by Sarah Noffke
“Yes, sir!”
He took the controls, lighting the engines and lifting them off the deck of the QBS ArchAngel. “This is it,” he told the rest of his team. “Hatch, are you good on the other ship?”
“Of course,” the octopus answered. “I asked Pip to assist us.”
“Pip?” asked Eddie. This was the first he’d heard about the E.I. helping out.
“Yes, sir,” a voice said through the com. “I’ll be navigating in case of any combat situation.”
“I thought Hatch was controlling it from here,” responded Eddie.
“I am, but my reflexes aren’t as good as Pip’s. If we need help before we reach the shield, he’ll have our backs.”
Eddie nodded. “Good enough for me. Punch it!”
The ship departed through the cargo bay doors, followed by the second one, leaving an invisible ArchAngel behind them.
In the distance, a single star emitted a bright, yellow glow as a small planet passed in front of it. It was the first of six, each one unlivable and devoid of life, except for the second-closest. That was their target, the home of Val’Doon Sarnack. The name meant little to Eddie, but he knew he hated the man. Anyone who could unleash so much death and destruction deserved whatever punishment they received. In this case, a kick in the ass, courtesy of Eddie’s boot.
The two cloaked Q-Ships made their way from one planet to the other. When Eddie glanced at his long-range sensor, he saw an icon appear as it moved towards them. “What’s this?”
“It could be anything,” answered Julianna.
Another one, identical to the last, appeared. “And there’s—”
Before he could finish the sentence, several more popped in, one-at-a-time, until there were dozens of them. At least forty or fifty red dots began moving across the screen from one end to the other. They seemed chaotic at first, almost directionless, but after a moment, several turned around, headed back in a loop. Yes, they were moving together.
They had purpose.
“Is that an asteroid belt?” asked Lars.
“Pip? Do you have anything?” asked Julianna.
“Oh, my,” the E.I. answered. “I believe those are—”
“Fucking robots,” interrupted Eddie.
“Drones, if we’re being precise,” corrected Pip.
“Shall we annihilate them?” Lars asked, an eagerness in his voice.
Hatch raised a tentacle. “Let’s stay on mission. We’ve got a shield to bring down, don’t we?”
“Right,” affirmed Eddie. “How’s the second ship looking?”
“Cloaked and steady,” answered Hatch.
“Good. I want it down as soon as possible. We’ll sneak through afterwards.”
The two cloaked ships continued on their present course towards the field. As they did, a small group of drones came within firing distance. As the viewscreen in front of Eddie zoomed in, the objects filled the image.
They appeared to be small, about five meters long, too cramped for a pilot, but that was the beauty of unmanned weaponry. Unlike a real ship, these didn’t need the extra space for pilots or soldiers, which meant there was no need for bulky environmental systems. Instead, they could remain small, which meant more space for weapons and fuel.
Great idea if you could afford it, but there were problems with drones. They couldn’t go very far, for starters, being largely limited to staying within signal distance. It was very likely that most were being controlled from the facility on the nearby planet, probably with repeater hardware scattered throughout the system on each of the neighboring moons and asteroids, adding to the range.
The solution for dealing with these was simple: take down the base and you eliminate the swarm.
That would be step two, once the shield dropped.
“How far is this shield?” asked Eddie, staring out through the glass. “I’m not seeing—”
“Stop!” barked Hatch.
The ship came to an abrupt standstill. “Acknowledged,” said Pip.
“What the fuck was that about?” asked Julianna.
Hatch pointed a tentacle to the empty space in front of them. “The field is less than fifty kilometers ahead of us. Any further and we would have slammed straight into it!”
“Oh, shit,” muttered Eddie. “Pip, why didn’t you say something?”
“I was planning on getting us as close as possible,” explained the E.I. “The goal was within half of a kilometer.”
“Too dangerous,” said Hatch. “Someone needs to teach you that there’s more to life than numbers, Pip.”
Eddie checked the radar. “Looks like we’ve got a swarm of drones coming back around. Let’s wait until they pass before we do this.”
