by Finn Gray
One of the Arcallians apparently reached the conclusion that Rory and Oates were somehow responsible for the barrage of gunfire. He let out a stream of curses and hurled his spear in the direction of the two men. They dove behind the scant shelter of the fallen pillar. The weapon clattered to the ground a meter from Rory’s head. Several more followed suit.
All of the projectiles missed their targets, but the aggressive act had emboldened the handful of Arcallians who had not already fled from the relentless assault. With a roar, they surged forward.
Rory watched in horror as they charged. This was it. He and Oates were utterly defenseless.
And then something shiny clanged to the ground in front of the oncoming group. It rolled to a stop and Rory recognized it immediately.
“Grenade!” Rory and Oates shouted in near-unison. They hit the deck again and covered their ears as an explosion rocked the ground beneath them. Moments later, a second grenade boomed.
When Rory finally looked up, the walkway had been obliterated, along with the first wave of the oncoming Arcallians. The survivors were in full retreat.
He had only an instant to wonder who in the hells was fighting on his and Oates’ side when a familiar voice rang out from the darkness.
“Will you ever learn to save your own ass, Plowboy?”
He turned to see Cassidy, dripping wet standing behind them. Behind her, Sergeant Trent hauled her bulk out of the water, stood, and lumbered over to him.
“Cover us,” she said to Cassidy, who nodded and dropped to one knee, rifle at the ready.
Rory finally found his voice. “Cass, Sergeant… how?”
“Articulate as ever,” Trent said, taking a plasma cutter from her pack and firing it up.
“Why aren’t you with the fleet?” Rory asked.
Trent shrugged. “We’re marines and there are Memnons left to kill, so we decided to extend our stay on this beautiful island.”
“Did everyone else get away all right?”
Trent eyed him knowingly. “Yes. All the little bitches who were afraid to stay and fight have flown away to safety.”
Rory relaxed. Jemma was safe and with the fleet.
While Trent cut them free, Rory introduced Oates, who explained about the Arcallians and how he and Rory had come to be here.
“This secret facility you want to go to, you have no idea what’s there?” Trent asked sharply.
“No,” Oates said, “but I think it would be worth our while to find out. Might be something useful there, or there might be Memnons to kill. What else have we got to do?”
“Agreed,” Trentsaid. “Now, let’s get the hells out of here before the Arcallians come back. If they do, we’re leaving Plowboy behind as a peace offering.”
Rory almost managed to smile.
Chapter 14
The Scarn Nebula
From his position near the edge of the Scarn Nebula, Teddy could see little through the red haze. He and his fellow pilots would have to rely on their RADS display to notify them of Kestrel’s return. Or the return of the Memnons. Needless to say, his attention span had been exceeded in the first twenty minutes sitting in the quiet cabin of the Mongoose. Neither of his fellow crew members seemed inclined to talk.
“How much longer?” he asked.
“Ten minutes less than the last time you asked.” Gwen Henry, callsign Battle Cat, had served with Teddy for over a cycle. Which meant she had long ago grown weary of his annoying behaviors. From her spot in the copilot’s seat, she fixed him with a disapproving stare.
“There’s got to be something we can do to pass the time. I know, let’s all tell the story of how we lost our V-chip.”
“I’m out,” Gwen replied immediately.
“Are you saying you’re a virgin?” Teddy asked. If so, that would be a waste of some dangerous curves, he thought.
Gwen rolled her eyes and looked away.
The young man seated in the navigator’s seat spoke up. “Oh come on, Cat. I thought you were supposed to be wild and crazy. Let’s hear it!” Hayden Toten, callsign Smoke, was an enthusiastic young pilot from Dragonfly’s squadron. The kid was all right. He reminded Teddy of a less charming younger version of himself.
“Fine,” Gwen said. “It was my last year of academy and a friend and I hooked up because we both just wanted to get it over with. Happy now?”
