“Kala.” She looked over the stone in her hand several times, letting the cold smooth feeling amaze her. After several minutes, she could sense Henessa’s presence. “Thank you. I’m… not… Thank you.”
Henessa nodded as she projected, ~We’ll find a way to get that into your uniform so you’re never without it. They will sometimes shut us down inside a shuttle or something when they think we’ll just ‘be in their way’. They don’t know what it’s like to have a part of yourself cut off and reattached so many times.~ She shrugged. ~I don’t like ‘getting used to it’ although, after a lot of intensive training, it does relieve the headache not to hear everyone, too.~
Kala looked up at her, curious, ~Headache? From training?~
Henessa nodded with a slight grin, ~Yep, it’s pretty typical around here, at least when they are rigorous with the training. Some days they go easy on us, but not most.~
Kala became slightly uncomfortable when a man’s voice, someone she hadn’t heard before, echoed in her mind. ~Hey, Kala, don’t let Henessa rile you up over training. They’re actually fairly decent with it being physical, telepathic and otherwise.~
~Ah… thanks… sir?~ Kala hesitated, unsure as to where she should direct her projection.
She heard him chuckle, ~Yea. I’m Phelian… most people just call me Phil.~ Kala glanced at Henessa as he spoke, ~There aren’t many of us on here. Only about five telepaths and one empath, even with you, are currently training. You’ll hear the others when they get back to the Corners, and pick up their stones.~
Curious, Kala projected, ~Phil, you were the one in the common area?~
~Yep. ~
Henessa smiled and sat down on her seat then looked over at the empty bed across the room, ~That’s yours.~
Kala nodded, and smiled slightly. She walked to the bed and debated where to put her things. The room was fairly large compared to her room growing up. It had the two beds at a comfortable pace apart and two large closets for their belongings.
~Thank you both, for everything. I’m going to put this away now so I can figure the things out in the room. I’ll pick it up in a few minutes. ~
~Yer welcome, Kala. Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine here.~ Phelian left her mind and returned to his own studies.
~I’ll give you a hand.~ Henessa stood up, and crossed the room to help Kala sort out her things.
After the basics were put away, Henessa took Kala to the common area for a late dinner and back to their room for the night. When lights out came, both women were already asleep on their respective beds, waiting for what the morning training may bring.
Chapter 2
Yatrell woke up to a sharp searing pain in his mind. Alarms were sounding loudly around him.
Angrily he muttered, “Ven.”
He reached under his pillow and pulled out his weapon. Without taking time to dress, he entered the minds of those under his command to ascertain where they were. Most were also just waking.
He projected to them, ~I am being telepathically attacked. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to communicate this way. Assemble in the common area, now. Pietro no uniform, just the weapon.~
He moved quickly to the common area, wearing only shorts, a tee shirt, and a holster. He carried his weapon in hand. He was surprised that he had no resistance, aside from the clear telepathic attack. As he waited for his team to assemble, he took note of the rattling of the ship, and then the sudden, but brief, quiet before the relocator transportation lights started appearing all around.
He yelled loudly, “We’re being boarded. Get here now!”
Anara was next into the common area. She wore her uniform pants and a tank top. She had two small projectile weapons in hand, one directed energy weapon in a holster on her hip, and an assortment of small bladed weapons strapped to her. Standing nearly at Yatrell’s height, she was intimidating to anyone standing against her.
“You slept with those on didn’t you?” He grinned and gestured to one of the bladed weapons strapped to her arm.
“Yep. Well, some of them. Can’t be too prepared.” She turned and saw three more of their team coming into the common area. “So we’re waiting on Pietro?”
A tall man with sandy color hair and hazel eyes nodded, “Yea, the kid isn’t getting how fast he has to move.” A relocator light appeared right in front of the man, who quickly drew his projectile, and fired as soon as the Ven appeared solid. The head of the smaller alien splattered across a table behind him. “One.”
