Dan handed a rifle to Jade. “Definitely hostile,” he declared dryly.
“You think?” Andy replied, checking her weapon over before nodding once and leading the team out of the armory. As they walked swiftly through the door, the ship shook again. She wondered again who would be bold enough for a direct attack in ESS space. Had they responded to hails since and made any terms without the rest being notified, or was it all just silence and shooting?
Every squad had standing orders to secure a region of the ship to combat a potential boarding party. Gamma squad was assigned to go to engineering and defend the engines and core against any intruders. The ship continued to be rocked by enemy fire as Andy led them in that direction.
The shields were still holding which was a good sign, Andy thought. This suggested they weren’t up against another ship that was too far ahead of them technologically, and that was fortunate. It seemed unlikely they were holding back, since they’d just come out of the gate swinging in the first place.
Before they got very far, however, a klaxon joined the flashing red lights. Everyone stopped, frozen for the second time in just a few minutes.
“Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Intruder alert.”
Chapter 4
“Intruders located on Deck Five, Section B. Intruders located on Deck Nine, Section D. Intruders located on Deck One, Section A. Intruders located...”
The ship’s computer spit out where intruders had been picked up on the sensors. Andy knew they hadn’t cut through the hull or boarded by shuttle, it happened too fast for that to be the case. Did they have matter transfer devices? That was technology the ESS had been working on but yet to perfect enough to transport complex organic beings.
Of course, she didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. She knew that not only were intruders on or heading toward the bridge, but there were intruders on the deck she now stood on. Gamma Squad was the closest and she signaled to the other squads that she was moving to engage the intruders on Deck Five.
They moved swiftly but cautiously, not having an exact location of the intruders except for the deck and section. They could have moved during that time too, and Andy had no desire for Gamma Squad to get surprised.
Down one corridor and around two turns, and they saw them just ahead.
No one fired at first, because the intruders didn’t shoot either. There were seven of them, and they were just standing there. Had they known Andy and her marines were coming, or maybe they just knew that someone would be coming?
They looked very human, was Andy’s first thought. They were roughly the same size, with similar variations, as well as one head and two arms and two legs. The main difference was that they were white. Not as in the skin tone of some Earth people, but pure white, like Earth snow. Every inch of their visible skin was that same white and with short white hair. Only their crystal blue eyes stood out.
They were also...too pretty to be real. They looked more like dolls than living beings.
“Put down your weapons,” Andy ordered, training her rifle on the alien standing at the front of the group. “You have boarded an ESS vessel. Put down your weapons and surrender.”
It was naturally impossible to miss that they did not lower their weapons, although they didn’t open fire either. The lead one, by all appearances a man, stared at her. His white brows drew in slightly as he stared at her without blinking. The look was unnerving to say the least.
“Did you hear me?” she repeated, suppressing a shiver down her spine.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice pure and level. “But...no.”
Her dark brows knit this time. Yes, he had heard her, but no...they would not lower their weapons. That seemed to be what he was saying.
She stayed steady. “This is an ESS vessel and you have boarded our ship illegally. I’m going to give you one more chance to lower your weapons peacefully and submit to arrest.”
Not that she really had any hope they would comply, but she had to say it.
“You are familiar,” the leader of the group said, without any apparent care that five marines had weapons trained on them. The leader himself wasn’t holding his weapon up, but the six arrayed behind him were.
“I highly doubt that,” Andy scoffed, although there was already a sliver of doubt. She didn’t know what it was, just that there was something stirring in her mind when she looked at this group. They certainly didn’t look anything alike, and yet...
“Blood knows blood, it is said,” the leader said, his pale lips stretching in a smug smile that she very abruptly but intensely wanted to throw a punch into. “Can’t you feel it?” He leaned forward slightly, peering into her eyes. “I’m sure you can.”
She could.
She did not, however, want to tell him that.
“Yes, I am sure that you can,” the leader went on, straightening up again. His expression seemed to grow even more smug and she set her teeth. “We can always sense our own kind, even if they are not pure. You are half-human, which is obvious. That is acceptable, because you are also Arkana.”
Just like that, she knew the name of her father’s people. She of course didn’t have any proof that he was right, but he was right...she could feel it.
That didn’t mean she liked it, however.
I am human, and...I am Arkana.
It felt weird to even think it, but when the words poured into her mind, she knew the truth of them.
However, that instinctive feeling didn’t help much with the idea that she had no idea who, or what, the Arkana even were. Other than the people who were standing there before her, guns raised, after they had invaded her ship. Her home.
“It is natural to doubt,” he was saying. He was still talking, even though she hadn’t said anything to encourage him. It did prove that they weren’t precisely empathic, because she wasn’t doubting. There was a difference between doubt and dislike.
Behind her, Anallin’s eyes began to click more rapidly. She knew that she just couldn’t stand there talking to this guy forever. No matter what she might want to learn from him, this wasn’t the way to go about it. She listened to the slight shifting of her squad behind her, sure that they were getting tense and edgy.
