True Cost: The Descendants War Book 5

by John Walker

  The reactor appeared to be stabilized. His techs did their jobs. Life support proved spotty throughout the station but that was nothing new. Many of the tethered sections struggled to remain comfortable… or healthy for that matter. He didn’t worry about that. One of the biggest problems came from how many ships were currently docked.

  Normally, the Flotilla required all captains to disembark the station prior to it going to warp. That made the whole experience vastly more predictable. Their emergency meant taking enormous risks, like pushing the reactor to the point it nearly blew. And having radiation flood some of the decks.

  These are things we can fix when we arrive at our destination. The Custodian wished he knew precisely where they’d go. The navigation system had a series of locations that were safe for them, places all over the galaxy. Considering they had yet to appear, he figured they were going somewhere insanely remote.

  Or at least vastly distant from our point of origin. I’m surprised it would go to such an extreme. The battleships couldn’t follow us. They have no means of tracking our craft through warp. The Custodian began to worry about that notion. None of the cultures had that technology before we got this place going.

  The Triton in particular worried him. He hadn’t seen such a vessel before. Meaning he had no way of knowing their capabilities. They might be in pursuit already and he’d never know until they appeared to deliver some justice for taking their people.

  We should make sure they survive.

  “Sir?” Custodian Three came into the room. He had long abolished their proper names, giving them numbers instead. What they did on their own time didn’t matter to him, but it made things easier to recall them by the insignia they wore. “We have several problems I need to report on.”

  “Are they not in the details I asked for?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Three said, “you see, we’ve got major uprisings all over the station. Mobs are looting at will. In some cases, they are destroying equipment we need to initiate repairs from this section. Half our relays are down.”

  “Of course.” The Custodian sighed. “What else?”

  “The Manager’s private chamber is about to be under assault. A large group of pirates is attempting to claim the lounge. It’s being held by only two people. I’ve located the last pocket of our armed forces as well. They are hiding out in a hangar at the very top of the station.”

  “Cowards! Have you spoken with them?”

  “They state they will only respond to the Manager. But I’m afraid he’s under attack as well! Other criminals are attempting to break in there for the supplies within. It’s a nightmare, sir! What should we do?”

  What about the contestants?” the Custodian asked. “What’re they doing?”

  “Two of them are trapped in the medical bay. Another two in the Manager’s chamber. One is helping to defend the lounge and one we trapped in the computer room.”

  “Wait, you did what?” The Custodian rose. “What were they doing?”

  “We presumed they were initiating sabotage, so we remotely killed all the ports and locked the doors. Five is flooding the room with radiation right now.”

  “Are you insane?” The Custodian shouted. “That person is armed! Do you have any idea what sort of damage they could do? What those consoles are governing? Throughout this station?” He cursed before throwing his terminal on the ground. It sparked as the edge cracked. “You have to let them out of there!”

  The floor vibrated followed by a severe tremor that knocked Three to the ground. The Custodian grabbed the desk, clinging to it as the station bucked. A deep whine erupted from somewhere near the reactor. He knew his station well enough to pinpoint the noise. His chest tingled, heart throbbing painfully.

  “What’s happening?” Three screamed. “Is the station exploding?”

  “No, you moron. We’re leaving warp.”

  “How is that possible? We’ve never had it be so rough before!”

  “I can’t say for sure,” the Custodian said, “but I’m willing to bet Five’s stunt with the armed person in the computer room had something to do with it. I’ll execute that fool myself. But for now… now, we have bigger problems to deal with.” The station settled, eventually returning to normal.

  We survived. He hadn’t been certain of that outcome, not once the sound came from the reactor. It settled as well, going silent a few moments later. Now to assess the damage. Find out how much trouble we’re in. One positive thing came to him. Most of the criminals would make for their ships to depart.

  Get the rabble out of here. That’ll alleviate the strain on our life support while we figure out what’s going on.

