Transmission Lost

by Stefan Mazzara

  Aria nodded, and she put a hand on the pilot's shoulder. -Have you been in contact with the guards at the governess' residence?-

  The pilot shook his head. -We've been trying, but all we get is static. Power to the residence might be out as well. We'll be in visual range in five minutes. Between our forward spotlights and the light from the moon, we should have a decent view.- He flicked a few switches on the comm systems of the transport. -When we're closer, we'll probably be near enough to make contact with the guards' portable radios. The trees on this planet really interfere with the low-power signals at a distance.-

  -Alright.- Aria returned to the rear of the craft. She switched on her own portable radio so that all of her soldiers could hear her clearly. -Okay, when we arrive at our destination, our priority is to make sure that the residence is secure. We'll split into two groups, with one securing the exterior and the other making a sweep of the building. Make contact with the standing guard detail and keep everything tight. Understood?- She received a chorus of responses in the affirmative.

  A few more minutes passed, and apart from the occasional gust of wind the flight was going smoothly. Even so, Aria's heart was racing. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt in a long time, not since the last commando mission she had been on. Back then, she'd been working against the clock, defusing demolition charges placed aboard the ship she had been assigned to. Now she felt like she was on a time limit again, though she had no evidence to support that as of yet. If that was the case, Aria hoped that the outcome would be a little better than the last time. The scar down the front of her body ached slightly at the memory.

  Her radio keyed up, and she heard the co-pilot's voice come across the airwaves. -Getting into visual range now,- he reported. -Lights are out at the governess' residence. Not seeing any movement...What the...- A split second later, Aria heard and felt a surge in the transport craft's engines. -Hold on back there!-

  The transport abruptly banked hard to the left, giving Aria barely enough time to grab a handle next to the sliding door. At almost exactly the same time she heard a rapid series of metallic clangs as something struck the armored bottom of the aircraft. After the first series of sounds, a second and third burst came, and Aria realized that they were being fired upon. She looked out of the sliding door nearest to her, and at the angle they were turning she was able to make out the roof of the governess' residence in the darkness. As she tried to see additional details, Aria spotted a flickering flash coming from midair just above the roof, and the flash illuminated something else. She had seen the object, or at least one just like it, a few times before during ground missions on the border between human and Ascendancy space.

  -Gunship!- Aria called over the radio. The muzzle flashes from the heavy gun on the side of the single-rotor helicopter seemed as bright as the sun compared with the darkness of the night. How the human-built craft had made it there was a mystery to her, since she knew that helicopters could not fly outside of an atmosphere. She hoped that the armor on their own aircraft would hold up to their fire.

  -I see it,- the pilot responded, his voice calm. -There's another one circling the north side of the building. Captain, I'm not going to be able to get close with those gunships in the way.- He maneuvered the transport further away from the building. The incoming fire from the gunship ceased. -They're not pursuing, for now. Looks like they're flying overwatch. There's a heavy transport on the landing pad attached to the building. Not one of ours.-

  -That explains how the gunships got here, at least,- Aria thought to herself. She growled, her ears laying back. -You need to get us in closer so we can secure the building,- she told the pilot. -Those gunships are probably covering for troops.- She switched channels on her radio. Every channel she tried to call out on, she received nothing but silence as a response. -No comms with my guards inside.-

  -My co-pilot is on the radio to command,- the Ailian pilot reported. -There are two Nuretan interceptors on combat air patrol this side of Ar'bre, and four of our fighters on the far side of the city. The Nuretans can be here in thirty seconds, and our people will be here in five minutes. Once the interceptors take those gunships, I can get in close.-

  -Let me know as soon as you're moving in,- Aria ordered him. -I want you to take us in as low to the building as you can go. We'll jump to the roof.- Without waiting for the pilot's acknowledgment, Aria turned back to the Royal Guards. -Change in plans. Once our air support arrives, four of you with me, Group One, and five of you separate, Group Two. Group One will breach the building through the east side of the roof, Group Two to the west. The rest of you, Group Three, will take the landing pad and secure the enemy transport...-

