by Dana Kelly
“Are you going to be okay?” asked Mike.
Torsha nodded and smiled bitterly. “Oh yeah. I’m great. What’s everyone waiting around for?”
“All right, marines,” said Fiedler. “Let’s finish this!”
With an enthusiastic oorah, they advanced up the emergency stairs. When they reached the command deck, Montaña kicked down the door. Falcon’s marines stormed the bridge and captured Bloodtusk, along with the rest of Excrucio’s command crew.
Bainbert hacked into Blacktusk’s network. He loaded a series of scripts that shut down all communication across the pirate fleet. “404 on the floor,” he said and gave his team leader two thumbs up.
Fiedler activated his commlink. “The network’s down, Captain.”
“Well done, Lance Corporal,” said Izel. “I will inform Lieutenant Belmont of your success. Hold the bridge until I receive confirmation of Orin Webb’s status.”
“Sí, capitán,” said Fiedler. “We’ll hold the bridge.”
◆◆◆
Blue fire roared from Orin’s hands as he gripped Ergo with oceanic waves of force. He lifted her off the deck just as the warthog fired, sending particle blasts ripping through the walls of the complex. They exploded some of the stone beyond, showering the hangar bay with bits of molten rock.
Orin’s flames guttered momentarily, and he let the shuttle drop. Dredging his reserves, he raised his hands as he focused on the warthog. Straining against its mass, he spun Blacktusk’s shuttle completely around.
“That will not save you,” said Blacktusk.
“But this will!” said Bianca as she led her fellow marines from asteroid’s halls. She pulled her trigger, and a rocket-propelled grenade streaked through the air, striking the warthog directly. The explosion tore through the vessel’s hull and set her listing to one side for a moment, before she lost power and crashed down. Fire raged through the warthog’s confines.
“Capture Blacktusk,” said Bianca. “Kill the rest! For Carmina!” The yell that followed chilled Blacktusk’s buccaneers to the bone, and Falcon’s marines swept into their ranks.
Orin formed a pair of tower shields from a mix of stone and steel, and he waded into the mêlée, bearing down on Blacktusk. Casey bellowed as she charged, wielding her shotgun like a cudgel. Shulana leveled her gun at her former shipmates, shooting to wound, while Misaki and April took cover next to Shona and Malmoradan, behind the airlock door. Sturmhardt raised her glowing blade and led the rest of Casey’s posse into battle.
Locking eyes with Orin, Blacktusk holstered his sidearm. He cast off his cloak, revealing a mechanized forearm prosthetic and a robotic lower leg. He slammed his metal fist into one of Orin’s shields, denting it, and sparks flew. Dipping low, he hooked both shields with his tusks, and he reared up. The barriers flew high in the air, but Orin reached out and used his powers to pull them both back into his hands.
Orin bashed one shield against Blacktusk’s face, shattering the pirate captain’s ivory. Splinters and jewelry scattered on the ground. With the other shield, he swept the melephundan’s robot leg out from under him. As Blacktusk fell sideways, Orin dropped the shields and dashed over to pin his foe.
Blacktusk twisted around, catching Orin with the jagged ends of his broken tusks. Orin winced as they sliced across his arms and chest. His powers prevented him from being impaled, but the flames surrounding his hands burned low, and his muscles started to ache.
Wearing a savage grin, Blacktusk pressed his counterattack. He kicked Orin back. With his head hung low, Blacktusk rolled up to stand, and he reached for Orin with both hands.
Keeping a cool head, Orin watched Blacktusk’s moves. As Blacktusk attempted a grapple, Orin sidestepped back, drawing his opponent’s overreach. Seizing the moment, Orin locked his arms around Blacktusk’s. In an instant, he closed and pinned the melephundan’s elbows. Orin snapped Blacktusk down and twisted his hand around at the wrist. Pulling on Blacktusk’s immobilized arm, Orin curled back and wrapped his legs around the pirate captain’s knees, locking his legs in place.
Blacktusk grunted as he struggled to break free of the hold.
