by Justin Sloan
She wasn’t sure if it was because they had flown to a different region or that night was falling, but out here was nothing like what she had seen so far. Small hills formed long ridges with cave openings scattered throughout, giving the impression of many connected, massive sand snakes.
All of the team sat on the bridge. The Shadows had taken to their rooms in part for their safety, in part because Hadrian couldn’t be sure how much they knew of Captain Praks, or if any were loyal to him.
Samantha had argued that they were prisoner back on the Scrapulent base, so of course they weren’t on Praks’s side. Hadrian still wasn’t convinced, but had played up the angle that he wanted to ensure their safety.
“They’re landing,” Samantha pointed out, as the ships to their left began their descent.
“What in the…” Jackal swiped his hands across his controls and pulled up a holographic display, which he then maneuvered and swiped toward the main screen. Up above, everyone gasped.
“That’s gotta be where they’re going,” Samantha said, leaning forward to better see the image of the almost-camouflaged ships. They were too large to truly be hidden, though. Large and mean looking. While the body of the ships was like many others she had seen in space, including those of the allies, she guessed Praks had taken some of those and then upgraded the hell out of them. Or, the Shadow people had, as she remembered that this was sort of their specialty.
Large turrets, lasers, and the telltale signs of multiple layers of shields were just the half of it. Praks seemed to be playing up the whole pirate angle, with wide metallic slicers on each side jutting out like wings, clearly intended to do damage if the ship were to come up alongside another. At its helm was a series of blasters, but the point of the ship was decorated with a carving of a demon-mermaid, it looked like.
No, not a mermaid… The bottom half was more like a snake, curving along the ship. That was a carving of Saraleigh!
“Hadrian, I think we’ve found more than just Captain Praks here,” Samantha said, standing to point out the carving. “What if… could this be her ship?”
“Well color me purple,” Jackal said, leaning back with a grunt. “Ladies and gents, we got ourselves here a two-fer. Two for one.”
“I get dibs,” Hadrian declared. “In my mind, she’s accountable for my ankle. I mean to see that she pays.”
“That and everything else that’s been going wrong,” Samantha argued. “In fact, if you’re right about her influence on the Potentate, and therefore many of the deaths on Earth, I’d say I have just as big a claim of dibs as you… more, actually. To say nothing of what she did to me or Ferder.”
Hadrian turned to her with a nod. “First to you then, how about that?”
“Deal.”
A flicker appeared on the screen, followed by the image of General Pottan. “Hail, Hadrian. We can’t just go in guns blazing—too many of our own in there.”
“What do you propose, then?” Hadrian asked.
Pottan’s stern expression didn’t change at all as he said, “We go in on foot.”
“You want us to go into the caves?” Agathe asked, but leaned back and closed her mouth at a look from Hadrian.
“Your team afraid of the dark?” Pottan asked with a frown.
“The Shadow Corps isn’t afraid of anything,” Samantha answered.
Pottan nodded. “Good to hear it. We’ll pull around to the side, flank his ships in case he tries to take off, and then move into the caves in fire teams. Five from the southeast side while the rest guard exits from outside, to ensure no one escapes. We don’t want too many teams in there, so as to avoid crossfire.”
“Agreed,” Hadrian replied.
“We’re going in,” Samantha stated. “I’ll take Napalm, Dex, Kwan, and Carma. The rest will go with Hadrian.”
“Roger that. We’ll see you below.”
The general disconnected and the ship lowered to follow them, most of the women’s ships doing the same. Several flew up to patrol the area, which Samantha had to agree was a good idea. Not smart to leave all of your forces exposed on the ground.
Ferder was looking at her, but he wasn’t smiling.
“What is it?” she asked.
“After she did this to me, you’re not giving me a shot at her?”
Samantha shook her head. “We can’t have liabilities, and with your eyes—”
“Actually,” Hadrian interjected, “it’s possible he might be your most valuable tool down there.”
“How’s that?”
“The glasses,” Hadrian replied. “Let’s try a little experiment.”
With a swipe of his hand, the lights went out, even the display screen.
“Hey, I’m trying to land this beast,” Jackal protested.
“Use your personal display,” Hadrian said. “Now, Ferder… what do you see?”
For a second there was silence, then Ferder just laughed. “You all, of course. But more clear… did something change?”
The lights came back on and Hadrian was smiling. “It seems, Ferder, that the Shadows gave you a bit more in this gift than simply sight. You can see when no one else can, giving you a distinct advantage in places like these caves.”
“Guess that means I get that shot after all?”
Hadrian considered this, then turned to Samantha. “Your call, not mine.”
With a deep breath, she realized that of course she had to say yes. Not only was it the smart choice, based on what she had just learned, but he had saved her from Saraleigh. For all she knew, he would do it again.
“On one condition,” Samantha said. “If you find her first, make that bitch suffer.”
“As you wish,” Ferder replied.
Samantha glanced back at Agathe, who returned her look and shrugged. “What, you expect me to be jealous or something? Hell no, I wouldn’t go into those caves if you all doubled my salary.”
“We’re not paying you a salary,” Hadrian said.
