by John Walker
Yet fantastic notions made that harder to swallow. Niva worried about a proper funeral. Not a memorial to discuss her but the proper disposal of her remains. A warp accident prevented such a thing. But how would it be different than dying in a space battle? A scorched starship left little of the occupants behind.
Which is why it’s complicated. Niva crawled to her feet. I need to focus on getting out of here rather than all this morbid nonsense. She paced the room, walking the perimeter. One of the doors opened. The sound made her freeze. She dropped to a crouch, turning in the direction of the sound.
They aren’t here to let me out. Ten seconds of silence proved that. Anyone on an aid run would’ve called out by now. The door did not close, however, so some good news came from the arrival. How many of them are there? The radiation levels hadn’t climbed but they were still too high for her sensors to work. Or the comms.
Okay, time to do a little recon. Niva lifted her weapon, half crawling to maintain stealth. Footsteps pounded into the center of the room.
“I know you’re in here,” the Custodian called out. “Come out, I’m here to help.”
Niva lifted her head to peek over a downed console. He held a gun as he moved behind an intact console, out of range. Sure you are. She stood, pacing toward him. Her finger rested on the trigger. When she reached his cover, she burst around, ready to shoot… but he wasn’t there.
“Idiot!” The pistol touched the back of her head. “Did you really think you could roam around my station and get the better of me? The hubris of your little band sickens me. I never take any sort of pleasure in killing, but this time—”
Niva faded to the right while spinning. His weapon went off after she was out of the way, half a second before she cracked his wrist with an open hand strike. He screamed, interrupting his tirade as his weapon went flying. The bald man stared at her with wide eyes, twitching in his head.
She followed up with a kick to his stomach before lifting her own weapon. The Custodian screamed, diving forward. His weight brought them both to the floor. He ripped at her helmet as they struggled, pulling it free.
Niva hammered him twice in the chest then went for the throat. He sat up, out of reach as he lifted her helmet over his head. He brought it down toward her face with a high-pitched wail, like a hysterical woman losing her mind. Twitching her head to the side helped avoid the brunt of the damage but he skimmed the side of her face.
With his weapon touching the ground, Niva leaned up to grab him behind the neck. He couldn’t get another overhead strike that way but instead slapped her left cheek. With her free hand, she formed a fist, sticking her thumb out. He didn’t seem to notice, slapping her a second time… then a third. A second before she jabbed him in the eye.
The Custodian grunted, a strangled cry erupting from the depths of his chest as he tried to wriggle away. Niva held him fast, jabbing him in the throat three times. That made him slump on her, all his weight crushing down. She bucked, rolling him to the side. He groped for his pistol some few feet away.
As he crawled, she quick drew her own sidearm, blasting him in the right leg and back. He stiffened, his hand tensing up before his body went limp, but he wasn’t dead. He hyperventilated; mouth wide open as he stared at the wall. Niva stood, moving around to crouch in front of him, pressing the barrel of her gun to his head.
“Why’d you come after me?” Niva asked. “What was the point?”
His eyes twitched to look at her. It was clear he was already gone. Conversation was beyond him. All that remained was the few minutes it would take for him to expire. If he even had that long.
“I hope your people can get this place running.” Niva pulled the trigger. “Cause they won’t have you anymore.” She retrieved her rifle and helmet before retreating into the hall. “Anyone on comms? Can you hear me?” She checked her flanks before continuing to reach out. “Kyle, Lysa, Vesper… anyone at all?”
“I read you!” Vesper shouted. “We were just trying to find you!”
“I got trapped in the computer room. Is everyone okay? Did we… all… you know…”
“Survive?” Vesper asked. “We have not heard from Andrews. Everyone else is accounted for now. We’re in the control room. How’d you get out?”
“The Custodian wanted a word,” Niva replied, “the conversation didn’t end well for him. I’ll be right there.”
“Did you kill him?” Vesper asked.
“I mean, yes.” Niva headed for the stairs. “How much longer on that download, Lysa?”