Anara shook her head, “Canith, you’ve got a long way to go to catch up.” The men in the room chuckled, knowing they hadn’t kept pace with her in several of the last number of battles. She turned to Yatrell and spoke in a serious tone, “We can’t wait for the kid. We need to move out.” She switched one projectile for the energy weapon in her holster.
Yatrell confirmed, “You’re right. You take these guys and head toward the armory. I’ll get the kid and we’ll meet you there. Make sure you collect as many of our people as you can on the way. Get them armed and ready to return the gesture.”
One of the men started to speak up regarding the order, but Yatrell glared at him and he thought the better of it. Anara jerked her head in acknowledgment, and gestured for the team to follow her out of the room. Another relocator light appeared as the team moved out of the common area. This time, it was wider than the previous one, relocating multiple Ven into their path. She stood with an energy weapon in one hand, and a projectile in the other. She smiled, as seconds later she took out two of the Ven soldiers.
“Two.” She looked over her shoulder as her team took out the rest. “Good. Time to clean house. Let’s move.”
Yatrell heard the noise, but turned away from where his team exited. He quickly made his way toward the quarter’s section. He knew if he didn’t retrieve the kid, Pietro might not survive his first battle on their ship. The power cut out as he moved through the halls. Everything remained dark for seconds, before another relocator light appeared nearby. As the Ven man appeared inches in front of Yatrell, he was prepared.
He reached out, and wrapped his fingers around the throat of the Ven. He then shoved him up against the bulkhead. The Ven struggled. Yatrell gripped harder, pulling the much shorter man off his feet. Yatrell tried to focus in an effort to read him, but he couldn’t get through the psionic block. The searing pain in his head forced him to relent. In response to the growing and intensely painful headache, he took pleasure in watching the Ven invader gasp for his last breath.
He dropped the body and stepped over it, continuing toward Pietro’s quarters. The halls became illuminated by a dull red light from the emergency systems. He was several steps away from Pietro’s door, when the ship shuddered, and everything near him went silent. More focused than before, he quickly found himself outside the young man’s quarters.
Through the silence around him, he heard the fight inside Pietro’s room. Yatrell reacted. He input his override codes, and entered the room. Upon doing so, he saw the young man pinned beneath a Ven woman. She had a dagger to his throat.
Yatrell growled, “Get away from him!”
The woman sneered, and looked Yatrell right in the eye as she slit the teen’s throat. Pietro made one last kick, pushing the Ven woman off him. He stumbled for two or three paces before collapsing, blood pouring out of his neck, and coating the floor.
Yatrell stared at Pietro, unable to help him as he took his last gurgled attempt for air. The Ven woman jumped on Yatrell, pushing him back into the hall, hard against the wall.
With a dagger stuck in his abdomen he glared at her, “Ven bitch!”
The female soldier leaned against him. With furious intensity she rankled, “The weak will serve us or they will die.” She twisted the dagger as she spoke. “You, I like dead.”
With a grunt, Yatrell shoved her off him. In one fluid motion, he yanked the dagger from his side and threw it at her. The blade pinned her arm to the wall. As she struggled to break free, Yatrell walk
ed up to her, and stood mere inches from her face.
“You like to attack children do you?”
Before the woman could speak again, he pulled his own weapon free, and fired at her, leaving a sizable hole in her body. He took pleasure in the moment she slumped over and died.
Seconds later another bright light formed nearby, and deposited two Ven beside him. Before Yatrell could react, one man attacked him. He was pushed to the ground with a resounding thud. Momentarily stunned, the Ven soldiers began to pummel him. He angrily reached up, and dislodged a small band from around one of the Ven’s head. The intensity of the telepathic attack lessened just enough to notice.
“So that’s how you do it.”
A smug smile lifted the corners of his mouth, before he pushed the soldier off of him. The second Ven soldier growled something about his mate being pinned to the wall, then punched Yatrell between his kidneys almost stopping his lesser heart. Flinching from the impact, Yatrell ripped the band from his head and pushed him toward the woman’s body. As he rid himself of the second Ven attacker, the first grabbed him from behind, and lifted him over his head, dropping Yatrell backwards onto the deck hard.
