by Lexa Luthor
Charlie heard the hollowness in his voice and shivered from it. His accent was stronger compared to their previous conversations. She refocused on the task and said, "We want to know about the Sworne. I heard you discussing with another soldier that they are returning. Is this true?"
"Da."
Charlie grumbled and asked, "How do your people know the Sworne are coming back to the galaxy?"
Victor blinked once, then replied, "Borba. We began receiving communications from Sworne ship."
Charlie combed her hair back after piecing together the information. "So the Borba's comms connected with a Sworne ship?"
"Da. We have been tracking their journey here from their galaxy."
"Do you know when they'll be here?" Charlie asked.
"We estimated between six to nine months before arrive in Milky Way."
Charlie groaned and checked, "Earth months?" After Victor's confirmation, she looked over at her lover and said, "The Borba's comms linked up with a Sworne ship that is coming to the Milky Way." She frowned, stared at Victor's stony features, and whispered, "The systems on the Borba must have been activated by the new Sworne ship coming within range."
Kal responded with a rumble, then asked, "How long before they're here?"
"Serrato Corps thinks six to nine Earth months." Charlie estimated the time frame on Kander's calendar and whispered, "That's like twenty to thirty nineths." She narrowed her eyes at Victor and asked, "Does Serrato know where the Sworne will arrive in the galaxy?"
"If continue on course, they arrive in fourth quadrant."
Charlie swore and groaned before she turned her worried features to Kal. "They're coming here to the fourth quadrant." She crossed her arms and asked, "What about Serrato Corps? Why are they gathering so many supplies? For war?"
"To flee to Centaurus Galaxy."
Charlie went bug eyed at Serrato Corps's crazy plan to travel all the way to the Centaurus Galaxy, which was the second closest major galaxy after Andromeda. "That's insane. How could they possibly do that? It would take years and years to get there even with the jump technology. And there's no fuel to power the jump drives."
A faint smirk appeared on Victor's stony features. "Nine years, ten months, and sixty-three days."
"You're serious," Charlie whispered. "Does Serrato Corps want the darakar to power the jump drives?"
"Da." Victor turned his head to Charlie, staring through her. "We almost had it, until you."
Charlie seethed and shifted closer, struggling to keep her fisted hands at her side. "Oh, I'm going to make sure you and your people are stuck here in the quadrant when the Sworne show up."
Victor snorted and argued, "We will have darakar before then."
Growling, Charlie shoved Victor, who toppled onto the bench and sank back against the wall.
"Charlie," Kal warned.
Half ignoring her lover, Charlie advanced on him and asked, "How the hell does Serrato Corps plan to get the darakar after the kidnapping failed?" She struggled with her self-control as the buzzing in her ears grew louder.
"Wheels are already in motion," Victor replied. "But I was not put in charge of this mission. I know nothing."
Charlie clenched her teeth and grabbed Victor by his collar, unsure whether to slug him in the gut or face. Kal hooked her raised fist, and she hissed at the block.
"He's still my prisoner," Kal said, her voice rumbling with danger.
Jerking her hand free, Charlie released Victor, put space between them, and stared at the locked door. After a deep breath, she said, "Serrato Corps wants to escape to Centaurus Galaxy, which is really far." She turned and looked at her lover. "They need the darakar to power the jump drive that'll get them there." She held out her hand toward Victor. "They're planning something else to get the darakar from us, but he doesn't know what." She frowned when Kal lifted an eyebrow. "What?"
Kal pursed her lips, glanced at Victor, and then stared at Charlie again. Her stoic features softened after a tick, and she seemed prepared to say something. Just as she opened her mouth, a frantic pounding started on the cell door.
Charlie spun around and jumped aside before being hit by the swinging door.
"Kal, there is an emergency!" The guard was distraught and seemed prepared to drag his ruler out of the cell.
Kal's fire green eyes faded, and she hastened after the guard.
Charlie heard Victor collapse to the floor, but she didn't care and rushed out of the cell with her lover.
While the guard relocked the cell, he said, "Three unknown space ships are closing in on Kander."
