by Calista Skye
Adaar led the charge. The Raiders fell into step behind him, their boots echoing in unison as they stormed into the darkness.
With the ship’s power still disrupted, they moved into the blackness ahead. Lana followed close behind, her heart pounding.
Tyrus took up the rear. When he crossed the threshold, he slapped a glowing beacon on the wall to mark their return point.
Soft orange light filled the room, revealing a densely packed array of sealed crates. Tungsten and wood, all shapes and sizes.
Ja’al and Tyrus converged on a massive metal box in the center of the room. They worked quickly, loosening the harness securing it to the floor, and edged the crate back towards the door.
The rest of the crew followed suit, choosing from the largest of the assorted containers and freeing them from the bindings.
Lana scanned the room. She didn’t know what the crates contained, but none looked small enough or important enough to hold something as valuable as the serum. She had to hold on to hope. It had to be in there somewhere.
Rymar and Jelai rushed through the cargo hold, approaching the circular metal double door that led into the rest of the ship. By now, the crew had time to recover from the shock of the attack. Any minute now, they would realize what was happening and come looking for the intruders.
The cacophony of scraping metal on metal filled the air as the Raiders moved their crates back toward the Vendetta, working as fast as they could manage.
It wasn’t fast enough.
“We’ve got company inbound. ETA 30 seconds,” called Tyrus, looking up from the screen of his handheld holo.
“They won’t get the jump on us,” said Rymar. He smashed him palm into the control panel near the door. It spiraled open with a groan. Jelai took cover behind the opening, keeping her pulse rifle trained down the corridor.
“Keep moving,” said Adaar, charging forward to join Rymar and Jelai at the front line. “Get as much as you can. We’ll hold them off.”
The sound of boots echoed through the hallway as a pair of Kamaran soldiers raced around the corner. Rymar leaned out from his cover, snapping off a pair of bursts from the pulse rifle. The air crackled and burned as the bolts found their marks and the bodies of the soldiers crashed to the ground.
Adaar lowered his visor over his right eye, searching for heat patterns down the hall. “It looks clear. But there’ll be more. If we’re going to search the med bay, we have to move now.”
“Sir,” said Jelai. She crouched low and started down the hall, keeping herself pressed close to the wall and her rifle barrel raised into the darkness. Rymar fell in behind her. The pair alternated down the hall, covering one another as they moved through the well-rehearsed attack pattern.
Adaar turned. “I’m going with them. Keep moving the cargo,” he called out.
“You got it, Captain,” said Ja’al.
He directed Tyrus and Kira over to a stack of smaller steel boxes.
A shot of adrenalin coursed through Lana’s body when she heard the gunshots. She froze. Her thoughts raced. This is it, she thought. This could be my only chance. If there’s even a possibility they have the serum on this ship…
Her legs threw her into motion before she could stop herself. No muddy thoughts, no time to second guess. Pure action, like cruising the canyon on her magnecycle. She let her instinct drive as she charged into the corridor following Adaar and the others.
They disappeared around the corner ahead, and she continued down the hall alone. If there was serum down there, they would secure it. But that wasn’t good enough. It had to be her. There was no guarantee they’d let her keep it if someone else picked it up first and added it to the official tally. It was a crazy plan, but she had to try.
She rounded the corner and saw the open door leading to the med bay. A flurry of gunfire erupted on the other side. Lana winced. Her stomach tightened as she heard the thud of bodies collapsing.
“All clear,” she heard Adaar call out. “Search it.”
Lana peered through the crack in the door. Amidst the shards of shattered glass, she saw a large table in the center of the room, dressed with beakers and a large surgical cutting laser. There was no way the crew could get that out in one piece. At least not before the next wave of Kamaran soldiers arrived.
Two private operating rooms lined the far wall, each equipped with a lightcycle station. The small, self-contained pods were modern life-saving miracles of regenerative tech. Even one lightcycle could make an immeasurable difference for people all over the galaxy. But this ship was headed to Anara. These units would be used for the cosmetic enhancement of the ruling elite.