Casey stepped into his field of view. “You got this?” she asked.
“I could use some help,” said Orin, and his blue fire faded completely.
With a sly smile, she nodded, and the last thing Blacktusk saw before losing consciousness was the butt of Casey’s shotgun.
◆◆◆
In the starry expanse, Excrucio’s Starwind rocketed from the battlecruiser’s launch bay. Mike, Torsha, and every member of Falcon’s boarding team lingered in the shuttle’s crowded cargo compartment, but no one said much of anything. Bloodtusk and the rest of Excrucio’s command crew sat bound on the upper deck. The crystal canopy gave them an unfettered view of what was about to happen.
The Starwind closed on Fox Mendes as her launch tubes yawned open. Volleys of guided missiles lit up the darkness, leaving pale serpents in their wake. The hunter-destroyer’s forward turrets unleashed relentless columns of dragon’s fire, breaking apart the pirates’ starfighters amidst silent crescents of amber and orange. The missiles found the dreadnought first, consuming her with hellfire. She broke apart as the next volley devoured the missile cruisers, and the third volley shattered Blacktusk’s frigates.
The final volley crippled Excrucio.
Chapter 15
Recovery
Casey sat within the cockpit of one of the Sunhawks anchored in the Rocksaugh maintenance hangar. The flight crew stood on either side of her, along with a pair of Falcon marines at her back. Izel’s face appeared on the dash display. “Officer Cartwright, I’m Captain Izel Aguirre. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise, Captain Aguirre,” said Casey. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what’s the purpose of this call?”
“I wanted to get a look at the person my marines are speaking so highly of,” said Izel. “I understand you neutralized seven combatants—five before we joined, and two more in the mêlée that followed. Is that correct?”
“What I did was kill five people and knock out two others. I hate the word ‘neutralize,’” said Casey. “Look, I’m not much of a fan of any military, so unless you start talking straight with me, I’m leaving.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Izel.
“We’re both women of action. Flattery insults us both,” said Casey. “What’s the real reason I’m here?”
Izel she raised a brow appreciatively. “You’re here because you’re the one who downed Blacktusk. His bounty is yours to claim. Unfortunately for me, I was hoping to leverage that bounty in exchange for Orin Webb. As his rescue is why we were sent here in the first place, my mission is at risk of failure unless you can find it within your heart to transfer Orin into our care.”
“You know, I really wish I could help you, but now that Ky’s under arrest for slave trading, I’ll need to reassert my transport claim, and it could be months before MABAS sorts it out.” Casey laughed dryly. “Between you and me, that kid’s been more trouble than he’s worth.”
“Clearly, you haven’t seen how much they’re paying for Blacktusk,” said Izel.
Casey shook her head. “He’s nowhere on the bounty boards. I checked on the way back here, under his real name and all his known aliases. So, if he’s on there at all, whatever they’re paying, it didn’t even reach my minimum filter. Which is pretty low.”
“I guarantee you this reward surpasses your minimum filter.” Izel sent over the details.
“Oh, my,” breathed Casey. “You’re sure that’s not an extra zero?”
“Completely sure.”
Whistling into her hands, Casey grinned for only a moment before doubt filled her expression. “I don’t recognize this payer’s seal. Where did you find this?”
“The Interstellar Police Force doesn’t have access to every bounty board.” Izel leaned forward with a cunning smile. “I’ll tell you what. You give me your word—in writing—that you’r
e surrendering all claim to Orin’s transport, and I’ll put your name right here on the bounty claim. Someone from Marble Canal will be in touch with instructions on where to deliver Blacktusk in order to claim your reward.”
Casey gasped. “Marble Canal? As in the Marble Canal that handles contracts for the galaxy’s wealthy elite?”
Izel nodded.
“Sweet stars above,” whispered Casey. “I’ve been applying for membership for years!”
“Now you’ll have their attention,” said Izel. “Surely an invitation will follow.”
Casey nodded, barely able to contain herself. “I’ll do it! Thank you, Captain Aguirre. Thank you!”