  -Captain Me'lia, the transport is lifting off!- the co-pilot interrupted. -Moving away from the residence now.- He looked back into the passenger compartment of their aircraft. -The gunships are still maintaining their overwatch. No change in their positions. They're not going with the transport.-

  Aria thought rapidly, trying to figure out what might be going on. -They must still be covering for something,- she decided. -We'll stick to the plan. Keep the Nuretan interceptors coming, but contact our own fighters and have them divert to pursue that transport. I want it stopped.-

  As her orders were affirmed by everyone, Aria did her best to remain focused on the task at hand, which was to secure the governess' residence. She tried not to think about her family being in there, or of Jack. Her main duty was to the Empress, and as much as it pained her, she couldn't consider anyone else right now. And if she did her job well, ensuring the Empress' safety would mean ensuring that of everyone in the building.

  ******

  Back at the military spaceport, Lieutenant Ayalis was trying her hardest to divide her attention equally between the radar screens and what radio traffic was coming through from her captain. She had everyone available trying to figure out how a human transport could have made it through their defenses, as well as how the power to the city had been cut. Fortunately, the spaceport had backup generators that were isolated from the rest of the power grid. At this very moment, Naval forces were boarding the messenger ship that had apparently started off this whole mess.

  -Lieutenant, what the hell is going on here?-

  Lieutenant Ayalis whipped around as Admiral Te'rou came up behind her. He was accompanied by the Nuretan general, Kalma Soumaren, and also by Governess Amani. All of them seemed alarmed at the current developments, to say the least, and the lieutenant assumed that they had already been informed of everything that was going on by the way that the governess looked frantic. The Empress was her daughter, after all.

  -Admiral, the governess' residence is under attack,- Lieutenant Ayalis reported. -We're also currently tracking a messenger ship in low orbit. Our troops are boarding it now, and I expect to hear from them shortly. Captain Me'lia is waiting on air support to clear the area around the governess' residence before she can breach the building.-

  -I want to know how enemy forces managed to land on this planet without our knowledge!- Admiral Te'rou snarled, his tail whipping back and forth in fury. The russet-furred admiral approached the radar screens, his eyes moving back and forth over the displays. -I'll have someone's head for this.-

  Lieutenant Ayalis took a deep breath. -We had to divert a lot of our resources to the messenger ship, when we were still reasonably certain it was a legitimate ship in distress,- she explained. -It is possible they were able to slip in while our attention was divided. We will know for sure soon enough, sir.-

  Just as soon as she was finished saying that, one of the communications officers called up from the crew pit. -Lieutenant, the boarding party has cleared the ship,- she reported. -They're reporting that it's empty.-

  -Empty?- General Soumaren repeated with a frown. Her neon-colored eyes were narrowed in concentration as she surveyed the radar screens along with Admiral Te'rou. -How can that be? A remotely-controlled ship? A decoy?-

  There was another flurry of activity from the crew
pit, and a second communications officer stood up and called to Admiral Te'rou with a frantic voice. -Admiral, urgent message from our patrol fighters! They're pursuing a transport ship which lifted off from the area of the governess' residence. It's heading out of the planet's gravity at full speed and is already in low orbit.-

  -What!?- Governess Amani gasped. She had to steady herself against the railing overlooking the crew pit.

  -Stop that ship!- Admiral Te'rou ordered quickly. -Signal the fleet and have ships move to intercept!-

  Almost before the order had left his mouth, loud alarms began to ring out inside the room. Several of the radar screens began flashing red, and the screens which depicted the space surrounding the planet started filling with colored symbols, each of them representing a ship. Personnel began darting here and there in the crew pit, and more than a few cries of alarm were heard.