Kal didn't wait for more details and sprinted through the underground prison. She pulled out the folded tablet just before launching up the spiral steps.
Huffing, Charlie did her best to stay on Kal's heels but struggled when Kal climbed three steps at a time. She lost sight of Kal, but daylight shined on the stone wall above her and encouraged her to go faster. Once at the top, she burst through the opening and was blinded by the sunlight. Blinking her eyes several times, she heard the door seal shut behind her and Kal's voice reverberating throughout the lobby. She was at a loss at how Kal wasn't winded by the run up from the prison.
"Activate both the satellite array and the TDC on the Great Tower," Kal ordered.
"Activating both," Blade Perras radioed back.
Charlie gulped another breath of air and pushed her body to hurry after Kal, who was already moving again. "Wait!" She managed to hold Kal's attention for a moment. "It's probably Serrato Corps." She fished out her techbit and popped out an earplug. "Get Andren to take me to the Betty May. We'll go after these bastards."
"Joh. Our defense systems will handle—"
"Your defense system is limited to outer space, but they will get by it," Charlie argued. "Their ships are fast!" She started to pull away, heading toward the main entrance. "I got this!" She turned and ran to the entrance.
"Charlie!" Kal's curse echoed off the walls, then she barked out her next order over the comms.
Charlie heard the start of Kal's order for someone to alert Andren. She smiled to herself and activated the comms for the Betty May. "Raine, Raine this is Charlie." Ahead of her, a guard stepped aside when she rushed through the open door. "Raine, Raine—"
"Go ahead, Charlie."
"Warm up the Betty May's engines. We got company!" Charlie hurried down the steps to the street and headed toward the barrack to meet Andren.
"What?" Raine snapped. In the background she heard booming as Raine became breathless.
"There's at least three Serrato ships coming in hot. We need to take them down." Charlie neared an intersection and spotted Andren speeding her way, so she hopped into the passenger seat and said, "Get me to the Betty May."
Dodging people and horses, Andren slammed the hover truck into gear and sped through the streets.
"Raine, are you on the bridge?"
"Ja!" Raine was panting and even more frantic.
"I need you to connect to Kander's comms so I can talk to the High Commander," Charlie ordered. She slammed her palm against the dash when Andren veered around a cart. "Andren and I are on our way."
"What's happening?" Andren asked, frantic worry in her tone.
"Serrato ships are coming. Raine and I are going to get the ones that make it past the satellite defense array." Charlie glanced over at her loyal guard, who was becoming a friend. "Andren, you don't have to go up with us. It's going to get ugly."
Andren huffed and slammed the acceleration pedal once they were past the Great Gate. "There's barf bags left on the bridge."
Charlie smirked and slapped the dash before saying, "That's my girl! I'll make space trash out of you yet."
Andren grunted and focused on speeding down the road to the Betty May.
After a quick ride, Charlie spied the ship and radioed, "Raine, how are the engines?"
"Almost ready to go," Raine reported. "Where are you?"
"Connecting," Nova responded in her ear. "Connected."
"Kal, Kal this is Charlie." Sprinting up vessel's open cargo door, Charlie's boots boomed against the metal followed by Andren's own. As she raced hallways and decks, she talked to the High Commander. "What's the status on the ships?"
"One is destroyed and one slipped by," Kal replied. "We're attempting to hit the last one."
"We're preparing to take off," Charlie said over the comms. She rushed onto the bridge, jumped down the steps, and hopped into the pilot's seat.
"Vuk!" Kal cursed. "There are three more ships approaching Kander."
Charlie swore too and hastened to get the Betty May in the air. She glanced at Raine, whose hands were dancing across the screens. Together they started lifting the big boat off the ground. Behind her, she spotted Andren getting into the captain's chair. "Buckle up, buttercup!"
Raine glanced over her shoulder and said, "Flying in the air is different than in space."
"Let's go, let's go." Charlie increased the throttle as the Betty May climbed straight up in a few ticks. "Scan for the ships, Raine."
"Roger that." Raine swiped her left hand up and caused a half-holo sphere to form above the dash between her and Charlie. "Got one!"
