by Frank Carey
Ran kept watch as the rats swarmed out into the darkened corridors of the mine, and Kryn ran mapping scans. In moments, she had a route to where the signal originated. "Got it. Reprogramming half the rats to meet us there."
"Let's move," he said
Hurrying down corridors, they found several bats feeding off the carcasses of others. "That's not good," Kryn said while killing one hiding in a doorway.
"Why?"
"It means they're running out of food. In school we watched a documentary about the Katala cadis toad. Millions hatch with voracious appetites. When they finish eating the local food supply, they turn cannibalistic, the bigger ones eating the smaller ones until only a few hundred remain. We really need to find the survivors and get them the plark out of here."
They rounded a corner and stopped dead in their tracks. Just ahead, standing in front of a damaged hatch and tearing out chunks of wall was an eight-foot tall bat, its fangs dripping venom as it screamed in frustration. Around it were the remains of at least twelve rats, their bodies torn apart into small pieces.
"Plark this," Ran yelled as he opened fire with his rifle set to full auto. The bullets flattened on its armored hide before clattering to the ground. Kryn switched to armor piercing rounds and fired but had similar results except the barrage caught the creature's attention. It turned toward the two Space Patrol pilots and screamed.
"Oops. I think I made it mad," Kryn said as she racked in a magazine of high-explosive rounds.
Seeing a rat run up next to him, Ran reached down, grabbed it, and threw it into the bat's open mouth. After reflexively swallowing the robotic rodent whole, the thing returned to screaming as it advanced on the pair. Ran raised his gauntlet and placed a finger on one of the instrument's buttons. "Bon Appétit," he said as he pressed down on the control. The center section of the beast exploded outward as Ran detonated the rat's power cell while the two space patrol pilots ducked.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"Now, that's what I call indigestion," Kryn said while kicking a piece of bat off her foot. She tapped her gauntlet. "I've recalled all the remaining bots to this location."
"Very good, LT." They walked over and stood in front of the heavily damaged door. "Do you think it'll open?" he asked Kryn.
She shrugged and knocked. After sounds of a large lock disengaging, the door slowly opened. Once there was enough space to let them pass, Ran and Kryn stepped through. They found themselves in a large room which may have been a store room. It was filled with Katalans and members of other league species, twenty in all, each armed with an energy weapon.
"Ranell? Is that really you?" his mother said as her sister, Sala, helped her to the front of the crowd.
Ranell hurried over to help her sit down on a crate. "Yes, Matriarch, it's me."
"Always so formal and polite. Who's your friend?"
"Space Patrol Lieutenant Kryn Wasatch, ma'am," Kryn said while she kept an eye on the door. "I'm the Captain's copilot."
"You have wings."
"Yes, my mother is Lady Wasatch and my father is a Basili professor of philosophy."
"They actually work?" Sata said, referring to Kryn's wings.
"Yes, ma'am. Like my father, I can fly and breath fire."
"Damn, a pteroleon," one of the humans said.
"Damn, you can pronounce a word with more than one syllable!" an Erdexi noted for the record.
"Enough!" Sala said loudly. "Ran, there are things out there..."
"Yeah, their completely blaster-proof, and the big ones are fairly bullet-proof. We need to get everyone out of here and back to the Lynnea, assuming you all can put this coup d’état on hold until we can get you back to the home world."
"You think this is a coup attempt?" Sala asked. "And you think I'm leading it?" Everyone backed away from her as she stood to her full height, all that is except for Ran who stood his ground. "Against my own sister?" By now, she was standing toe to toe with him. He reached over and gently pressed his hand against Kryn's shoulder, a signal she should move away. She took the hint and stepped back, but slowly raised her weapon. "Really?"
He looked up into her angry eyes. "Let's see, middle of nowhere, a ship load of non-family members who I assume are mercs and miscreants, and you brought the whole upper echelon of the family... With all due respect, yeah, really."
"Sala, stand down. He's right, we did make it look like a damn coup attempt. Ran, it's not what you think," Sata said.