◆◆◆
Within the confines of Rocksaugh’s primary hangar bay, Falcon corpsmen moved between injured marines and buccaneers. Mike and Torsha dragged a pair of old crates to Orin’s bedroll, taking in the compresses and gauze that covered his arms and chest. Shona sat across from them with a medical armband wrapped around her forearm. It hummed and clicked quietly as it manufactured and injected red blood cells tailored to her genetic profile.
Mike found himself stealing glances her way. When their eyes at last met, he composed himself and offered his hand. “Hi, I’m Mike. Mike Santos.”
“Hey, Mike.” His hand nearly vanished within her grip as they shook. She leaned forward to meet his gaze, and she smiled. “I’m Shona.”
He blushed. “I, um… This is Torsha,” he said and pointed both index fingers at his friend.
Shona paid Torsha a friendly nod. “Good to meet you.”
“You too,” said Torsha. “Why isn’t Orin waking up?”
“He will,” said Shona. “His wounds aren’t that bad. Most likely, he’s just exhausted from using his powers.”
“What happened?” asked Mike.
Shona told them everything, starting from their visit to Orin’s student housing building. She spent extra time on the moment when Orin stopped Drake’s bullet from killing Malmoradan. Excitedly, she concluded, “Orin made Ky’s entire shuttle hop up, just in time to dodge the warthog’s laser blasts! Then, he just marched right into battle with this huge pair of shields, and he took Blacktusk down!”
Torsha looked surprised, even a bit overwhelmed. “Orin did all that?” She moved to crouch at Orin’s side and traced his forehead with her fingertips. “It’s hard to believe. He’s so down-to-earth, you know? He’s always been into baseball, camping, and country music, and he’s pretty good at the grill. He’s the only guy I know I can call to help me move a refrigerator or change a tire in the middle of nowhere.” She smiled wistfully. “Or come rescue me from a stalker at a dance club.” She leaned back on her heels. “I guess he always has been the heroic type, just not this kind of hero.”
“Maybe something deep inside him woke up when his memories came back,” said Shona. “Sometimes people reconstruct themselves after a life-changing event. Of course, that usually takes months, so if that’s what Orion’s going through, this might only be a glimpse of the man he’s becoming.”
“Sure. Maybe,” said Torsha, and she glanced at Shona sidelong. “You sure know an awful lot about this stuff.”
“I survived a few life-changing events myself,” said Shona.
“How long is he going to be out?” asked Mike.
“I don’t know,” said Shona. “It could be another minute, or it could be another hour.”
With a heavy sigh, Torsha stood and plopped back down on her crate, causing it to slide noisily along the deck. “I don’t like this.”
“It sucks, for sure,” said Shona. “How did you two get here? Our shuttle’s still clogging up the tarmac.”
“We hitched a ride with the corpsmen on Bloodtusk’s Starwind, and they docked down below,” said Mike. “Bloodtusk acquired that shuttle legitimately, if you can believe it, so Falcon can’t lay claim. Captain Aguirre decided to leave it parked here, in case Bloodtusk ever gets out of prison.”
Shona regarded him questioningly. “I’m sorry, who’s Bloodtusk?”
“Blacktusk’s kid brother,” said Mike. “His real name is Husthar Veskatar, but he goes by Bloodtusk.”
“Cool,” said Shona.
“No, he’s not,” said Torsha.
Shona drew a deep breath and hunched over her knees. “How long have you all known each other?”
“Since we were five, so sixteen years, give or take,” said Mike, and he absently tapped the dull metal orb contained within his new jacket’s pocket. His heart jumped as he glanced past Shona’s V-neck, and he quickly anchored his sights on the shuttle Ergo. “We all went to the same elementary school, and our parents became best friends. Despite all our efforts to the contrary, we did too.”
“No offense, but you two smell like money, and Orin doesn’t,” said Shona. “How’d Orin end up at the same school as you?”