“We’re at eighty percent.”
“That has to be the longest data grab in history,” Niva said.
“Oh,” Kyle added, “you should’ve been around when bandwidth was an issue. I took a class on the tech history and you wouldn’t believe how long people waited for things to download back in the day. It was pretty nuts because I remember one incident where—”
“Dude!” Lysa interrupted. “I know you’re stressed, but no one cares!”
“Someone might’ve,” Kyle muttered.
“Get back to radio silence,” Niva said, “I’ll be there soon.” Then we can find Andrews… and figure out exactly how we’re getting out of here.
Chapter 11
Milna tapped Jok on the shoulder as they approached the command center. He slowed with her, gesturing for Andrews to go on ahead. The human did so reluctantly. The hallway was empty. Someone secured the area already. By the time any hostiles showed up, they’d be long gone.
“When they find out we’re Kahl,” Milna said, “that’s going to be a problem.”
“I’ll come clean once we speak with them. I had to know they weren’t on the wrong side of this.”
“I’m not sure what the right side is. Do you? Are they going to help us? If they belong to the military, the Prytin military I mean, they won’t exactly jump at the opportunity to trust what we’ve got to say. The best-case scenario is one of their intelligence sites where we’ll be endlessly interrogated.”
“I have faith in them. They want this war to end. We can help with that. The end of the Kahl government, overthrowing the Lord Marshal, this is how we get to that end.”
Oh, this traitor… Milna clenched her jaw to fend off a wave of emotion, regret forming a lump in her throat. Why did I have to care about this man? Why? He’s everything I’ve been sworn to destroy. And yet, she collaborated with him, working to get closer to a prize. One she wondered if she’d ever see.
Part of her didn’t want to get far enough. If she never met the Prophet, she wouldn’t have to go through with her task. When she closed her eyes, she could see Jok’s face. She extrapolated his expression to one of betrayal at what she intended to do. And guilt for not seeing through her.
What did it mean to succeed at her task? To destroy the Prophet? The internal threat will be neutralized. The Crusade would continue. Cleaning up problems at home didn’t end the violence. In fact, if the resistance didn’t succeed, the Kahl people might continue fighting until no sentient life remained in the galaxy.
Even if we finish every other species, what then? Religious texts talked about everlasting peace. Milna harbored doubts… which were new. How can I not doubt? A culture cannot spend generations fighting then stop. The priesthood would lose their sway, and they aren’t about to do that.
For the first time in her life, she saw the church as something other than divine. They wanted power. The Lord Marshal elevated them to that state. Prior to him, they skirmished with the other cultures. But for the past thirty years, they spread out, taking on multiple civilizations, obliterating some.
Could we have won by now? Milna didn’t know the answer though she suspected the military may have been hampered. Too swift a victory took away the Crusade as an excuse for the tithing, the worship the priesthood enjoyed. Where did all this cynicism come from? Jok hasn’t preached any of it.
“Hey.” Jok touched her shoulder. “I seemed to have lost you there. Are you okay?”
; The HUD on her helmet showed she stood there silent for nearly two minutes. I’m an idiot. “I’m sorry. I…” Milna shrugged. “I’m wondering where we are and how long it’ll take to get somewhere safe. Will we return to the resistance ship? Report in on whatever it is we find down there?”
“If it’s worth it,” Jok said. “Otherwise, I’m sure we can find other things that need doing. Come on. The human’s practically bouncing on his feet down there.”
They picked up the pace to join him outside the command center door. Jok banged on it twice before stepping back, keeping his weapon aimed at the floor. He directed Milna to do the same. “Take your hand off it too. Whoever’s in there might be twitchy and I’d rather them not err on the side of shooting us.”
Andrews stepped to the side of the door, out of the line of fire. He’s smarter than we are, Milna thought. I feel like we should breach the thing. Come at it from a position of power. Of course, that was the Kahl side of her talking… not the resistance but the intelligence officer. We leave bodies on the floor. We don’t negotiate.
