by Alex Guerra
The Codari snapped out it and we ran out the door.
TWO
We raced through the halls of The Pillar in a fervor. Some of the troopers were already in full combat gear while others were still preparing. This was something that always bothered me when I was in the Marines. If I was on the ground, I had more control. When aboard a ship or a plane, I was in someone’s, or in this case, something else’s hands.
Ripped from its home in the closet, I threw on my equipment in a hurry, wondering if I would even be needing any of this. A few minutes passed, with minimal updates from Dotty. The ship aimed straight for us but had yet to engage or send out a hail—it was acting aggressively.
Peeling out of my room, I ran through the group gathered outside it and headed for the bridge.
“Dotty, open a channel to the vessel,” I ordered.
“Ready,” it said.
“Unidentified vessel, you are on a collision course with us. State your intentions or we will fire on you,” I said. A close-up of the incoming ship dominated the main screen. It was a little smaller than our own, and its weaponry was minimal at first glance. A large, knife-shaped bow pointed right at us. Blue thrusters glowed with intensity without evidence of slowing.
“Dotty, give me something. Do you have any more information on the ship?” I asked, gripping the edge of my helmet with intensity.
“The vessel appears to be a variation of a Darkkon scouting ship. Attempts to communicate with its systems are being impeded by a firewall,” said the A.I.
Glancing at the team, they were apprehensive, most likely feeling as helpless as I did.
“This is your last chance to communicate your intentions,” I threatened. “Change your heading and halt your movement. If your comms are down, give a sign that you are not hostile. If you continue your current movement, you will—”
The ship fired several small projectiles at us. Cables unraveled behind them as they lunged out at us like fingers.
“Evasive!” I shouted.
Our ship made a forceful course correction to port, causing us all to stumble. I grabbed the console nearby to prevent myself from falling. Two of the projectiles screamed past us while the others tracked the sudden movement and homed in, striking The Pillar on its starboard side. One of the projectiles hit right on the bow, its tendrils gripping the hull with a myriad of smaller arms—its center drilled and burrowed into the hull. The cables were much larger than expected, their width larger than the size of my thigh.
The enemy was no longer bearing down on us with its hellish charge. Its retro thrusters fired and decelerated its sprint. The cables reeled in at a furious pace, and the gap between our ships lessening at an alarming rate.
“I am unable to escape. Brace for impact,” Dotty instructed.
Around the bridge, everyone scrambled for the nearest seat and secured themselves in. Jumping into the captain’s seat, a harness came down to secure me with its firm grip. I continued to watch the main screen until the enemy ship was close enough to see outside the viewports. The blast shields slid into place moments before the impact between the two of us.
The team shouted and grunted as the massive force rocked us. A bone chattering rumble and screeching ran through the ship in a demonic howl. The worst was yet to come, as the two ships collided, sending us into a fierce spin. The centrifugal force pinned us to our left. Anything not tied down catapulted in wild arcs to the side as my neck craned over the harness. Both ships pirouetted simultaneously for a time through space. Dotty attempted to slow the spin with our retro thrusters for what felt like an eternity. The intense g-force subsided over time, allowing us to regain control of our limbs again.
Risking throwing myself to the floor, I released the harness and freed myself from the grasp of the seat.
“Status…” I grunted, slightly winded.
“We have suffered minimal damage,” noted Dotty. Unfortunately, we will not be able to free ourselves until the removal of those hooks. The enemy will most likely begin boarding actions shortly.”
I clicked my tongue and surveyed the bridge. “Is everyone alright?” I asked.
Grunts and nods came from all around as everyone reoriented themselves.
“Come on, we don’t have much time. The enemy is on us.” I fished my helmet out of the corner of the room and put it on. The visor came to life, and a quick scan of the room confirmed that there were no injuries. “Everyone, to the hangar! Del, grab your bombs, we’re going to get the jump on these guys.”
The team was hot on my heels as I ran to the hangar in the rear of the ship.
“This isn’t possible,” said Seya, running alongside me.