He stepped away from his aunt and turned to face his mother. "You just called me Ran. You have never called me Ran. Matriarch, what the hell is going on?"
"The family is broke. We... I made some bad investment decisions which has brought us to the brink of bankruptcy. One of our operatives got word of an asteroid housing weapons. I also heard that one of my cousins was in the market for weapons. One thing led to another..."
Ran walked over and sat down on a crate. "Bots, go watch the door." They ran off, leaving him and Kryn to deal with what came next.
"Sir, do you want me to wait outside?" Kryn asked.
"Negative. Just try not to look shocked. So, Mother, who was going to buy the weapons?"
"Lucinda Kralst, my second cousin. Her family are..."
"Gun runners wanted on six planets. Yes, I am familiar with the Kralsts. That explains the blood on the walls of the Claw. I take it they didn't trust you, so they sent some low-echelon family members and some hired muscle?"
"Yes," Sala said as she sat down next to Sata. "One of them tripped, a gun went off, then these things began emerging from the walls."
"So, the Kralsts grabbed Leia and ran back to the ship." Sata continued. "Poor Leia..."
"Poor Leia is taking a much-deserved nap in the Lynnea's medbed, mistress," Kryn informed her. "The captain beheaded the creature that was attacking her when our energy weapons failed to dispatch it."
"You beheaded one of those bats with what, your repartee?" Sala asked.
"No, I used a sword I found hanging on the wall of the room we found Leia in. We have the body and head stored in stasis aboard the Lynnea." Ran informed her.
"What about the Kralsts?" Fent asked as he emerged from the crowd.
"How many Kralsts did you start with?"
"Are your trying to be glib?"
"No. We estimate there were twelve distant relatives of mine smeared on the walls of the Claw."
"Smeared?" Sala asked was her eyes went large in shock.
"Yeah, like cream cheese on a bagel. One or more bats got aboard the Claw and must have feasted on the Kralsts. We arrived just as one started on Leia." He looked at Kryn as if she were an island of sanity in a sea of crazy. "LT, recommendations?"
"Get the civvies the plark off this rock. We can house them in the Lynnea until we can get a transport here."
"I concur, but there is one more thing I need to mention before we run out into the bat-filled darkness," Ran said. "As a duly sworn officer of Space Patrol, it is my duty to report the contents of this rock to the Office of Security. These bats, especially the big ones, are a direct threat to the League of Planetary Systems and its citizens. And gods only know what else is stored here."
A gun appeared in Sala's hand and it was aimed at Ran. Seeing this, he stood up to face his aunt. "If OffSec finds out about this, it'll break this family financially not to mention the Kralsts filing a formal vendetta against us. I can't allow this," she said.
"Sala! You will not..." Sata stopped when the gun pointed at her.
Calmly, slowly, Ran walked over, placed his hand on the gun's muzzle and carefully took it from her. "As long as I live, you will never threaten my mother. Am I understood?"
She slowly nodded.
"Now, I'll figure a way to keep the family from being dragged into an OffSec investigation without compromising my, Kryn's, or Maya's careers."
"We can't afford to lose this sale," Sata said.
"I'll figure out something. You know, it would just be easier if you call me when you have probl
ems, regardless of your tendency towards misandry."
Several of his cousins laughed.
"What the hell is misandry?" Sala demanded.
"Contempt for males," Kryn informed her. "Contempt for females is known as misogyny."
"I do not have contempt for males," Sala said. "I only know they have their place in our society."
"Forgive me, mistress, for misunderstanding my standing within the family." He looked over at Fent. "You are uncharacteristically quiet. Bat got your tongue?"
"You're a sword master? How the hell did that happen?"
"Elective training. Since I already know how to knit, I felt the need to learn something a little more strenuous. Assuming we all live through this, I'll introduce you to my trainer. I really hate to interrupt this bonding moment, but we really need to go. LT!"
"Sir!"
"Ammo check."
"For the rifle I have two mags of armor piercing and two of high explosive. I also have four spare mags for the pistol and one full one in place.
