by Jake Bible
"It can be fixed," Hessa said. "Shit."
Four syndicate ships filled the view screen, all with guns blazing.
"This is gonna hurt," Hessa muttered.
The plasma blasts lit up the view screen as the force shields took a severe beating.
"Missiles!" Nimm shouted.
"I know!" Hessa shouted back.
Once more the ship was sent vertical and the crew groaned at the exertion.
Klaxons blared and Roak killed them.
"Are we gaining any ground at all?" Roak shouted. "We need to get to that ship, Hessa!"
"Oh really?" Hessa raged. "I didn't know that, Roak! I thought I was just here as a fun amusement ride around Chafa! Are we trying to get to a specific ship? Huh? Is that the current mission? Please, Roak, tell me more!"
"Do not break Hessa," Nimm snarled at Roak. "You hear me?"
"Little flesh man can't break me," Hessa growled. "I'll break his ass, that's what I'll do."
The ship hit its apex, stalled, rested at the zenith, then aimed back down at the four syndicate ships that hadn't adjusted course in time. Hessa unloaded on them, ripping the ships to shreds as the Borgon's superior firepower obliterated the smaller ships' defenses.
"Break that, bitches," Hessa snapped.
Hessa leveled the ship out a meter from the ground. She took them around three columns in a zig zag pattern then climbed above another column before dropping back to the ground again.
Two syndicate ships were in front of the Borgon, but facing the wrong direction. Hessa took out their engines and let them smash and crash into the rows of stacked ships that made up that canyon. The ship accelerated as Hessa raced through the collapsing rows, coming out into a clearing on the other side.
"Go get geared up," she ordered. "That's the ship we want."
"The thing is huge," Meshara said. "Much larger than I expected."
"Folks, may I introduce you to the Galactic Fleet Marine Assault Transport known as Romper," Hessa announced.
No one was able to study the ship for very long. Hessa changed course and banked the ship into a diving swoop that avoided a massive plasma barrage that came from the Romper.
"Looks like they have weapons hot," Roak said. He unbuckled his harness and stood quickly. "Let's get geared up."
"How?" Klib asked, her eyes massive. "We're gearing up while the AI flies around like a mad-being?"
"I take offense to more than one part of your question," Hessa said. "And suck it up, girlie. You want to tag along with Roak's team? You better be ready to hit hard when the time comes, not sit and wait for the dust to settle."
"Not an Eight Million Gods damn team," Roak muttered as he walked to the bridge's door, barely able to stay on his feet even with mag boots activated. "Nimm?"
"Staying in the ship," Nimm said. "I'm more effective here."
"We could use your synthetics," Roak said. "Maybe do some head stomping and bone breaking?"
"Too rusty for combat," Nimm said.
"Understood," Roak said. "Klib. Meshara. Get up."
The ship circled the Romper, maintaining a safe distance so Hessa could keep them from getting shredded by the plasma cannons. Klib stared hard at the view screen then looked up at Roak, her hands gripping the jump seat for dear life.
"You beings are insane," she said.
"I bet you thought the syndicate was hard." Roak snorted. "Welcome to the real galaxy."
Klib undid her harness and stood up. Roak grabbed her arm and steered her off the bridge, helping her to the lift where the grav dampeners were strong enough to minimize the disorienting effects of the constant up and down, back and forth of the ship. Meshara followed close behind, her face nothing but contempt.
"I will not underestimate you again," Klib said to Roak. "This is madness."
"That is all they know," Meshara said.
Roak shrugged.
"Howdy," Yellow Eyes said as the lift doors opened. "I have weapons laid out and ready."
"Good," Roak said. "Are they covered in puke?"
Yellow Eyes hesitated, blurred, was gone, blurred and returned.
"Nope," Yellow Eyes said. "Spotless."
Roak pushed past him and rushed to the armory.
Yellow Eyes did have everything laid out. And none of it was covered in vomit.
Besides Roak's Flott Five-Six concussion blaster with laser cluster spread, there were three Tonal Eight shock rifles, three Kepler heat knives, three RX31 Plasma assault rifles, three H16 Plasma Carbine Multi-Weapons, two KL09 heavy pistols, and three gas-powered slug chunkers.