  -Pteryd ships emerging from hyperspace!- a radar officer reported. -At least fifty heavy cruisers and an unknown number of smaller ships. They're advancing on the planet. That transport ship is vectoring for the closest of them. I don't know if our ships will be able to get near enough to the transport to stop it; the Pteryd have better weapons range than we do.-

  -Visual confirmation on the enemy from our picket ships,- a communications officer said. -They're engaging them now.-

  Admiral Te'rou slammed a fist on the railing, baring his teeth. -Go to full alert. All ships, engage the Pteryd fleet. Defending the planet needs to be our highest priority. If they get close enough to bombard the surface, we'll be wiped out.-

  ******

  -Nuretan interceptors on station,- the pilot reported. -Stand by.- He was circling their transport in a tight pattern around the governess' residence, outside of the range of the gunships' weapons. Aria kept her eyes focused out of the windows, watching for the enemy helicopters. Every now and then the moonlight would glint off of them just right. -They're firing.-

  Rather than hearing the missile strikes, Aria saw them. From a spot several kilometers out, she saw a faint flash, and then a pair of missiles streaked out of the darkness. The helicopter gunships immediately tried to evade, but the missiles were far too accurate. The nearest helicopter took a missile on the tail, and it spiraled out of control to disappear below the treeline. The second missile hit the other helicopter dead in the center, and it detonated in a shower of flame and debris.

  -Go, now!- Aria ordered the pilot, but he was already on the move. The transport shot forward towards the building. -Everyone get ready.- All of the Royal Guards stood up from their seats in the aircraft, checking their weapons. The guards were carrying shortened, lighter versions of the rifles that were standard-issue for naval troops, optimized for close-quarters fighting.

  In a matter of seconds, the transport was hovering over the east side of the residence, barely a meter from the roof. At a wave from Aria, four of the guards darted to the sliding door and jumped out, landing lightly on the roof. The captain followed them, and then the transport moved to the west side and dropped off five more guards. After the drop was complete, it flew down to the first level of the building to where the landing pad was, to drop off the remaining eleven guards, who would enter at the main doors.

  The first in line in Aria's group went immediately to a rooftop access door. When he arrived at it, he stopped. -East roof access has been breached. They came in this way.-

  -Alright.- Aria keyed up on her radio. -Group Two, sweep the building top down. Group Three, bottom up. Group One is heading for the Empress' last known location.- The other two group leaders sent back their acknowledgment, and then Aria nodded to her lead soldier.

  Staying in a line, the five soldiers went through the doorway and found the stairs, making their way quickly down to the second floor where Li'ren's quarters were located. The interior of the residence was, quite simply put, a mess. As they moved through the halls, they could see shell casings littering the floors. There were bodies as well, mostly servants and a few civilian personnel, but not all of them. Some of the fallen were Royal Guards, and mixed in with them were masked human soldiers clad in dark blue.

  -Group Two, fourth floor clear,- Two's leader said over the radio. -Seven guards down, multiple civilians, multiple enemies down. Some civilians sheltered in place, one guard needs medical attention. Continuing.-

  -Group Three checking first floor. No signs of movement. Nothing heard.-

  Aria filed their reports away in the back of her head. Her group had a specific purpose, and they were focused on it. As they walked down the hallway towards where the Empress' room was, they passed a few fallen Ailians who were still moving. They ignored them, but made a note to themselves of where they were. If they were still alive when the building was clear, they'd make sure medical personnel got to them.

  -Group Two, third floor clear. Ten guards down, multiple enemies down, no survivors.-

  -Group Three has cleared the first floor. Five guards down, two need medical attention. Injured civilians as well. Two guards staying with survivors, rest moving up to second floor.-

  Finally, they arrived at the door to Li'ren's quarters. Eight human commandos were lying dead on the floor. One of the Empress' personal guard detail was down in the hall, shot in the chest and head and crumpled in a heap against the wall. Her sidearm was still clutched in her hand, and there were three empty magazines scattered around her. She had evidently put up a hard fight before she had fallen. Her tail was still twitching erratically, and one of Aria's soldiers knelt to check her.