“Who’s there?” a voice shouted. “We’re not interested in whatever you’re selling.”
“Hey!” Andrews called. “Tiller, it’s me! Open up! I’m with a couple friends.”
“Are they really friends?” Tiller asked. “Or do they have you at gunpoint ready to blast your ass? I’m not trying to be a dick here, just want to know how screwed you are.”
What is this language? Milna stared at the translator. It spelled the words out phonetically but many of them had no meaning. These creatures are strange. It must be some form of Prytin slang I’m simply not familiar with.
“Dude!” Andrews whacked the door a couple times. “Come on, man! They saved my life. If not for them, the shuttle would’ve been overrun.”
“Alright, alright, hold on.”
“Do you think he’ll let us in?” Jok asked.
“Yeah, of course.” Andrews nodded emphatically. “He’s a soldier though, so you know. Gotta tell the boss. Whoever it is in there.”
“Don’t move.” A Prytin woman spoke from the left. She moved up on them so quietly, Milna never heard a thing. She cursed herself for not keeping an eye out. As she glanced in the newcomer’s direction, she found herself staring down the barrel of a rifle. “Andrews, step away from these two.”
“Okay…” Andrews backed off. “What’s going on, Niva? What’re you doing?”
“They’re wearing Kahl special forces armor,” Niva replied. “I’m going to talk to them in their language now so I’m sorry you won’t understand.” She did just that, speaking without any hint of accent. “So, would you mind explaining yourselves? Because I’m sure this story will be interesting if not littered with lies.”
“We’re not liars,” Jok said. “And yes, we’re Kahl. Though not with the military. We belong to the resistance. They sent us here to determine why the Prytins and Kahl were fighting over the Flotilla. Our mission was to discover why you cared about this place. We hoped it might help us.”
“How would it?” Niva asked. “And what resistance? I’m with Prytin intelligence, and I’ve never heard of such an organization.”
“We exist, and we have the numbers and equipment to prove it.” Jok held his hands up. “I’d love to share it with you. We’re not only Kahl either but other cultures have joined the ranks. Rhulins, Dahs, Prytins… there are many who have come to our side to stop the Lord Marshal.”
“Sounds convenient,” Niva tilted her head. “You must admit.”
“Does it?” Milna jumped in, “do you truly believe that? Because coming out here as we have was far from it. This trip has nearly gotten us killed half a dozen times all so we could make contact. There are easier ways to do so. This seemed important. Will you give us a chance or shoot?”
Niva shrugged. “I haven’t decided.”
“Why haven’t they opened the door?” Jok asked.
“I sent a message not to,” Niva replied. “I saw you down here. Asked them to distract you until I got into position. Now you have the opportunity to prove yourselves. I’ve encountered Kahl intelligence before. I can say this would be new for them but not unheard of. So convince me.”
“I’m not sure how,” Jok said. “Though I do have a proposition. Our ship is large enough for your team and is warp-capable. We can get you out of here. Take you anywhere you need to go. Andrews told us about this data chase you’re on. We would like to understand it better. Help if it’s at all possible.”
“And,” Milna added, “you do outnumber us. It wouldn’t be hard for you to take our ship if you wanted.”
“You raise a good point.” Niva lowered her weapon. “You willing to let us do the flying when we get there?”
Jok nodded. “Absolutely. If that’s what it takes to gain your trust.”
“It’s a solid start.” Niva backed away, switching back to the language Andrews spoke. “Okay, open the door. We’re good out here.” They stepped inside. Three soldiers stood at different points of the room, each with their weapons aimed at the floor. A fat man sat in a chair, staring at the floor with a blank expression.
The final occupant was dressed like Jok did normally… a spacer. Likely a pirate. He worked at the terminal without looking in their direction.
“Is this everyone?” Milna asked.
“No,” Niva said. “There are two more gathering the data we talked about. Once they’re ready, we need to get out of here.”
