by J. N. Chaney
I swiped through the pages, found the map schematics, and zoomed in on one area in particular.
As soon as Riva saw the large chamber, she let out a light hiss. “I was told you need to stay here. For me to check on this, I have to leave. It won’t take long.”
I waved her off. When she was gone, I studied the map again and began formulating a plan. Invading the mountain to find them was a gamble. If I was right about the large, unmarked chamber being a hangar, who knew what else it might hold. If I was wrong, at the very least we would still have control of the mountain.
The first part of a mission plan had already started to form in my head when Riva returned, the data cube in hand.
“My apologies. I had to find Nami and a workstation to use the cube. We think you are correct. Once we knew what to look for, the data was easier to work with. Ship codes, we think. There are also landing pads scattered around the planet.”
Excitement shone in her eyes, and I couldn’t help but feel the same. “This is good. It might be how we deal with the Mind Thieves when they arrive. I would bet for the first time in my life that they won’t be expecting that kind of welcome.”
“I agree. Now, all we have to do is finish what we started.”
20
The plan was simple.
Storm the mountain, dethrone Makin, and find a way into the other supposed hangar.
I had detailed reports of what had gone down during our three-pronged attack. Once we added the information that Havu had given us about Makin’s lack of guard support, it looked more than doable.
Riva put the call out for all of her scouts and warriors to return. Unfortunately, Bakir had yet to come back from his task of convincing the nomadic tribes to help. While it would have been preferable to have the extra support, I was confident in our chances this time around.
Another multi-teamed incursion was planned, but I wouldn’t be part of the forces infiltrating to take over. Tara, Mitch, Noah, and I—along with Riva and her chosen warriors—would be heading for the large cavern.
Tara stood next to me after all the preparations had been done. “Sorry for siccing the doctor on you, Chief.”
I angled my head to look at her. Her shoulders were hunched like she thought I might yell at her. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I should be thanking you, in fact. If you hadn’t noticed something wrong, I would have hurt someone.”
“I don’t think so,” she said quickly.
“You’re wrong. Whatever Makin did had me seeing red. It was just a matter of time. You did the right thing.”
She blew out a breath and rolled her shoulders to relax the muscles. “Yeah, okay. I’m glad you got sorted out. No offense, but that was a little scary. I mean, I saw you fight the Flux when you didn’t have any emotions… What I saw yesterday wasn’t anything like that.”
I looked forward again as a wave of shame rolled through me. “You were afraid.”
“I was. But I knew that wasn’t you. If Makin had done the same thing to me, or Mitch, the result would have been the same. I hope you know that.”
Some deep tension inside me eased up at the confession. I hadn’t even realized it bothered me until the feeling went away. “I do. Thanks. Again.”
Tara nudged me playfully with an elbow. “Anytime. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go kick Makin’s ass into the void.”
I laughed. “I’d like to kick his ass into the nearest star, but I’ll settle for keeping him as a prisoner.”
We walked to our transport and loaded up. This time there was more than one. AMI had also sent down half of the Ark’s drones to assist. The short flight dropped our team and the PEVs we needed to enter the secret tunnel.
The map showed a passage there that I had missed when gunning through the day before. It was probably masked like the mountain entrance, and I had just hadn’t seen the blip on my display screen.
My weapon and wrist unit had been replaced, and I checked the latter once more as we were landing. The new comm clicked in my ear, and AMI’s voice came over the line.
“Everything is set, Kent. Try not to get captured again, will you? I find the event quite stressful. Not to mention that you keep losing equipment.”
I felt the corner of my mouth twitch and suppressed the smile. “Copy that, AMI. Keep in mind that I brought three PEVs back.”
“That,” she replied, “was a lucky break.”
“Luck didn’t have anything to do with it. Okay, we’re going radio silent.”
She made a hmph sound but ended the transmission.
Tara didn’t bother to hide her own smile. “You know, I think I just figured out why that AI is on my case all the time.”
“Why’s that?”
“She’s the one flirting.” Tara pointed at Mitch, who was busy looking anywhere but at us. “You know I’m right.”
He made a show of checking his equipment. “No idea what you’re talking about, Perez.”
“She’s right, Chief.” That came from Noah. I took him more seriously because he was careful to choose his words, but I was still confused.
“We can have this conversation later,” I announced. “Right now, our focus is the mission.”
Tara started to roll her eyes, then caught my expression. “You got it, Chief.”
“All right. You know the drill. We’re going in the same tunnel we came out yesterday, then hitting the side entrance that appears to lead into the larger cavern. The other teams are going to launch simultaneous attacks at the entrances we’ve secured.”
My team had put on their serious faces and gave me their acknowledgement.
“Like last time, we’re not using non-lethal rounds. If someone tries to kill you, kill them first. Once we hit the cavern, Nami and Riva are going to hit any of the panels and Volcuri-based electronics.”
Riva and her people rode passenger on the PEVs again since driving them without training made things a little too awkward. No doubt they could have made it work eventually, but time was our enemy.
The two dozen in our team flew through the fake rock and into the darkened passage. I was on edge, ready for anything. If nothing else, my experiences with Makin had reinforced that anything could go wrong.