  The Custodian dragged Three to his feet. He said, “Get your people working on discovering all the problems we currently have. I want a complete damage report. And allow that person to leave the computer room. If they’re stuck in there any longer, they might keep shooting things.”

  If they’re still alive.

  “Your will be done.” Three bowed to him before rushing out.

  The Custodian glared after the fool before turning to his comm. “Manager? Come in. We have a lot to do now that we’re prematurely out of warp.” He received no reply. “Pick up! I need your say to get our thugs to secure the admin room! Where are you anyway?” He didn’t want to go back to the medical bay. Not with roaming criminals.

  I don’t have a choice. The Custodian drew his sidearm. He stepped into the other room. “None of you stop working. Keep the defenses on. I’ll return as soon as I can.” He stormed out, marching down the hallway. His confidence waned when he reached the end of the turret defenses.

  Shouts echoed through the halls, most likely from pirates losing their minds over the rumbling. Normally, the Flotilla had people in place to offer status updates through the intercom. He didn’t want any of his technicians doing that. They lacked any sort of decorum nor did they know when to keep things to themselves.

  The last time they had a technical issue, one of his idiots had explained exactly what might happen if they didn’t get it fixed. Never mind the fact there had only been a point six percent chance of the reactor imploding. The resulting message had caused a mass exodus leading up to brawls in the hallway.

  Since then, no Custodian had been allowed to speak with the passengers or crew of the station.

  Alright. The Custodian bounced on the balls of his feet. Sweat soaked his back and chest. His bald head felt slimy. He wiped his eyes before stepping out into the hallway. The medical bay was only three hundred yards away. Through some of the larger gatherings of people.

  Without the Manager, the station may well fall. They didn’t even know where they were yet. He didn’t bother to ask before he left. They wouldn’t know until they rebooted the sensors. Those were fragile, often having issues whenever they moved, even within a system. That had been something he always wanted to fix but…

  I’m stalling. The Custodian swallowed a lump in his throat. Every nerve ending screamed at him to stay put, to remain with the safety of the turrets. I can’t. This is something I must do! And with that as his only pep talk, he marched out, stamping his feet as if it might grant him courage.

  It didn’t.

  Chapter 9

  Orla struggled to breathe. The forest air became thick with dirt and plant matter, clinging to her nose, making her sweat sticky. She prided herself on being in excellent physical shape, yet this went above and beyond anything she’d done lately. A good run, a long trek over even ground… these challenges she could’ve handled all day.

  But the loose ground made it particularly difficult going. Every step became two. Pushing off for another pace saw her slide a good two to three feet. By the time they saw the top of the ridge, she thought she might pass out from exertion. Her heart throbbed in her chest, pounding into her head until she felt dizzy.

  Klev moaned in between every third breath. He used the trees to compel himself forward, shoving along. To his credit, he didn’t complain
, nor did he fall behind. Wherever they ended up, they’d be in for a world of hurt when they took a rest. The cramps alone sounded awful.

  “How much… longer?” Klev asked. “I’m spent.”

  “So am I,” Orla said. “Look, though. We’re nearly there.” She fell silent at that point, maintaining her focus to continue the climb. When they finally reached the ridge, she wanted to drop to her knees. Any sort of inactivity sounded lovely… well beyond tempting as well. Every muscle cried out for her to take a moment.

  “Now?” Klev asked.

  Orla nodded. “I don’t think we have a choice.” She gazed out over the horizon, looking down a lengthy hill leading to a valley. She squinted at a dark shape marring an endless, golden field. Those are people. “Look.” A quick tap on Klev’s shoulder brought him out of his own reverie. He followed her gaze. “Refugees.”

  “Sure enough.” Klev yawned. “Where are they going?”

  “Some sort of launch point. We should try to join them.”

  A beam weapon chirped below them. The blast cut through the trees, lighting leaves on fire. Klev hit the dirt instantly, without hesitation. Orla slipped behind a tree, drawing her pistol. She half leaned out, watching with her peripheral vision for a flash from another attack.