Charlie glanced at the enemy ship and said, "It's heading for Tarrak." She lifted the ship's nose.
"Charlie, the first ship has entered the planet's atmosphere," Kal reported over the comms. "Two more ships made it past the satellite defense."
"On it!" Charlie boosted the throttle, sending the Betty May roaring upward. "Get the weapons ready, Raine." Behind them, she heard Andren groan louder.
The Betty May bolted through the sky, heading toward the enemy ships that flashed in the sunlight.
"I got a visual on one," Charlie reported over the comms. "Ready the ion blasters, Raine. I want to take down at least one." She glanced at the holo sphere to confirm their targets. "This calls for a good song. Nova, play the Fight Mix starting with 'Don't Mess with Me,' volume level thirty on the flight deck."
"Brody Dalle is my jam!" Raine had both hands on the touch screen. "Y'all don't wanna mess with our ion guns!" she called in English to the Serrato ships, ready to shoot them down. But then she tensed and glanced over at Charlie with wide eyes. "We're headed straight for that first ship!"
"I know." Charlie grinned and said, "And I love a good game of chicken." She increased the throttle, knowing that the Serrato ship would bail due to its smaller size compared to the Betty May. "Get ready to fire on the two ships behind this one."
"Oh my god, oh my god," Raine prayed louder and louder. "Charlie!"
Charlie laughed as the Betty May and the first Serrato ship closed in, then it jerked upward and skimmed past the top of the Betty May. "Now, Raine!"
Raine already had the ion blasters locked on the two other ships and hit the trigger on the screen. She cried out as the first round of blasts struck one ship but the second one dodged them.
"Kal, two ships are still coming to Tarrak." Charlie turned the yokes and pulled back on the throttle so that the ship's airframe wasn't torn up by the g-forces. As the ship cut through atmosphere, it slowed and turned until it pointed nosedown toward the planet. Charlie throttled the large ship and chased after the last two ships. For a moment, she prayed that the citizens were prepared for the possible onslaught from the enemy ships.
As they lost altitude, Charlie lifted the nose little by little and stiffened when a huge bolt of energy went roaring past the ship's starboard side. She peered out the cockpit window and noticed Raine was doing the same.
"What the fuck was that?" Raine demanded and started to tap on the screen, pulling up the camera eyes at the front of the Betty May. "Oh my god. They have a — shit!" She screamed when Charlie wrenched the ship to the left, just avoiding another massive shot of energy. "It's a fucking ion cannon!"
"What!" Charlie looked over at Raine. "Serrato has cannons on their ships?"
"No, Tarrak does!" Raine pointed at the window as they approached the city. "On top of the Great Tower!"
Charlie stared wide eyed at the massive cannon spinning around on the Great Tower. "Why didn't anybody tell me about a fucking cannon?"
"It's not exactly common knowledge until now," Andren called from her seat.
Flying the Betty May around the city, Charlie watched in awe as the ion cannon's next shot struck one of the Serrato ships in the rear of the fuselage. She sucked in a breath after she realized it would crash into the city, near the port area. "Raine—"
"I see it." Raine's hands were already moving across the screen, then she fired two rapid shots striking the downward spiraling ship in the nose. She gasped when the blasts' force was enough to nudge the falling Serrato ship away from the city to crash into the Koblenz River. "Targeting the last ship, but it's moving so damn fast."
Charlie growled at the last Serrato ship shooting at the ion cannon and continuing to hit the buildings behind it. She hissed when Raine attempted to shoot it down but missed due to its evasive maneuvers. Whoever was piloting the ship was a better pilot than the others. "We need to get him away from the city."
"Get on his tail, then we can drive him away."
Charlie nodded and radioed, "Kal, I need you to shut down the cannon so I can get in closer to the Serrato ship."
"Charlie, it's too dangerous for—"
"Just trust me, krafka." Charlie bit her lip and exchanged a glance with Raine.
"Defense cannon is on standby," Kal responded.
Charlie took her queue and cut across the city's airspace, coming at the Serrato ship's haul. "Get his attention, Raine."