“I’m the Manager,” the big man spoke without looking up, “and I am going to need some compensation!” He shouted as he stood, pointing at Niva. “Your arrival here as ruined much! You’ve killed my chief technician! Do you have any idea what that means? How will this place continue to function?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Niva replied, “and if not, you can slink off to some other part of the galaxy. Eventually, you’ll be arrested anyway. Whatever time you have left is certainly borrowed.” She turned back to Jok and Milna. “So, would you care to introduce yourselves? We’ve got some time to kill and may as well be acquainted.”
“My name is Jok Peles. This is Milna Lithe.”
Niva introduced the others. Vesper, Tiller, Alon, Quilla. None of them were particularly friendly, with the exception of the man who spoke to them through the door. He offered a wave. His posture reminded Milna of the arrogant soldiers they dealt with from the Prytin spec ops teams.
They were burdened with excessive personality.
“Uh…” Quilla gestured to one of the screens. “We have a problem.”
Milna stepped closer, peering over his shoulder. A crowd gathered in the lounge below them. She stopped counting at a dozen. They were armed with a variety of weapons. Firearms, clubs, blades… whatever they could get their hands on, it seemed. A woman shouted at them, riling them up.
“What’re they on about?” Tiller asked. “What’s their problem?”
Niva sighed. “That woman’s the one I couldn’t catch.”
“Well…” Quilla scratched the back of his neck. “It goes beyond that. I… locked everyone out of the hangars. They can’t get to the ships. I figured we didn’t want them stealing one when we still aren’t ready to go.”
“You coming with us too?” Milna asked.
Quilla shook his head. “No, I’ve got my own vessel. We’ll part ways as soon as we leave this station.”
“What about me?” the Manager cried out. “What about the fact that you killed the Custodian? His people won’t listen to anyone else! And they’re fortified behind turrets. Defenses none of us can breach.”
Niva huffed. “As long as they keep doing their jobs, who cares?” She backed away. “Lysa, Kyle, we’re seriously under some pressure here. What’s your ETA? And know that I need you to tell me pretty much now.”
“I’m at ninety-five percent,” Lysa said, “however long that’ll take.”
“Christ!” Tiller stormed away. “This is ridiculous! How long does a percentage ta
ke?”
“A while,” Vesper said. “I watched it creep by earlier.”
“We can just kill them all,” Milna offered. “There are plenty of ways if you’re not interested in shooting them.”
“Like what?” Alon asked. He leaned against the wall, nursing some kind of injury.
“Vent the lounge.” Milna gestured to the screen, drawing their attention to a panel near the ceiling. “This is for emergency toxins. The threats would be removed. Sucked through it and cast into space.” All of them looked at her, none spoke. “The odds are not in our favor. That’s one solution to fix it.”
“She’s right,” Jok said. “Can you even do it, Quilla?”
“I… don’t know.” Quilla brought the emergency controls up. She shook his head. “No. Look. Most of the emergency functions are offline. Wow. I never realized this place was such a death trap. They certainly kept it quiet.”
“Of course.” Milna sighed. “Then we should set up inside this room. That’ll give us a firing solution for both sides of the hallway.”
“And cover,” Tiller said, “but what about Kyle and Lysa? If these freaks make it to their door… that’s just down the hall, right?”
“I’ll head over there,” Alon replied. “I can provide some backup.”
“You sure?” Niva asked. “You’re… well… kind of messed up.”
“I’ll go.” Vesper stepped forward. “I know exactly where they are.”
“Take me with you!” the Manager shouted. “I can help you.”
Milna huffed. “How, exactly?”
“I know that space. I know the secrets it holds!” The Manager smiled. “Please! I won’t slow you down!”
“Take him,” Niva said. “We’re going to be involved in a real fight. You should be safe. He’s a civilian anyway.”
“I’m on it.” Vesper grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the room.
“The rest of you ready up.” Niva checked her weapon as she headed for the door. “And you two,” she gestured at Milna and Jok, “this is your chance to prove you’re with us. Please don’t squander it.”
