Scout turned to see Sora, Talek, Fi, Viktor and Nait dart into the area. Felicia stepped aside as they entered and Scout watched the scowl form on her face. She noticed that Felicia reached into her pocket and grabbed a comm.
None of them said her name, though. Where did that come from?
Seconds after they came onto the landing pad, Natalia Valie and Naos Redgrave walked through the opening, weapons in their hands and small backpacks on their backs. Scout couldn’t feel her fingers and toes as she watched both arrive. She couldn’t move and her mouth felt dryer than before.
Naos. He really did survive. Nait and Sora got him. He yelled her name.
“Naos…”
“Scout, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Natalia said, gently smiling as they neared the Killer. Scout stood directly between the ship and Felicia. Some of the crew bustled past her. Another noise yelled into Scout’s ears.
A mechanical shriek. Scout’s brief paralysis broke as orange lasers flew past her. Acting on reflex, she jumped out of the way and looked to see Felicia’s thugs opening fire. Two shots burned into her arm, but Scout felt so numb that the pain didn’t register. The rest of the crew took out their weapons, scurrying toward the freighter.
Trika fired back first, guarding the ramp. One of her lasers collided with a thug and he stumbled backward but kept firing. “Knew we couldn’t trust leather lady!” Trika said, finishing him off with three more shots. “Everyone, onto the ship!”
Felicia strode forward, casually walking past her squad of thugs. “Don’t harm the girl. Leave Sora for me.”
Scout ducked as another laser zoomed past her. It grazed her scalp and Scout screamed as she felt the burn. She kept her eyes open, watching as Talek and Fi scooted toward the ship. Talek fired several heavy lasers toward the thugs, taking out two in one shot. Lasers burned his armor but didn’t pierce through.
Fi danced around the lasers as they flew around her. She looked sleek and unconcerned as she grabbed two revolvers out of her holsters and stared at the two who attacked her. She closed an eye as she fired quick rounds. Blue bursts of energy flew past the orange and hit two thugs directly in their chests. They collapsed.
Someone tugged on her shoulder. Scout’s feet lifted off the ground as Nait dragged her toward the ship. “Don’t just stand there, sis, look around!”
Scout pulled away and she didn’t know why. “Nait—”
Two lasers hit his right shoulder. Two other lasers hit his left. He cried out and fell backward. Scout reached for him, but before she could move, Viktor rushed past and caught his fall. “We must get onto the Killer.”
Viktor pulled Nait toward the freighter. Both looked toward Scout, expecting her to follow. She looked in the other direction. What happened to Naos?
He stared at her as he and Natalia pointed their own rifles to fire at the thugs. Most of Felicia’s men focused on the crew, so Natalia and Naos remained unharmed. Natalia fired, but Naos hadn’t. They edged toward the ship, but Naos didn’t take his eyes away from Scout.
Scout couldn’t focus over the roar of laser fire. She heard screams from the thugs and the crew. A mixture of orange and blue bounced around her, burning a lot of black spots into the landing pad.
Sora appeared behind her, firing several stray shots into the fray. He nudged her, but Scout turned again. She still couldn’t focus.
Felicia stood directly in front of them, marching toward Sora and Scout. Her piercing gaze rested on Sora, who growled behind Scout.
“Wrong move,” Sora said, aiming at her.
“You know I never liked thieves,” Felicia said. She didn’t reach for her rifle.
Sora nudged Scout again. “Come on, let’s get you out of all this.”
Too late for that. Scout didn’t move. She wanted to gag.
“Scout! Go!” Sora said, keeping his rifle trained on Felicia.
Felicia didn’t budge. “She’s with me, Sora. You’re through.”
Scout looked up at Sora and saw his eyes widen. The roar in the background died down as they stared at each other. Everything around them continued. Scout saw a pile of dead thugs forming while the others continued to exchange fire with the handful of thugs that remained. The noise itself hadn’t disappeared. It just faded from Scout’s ears as Sora’s surprise registered.
“Sora,” she said, finally choking out a word. She held in her gag. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t let her into your head,” Sora said. Very slowly, his head shook. “Don’t.”