Rymar rummaged through the drawers, tossing vials of antibiotics, drip bags, and painkillers into his carry pack, while Jelai and Adaar each moved into an operating room.
Somewhere in there, Lana was certain she would find the serum for Tanner.
Down the open hallway, lights flickered. Loose wiring sparked where bullets had torn a fixture from the wall. She knew it was only a matter of time before the next group of soldiers arrived.
“I’m clear,” shouted Rymar when he finished loading his bag.
“Get back to the ship,” said Adaar. “Protect the others. These lightcycles are going to take a minute to disconnect.”
“Do you want me to…”
“Go,” said Adaar. “Help in the cargo bay. We’ll be right behind you.”
Rymar flew from the med bay at a full sprint, oblivious to Lana crouched outside the door.
With Adaar and Jelai still focused on disconnecting the machines, Lana had a limited window of opportunity. She nudged the door open and crawled through the sea of glass and debris to the cabinet on the far wall. The serum had to be there. It was the only place Rymar hadn’t searched.
Reaching the cabinet, she gripped the handle and pulled. Nothing. The thought that it might be locked never even occurred to her.
She cursed under her breath.
The grinding of metal scraping metal shrieked from the operating room next to her. Jelai had loosened her lightcycle. It must be nearly disconnected by now.
Lana rolled underneath the operating table just as the door burst open.
“One down,” Jalai said. “Rolling back to base.”
Lana held her breath, pulling her legs in tighter beneath the table as Jelai entered the room. The cold tile of the med bay floor pressed into her shoulder blades, but she didn’t dare move. She closed her eyes and cursed herself for thinking this was a good idea.
“Shit,” she heard Jelai curse under her breath as the wheel of the lightcycle cart caught on one of the fallen soldiers. She kicked him out of the way, freeing the wheel and moving on.
The soldiers. Lana thought. Of course.
When Jelai cleared the room, Lana crawled out from beneath the table and over to one of the corpses on the ground. A broad, heavy Kamaran. It took all the effort Lana could muster to drag his body back over to the cabinet. Holding her breath, she gripped the fallen soldier’s still-warm hand and lifted it to the bio-lock.
The lights flashed…red.
She should have realized that the soldier wouldn’t have clearance in the med bay. Hell, she probably wouldn’t find anything in there anyway. A ship headed to Anara wouldn’t have the serum. The Rend was never a problem there. They’d have no need for it.
She shook her head and dropped the soldier’s hand. In the operating room, she heard Adaar wrestling with the lightcycle. She didn’t have much time. She had to get out.
The door burst open as the foot-end of the lightcycle jutted out into the room. Adaar heaved the carrier forward, his biceps flexing as he lifted one end over the body on the floor.
Lana crouched lower. He didn’t see her. Thank the gods, she thought. She’d never be able to explain herself.
As he shoved through the outer door, Lana caught a flurry of motion through the window.
A Kamaran soldier wrapped his elbow around the pirate captain’s neck, sque
ezing his windpipe. Adaar threw himself backwards, slamming the soldier into the wall. But the soldier’s grip remained firm.
Adaar grunted and lurched. He fought to thrust an elbow back into his attacker’s rib cage. No opening appeared.
Lana saw the blaster waving from the soldier’s hip.
She sprang out from behind the operating table and charged, smashing the door into his face as she burst into the hall.
A bolt of energy ripped through the corridor as the blaster clattered to the floor.
Adaar thrust his elbow back again. The blow landed with a crunch, connecting with the soldier’s rib cage.
The wind knocked from his body, the soldier hunched forward. Adaar drove a palm into his nose. The soldier recoiled with a scream, blood dripping from his face.
Lana dove out of the way as he lurched backwards.
Pinned against the wall, the soldier’s eyes filled with rage. He pistoned a fist at Adaar’s core and threw his weight forward.
