by Mark Tufo
That information didn’t help her as she still didn’t know much about the layout of the ship.
“Captain, this is Lendor. Request permission to board.”
She was going to tell him no, that he would have no idea where to go.
“Frost says she should be able to easily pick up their scent.”
“Get it done.” The words no sooner out of her mouth when a lightning bolt of energy blew past the front of her fighter and slammed into the nearest one behind her. The pilot didn’t even have a chance to scream in the face of death. “Pull back! All ships pull back.” Another fighter was taken down. Cedar began firing on the strange weapon. She had one missile left and hoped it would be enough. She fired just as the metal surface began to shift in her direction; she took that as in invitation to leave the area.
“Lendor, belay last,” she said as the bolt streaked past her aft. “You won’t be able to dock.”
“No worries,” he told her. “We’ve been practicing for this.”
“That shuttle will not be able to evade their weapon.” She was diving, rising, and moving side to side, doing her best to keep whoever was manning the gun from locking on.
“What the…?” Cedar said once she felt that she had got far enough away from the ship that it would not be a threat. She watched as eight soldiers hopped free of the shuttle. They hit the thrusters on their suits and were going headfirst toward the Others’ ship.
“It is a halo dive, generally done in atmosphere, but we are adapting,” Lendor said.
Cedar didn’t like it one bit.
“We’re coming, Ghost,” he said as he streaked through the sky, the edges of his suit illuminating silver.
“Hurry,” she replied.
“Godspeed,” Cedar told them. She wondered how they were going to get into the structure. She watched in great detail as she magnified the image. “Maybe should have done this when I was looking at that stupid gun,” she said. Lendor’s group moved with a choreographed gracefulness, the routine practiced until it felt natural to them. They turned and slowed as they came close to the ship, landing softly upon the hull. There was a flare-up; then they began to disappear.
“We’re inside,” Lendor said. “Live feed on.” Cedar watched her display shift from the radar array to a shaky camera image as, presumably, Lendor pulled his way through a tangle of cables and optic wires.
Cedar winced as she saw him pull on more than one apparatus emblazoned with a red skull.
“You realize those mean danger, right?”
“Everything we’re doing right now is dangerous,” he responded.
She nodded. Couldn’t argue with that.
“Inner hull. Access panel. Hold on, might be some blowback if it’s pressurized.” He spun around and Cedar watched as he kicked out two times, striking the panel hard before it fell away. He then pulled himself through and landed with a solid thud. “Not pressurized, but we have gravity. No lifeforms within proximity. Everyone in.”
“Are you kidding me?” Cedar asked, making sure she wasn’t broadcasting. She watched the lithe form of Frost bound on by; she was wearing a specially designed suit. “How long had they been planning this?” she wondered. “How can she possibly smell anything with that on?” That, she voiced.
Lendor stopped to reattach the panel as best he could, then he moved to his place in front again.
“Be careful, Lendor; they’re finding ways to get their systems back online,” Cedar said.
She watched as they came to the end of the hallway, a large, sealed door directly in front of them.
“Weapons ready,” Lendor said as he moved to the controls. He was looking through a small port at another door not ten feet away. It was a pressure lock. When it opened, they would be extremely vulnerable in the small room while they awaited normalization.
The small room illuminated red when he pulled open the door. Cedar held her breath while she waited to see the green that would allow them entry to the rest of the ship.
“Bogeys,” Tiegs said. “Straight ahead, dozen.”
“Pull back, Lendor. Try a different point.”
“This was a one-way flight,” Lendor said. She thought she detected a bittersweet humor in his voice. She knew what he meant; the suits only had so much fuel, and they must have used a good portion on their impromptu flight. “Plus, we wouldn’t be Great Saviors if we turned back now.”
“This isn’t about heroics; this is about staying alive,” she replied.
The light finally turned green. Lendor rushed through and was ready to lay covering fire as the rest of the extraction team got into position. She watched a round object pitched forth. Lendor looked down on a display he had; it showed the controls for the rolling bomb. He moved the gyroscopic device closer to where the Others’ breach-repelling team had mustered. There was loud grunt behind Lendor as one of his team ducked from a bevy of rounds coming down the hallway. Cedar, as of yet, could not see the enemy; she imagined it was the same for the team down there.
“Captain, this is Kolder. I think I found them.”
“Can you be sure?” Cedar asked.
“With a high degree of certainty, yes. Thermal imaging is showing massive forces moving to one location.”
“That has to be them. Send me the feed.” Cedar watched as hundreds of individual dots were coalescing on one spot. If she could get past that new gun, there was a good chance of getting help to her sister; they were fairly close to the hangar. She was studying the best route when an alarm flared on her console. She looked up quickly and pulled her yoke to the right, believing she was being fired upon, only to realize she was being warned of an Imminent Arrival. “Dingo’s kidneys! My dance card is just plain full right now!” she yelled.
“Captain?” Kolder asked.
“Someone’s coming. Okay, we need that gun emplacement taken out. Who has munitions?” she asked.
“I’ve got two missiles,” Tiegs responded.