Felicia tugged on Scout’s arm, trying to pull her back. Out of the corner of her eye, Scout saw Nait reach his hands out as Viktor helped him onto the ramp. “Scout, we have to go!”
“Remember what the Queen did to you. How she hurt you,” Felicia said. Her voice became stern. “I’m your only hope of stopping her.”
Felicia’s voice tempted Scout to look back at her, but she fixed her eyes on Sora. She saw the plea in his large, brown eyes. He kept his rifle aimed at Felicia, but he hadn’t looked at her in several seconds. He only looked at Scout.
“She’s using your anger against you. Don’t let her.”
Scout heard Sora’s voice, but she also heard her own. The tables had turned. He knew what he was talking about. He knew what she was talking about.
He understood her, too.
Scout heard the click of another gun. She looked back to see Felicia using her free hand to yank her rifle out of its holster. Sora didn’t fire as Felicia aimed at him. Scout’s eyes darted back and forth between the two.
“Goodbye, Sora,” Felicia said. She didn’t mask the disgust as she spat out her words. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of the Jewel’s Eye.”
Scout edged her hand down her side, touching her pistol. She noticed Sora’s finger wiggling over the trigger of his own rifle. She didn’t know why he didn’t just shoot. Maybe to protect her. “You’ll regret this, Felicia.”
Scout needed to do something a little better than punch and run. She pulled her pistol out and fired at Felicia. An explosion of blue ripped into Felicia’s stomach and she fell backward with a yell, releasing Scout. Scout looked at Sora.
“Let’s get out of here!”
Both ran as orange lasers flew around them again and thugs swarmed around Felicia. Most of the crew had ascended the ramp. Only Talek, Fi and Trika stayed behind, shooting at the remaining group. Lasers hammered the three, but they dodged most.
Scout and Sora shot into the crowd but didn’t turn their eyes from the ship. They reached the ramp and Sora shoved Scout up as Trika backed into the Killer. Sora, Talek and Fi provided cover fire as Scout climbed the ramp. She reached the top as she heard a cry.
She looked back to see Sora’s left arm recovering from a burn. He hissed as Talek motioned for him to climb the ramp, following closely behind. A bolt also hit Fi’s ear but she didn’t display a reaction.
Scout heard another scream and spotted a wounded Felicia, shoving her way through the thugs. She held her stomach with one hand and fired random shots with the other. No masks anymore. Scout saw the rage in her open jaw and twisted nose. The sudden ignition of the Killer’s engines drowned out the remaining screams and shots.
“Enough of this,” Fi said, also ascending the ramp. Scout scooted back as they all reached the ship’s interior. Talek slammed his hand into the button to the right and the ramp lifted off the ground. The Killer lurched as it became airborne again.
Scout finally gasped, taking in the peaceful air of the ship. Her mouth started to feel normal again. She felt her fingertips and her toes. She leaned against the left wall, slouching down.
What had she done? What if she really had given in to Felicia’s demands?
Fi and Talek walked past her, nursing their cuts and bruises. Scout closed her eyes and flared her nostrils, continuing to enjoy the air.
“Come on,” Sora said. Scout opened her eyes to see him extending his hand to her. She didn’t take it, frowning. “I know. It’s okay. We can al
l talk in the main hold.”
She wanted to see Naos, but she didn’t know if she could look at him, Nait or Natalia. Not after this.
“It’s okay,” Sora said, moving his hand forward. He looked similar to this when he held his hand toward her in the medical bay. “It’s okay.”
This time, Scout grabbed his hand.
7
The red coloring of the sky faded as black overtook it. Felicia stared in the direction that the Killer had jettisoned twenty minutes prior. Around her, men piled up slain bodies and tended to any wounds sustained during the fight. Felicia had not moved since she watched the ship zoom into the sky and off the planet.
The second time that she had watched her ship escape in the midst of a firefight. She had a completely new gang of armed men, yet they did no better than her last.
They did not function as an army, after all.
