by Max Jager
Moving forward, he scooped up one of their plazers as he tried to figure out where the bridge was at. Suddenly purplish flashes snapped by his face as he turned to see three more raiders shooting from a hatchway across from the hanger bay. Switching to his AR, he dropped behind a short blast wall and began returning fire. The plazer beams weren't anything to laugh at, but they couldn't compete with high velocity 5.56 rounds. His rifle had a red dot sight on it allowing him to nail them as they tried to hide from the withering fire he was laying down. The noise was incredible as he took them out one by one. Quickly moving to a new location he snapped in another magazine hoping this wouldn't go on too much longer, having only three more.
There didn't seem to be any return fire, so Matt moved to the opposite side of the bay near where the raiders were shooting at him. Running strictly on adrenalin he tried to imagine where the next threat would come from.
It was then he realized that all the raiders would have to do was open the access door which would suck him out into space. Looking back towards Slavek's ship, he screamed out,
'Get back in the ship and close the ramp they might open the entry door!" He couldn't take the time to see if they were paying any attention, his mind concentrating on finding a hatchway door. Switching back to the shotgun, he located a hatchway just as the massive access door started to open. Matt found himself in a galley way, having no idea of where it went. Holding the shotgun at his shoulder he cautiously moved down the hall ready to shoot. Seeing another door, he noticed it was locked. Blasting the lock off and shoving his way in, he was confronted with what appeared to be an android much like Amber locked onto a table of some kind.
It was a female droid all white with what appeared to be black war paint in a hideous pattern on her face. Suddenly, the whole ship shook as an incredible explosion knocked him to the deck. Scrambling up, the android was now awake and hissing at him.
"Who are you, what is happening?
"My name is Matt Grainger, my friends and I were captured by raiders, but I've turned the tables on them. Right now, I'm trying to get to the bridge and kill the rest of them." The android gave him a strange smile, replying,
"Release me, I've been taken captive as well, and will gladly assist you in this endeavor." Something about her reminded him of something Amber once told him.
"Are you a Tharg?" She gave him an evil look, then replied,
"What is this to you?"
"Nothing really, other than than I don't want you attacking me when I release you. We are both in this together, I would like to be your friend."
"Tharg have no friends," she snarled, however I won't harm you, we will work together."
"Fair enough," he replied, as he unlocked her bindings. She was up and on the floor in a flash, although she made no attempt to attack him.
"Do you have any idea where the bridge is?" he asked, "We need to get there and kill the rest."
"Give me that knife of yours," she snapped. Handing her the knife Yufic Moon Called had made for him, she carefully examined it and smiled,
"Very good, now let's finish this." Together they moved down the passageway hopefully towards the bridge. Suddenly two raiders came busting around the corner right into the android's knife. She was just a blur in Matt's eyes as she pounced at them slitting their throats in mid air. It was Déjà vu all over again as bluish blood splattered all over her as well as the walls. They went down immediately as the droid scooped up both their plazers and quickly moved forward. Matt had no time to stare at her handi-work as he struggled to keep up.
Stopping at a hatchway, the droid turned to him and said,
"There is a small room on the other side, no doubt filled with raiders we will enter together and try to take them out." It didn't sound much like a plan but he was impressed with her lightening tactics as he reloaded the shotgun and hoisted it to his shoulder.
"I'm ready when you are." As soon as they entered, the droid disappeared, as Matt opened fire at anyone who was standing. There were six people in the room with buckshot taking down two, while the droid literally flew around the room killing the other four. Everything happened so fast he found himself searching for targets as the droid stood in the middle of the room drenched in blue blood. It looked like a slaughter house as the buckshot had taken off someone's head, and another's left arm. It was then that Matt now realized that this Tharg was just like Amber, a programmed killing machine.
The bridge was just a short way down the short corridor with the droid flinging her whole body against the door caving it completely inward. Matt then followed blasting what he assumed to be the captain and co-pilot. Without waiting on him the droid quickly disappeared, leaving Matt with his handi-work. Once again the buckshot had wreaked a terrible vengeance blasting the co-pilot practically in two. Once again, Matt puked his guts out, as the stark reality finally came home. He was sitting down when the droid returned,
"There are no more, but there is a ship off our left side, I do not know if it is more raiders." Matt shook his head,
"No it is my friends, I have to contact them." The droid found the right frequency with Slavek's voice coming over the comm.
"Matt, are you all right? We're all safe, when they started to open the entry door we were able to get the ramp up in time. We dropped out blasting the other raider ship in the process, but I've managed to contact a long-range patrol and help is on the way, just stay where you are."
Matt hung his head then looked at the droid and asked.
