Rebirth (Game of the Gods Book 1)

by L. Fergus

  Raph looked down to the corner and gulped. He received a head butt from Sarge. “All right. You’re as pushy as she is,” Raph muttered to the cat.

  Kita banged on The Orbiter bar’s door. “Open up, Political Bureau!”

  The door opened, and Kita pushed past the man who opened the door.

  “You’re not from the Bureau,” said the man.

  “Good eye, hawkeye,” said Kita. “Listen up. I’m looking for the following people.” She listed off a dozen names. No one stood up. “Let me make this clear. I need a crew to run the Gjord Dallas. After I leave, the Political Bureau is going to be crawling all over this place. Anyone not interested in answering questions had better come with me. I’m looking for criminals, former military or Bureau, or anyone who thinks they’ve got skills I could use.”

  “Who the hell are you and where are you going to get a gun,” a large man asked, standing up.

  “My name is Kita. There are going to be plenty to choose from on the ground. Who are you and what do you do?”

  “Nathan Hawke. Cargomaster for the Edison and former legionnaire.”

  “I don’t need someone who can pull the trigger on a giant flashlight, sorry.”

  “I was with the Red Legion. I—”

  Kita stepped into the light. “I know who you are. I’ve spent years killing you off by the thousands.”

  “Neptune’s rings, what the blazes are you?”

  “An Angel that’s got a serious grudge against the Political Bureau and the Emperor. I plan on killing as many as I can.”

  “Fancy costumes don’t kill people.”

  Kita drew Dawn and burst into flame. “I have my ways. Are you in or out, Hawke?”

  “You get me a gun, and we’ll see.”

  There was a bang on the door. “Political Bureau,” a muffled voice yelled.

  “Too bad, bird girl,” Hawke chided.

  “Jess, is that you?” Kita yelled.

  “Yes.”

  “Open the door.”

  The man by the door rushed to comply.

  Four men tumbled inside, followed by Rabbit. She glided over next to Kita.

  “What’d you find?” said Kita.

  Rabbit opened her helmet. “What we needed. What have you got?”

  “It’s a woman?” said a man nearby.

  “What gave it away? The armored curves, my metal rack, or the buns of steel? Moron.”

  “I thought you said you were from the Bureau,” said a man from Rabbit’s group.

  “I was up until about sixteen hours ago. Since then I’ve decided to terminate my commission in probably the most spectacular fashion ever—by killing off a platoon of heavy Marines and helping to write my resignation on the Deputy Secretary of the Political Bureau with her own blood. I suggest you all scatter, because now that you’ve seen me and her together, you’ll most likely never see the outside of a cell again.”

  “Last call,” said Kita. “Otherwise, say hi to the Political Bureau for us.”

  Two women wearing dirty overalls and worn work boots jumped to their feet.

  “You’re going to need a pilot better than that dust head,” one said, pointing to a man in Rabbit’s group.

  “You a waster?” Rabbit asked him.

  “Why’s it matter? I don’t use dust when I’m flying,” he said slowly.

  Rabbit raised her arm and formed her cannon. “I’m not about to jump with a waster in the pilot’s seat.” She fired, taking his head off.

  “And that lecture in the hallway?” Kita cooed.

  “That’s a waste of space. Once they’re hooked, there’s no getting off.”

  “What do you do?” Kita asked the second woman.

  “Engineering.”

  “What type?” said Rabbit.

  “Any type,” she answered confidently.

  “Can you girls handle a gun?” said Kita.

  “I thought that’s what you were for,” said the first woman.

  “Fair enough.”

  “Why do you want to run with us?” said Rabbit.

  “It sounds like you’re headed into adventure and that sounds a hell of a lot better than running freight,” said the second woman.

  Kita chuckled. “You might regret that later.”

  A rough old man with a large white beard in dirty overalls and a tired looking captain’s hat stood up. “If you’re going to be takin’ my best crew, you best be needing a captain that can do more than look out the window.”

  I think all you do is lift lager to your face. “What makes you better than him?” said Kita, pointing a thumb to Rabbit’s crew.