"Do we just choose?" Klib asked.
"Choose?" Roak responded as he proceeded to pick up weapons.
"You're taking them all?" Klib exclaimed. "But the weight…"
"We'll be shedding the weight," Roak said. He strapped one of each weapon to his body, except for the KL09 which he didn't need since he was taking his Flott.
Roak snagged two extra power magazines for each weapon.
"Do you need help?" Yellow Eyes asked Klib.
"No," Klib snapped. "I can outfit myself."
She hesitated then began copying how Roak and Meshara secured their weapons to their armor.
"Your armor isn't as heavy as ours," Meshara said to Klib. "It will be a disadvantage."
"She can stay behind us and cover our six," Roak said. He stared hard at Klib. "Just don't shoot us in the backs. Friendly fire doesn't exist in my vocabulary."
"I'm not too worried since I'm zippy fast, but if you shoot Roak then you're gonna get shot," Yellow Eyes said. "It's an immutable law."
"You will pray I shoot you," Meshara said. "If I smell deceit from you then there will be pain." She flashed her razor-sharp claws. "Are we understood?"
"We have the same objective," Klib said. "No need for threats."
"I say that to Roak all the time, man!" Yellow Eyes exclaimed.
"Hessa? How are we looking?" Roak said, ignoring the others.
"Give me a few more passes," Hessa replied.
"We'll head to the moltrans room," Roak said. "That'll make it easier on you."
"Appreciated," Hessa said.
Roak and Meshara left the armory as Klib still struggled to get geared up. Yellow Eyes blurred and all of her weapons were stowed securely to her light armor, some were even moved to different positions than how she'd originally had them.
"Let's go!" Roak yelled.
Klib fell in step as the small assault party made their way to the moltrans room.
"Ready when you are," Roak announced.
"Wait, where is she going to put us?" Klib asked. "Do we even know the layout of the ship?"
"We'll figure it out as we go," Roak said. "Nimm?"
"I'll direct you once you're on the ship," Nimm said.
"All good," Roak said to Klib.
"I don't think you know what-"
8.
"-all good means," Klib finished as they materialized in an empty corridor.
Roak and Meshara had their Tonal Fives up to their shoulders and ready.
"You might want to do the same," Yellow Eyes whispered to Klib.
The Halgon raised her own Tonal Five, her eyes wide with panic and fear.
"And take a couple of deep breaths," Yellow Eyes suggested. "Calm yourself before you bomb yourself."
"Shut up," Meshara said.
"Nimm?" Roak asked.
"Proceed forward and take the first right," Nimm replied over the comm.
Roak did as instructed. He reached the corner, took a very quick look, then ducked back. His eyes met Meshara's then Klib's. Roak held up four fingers and spread them out. Klib and Meshara nodded.
"What? What does that mean?" Yellow Eyes asked. He was gone and back in a blur. "Oh. Four bad guys hanging out in the corridor." He frowned. "I think they heard me."
"You think?" Roak said and spun around the corner.
He fired four times, dropping all four of the syndicate thugs.
He moved quickl
y and checked their pulses, which was easy to do since all of the thugs had massively thick necks. Veins that normally would have stood out and pulsed were still and lifeless.
Roak nodded and motioned for Klib and Meshara to follow. Roak took the lead again. Yellow Eyes was nowhere to be seen.
Then he was back.
"Six big ones two corridors down," he whispered.
"Nimm?" Roak called.
"Take a left at the second corridor then proceed to the lift," Nimm said.
"Great," Roak said. He focused on Yellow Eyes. "How big are they? Race?"
"Four Gwreqs and two Leforians," Yellow Eyes said.
"Are they paying attention or just waiting?" Roak asked.
"They look nervous," Yellow Eyes said.
"They don't know what's going on," Meshara said. "Their nervousness means we have the advantage."
"Their syndicate was nearly wiped out and they were forced to come to Chafa," Roak said. "I'd be nervous too if I were them."
"You get nervous?" Yellow Eyes asked.
"I said if I were them," Roak responded.