But the pirate reacted fast, pivoting around the incoming blow and throwing his attacker off balance.
“Lana, the blaster!” he bellowed as he torqued his attacker to the floor.
The weapon reflected a spark from the flickering light fixture, and she dove to retrieve it from the ground.
The blaster felt heavy in her hands. Unwieldy and foreign. She lifted it into the air and steadied her aim.
The frantic soldier kicked out against the ground, loosening Adaar’s hold on him.
“Now, Lana! Shoot!”
With a guttural groan, Adaar threw the man backwards into the wall.
Lana squeezed the trigger. A blast of white light erupted from the weapon, crackling through the Kamaran’s body. He went limp and slid to the ground.
Adaar turned to her, a cold expression on his face as he pried the blaster from her quivering hands and tossed it aside. His battle suit was torn across the shoulder. Blood dripped from his golden skin.
“That was stupid,” he said.
“But I…”
“You disobeyed me. You put us all at risk.”
“I just saved your life.”
Adaar shook his head. “Not now. We have to get back.”
He bit down on his lip, his body moving in slow, labored jerks as he grabbed the lightcycle and started to push.
“It’s salvageable,” he said. “I hope.”
“I’m sorry, Adaar.”
“Help me push.”
They worked the wheels free and built momentum, pushing the lightcycle down the hall in silence.
Lana spotted the tips of two pulse rifles sticking out from behind the door as they closed in on the entrance. They were close. Lana felt the fire in her chest as she pushed with everything she had to make it through the door and back to the hold.
A yell echoed through the hall behind them. More soldiers were closing in.
“Keep moving,” said Adaar. “Back to the ship.”
They charged ahead, scrambling back towards the Vendetta.
But their pursuers were gaining ground. They flew around the corner, weapons drawn, firing furiously into the air ahead. The air burned as their shots peppered the room, scorching the walls around them.
The two Raiders waiting inside the cargo bay returned fire, covering the escaping captain as they rushed back into the cargo bay.
Rymar slammed his fist into the wall panel.
Jelai fired two more shots through the shrinking window.
The quartet climbed aboard the Vendetta as the heavy door sealed shut.
Chapter 9
“What the hell were you thinking, Lana?” said Adaar. He stood with his legs spread wide, staring out the viewport of the great cabin.
Lana gripped the edge of her chair. She knew she was in for a tongue-lashing after brazenly disobeying him. “I’m sorry, okay?”
“No. It isn’t okay. You disobeyed a direct order. I don’t know what you think you were doing out there. You put everyone in danger. Including yourself. You could have been killed.”
“I saved your life.” Lana swallowed hard and tried to stay calm. He still didn’t know she was looking for the serum.
“I could have handled him, Lana. I’m well-trained, and I was prepared.” He turned to face her. “You, on the other hand, seem to have zero instinct for self-preservation. Saving your ass nearly got me killed. You put the mission at risk.”
“I wasn’t trying to…”
“When I give orders, it’s for a reason,” he snapped. “And I expect my crew to follow them.” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “It was a mistake to bring you along.”
“It wasn’t,” she said.
“Lana, you’re a lot of things. But you don’t strike me as stupid.” His eyes softened as he looked at her. “You must have had a good reason for charging in there after us. For hiding out while my crew searched for supplies.” He placed his hands down on the table in front of her. “I would like to know what it was.”
Lana averted her eyes. She knew that her rash action had put them at risk. But how could she have passed up the opportunity to find the serum for Tanner? What she did was the only reasonable course of action. And there was no way Adaar would have approved it. No way he would understand things like compassion or human connection.
“Whatever it is you’re not saying, say it. You can trust me.”
“Bullshit.” Her eyes snapped to meet him. But even as she uttered the word, she felt the seeds of doubt growing inside her. Adaar was firm. Domineering even. But he didn’t seem to want to harm her. She studied the lines of his face. He seemed to be searching for understanding. Not vengeance.
