* * * *
“What's the plan?” asked Tasha.
They’d picked their way through the pock marked and battle scared corridors of the command centre, picking up several survivors along the way. There were seven of them now, Tasha and the Admiral, plus three marine guards, a technician and an intelligence analyst. Methodically working the way through the complex towards the exit and the concourse beyond, where the Admiral’s personal shuttle was parked up. They were currently hugging a blood stained wall, around a corner from where several corridors radiated out from the main reception.
The Admiral, ignoring Tasha for the moment, poked his head round and spoke in hushed tones to the senior most marine. Who’d taken up an advanced scouting position behind some debris.
“Sergeant give me a sitrep.”
“I’m seeing three active turrets in the ceiling, plus two mobile heavy sentinel units and the blast doors are locked down.”
“Haul your ass back here and let’s figure out an alternative route.”
The sergeant complied and they huddled together in the corridor in search of a plan. Their situation look bleak. Even assuming they could take down the automated defences, with the limited firepower at their disposal, there was no way they could get through the blast doors to the concourse and landing pads outside.
The technician, who’d remained silent till now, pointed at the grill covering the service hatch in the wall above them. “We can use the service ducts to bypass them. There’s no sensors up there.”
“But if they did detect us we’d be sitting ducks in that crawl space.” said one of the marines shaking his head doubtfully.
“And it still doesn’t get us past the blast doors.” added the Admiral.
“But if we trigger the fire alarms from the ancillary control room it should lift the lock-down and release the blast doors.” he unclipped the pen from the top pocket of his overalls. “Has anyone got some paper?”
Tasha pulled the medkit from her pack and ripped the paper covering off a dressing spreading it out on the floor. “Will this do?”
A few minutes later they had a roughly sketched schematic of the service ducts spread out on the floor in front them and the outline of a plan.
“May I?” asked the Admiral, taking the pen from the tech. The tech nodded. “It’s agreed then. Sergeant your men will circle round to take up positions at these points and create a cross-fire to distract the heavy sentinels.” he marked several points on the map, then paused and looked at the tech. “Sorry son what’s your name?”
“Adam, Sir.”
“It’s a nice pen Adam.” he said looking at the inscription etched on the side of it.
“Yes sir, it was a present from my mother.”
“Well everyone, Adam will take this duct here and disable the turret control nexus here. The rest of us will take this duct to the ancillary control room and trigger the fire alarms to release the blast doors. Is everyone clear?” they all nodded. “Good, time to move out.” he turned to hand the pen back to Adam.
Adam shook his head. “If it’s all the same to you sir, I’d like you kept it.”
The Admiral smiled twirling the pen in his hand before slotting it carefully into his pocket. “Understood.” he held out his hand and took Adam's in his firm grasp and shook it. “Good luck and Godspeed son.” he released Adams hand and cupped his own together. “Need a boost?”
“Thank you Admiral.” he said quietly and then he was gone, lost in the crawl space above them. The analyst followed him into the ducts, as the marines moved off silently to their allotted positions, leaving the two of them alone.
“He’s going to die isn’t he?” said Tasha. “They’re all going to die to try and save me.”
He sighed and took her by the shoulders looking long and hard into her eyes. “You know I can see your mother in there and right now and she’d know the most important thing is to make sure that if they do die, they don’t die in vain, that their sacrifice is a price worth paying. Now let’s move out.”
“Admiral do you mind if I ask you now many people you’ve sent on a mission knowing they’re not going to come back?” she asked as he helped her up into ducting.
“No.” he replied scrambling up behind her. “And the answers always the same, too many.”
Exiles Page 9