"You know, you never did tell me your name." She stared at him for a long moment, then replied.
"It is simply "Khemi 3" which just means "Destroyer number 3" in Sibranthi." Matt studied her In one way she looked like something out of a nightmare, and probably was for many, but he found himself drawn to her, much like Amber.
"Do you go by any other names?" He asked, "I mean a normal name."
"How do you know I'm Tharg?" She asked.
"Before I answer that," he replied, I need to know your feelings toward other Tharg."
"You know of more?" She asked,
"Yes, but if you Tharg have some sort of grudge against each other, I won't tell you."
"What is her name?" demanded Khemi. Matt shook his head,
"I'm sorry, she is a good friend and I can't have you go killing her just because she's another Tharg." Khemi then got right into his face forcing him backward.
"How do you know she is Tharg?"
"She told me, swore me to secrecy too. But since you are one as well I'm telling you this." The droid slowly eased back.
"Then it's true, for a long time I have been hearing rumors of one more of our kind."
"Well look Khemi," he replied, "She is a very dear friend, there's nothing I or my friend wouldn't do for her, but if you just want to kill her over some stupid hatred I'm sorry." Khemi slowly stood up, the smell of drying blood that covered her was starting to stink.
"No, Matt, I do not wish to kill her, we are the last of our kind, born out of a terrible time. You say you travel together?"
Eyeing her cautiously, Matt went ahead and replied.
"She pilots her own ship, she and another human from Z'ha'dum came to my planet where he passed away, before doing so, he bequeathed his ship along with this android to me. However, since I cannot fly just yet, she does all the flying."
"And where is she now?" Asked Khemi,
"Not sure, right now she and a friend from Xandrus are helping get a salvage project off the ground on Ussen Ommo."
"Xandrus what they call Sibranthi," she hissed, what…"
"Calm down Khemi," snapped Matt, he is her companion, they are trying to find work for all those poor androids there, I've been there and seen it, believe me, all your tormentors are all dead. Let the dead bury the dead, Khemi, come with us, seek a new profession, my android friend certainly has."
Khemi sat and looked at him for a moment, then handed his knife back.
"This is a superb blade, I should like to ow
n one just like it." Matt grinned,
"Well Khemi, I just so happen to know the maker, please, come with us, the war is over, strangely enough, I like you, and I'd much rather have you on our side than against us." Khemi looked at him, and for the first time he say her really smile.
Chapter 60
Titan Stand Chapter 60
The cold reality of what he had done was now upon Matt. He ignored the radio calls coming from Slavek as he slowly looked around at the bodies lying on the floor leaking tiny rivers of blue blood as Khemi sat patiently waiting for him to make his next move.
"Well if you are not going to answer them, I will!" Picking up a comm device from one of the dead raiders, not even bothering to wipe the blood from it.
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Who is this?" Came the reply, "Where's Matt?" Handing the bloody comm to Matt, he looked at it then immediately heaved. Taking the device again, Khemi replied,
"Your friend can't speak at the moment, however I am Khemi 3. I was being held prisoner by the raiders but with your friend's help, we managed to deal with them."
There was a brief pause, then Slavek replied,
"Is Matt all right, he's not hurt or anything is he?"
"No," she replied, "He just suffers from a weak stomach."
"Well put him on," Slavek demanded, "We need to re-enter the ship again but the hanger door doesn't seem to function." Although he was still suffering the after effects of realizing how close to death he had come, Matt took the mic and weakly replied.
"It's me, just bear with me for a moment would ya Slavek, I'm kinda fucked up."
"Are you all right?" Came the reply.
"Yeah, I'm not shot or anything, lot's of dead people over here though, man it's a god damned mess. I'll send Khemi down to re-set that door control so don't shoot her or anything like that OK? Oh, let me talk to Kaitlyn."
"Kaitlyn here, what's the matter Matt, everything OK?"
"Yeah, but don't get out of Slavek's ship, it's like last time…Only worse. One more thing…""Yeah."
"I rescued Amber's sister!"
"What!"
"I'll explain when you get here." Slavek broke in again,
"Matt, we've got a long range patrol heading our way, they should be here in under a milacenton."
"Well Khemi's on her way down to the hanger bay right now…Stand by."
With the android's help, Slavek was able to re-enter the transport, and land again. By that time, Matt was feeling better although he still suffered from the shakes. Both he and Khemi were standing in front of the ship when Slavek Tiag and Kaitlyn cautiously descended the ramp. Everyone's eyes immediately fell on Khemi, her stark white features set off by the black streaking on her head and face, but also the blood spattered all over her.
