull. It was stationary in space, unchallenged by the remaining ships around it. The battered remains of a Republic cruiser was sitting a few hundred kilometers off the port side.
Not the Fire or the Brimstone. That meant Thraven had more than just Shrikes under his control. Where had he gotten that ship?
It was a question for another time, one of the dozens that were floating around in Abbey’s head. The order of the universe was unraveling before her eyes. Her personal order was twisting into chaotic knots. She absently ran her hand over her stomach, feeling the holes in the softsuit there. She should have been dead or dying on the tarmac of the spaceport, or back in Mamma Oissi’s personal lounge. She shouldn’t be here, now, on the verge of making it back to the Faust.
She snapped back to the present. The Faust was on their starboard side, cutting across on an intercept vector, rotated so the hangar was in line with them. The Shrike was still firing, the plasma bolts slapping the larger ship’s shields, the turrets along the sides turning to fire back. Lasers pulsed around the Imp, invisible beams marked by flashes of light from the hull to help them evade the attack. Bastion sailed them smoothly around, leading the trailing enemy into the fire and laughing as it vanished from the shuttle’s HUD.
“You stupid ass,” he said. Then he slammed on the reverse thrusters, guiding the Imp into the hangar. Abbey felt the momentum shift, the gravity change, and then the shuttle dropped on heavy gear, dipping slightly before coming to rest.
“Lucifer,” Abbey said.
“On my way,” Bastion replied, ditching the pilot’s seat and rushing to the rear of the craft. Gant had already hit the door controls, giving him room to slip through the crack.
“Ruby, Lucifer is on the way. Get us out of here.”
“Aye, Queenie,” Ruby said.
Abbey trailed Bastion from the shuttle. “The rest of you, get secured in case things get bumpy.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Pik replied for them.
Then Abbey was sprinting to the exit, through and to the central ladders, up and forward to the cockpit. Bastion was already there, seated beside Ruby. He was heading right at the unidentified ship.
“What the frag are you doing?” Abbey said.
“Ruby said Captain Mann might want a good look at that thing,” he replied.
“Frag Ca
ptain Mann, get us out of here.”
“You might be in local command of this crew, but Captain Mann is the Boss,” Bastion said.
Abbey moved forward, wrapping her arm around Bastion’s neck and pulling it back in his seat, choking him.
“Captain Mann left us with orders to do whatever we had to do to finish the mission. That doesn’t include getting blasted by that ship. Now get us to safety, or I’ll break your fragging neck.”
“I.. can’t… breathe…” Bastion choked.
“Ruby?” Abbey said. “I’ve already been shot six times today. I’m not in a good mood.”
“Coordinates are set, Queenie,” Ruby said.
“Lucifer, punch it.”
Bastion reached forward, lowering his finger to the control pad just as the enemy ship started shooting. Abbey’s eyes narrowed at the brightness of the plasma bolt nearly striking them right before they went into FTL, escaping Orunel in a flash.
44
Abbey unhooked her arm from Bastion’s neck, getting back to her feet. The pilot leaned forward, choking and trying to regain his breath.
“You crazy bitch,” he said, sputtering. “You could have fragging killed me. You’re a demon. A damned fragging demon.”
“Ruby,” Abbey said, ignoring him. “Set a course for Drune.”
“Drune?” Bastion said. “Frag. Why?”
“That’s the direction Mamma pointed us. What are you so worried about?”
“Drune is shit. A dustball. Worthless.”
“Not according to Oissi.”
Bastion laughed. “The Rudin we killed because she was trying to kill you? It’s just as likely a fragging trap.”
“I don’t think so, but if it is, it is. That’s our lead.”
“You’re out of your damn mind.”
“Ruby, set a course for Drune,” Abbey repeated.
“Yes, Queenie,” Ruby said, using the co-pilot station to begin entering the coordinates. They would have to come out of FTL to redirect, but that shouldn’t be dangerous between planets.
“And get me a line to Captain Mann.”
“Yes, Queenie.”
“You should be dead,” Bastion said, looking back at her, his eyes fixed on her stomach. “Why aren’t you dead?”
“Because I’m a demon,” Abbey replied. “Take us out of FTL and put us on course to Drune. When that’s done, go find something to do to chill the frag out.”
Bastion’s eyes turned to Ruby.
“Something else,” Abbey said. “Ruby, Captain Mann.”
“I’m initializing the connection now,” Ruby replied.
“Come with me.”
Abbey left Bastion alone in the cockpit, Ruby following dutifully behind her. Gant and Airi were climbing the ladder into the central area of the Faust as they arrived.
“Queenie, you okay?” Gant said.
“I’ll be fine,” Abbey replied. “Where’s Pik?”
“Already up top,” Airi said. “He said he needed to use the bathroom.” She raised an eye. “Where are you going with Ruby?”
“To speak to Captain Mann,” Abbey replied, shaking her head. They needed to reset the synthetic as soon as they had the chance.
“You want to tell him what happened on Orunel?” Gant said.
“He probably already knows what happened on Orunel, or will soon. No, I want to tell him what happened to me, and what Oissi told me.”
“I thought you didn’t trust him.”
“I don’t, but I have a feeling he’s going to be in trouble if I don’t say anything, and he still has the keys to the kingdom.” She tapped the side of her head.
Gant tapped his head, too. She had no doubt he was planning to see if he could do anything about that situation.
“What should we do in the meantime?” Airi asked.
“We’re headed to Drune. Rest, recover, and prepare.”
“As you say, Queenie.”