  -Still alive,- he reported. -Barely. She needs help fast.-

  Aria checked the handle of the door, and found that it was locked. She looked back at her soldiers. -You,- she said, pointing at the soldier who was next to the fallen guard. -See what you can do for her. Everyone else on me.- The captain shouldered her rifle, aiming it directly in front of her. Taking a preparatory breath, she raised one foot and kicked the door as hard as she could. The heavy wood frame splintered and the door swung open into the room.

  Before the door could hit the wall it was attached to, the four soldiers rushed into the room with Aria in the lead. What they were faced with made Aria go cold. The room was almost entirely empty, apart from the second half of Li'ren's personal detail. He was dead on the floor in a pool of blood, which was soaking into the carpet. The room was in disarray, with the furniture overturned and broken. On the far wall, the window was open, and a perversely pleasant breeze was blowing in. Aria slowly lowered her weapon, stunned. She had been expecting to find someone here other than the guards, either alive or dead. She had not been prepared for nothing.

  -Gone...,- Aria murmured in disbelief. The realization of what must have happened hit her in an instant, and Aria snarled as she walked over to the window. -They left out of this window,- she thought. -They must have taken her. The gunships were a sacrifice to delay our assault, they weren't cover for anyone. They took her on that transport that left.- Her fur bristled out as the fury of what had happened washed over her, intensified by the knowledge that she had failed.

  -Captain?- a voice called over the radio. Aria recognized it as the lead guard for Group Two.

  -What?- Aria growled, much more heatedly than she had meant to. She was far too angry right now to be ashamed of herself, though she knew that would come as soon as things had settled down. She had failed to fulfill her promise to Empress Solan. She had failed in her entire purpose for being sent to Arbaros.

  -We've finished our initial sweep of the building,- Two's leader said. -Group Three located your family in their quarters along with their guard detail. They are all fine.- There was a pause. -We can't locate your oldest sister, and the human is gone, too. The guard detail says that your sister was visiting Her Majesty.-

  It took a moment for what she had just been told to register. When it did, Aria felt anguish take over the fury. -Jack and Sami are gone, too?-

  -It looks that way.-

  For a minute Aria didn't know what to do. She looked
blankly around the room, taking in the broken furniture, the blood on the floor, and the body of the dead guard. Then she looked out of the open window again, staring up at the night sky. As she stood there, the rage suddenly rose up again. With a furious roar, Aria lashed out with one arm, clenching her fist and punching a hole in the wood paneling on the wall right next to the window. She ignored the startled looks of her soldiers, her eyes narrowing as a gust of wind stung them.

  -Mother...,- Aria said to herself. -This time you have gone too far. I will see that you pay for this, even if I have to kill you myself.-

  - 9 -

  “Ow, fuck...,” Jack hissed, putting a hand to his head. Everything seemed to hurt, but that was throbbing in an especially severe way. “Headaches...Why always headaches? I'd give anything for a nice, honest twisted ankle, or even a bad back...” Grumbling, he sat up, trying to figure out where he was and how he had got there. As he rubbed his aching cranium, some of the memories of the recent past started to bubble back to the surface.

  He recalled being in Li'ren's room in the governess' residence, with her, Sami, and Brooke, while the Empress spoke about plans she had for the future of the Ascendancy. Then, the power had gone out, and the guards had locked them in the room. For whatever good that had done, since a short few minutes later there had been a commotion in the hall outside, and human soldiers had stormed in. He touched the back of his head, feeling around and finding a large knot there. He remembered standing up and trying to put himself between Sami and the soldiers out of reflex, and getting tackled and smashed with the butt of a rifle for his trouble. After that, everything had gone black, and then he'd come to here.

  “Wherever here is...,” Jack mumbled. The room he was in was fairly nondescript, but it was slightly chilly and the only light came from a single lamp set into the center of the ceiling. The floor was bare, made of something like concrete but rougher and cool to the touch. As a matter of fact, the material reminded him strongly of the sandy stone that Aria's family estate had been built with, but he very much doubted he was back there. Jack got the impression that he was underground. He couldn't hear anything that sounded like a noise from outdoors, and the air smelled less fresh than it would were he above ground.