“Squadron, form around Tiegs. We need to protect him.” She wasn’t sure what to expect from the men and women she was commanding; she was sending them on what was very likely a suicide mission, armed with nothing more than small weaponry. Within a few moments, they were shaped into a flying V with Tiegs off to the left of her lead position. The mounted weapon swiveled to meet the new threat.
“Disperse! Tiegs, you stay to my left and follow me in,” Cedar ordered. Fierce bolts flew from the weapon; it seemed the gunner was attempting well-aimed shots, but when those weren’t having the desired effect, they hoped to make up for the lack of targeting with sheer volume. It looked like a high-pressure water hose shooting a constant spray of death. It was somehow easier to avoid, as you could see the beam moving in your direction, but still, it sliced through two of her fighters, incinerating them immediately. Cedar growled in anger as she and Tiegs flew closer.
“We’re in missile range, Tiegs, let them loose.”
“Just a little closer,” he responded. She stayed glued to his side.
The beam was sweeping their way.
“Tiegs, we have to break off. Let them fly! That’s an order!”
“Almost there…” he said calmly.
“Yeah, we’re almost there…almost too close! Let’s go!”
“One heart, one mind, one life to give, yet many to take!” he screamed as he hit his thrusters.
“Tiegs!” Cedar screamed. She saw what he was going to do and thought about nudging him away, but the speed needed and as close as they were to the ship, they would both collide.
The bright beam was sweeping closer to Tiegs, who was diving straight down toward it. Cedar could not stand to watch but she could not turn away; she owed him that at least. It was anyone’s guess what had made contact first. The resultant explosion flared on her equipment, her face shield darkened in response to the intense brightness and still, she was left with sunspots completely obscuring her field of vision.
Frost was waiting at the next bend for Lendor and the rest to
catch up; she had removed her suit and was perched on the body of one of the crewmen, his neck ripped out, blood gurgling from the wound.
“I have their scent and I have found a way to them. The next corridor contains a squad of armed personnel; you would be wise to avoid it,” Frost told them.
“Avoid? To engage is my destiny, little one,” Lendor told her.
“If this is indeed your fate, I can only wish you good luck,” Frost told him as she bounded away, Ferryn hot on her trail.
“Come,” he told those with him. “We do not have many chances in this life to prove our worth, and I will not miss the opportunity.” He and the rest ran with determination into the fray.
When Cedar’s eyes finally cleared, she was looking at a great maw in the side of the warship. She’d not even had a chance for a plan to form in her mind as she made her ship dive forward. Fire still burned within the opening, and the metal around the edges glowed a bright red from the intense heat that had not yet dissipated.
“Like threading a needle,” she said, though she’d never done that particular task. She illuminated her front lights; they cut deep into the darkness before her. Tangled piles of equipment were intermingled with bodies and great swirls of dust. The tips of her wings had less than a foot of clearance on either side as she flew inside. She fired rounds, obliterating whatever got in her way. She could see damage more than three decks in. Somewhere deep in her memory, she heard Serrot saying she would someday fly inside a cave; he’d not said whether it would be natural or manmade…a bittersweet smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “I’m coming, Winter,” she whispered as she landed the fighter and exited, pulling her pistol from its holster on her thigh.
“Captain?” Kolder said, “We have company.”
“I’ll deal with them when I’m finished here,” she said as she was picking her way through the debris.
“Don’t think that’s going to be a problem, Captain,” he responded.
“It is good to know I have not missed all the festivities!” Graylon’s voice boomed through Cedar’s headset.
21
Winter’s Salvation
The corridor beyond the missing door was a twisted ruin of metal. I raced over to help Tallow up. When I was certain he was all right, I quickly ducked my head out the opening. The Others had effectively sealed off that approach but had also effectively removed our only avenue of escape. Tallow and I got back behind the table to wait for the next barrage.
“What are they doing?” Tallow asked.
“I’m sitting right next to you.”
“That mean you don’t know?”
“It means whatever happens, at least we face it together.” We could hear movement, but as of yet there were no shots, and thankfully, no more exploding bombs. Luck was only going to get us so far. Although, tough to call the situation we found ourselves in “lucky.” I had to remind myself that we were alive; that counted for something. A shot hit the ceiling above us—happily, not that close. I peeked up and over to take a look; the half dozen soldiers I could see were all looking up, rifles in the same direction. Something held more of their interest than we did. I saw an opportunity and took it, firing rapidly into the surprised group. Three fell instantly in the hail of fire; the other three ducked down and away.
“Hello, Winter,” Frost said with a hint of gleefulness; mostly, it was ferocity.
“Is that….” Tallow began.
I put my finger to my lips.
“Frost…what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Where should I be?” she answered cryptically.
“There are at least three in the next room and I have no idea how many beyond,” I told her. “Be careful.”
“It is me you wish to be careful? You do realize, Winter, there are over a hundred of the Others surrounding this area, do you not?”
“I hadn’t, no.” Even with Frost’s help, the possibility of escape vanished. “Wait—is there a way for us to follow you out?”
“That is not an option; this passage is much too narrow,” she replied.
