by Justin Sloan
“Almost got it!” Bob announced. “Now, when you say the left slot, you mean your left, correct?”
“What? No! Your left! Why would I tell you my left?”
“Okay, calm down.”
One of the fighters maneuvered under them and Kalan realized almost too late that it was in the perfect position to take a shot at the Nim without endangering the Bandian’s ship.
Thankfully Valerie had his back. The fighter exploded into a ball of fire before it managed to engage.
“Everybody ready?” Bob asked.
Kalan drew a deep breath. “Yeah. If the power dies, be ready to disconnect it immediately.” He’d still need to run the startup sequence once the power came back online and the odds of him being able to do that before they crashed seemed very low.
But there was no need to mention that now.
“Okay, here we go.”
There was a soft click as Bob slipped the circuit that powered the weapons array into place. It rang through the silent ship.
For a terrible moment, the power flickered. Every muscle in Kalan’s body tensed as he prepared for the possibility of a crash-landing he knew none of them would survive.
Except maybe Wearl. He had no idea what her bizarre physiology was capable of withstanding.
“It’s okay,” Bob assured them. “Just a little power surge. We’re up!”
Kalan blinked hard, still holding his breath. Bob was right! The weapons array monitor lit up as the weapons came online.
“Ha! Bob, you crazy bastard, you did it!” Kalan shouted.
The human slid out from under the console, a wide smile on his face. “You’re damn right I did.”
Kalan touched the comm. “Valerie, we’re weapons-up. What do you say I take care of the last two fighters? I’ll lure them away while you deal with the Bandian. What do you think?”
“I think you’re jealous of all the fighters I got to blow up, but it sounds like a plan. I’m going to take that bastard down.”
Kalan couldn’t disagree with the first part of her statement. He had been a little jealous, but now he had his railguns. This was gonna be fun.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Nim 47
As another fighter crashed to the ground far below, Kalan checked his monitor. Only one enemy ship left, and that was the Bandian’s.
The fighters had stuck fairly close to the Bandian’s ship despite Kalan’s best efforts to lure them away. They weren’t going to abandon their boss—not with the Grandeur following so closely behind them—so Kalan had been forced to pick them off one by one.
He had to admit it was a rather enjoyable task. As the last of the fighters hit the ground he turned to his shipmates. “How’s it feel to share a ship with a true artist?”
“I don’t know if killing should be considered an art,” Sslake said, “but I have to admit that was some impressive flying.”
Bob looked annoyed. “I was hoping I’d get to be the gunner.”
“I’m a fan of multitasking.”
“Wearl says to tell you you’re even more sexy when you’re cocky.” He tilted his head, listening. “Okay, that’s where I draw the line, Wearl. I am not saying that part! Do you kiss your invisible mama with that mouth?”
Through the cockpit window he saw Valerie doggedly pursuing the Bandian, firing relentlessly at his ship, but the warlord had a hell of a pilot. He was avoiding most of the shots, and the few that had hit didn’t seem to have done any critical damage.
Minister Sslake put a hand in Kalan’s shoulder. “Where are we?”
Kalan peered through the window at the ground. “I don’t know. Over a jungle or something?”
“Coordinates, man! What are the coordinates?”
“Oh!” Kalan tapped the corner of the monitor that displayed their current location, pointing it out to the minister.
“Damn this dust-tongued jungle!” Sslake exclaimed. “I suspected as much.”
Kalan and Bob exchanged a worried glance.
“Care to fill us in?” Bob asked.
“When Warlord Nobir was first coming to power, he lived in this jungle. Set up this whole big base of operations here. This was where I busted him the first time for his genetic experiments. There should be a mountain up ahead.”
Kalan glanced out the window. “I see it.”
“I’d bet another year in SEDE that’s where he’s headed.”
“We better share that information, then.” Kalan touched the communicator and told Valerie.
She listened to his rundown and asked, “You’re sure about this? How do you know?”
Kalan touched the mute button. “Guess it’s time to take our medicine.” He clicked the comm back on. “We don’t, but Minister Sslake is sitting right behind me and he’s been here before. He busted Nobir in this jungle back in the day.”
There was a long pause.
Finally, Valerie said, “Are you telling me Minister Sslake has been in your ship this whole damn time?”
“Yeah. I mean, you sent us to get him.”
“I assumed you’d failed when you showed up and started dogfighting! I want him taken to safety. We’ll handle the Bandian. You head back to the city, and we’ll join you as soon as we’re done here.”
Kalan opened his mouth to argue, but Bob started speaking before he could.
“We copy you, Valerie. Be careful. We’ll see you back at the spaceport.” He clicked off and shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day when I’d be the voice of reason.”
Kalan looked at the human in disbelief. “You’re kidding me right now. We’re not really leaving, right?”
Bob shrugged. “I don’t much want to, but she has a point. Sslake is the priority. Besides, I don’t know how they do things here on Dust World, but where I come from an order’s an order. Kinda takes the choice out of it.” He paused for a moment, listening, then his face scrunched up in anger. “Well, same to you, Wearl! And twice on Sundays!”