"Matt!" Called out Kaitlyn, "what's going on?"
"What's it look like!" He called out, "We just captured another pirate ship." He then introduced Khemi to everyone, Slavek and Tiag greeted her diplomatically, while Kaitlyn acted rather suspiciously. Khemi noticed her behavior immediately, asking her.
"I can tell you are suspicious of me, do I offend you?" Clearly, Kaitlyn was upset by this, replying.
"No, it's…It's just that you remind me of someone that's all."
"Ahh that would be Amber, who is a Tharg like me, Matt has told me all about her."
Kaitlyn looked at Matt who pursed his lips and shrugged.
Slavek then asked,
"Is this ship cleared, you're sure there's no more raiders aboard, or any possibility of any of them hiding someplace?" Khemi shook her head.
"I've gone through the whole ship. It's true, there were three hiding in the engine room, but no longer." Matt knew only too well, what that meant. Tiag then checked the ships comm system raising the Golian long-range patrol who signaled they were only microcentons away. After discussing with the fighter patrols wing master, on the best way for them to come aboard. In the end, due to space limitations it was decided that the commander's fighter along with one other could safely enter the ship's hanger bay. Tiag and Khemi operated the access door while Slavek slowed the ship to allow the two fighters aboard.
Things were a bit snug, but the two fighters were able to enter and park. After a brief tour, the commander asked how many prisoners they had, along with how they were able to overcome all the raiders. When Matt explained that there were no prisoners, and that it was just he and Khemi who took the ship the Golian wing master refused to believe him. Only after touring the ship and viewing their bloody handiwork was the commander forced to admit the truth. Once again, it dawned on Matt that sometimes "old tech" is sometimes better. In this case, the inability of the raider's scanners to detect his AR and shotgun with their gunpowder cartridges once again, gave Matt the edge he needed.
"I and my co-pilot will fly this craft back to Golia. We will dock at the Torgolick, which is a military space station. There you will be sequestered until the investigation is completed."
Well how long will that take?" Asked Slavek. The wing commander replied.
"Hard to say, the fact that a Tharg, along with a being I'm not familiar with, managed to overcome, and slaughter a whole ship of raiders is going to cause quite an uproar." He then studied Matt and Kaitlyn closer.
"By the way, what race are you two?"
We are called human beings," stated Matt, "And we come from the planet earth."
The Golian looked at Matt a little closer stating.
"Earth you say?"
"Yeah," replied Matt, "ever hear of it?"
"Is that that strange blue planet stuck off in that backwater galaxy? I think it's the only one in it's galaxy that has life on it."
With a big sigh, Matt replied,
"Yeah that's the place, ever been there?"
"No," replied the commander, but my wife has a distant cousin who visited there a long time ago, says they tried to kill him." Matt groaned,
"Christ! How many aliens were coming to earth? Maybe all those UFO people were right about the government knowing about all these visitors to earth but was keeping a lid on the information."
"Gee that's too bad," he replied," But I happen to know a bunch of people putting together an expedition there so maybe he could hook up with them?"
The commander shrugged,
"He's too old for that kind of thing anymore."
"Slavek then said,
"My mother is the Ruddorian ambassador to Golia; I don't want to have to bring her into the situation it's not our way, but…" The commander frowned.
"There's no need for that, but an honest inquiry must be conducted. You also stand to be honored for your actions, please, just let the investigators do their jobs." Clearly, Slavek and his sister weren't happy, but the commander assured them that they would be allowed to contact their mother to assure her they were all right.
With the rest of the fighter wing acting as an escort, the transport made its way towards the Golian space station. Along the way, Matt and Slavek were asked to help move the bodies down to the hanger deck where they dumped them into several empty shipping containers. The commander who went by the name of Stalick Keldem, told Slavek and Matt that the ship they were on was stolen from Broltrir, a small planet in the Tryn-Isha system.
"I know a very wealthy Neistrian who will be overjoyed at getting his ship back, he may even reward you." Matt looked at him and said,
"Those Neistrians are the reason I'm out here, a long time ago they came to earth, kidnapped a whole town brought them to Z'ha'dum and made them work in the mines." Commander Keldem looked at him for a moment then replied.
"As I recall, they were always doing things like that. They are not a bad people really, and anyway, their glory centons are long behind them. If you're carrying a grudge because of something they may have done a long time ago, let it go, what's done is done, let the past bury the past."
Matt thought this a rather curious thing to say, but went ahead and answered him.
; "I agree, I've no animosity towards these people. The man who returned to earth to die told me they weren't mean or cruel to his people, but sooner or later, I need to get to Z'ha'dum for personal reasons."