Dovit grabbed me by the shoulder, pulling me in and shutting the door behind me. After sitting at a console and pressing several buttons, air began to rush into the room. Just before the safe alarm chimed, Dovit removed his helmet and pulled the tape from his mouth.
Dovit rushed over to check the lock on the door. "There's at least a half dozen of them. They're locals. I have to guess they have been up here since this place was destroyed, living off the supplies that remained. That has probably been three years."
Joni winced. "Three years? I would go nuts trapped here that long."
Dovit replied, "I can assure you they are quite sane. I believe they mean to steal the shuttle in an attempt to return to the planet's surface.
Joni shook her head. "That's a suicide run. The Grumar would be all over that ship before it hits the atmosphere."
Dovit grabbed my arm. "We can't let them take the shuttle!"
I nodded. "Put your helmet back on. If we lose pressure you and Tobik are dead. What weapons do they have?"
Tobik snapped his helmet in place. They have laser rifles, and our pistols."
Joni moved over beside the door, attempting to turn the knob. "What's the plan? The door is locked from the outside."
I paced the room in thought. We were trapped in a hostile room, on a hostile moon, in a hostile galaxy. Our ship was bugged, our almost every move watched. We needed a plan. A plan that would take us to Garrett and the Jess. But we also needed our supplies. Without them, we would starve before the portal gate was once again opened.
Chapter 19
Commotion could be heard just outside of the door.
I said, "I don't like the sound of that! I think they dropped something out there. Could be explosives. We need to get out of this room!"
Joni looked at a far wall. "Take cover! This may throw off some shrapnel!"
We moved behind a counter. Joni took aim at the wall and fired a single bolt. The wall rumbled and sparked, but held firm.
I took aim. "Everyone, switch from your comms to external speakers. Joni, keep pulling that trigger. The steel will give way."
Joni and I fired repeatedly. The wall rattled and hummed, sparks flew. After a dozen shots the red-hot wall shattered, spewing out superheated pieces of steel. As the wall failed, the pressure escaping the room pushed the blast outward.
I stood and yelled over my external speaker. "Joni, you first! Secure that room. Dovit, you and Tobik follow!"
As we moved into the second room I rushed to the back, opening a door leading to a back hallway. "Through here!"
Only seconds after I pulled the door shut, a concussion rocked the hallways as the a bomb left by the locals detonated. A partial imprint of the door that had previously enclosed the room we had occupied was clearly visible in the bowed out wall of the back hall. We had escaped the trap.
I yelled. "Follow me!"
We raced down several halls before emerging from the building. "Dovit, Tobik, you need weapons. I came across several while exploring. Find a couple that work and we'll head for the shuttle."
Joni gestured with her head. "What about the other stuff?"
"We check the shuttle first. If it's all good, we head for the other."
Dovit spoke as he ran. "What other stuff? Are you talking the supplies? If we need to, we can return to the planet for more. That storage area in that hangar was over half full."
As we entered a room that had seen a previous firefight, Dovit stopped and shuddered. "What the ... there must be a hundred dead in here!"
I yelled as I began turning over bodies. "Just find yourselves some weapons. I remember seeing at least one in here."
Joni spoke. "Got it! Laser pistol. Half a charge remaining!"
Tobik continued. "Here! This one is still in the holster! Full charge!"
I looked at Dovit. "Let's get back to that shuttle and see what they are planning. That ship is a commercial shuttle. I closed the door last we were on there, but I didn't set any kind of lock. If they figure that out, and if at least one of them knows how to fly it, it may already be lifting off by the time we get there."
Dovit shook his head. "Would be just my luck. We get off that planet only to get stranded on this moon. I knew we shouldn't have come here."
I replied as we ran: "We can't leave in that shuttle without the Grumar following. We needed another way out. The exploration of this complex was imperative. Without alternate transportation we can't escape them."
As we came up the stairwell the locals were moving in on the shuttle.