“Cat, that is, without a doubt, the sexiest story I’ve ever heard,” Teddy said.
“Screw you, Teddy Bear.”
“No, I mean it. There’s nothing more erotic than, ‘Let’s get it over with.’ I’m already at half-mast just thinking about it.”
Smoke laughed and Gwen let out a groan.
“Was it at least with a girl?” Smoke asked hopefully.
“Or a man with a certain roguish charm?” Teddy said.
“Gods, I hope the Memnons get you both,” Gwen huffed.
“Bring them on,” Smoke said. “Any bogey that crosses my path is going to get smoked!”
“You did not just say that,” Gwen said. “Sabre warned me about you, but I didn’t believe her.”
Teddy had to agree. “You know what, kid? I love your gusto, but you’re walking a fine line.”
“What line is that?”
Gwen chimed in. “The line between confident and douchebag.”
“Between character and caricature,” Teddy chimed in.
Smoke cocked his head like a confused puppy. “How do I know where the line is?”
Gwen quirked an eyebrow. “If you ever find yourself acting like Teddy, you’ve left the line far behind.”
Before Teddy could fire off a rejoinder, the RADS display went crazy.
“We’ve got a bogey,” Smoke said. “A big one!”
“Is it Kestrel?” Gwen asked.
“Negative. It’s a Memnon dreadnought.”
“We should get the hells out of here,” Gwen said.
It wasn’t the worst idea, but before they could make a move, much less begin spooling up their QE drive, another bogey appeared, and then another, and another.
“Two dreadnoughts, two of our Moongoose,” Teddy said.
“Shouldn’t that be Mongeese?” Smoke asked.
“Do me a favor and put a lid on your crap for a minute,” Teddy said. “This is serious.”
Gwen chuckled. “Teddy Bear, if the Memnons have a hypocrite detector, we are toast.”
Teddy ignored her. Just their luck, the second Dreadnought had jumped within spitting distance of their position and was already launching Reapers.
“Why are they launching fighters when there’s nobody here?” Smoke asked.
“They’re probably going to do a thorough search, either for us or their missing bird,” Teddy said.
He snapped his head to the side. He and Gwen stared at one another. He could tell she was thinking the same thing.
“What am I missing?” Smoke asked.
“There’s only one place to hide around here,” Gwen said. “And that’s inside the nebula.”
“Damn! Can we jump?”
“Not from inside the nebula,” Gwen said. “And we can’t just emerge from hiding and begin jump prep. We’d be sitting ducks while the drive spools up.”
They watched on RADS as the swarm of bogeys turned their way.
“There’s only one thing to do,” Teddy said.
Gwen covered her face. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“We need to go through the nebula. Come out again somewhere far enough away that they won’t spot us until it’s too late.”
“You’re talking about flying through the Scarn Nebula? Gods no, Teddy. We’ll never make it.”
“There’s about a dozen Reapers headed right at us, and plenty more where they came from. We’ll have to take out chances.”
With that, Teddy hit the thrusters, turned the Mongoose, and took off. He tried to keep their craft running close to the edge of the nebula, but the Reapers were all over RADS. He could not find a safe place to escape.
“Gods, there are so many of them,” Smoke said.
“We’ve got to go deeper,” Teddy said.
“That’s what she said,” Smoke replied.
“Please gods, don’t let me die with these two assholes,” Gwen prayed.
Teddy piloted the Mongoose into the teeth of the Scarn Nebula. It was like flying through red fog. Visibility was almost nil, and several times he had only a moment’s warning from Gwen as obstacles cropped up in their path.
The nebula was a cloud of space dust, rocks, and meteoroids. Chunks of debris pinged against the Mongoose’s hull as they dipped, dodged, and rolled their way deeper.
RADS beeped a warning.
“Bogeys at six o’clock,” Smoke said. “They’re coming in after us.”