  The old man reached into his pocket. He pulled a blade and threw it into the chest of the other man. “You ain’t got him.”

  “Not bad,” said Kita. She turned to the two remaining people Rabbit had brought with her. “If you think you can hang with this crew, you’re welcome to come.”

  They looked at each other and backed away.

  “Let’s go,” Kita ordered.

  “How are you expecting to get the Dallas unlocked?” said the old man.

  “I’ve got a guy,” said Kita. “You know where she’s docked?”

  “Aye, she’s the biggest in port. There might be a crew member left aboard on watch. They might not be a fan of you borrowing their lass.”

  “Think you can handle it?”

  “Girlie, you best be watching yourself. I’ve been around since long before you crawled out of an egg.”

  Kita chuckled. “Feel free to call yourself old, just as long as you don’t call me old.”

  Kita and her group arrived as Raph sat working on his new Arcom. The two cats sat on watch.

  “Are you set up?” Kita asked him.

  “Ah, I guess. I’ve been poking around the station’s system. The fire is about out, without venting the station, and the Marines are cautiously moving forward.”

  “How long until they get here?”

  Raph shrugged.

  “Show me on the map.”

  Raph highlighted the Political Bureau soldiers moving up with a platoon of Marines in support.

  “What kind of gun do you want, Hawke?” said Kita with a smile.

  “As many as I can carry. The Bureau’s body armor’s nice stuff. Where’d you get this tin can from, baby?” he said to Rabbit as he smacked her metal butt.

  “I found it in a dumpster.” Rabbit reached back and smacked him the crotch. She grabbed him by the jaw and lifted the swearing legionnaire off his knees. “Don’t ever touch me again or call me anything but my name. Otherwise, I’ll make myself a new coin purse. Got it?” she snarled, shaking him. She dumped him back to the ground.

  Jupiter came over and snarled at Hawke, waiting for the command to attack.

  “These ain’t smut girls, lad,” the old man told Hawke. “These be the kind that will put you in a frozen grave with your foot and cod where they don’t belong.”

  “Bitch,” Hawke swore.

  “Yeah, I have that reputation,” said Rabbit.

  “Let’s go,” Kita ordered. “We can see who’s got the bigger whatever on the ship. Raph, go with, ah…”

  “August,” he answered. “But only the computer calls me that. Real folk call me Auggy. This here be Lacy and Case.”

  The two women nodded.

  “Raph, go with Auggy to get the ship ready to leave,” said Kita. “Hawke, if you can walk, you come with us. Stay behind us until it’s clear for you to grab something to shoot with.”

  Hawke struggled to stand up straight but grunted something of an agreement.

  “Sarge, Jupiter, you boys ready to have some fun?” Kita said playfully.

  The two leopards growled happily as they transformed. Sarge became translucent black with black flames dancing off him. Jupiter’s coat changed from golden to white, his spots changed to sky blue. Stiff, white hairs extended from the center of each rosette. Electrical arcs crackled between the hairs.

  Everyone, except Kita, took two st
eps backward.

  “Nothing to worry about,” said Kita. “They’re just getting ready to go into battle.”

  “I told you following a chick with wings would be cool,” said Lacy to Case.

  Kita led the group to the Gjord Dallas’ berth. Auggy and the others split off. The Marines and soldiers appeared out of the port entry. Damn. I was hoping we had more time. Both Kita and Rabbit climbed into the air. The two cats charged forward. Hawke moved forward, making use of the abundant cover.

  Darting around a crane, Rabbit fired a trio of missiles at the entry of the port. The explosions caused the enemy to scatter. Kita followed with a trio of fireballs that splashed against crates, pallets, and machinery, igniting anything flammable and a few things that were not. The pair suppressed the enemy until the cats reached them.

  Sarge ran through the enemy’s cover and the soldier behind it, freezing him solid. He clamped his powerful jaws down on another soldier’s arm. When another soldier fired at Sarge, the rounds went through him into Sarge’s prey.