“Actually…it is. That this was how the ship that crash-landed on my planet arrived in the first place. A wormhole manipulator is what it’s called,” I said, turning down the next corridor. “They’re supposed to be very rare...what the hell, Dotty?”
“My apologies, I was going off the existing Yau archives. Obviously, the Darkkon found the technology and adapted it to their vessels,” said the A.I.
“I’ve never seen ships travel without a starlane before,” said Kayton.
“No Darkkon ship was capable of this while I was still with the empire,” added Seya.
“Maybe it’s only used for black ops missions,” I suggested. If this was what the empire had all along, who knew what would become of the Galactic Conglomerate? If they decided to equip their entire fleet with the wormhole devices, they could overrun any system at a moment’s notice.
In the hangar, Habi and Nadu entered their armored suits and brought them online. Del grabbed handfuls of explosives off the rack and shoved them in a pack. The rest of the team stood by for orders.
“We need to be on them soon. I doubt they expect us to board them,” I said. Pointing at the packs slung over Del’s shoulders in an “x” I asked, “Those going to be enough to breach that ship?”
“It should be plenty,” he confirmed. “I don’t think that ship has a lot of armor—more of a high mobility ship by the looks of it.”
“Alright then,” I said, turning towards the hangar door. “Everyone, get to the airlock.”
We split into two groups, utilizing both available exits. The airlock sealed and pumped out all the remaining air, opening the outer door upon completion. Nadu went out first in his armored suit while the rest of my group followed. The gravity weakened the closer we edged towards the opening until it was completely absent. Engaging the magnetic lining of my boots, I found an awkward foothold outside on the hull. The disorienting feeling of weightlessness subsided as I watched the rest of the team make their way outside. I glanced towards the others exiting our ship. Kayton stuck a hand up, and I pointed to the underside of the enemy ship’s bow.
Disengaging the magnets keeping me affixed to the ship, I pushed off and aimed for the enemy. The rest of the team followed my lead. We drifted through the short gap between the ships before reaching our mark. As soon as we landed, Del went to work on placing the explosives. We continued scanning our surroundings, keeping watch on any enemy movement. I examined the thick tow cables attached to The Pillar—still maintaining their unrelenting grip.
“Dotty, can you release these cables once we get inside?” I asked.
“I cannot guarantee that I will be able to access the enemy systems completely,” said Dotty.
I pursed my lips. “I think I have a solution for that. Del, once you’re done I have something else that needs your expertise,” I said into the comms.
“Almost done, Art,” replied the explosives specialist.
Moments later he reappeared, joining us once more.
I pointed at the cables. “You have something in your pack that can cut through those?” I asked.
The dark visor obscured his face, but he cocked his head thoughtfully. “I can take care of that,” said Del.
“Art, the inside of Darkkon ships are tight,” said Seya. “Send one of the armors with him for support,” Se
ya spoke up.
“Habi, you go with Del. The rest of you, with me,” I said. “We’re ready.”
“Okay, stand back,” Del tapped away at his gauntlet’s dataslate. “Firing.”
The intense vibration ran through our feet. A brief puff of smoke and fire shot out from the front of the ship right below its bladed nose, flinging debris out into the system at incredible speeds.
“Go,” I said, pointing to Nadu. His suit detached from the hull and glided over to the makeshift entrance.
The hole was large and allowed us to enter with ease. The team floated inside, careful not to fly too high, as gravity pulled us to the decking. I gave the signal to move through the ship. Twisted bodies littered the area, slung over railings, and meshed with broken equipment. The explosive decompression did a number on them.
In an instant, we met the enemy, their gunfire bouncing off Nadu’s armor as he returned fire. The lack of atmosphere silenced the shots, and the hissing of my own breathing was deafening to my ears through the fighting. The team moved tightly behind Nadu as we pushed further in, occasionally taking potshots from behind the armored suit’s girth. The barrels of the enemies’ rifles shooting back at us, flashed briefly in a quick, strobing light, and with each flash, brought a potentially fatal end to this journey.