"Give your pistol to Sala. Aunt, LT is going to take point, and you're going to back her up."
"Aye, sir." Kryn said as she removed her gun belt and handed it Sala.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Why is she taking point and not one of the mercs? They're expendable..."
"Hey, we're standing right here," one of the hired guns informed them.
"Because Lieutenant Wasatch is a trained officer in the Space Patrol who is proficient in weapons, tactics, hand-to-hand combat, urban warfare, and intelligence gathering. She can also fly and breath fire while tearing something apart with her bare hands." He noticed Fent staring at Kryn. He'd seen that look before in countless male relatives. His half-brother was smitten with the LT. He handed Fent his belt and pistol. "Fent, you're with me at the back of the line. We're going to make sure no one gets left behind while keeping any nasties off our backs. Got it?"
"You're giving him a weapon?" Sala asked.
"Roger that. LT, get them moving."
"Aye, sir. People, daylight is burning, so move out!"
CHAPTER EIGHT
Several of the mercs opened the door enough for the rats to exit and reconnoiter. Once they reported the way was clear, the rag-tag band opened the door and headed out into the dimly corridors of the facility.
"Is this a typical day in the life of a Space Patrol officer?" Fent asked as he looked around for bats.
"No. I usually spend the day reading and writing reports while Kryn keeps the Lynnea running. As a patrol pilot, I crave boredom."
"Why?"
"Excitement usually means someone is about to die."
A bat dropped from the ceiling above Fent. It died within inches of his head. "Brother," Ran said, "the creator gave you incredible senses. May I suggest you use them while thinking in three dimensions. We are surrounded by..." Fent shot a bat emerging from a wall inches from Ran's head.
"Like that?" Fent said.
"Yeah, just like that." They heard gunshots from the front of the line. Ran switched on his comm. "Kryn, They're in the walls and ceiling. Has any bat attacked the flock, over?"
"No, but Sala and I have taken out a few. What about you two? I heard shots."
"We took out two. Kryn, these things are going after the threats, the ones with guns."
"Great. Could we use a neutronic grenade to clear them out?"
Ran looked up at the ceiling and saw a distinctive pattern, one his father had told him about years ago. "Negative on the grenade. The tunnel is being held up by a wide-mesh woven liner. A neutronic blast could unzip it and bring the whole complex down.”
"Let me guess, you were once a miner," she replied.
"No, but my father was a structural engineer who worked mines for a while. I got to sit in on a decommissioning once. They damaged the liner and the whole mine collapsed, so be careful with your shots. I doubt a bullet could be a problem, but let's err on the side of caution."
"Roger that. Kryn out."
Fent looked worried. "Animals are one thing, but smart animals are worrisome."
"Copy that. Let's keep moving."
They continued down the corridor. Just as they caught up with the group, they heard an alien scream from behind them. Suddenly, dozens of bats dropped from the walls and ceiling, but instead of attacking, they ran and flew past the group while screaming in fear.
"That's not good," Fent said. He turned and squinted down the dimly lit corridor behind them and saw a large shape moving toward them. Ran pulled a couple of light sticks from his vest, broke them, then threw them down the hall toward the shape. They bounced to a stop just in front of it, flooding it with green light. The brothers immediately regretted throwing the sticks.
Standing there, its head brushing the ceiling of the corridor was an abomination that only a sapient creature could put together. It was bipedal, with four arms--two normal and two smaller, claw-tipped ones jutting from its ribcage--and massive wings. Sitting on top of a muscle-bound neck was a face that only a nightmare could love with six-inch long fangs and six eyes arranged spider-style between two huge, pointed ears. It looked at them and screamed.
Ran hit the transmit button on his gauntlet before unleashing a barrage of armor-piercing rounds into the thing. Next to him, Fent had gone to one knee as he emptied his first clip into the monstrosity. "Kryn, get everyone back to the Lynnea, now!" He looked over at his brother. "Fent, get the plark out of here!"
