by L. E. Thomas
Austin smiled as he unscrewed his helmet and stood, his joints aching and popping with the movement. The sweat in his flight suit slid against his skin. After spending so many hours in the cockpit, he smelled like a garbage chute. Shaking his head and running a hand through his damp hair, he rolled his head around until it popped. Using wobbly legs, he descended the ladder and hit the deck. He stabilized himself against the nose of his Trident, tapping the hull in a silent expression of gratitude.
“Are you all right, Lieutenant?”
Austin turned around to face his mentor and Major Cayo Wilkos, fighting off a sudden wave of fatigue. “I am, sir. Happy to see you both.”
Wilkos shook his head, a small grin growing into a beaming smile. “It is good to see you, Rock.” He tilted his head toward the briefing room. “Let’s get off the deck and hear what you have to say.”
Nubern frowned. “Shouldn’t he hit the showers? He’s been in the cockpit almost a day.”
“Thank you, sir,” Austin said, raising his hand, “but there isn’t time.”
Their eyes met, and Nubern nodded in understanding.
“Very well,” he said.
“Major,” Austin said, turning to Wilkos, “I think you’ll want the files downloaded from the ship ASAP.”
The three of them marched across the bustling hangar deck. Two freighters Austin had never seen took up the majority of the area on the far side of the ship.
“What are those?” he asked, nodding toward the freighters about the size of six Kardas.
Nubern waved his hand. “Just some broken-down freighters the Formidable took in while you were away. Nothing out of the ordinary. They’ll be hitching a ride whenever we get out of here.”
He slapped Austin on the shoulder and smiled as they walked. Austin took a deep breath, relishing in the physical movement after being locked in the cockpit for so long. His adrenaline still surged from the last encounter with the Zahl Navy. It was Ryker’s voice on the gamma wave. It was her, and she had attempted to shoot him down.
But he knew better. If Ryker wanted, the bolts would have hit him. He knew her talents as a pilot better than the Zahl Navy did. While he wasn’t sure before, he now knew he had not lost her. His Ryker was still there.
The realization on the return flight had the odd sensation of making him feel both better and worse. Better in the fact he knew the woman he loved was not a traitor to the Legion. Worse in that he couldn’t imagine the torture she had been through at the hands of the Zahl Empire, and he didn’t know if or how she could be saved.
The hatch to the briefing room opened, and Austin stepped inside. Commander Mitchem Horace stood at the front of the room, his arms folded over his chest. Captain Manami Senza stood at attention, her eyes straight forward. To his right, a familiar face smiled back.
“Captain Towers?” Austin asked as Nubern closed the hatch shut behind them.
“One and only,” Captain Reese Towers said with a nod. The leader of the special operations team known as the Serpents stepped forward and clasped Austin’s forearm. “Good to see you again, Lieutenant.”
The last time the two met, they were on the remote moon where Austin had been forced to land the Wraith. Behind enemy lines without any tangible hope of rescue or support, Austin had nearly given up hope until he saw Towers and his men arrive. The Serpents refueled the Wraith and protected him against an onslaught of Zahlian Marines.
After watching several of the Serpents die in combat, Austin had been forced to flee. Until this moment, he had thought Towers and his men had perished on the moon’s surface.
Austin shook his head. “I don’t … How?”
“Boggles the mind, don’t it?” the captain asked with a laugh. “Wouldn’t be here at all if you hadn’t taken that super fighter of yours back for another pass and dropped those men before they made another go on our position. Don’t say it often, LT, but I owe you one.”
Austin smiled, feeling a touch of warmth on his face. The action of strafing the enemy had exhausted precious fuel on his mission. It had cost the lives of Star Runners in the moon’s orbit because he’d required more fuel to escape the system. He had never told anyone of the strafing run and had been ordered not to speak of the details.
“I’m sorry, Captain,” he said with a tight smile, “I don’t have any recollection of what you’re talking about.”