  Jupiter leaped on top of a crate to see the enemy. A soldier nearby fired at him, but a lightning bolt erupted from his coat, striking the rounds. He opened his mouth and launched a ball of lightning. The ball floated through the air, striking everything in its path.

  Kita and Rabbit dropped in front of the cats, where the Marines had taken up position using what little cover there was. As Rabbit suppressed the enemy, Kita moved forward like a deadly ballerina, cutting the Marines down. Rabbit moved up, firing at anyone not engaged by Kita.

  Jupiter ran past Rabbit and released another ball of lightning. As it floated down the corridor, another group of Marines ran into it. Farther down the corridor, more Marines set up heavy weapons.

  “Time to retreat,” Kita yelled at Rabbit and the cats. She flung four fireballs to obscure them as they retreated around the corner. She created a wall of flame near the entrance. I hope that burns long enough for us to plug the hole. Grabbing a few rifles and other weapons, she abandoned the effort once the heavy weapons fired. Even fired blindly, they were dangerous.

  Kita tossed the weapons toward Hawke. “That’s what I’ve got so far,” she yelled. “You can scavenge once the tunnel’s blocked.”

  The man didn’t need any more encouragement as he rushed the cache.

  “Jess, help me lift these containers in front of the entrance!” Kita yelled, and pointed to what she wanted to move.

  Together, they lifted a heavy container and dropped it into place, just missing a Marine sticking his head out to look for them. They moved two more to seal the entrance. As they dropped the third one, there was a muffled explosion.

  “This won’t hold them for long,” said Rabbit.

  “It just has to be long enough,” said Kita. “Hawke!” He was stripping a dead soldier of his battle gear and already had three sets with him, a pile of rifles, and an assault pack he was stuffing full of ammunition and other items. “Get to the ship!” Kita yelled at him. Hawke didn’t need to be told twice. He gathered up his haul and trotted toward the ship’s gantry.

  “At least he knows how to take an order,” Kita muttered.

  “Now, if we can just teach him how to treat a lady,” said Rabbit.

  “I have a feeling he’ll learn real quick.” Kita sighed. “He’d better pray I’m not the one to teach it to him. I want you and the cats to go back to the gantry and defend from there.”

  “Why?”

  “I need to know how long I have to hold them off for.”

  “I’m already trying to establish communications with the ship. They’re not answering.”

  “Go find out why, then get back out here.”

  “Fine, but don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Tell them to take off as soon as they can. Don’t wait for me, I’ll catch up.”

  “We’re not leaving without you,” Rabbit said firmly.

  “Just do it.”

  “No!” Rabbit yelled back. “I won’t leave you.”

  “If I’m caught, you need to go.”

  “I won’t go. You can’t order me. We talked about this.”

  “I know,” Kita said, more softly. “I just want you safe.”

  “I am not safe unless you are.”

  “I know,” Kita whispered. “But you’ll never be safe around me.”

  Rabbit touched Kita’s arm. The metal gauntlet should have felt cold, but was surprisingly warm instead. She reached around and put her hand on Rabbit’s.

  “I’m safer around you than I am without you. I’ll go get synced up with the ship, but I will be back for you. Mine is not the only ass that needs protecting.”

  Kita gave a soft chuckle and smile. “You seem to do fine.”

  “I have a very good role model.”

  “I’m not a role model.”

  “Ok, I’ve got a good friend who’s taught me a lot. Please be here when I get back.” Rabbit flew off to the ship with the cats following.

  Another muffled explosion came from the blocked entrance, followed by the scream of metal saws. I need more time. Kita swooped down and grabbed a pair of drums of machine oil stacked against a crane. Kita tore off the tops and dumped the liquid on the floor at the base of the containers. After three more trips, a lake of oil surrounded the containers, then placed four more drums in the lake and covered them with oil. She returned to the crane’s infrastructure to hide.

  The maneuver jets of the freighter fired. The cargo cranes retracted and the ship’s bay doors closed. I hope that means we’re getting close to leaving.

  Sparks from the door of the last container ignited the oil. The flames spread gracefully on top of the slick surface engulfing the lake. The oil-covered drums burned like pyres.