“Are they crazy?” Teddy said. “They’ll never make it out of here alive.” He hit the port side thrusters and whipped around a floating hunk of metal that had once been a science probe.
“What does that say for our chances?” Smoke asked.
“We have something they don’t,” he said as the lead Reaper opened fire, the tracers flashing past them.
“Don’t say it,” Gwen warned.
“We’ve got me!” Up ahead, two meteoroids drifted toward one another, the space between them narrowing rapidly. Teddy hit the burners and the Mongoose shot forward.
“What are you doing?” Smoke shouted. “We’ll never make it!”
Sweat beaded on Teddy’s brow. The gap grew ever smaller.
“Teddy! Go around!” Gwen shouted.
“They’ll shoot us down if I try that.” The engine was already wide open. It was going to be a matter of centimeters, perhaps millimeters.
At the last second, Teddy rotated the Mongoose ninety degrees.
“Come on, baby.”
This close, the meteoroids seemed as big as planetoids. If they did not make it through in time, they would be crushed.
“Oh… my… gods!” Smoke yelled.
And then they were through. The Reapers weren’t so lucky. Two of them were crushed. Two more took evasive action at the last second but only managed to collide with one another. Both spun out of control, spewing gas as their hulls tore apart.
Smoke let out a celebrator whoop. “Down they go!”
But that wasn’t all of them.
A high-pitched beeping sound filled the cabin. Missile lock!
Teddy took the Mongoose into a roll as a missile shot past them. It exploded somewhere in the distance. Teddy barely noticed. He was flying recklessly now, scarcely avoiding the obstacles in their path. Time and again they narrowly missed being crushed by a massive object that sprang into view at the last second or struck by Memnon fire.
Finally, the warning siren went quiet and the bogey vanished from the RADS display.
“He must have crashed,” Gwen said. “I think we can slow down now.”
“Thank Gods.” Teddy eased off on the throttle and they cruised along in silence, catching their breath and allowing their heart rates to return to normal.
“I don’t know where the hells we are,” Gwen finally said.
Our instruments are useless beyond a very limited range,” Smoke said. “There’s just too much interference. We’re pretty much flying blind here.
Gwen turned to look at Teddy. “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” Teddy admitted. “Keep going, I guess. Find a way out and hope the Memnons aren’t waiting on the other side.
Chapter 15
Battlecruiser Kestrel
It took Jude an hour and the aid of two marines to find the bridge. The commander was a sturdily built man with high cheekbones, a wide nose, and glossy black hair. He turned angry eyes on Jude when the marines escorted him in.
“Mister Vatcher, I’m glad you finally found us. I’m Commander Begay.”
Jude did not care for the man’s tone. “A pleasure. And you may call me Doctor Vatcher.”
“Why did you leave your quarters, Doctor?” Begay asked.
“I was not aware we were prisoners.”
Begay was unfazed. “You aren’t. I’m simply asking why you chose to leave.”
Jude frowned. The man was fishing. “I grew tired of staring at the ceiling and decided to stretch my legs.”
“How did you end up inside of sick bay?” Begay slipped the question in like a sneaky jab.
Jude was momentarily thrown off balance, but he recovered quickly. He opted for indignation. “What is going on here? Am I being stalked?”
Begay chuckled. “Of course not, but I do try to keep abreast of what’s happening on my ship. And that includes unexpected visitors who show up in my sick bay. Why were you there?”
Jude decide to stick to the story he told Becca. “One of the marines who is sequestered with us wanted to visit an injured comrade. As I said, I fancied a walk, so I went along. Also, I briefly entertained the notion that I might be able to provide some meager assistance. I am a man of science, after all. But once I arrived, I quickly realized I had little to offer. I was impressed by the work your people are doing under difficult circumstances.”
Begay gave him a long look, then turned and made his way over to a console where he began tapping vidscreens.
“I’m told you took an interest in one patient in particular? Why?” Begay did not look up, but out of the corner of his eye, Jude saw another woman eyeing at him—an Echotan like Begay.
