by Lexa Luthor
"This is Raine."
"Just testing the comm. Thanks." Charlie ignored Raine's huff and said, "Charlie out." She looked at Laken, who seemed to understand it. "You have to say 'out' to shut off the call. Then to hail everyone on one comm, you say 'Hailing all' twice."
"Who has a comm?" Laken asked.
Charlie smiled and replied, "Raine, Andren, and me." For a few more minutes, she spoke to Laken, then parted ways. On the walk to her quarters, she realized how drained she was after a late night with Kal and now starting the mission. She promised herself she would get several hours of sleep before arriving at Eos Minor.
In the captain's quarters, Charlie took off her boots, jacket, and utility belt. She didn't bother with her knife or Grasshopper and collapsed into the huge bed that was enough for three humans. On the Pacifica, her captain's quarters had been about half this size. At some point, the Betty May's former owner had combined two smaller quarters to make the larger room. Charlie approved of his remodeling choices.
Charlie was about to doze off, but the door chirped and signaled Raine's arrival. She rolled off the bed and called for the door to open for her friend.
"Sorry I woke you."
Charlie finished rubbing her face and said, "I wasn't quite asleep yet."
Raine crossed her arms and had a toothy smile. "Late night at the Great Tower?"
Before she blushed, Charlie turned toward the closet and replied, "I sleep better in space." At least once upon a time it was true. With a darker blush, she admitted to herself that sleeping on top of Kal out-rated any bed, ship, or planet.
"So what did you have to show me?" Raine asked, following Charlie a few steps.
Charlie took a deep breath and cooled the heat in her face, glad Raine couldn't see her. She slid the closet door open and searched the floor for the special item. She grabbed it by the handle, pulled it from the closet, and turned to Raine, who stared oddly at it.
"What is that thing?"
Charlie had a wide grin and held up the metal item. "It's a battle suit." She watched how Raine's eyes turned into saucers bigger than a planet. "This specific one is called the Galactic Hammer."
"Wait, wait. Hold up." Raine pointed at the oval-shaped pod-like object. "You said battle suit."
"Ja." Charlie's grin started to hurt, and her amusement seeped into her next words. "It's a suit of armor that you wear."
"Like fucking Iron Man?" Raine asked, her voice reaching a high-pitched note.
"Ja."
"Oh my fucking god!" Raine launched forward and snared the suit from her friend, looking over every inch of it. "How does it work?"
Charlie laughed and steered Raine over to the bed. "Set it down for a tick." Once it was safely on the bed, she said, "You put it on like a backpack. It'll automatically tighten up around your back and waist. Then you activate it with a voice command when you're ready to use it."
Raine was gushing and petting the suit. "Does it cover your body like Iron Man's suit in the movie?"
"Pretty much."
Raine snared Charlie's wrist and said, "I have to try it. Pleeease!"
Charlie chuckled and picked up the suit from the bed. "Turn around." After complying, Charlie helped Raine slide her arms through the straps, which then shrank to fit her shoulders. "Clip this around your waist."
Raine hooked the pack's belt around her hips. "Okay, so how do I active it?"
"Just say 'Galactic Hammer activate,' and it'll go." Charlie put space between them and smirked when Raine held out her arms like a dork.
"Galactic Hammer active," Raine ordered.
Charlie was awed by the battle suit coming to life and how its metal sheathing covered Raine within a few ticks. "Not bad," she whispered.
Raine squealed from somewhere inside of it and started to move around in the room, her steps heavier now.
Charlie watched Raine dance in the white suit with bright red accents. It was designed to improve one's strength and eyesight, as well as protect them. She folded her arms and waited until Raine came off her high. "So what do you think?"
Raine hurried over to her friend and replied, "This is so badass!" She rested her hands on her metal hips and asked, "How do I look?"
"Like a total badass." Charlie laughed at Raine's superhero stance and shook her head.
Dropping her arms, Raine asked, "Does this thing fly?"