I shouted. "Hey! Step back!"
The laser pulses began to fly.
As we moved back down the stairs, I looked at Dovit. "Take Tobik, circle around to that other stairwell. Don't kill them. I want to see if they will talk with us.
Dovit shook his head. "Forget the negotiations! That is our shuttle! We can't let them have it!"
Dovit turned and sprinted down the stairs with Tobik following after. When the laser blasts stopped I poked my head out of the stairwell.
Joni inched closer. "What's happening?"
I replied, "That shuttle wasn't one of theirs. They are probably trying to figure out how to open the hatch."
Joni shook her head. "How dense can they be? It's the only handle right there on the hatch!"
I again shouted. "We can help you!"
Joni tapped on my back. "Ah, what makes you think they understand you?"
I replied, "I hoped they might have interacted with our forces back when all this started. Looks like they didn't."
Joni leaned against a wall. "Why aren't we just leaving?"
I turned towards her. "Don't speak of that. For the moment you will just have to trust that I have good reason. I just hope we can talk them down before Dovit makes a mess of this."
Twenty seconds later, Dovit and Tobik emerged from the other stairwell with their laser pistols firing. Two of the locals fell immediately. I stepped up out of the stairwell and raced towards them in a full sprint. The four remaining locals ran for cover as they fired back at Dovit and Tobik. My advance went unnoticed.
A third and a fourth local fell as they ran for the cover of a short wall. Dovit and Tobik were excellent shots. The fifth local dove over the short wall, out of the line of sight of the Moddles. As the sixth reached the wall, a well placed laser pulse entered his back, exiting out of his chest. I arrived at the short wall, diving over onto the remaining local before he could react.
I wrapped my arms around him, immobilizing his weapon before pulling it from his terrified hand. It was then that I realized it was a woman. Slender of build but fast on her feet. A knife, after being removed from her boot, sliced across the back of my Green battle-suit with little effect. The local was quickly disarmed.
I held her to the ground. "Do you understand my language?"
Her returned gaze was a mix of terror, confusion, and anger. I had a sudden respect for the woman as she struggled to free herself.
Dovit was soon standing over me. "Stand back and I'll finish her!"
I replied with an angry tone. "Put down that weapon. We need information and she is going to give it to us!"
Joni stood behind them and gestured with her blaster rifle. "Anybody who shoots anybody gets shot. So back off!"
Dovit and Tobik stepped back. I picked up the still struggling woman and began to walk towards the stairwell.
Dovit raised his hands. "Where are you going?"
I replied, "Just follow me. All three of you. I'll explain what I'm doing when I get there!"
Dovit protested. "We're checking out the shuttle for damage."
I stopped and turned. "Unless you want to make enemies of us, you will follow me. They never made it aboard."
Dovit hesitated, then turned our way. "What is so urgent?"
"I'll show you when we get there."
When we reached the storage room I had to turn towards Joni and smile.
Dovit hurried to the door, pushing it open before I could
dissuade him. "The supplies are gone!"
I pursed my lips. "Follow me and I'll take you to them."
As we walked, Dovit became increasingly agitated. "We are supposed to be partners in this!"
"Just keep moving."
Dovit stopped. "Look, you practically allowed the locals to take that shuttle. I demand to know what's going on!"
Garrett stepped around the corner with his blaster raised. "You have ten seconds to decide if you want to get off of this rock or stay here with the Grumar. That count starts now!"
I hurried past Garrett with Joni following. Dovit stood in indecision for several seconds before shaking his head. "You Alliance people are not instilling me with a lot of trust in this relationship."
I yelled back as I ran. "Garrett! Out front! Lead the way! Dovit, if you want to live, and if you want our forces to join yours, you will follow my every command until we are safely away from here! I'm calling the shots! This is not a democracy!"
The alert from the shuttle's nav system rang in my ear. "The Grumar are on the way! We have about five minutes to get out of here!"