“Ma’am,” one black-haired, tall man said, rushing to her side. “We should clean the rest of the landing pad. Shall we escort you back to the capital?”
Felicia clicked her black fingernails together. “I want that ship found. I will get my ship back.”
“The burnt floor panels will unsettle any visitors before they pay—”
Felicia held up one finger. He silenced. “Puntan has served its purpose. I have bigger conquests.”
The distant roaring of engines took Felicia’s eyes to the left. She saw two wide, gray, armored transports in the clouds. They descended toward the open plains, completely ignoring the central landing pad.
“Looks like the Queen just missed her dear senator,” Felicia said, whirling around and starting toward the exit. “Ready my shuttle. Our time here is done. I cannot allow the Queen to know that I live. Not yet.”
“Anything else, ma’am?”
Felicia nodded as the man walked in step with her. “Prepare communications on the shuttle. I am going to send an anonymous tip to the Queen’s forces, giving them the exact specifications of the ship carrying Natalia Valie.”
The thug stopped. “The Queen, ma’am?”
Felicia paused, entertaining his curiosity. She smirked. “Indeed. I will put out feelers to my old contacts across the nebula. Once Queen Bettina has a lead on the ship, so will I.”
She turned again, regaining her confident stride. She stared forward. “That girl knows the Queen and is the key to her destruction. The key to finding what could destroy her.”
Felicia scowled. “As well as Sora Trok.”
Scout cracked her hands together, keeping her eyes away from Naos, Natalia and Nait. She focused on Sora, which she found funny, considering their last conversation in the main hold. Naos and Natalia didn’t look at her with judgement, but Scout didn’t know about Nait. She didn’t feel like finding out either.
The entire crew gathered around the two couches. Everyone applied ointment and bandages to the small burns and bruises that they sustained in the skirmish on Puntan. Sora sat at the edge of the circular table in front of the couches, hands folded in his lab.
Felicia’s soothing voice rang in her head. Scout hated it.
“Scout, what happened?” Nait said, stepping in front of her. He slapped his hands against his thighs. “Like, seriously, what was that?”
Apparently, she had to find out how he felt anyway.
“No lectures,” she said, shaking her head. “You know that.”
“You were a step ahead of that psycho when we left, but when we came back, it looked like you—” Nait started.
“I know what happened,” Sora said, nodding toward Scout as he cut Nait off. Nait groaned, stepping back. “Felicia got inside your head. It’s what she does.”
Viktor stood to Sora’s right. He frowned. “I met Miss Malone once before and the Captain is right. Her manipulations are hard to resist. It would be impossible for you to know her scheme.”
Although she appreciated the good doctor showing some emotion, Scout groaned. “I should have known better. I was stupid. I’m stronger than that.”
“Your brother told us everything that happened on Con,” Natalia said. Scout allowed herself to look at her and Naos. Naos had a blank stare on his face, but Natalia held her signature, calm smile. “You’ve been in a vulnerable place. If it had been me, I wouldn’t have done any better.”
Yeah, sure, but Scout’s already been played once. How could she let it happen again?
“She uses your past against you,” Sora said. He closed his eyes and inhaled for a few seconds. “That’s what she did to me for years. She didn’t become a crime lord just by murdering, but by manipulating. It’s understandable that you started to listen. I know I used to.”
This came from the man who Scout nearly sent to his death. She almost felt flattered, but he also seemed really stupid.
Nait bit his lip and stepped forward again. “I’m sorry, Scout. I don’t mean to be harsh. It just worried me. That lady’s bad news.”
“She seems as cunning as your mentor,” Talek said. He stood behind the couch opposite of Scout and crossed his arms. “It is good that you did not agree to her deal. You would have ended up in a worse place than where you started.”
“She offered me resources and enticed me with the thought of revenge,” Scout said. She looked from her brother to Natalia and Naos. She shrugged at Naos. “For the first time, it seemed possible. Tangible.”
Naos nodded. “Yeah, I get that. This idea seems impossible.”
“What’s important is that you made the right decision,” Sora said. Scout looked back to him. He gave another affirming nod. “You didn’t fall. You stood your ground when you had to and Felicia lost because of it.”