"Ja, technically." Charlie touched her friend's arm and heard another squeal.
"It just gave me a read of your vitals!"
"Breathe, Raine." Charlie sighed and considered whether giving Raine the suit was a good idea. "Okay so listen…" She faltered and said, "Tell the suit to remove the helmet."
"Um, how do I do that?"
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Just say 'retract helmet.'"
Raine repeated the order, then the helmet's plates receded down into her collar and revealed her face. "Wow."
Again, Charlie attempted to redirect Raine's focus. "Just listen for a minute." She finally had Raine's undivided attention. "The suit gives you strength, protects you from four to six laser shots, and lets you fly for about an hour. But you can't take it into outer space because it doesn't have onboard oxygen. It does regulate inside temperature to a point so you stay comfortable."
"Okay, so extra strength, armor protection, and limited flight." Raine ticked off her fingertips. "And no outer space or super hot and cold places. Got it."
Charlie continued to hold up her hands, keeping Raine's attention on her. "My plan is that you'll be wearing the suit when we ambush the Serrato soldiers. You make the first move, grab Victor, and fly him away from the fray before he can get hurt or killed."
Raine smiled at the idea, but it cracked after a tick. "But I don't know how to fly this thing."
Charlie grinned and said, "We'll have plenty of time at Eos Minor for you to practice. And you'll have time now to learn the suit and the onboard computer."
Raine's smile returned, brighter than last time. "I like this plan." She looked over her armored body, taking in the details. "How's my ass look in this?"
After a laugh, Charlie grabbed Raine's metal hand, guided her to the closet, and pointed at the mirror. She stepped aside and watched Raine check herself out before she asked, "What you think, Iron Woman?"
"I love it!" Raine turned to her friend and scooped up Charlie in a crushing hug. "This is the best gift ever!"
Charlie winced and gasped. "Ribs. Ribs!" She heard Raine's apology while she rubbed her side where the bones had freshly healed from her crash landing. "And it's not a gift. You're just borrowing it."
"What? Come on, Charlie." Raine held out her arms and argued, "You missed so many of my birthdays. This would totally make up for that."
Rolling her eyes, Charlie ignored Raine's pout and said, "Joh, Rae."
Raine huffed and wiggled her eyes, whispering, "Ja, Rae." She turned back to the mirror and checked herself out more. "Are there any onboard weapons with this thing?"
"Joh." Charlie shifted closer and tapped Raine's outer thigh. "There is a storage compartment on either side for handguns."
Raine mimicked Charlie's motion and beamed when an empty gun holder popped out from her thigh. "Wow! That's totally Robocop." She peered up at her friend. "This is the best gift ever."
Charlie shook her head and continued to disregard Raine's attempts to guilt her.
"So why is it called the Galactic Hammer?"
Grabbing her friend's shoulders, Charlie turned her until Raine's shoulder faced the mirror. She pointed at the white emblem stamped into the pauldron. The insignia was of a spiral galaxy with a hammer laid over it.
Touching the symbol, Raine whispered, "Galactic Hammer."
"It's the suit's name, not the model. Like when knights named their swords," Charlie explained. "Usually the name has meaning to the suit, but I'm not sure why this one is called Galactic Hammer. It could be something in its history."
Ra
ine was transfixed on the symbol before she looked at Charlie. "Maybe I'll find out why."
"Maybe," Charlie whispered, then withdrew and smiled at Raine's new toy. "You better get started on learning the suit." In no time, her friend would have the battle suit working like a second skin.
"Aye aye, captain." Raine hurried to the sealed door but flashed a last smile. "Thanks again for the gift, sis."
Charlie sighed and watched her friend leave with her new toy. "I'm never getting that suit back." She shrugged it off and decided to lie down for a nap, forgoing changing into sleepwear. She climbed into bed and used her techbit to check on the ship's status. After taking out her earpiece, she set both pieces onto the nightstand and closed her eyes.