I kept an eye on the PEV’s display as it approached the coordinates. Sure enough, according to sensors, there was a small break in what appeared to be solid rock. I gave the signal and brought the small craft to a stop. One of the teams behind me came up and dismounted.
Both men had handheld scanners and cans of spray paint. They marked the edge of the entrance to make it easier for us to move through without accidentally running into the walls. While the new tunnel wasn’t as big as our current path, I sent four of the Ark’s drones in ahead. They had already lost connection with the ship’s network when we entered the mountain. Thanks to an auto feature, they could still function.
I maneuvered the PEV inside after them, keeping the light off to err on the side of caution. One by one, the rest of my team followed me in. According to my display, the route would only last for fifty straight meters and meet up with the hangar. Or, what I assumed was a hangar. No one else had come up with a better idea.
I wanted to be right. That, too, felt strange. Wanting and hoping versus not caring. In the back of my head, I kept picturing what would happen if there was no fleet of ships. In that scenario, even if we killed Makin, we still had to deal with the First wanting to destroy the planet issue.
Without some way to defend Kainos, the human and Volcuri population was done for. The backup forces coming from Earth hadn’t sent any other communications, and the exact time of their arrival was still up in the air. They weren’t a guarantee either.
I could only depend on what was here. That was the bottom line. Pushing everything else from my mind, I forged ahead. Just past the halfway mark, a familiar tingle started at the base of my neck.
A quick check of the defense drones’ sensors didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. I g
ave the signal to wait while the machines went ahead. It didn’t take long to find out what gave me the buzz.
As soon as the drones passed the tunnel threshold into the open cavern, the whine of weapons fire tore through the air, and flashes of blue lit the corridor. The more familiar sound of automatic weapons fire that came from the drones’ guns had me pushing the PEV into high gear.
“Go now while we have the cover fire!” I ordered over the comms.
I activated the PEV’s safety shield and ducked down behind it. Less than thirty seconds later, we burst into the cavern. The display was lit up with new markings—enemy targets in red and friendlies colored blue.
The cavern exploded with light. Or, the section we were in did. More lighting continued to come on in a wave, stretching far beyond my current location. There were ships, just like we’d figured. Lots of them. I had a moment to take in just how vast the space was, then I was back to focusing on the combat at hand.
My first impression was that this was Makin’s last stand. He stood, decked out in full armor, behind around two dozen of his Turned soldiers, using them as a shield. That didn’t surprise me in the least. He was exactly the kind of coward to use his men that way.
The space where the secret tunnel emptied out was littered with crates and metal components—not exactly ideal for a firefight on the back of a PEV. I pulled behind a pile of debris and dismounted. The others did the same and found places with moderate cover.
Drone fire kept the enemy busy, just as I’d intended. The first one fell as I brought my rifle up, its metal body sparking and shuddering. I found my first target and squeezed off three rounds in quick succession.
The blue shielding flared brightly with the contact but held. The return fire came almost immediately. I did a check and noted that none of Makin’s people carried the usual medieval style weapons. It seemed they’d learned a lesson there about the efficiency of ranged weapons.
That was fine by me. I had a trick up my sleeve that had been brought down from the Exodus Ark. I pulled my sidearm and found my target. One modified bullet exploded from the barrel and slammed into the Turned guard I’d fired on.
I held my breath for a beat as the armor’s energy field flared again. This time, it didn’t hold. Cracks like broken glass rolled through the blue glow, pulsing. Then, the pop of electricity burst out and the shield faded into nothingness.
“The anti shield rounds are a go!” I yelled. “Switch to teams!”
The new rounds were the project Dr. St. John had been working on before we came down to meet the Elders. His new bullets were meant to disrupt the energy field around the armor. In his stead, a lab assistant finished the project in time to send along a limited supply. In total, five of us carried one magazine with six of the modified ammo. That meant every shot had to count.
“On your left, Chief,” informed Tara. “You line them up, I’ll take them down.”
Going for a new target, I took aim again. He saw his fallen companion and dove for cover. It saved him, but only temporarily. Riva and her warriors didn’t have the handheld blasters or guns. They relied on stealth and distraction to go after any we missed, including the one who now hid behind a stack of crates. The same pile that Riva was using.
She ended him without much fuss, and his body hadn’t fully hit the ground when she darted off, using a small land vehicle as cover. Most of the other Turned soldiers didn’t realize what was happening, and they made easy marks.
I wanted Makin. Badly. Of course, he was smart enough to have disappeared, but I knew he was still in the hangar. All I had to do was bide my time. In the meantime, I settled for one of the Turned who had taken refuge under a large contraption that I couldn’t fathom a use for.
His shield went dead, and Tara completed the follow-through. His head slumped forward, and the blaster dropped to the floor. I reminded myself to tell her later that her marksmanship had vastly improved since the Flux first attacked our ship.
An enemy soldier went running past our cover spot, and I squeezed off another round at the same time that he tripped over something on the floor and went sailing. The disrupting ammunition caught him in flesh rather than armor, which didn’t have the same effect. He started to crawl away, but I made sure the next shot hit pay dirt.