“Oh?” She pouted. “Huh, now I forgot why I came along.”
“There was something about a fee for being their guides,” Voira said, “and I might have already accepted that and not mentioned that it was over.”
Agathe licked her lips in confusion, clearly unsure what to say here.
“Does that change anything for you?” Hadrian laughed.
“I…” Her eyes found Ferder, and she suppressed a smile. “No, I guess not.”
“Good. I’ll divide us into two teams, those on the outside. A couple with General Pottan, a couple with Mistress Reyn. Not only do we need to ensure their safety through this, so that neither side can blame the other for things gone wrong, but we have to keep an eye on them, be sure they don’t try anything.”
“Roger that,” Voira said.
With a nod from Hadrian, they all turned to see that they were touching down. Forces were already streaming out from the other ships, armed to the teeth and ready for action. Samantha felt the familiar tingle in her sword hand as she anticipated the swing, a twitch in her trigger finger as she imagined hordes of enemies coming at her.
It was go time.
The door opened, and she snatched a quick glance back to ensure her team was with her—Kwan, Dex, Napalm, and Ferder.
With these fighters at her side, there was no doubting they were here to bring the pain. Stand back, ladies and gentlemen, she thought to herself with a smirk, it’s about to get ugly.
The other two fire teams consisted of one team of males and one of females, so Samantha insisted on taking the middle cave. Everyone there knew it would be all too easy for one team to turn on the other in there, but at least this way they would have to deal with their guilt over killing her if they let it get to that.
She was determined to do her part not to allow them near each other. Any lingering resentment needed to vanish from this day onward, and she’d do her part to ensure the flames weren’t fanned.
“Everyone got their guts packed up nice and tight?” Samantha as
ked her team. “No one about to lose their bowels or anything like that?”
Carma scowled, but Napalm laughed.
“We’ve been through worse than this,” Kwan replied, stone-faced.
“A notorious pirate, mind-controlling aliens, and who knows what other forces waiting within dark caverns on an alien planet…” Samantha shrugged. “I mean, it’s up there with the others, at least.”
You don’t think my planet was scarier than this? Dex asked.
“Oh, yeah, except those Dexemathingies,” Samantha admitted to the group. “I guess those were pretty damn scary.”
“Like thousands of deaths, coming at you,” Kwan said with a shudder. “If you weren’t our friend, Dex, I’d piss my pants every time I looked at you.”
Everyone laughed, except for Kwan. He just looked at them with an expression that said he didn’t get what was so funny.
My kind play off of our look to terrify our opponents during battle, Dex replied. Maybe when this is all over I’ll switch to a more colorful cloak to appear less intimidating.
I’d like to see pink, Samantha replied, so that those who couldn’t understand their mental speak weren’t in on the joke.
A purring sound came from Dex, which Samantha had come to know as laughter.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Samantha noticed the general giving the wave of his hand. His team moved first, Samantha’s close behind in the next cave over, and then the female team.
They would all have to be wary about what they shot at down here, with three teams moving in the darkness like this. At least they had Ferder up front, and shields could help fend off initial shots.
Samantha was used to training in tunnels, as most of the jump points sent her into caverns to grind and work on her armor upgrades. But that was different. Somehow, she always knew those exercises would put her up against an enemy she could handle. For all she knew, this could be her last night alive.
That thought kind of made her wish she were back home, curled up with her mom watching old movies, maybe that book adaptation they’d made that she’d fallen in love with as a child. Back by Sunrise, was it? That had been so long ago, and as she’d grown older she had started to dismiss all magic in stories as a bunch of bull. Now that she had seen real magic out here in the universe, though, she wasn’t so certain.
Gunpowder smells permeated the stale air, and tunnels led ever onward, some splitting off here and there. Samantha did her best to lead her team on a straight path, with Ferder keeping watch. At one point he held out a hand and guided them away from a drop-off that otherwise might have turned the mission into a pretty horrible night.
He was already earning his keep. But then he paused, glancing about as if his sight had suddenly gone out.
“What is it?” Samantha asked.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Ferder said, his voice hushed.
“What doesn’t?” Samantha asked.
“My glasses, they allow me to see, but not like this. I’m seeing something coming at us as if it were dark and I had regular eyesight again.”
“Is it charging on legs that look like giant, metal spears?” Napalm asked, clutching his weapon and preparing to shoot. “Wild, crazed eyes and teeth like razors?”
“You see it too?” Ferder turned back. “But when I look this way, it’s the glasses again, and you all. Like a fancy version of night vision goggles.”
It registered, almost too late. Samantha shouted, “Down! Hold your fire!” and rolled out of the way, just as one of the other teams crossed into their line of sight and turned their way, confused. If the Shadow Corps had opened fire, they would have taken out the male Arzanians.
“What is it?” one of them called.
“Mind games,” Samantha said, assessing her team. If she was the only one who hadn’t seen the image, that meant she was the only one not susceptible. “No one attacks in any way without my say-so, got it?”
“You mean, they were in their heads?” Carma asked.
Even I saw it, Dex admitted.