The second man then jumped on Yatrell with his mate’s dagger in hand and tried to force it into the Dentonian’s chest. With significant struggle, Yatrell pushed the man’s hands back, and countered with a punch and twist that moved the man into his teammate. Both Ven toppled to the ground. Yatrell moved quickly to recover his weapon. The Ven regained their footing moments before Yatrell pulled the trigger of his firearm. His weapon met its mark. He killed the second Ven soldier, before turning on the first and doing the same.
Without another thought, Yatrell pulled himself to his feet, and moved toward the armory. He encountered several more Ven along the way, but made it to his destination with almost no further injury. When he entered the armory, a cluster of Dentonian forces were retrieving weapons and assignments from the captain.
Yatrell approached Captain Rex, “What’s next?”
“Take Gamma and Kappa teams to protect the engineers restoring the coil reactor. The systems outside Engineering will remain offline as long as we don’t have full power. So will our exterior weapons. We need the coil reactor back online to take out those ships.” He turned to hand Yatrell a fresh weapon, and then paused to look at him, “Man! You look like you engaged Turaant Level Ven alone.”
He shrugged, “Who knows, maybe I did. It’s not like they mark their ranks clearly or something.”
He walked off to meet with his team before the captain had a chance to respond. He found Anara and the others locking their weapons into active cycles. He ordered Canith to get Kappa team together. Without hesitation, Canith moved off to fulfill his assignment.
Yatrell turned to Anara. “We won’t have much time to move. They are appearing everywhere, as expected. They have no discretion.” He ran through his fresh weapon as he waited for the assigned reinforcements.
Anara stared at him momentarily. She noticed the blood and sweat drenching his shirt s it clung to his side. She hesitated briefly, before asking, “Pietro didn’t make it?”
Avoiding eye contact, he responded, “No.” Yatrell took his assigned weapons and ranking vest from Set, his third, and looked back at Anara, “I’m fine Lieutenant. It’s just a flesh wound and the bleeding has stopped.” His attention turned to Canith as he approached with Kappa team in tow. “Good. Let’s go. We need to move fast. There is no telling what will come at us.” He pulled the vest over his chest, covering the dagger wound, but not before the Kappa team leader noticed.
“Yatrell, you can’t lead with that wound. I’ll get them down there. You go to medical.” Masterson, the Kappa team leader, stepped forward. Lieutenant Cree stopped him by placing her hand on his chest. He stared at her with disdain, but she didn’t move.
Yatrell snapped his eyes to the other Lieutenant Commander. Tersely he responded, “You will remember your orders, Lieutenant Commander.” He fastened the vest, strapped his weapons into place and put his small gun into a holster. “Let’s move out.”
Both teams fell into rank and position behind him as they left the armory. They moved swiftly through the halls onto a mobile lift, killing every Ven soldier that appeared in their path. Once on the lift, they readied their weapons, expecting Engineering to be under siege as was typical of a Ven attack. The combined Dentonian team had operated as a strike team before, usually out ahead of the main wave. This time, they were moving into the heart of the battle, without back up. The intensity was clear on each of their faces.
The corridor the Dentonian teams had to cross was the widest on the ship. It was large enough to allow significant portions of the ship’s engines to come on board already assembled. Now, instead of engine parts, Ven soldiers cluttered the corridor. Instead of large silver and black components hovered over by engineers, short aggressive soldiers seeking technology and subordinates embedded themselves in the heart of the vessel. Lieutenant Commander Jae and his team had no intention of allowing the Ven success.
Before they got off the lift, Yatrell stopped the cab, and spoke to his team. “The themis grenades are the fastest choice. Don’t hesitate with them. We already know what they will do, and we need to answer in kind.”
Lieutenant Commander Masterson scowled at him, “What are you talking about? We can’t use those in close quarters or on this ship! If we have one missed toss, we’re done.”