The exhaustion set in within minutes, even if Charlie was headed toward danger. She had no idea when she drifted off, but a familiar and annoying alert begged for attention.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Charlie struggled against her groggy mind. Growling, Charlie looked over and realized it was the comms earpiece rather than her techbit. It was flashing, so she scooped it up and plugged it into her ear. "What?" she barked at whomever was hailing her.
"Charlie, you need to hurry to the shuttle bay," Andren demanded, huffing and growling over the comms.
Charlie scrambled out of bed and searched for her boots while asking, "What's wrong?"
"It's… that…" Andren was out of breath and said, "Just hurry!" She cut off the comms before Charlie could make any more demands.
"Vuk!" Charlie had on her socks and jammed her feet into the unlaced boots. She started toward the door but rushed back and snared her belt from the wall hook. Bolting out of the room, she sprinted through the halls and decks while buckling on her utility belt with the holstered gun. In record time, she burst through the bay's open door and heard all the shouts and growls, one more animal-like than the rest.
Off to the left past a long workbench, a handful of Kalmar soldiers had their backs to Charlie and were yelling at someone. Each soldier had a rifle in hand, aimed at the poor bugger who was probably backed into a corner.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Charlie hollered, pushing through the Alphas. "If you shoot those weapons in here, you all are getting strung out on the ship's wings!"
Andren was at the front, sword in hand, and seemed to be holding the line.
"Stand down, now!" Laken's voice boomed through the shuttle bay.
Charlie blew out a breath after the five soldiers back-stepped but kept their weapons trained on the target. Laken came up behind her and shoved two Alphas aside so they had room to get to the center of the problem. Charlie shifted to Andren's side and stiffened at the healthy display of canines, bristling fur, and bright red eyes directed at them.
The locke's snarls were deep and dangerous, then its bark echoed off the walls. It was hunched forward and coiled with raw ferocity, ready to attack all of them. At its feet was a piece of raw meat with bite and claw marks on one end.
"Wow," Charlie whispered after realizing the animal had somehow snuck onto the Betty May. She then spotted the familiar ear injury and said, "It's the same locke I saved from the market."
Andren lowered her sword and stared in awe at it. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know, but it has that missing piece on the right ear," Charlie replied. She touched Andren's left arm, pushing against it. "Put away your sword."
"Joh, it could attack you."
Charlie gave a pointed look to Andren, then ordered, "Put it away." She looked over her shoulder at the other soldiers. "All of you." After a few grumbles, she further ordered, "Give the locke some space."
"It is dangerous," a soldier argued.
Charlie faced the soldiers, and fire fueled her next words. "The only danger here is all of you with those laser rifles. Someone could get hurt when your shots bounce off something, so put them away." When a few hesitated, she growled and reached for her handgun, gripping it with white knuckles. "Now!"
One by one, the soldiers returned their rifles to their backs and moved back, but remained nearby. Laken was silent and her features dark until the soldiers heeded Charlie's command.
Turning back to the snarling animal, Charlie considered her options and glanced at Andren, who was still leery of the locke. "Can you please put your sword away?"
Andren hesitated, then sheathed it but kept her hand around the hilt. She was prepared to slice the animal in half if it made a wrong move.
Kneeling, Charlie got eye level with the locke and smiled at it. "Hey, remember me?"
The locke's head turned to Charlie, but it continued to bare its teeth. Its eyes were a solid, fiery red, which meant it was angry and prepared to fight.
"So I guess you're an Omega," Charlie whispered, recalling Andren's lesson about lockes with red eyes. She extended her hand, palm up, and hoped the locke would scent her. "And hungry." She tilted her head and asked, "Who found her?"
"I did," an Alpha warrior replied. "I was preparing a meal for us. I left the pantry door open, and she stole the meat."
Charlie smiled to herself and looked back at the locke, who had stopped snarling. She took that as a good sign, but the animal was still agitated, if her flaring eyes were any indication.
"We followed the blood droplets to here," the soldier said.