The final run to the Jess took nearly a minute. When we arrived a number of the supply boxes were sitting on the ground just outside the ship.
I hurried through the gravity wall and up the rampway, setting the local woman on the deck. "Joni! Watch her! Dovit! Tobik! Start shoving those boxes up the ramp! Garrett, get this thing powered up and ready to run!"
Raptor stepped up and leaned against the woman. As the supply boxes came up the rampway I shoved them forward. "Keep them coming! I don't care if we have nowhere to stand. We have to have those supplies!"
Garrett called back. "We'll be ready to fly in about fifteen seconds! Just say the word!"
When the last of the boxes was aboard, there was standing room only.
"Get us out of here!" I yelled.
Garrett reached for the throttle and then pulled back. "Too late. They are here. Five ships. Another six just left the surface."
I replied, "Too late? We have to run!"
Garrett shook his head. "Hold on. I'm letting them settle at that port. We're tucked in pretty good here. As soon as they start to unload we move. Oh, and the three of you need to shed those bio-suits. They are bugged. Just toss them down the ramp onto the ground. And you better make it fast!"
Four of the five ships landed. Soldiers piled out and began to head our way. The moment the last bio-suit went through the gravity wall, Garrett pulled the ramp closed and lifted off. Several seconds later the Jess came screaming out of a tunnel, moving rapidly up and away from the complex ruins.
Garrett yelled. "Find something to grab on to! If we take a few hits it could get real bumpy in here!"
I looked over at the local we had taken captive. She was looking with suspicion at the Rottweiler that had his head sitting on her leg. As she looked my way, her eye locked on my face and she began screaming and thrashing about. At the same moment, a laser bolt from the ship on our tail struck the heavy armor plating on the back of the Jess. The heat of the laser transferred directly to the rest of the hull as a physical impact, slamming all who were not belted down towards a side wall.
Garrett looked over his shoulder. "We're good! But we can only take a couple more hits like that!"
Joni and Dovit subdued the local as she yelled and screamed at the Grunta in the battle-suit. For a moment the chaos came to an end as she stared through me with a look of hatred.
Garrett spun the Jess around. "I can't shake this guy! Gonna have to kill him!"
As we raced back towards the enemy ship, Garrett fired the Jess's ion cannon repeatedly. As we drew within two kilometers of the enemy fighter, a bright blue explosion told of its fate.
Garrett again yelled as the Jess accelerated towards the moon. "The other four are lifting off! Deep scans show the surrounding space as clear!"
Joni shouted, "Why are you heading towards them?"
Garrett began firing ion bolts in an attempt to scatter the enemy. "If we can get past them we can use the gravity of that moon to slingshot us out of here. Otherwise they are going to be on our tail whichever way we head."
The Jess ducked, jutted to a side and spiraled as the lasers from the four Grumar ships flashed past us.
Garrett glanced at the nav screen. "We have another dozen ships heading this way from the surface. It looks like the teardrops!"
Gruntas were not ones to get nervous, but with the laser fire, the crowded cabin, the alien captive, and the approaching ships, I could feel my heart racing in my chest.
Two laser bolts clipped our wings, throwing the Jess into a spin as we rapidly closed on the moon. I could see the others beginning to get queasy as the images of outside swirled past the viewports in front of Garrett. The captive struggled, Raptor barked, and the laser lights flashed across the viewports. In what I would later consider as one of the most impressive feats of flying I had ever seen, Garrett righted the ship and brought her down to the deck, only a few hundred meters off the moon's surface.
Garrett remarked. "Oh, yeah! We are in the sweet spot! Just another second!"
As the Jess broke away from the moon she rapidly passed light speed.
Garrett set the autopilot for the next closest star system and stood with a grin. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are free! Out front! Pulling away!"
The enemy ships soon faded from our scans. We now had the whole of space in which to hide. And months to kill before attempting a trip back through the wormhole portal to the Triangulum.