Towers clapped his hands once, bursting into a hearty laugh as he looked at the others in the room. “I’m starting to like this guy.”
“All right, knock it off!” Horace grumbled from the front of the briefing room. “Time’s wasting.”
The air in the room changed as the officers took their seats. Austin moved to sit, but Horace stopped him.
“You’re giving the briefing, Lieutenant,” he said with a nod.
Austin blinked. “I am?”
Horace stepped closer. “We need your honest assessment of the situation. Your camera footage and scanning results have been downloaded to the briefing room’s projector. Just tell us what you think.”
Austin swallowed and shuffled toward the front of the room. Facing the officers he viewed as mentors and heroes, he relayed the details of the mission. He told of the four curve points and the lack of confrontation at the waypoints. Moving on to Nesteel, he used the camera footage to show the Interceptor patrols and the ARC docked with the station.
“The planet is reeling from the recent revolution,” he said.
“What makes you say that?” Towers asked.
Austin shrugged. “Heavy military presence. Fires and smoke across the horizon. Very little—if any—civilian activity. They have a tight grip on the planet.”
Horace nodded. “Proceed, Lieutenant.”
“I took up position here along this mountain range,” he said, using the laser pointer to highlight his approximate position. “I deployed the listening devices the moment I entered the atmosphere. If I had to guess, our captured Star Runners were being held here on the planet and are being transported to the station.”
“How do you know that, Lieutenant?” Wilkos asked.
Austin cycled the images forward until he reached his fly-by scan of the departing freighter. “Because of this scan right here. You will notice the cargo bay is full of people lined two-by-two. This has to be the missing Star Runners Lena—I’m sorry—Lieutenant Janas, spoke about.”
Detailing his escape from Nesteel, Austin moved on to the final pursuit of the Zahl fighters.
“Upon leaving, I was engaged by an Interceptor and a fighter I had not seen before right … here.” The image from his rear camera showed the flat, disc shape of the other fighter. “It looks similar to the standard fighter of the Zahl Navy, but I learned in flight school that the Empire decommissioned it.”
Commander Horace stood, his forehead wrinkled in thought. “It has been decommissioned, but this is the trainer version of the standard fighter. I haven’t seen one flying in years.”
Austin swallowed. “Permission to hazard a guess?”
“Granted.”
“I believe these trainers are going to be used for our Star Runners once they receive what Janas calls the ‘treatment.’”
Horace lowered his gaze. “That’s quite a leap, Lieutenant. What proof do you have?”
Glancing back at the image of the fighter, Austin pursed his lips. “Because the pilot engaging me was Lieutenant Ryker Zyan.”
The officers shifted in their seats. Nubern released a long, slow sigh.
“Are you sure?” Horace asked.
Austin offered a sharp nod. “Absolutely, sir.”
“I see.” Horace stared at the floor. “You may sit, Lieutenant. Thank you for your report and your bravery in completing this long-distance scouting mission.”
“My pleasure, Commander.”
Austin sat down in the front row away from the others, attempting to be cognizant of the fact he reeked like a dirty truck stop bathroom. Horace stood with his hands clasped behind his b
ack.
“We need to think out of the box for this one.” He shook his head. “Command is not going to sanction a mission across the border to save captured Star Runners—even if it’s black ops.”
Nubern cleared his throat. “Commander, we cannot knowingly leave these people behind. We are in a position here to do something about it. Lieutenant Janas said the Zahlian scientists will begin the treatment shortly after they arrive. Rock has confirmed they are being transported to the station at this very moment.”
Towers raised his hand. “My people can be ready to leave within the hour.”
Horace grimaced. “You plan on raiding the station itself?”
“Yes.”
“But it’s heavily defended.”
“All the more reason to go.”
Looking over their heads for a moment, Horace appeared lost in the thought. “I appreciate your willingness to go on a mission with the potential for high casualties.”
“Thank you, sir,” Towers said with a nod. “I plan on it being a significant number of Zahlian casualties.”