With her arm outstretched, Charlie noticed the locke was baring her teeth only at the Kalmar soldiers. She lowered her hand and looked over her shoulder at them. "Shield master, please take your soldiers out of the bay."
Laken gave the order and waited for each of the soldiers to file out of the room, but she looked over at Andren.
"You too, Andren," Charlie ordered.
"Charlie—"
"Go." Charlie peered up with hooded eyes at her guard. "I'll be fine." She expected Andren to half listen and stand just outside the bay, keeping an ear open for trouble.
Andren huffed low, then brushed past Laken without another word.
Charlie held Laken's gaze for a moment before she looked at the locke again. She listened to Laken's heavy boot steps fade away; then she was left alone with the animal. Lowering to the metal floor, she sat in front of the locke and smiled sadly at it. "You look better than last time."
The locke went to her left, gaining more space but still close to the meat. She was less hunched and her fur was lowering on her back.
"How did you get on here?" Charlie suspected at some point the animal had sneaked on when they were moving supplies onto the vessel. "Why did you even come on here?" Like the Kalmar people, the animals from the planet weren't fond of technology or unnatural structures like ships.
The locke stretched out her neck and grabbed an end of the meat, pulling it away from Charlie.
Holding up her hands, Charlie said, "It's all yours." She scrubbed her face and watched the locke tear the meat off the bone. "Your winter coat is coming in." Last time, the locke had a raggedy gray coat left over from summer, but now large white tufts were spreading over her body.
The locke ate the raw food and glanced at Charlie a few times. Once she was done, she settled onto her full belly and revealed her white eyes.
Charlie propped up an arm on her knee and leaned into it while she watched the animal. "I guess Kal is right that lockes are pretty mischievous." She admired the locke for sneaking onto the vessel and hiding for about two days before being found by a soldier. "But I'm afraid you're stuck here. We can't go back to Kander right now."
The locke stared back, as if listening to Charlie's rambling. Her tall ears were perky and the line of mohawk-style fur stood up on top of her head, then followed her spine to her tail. She licked her lips and showed off her razor teeth.
"So I think your choice is to stay in here." Charlie scanned the interior of the shuttle bay and felt the cool air settle on her. "Or you can come with me and stay in my quarters." She grinned at the locke and said, "As long as you promise not to bite me when I'm sleeping."
The locke lifted her tail, which had a fluffy ball of fur at the tip.
Charlie was unsure whether the animal trusted her and would follow her from the shuttle bay to her quarters. If the locke left the bay, would it attempt to run freely through the ship? If so, then they would have to hunt it and cage it for the remainder of the mission until she could release the locke back on Kander. After a sigh, she decided to give the animal a chance and stood from the freezing floor.
"Well, I'm going to my quarters." Charlie observed that the locke sat up but rested on her hinds, watching her. She took a few steps away from the animal but kept a close eye. At first, Charlie doubted the locke would join her, then she said, "Come on." She continued toward the sealed bay door and softened when the locke stood, then shadowed her from a distance.
Expecting Andren on the other side of the door, Charlie opened it and propped it open for the skittish locke. She poked her head out and raised an eyebrow at Andren standing on the opposite wall. "I think she'll follow me to my quarters."
"Are you crazy?" Andren asked. "It's a dangerous, mischievous animal."
"I got that part," Charlie replied. "But I think she trusts me, at least enough."
Andren narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth but was cut off by Charlie.
"I just need you to give us some space so she'll keep following me." Charlie offered a bright smile and said, "Krafka."
Andren huffed and grumbled, then went farther down the hallway. She waited down by the entrance to the medical bay and rested a hand on her sword hilt.
Charlie glanced over her shoulder at the locke, who was lingering several paces behind her. "Come on, girl." She went to her left, opposite Andren, and walked backward. She continued to encourage the locke to follow her.
The locke crept out of the shuttle bay, sniffed the air, and jerked her head toward Andren. She bared her teeth and flashed her red eyes at her before returning her attention to Charlie.