Fent ejected the spent clip and replaced it with a fresh one before he resumed firing. "And miss all this fun. You must be joking. Brother, you mentioned something about unzipping the tunnel liner?"
"LT, is everyone out of the caves?"
"Roger that, Captain. Only you and Fent are left."
The thing was advancing, its skin unmarked by the hail of bullets from the two weapons.
"You've done well, Kryn. Ranell out."
"Brother," Fent said.
"Yes, Fent," Ran replied.
"Your father died a hero. He pushed me and my two companions out of the room containing the bomb, then sealed the door behind us. He died trying to defuse it. We found out later that it was set by one of mother's rivals."
Ran pulled out a grenade and armed it. The thing was much closer.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth?"
"Her anger was so great, she killed the rival with her bare hands. We were afraid there would be repercussions if you found out that your father was killed in a personal blood feud."
Ran threw the grenade. The thing caught it in its jaws and tried to crush it.
"You were afraid I would drag myself into your world."
"Yes. Mother and I knew you were destined for greater things. I should have told you sooner."
"No, you did the right thing. Thank you."
The grenade detonated in an explosion of light.
CHAPTER NINE
Kryn checked her location finder and saw they had almost made it back to the ships when her comm lit up.
"Kryn, get everyone back to the Lynnea, now!" Ranell yelled. That's when she heard the alien scream from down the corridor where the captain and his brother were.
"Move, people!" she yelled as they reached the airlock leading to the Sata's Claw.
"LT, is everyone out of the caves?" Ran asked over the sound of gunfire echoing through the corridor and reproduced by the comm.
"Roger that, Captain. Only you and Fent are left."
"You've done well, Kryn. Ranell out."
"Shit. Captain, dammit, come in. Ran, you are not going to die on me now. Sala! Is that door open yet?" she yelled while abandoning all decorum.
"You could say that, LT."
She turned and saw the blackest human being she had ever seen standing just outside the hatch as the Claw's crew and passengers ran past him into the safety of the ship. Standing next to him were several marines and two armed strykers.
"EMEF Stryker Team One reporting as ordered. My name is Colonel Titus King..." He was interrupte
d by the flash of a neutronic grenade going off in the nearby corridor.
Sala and Sata, both about to enter the Claw stopped and screamed.
"I take it that's were Captain Glent is?" he said while pointing toward the billowing cloud of dust coming from the corridor.
Before a stunned Kryn could say anything, coughing and a voice came from the dust-choked corridor. "I'm glad you could join the party, Colonel," Ran said as he emerged from the dust, half-carrying his brother. "Captain Ranell Glent, sir," he said, "and that's my copilot, Lieutenant Kryn Wasatch."
"Medical Team! See to the injured including that young male," King ordered. "Stryker Team! Defensive ring!"
The team took positions around the group while medics checked on Sata and Fent. Ran and Kryn joined Titus and his number two off to the side, giving the medics room to work.
" Sir!" Ran and Kryn said while saluting and going to attention.
"At ease. This is my number two, Master Sergeant Mersa. So, Captain, did you break the facility?"
"No, sir, just bent it. My brother reminded me about the unstable nature of the corridor ceiling support system, so I made use of that instability."
"Made use how?"
"There was a rather nasty mutant who looked hungry, So I fed it a neutronic grenade. The resulting explosion sealed the tunnel."
"You fed it a grenade!? Sir, you could have been killed!" Kryn reminded him.
"Ma'am, you'll get used to it," Mersa said with a flap of her wings.
"I hope not, Master Sergeant," Kryn replied with a slightly more annoyed flap of her wings.
"Do they teach that wing-flap thing at the academy?" King asked.
"No, sir," Mersa replied.
"It's more like a reflex, sir," Kryn added.
"Captain, what will we find in there?" King asked.
"An unknown number of various types of blaster-proof, bullet-resistant, life-signs-shielded, mutant bats running around in dimly-lit corridors looking for something to eat. Unfortunately, several made it to this side of the cave-in."