Lars sat in the back, saying nothing. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder what the lizardman was thinking. He seemed to be staring off, his mind elsewhere. Was he preparing himself for combat? Was he reflecting on his family, wherever they were? “Lars, are you ready to kick some ass?” asked Eddie, after a moment.
Lars blinked at the sound of his name. “Ah,” he muttered, coming out of his thoughts. “Yes, Captain.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic,” Eddie grinned. “I need you to get excited! We’re about to rush into a supposedly impenetrable base and take down the man responsible for the Brotherhood. Tell me you want this, Lars!”
The alien nodded. “I’m ready, Captain.”
Julianna laughed. “I don’t think he’s going to yell the way you want, Teach.”
“I’ll still take it,” said Eddie, chuckling.
“There goes the swarm!” announced Hatch.
Eddie checked the radar, but as he did, a dozen ships passed overhead. They came exceptionally close, so much that for a second Eddie thought one of them might—
The Q-Ship shook as an enemy drone struck its side. “What the fuck!” snapped Eddie.
“Oh, dear,” said Pip.
“What happened?” asked Julianna.
“It appears one of the drones changed course at the last second, away from the swarm,” explained Pip.
“Did the others notice anything?”
Eddie stared at the radar, watching the red lights as they moved. Each one continued forward for a few brief moments, but then slowed into a full stop. Slowly, they turned towards the Q-Ship, and then started moving.
“Fuck,” muttered Eddie.
“I’m on the gun!” barked Julianna. She took the controls and aimed the cannons at the oncoming swarm.
Eddie turned in his seat. “It’s now or never, Hatch! Get that ship to the field and do what you came here to do!”
“I’m on it,” said the mechanic. Using the pad in his tentacle, he started moving the other ship into place. It was still cloaked, and the swarm didn’t appear to notice it. Their attention was, instead, focused on the spot where the other drone had been destroyed.
Julianna pulled the triggers and a barrage of shots left the Q-Ship, colliding with the oncoming fleet. The bullets grazed several of them, splitting their sides apart. At the same time, the drones returned fire, unleashing their own ammunition on the Q-Ship.
Hundreds of enemy bullets struck the ship at once, rattling it. “Status!” yelled Eddie.
“Our hull is holding,” returned Pip.
“Of course it is,” said Hatch. “These ships aren’t made of cardboard like the rest of the Federation’s fleet.”
Eddie hoped the old octopus was right. He’d never put one of these ships through the ringer, not yet, but if it could withstand these drones, then maybe they could pull off the rest of this mission.
Julianna continued laying down fire on the swarm. Four of the drones exploded, colliding into one another as they lost control. Several were set adrift, floating in the void like dead fish in a lake, lifeless and still. The rest continued forward. “Time to hit the big gun,” muttered Julianna, flipping the nearby switch and taking aim at the center of the remaining ships.
“No, wait!” commanded Hatch.
“A blast that close will risk both our ships!”
Julianna withdrew her thumb from the trigger. “Oops.”
The drones came closer, and suddenly Eddie took the controls, yanking the Q-Ship so as to avoid them. He pulled the ship away, tilting the ship as it moved out of the way. In seconds, Eddie had them positioned so that the cannons were facing the swarm again. “Let them have it, Jules!”
The Commander grinned and pulled the triggers. Bullets tore through the remaining drones, shredding them like paper. She moved from one to the next as Eddie kept the Q-Ship away, dodging whatever firepower the enemy ships sent their way. In a matter of seconds, Julianna released the controls, all the drones destroyed.
There was nothing left but dust and floating metal.
“Hatch, how’s the other ship looking?” asked Eddie, without missing a beat.
“In position,” answered Hatch. “Overloading the gravitic engines now. Prepare to move in five…four…”
Eddie gripped the control stick and leaned forward.
“…three…two…one…!”
A light emitted from the distance, revealing the other Q-Ship as it lost its cloak and all its onboard power.
Hatch looked up from his pad. “The field is down!”