"Can we just go kill them?" Meshara asked.
"Yellow Eyes, go be fast and cut some tendons," Roak said. "We'll take them out as they drop."
"On it," Yellow Eyes said.
He was a yellow streak and gone.
And still gone.
Roak moved towards the corridor, expecting to see Yellow Eyes at his side at any second. But the being never showed back up.
"Nimm?" Roak called. "What's ahead?"
"I can only direct you," Nimm said. "I can't get accurate scans inside the ship. I'm going off the schematic to give you directions."
"Crap," Roak said. "Where in all the Hells is he?"
"I got this," Meshara said and jogged to the corner of the corridor. She took a fast look then threw herself backwards as plasma bolts filled the corridor.
"Did you see Yellow Eyes?" Roak asked.
"One of the Leforians has him by the neck," Meshara said. "The other Leforian is down and leaking a good amount of blood. A Gwreq is trying to bandage another Gwreq's leg."
"Eight Million Gods dammit," Roak swore. "How did the Leforian catch him?"
"Does it matter?" Klib asked.
"No. Not really," Roak said.
He jogged to the corner, slung his rifle and pulled his Flott. He risked a glance around the corner and yelled as plasma singed the top left side of his armor's helmet.
"That just pissed me off," Roak said.
Roak held the Flott around the corner and squeezed the trigger. There were several shouts followed by another round of plasma bolts which was then followed by the sounds of four distinct thumps.
"Two were already down, right?" Roak asked.
"Right," Meshara replied.
Roak cautiously turned the corner, his Flott holstered and the Tonal back to his shoulder.
"Well…shit," Roak said as Klib and Meshara joined him.
Everyone except for one Leforian was dead on the floor.
The Leforian stood in the middle of the corridor with Yellow Eyes held up by the neck in front of him. Yellow Eyes' eyes bulged as the Leforian squeezed.
"Drop your weapons," the Leforian ordered. "Do it or I kill this…thing."
"No…need…to…be…rude," Yellow Eyes choked out.
"Be quiet," the Leforian snapped.
"Good luck with that," Roak said. "How about you let the yellow guy go and then we let you go?"
"I do not trust you to keep your word," the Leforian said. "And I have a job to do."
"Is your job to die?" Roak asked. "Because that's about to become your main occupation."
The Leforian squeezed harder and Yellow Eyes' eyes nearly popped from his squishy head.
Then he winked.
"Really?" Roak said, exasperated.
Roak fired one shot and the Leforian's skull was vaporized. Green blood and internal organs spewed up out of the Leforian's neck as its exoskeleton collapsed in on itself.
Yellow Eyes was free and standing in a puddle of Leforian goo and shell.
"That's different," Yellow Eyes said, looking down at the mess he was standing in. "Should they do that?"
"No," Roak said.
He moved closer and studied the other corpses. All were leaking excessive amounts of fluid. Blood was to be expected and even other bodily liquids, but what Roak was seeing wasn't normal.
"Yellow Eyes, go check the first thugs we killed," Roak said.
Gone and back in a split-second, Yellow Eyes shook his head.
"They're melting," Yellow Eyes reported.
"Are they synth? Is this a trick?" Meshara asked.
"I don't think so," Roak said. "Nimm? I'm sending holos to you. See what you can make of this."
Roak activated controls on the left forearm of his armor and waited.
"I don't know what that is," Nimm responded after a couple of minutes. "Are they sick?"
"What? Sick?" Yellow Eyes exclaimed and waved his nubs around. "Ooo, gross! Gross, gross, gross!"
"I'm tagging a body. Moltrans it into quarantine in the med bay," Roak said. "Analyze it and see what you can find out."
Roak slapped a small dot on the forehead of one of the Gwreqs. The corpse disappeared from the corridor.
"Do we keep moving?" Meshara asked. "Or do we wait for results?"
"We don't have time to wait for results," Klib said.
"But sickness," Yellow Eyes said.
"Nimm?" Roak called.
"Take the lift down three decks. Third bay on the left will be where the ship's mainframes are housed," Nimm said. "Second mainframe in will be where the ship's logs are stored."