  From around the freighter, a pair of small shuttles came and landed among the cargo. Galina and two squads of Political Bureau soldiers exited. These soldiers didn’t look like any she’d faced. Their big packs and weapons look familiar.

  Rabbit exited from the freighter’s gantry. Damn. She’s going to run right into Galina. Kita left her hiding spot to grab Rabbit before Galina did.

  “Oh, hey,” Rabbit said as Kita landed. “Real lake of fire you’ve got going on. You’re just missing some brimstone.”

  “I’m sure I can find some sulfur around here somewhere.” Kita turned serious. “Galina and a squad of goons just landed over there in that cargo loading area. We need to get out of here.”

  “Ok. I just got the communications worked out. Gjord Shipping uses a proprietary encryption, and I had to get the key. I’ll call the bridge on my comm, and you can talk to Auggy using my suit.”

  Kita nodded. “Auggy? This is Kita. Can you hear me?”

  “Aye, lass. I hear you.”

  “How close are we to leaving?”

  “Engines are warmed up. But, we still be connected to the dockside generators and fuel lines. The gantry’s got to be retracted and the moorings cut loose.”

  “How long’s that going to take?”

  “Takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes.”

  “We don’t have that much time. Can’t we just leave and pull all that stuff with us?”

  “Best we don’t. We might blow the ship and the station to the Void,” Auggy said calmly.

  “Can that be done from inside?”

  “No.”

  “Then who’s going to do it?”

  “I was hoping one of you lasses might do it for us.”

  “When were you going to tell us?”

  “When the shooting stops.”

  Gunfire erupted. Kita’s heat shield extended to stop any rounds that came close.

  “That’s not happening anytime soon,” said Kita.

  “Well, I be telling you.”

  “You’re going to have to tell us what to do.”

  “I can give ya some direction. I—” Auggy’s voice disappeared, replaced by the sound of rustling.

  “Kita, this is Lacy. The first rule, don’t listen to anything he t
ells you about equipment newer than the birth of the galaxy. I’ve got eyes on the dock, but you’ll have to tell me what you see.”

  “I can send you a live feed,” said Rabbit.

  “Even better. I’ll just tell you what to push.”

  “Got it. Where do I go first?”

  “Fuel station. It’s aft of your location near the foot of the crane.”

  “Got it.”

  “You do that, and I’ll take care of Galina,” said Kita.

  “Let me give you some cover.” Rabbit fired all four mortars at once over the cargo area where Galina was hiding. The shells burst, showering the entire area with napalm.

  Kita smirked. “Gee, how’d you know I like playing with fire?”

  “It’s a gift,” Rabbit said, taking off.

  Kita took off for the cargo area to search out any survivors. She saw four soldiers burning and left them.

  “Kita, get down here!” Galina yelled from atop a stack of containers. Bandages covered half her face. The rest was puffy and swollen. Around her, she had six of her soldiers.

  Kita drifted down closer to Galina and dropped her shield.

  “I’m not done with you,” Galina snarled at Kita.

  “But I am done with you. My sister told me I couldn’t kill you, but she didn’t say how many pieces I could cut you into. However if it’s your desire to die by my hand, I suggest you rethink the idea. Take what’s left of your soldiers and get out of my way.”

  “You’re going back to your cage, Kita, or you’re going to the frontlines to earn your keep.”

  “Are you at war?” Kita said, amused. “Since when do I fight on any side other than my own?”

  “You don’t have a choice.”

  “I always have a choice!” Kita roared. “I make my own decisions, my own destiny. No one can stop me unless I give them that power. I have given that power to a few, but I will never give it to you. Stand aside. I really don’t want to have to bury another old friend.”

  “Shoot her down,” Galina ordered her soldiers.

  The six soldiers fired at Kita. She juked to one side, throwing a pair of stars. Galina tried to catch one, but it went through her hand, keeping the star from its target. The second star hit a soldier in the neck. Dropping down into the cargo containers, Kita wove her way through them.