It was clear the Bandian’s ship was headed toward the mountain, and Valerie followed closely behind. Kalan veered east, angling toward the city.
“Hold on,” Sslake said, “there’s something else. This isn’t simply the Bandian’s base of operations, it’s where he trains his genetic warriors. He’s got an army down there.” He nodded toward the Grandeur. “I don’t know how many soldiers she has on that ship of hers, but it can’t be more than a hundred or so, right? That’s not enough.”
Bob’s face drained of color. “Uh, it’s decidedly less than that.”
Kalan gripped the controls. “Where’s he keep this army?”
“There’re some outbuildings near the base of the mountain. He’s probably already sounded the alarm, but it’ll take a while for them to get up to his headquarters. That’s our only advantage.”
Kalan thought for a moment. On the one hand Valerie had given them a direct order, and a logical one at that. On the other, there was no way in sun-parched hell he was going to leave her and her small crew to face an army alone.
There wasn’t even a decision to make, he realized.
He turned in his seat and looked at his shipmates. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to make one pass over these outbuildings and the road to the mountain. Any troops we see headed up that way, we’re going to light them up.”
“But our orders!” Bob objected.
Kalan held up a hand. “After we make one pass I’m going to set us down and hand the ship over to you, Bob. You’ll follow orders and take Sslake to safety, and I’ll do what I can on the ground for Valerie.”
Bob shook his head. “Kalan, don’t be an idiot. One male, even a Grayhewn, can’t face an army. All you’ll do is get yourself killed.”
Kalan smiled weakly. “You may have a point there, but it’s my decision to make. Besides, I won’t be taking on a whole army. With any luck we’ll take out most of them from the air.”
“It is a noble gesture,” Sslake said. “Your sacrifice won’t be
forgotten.”
Kalan raised an eyebrow. “Um, just so you know, I’m planning to live through this thing.”
Bob got that familiar look he wore when he was listening to the voice the rest of them couldn’t hear. “Wearl says she’s coming with you.”
Kalan shook his head. “I appreciate the gesture, but it’s not necessary.”
“She says she’ll gouge your eyes out if you try to stop her.”
“Er, okay then.” Truth was, having an invisible and possibly crazy ally on his side didn’t sound too bad.
They flew on for a few minutes, circling the base of the mountain.
“There!” Sslake said, pointing at a small clearing in the jungle. Kalan squinted and was able to make out some buildings.
He dove toward it, and as he got closer he saw the road snaking up the mountain. When they were closer still he saw several large six-wheeled transport vehicles, some parked near the buildings and a few already making their way up the road.
“Okay, here we go,” he muttered, then fired on the vehicles.
He started with the ones near the building, circling and raining down devastation with his railguns. Then he began working his way up the road.
When he’d reached the last vehicle he considered circling back for another pass, but the flashes of light from one of the remaining vehicles convinced him otherwise. It was firing back at him.
He couldn’t risk Minister Sslake. He spotted a place where the road widened and set the ship down.
As he made his way toward the hatch Bob called, “Hey, Grayhewn! I’m glad Valerie stuck me with you.”
Kalan smiled. “Me, too, now get the hell out of here. Wearl and I have an army to fight.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Bandian Base
Valerie let out a whoop as the last of the enemy fighter planes from the mountain base exploded in the sky and rained debris down on the jungle below. She couldn’t help but be amazed at the contrast of this jungle and the desert surrounding the city.
Whatever the Bandian was up to out here, she was certain that the Skulla and others back there would have turned on him long ago if they’d known he was keeping this a secret.
The Bandian’s ship was out of sight, but a blip on the screen meant they didn’t have to worry.
“She’s touching down just past that mountain,” Flynn said, pointing to a tree-covered mountain on the display.
“Bring us around gently in case it’s a trap,” Valerie commanded, “and let’s be ready to move.”
“What’s the plan, boss?”
“Assuming we get in close enough?” She considered, watching as Kalan’s ship moved in for a sweep and wondering if he was following orders. “Land the ship at the base, then we move up—”
“Holy shit,” Garcia declared as what was clearly the Bandian’s base came into view.
He wasn’t hiding here; it was more like his fallback defensive position. Built into the side of the mountain was a metallic structure that resembled an animal’s head, similar to a panther’s. Its turrets swiveled, and warnings flashed across the Grandeur’s screen.
“Get us out of here!” Garcia shouted to Flynn, and they dove as rounds peppered the sky.
Valerie threw herself into her chair and took over. Her reflexes were faster than Flynn’s, so she was their best bet.
“No,” Flynn said, gesturing toward the base as they swerved. It was in their view one minute and gone the next. Skulla had now opened fire from the ramparts as well. “We need to get you in close, drop you off, and fly out of here before they know you’re there.”
“It’s too risky for you,” she argued, “and for the ship.”
“At least you put me first,” he replied with a laugh. “We’ll land farther down the mountain and then double-time it up here to join the fight. Keep them occupied from the outside.”
“That was fairly close to what I was going to say, minus you serving as a focus for their fire.”
“You need to catch him,” Garcia interjected, “meaning we can’t afford delays. Who knows what he has going on in there?”