“You have illegally boarded an ESS vessel,” she repeated coldly. “You will submit to arrest, or be forced to. This is your last warning.”
“Really,” the Arkana leader drawled. A white brow on his face lifted as he tilted his head slightly. “Even being told that you are one of us, you would go against us and side with these people who are not your own? True, you are human, but this ESS is nothing but a ignorant conglomeration.” He waved a slender-fingered hand as though brushing the idea away like a bug. “You may be half-human, but it is us that you belong with.”
The word echoed in her mind like the rolling thunder from her dream, and she thought she even heard it again right then. Or maybe it was a growling. Maybe it was from her. Her muscles tensed as she stared him down. His expression was still as superior as it had been before, and expectant, like he thought he knew what she would say.
“You know what?” she said with a slight sneer. “Go to hell.”
One of the Arkana behind the leader said, “How dare you!”
Then he opened fire.
Chapter 5
All twelve bodies in that corridor dashed against the walls. There wasn’t much cover, but at least you could keep part of your body from being a potential target. Beams filled the corridor, and Andy could hear the leader of the other group shouting something but she didn’t know what.
Moments later showed something of a stalemate, though. The marines’ armor, geared to protect them against as much as possible, took the hits without much effect. The Arkana, not apparently armored at all, didn’t seem to take much damage from the pulse rifles either. Small wounds appeared where the pulses hit, but it didn’t take them down.
Andy was beginning to wonder if they would all just stand there shooting until their energy packs ran
out, when one of the Arkana seemed to get impatient—again—and drove ahead of the line. Perhaps he had come to the same determination about the energy weapon stalemate and was just going to take matters into his own hands, literally.
The tall, pale alien swung his rifle with both hands. He brought it up and around like someone swinging an axe, coming at Andy’s head. She had just an instant to take a step and raise her own rifle, blocking overhead like she was using a sword. The pair tested their strength against each other, each one pushing against the other as they vied for dominance.
He was a little bigger than she was, but she clearly had more physical training. After a moment, in another deadlock, she let herself shift back. Her weight redistributed toward her back foot...just enough to let her pull the other one off the ground, kicking him straight in the midsection and sending him folding in half, falling backward. She drove the butt of her rifle into the back of his neck and put him flat on the ground.
Of course, she only had a moment before the next one was on her.
She realized, in that moment, that the sound of weapons fire had ceased. She couldn’t look to see, but she could hear the hand to hand combat. Roxanna was cursing in Selerid. She cursed so rapidly that her translation device couldn’t keep up.
This Arkana was a woman, the first Andy had noticed, and didn’t come at Andy as bluntly as the other one had. She had her weapon down and hands up, seeming to realize that the members of the 33rd were not pushovers. They were trained, and calm.
They were a force to be reckoned with.
The woman came at her with a right cross. Andy blocked with her own right, grasping the slender wrist and pulling her forward slightly with Andy pivoting. The marine brought her left elbow up as she turned, slamming it into the other woman’s face and then turning forward again with a left cross as she dropped the wrist.
Startlingly red blood poured down the woman’s face as she stumbled back, but to her credit, she kept her hands up. She was obviously swaying, though, and Andy knew she was rattled.
Whatever they were about to do next, however, was interrupted when a pale body went flying sideways in front of Andy. Her dark eyes widened, in shock for just an instant, before turning her head to see Anallin standing there. Clearly, the Hanaran had just thrown an Arkana into the one she’d been fighting. The one on top was unconscious, bloody from hitting the wall, and the one underneath... Well, Andy wasn’t sure what state she was in, but she wasn’t getting up.
Andy quickly surveyed the rest of the scene. She could see Roxanna, Jade, and Dan all engaged, but the leader was standing back and watching. He didn’t even have a weapon up, and was obviously not planning to engage in any way.
Not thinking much of that, the leader of gamma squad made a run for him. He didn’t even seem to notice her until she was almost on him, driving her shoulder into him and sending him into the wall. She heard all the air rush out of his lungs as she shifted back, just enough to give her room to swing. Before he could have a moment to think of defense, she’d gotten in two straight shots to the abdomen.
Finally, he got himself together and pushed her back. She kept her feet, though, and brought her hands up.
His icy blue eyes glowered as he shifted off the wall, moving a little more like a fighter than the others had. He was at least six inches taller than her, but she wasn’t worried, because she knew she could fight.
When he took a swing, she leaned back and just barely avoided it hitting her cheek, before she slid back in and jabbed at his face. He dodged, but recovered fast and hit her in the ribs. She grunted, finding that he had some power in that arm, but didn’t let it keep her down. She got her guard back up.
They traded a few light punches, dodging and glancing, in rapid succession.
Until finally, she managed to avoid his hit and catch his arm. She clapped her hand on his shoulder and pulled him off balance, dragging him forward and driving her fist into the back of his head. He cursed as he stumbled forward, tearing himself out of her grip and spinning around like a wobbly top to face her again.