“Time to move!” yelled Eddie, and suddenly they were off. They passed the second Q-Ship, entering the place where the shield had been. On the other side, more drones appeared on the radar. More than Eddie expected.
“Julianna!”
“I’m on it!”
The ship flew quickly towards the nearest moon, two dozen drones in pursuit. As the ship entered gravitational orbit, Eddie swung them around so that the cannons were facing their pursuers. With the help of the moon’s pull, they continued forward while Julianna unloaded on the swarm.
“Six ships have been destroyed,” informed Pip. “Excellent work, Commander.”
“Save the compliments!” ordered Julianna, striking another drone in its engine and causing it to spin out of control, striking another nearby.
The two drones tore each other apart, destroying themselves.
Four more followed, firing at the Q-Ship, but before they could do much damage, Julianna sent them careening towards the moon’s surface. There, they struck the dirt, bouncing like rubber balls along the crater-filled exterior before finally coming to a stop, their parts scattered like breadcrumbs.
“All pursuing units have been destroyed,” Pip told them.
“Let’s get to that base while we can,” suggested Eddie.
“I’m ready when you are,” said Julianna.
The Q-Ship tore through a few more drones near the outer orbit of the planet. They never stood a chance, as Julianna struck them before they managed to react. These machines might be more efficient than regular ships or soldiers, but someone was still flying them remotely, and no one had the reaction speed of an enhanced super soldier like Julianna.
Eddie flipped the ship back around and, using the pull of the moon’s orbit, slingshot the ship towards the nearby planet. “Any signs of more drones?”
“Several are ahead, lifting off from the surface,” said Pip.
“Get ready for another firefight!” barked Eddie.
The Q-Ship entered the atmosphere right when seven drones appeared from the other side of a storm cloud.
Julianna targeted them immediately as Eddie maneuvered the ship. The planet’s gravity made the ride a little bumpier than before, and Eddie felt the pressure in his body as the ship continued forward and sideways.
Hatch was in the back, puffing his cheeks. He wore his flight suit, which helped stifle his body’s reaction to the ship’s intense vibrations, but it clearly wasn’t easy for him, even with the suit on. “Are you okay?” asked Lars, staring at him. “You seem distressed.”
“I’m fine!” answered Hatch. “Worry about your own hide.”
“Hatch’s species doesn’t react well to this sort of thing!” yelled Julianna as she fired another fifty rounds into the pursuing ships. “He just needs a minute!”
Eddie performed a horizontal roll, spinning the Q-Ship as it entered a thunderstorm. The drones came in after them.
“What are you doing, Captain?” asked Hatch, flailing his tentacles.
Eddie didn’t answer, but instead dove straight down and curved back up. The drones followed, diving with him before ascending. Eddie turned around as the ship ascended through the gray clouds, slowing at the zenith of the climb, and pausing.
In that instant, the drones broke through the cloud, rising up after them. “Now, Julianna!”
As the Q-Ship began to fall back toward the planet, the cannons fired into the mob of ships, killing them with ease. The Q-Ship plowed straight through them, knocking several away, sending them toward the planet.
Eddie held the controls steady, and the ship tore through the thundering storm, vibrating like it was about to rip itself apart. “Initializing stabilizers,” informed Pip.
The ship calmed instantly as it broke through the lowest layer of clouds. They entered the rain, which softly beat against the glass of the cockpit windows.
Eddie watched the radar for drone activity, but saw nothing. No more dots, neither in pursuit nor ahead of them. “Looks like we’re clear!”
“It’s about damn time!” Hatch snapped.
“Pip, initialize the cloak,” ordered Eddie. “Now that we’re in, it’s time for the real mission to begin.”
Chapter Twenty
Northern Continent, Pal III, Pal system.
“Mind the thorns,” said Eddie, having just stepped off the Q-Ship and onto a patch of prickly blue grass. “Scratched my boots to hell.”
“Poor you,” teased Julianna. She followed him, leaping off the ship and onto the field. They were right outside the stronghold, no sign of pursuit.
“Hey, I paid good money for these, I’ll have you know.”