Raine fired a weak shot in hopes to chase the ship away from the city. "There he goes!"
Charlie made a sharp left and echoed Andren's yell from the g-forces. She refused to lose the Serrato ship and followed its tail. "Keep shooting!"
Raine sent shot after shot at the Serrato ship's tail, scaring it away from the city. "Stay on it, Charlie."
As expected, the Serrato ship flew away from the city and went out over a less populated region. As the ticks passed, it was flying faster and putting space between it and the Betty May.
Raine snarled as the ion shots lost reach, exploding behind the distancing enemy vessel. "It's going too far."
"What's going on?" Kal asked over the comms.
"Nova, end music." Charlie waited until it was quiet on the flight deck and replied, "He's trying to outrun us. The Betty May is too big and slow compared to a Serrato fighter ship." Charlie nudged the throttle up, but any faster would force the engines to engage light speeds. Her visual on the enemy ship was shrinking each tick. Beyond the cockpit's windows, the autumn landscape brightened to a solid, shiny white. With a glance at the holosphere, the Serrato vessel was almost out of the scanner's range. "We're going to lose him."
"We should fly back to Tarrak," Andren suggested. "He'll probably go back there to attack the city."
"We don't know that for sure," Charlie argued.
"He might hit another city, like Barrik," Raine said.
"There is a defense ion cannon in Barrik," Kal said. "But they are the only two cities with any advanced weaponry."
"Damn," Raine whispered.
"Can you chase the ship back to orbit for the satellite array defense?" Kal asked.
Charlie frowned and shook her head at the likelihood that the Serrato ship would follow them into orbit, knowing that the satellite array was there. "Serrato isn't here to get Victor." She clenched her teeth and whispered, "They came to send us a message."
"We're about to lose him on the scans. I'm completely out of firing range." Raine slapped the panel and cursed under her breath.
"Tighten up your
belts!" Charlie's right hand danced across the screen and locked the navigation system on the sleek Serrato ship before it was too late. She refused to allow the Serrato ship to return to Tarrak or another city and kill more innocent people. If the Betty May received a burst of powerful thrust from the engines, then they stood a chance of stopping the enemy.
"What are you doing?" Raine asked, seeming to sense Charlie's plan.
"I'm taking that douche bag down." Charlie's hand went to the throttle, which hinged on jumping to light speed.
"Oh my god!" Raine twisted her head toward Andren. "Brace for impact!"
"What is happening?" Kal demanded, a snarl filling the comms.
Charlie's fingertips hovered over the throttle while her sweaty palm slid on the yoke. With a last glimpse of the Serrato ship's location in the holosphere, she made her choice and prayed to Kalatas that it worked, or else their sacrifice was for nothing. "Betty May, engage leed one for one tick!"
"Charlie!" Kal's roar echoed through the comms until it was cut off by the greater thunder of the Betty May's engines.
The Betty May vanished for a whole tick as it launched into leed one, propelling it toward the Serrato ship like a bullet. With the navigation system locked on the other ship's coordinates, the Betty May's pointed nose was the first site of impact and tore into the upper side of the Serrato ship's fuselage. Once the Betty May struck the enemy's dual engine, an explosion erupted and flames engulfed the entangled ships. The Serrato ship broke away and went spiraling downward toward Kander.
Charlie gasped and lifted her head from the cracked dash, as blood trailed down her brow and nose. For a moment, her insides felt like they were outside, and she groaned until the Betty May's systems were screaming at her. She latched onto the yoke, fighting the planet's gravity. Looking higher, she held her breath as the flames swept down the fuselage from the other ship's hyperfuel spraying over the Betty May. But it would burn off in a matter of moments.
Raine groaned, lifted herself, and stared out beyond the destroyed nose and cracked windows. Alarms brought her attention down to the screen. "We have a fire in engine bay one!"
"Engine two is losing power. Engine three and four are operating normally in engine bay two." Charlie realized her transmission over the comms was broken after Raine's distorted call. "We have to land." She tightened her grip on the shaking yoke. "Andren, are you all right?" After no response, she peered over her shoulder and found Andren slumped against the captain's chair.