Chapter 20
As we sped safely away, Garrett turned his attention to the captive being held down by Joni and Dovit. After several taps on his arm pad, the translation app started. Moments later he began to speak to the woman in her native tongue.
"Hey. First let me tell you who we are. Those ships back there that are chasing us, they are our enemy. They are your enemy as well, which kind of makes you your friend. Now, if we let go of you, will you behave long enough for us to talk?"
The woman snarled as she looked up at me. "You are the enemy! I have seen that savage face before! And these two! They were the first to attack my planet!"
Garrett looked back with a snicker. What? Him? He's probably the least savage among us."
I removed my helmet. "Look at my skin. The others, they were green. I am gray. The Greens are my mortal enemy as well."
The woman began to settle. "Who are you people and why did you kill my friends if you are not the enemy?"
Dovit crossed his arms. "You were trying to steal our ship! He tried to talk to you but your people fired on us!"
I held up my hand. "No need to be combative. What is your name?"
The woman replied, "Karrissa."
I continued, "That planet down there. Were you a native of that planet?"
Karrissa nodded as she pointed at Dovit. "I was, until they showed up! They just showed up one day with a small armada, demanding our surrender. We fought back!"
I looked at Dovit. "Is this true? Were your people the first to arrive here?"
Dovit squirmed uncomfortably. "I can't say. That was not the story we were told. We were told that our ambassador was attacked and savagely killed. War was declared shortly after."
Karrissa shook her head. "We attacked your fleet in defense! Two transport shuttles carrying men, women, and children to this moon were attacked and destroyed by your fleet without any provocation! Fifteen hundred of our citizens perished! And your ambassador had the audacity to demand our surrender!"
Dovit frowned. "I can't believe that. We were told differently."
I again held up my hand in an attempt to lower the level of tension. "The planet below, we call it Doomlight. Is that your name for it?"
Karrissa nodded. "It is. We have seventeen thousand years of recorded history there. It is our world."
She looked angrily at Dovit. "And we will not give it up so long as even one of us lives!"
Dovit moved over to sit in the copilot's cha
ir. "The rumors are true then. I believe you. I believe her. Our politicians and military leaders forced this war upon them. Those three methane planets were the prize."
Karrissa spat. "If you wanted to mine methane we would have happily allowed it. We have it in abundance down on our planet as well as in this system. We wouldn't have even asked for anything in return. We do not own those planets, only Doomlight."
I squatted in front of her. "When did the Grumar arrive?"
Karrissa pointed at Garrett and Joni. They were the next to show. They at first promised help and they delivered. The Moddle had landed troops on the surface. They were winning. When the Alliance came along, the balance shifted in our favor. We were winning. That's when they stabbed us in the back!"
Joni pulled her head back as her eyes widened. "We did what?"
Karrissa continued. "With the victories we were experiencing, we let your people in close. You were walking side by side with us when the coup happened. Over the course of two bloody days, you killed or imprisoned our entire leadership. You claimed they were conspiring with the enemy and the people needed to be protected. Once you took control, the fighting intensified."
Karrissa pointed towards me. "That's when your green people showed up. As if we needed more aliens fighting to take control of us. The Greens were savage and brutal. They slaughtered tens of thousands of fighters from both of your camps in the first week alone. They too promised us our freedom back. After it was apparent that they would easily accomplish their goals, they turned on us as well.
"That moon base was our central command when the wars all started. The Moddles took control of it first. The Alliance second. When the Grumar came they killed everyone, destroying the dome and most of the buildings underneath. My friends and I managed to stay hidden, and survived the bombardment and ground assault. We've been living on the food supplies that remained. They last a long time in the cold, oxygen free, dead of space.
"Anything that has happened since that time, I couldn't say."
Dovit spoke. "That explains what happened when I arrived. The Grumar had already taken full control. We were told, by others who we believed were our own people, to land the troops for a fight in that great valley. As soon as we landed we were taken captive by the Grumar."
OMEGA Allegiance Page 19