"Got it," Roak said. "How's it going out there?"
"We're holding steady," Nimm said. The Romper rocked. "Sorry about that. Hessa was aiming for a 714, but those things are agile."
"I'll get it!" Hessa shouted.
"I used to have a 714," Roak said. "Good ship."
"Dead ship!" Hessa shouted.
"Alright…" Roak shared a look with Meshara and Yellow Eyes. "You sure you're good out there?"
"What am I missing?" Yellow Eyes asked.
"The AI is acting erratic," Meshara said.
"Is this normal?" Klib asked.
"Hessa is a little wound up," Roak said.
"Wound up and ready to spring!" Hessa yelled. The Romper shook several more times. "Oops."
"Try not to kill us, alright?" Roak snapped. "Nimm? Anything on that body?"
"Waiting on results," Nimm replied.
"We'll keep moving," Roak said. He led them to the lift and inside. "Three decks down, third bay on the left."
"Second mainframe in," Klib added.
They made their way to three decks down.
Roak opened fire before the lift doors had fully opened. His Tonal powered down and he tossed it aside, grabbing the RX31 from his back as he walked out of the lift.
Bodies were everywhere. All races, all dead.
"How did you know they would be waiting here?" Klib asked. "They couldn't have known we were after the log. Why would they?"
"Because your boss commed and told them," Roak said.
"What? No! Pechu Magafa would never collaborate with another syndicate!" Klib exclaimed.
"She would, she did, and I know why," Roak said.
"You know nothing," Klib snarled. "Shilo Syndicate does not collaborate."
"Fine. You can tell that to your boss when we see her again," Roak said. "Reck? How are things there?"
"As expected," Reck replied over the comm. "Pechu has been on her comm the entire time."
"Who's she talking to?" Roak asked.
"The other syndicates," Reck said. "What? Just talking to myself?"
"Does she buy it?"
"No. But she's busy."
"Are you free yet?" Roak asked.
"Been free since you left," Reck replied. "Waiting for you to give the signal."
"Go for it," Roak said
. "And be sure to ask Pechu about some sickness afflicting the Willz Syndicate."
"Sickness? Great," Reck said. "Have you asked Klib?"
"She's in the dark," Roak said. "Which is why Pechu sent her with us. Something is going down and only Pechu knows what it is."
"How are you speaking to your sister?" Klib asked. "What comm channel are you on?"
"It's private," Roak said. "Hessa?"
"Very busy," Hessa said.
"Just scan all comm channels for communication between Pechu and the Skrang," Roak said.
"You think they're working together now?" Nimm asked.
"I think they have been from the start," Roak said.
"Pechu Magafa would never work with the Skrang," Klib hissed.
But her tone wasn't fully committed to the statement and Roak picked up on that.
"Here's a little hard truth for you," Roak said as he stepped over and around the many corpses to get to the mainframe room. "Pechu Magafa is only looking out for herself. Whatever is afflicting the Willz Syndicate is going to spread to your syndicate too. She's made a deal for herself with the Skrang."
"What deal?" Klib asked.
"The ship's log," Roak said. "That's what they want."
"That is preposterous," Klib said. "Then why tip off Willz? Why have this many beings waiting down here to ambush us?"
"Ambush?" Roak barked a harsh laugh. "She tipped Willz off so that there'd be as many beings down here as possible for me to kill. She still wants the syndicate wiped out. She also wants the log. The second we return to her, she'll have us killed. She'll take the log to the Skrang and start whatever new life she's negotiated."
"I can't… I don't…" Klib sputtered and stuttered.
Roak opened the doors to the mainframe room. He ignored Klib and focused on the thugs that filled the room.
Not one stood alive after Roak was done. A couple were alive on the ground, but none stood.
Roak dispatched the two wounded thugs before he found the correct mainframe.
"You could have left a couple for me," Meshara said.
"No need," Roak replied. "I'm here, Nimm."
"Sending instructions to your armor's interface," Nimm said.
Roak waited, received the instructions, studied them, then executed everything exactly as needed. He slowly, carefully, slid a small quantum drive from the mainframe and held it out.