Meanwhile, Dotty was analyzing the system, bringing up a mini-map of our surroundings.
Dotty, I want that wormhole manipulator. Bring up anything you can on it.
Locating…found it.
That was fast…is it something we can take with us?
It is only slightly larger than the original I used before. It is modified from its original design to work with the Darkkon ship.
Put it on the map.
A faint marker lit up on my HUD as well as the mini-map.
“This is our objective; a device called a wormhole manipulator,” I informed the team “We’re going to steal it,” I said as Dotty updated the marker for all to see.
“The bridge,” said Seya, recognizing the layout of the ship.
“Move up,” I ordered, and Nadu’s hulking frame pressed the enemy, sliding forward on its wheels. His shield was up, and he laid down continuous fire from the rotary cannons on his armor’s shoulders.
As we moved through the hallways, enemies not taken out by the armor ducked back into the recesses of the corridors. We dispatched them as soon as Nadu passed by. An enemy soldier lunged at me as I passed, prompting me to hip toss him onto the deck. Kayton put a hole clean through his helmet—the inside of the visor turning into a dark red pulp. I continued to follow Nadu, stepping over the occasional body not pushed along by his shield-sled.
A closed blast door was at the end of the hall. When we overrode the system, the door slid open, sucking air through the entrance with a now audible whoosh. I took hold of a handle on the armor’s back while Seya latched onto me. The whole team trudged through the doorway, clinging onto each other in a chain. Once inside the new hallway, the door resealed behind us, bringing the rush of air to a standstill.
Sound returned to normal as I checked the mini-map. We needed to get to the upper floors. A stairwell was nearby, but I did not see any path the hulking armor could take. Nadu would have to stay here.
“Nadu, wait here for us. We will be back in a few minutes,” I said.
More rounds bounced around the bulkhead as the enemy shot at us again.
“Go, I’ll secure our exit,” said Nadu, his cannons spinning up and spitting out a deafening roar which quickly dulled with my helmet’s audio adjustment.
I led the team into the side passage holding the stairwell. The ship rocked with a loud thump, and I caught myself on the railing.
“What was that?” I asked, turning to the others. I could see Kayton’s eyes giving an unsure look.
“Sorry, that was me, said Del over the comms. “The ship was extending a docking tunnel. Looks like our unconventional entrance was faster than theirs. It’s taken care of.”
I scoffed. “Are we set to go on those cables, Del?” I asked, continuing up the flight of stairs.
“We’re all set, ready when you are,” replied Del.
“Wait for my signal,” I said.
At the top of the second flight of stairs, the door slid open with a shik. I leaned up against the doorway and peered out slightly with my limited view. We were in the middle of a hallway but needed to go left to continue towards the bridge.
I motioned Kayton up and asked her to look right while I exited left. We executed the maneuver with ease. I squared up deliberately to shield Kayton’s back with my own body in case we were immediately engaged as she did for me. Still in one piece, I made my way down the hallway. As I approached the first corner, an enemy poked out and fired some rounds at me, missing me by inches. I dove to the deck and fired back. The soldier ducked back into cover. The next time they popped out, their head exploded from a shot coming from the stairwell. I sectioned the corner slowly, taking down the other two soldiers in the hallway before they could react.
I glanced briefly back towards the stairwell to see Bon sticking his rifle out from the opening. Ornay was right behind me now. He moved up to the corner and dropped to a knee, covering the new hallway. Seya and I pressed further into the ship, the rest of the team filing in behind us.
The bridge was nearby, along with the manipulator. If we successfully retrieved the device, it could change everything. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from getting it. The enemy underestimated us for an easy target. However, that didn’t lessen the danger we were facing around every corner of the Darkkon ship. The enemy was digging in before we even arrived at the bridge. It was their final attempt to keep us from reaching our goal.
Garvo laid down suppressing fire with his large automatic weapon as we jumped from cover to cover. The overlapping fire turned the hallway into a tunnel of death.