However, she had not been still while he had been in motion. She advanced across the small space between them, and as soon as he had turned toward her—still partially bent over—she hammered her fist into his face. Once. Twice. Three times.
He was down.
Chest heaving, she spun around and saw that every Arkana was on the ground, and every marine was still on their feet.
“I guess this wasn’t exactly a peaceful first contact,” Andy murmured, reaching around herself to rub the sore spot on her ribs. It didn’t hurt bad enough to suggest that any of them were broken, but she was sure there was a decent bruise rising. She grunted softly as she pressed it lightly, just to be sure it wasn’t worse.
She saw all of them staring at her uncertainly. “Do you really think these are the people of your father?” Roxanna asked carefully.
Andy met her gaze. “I’m sure of it,” she said quietly. “I don’t know how I know, but I know. And you know what? My family sucks.” She smiled a little, and the others all laughed quietly. Except Anallin. The Hanaran didn’t laugh, because they didn’t do that. But the eye-clicks varied.
“They seemed resistant to the pulse rifles,” Dan commented. “I’ve seen people with armor that could absorb the hit, or reflect it. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone with a body that could do the same.” He looked back at Andy. “Although, I suppose that makes some sense. Your body ate lightning and you didn’t die.”
She snorted. “Fair point,” Andy agreed. “I think we need to adjust our tactics. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have to go hand to hand with everyone. Eventually we’ll run into someone with better weapons—or better fighters.”
They all nodded.
Andy thought it over for just a moment and then said, “Let’s go to the armory for some good, old-fashioned guns.”
Chapter 6
Andy and Gamma Squad took a few moments to secure the Arkana and remove their weapons, then left them behind in the corridor. Maybe they were resistant to weapons’ fire, but Andy had a feeling that physical restraints wouldn’t be so easily gotten around. Otherwise, they didn’t have the time to spend on them.
They could now be assured that these people were not there for a friendly chat. What were they after? She didn’t like to think about it, but it seemed clear that either she was their goal, or certainly something they were after. Had they boarded the ship for her? She didn’t like the implications of that.
She didn’t like the idea that her presence had put the entire ship and crew at risk.
As they headed back to the armory, Andy took advantage of a corridor presently clear of any enemies to try to contact Major Carson.
Andy pressed the button on her ear comm piece. “Gamma Squad Leader to Alpha Squad Leader,” she said.
There was no reply. She frowned. The last time this had happened, things hadn’t been going very well for the 33rd. She cautioned herself against jumping to conclusions, however, so she waited a moment and tried again.
“Is this Sergeant Andrea Dolan?” a strange voice drawled.
Andy stopped in her tracks and held up her hand. Everyone else saw the signal and came to a halt, swapping concerned gazes from their surroundings to her and back again. Only she could hear what was coming over the channel, so they had to wait for her to tell them. They could tell from her expression that it wasn’t good.
She pressed her back teeth together and took a long breath, willing her heart to slow down again.
“Who is this?” she asked as levelly as she could.
The question, however, was enough to make her squad’s heads all snap back toward her with even more drastic looks of concern.
All she could do was meet their eyes and wait for the reply.
“My name is Shakti,” the voice replied, which she now recognized as belonging to a woman.
Andy’s first thought, as irrelevant as it was, was that this name soun
ded very...Earth-like. In fact, she was certain it was from Earth, though she could not instantly place it. She knew the voice on the other end was not a member of the Star Chaser crew, so it belonged to one of the Arkana. Why would an alien race choose a name from Earth? Or was it just a coincidence?
“Why are you on the ship’s channels?” Andy asked, just as tightly as before.
“No,” the female voice replied with an overriding sound of arrogance, almost oily. “I answered your question, now you answer mine. Is this Sergeant Andrea Dolan?” Her voice put a strange inflection on the name that Andy didn’t like.
She forced a slow breath. “Yes.” The word tasted bad in her mouth, because she didn’t want to answer at all. She knew she wasn’t holding the cards here, though. “Now,” she went on, “why are you on the ship’s channel?”
There was a long silence with just a “hmm” sounding noise. Andy ground her teeth together, but her emotions were like a rising tide. “That would be because I have taken your bridge,” Shakti finally said, her voice far too light for Andy to be calm.
However, she would be calm. She had to be calm. Or, at least, she had to be in control.
It was a struggle, though, when she had a million images flashing through her mind, seemingly all at once. Major Carson and Alpha Squad had been tasked to defend the bridge against any intruders, and she couldn’t imagine they hadn’t been there on time. They had been first out of the locker room and armory, and already on their way to the bridge when Gamma Squad had gotten there.
So, if they had made it there on time, what happened? How had a team led by such an experienced marine as the major been overcome? Were they all dead?
She desperately wanted to ask, but she knew that to do so would be to give away leverage. She could not let the enemy know too much. Presuming attachment to her fellows may have been an easy assumption but it was better to not confirm assumptions, if you could get away without it.
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