“Scholarship,” said Torsha. “He’s really good at scoring those. In case you were wondering, my mom is Iona Madagan. You’ve probably heard of her. Most people have. And Mike’s a Falcon Prince. His dad is Martin Santos, the Archduke of this sector.”
“No idea who either of those people are, but it’s a big galaxy.” Shona bobbed her head slightly. “You seem proud of where you came from though, so that’s pretty cool.”
Mike quietly cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” said Shona.
“Are you a giant?”
“Giants aren’t allowed to be spacers,” said Shona. “Don’t worry, though, people ask me that all the time. On my home world, there’s lots of people even taller than I am.”
“Wh… Which one’s your home world?” asked Mike.
“Gladius Prime,” said Shona.
At that moment, a corpsman approached from across the way. “Officer Chelsea, I’d like to check on your drip band. Is now a good time?”
“Sure,” said Shona, and she offered her forearm. “It’s just Shona. I’m not an officer of anything.”
The corpsman took a moment to confirm the heplock remained in place and to tab through the device’s diagnostic panels. Satisfied things were in order, she looked into Shona’s eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling so much better. Thank you.”
“That’s great to hear,” said the corpsman. “Can you follow me, please? There’s paperwork we need to fill out.”
“Of course,” said Shona, and she got to her feet.
“Are you coming back?” asked Mike. “I’m dying to hear more about your home world.”
“There’s a lot going on right now,” said Shona. “I’m not sure this is the right time for a walk down memory lane, but I could tell you all about it later.” With a hopeful smile, she suggested, “Tonight? Maybe with some spicy cocoa?”
“I’d love that, and in case we can’t do it in person, here.” Mike pressed his finger against the top of his hand, prompting his gene key to project his private profile. “We can do it remotely.”
“Awesome,” said Shona, and they exchanged contact information. “He’s gonna be okay. Okay? Orin’s gonna be fine.”
“I hope so,” said Mike. “Thank you.”
As Shona took her leave, Torsha glared at Mike.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m just dying to hear more about your home world,” mocked Torsha. “You’re ridiculous!”
“Why, for getting her contact information? You were the one dropping names.”
Shaking her head, Torsha turned away. “You know why.”
◆◆◆
With a worried look, April stood near an older corpsman as he applied fresh dressings to Malmoradan’s wounds. After he had finished, he injected the ocelini with antibiotics and secured his arm against his torso. “I was able to stop the bleeding, but he’s going to need surgery to reattach everything, as well as several courses of electro-biologicals. I’ll ask the captain to authorize treatment aboard Fox Mendes. Considering the circumstances, I’d be shocked if she said no.”
The corpsman removed his gloves and wiped his brow. “I don’t see why not, but it’s not my call. One of you will need to run that by Captain Aguirre.”
“Understood,” said April. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled slightly. “Your colleague should be waking up soon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still have plenty of work to do.” With a polite nod, the corpsman took his leave.
April squeezed Malmoradan’s good hand. “Hang in there,” she said, and she glanced toward Orin and his friends.
◆◆◆
At last, Orin stirred. Slowly, he opened his eyes and grinned drowsily as he beheld Mike and Torsha. “You guys missed the party,” he croaked. Wincing in pain, he slowly moved his arms as he sat up.
“Well, someone did change the address at the last minute,” said Mike.
“That’s too bad,” said Orin. “There was music, dancing, a shooting gallery, a kissing booth, and even a piñata.”
“A piñata, huh?” Mike glanced at the warthog’s wreckage.
“Shona already gave us the highlights,” said Torsha. “But I’d still love to hear your side of the story.”
“Maybe later,” said Orin. “How did you guys find me? Casey changed course pretty early on.”
“We had some help,” said Mike. “Your psychic friend visited me in my dreams and told me where you were going.”
“Who, April?” asked Orin.
“That’s right,” said Mike. “Izel led the charge from there.”
“I’m so glad you made it,” said Orin. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if Falcon hadn’t arrived when they did. I’m sure April’s around here somewhere if you wanted to say hi to her in person.”
“I’d like to,” said Mike.