Abbey continued down the ladder to the small construct module. It was the most isolated spot on the ship.
“I have Captain Mann linked,” Ruby announced.
The small room forced them into close proximity. Abbey could smell the soft lilac scent embedded in the former pleasure synthetic’s skin. No wipe and reset would be able to get rid of that.
“Captain Mann,” Abbey said.
One of Ruby’s eyes changed, projecting the Captain into the air between them.
“Lieutenant Cage,” Mann said, pausing as he got a glimpse of her through Ruby’s other eye. “Don’t tell me. You were just on Orunel.”
“As of about five minutes ago,” Abbey said. “News travels fast.”
“Especially when Republic ships are under assault by an unidentified warship. Do you know anything about it?”
“Unfortunately. Have you ever heard of Gloritant Thraven?”
“No. It sounds like a cocktail.”
“Funny. He’s a man. Actually, I don’t know if he’s a man. According to the late Mamma Oissi, he’s been building up a military, and it looks like he’s just about ready to make his move.”
“The late Mamma Oissi? She was a valuable resource. What happened to her?”
“She tried to kill me,” Abbey said. “She couldn’t have been that valuable if you didn’t know about any of this.”
“Mamma doesn’t sell Outworld secrets to the Republic, and vice versa. It would be… It would have been hard for her to stay in business otherwise. So, you’re saying this Thraven took the Fire and the Brimstone?”
“His people did. He’s the one who attacked Orunel, ostensibly to get to me, or to keep Mamma quiet about him. She divulged that there’s a Skink on Drune who may know more about Thraven’s operation. We’re on our way now.”
Captain Mann looked thoughtful. “Drune? There’s nothing on Drune.”
“That’s what Bastion said. Thanks for busting him out by the way. He’s a great pilot, even if he is an asshole. You seem to know Oissi. Can I trust her intel?”
“Did you have the gun to her head before or after she told you that?”
“She had a gun to my head. Two, actually. I killed her after.”
“Then it’s as good as it gets. Whether or not her source is reliable is another question, but they wouldn’t have had time to set you up that way. Not unless they expected you to break out of Hell.”
“Which they wouldn’t have unless you have a leak.”
“I don’t. I’m on my own in this, Lieutenant, for that very reason. The only link back to Command is through General Soto, who is a highly trusted, personal friend of mine. She helped me procure the Faust and Ruby.”
Abbey nodded, suddenly hesitant to tell Mann anything else. If he knew about her sudden inability to be killed, would he order her back and turn her into some kind of experiment?
“Lieutenant,” Mann said. “Something isn’t sitting well with you. Do you want to tell me about it?”
Abbey stared at him for a few seconds. “Is it that obvious?”
“No, but I have a lot of experience. I know you want to hold something you can exchange for your freedom later. I’m an honorable man, Lieutenant. I won’t tell you that you’ll be released and not follow through.”
“Assuming you live that long,” Abbey said, making up her mind. “I have reason to believe Thraven has been pulling the strings on Hell. Packard, Lurin, they both work for him. I overheard Lurin talking to someone else, calling him a High Honorant, a rank of some kind. If Thraven has control of Hell-”
“Then he knows about me,” Mann said. “I was already suspicious of everyone.”
“Suspicious enough to expect an assassin?”
“Like the ones who attacked Director Eagan? Keep this to yourself, Cage, but it takes one to know one, and I know one when I see one.”
Abbey was surprised. “I understand.” She paused again. There was no point to only giving him part of the information. “There’s more. Mamma told me Thraven’s been doing something to some of his soldiers that make
them harder to kill. I told you about it already. One of the prisoners from the Fifth, Private Illiard. I shot him twice in the head. He didn’t stop coming until Fury removed it.”
“Fury?”
“Airi,” Abbey said. “We settled on new callsigns.”
“What’s yours?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Mine was Killshot,” Mann said.
“That’s a lot better than Queenie. I hate nicks that end in a strong E. It makes me sound like a child.”
Mann laughed. “You should have picked one for yourself sooner.”
“Breakers don’t have callsigns. I’m surprised killers do.”
“Nobody’s supposed to know who we are. It helps. Tell me more about Illiard. You’re saying the head shots didn’t kill him?”
“That’s right. He seemed normal otherwise, other than the fact that he didn’t speak. Oh, and his eyes. They were a solid gray.”
“That isn’t normal.”
“No. It isn’t. Then there’s this.”
She shifted her position, moving closer to Ruby so Mann could get a better look at her stomach.
“You were hit,” he said.
“Six times. Four times in the stomach.”
“But you’re still standing.”
“Whatever Thraven is doing, he did it to me, too. Back in my cell the night I killed Packard. At first, I thought it was a crazy dream. A hallucination. It wasn’t. They injected me with something. It looked like blood.”
“I can start to guess what this means for the bigger picture. But why you, Lieutenant? Of all the prisoners in Hell.”
“Sylvan Kett,” Abbey said.
“What? How does Kett tie in?”
“Mamma suggested the Fifth was on Gradin to steal something from Kett. Something he didn’t want Thraven to get his hands on. He wiped the data as an added level of security, which it turns out was a good idea. The Fifth got busted for possession of Kett’s contraband, and I got caught in the middle.”
“You’re saying you’re innocent.”
“Yes, but that’s beside the point. I’m not stupid enough to think you’re going to let me go just because I tell you the sob story.”
“Good.”
“The point is that Thraven wants the data on the mainframe I recovered. He tried to have his people break it, but they weren’t up to the task.”