More dodging and shooting, and Valerie nodded—there wasn’t time for hesitation. “Bring her close, and Robin and I will jump.”
“Always fun hanging out with you,” Robin said with a wink. “At least I know it will never be boring.”
“Nope, killing bad aliens who enslave populations and force others to fight for their enjoyment is not boring.” Valerie laughed. “Hell, it seems there are enough of those bastards out there to keep us from being bored for a long time.”
“You two want to keep chatting, or jump?” Garcia asked, having already opened the hatch so that wind was blowing through the ship and making it hard to hear.
“Stop talking,” Valerie shouted back at him. “I’m getting ready to jump here.”
He flashed a smile and tossed her and Robin their rifles, and turned back to help Flynn.
“Ready,” Robin shouted.
“Go time!” Valerie replied, pulling on her helmet as Robin did the same. They both leaped.
As soon as they’d left the ship Valerie started to wonder if she’d made the wrong move here. Not that there was much time for that, as the ground was coming up fast. Trees and overgrowth blanketed the jungle floor, and for an instant she imagined it covered in silver spikes, waiting for her to make contact.
And then she was rolling through bushes and large leaves, a few branches cracking but no spikes—nothing to pierce her armor.
She ended her roll on one knee, eyes to the sky watching the Grandeur’s shields light up as she took a hit and then roll out of the way as a new barrage came at her. As she disappeared Valerie saw Kalan’s ship streak across the sky too.
It was just her and Robin now.
“You going to sit here finding shapes in the clouds,” Robin asking, pulling her to her feet, “or help me take down this fortress?”
Valerie readied her rifle, quickly checked to ensure her sword was in place, and pointed to the clouds. “That one kinda looks like a pile of dead Bandian followers.”
Robin glanced up and raised an eyebrow. “Huh. Looks like a cloud to me,” she replied, then started running up the mountain.
“No fun,” Valerie hissed as she ran after her, soon catching up so that they ascended side by side.
The fortress loomed ahead, but the shooting had stopped. The silence was interrupted by a Skulla shouting orders and the sound of metal grinding on metal.
As they grew closer it became clear that the Skulla were pulling back into the base. It was going into lockdown mode!
No talking now. Both women knew they needed to put all their energy into making it to that fortress before entry became impossible. They went into vampire mode, eyes glowing red and muscles throbbing with power. The broad jungle leaves fluttered as they flew past like the wind, and it wasn’t until they were within a few paces of the base that the Skulla even noticed them.
Shouts of alarm filled the upper rampart. A team of Skulla fighters decked out in exoskeleton-enhanced body armor and carrying weapons almost as large as themselves came through the doors as more orders were yelled behind them.
A bright light shone from one of the weapons and a plasma blast tore through the ground directly behind Robin, but Valerie wasn’t letting those things make contact. She leaped and pushed off a large tree, sending it to fall in one direction as she flew in the other toward the ledge with the warriors. She filled the first line of them with holes by firing on the way down.
More blasts came, one scorching through her body armor most of the way, and then she charged, slamming her sword into the neck of the closest modified Skulla. The armor resisted but her strength was too much for it. The armor gave with a crunch and her sword slid into the Skulla’s neck.
She held the sword with one hand and propped her rifle on the Skulla’s shoulder, using the dead creature as a shield against the remaining shooters as well as a prop.
A thud came
from behind her and she stiffened, but then sensed Robin—even recognized her scent through the armor. Nothing to worry about from that direction, she realized as Robin opened fire at some other enemy. Valerie would focus forward, then see if her friend needed help.
With a kick she sent the corpse into the last two Skulla in her way, following it with a charge and then several shots to the face of one. The second dropped his weapon and tried to take her with two blades that emerged from the exoskeleton, but she deflected the first strike with her shoulder armor and the second with her sword before coming down with a pommel-strike that smashed the Skulla’s faceplate.
As he backed up, terror on his face, he forgot to watch where he was going and plummeted right over the side. A thud sounded below, but that wasn’t where Valerie’s attention was.
Her eyes went wide at the sight of the doors, now closed nearly all the way with a group of Skulla right inside them—or something moving in the darkness anyway. A glance over her shoulder showed Robin sniping at another group that had left the safety of their base to come at them from behind.
“No time for that,” Valerie shouted, pulling her friend along.
At first Robin resisted, but when she realized what was happening she accelerated and the two slid through the narrow gap, firing as they did so that the first line of Skulla defense fell.
A loud thump sounded, followed by another that made the room shake. It was dark, though their vampire eyes adjusted quickly enough.
Finally Valerie saw it—a Norrul like the ones she had fought on arrival in this system, only this one was twice as large as those she had faced. He had a line of other Norrul behind him and they were all in some sort of hangar bay where fighter ships were being built along the walls.
“We’re not here to fight you,” Valerie said, slinging her rifle over her shoulder and sheathing her sword. “I know you’re sla—”
She was cut off as the Norrul let out a roar and charged. As he drew closer, it was apparent his rock-like carapace covered most of his body. It was thick and jagged, forming spikes on his arms and shoulders.