“Right.” Samantha gestured for the other team to keep moving, then turned to hers. “Here’s the deal. My best guess is the locals aren’t affected by this. That means you all are trouble, unless you can control your actions. Whatever your mind tells you for the next part of this mission, I want you to ignore.”
“Maybe you should just send us back,” Napalm suggested, his fiery eyes showing worry in the darkness. “This sounds, I mean… it could get bad.”
Samantha nodded, but said, “No. I need my team with me. If anything, it’s a good training exercise, right? Doesn’t Hadrian always tell us this is all on the job training? Well, here we go. You all get to test yourselves. How good are you at doing exactly what you’re told, when you’re told?”
“Honestly, not good,” Napalm admitted.
“Exactly, so now you get to improve yourself in that regard.” Samantha pulled out her sword and used the light to see the surrounding walls. “Of course, this means we can’t fully rely on Ferder’s night vision either, or not until we’ve taken out the Scrapulent threat. Got it?”
The rest didn’t sound too thrilled with this turn of events, but they mumbled their agreement and carried on behind her.
A few moments later, loud breathing sounds and a small whimper came from behind. Samantha turned to see Napalm and Ferder pulling back, Dex with his hands behind his back, head bowed.
“Keep moving,” Samantha ordered.
“Roger that,” Napalm said, inching his foot forward.
Samantha glanced around with a sigh. “There’s nothing here, guys. What are they making you see now?”
“Cold,” Napalm said. “Little scurrying monsters of ice.”
“It’s fire for me,” Ferder said.
The abyss for me, came Dex’s response. I know it is not true, yet I cannot overcome it. Even with all of my mental practice, I am weak.
“None of you are weak,” Samantha countered. “They have the gems that they stole from the Arzanians, which boost their abilities. Right now we need to make sure that doesn’t continue. Remember, on me. Trust. Faith.”
Dex was the first to step forward. His normal ability to appear to float was more halting now. He staggered slightly, and then he was with her, standing tall.
It will not happen again, he communicated.
Good.
Soon they were moving again, only pausing when a barrage of gunfire sounded from not so far off.
“You all are hearing that too, right?” Ferder asked.
“Go!” Samantha shouted, and they all started moving toward the shooting. Again it sounded, not letting up this time, giving them perfect guidance as they ran out into an open cavern.
At the far end were the clear signs of a base being built into the underground area. A metal dome extended from the wall, gun ports built into it with automatic guns at the top, though two had been taken out by the female Arzanians. The males arrived from another side a moment later and they too opened fire, but Samantha shouted over her shoulder to her team, “Nobody shoots but Carma and me. We can’t have you thinking our allies are enemy booger monsters or whatever they hell Saraleigh decides to put in your minds.”
They obviously didn’t like that, but didn’t have a choice either. Pushing them back into the tunnel, she took up one side of it while Carma opened fire from the other. Samantha focused on one of the gun turrets with her energy. A moment later it began to shake, then with a crack it fell from the wall and exploded against the metal to create a large dent.
Shots from the other team took out the last turret, and then they were running down to siege the base. Carma was about to join, when Samantha held a hand out.
Something wasn’t right. That felt too easy. A glance around showed nothing out of the ordinary for a dark, underground cavern, but still she waited.
“What is it?” Ferder asked, looking around. “Actually, hey, this is working. They don’t know I’m not able to see normal, so when my sight
seems back to normal, I know they’re screwing with me. Right now, it seems fine… I see movement, though… there!”
He pointed up at the ceiling. It was a high ceiling, and sure enough, there was movement in the darkness.
“Holy… it’s her!” This time Ferder didn’t wait for permission, but opened fire. Instantly the other two who were susceptible stumbled back.
Samantha shouted, “I don’t care what you think you see up there, just fire at the ceiling!”
They all opened up, and now she saw it—the same creepy snake lady that had pierced her with its metallic tail. Saraleigh was slithering along the ceiling, emerging from an opening along with numerous other Scrapulent with their spider and scorpion bodies. Some were falling to the shots, but there were so many that it didn’t seem to matter.
“Damn, how far down are we?” Carma shouted over the shots going off.
“Does it really matter?” Samantha replied. This wasn’t going to work, she was realizing. She turned to the metal dome in hopes of the teams returning to provide backup, and saw that the Scrapulent had already surged on it, many charging in. Shouts came from inside, and more attacks and screams.
It was a trap, she thought, and decided this couldn’t go on. Not if they wanted to come out of this successfully, and not if they wanted the two sides of the Arzanians to work together in the future. They had to emerge victoriously, for many reasons.
“Dex, on me.” She slung her rifle onto her back and drew her sword.
Into the void we go, came his reply, and then the two were leaping.
“Cover us!” Samantha shouted to those behind them, and to Dex she mentally projected, Just attack like a madman in every direction. I’ll be out of your way, and there’re enough of those bastards that you’ll do some major damage.
Understood. He landed and instantly fell into one of the many forms he practiced constantly.
While some fighters might flail about in a similar situation, not Dex. Even without being able to rely on what his mind was telling him, his cloak acted out of instinct, responding to his enemies’ presence to let him know which direction to strike, or when to dodge.