Seth, Canith and Set began to prepare their grenades when Anara spoke up. “It should clear them fast.” She counted and prepared her own. “Set your counts in milliseconds.”
“We don’t have options, Masterson. At best, you’re looking at a hundred of those creatures outside that door. There are nine of us. You tell me what other choice we have and I’ll take it, but I can’t think of one.” Lieutenant Commander Jae spoke with a firm tone and prepared the two grenades he had on him.
Lieutenant Commander Masterson remained silent, and readied his primary firearm. The defense team stepped out of the lift and into the vast Engineering corridor. The nine man team stared at the backs of more Ven than any of them wanted to count. Masterson stepped forward, and knelt out of the way of those behind him. Anara threw the first grenade well over the Lieutenant Commander’s head. It bounced and rolled through the feet of the throng of the assembled Ven.
“And…” she whispered.
A moment later, a flash of light was followed by the sound of bodies being singed, and a small handful of Ven evaporated into tiny specks of dust before finally disappearing into the air. Once the first grenade went off, the nearby enemy soldiers turned and opened fire on the small strike team. Materson, already in position, began firing and cutting down the numbers while the rest of the team threw their grenades and slipped back into the lift for cover. The Ven numbers thinned out. By the time the Dentonian force ran out of themis grenades, they could see gaps in the crowd before them.
“Close the door.” Yatrell orders loudly, as he continued to fire at the Ven. His team fell deeper into the lift, and the doors slid shut. Once everyone was inside the lift he grinned. “I think that went well.”
He gestured to Anara, the smallest in the group, “I’ll lift you through the hatch. To the left is one of the maintenance tubes. Climb in there and move along the sides. Every opening, drop or throw another grenade. It doesn’t matter what kind.” He glanced at the rest of his team, “Set, Canith and Seth go with her.” Yatrell began to lift them up and out of the lift’s hatch.
“That side ends before Engineering.” Masterson spoke up as he looked at his team. “Everyone’s already thrown at least one themis, and we don’t have an inexhaustible supply.”
“No we don’t, but there are other weapons on all of us that can be used, along the openings.” Yatrell gestured toward his second in command and the weapons she carried, “Anara alone is a walking arsenal.” He returned his gaze to Masterson as he continued, “They will drop and make a run for the door. We�
��re going to clear the way.”
Set was the last from the first group out of the lift, and into the tube.
“How? You can’t put four people out against a hundred, or however many are left after the assault.” Masterson’s frustration was evident.
“I have no intention to. You and your team are going into the other tunnel. It’s ventilation, and like the maintenance tube, it has a few openings. It’s also a bit larger. Should make moving easier. You can repeat the same process, and help to clear the distance between here and Engineering. Yes, you’ll have to drop out, but that drops out much closer than the other tunnel.”
Lieutenant Commander Masterson nodded to his team, who were already preparing to climb out of the lift, “What are you going to do?”
“What I normally do. Something unexpected.”
Yatrell grinned. When the banging on the door began, he started to help the other group out of the lift. Once out, Masterson turned, and reached down for Yatrell’s arms. He promptly helped him out of the lift.
He began removing the various grenades he had on him, and activating the ones set on a timer before dropping them into the lift. “We won’t be using this one for a while after this.”
Masterson followed his team into the ventilation tunnel on the other side of the shaft.
Yatrell looked up, “I’ll see you in Engineering.”
The men nodded to each other before Masterson disappeared into the system. Yatrell began to climb, fast. He got out of the lift shaft, approximately one deck up. The moment the door closed behind him, the explosion from the lift rattled the deck enough to knock Yatrell from his feet.
Dazed, but able to stand, he tried to reach out to the teams telepathically, to make sure they were alright. Instead of reaching them, he was greeted by an intense and debilitating pain. He stood, and staggered for several steps before he pushed through the pain. He moved down the now empty hall, and stepped passed two Dentonian bodies. The man that was face up was someone he was familiar with, and he found himself mumbling, “Rix.”
Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars Page 109