“I’m hit!” Tal yelled over comms. She was grabbing her arm as dark blood oozed from between her gloved fingers. Ellar quickly leaned over her, treating the wound.
A renewed determination seeped through us. I dove between the nearest enemy’s cover, sliding along the floor. They hadn’t expected the move, and it was too late for them to react as I gunned them down at point-blank range.
Seya vaulted over a small barrier and fired into the enemy on the other side with her blaster. The weapon punched holes through the soldier with ease. The gunfire settled down, the intervals between the shots becoming more spaced apart as the enemy’s number dwindled.
Groans and death rattles filled the blood-soaked room as we eliminated the last of the soldiers, with the dead squirming in their final moments. I popped out of cover with my rifle, scanning for any stragglers. A weak hand grazed my boot when I stepped over a soldier’s body. Blood continued to stream from the corners of his mouth as I kicked the hand away and continued walking.
At the rear of the room, a soldier crawled towards the lone door to the bridge, leaving a red trail in his wake as I walked past him. A blaster went off behind me. Turning to investigate, Seya stood over the prone soldier. A round lay in his back—a blaster resting just inches from his hand.
I stood outside the bridge, catching my breath while the others formed up. Ellar gave an “all good” signal saying Tal was okay. Her arm hung limply by her side. A gel filled the fresh hole of her wound, stopping the bleeding and resealing her suit.
The team took positions. Dotty opened the door on my command, and we looked inside. The room was empty, save for the sharply dressed captain standing near the helm at the center. He stared out the viewports of his bridge at the pale and barren system.
“Well fought. We clearly underestimated you,” he said with his body still facing away from us, not bothering to turn around.
“Watch him,” I said to the team as they moved in, weapons trained on the officer. I looked around the room until I found what I was looking for. Seated in a console specially made for it, the wormhole manipulator was a golden, o
blong sphere with several wires running out of either end.
I removed the manipulator from its console, examining it.
Dotty, start scanning the console and see if you can pull any other useful information.
Scanning now.
“What an amazing device that is,” said the captain, finally turning to show me his thin, angular face, reminding me of a snake. “We were able to carry out many discreet missions with its aid.”
“I’m sure you were, Captain,” said Seya, still point a gun at the man.
“So...you’re the infamous Seya Aranis, ‘The Traitor Princess’…” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’ve been quite a problem for the empire. How does it feel killing your own kind with these terrorists?”
“How does it feel needlessly throwing their lives away?” retorted Seya.
“We all answer to someone. At least I understand loyalty,” he said, letting the insult hang in the air.
Seya stood there stoically, completely nonplussed by his words.
“We all have a choice. You and the rest of your crew never bothered questioning anything you did—the lives you ruined,” said Seya.
“Arthur, the ship has started a self-destruct sequence,” said Dotty.
“What?” I spat.
“Oops,” said the captain to me with a shrug.
“I cannot stop it,” said the A.I.
“Turn it off,” threatened Kayton, leveling her rifle at the captain.
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” he said, tauntingly with a grin. He turned a screen towards us displaying a countdown timer of fewer than five minutes. “You have other things to worry about.”
Seya walked up to the captain and punched him in the face, sending the captain down over the back of a nearby seat. Smirking as he stood up, he wiped the blood from his mouth and started laughing.
“We need to move!” I shouted at the team. I grabbed Seya’s arm as she loomed over the captain. “Leave him.” I nudged her ahead of me, glancing back at the captain who took a seat and kept laughing to himself.
We ran down the pockmarked, blood-filled hallways, heading back toward our makeshift entrance. I ordered Del and Habi to get back to The Pillar and wait for us. When we reached Nadu, I noticed there were a few extra bodies strewn out in the hallway than before we left him. We made it out of the ship in a hurry, latching onto the armor suit to fly us through the gap with speed. Once aboard The Pillar, I ordered Del to sever the cables. Remnants of the cables whipped against the hull with a faint thud.