  It came just ten seconds later, striking the tree by her head. Orla crouched, leaning to return fire. A couple shots made someone stir down below. Branches rustled then one snapped. Some rocks tumbled down the hill.

  Scared you, Orla thought. That’s what you get, bastard. She had no doubt it was the Kahl commander they saw earlier though she had no idea why the man would bother to come after them specifically. We’re not exactly prime targets. What benefit would you garner from killing us specifically?

  Kahl often killed for sport. For no other reason than they could. This invasion, this attack stunk like one of their purge exercises. They went in, wiped out a colony, then left behind broken bones and incinerated buildings. She had visited such places as a medical professional, providing care for salvage crews.

  Every single one of them felt off. Ultimately, like death hovered over them.

  Now we’re being stalked by these sick bastards. “Klev,” Orla muttered. “Crawl to the top then go down ten feet before you stand. Once you do, making a run for it. Weave through the trees. That will make you harder to hit.”

  “What about you?” Klev asked. “I’m not going to leave you the way Desal left us! We’re in this mission together!”

  “I have no intention of staying behind, you fool! Now go!” Orla glared at him as realization spread across his expression. He didn’t waste any more time, bolting from his position.

  Two shots chased him, kicking up dirt and rocks. Orla returned fire, coming close enough to bring out some cursing. The person she fought hit the ground. That was enough for her.

  She left her own position, running after Klev. He seemed to have fallen, rolling most of the way down the hill. The column of refugees was around half a mile away. If they reached the bottom of the incline, it would be over even ground without any more trees or hills to obstruct their path.

  And that’s when it dawned on Orla what she was about to do.

  Leading the enemy to them meant more lives lost. Even if they fought back, he would’ve killed a few. Or he would’ve gotten them at least. Open shot from behind? No. She moved over to one of the larger trees, crouching behind it. Then, she sat still, flicking her eyes left and right while straining to hear any sort of noise.

  A rustle came. Well above her at the top of the rise. The Kahl commander paused there then started his way down. He didn’t fall like Klev but took his time, like he had nowhere else to be. Orla waited, giving him time to close the gap. The easier the shot, the better in this case. Come on… just a little closer.

  Orla slipped around the tree to keep herself obscured. She crept slowly, making her legs ache from the care. Any noise might reveal her position and if that happened, she’d have a highly trained soldier to contend with head-on. This has to be from stealth. There’s no other choice.

  “Pathetic.”

  Orla’s understanding of the Kahl language had always been problematic, but she caught that. She practically spat the word as he lifted his weapon to his shoulder.

  Goodbye, scum. Orla pulled the trigger, sending a blast his way. He moved at the last second, shifting for a better view. All that happened before he caught the sound of her weapon chirping. That would’ve been a kill shot! No!

  The Kahl commander spun in her direction, lighting the tree up with a barrage of fire. She pulled her arms tight about her, leaning into the cover with her eyes closed. It felt like he might never stop so when he did, she found herself numb… unable to move. Her ears rang. Limbs twitched.

  A scent of burning wood touched her nose. He’d caught the tree on fire. Orla leaned to look out through the haze of fire, the addition of smoke.

  He was gone.

  No! Orla spun in time to get a boot in the face. The blow dulled her senses, made her sluggish. She tried to lift her weapon… realized her pistol had fallen. Another blow caught her in the side, tossing her over to her stomach. He said something, carrying on in Kahl. Part of her wanted to know… the other figured it wasn’t anything nice.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she stared down the barrel of his weapon. Orla forced herself to keep her eyes open, watching her end come rather than cowering before him. I won’t give him the satisfaction of terror. So do your worst, filth. I’m prepared for what may come after the void.

  A gun discharged. No pain followed. The Kahl turned, taking a shot up the hill. Then two blasts got him, rending a cry from his body that started at the very depths of his gut. He fell to the ground, in the leaves, turning toward Orla. She watched him struggle with his weapon, desperate to aim at her.