“Liar. You got them for free. We both did.”
“That’s not the point,” scoffed Eddie.
She snickered, then cocked her rifle. “Ready to head inside?”
Eddie peered back at the ship. “How about it, guys?”
Lars poked his head out, stepping down to join them. “By your side, Captain.”
“To hell with that,” called Hatch, who was still in his seat. He tapped his pad and suddenly the door to the ship slid closed. The comm inside Eddie’s ear clicked on, and Hatch continued. “I’m a mechanic, not a soldier.”
“Come on, Hatch,” teased Eddie. “Live a little.”
“Have you seen how fat I am? I’d be an easy target for even the worst ugly-ass Kezzin marksman. Fuck that.”
“Suit yourself,” said Eddie before glancing at his two companions. “Ready?”
They both nodded.
“All right, Hatch, wait here for us. We’ll be back in two shakes of a Lindil’s tentacle.”
“Hurry up, if you can. I get bored if I’m not busy. Oh, and one more thing, Captain,” added Hatch.
“What is it?”
“Try not to get yourselves caught this time. I doubt you’ll find someone like Lars to help you out like before.”
Eddie smiled, glancing at the reptile next to him. “No, he’s one of a kind.”
Eddie motioned for Julianna and Lars to start moving.
The nearest building looked to be roughly twenty stories tall. It had no outer walls to protect it, nor any towers for defense. The only reason Eddie could figure was that the man in charge probably thought he’d be safe inside the shield surrounding the planet. It felt a bit short-sighted, now that he thought about it, especially for a man as conniving as Val’Doon Sarnack, the guy who supposedly ruled the Brotherhood.
It also felt wrong. There was no way the building was unprotected.
For all Eddie knew, there were traps all around this place, even if he couldn’t see them. After all, he’d flown here in a cloaked ship with enough firepower to wipe out a small armada. If they weren’t trying to capture Sar
nack alive, they could’ve wasted this entire compound with nothing but the cannons on their ship.
Luckily for Sarnack, that wasn’t the plan.
“It’s eerily quiet here, don’t you think?” asked Julianna as they drew closer.
“It does seem that way,” muttered Lars.
“Keep your guard up,” cautioned Eddie, tipping his chin to the Kezzin, while holding his rifle at the ready.
They edged toward the building. It was old, almost archaic, like it didn’t belong here. Rather, it seemed like something you’d find in the middle of a large cityscape. Yet here, stowed between fields and forests, it stood as tall as the sky. On each of its four sides, a smaller tower stood, each with blacked-out windows. The combination of structures made Eddie uneasy, though he couldn’t figure out why.
He opened his mouth to ask if his companions saw anything, but before he could get the first word out, a sound erupted from somewhere nearby.
Eddie’s eyes widened and he clutched the rifle, holding it tightly. “What the fuck was that?”
Before anyone could answer, the doors at the base of the centermost building opened and a dozen soldiers appeared. To Eddie’s surprise, there were more than Kezzin in their ranks. Strangely enough, he spotted Kezzin, Trids, and…humans.
Each of the guards were heavily armed and spreading out into the field.
“Incoming!” barked Julianna.
The three of them separated, heading in different directions.
Eddie threw himself behind a large tree, peeking out with his rifle and taking aim at the approaching squad. He fired, shooting one of the Trids, the shark species, in the neck. A clean shot, straight through. The alien fell, clutching his throat with both hands, gasping as the blood poured out.
At the same time, Julianna slid forward, shredding grass as she unloaded her weapon on two separate Kezzin soldiers. She hit one in the shoulder, knocking him back, while managing to one-shot the second, right in the forehead.
Lars charged ahead, shaking the ground as he went. He took out a small device, strapping it to his chest and tapping a button. When he did, a large sheet of metal extended from it, covering his torso. The guards tried to attack him, but their bullets bounced from the metal shield. Before they could make a second attempt, the Kezzin collided with them, knocking them to the ground. He reached for one of the humans’ necks, raising him above his head, then squeezed until the man went still.