Scout wished she hadn’t even come close to falling. Even approaching failure did not seem acceptable. Bettina ingrained that idea into their heads and, even if Scout still shouldn’t listen to that, she grew up with that mindset.
“Scout, I know how impossible this seems, but too much wrong has been done in the nebula to let it go on,” Natalia said, leaning forward on the opposite couch. “I have one potential resource that we could explore. Let’s stop Bettina and let’s do it right.”
Scout smiled. Growing up around the palace, she knew Natalia. She didn’t know every part of her personal life, but she always had a mild-mannered, sweet temperament. The complete opposite of Bettina and yet, she stood out as one of Bettina’s closest confidants. She could put Scout at ease.
“I’m glad you’re here, Natalia,” she said. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“As much as I’d love to keep talking about how much we all hate the woman who killed my dad,” Trika said, scoffing. She stood next to Talek and leaned over the back of the couch. “What is our next move, Senator? I hope you got some real bright ideas because this group is fresh out.”
“Speak for yourself,” Fi said, glaring. She stood on the other side of Talek.
“Sorry, everyone except for Fi is fresh out of ideas.”
“Senator, I am not a tactician, but we would be wise to seek out an ally,” Fi said. Natalia leaned back to face the tall woman. Fi pursed her lips. “I am not the most trusting either, so I’d advise you to choose wisely.”
Natalia nodded. “I understand. Due to the brutality of the takeover and control over the media, most worlds will not be willing to publicly lash out against the Queen,” she said, leaning down to the backpack at her feet. She unzipped it. “However, an old friend reached out to me a week after the takeover. I originally ignored him so I could stay in hiding but now, it may be worth pursuing his message.”
Scout raised an eyebrow. She didn’t expect that. “Who was it?”
“Jet Arbol, governor of Adli. You may not know him, but he was a close friend of mine. He wasn’t in Parliament, which is why he’s still alive,” Natalia said, removing a circular device from her bag. “I have the message recorded. Take a listen.”
Naos sighed. “Senator, we talked about this. I think it’s hard to believe.”
Natalia pressed a small
button and sat the device next to Sora. A scratchy voice came through the speakers. “Nat, it’s Jet. I hope you’re safe. Listen, I know that the Queen has it out for you but I’ve received an interesting offer and I don’t know what to do with it. It’s an offer to do something about all this. Please, come to me on Adli. I’ve never encountered anything like this.”
Fi narrowed her eyes. “That could be anything.”
Natalia nodded again. “I know, but I trust Jet. He’s powerful enough to have connections, but not powerful enough to be under the Queen’s watch. Especially not on Adli. The planet exudes peace, even though it’s under her jurisdiction.”
Kossk stood behind Scout’s couch. She felt the cold air of his breath down her back and she shivered. “If your soul truly trusts the soul of this man, we should pursue him. Our bodies have no other place to go.”
Nait plopped down next to Scout. “Are you sure that he’s good, Senator? If the Queen knew that you were friends, that could’ve been a trap.”
“She still thinks that I’m on Puntan,” Natalia said, shaking her head. “He’s reliable. I don’t know if he’ll be able to help us, but I think we should seek this out.”
“Then Adli is where we’ll go,” Sora said, looking at the whole crew. He focused on Chok, who stood near the corridor to the cockpit. “Set a course.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” Chok said, slamming his walking stick on the ground. He proceeded out of the main hold. “It will not take long to reach the big butts.”
Natalia and Naos both looked at Sora in confusion, but he dismissed it with a wave. “Like Kossk said, we don’t have many other options. We hoped that Natalia could point us in the right direction. This could be it.”
“We’ll follow your lead, Sora,” Talek said, stepping away from the couch. “Let’s hope it doesn’t steer us wrong.”
Sora stood, clapping his hands together. “So, it’s settled. Until we get to Adli, I say that we take the time to get some rest and make a sweep of the ship. We need to be sure that everything is still working properly if we run into more trouble. Let’s get to it.”
Survival, Dark Times Page 10