Ignoring the captain, Horace shot a glance toward Wilkos and Nubern. “Any idea how we could get them out there fast enough to make a difference?”
Nubern tapped his fingers on his knee. “We could send the Scorpions and an unmarked Karda carrying the Serpents. Their Tridents already have no markings so they wouldn’t be recognizable as a Legion mission.”
“You’d never get close enough to the station with a docked ARC,” Horace shot back. “They have more firepower than this entire ship. The Scorpions and the Karda would be obliterated before they even got in range of the station.”
Wilkos snorted. “Don’t be too sure of that.”
“Come on,” Horace said, sighing. “We need a real plan, or this isn’t going to work. I can buy us twelve hours with Command by claiming mandatory maintenance, maybe a bit more. After that, Command will order us off the border.”
“What about curving the Formidable to the Naroovian Salvage Yard?” Wilkos asked. “The carrier’s curvature drive could make that distance in one curve. We could then launch a concentrated attack with Corvos, Kardas, and Tridents. Once the defense fell, we could have Towers’ men—”
“I will not risk the lives of every member of my crew or chance becoming the aggressor in a new galactic war!” Horace yelled, his face flushing. “We all want to save these people, but let’s be reasonable. We could all receive a court-martial if we cross that border without authorization.”
The room filled with silence.
Austin knew every moment wasted on the carrier was a chance for the Zahl Empire to begin their treatment on another Star Runner. Closing his eyes, he replayed the sound of Ryker’s voice in his head as he had done the entire trip back to the Formidable. The words in the Zahl language had come out stiff and monotone like a computer, but he knew it was her. No one sounded like Ryker, no matter what language. He remembered hearing her native language of Lianese, how the words had sounded exotic. Most of all, he remembered the first time she’d spoken his language when she’d thanked him for saving her on Flin Six. If the officers didn’t come up with a mission now, he would find a way to save her again … no matter if it cost him his wings.
“Commander?”
All eyes in the room fell on Senza. Slowly, she stood and pushed a red curl from her forehead. Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands in front of her.
“I have a plan,” she said, “but it’s unorthodox and, well, probably a little crazy.”
“I like it,” Towers said.
“It would require quite a gamble on the part of the Serpents,” she said, glancing at Towers, “and everyone involved would be in danger.”
“We don’t have much time.” Horace leaned back on the desk at the front of the room. “Let’s hear it.”
“That’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard,” Nubern said as they strolled out into the corridor. “But I guess that’s why the Scorpions were formed.”
Austin nodded. “I suppose so.”
“Listen, you really need to grab a shower.”
“I will, but I’d like to see Lieutenant Janas if possible.”
Nubern frowned. “Why?”
“I … I need to know, sir.”
“Know what?”
He swallowed. “How did her surgery go? Were they able to reverse the effects of the implant?”
Nubern’s eyes glazed over and he stared at the wall. “Oh.”
“And?”
“The implant was removed after a seven-hour surgery.”
Austin smiled. “So she’s going to be all right?”
“She’ll … survive.”
“What does that mean, sir?”
Nubern sighed. “I don’t think you should worry about that. Your mission is leaving in two hours once the freighter is prepped. You need to stay frosty.”
“Please, sir,” he said, reaching out to grab Nubern’s forearm. “I need to know.”
Staring down at the floor, Nubern stopped walking and leaned against the wall. “Upon removing the implant, the doc noticed the device had been breaking down. He thinks it was a self-destruct of some kind, scheduled to go off whenever the implant was out of range from its source for too long. It caused irrevocable damage to Janas’ brain, destroying tissue and causing all kinds of trouble.”
“What about the bracelet she wore?”
“It jammed the signal and prevented direct control or whatever the thing does, but it was out of contact with its host and the self-destruct had activated. Or at least that’s what the doc thinks.”
Austin leaned against the wall next to Nubern. “But she’ll live?”