  Even in death, you just have to take someone with you? Orla shuffled forward, leaping on top of him. She pounded her fist into his face, striking him until her hands burned with each successive blow. His nose turned to mush. His eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites. Blood soaked his white face.

  “You’re okay!” Desal shouted, dragging her off. “Come on, get up!”

  “No!” Orla kicked the man twice before she was out of range. Pure rage consumed her, driving her to scream while trying to maintain her assault. “You sick horror! Let me go! Let me go!”

  “He’s gone!” Desal yelled again, this time in her ear. “Orla! You’re safe! For the love of all the divines, calm yourself!”

  Orla turned to look at her… then threw her arms around the woman’s neck, clinging. “I thought you were gone. You… saved me…”

  “Hey.” Desal patted her back before disengaging. “It’s my job.” She gestured. “Grab your gun. Where’s Klev? You didn’t use him as bait again, did you?”

  “No…” Orla gestured. “He’s gone to meet the refugees. They are… that way. A column.”

  “Yes, heading to the landing zone.” Desal walked with her as Orla grabbed her gun. “Come on. They need us over there. We can provide some security for the last stretch.”

  “Of course…” Orla nodded. She plunged her weapon into its holster, touching her ribs. Every breath sent a wave of agony through her. Great. He cracked one for sure. The kick to the face started to swell, particularly her upper lip. It’s a miracle he didn’t knock out one of my teeth.

  Still, she felt lucky to be alive. I’m so glad she kept after us… followed. If not, we would probably both be dead.

  Klev already made it to the refugees. Several armed men surrounded him, likely demanding some explanation for his arrival. Desal hurried forward, calling back, “Those are some of my men! I’ll smooth this over and we’ll be fine. Just keep coming, Orla! It’ll work out! I promise!”

  I’ll hold you to that, Orla thought. She had no need to run. Much of her didn’t even want to walk. She had no choice but to do so with the refugees. Especially if they expected her to protect others. This is not somethin
g I ever imagined would happen to me out here. I wanted to hide, not become… whatever this is.

  Orla had saved dozens of lives working in the Rhulin camp. Klev’s life as well. The way he looked back at her proved he knew it too. She’d managed to earn Desal’s respect in a short while, though she wasn’t sure she deserved it. Regardless, they were finally safe. At least until they got into a shuttle to evacuate.

  When our survival is taken out of our hands. She’d lived through an evacuation before. Will my luck stand? For the sake of the others, I certainly hope so.

  ***

  Rhys winced away from the screen after a particularly nasty exchange with the Kahl forces. They took the full brunt of an attack just as they delivered their own assault on the vessel. Somehow, they ended up in the same slugfest as the Prytins, exchanging blows like punch-drunk boxers.

  This isn’t how we should be fighting.

  Titus allowed it to go on for three trades before ordering Jane to get them moving again. Maneuvering thrusters compelled them hard to starboard before they lurched forward, cutting by the enemy’s flank. The Brekka took their place, commencing with their own attack so the Kahl ship could not pursue.

  “Pivot,” Titus said, “Sam, open fire on their rear engines when you have a clean shot. Make it fast. We don’t have a lot of time to take advantage of this.”

  The ship spun, g-forces pressing at them from all sides before abruptly letting up. Sam let fly the main cannons, tearing into the Kahl defenses. Combined with the attacks from the Brekka, they chewed through them, breaching the hull. The enemy climbed upward in an effort to escape.

  Jane kept them in range, allowing Sam one more chance to catch them. The enemy hull glowed in the rear as their shields became visible, blurring their view of the ship. The Brekka hit them again, causing the shields to burst, shattering like digital class.

  The Triton edged forward, rolling for a better view of those thrusters. Both winked out. Molten armor continued to glow red against the black of space. Sam let fly again. The shots opened their target up, revealing decks within. Supplies and personnel exploded from the damage, emptying into space.