Adaar took a graceful step around the table and took a seat in the chair next to her. Lana’s fingers kneaded the soft fabric of her jumpsuit as she wrestled with her thoughts. The raid was over, and she’d blown her chance to help Tanner.
“Since the Raiders formed eight years ago, we’ve never lost anyone. We’ve had a few close scrapes, but we’ve always pulled through. And do you know why that is?”
Lana bit her lip.
“Trust, Lana. Every man and woman on this ship trusts one another with their lives. And they trust me to protect them. To make the right decisions. If anything happens to anyone on this crew, it’s my responsibility.”
It wasn’t the speech Lana expected to hear from him. “Every Kamaran I’ve ever known has only been interested in themselves.”
Adaar shut his eyes slowly, holding them closed for a long moment. “The Kamaran people have made mistakes. Most of them don’t know any better. And the ones that do have little influence on the rest.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“I haven’t known you long, Lana. But let me tell you what I see: You are a bright and capable young woman with a big heart.”
Lana shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
“At the Bazaar, you met with the junk dealer, Sakaj. An old family friend, was it?”
“How did you…”
“It doesn’t matter. Sakaj doesn’t trust just anyone, but he trusts you. Why? Knowing Sakaj, it’s because you’re living your life for something bigger than yourself. You have a cause. A purpose.”
Lana thought of her brother, sitting alone with his medical bot. Bravely enduring the hand that life that dealt him.
“That,” he said. “Just now. That glint in your eyes. That’s the reason you were so eager to join us. And I want to know what it was.”
She looked up at him. “Why?” she said. “What does it matter? It won’t change anything.”
But somewhere hidden inside her, a burning desire to share her burden welled up and threatened to crash to the surface. Maybe Kira was right. It was too much to bear alone. Maybe it wouldn’t kill her to tell him. To risk trusting him.
“Lana, there are no secrets among my crew. That bond I spoke of comes from each of us knowing each other as well as we know ourselves.”
Lana shook and head and shoved her chair away. “No,”
she said. “No way. You said it yourself, I’m not stupid. I know how this works. You want to find out what makes me tick and use it to blackmail me. Manipulate me. Figure out my weak spots and use it to your advantage. You’re a pirate. There’s nothing honorable in that.”
“There’s more honor here among the Raiders than you’ll find anywhere else in the galaxy.”
She wanted to believe him. To have somewhere to turn. A place where she could rest. “I just wanted to help him,” she said. “I was so sure I’d find the serum on board that ship. I just thought that if I…” Her voice broke and her body trembled.
Adaar wrapped his arms around her, quieting her sobs. She leaned her head into his chest. She knew he couldn’t help. Knew he didn’t care. But for the moment, she felt safe. And she embraced the refuge.
Adaar didn’t speak as she sobbed. Didn’t utter a word of platitude. He tightened his arms around her and waited.
Lana pulled away, embarrassed for revealing more than she meant to. “My brother has the Rend,” she said softly. “We can’t afford the serum. And we can’t afford passage to a place that has it. I’m not going to lose him. Ever since the Kamarans took over…I’m sorry I charged in like that. Sorry I risked everyone’s life.”
“It’s okay, Lana. That’s enough.”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
“Right now, you’re going to return to your cabin. Get some rest, Lana. It’s been a long day for all of us.”
As she turned to go, Adaar touched her shoulder. “You’re safe here.”
***
“You’re sure you want to go through with this?” Ja’al drew a long sip from his glass, holding his breath as he swallowed. Yordaskian ormalon was the finest liquor in the galaxy, and the Raiders only broke out their limited supply to celebrate successful missions.
Adaar watched him, waiting for the telltale shiver to make its way down the executive officer’s spine. The stuff had bite.
“I trust you, Captain. We all do. But it’s my job to make sure your head is in the right place…and I’m not so sure you’re thinking clearly about this. She’s not trained.”