“That is incorrect. One man did catch my attention because his wounds were so grievous. I felt sympathy for him.” Jude tried to affect a somber mood.
“He died only a few minutes after you left,” Begay said.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but not surprised. As I said, he was badly injured.”
“I understand you and your wife were picked up at a Memnon facility.” Begay said it with casual indifference, but Jude knew it was a serious question.
“We were rescued from captivity,” Jude corrected. “My wife and I were abducted and forced to sign over to the Memnons all of our worldly possessions. I know nothing about the island to which we were taken. We are just grateful that Captain Hunter was in the right place at the right time.”
He wished he could read Begay’s expression, but the commander did not turn around. Instead, he kept his back to Hunter, gazed down at his vidscreens, and kept talking.
“You mentioned you wanted to help out at sick bay. Would you be amenable to lending a hand in a different capacity?”
This was a surprise. Begay did not seem to trust him, but he wanted Jude’s assistance? Jude sensed he should tread carefully here. He looked around the bridge, took in the many screens, blinking lights, and control panels, all the men and women busy at work. He had never been on the bridge of a battlecruiser before. Simon had invited him to visit Osprey some time, and he had a strong feeling that now would be the perfect time.
“Commander, while I appreciate the offer, my wife and I are eager to join our son. We would like to be transported to Osprey at your earliest convenience.”
The bridge suddenly fell silent. Begay finally looked up from his console. He turned to face Jude but did not quite meet his eye.
“Mister Vatcher, excuse me, Doctor Vatcher.” Begay ran a hand through his hair. “Getting you back to your son is what we need your help with.”
“I don’t understand.”
The bridge crew exchanged nervous glances.
“We’re lost, Doc,” Begay said. “We don’t know where we are or how we got here. Which means we can’t figure out how to get back to the fleet.”
Relief and fear flooded through Jude in equal measure. They apparently harbored no suspicions about his connections to the Memnons. But what did it matter if they were lost in space?
“Do you mean to tell me that we are alone out here?”
“Exactly. We followed the jump coordinates, but something went wrong. I’ve had my best people on it and we’re stumped.”
Jude nodded “I understand. I cannot make an
y promises, of course.”
“I’d like for you to give it a try. We need a brilliant mind on the task, and I understand you’re reasonably bright, for a civilian.”
Jude managed a smile. “I’ve been known to solve a problem or two. No guarantees, but I will do my best.”
Begay nodded. “Let’s hope your best is good enough.”
Chapter 16
Soria, Hyperion
That night they sat around a tiny campfire within the shelter of a grove of banana trees. Rory hated bananas, and these were alien in appearance, with streaks of blue striping their orange skin. The fallout had changed everything here on Soria. He wondered what the rest of the planet would look like in a few hundred cycles now that the Memnons had nuked everything.
The warm, damp air make his skin sticky, and he tugged absently at the collar of his shirt, pulling it away from his flesh. He and Oates had recovered their weapons, but not their shirts. Now they were making do with a couple of Trent’s old undershirts. They hung embarrassingly loosely on each man.
Oates and Trent seemed to be forming an uneasy alliance. Both had been open about their respective histories at Stone Mountain. In the end, they were each satisfied that none among their quartet were Memnons. While Oates and Trent continued to discuss Stone Mountain base, Rory and Cassidy retreated into their own quiet conversation.
Rory still could not quite believe that Cassidy and Trent were here.
“Why did you stay? Tell me the truth,” he said.
Cassidy flashed a shy smile. “It’s like Trent said. We wanted to kill Memnons.”
“Bullshit. You’re my best friend. I can tell when you’re lying.”
Her expression grew serious. “Are we still friends? After everything that happened?”
“Of course we are. I’m the one who froze at the wrong time and wasn’t there for you. But I didn’t choose Jemma over you. I care about you both.”