The ear comm clicked, alerting me to an open transmission. It was Mitch. “I’m out of the modified ammo.”
Two more of the squad called out the same.
“I’m down to two,” said Noah.
“One here,” I replied. “Let’s make them count.”
I had no idea how many more of the enemy remained. One thing was for sure—the rest of the soldiers appeared to have figured out what was going on because the sounds of gunfire died away and I couldn’t find a new target on which to set my sights.
Two more of the drones were dead, leaving just one. I used a few precious seconds to view its stats and found that it was out of ammunition.
“Chief Kent.” Makin’s bellowed voice grated at me, and I couldn’t tell where it came from because it got lost in the wide open space. “It seems we may be at an impasse.”
“Someone give me a report,” I hissed into the comm. If Makin stayed true to form, he’d talk for a little while.
“This is DuPont. Five of our people down, sir. That’s three of the Volcuri and two humans. I’ve got a count on the enemy as eleven confirmed kills. I estimate at least a dozen remain.”
Not a bad ratio, but not great either.
“What do you want to do, Chief?” asked Mitch.
“Stand by,” I instructed. “I have an idea.”
I pulled out my personal pad and linked to the drone to take over by remote control. One camera was out, but two still functioned well enough. I sent the drone up, hoping no one saw it and tried to take it out.
“I’m offering you a parlay,” continued Makin. “No harm will come to you if you meet me.”
“Yeah, right,” Tara muttered.
The digital eye found the Turned leader behind an alien aircraft some twenty meters away. Six of his guards formed a tight circle around him, but the rest were slinking forward while he spoke.
Ignoring him, I beamed the footage to the rest of my team. “Check that out. Everyone tag a target on your wrist units and be ready to go on my signal.
“Do you not accept, Chief Kent?”
There was a clear path to his location if we both stepped out into the open. I figured that might be the best chance we were going to get.
“Noah, I’m going to draw him out,” I said. “You hit him with the EMP and give Tara the opening.”
“You got it, Chief. Ready when you are.”
I holstered my sidearm and put the rifle on my back. No way was I going to put that down. It would have to be good enough for Makin that my hands stayed empty.
“All right,” I called out. “I’m coming, unarmed. You do the same.”
Breaking from the sheltered spot I’d been calling home for the past few minutes felt wrong. I knew Makin couldn’t be trusted, so I was putting all my trust in my team. Hands out in a sign of peace, I moved into the open. Makin came out right where the drone had shown him, but he didn’t come alone.
His entourage flanked him, clearly ready for any action. I couldn’t see the drone’s cameras anymore, but I did see that the guards weren’t looking behind them. Riva and three of her warriors had circled around from behind.
The Turned didn’t appear to notice. I approached slowly, waiting for the right moment. Makin stared at me with an intensity that spoke of distrust. At ten meters away, he stopped.
“There must be some agreement we can come to.”
Shaking my head, I came to a halt too. “That’s pretty optimistic considering I know the Mind Thieves have plans for you if you don’t get the situation under control.”
He lifted his beak. “They do not control every aspect. I have some sense of self-preservation.”
Pulling a Tara, I snorted. “I’m aware. It�
��s why you let your people die. But that doesn’t matter now. You’re finished here.”
“It would be foolish to turn me down,” he warned. “The Mind Thieves—”
The rebel Volcuri had reached his guards and grabbed their helmets to yank their heads back, exposing soft, fleshy neck skin. Noah was just off to my left behind more of the crates and waiting for me to give him the opening.
As four bodies slid to the ground, I gave the order. “Now!”
The hangar burst into chaos.
Noah stepped out, took aim, and fired. His shot was dead on, but it hit the wrong target. One of the guards saw his intent and threw himself in front of Makin. Tara put him down the second his shield puttered out. It happened again with the last guard, and Noah cursed.
We were down to one EMP round and it had to go to Makin. A guttural yell formed in my throat, and I leapt forward. Makin was so close, and I wasn’t going to let him get away. The sounds of fighting reached me, but I saw only Makin until a Turned guard stepped into my path and pointed a blaster at me.
I ducked in time to avoid losing my face and kicked out. The force of the blow cracked something, and the Volcuri went down. Still, he tried to lift the blaster again. I knocked it from his grip by grabbing his wrist and violently bending it in a direction it wasn’t meant to go. It fell to the floor, and the wrist fell limply to his side.
A flash of movement caught my eye, and I looked over to see Nami surging in with a short sword. She drove the blade in and shot me a nod.
The way cleared, I started for Makin again. He scanned his surroundings, looking for a way out. Nearby, Riva battled another guard with shouts of frustration. I pulled the sidearm out and stalked closer to Makin.
His eyes met mine, and I saw the fear in them. Muted, under the circumstances, but there all the same. I fired. This time, the bullet found its mark. Makin’s shield went down with a final sizzle.
“A little tied up, Chief!” called out Tara. “I don’t have a shot.”
“I got it.”
Makin watched with wide eyes as I put the gun away and pulled out my rifle.