“Yes,” Nubern whispered as two Tizona Star Runners marched past. “But it’s going to be very difficult for her for a while. Maybe forever.”
Nodding, Austin looked away. “I’d still like to see her if it’s permitted.”
“I’ll take you there.”
Austin lingered outside the hatch of the Sickbay recovery room. Nubern stood at his side and placed his hand on Austin’s shoulder.
“I’ll be getting ready for this mission,” he said. “Things are about to get crazy around here. I know you want to know, son, but don’t stay too long. The Scorpions are going to need you today.”
“I understand, sir.”
Nubern squeezed Austin’s shoulder and marched down the corridor.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed back the hatch and entered the room covered in sterile white. The room smelled of bleach mixed with sickness like every other hospital he had visited. A small chair sat on one side of the bed, and the medical crew had placed an array of medical equipment on the other. The constant beep of the monitor filled the room.
The doctors had wrapped Lena Janas’ head in thick bandages, concealing the external evidence of her wounds. Dried blood was crusted at the edge of the bandage above her right cheek. Dark bruises, swirls of red, purple and blue, swelled under her closed eyes as if she had been beaten. Her chest moved in shallow breaths.
Austin slid into the chair next to her bed. Reaching out, he placed his hand over hers and rubbed his thumb over her cold skin. He hadn’t known the woman, but could only imagine the horrors she’d experienced. And she had been right there with Ryker, suffering through the torture of the Zahl Empire.
Lena’s eyes fluttered and opened, but the rest of her face remained expressionless. She looked like a living statue, the muscles in her face immobile.
Austin smiled, trying to hide his concern. “Hello.”
Lena closed her eyes and mouth. “Do I know you?” she asked, the words coming in mumbles of syllables without enunciation and the muscles in her face unmoving. “Do I?”
Frowning, he realized she sounded as if she had suffered a stroke. “No. I’m a Star Runner. Just like you.”
Her head swayed and slid back. He watched a tear roll down her face. “Not more. Not more. I can’t fly no more.”
He squeezed her hand. �
��You never know. You could—”
“Please,” she said, opening her mouth repeatedly, “don’t.”
Nodding, he leaned closer. “I have to go soon, but I need to know if you were captured with another woman or served with her? She would have had dark hair and—”
He put his hand over his mouth, fighting back a surge of emotion swelling in his throat. He looked up at the ceiling, blinking several times.
Hold it together, he thought.
For the first time, Lena turned her hand over and clasped his own.
“There was another with me,” she said, the words deliberate and slow.
Austin nodded. “Her name was Ryker.”
“Not to me. Defector Three.” Her eyes rolled back into her head. She whispered, “She was shot.”
He shook his head. “She wasn’t shot. She was flying again. I heard her.”
“This was … when I left. She was shot so I could escape … I—I …”
“Lena?” Austin nudged her hand. “Lieutenant Janas?”
His eyes shot to the monitors, but the beeping continued. She must have passed out, he thought.
Standing and peering down at the wounded Star Runner, he wished Lena could have answered more questions. She was too weak. He imagined seeing Ryker like this, and his stomach turned. To witness Ryker suffer in a hospital bed and lose the ability to speak or show emotion in her face would be difficult to bear. He had to make sure that didn’t happen.
Leaning over, he tapped Lena’s hand. “We will stop this,” he said with a nod. “We will stop everything that’s happened to you.”
Allowing his eyes to linger on Lena’s broken body for another heartbeat, Austin spun on his heel and left the room.
PART FOUR
Extraction
CHAPTER THIRTY
A vast collection of weaponry lined the Formidable’s hangar deck. Wearing black tactical vests over their fatigues, the Serpents knelt in front of the various rifles, handguns, and grenades lining the base of the merchant freighter. The freighter would play a crucial role in the deception they were about to attempt. Captain Reece Towers strapped a laser pistol to a thigh holster as Austin approached with his helmet and flight tablet in hand.