I could hear cries from the rooms we were near, some of surprise and pain, others of men and women urgently shouting orders. They were under attack.
“It would appear Lendor and his team have arrived,” Frost said.
“How?” was all I could ask.
“The time has come to do my part,” the Rhodeeshian said.
There were more shots fired into the ceiling. I would give her the cover she needed to do whatever she’d planned. I stood; there were still more than seven others in the next room. I felt acutely exposed as I began firing and moving closer so I could keep angles on them. Two fell with blistering wounds before they even realized their folly of looking away. Tallow was moving to catch up, firing his pistol as fast as he could. Just as their attention was being pulled to us, Frost broke through a panel, leapt to the far wall, and seemed to defy gravity as she ran across it for a few steps then launched into the midsection of the nearest soldier. She ripped a chunk out of his neck larger than my fist, then bounded off of him before he could even raise his hands in a futile bid to stem the flow of blood.
She was moving quickly, taking out soldier after soldier, but there were too many of them. She went from trying to kill Others to trying to save her own life. That was when Ferryn joined the fray, and the tides of the small battle turned. He cared not at all for himself as he launched down and into the head and face of a soldier ready to shoot his mate. The screams of terror and pain were otherworldly as Ferryn stripped skin and meat. The soldier was running around the room, blood pouring forth, the pain so intense he could not even touch the wound. In less than a minute the four of us had secured the area. A large explosion rocked the ship; Tallow wrapped his arm around me to keep me from falling over. Intense fighting could be heard down the hallway, though it was not close. Frost tentatively walked to the door, looked both ways before coming back in.
“Whatever is going on, they are not focused on this area,” she said.
There was a heavy vibration throughout the hull of the ship and the much louder racket of weapons fire and explosions. It sounded as if the ship were being ruptured in two.
“What now?” Tallow asked as he took a quick glance out. “Do we try to escape while they’re not looking?”
“Escape to where?” I asked. “I think I’d rather stay and take their ship like they are trying to take our lives.” Tallow did not attempt to talk me out of the insanity of my idea. Clearly, to escape now only meant a drawn-out death in space. Our only chance stood here. I was out first, going across the hallway and into a small recess where an access panel was located. I waited until Tallow was in position. The soldiers at the back of the battle up ahead were not looking our way; that changed the moment we opened fire. A dozen or more had been shot before the confusion was overcome and they assembled to return fire. By that time, it was too late as Frost and Ferryn had run teeth-first into their midst. Tallow and I rushed to aid them. We needn’t have worried; in the close combat, the wily animals had all the advantage. Our peril was being shot from panicked trigger pulls. The Others were firing wildly, many times injuring or killing their own in a bid to stop the attack.
The Others, in a desperate bid to get away from us, were running into the backs of those ahead of them, creating even more congestion and panic. The carnage was horrific. I had to keep reminding myself that they would not have thought twice over our demise and that of every Human. We once again sought an alcove to shield ourselves as we could no longer advance; the Others had nowhere to go as well. The corridor they found themselves in was blocked by structural damage. It would not be long before they once again rallied.
“WIN!” Cedar screamed.
“Cedar!! Are you all right?” I was alarmed at her volume through my headset.
“Oh, sorry.” I could almost see her blushing. “Been blowing things up, I think I’ve lost some of my hearing.”
“Where are you?” I asked.
/>
“Coming toward you.”
“You’re in the hangar?”
“Umm…not really. Found an alternate entrance.”
I didn’t know what that meant, and right now, I could not begin to speculate. I was right; the Others had finally thought to defend their flanks. Sheets of volleyed shots blasted down the corridor. We were once again pinned down; this time, though, it did not appear they were in much of a hurry to rush our position.
“Where are they?” Tallow was referring to Frost and Ferryn.
“My guess? Back up top.” We were pressed tightly against the wall; the shots had slowed, though not stopped.
“If we get out of this, Winter, do you want to marry me?” Tallow asked.
I paused to look over at him; I couldn’t help smiling. “This is the romantic scenario you’ve waited for to ask that question?”
He shrugged.
22
The Arundel
“What have we missed?” Graylon asked as the Arundel appeared. He was staring at his screen.
“Commander, this is Lieutenant Kolder.” He spent the next couple of minutes bringing the Genogerian leader up to speed.
“Launch fighters and every breech-worthy vessel we have,” Graylon ordered. “Also, see if you can get that intergalactic scum on the communications.” He sat back down at his command chair before speaking softly, “I am coming, little ones. Do not go and die on me now.”
23
A Self Contained Force
Cedar was moving quickly through the hallways, surprised at the lack of personnel she was encountering. “I guess that could have something to do with that giant hole I smashed into the side of the ship.” She was saddened for the loss of Tiegs, but proud of his sacrifice. She would not let the opportunity he created go to waste. She was being cautious, but not overly so. In her haste to get to her sister and Tallow, she’d barely had time to react when the shot came from an open doorway. It blasted through the side of her suit and into the large pocket on her thigh; she looked down to see a sheaf of burning pages. Her gloved hand pounded repeatedly at the yellow flame.