Scout rolled her eyes. Viktor Atkins, the scientist of all trades. “Maybe you’re the lucky one, then. I don’t know if this Bombard attack will be worth it.”
“Worth it?” Nait said, glaring at her. “Our friends are there. Naos is there. What else are we gonna do? Sit and let her kill them?”
Scout didn’t want to rehash her argument with Sora. “I think we had our chance to save them, Nait, and we blew it. Well, you didn’t, but I did. I should have killed Bettina on Wantim. That was my chance to save them. She’s probably already executed Naos and she doesn’t want to do that because of the takeover. She wants to do it because of me.”
“Scout, none of what you said makes sense,” Nait said, shaking his head. “What are you talking about?”
Scout tightened her lips and tried to hold her fist back from slamming into another wall. She used to relive her escape from the palace. Now, she relived that fight on Wantim. She saw Bettina cut a hole in Nait’s stomach. She heard Bettina ranting about Scout’s attachment to Naos and how that proved Scout’s unworthiness. She saw Bettina towering over her and slashing her arms.
She hated her. Not just for what she’d done to her physically, but for what she’d done to her mind. She invaded every part of Scout’s life and left it in ruins.
“Bettina decided to kill me after I rescued Naos in that intruder incident a few days before the takeover,” Scout said, lowering her head and her voice. “It was a test and I failed.”
Nait scoffed. “Scout, Bettina tried to kill all of us. I bet she would’ve done it either way and if Naos or Jask were here they would agree with me.”
Jaskia. They never found her. Had Scout caused this for all four of them?
“You thought that Naos was in danger,” Nait said, grunting as he adjusted his body. “Yeah, the Queen hates all emotion and blah blah blah. So what if saving him sealed the deal? Would you really do it any differently?”
Scout didn’t look at him. She wanted to say no, but in the back of her mind, she knew that it would have saved her relationship with the one adult in her life. She wouldn’t have endured the last month. She would stand at Bettina’s side.
If she hadn’t saved Naos, she would have lost her best friend. She wouldn’t have laughed with him again. She wouldn’t enjoy seeing the red in his cheeks when she embarrassed him. She wouldn’t have had the opportunity to scream at him. His blonde hair and blue eyes would only appear in her memories.
Then again, maybe she’d lost him anyway. However, since she saved him, she did have more time with him. She hadn’t killed her best friend.
If she could, she’d save him again.
“No,” Scout said, croaking as she looked up. She blinked back the tears. “I wouldn’t.”
“Queen Bettina is a monster and we had nobody and nothing else before, but we do now. Look at what she did to Adli,” Nait said, before patting the wrap on his stomach and hissing. “Look at what she did to me. You made the right call, Scout, and it’s not on you to kill her either. No one expects that of you.”
Scout expected that of herself.
“Naos has done a lot of crap since we found him and both of us have had to deal with his whining, but I think he had a point about me,” Scout said, scowling as she admitted it. If she did find him, she could never let him hear that. “Wanting her dead drives me, Nait. I don’t know what to do with that.”
Nait frowned and draped his hand over the railing of the bed. “That only has power if you give it power,” he said, leaning forward. His face twisted in pain, but he didn’t lean back. “When Naos was in trouble, you stopped your drive and saved him. When you had the chance to keep attacking Bettina, you stopped your drive and saved me. That’s what drives you, Scout. Use that to save Naos and the rest of the crew.”
Scout tapped her fingers against the wall of the medical bay. She didn’t want to concede too much in one day. “These pain meds are doing something to your brain, Nait. Making it better.”
Nait withheld a laugh, likely for the sake of his stomach. Scout heard several thuds and turned in her chair to see Sora walking in. He looked much better than he had earlier, now sporting bandages and stitches on his wounds. Still, she hadn’t really spoken to him since the cockpit. She just knew that they’d found the Bombard.
“How’s everyone feeling?” Sora said, leaning against the wall. Of course, trying to break the ice.
“Better,” Nait said, coughing. He pointed to his body. “You sure you don’t want to let me come with you? I’m looking pretty good right now, Sora.”
Sora smiled. “Next time, I promise.”
Scout cleared her throat, trying to break some of the ice, too. “When will we be there?”
“Within the next hour or two,” Sora said, sighing. He rubbed one of his bandages. “We may be roughed up, but we have to give this our all. Do you think you can do that?”
“Do I have a choice?” Scout said, snorting.
“Yes, you do,” Sora said, narrowing his eyes. “Always.”
Scout swallowed. Bettina would have never said that.
“Listen, Scout, I know it was traumatizing for you to see Bettina again and I know that you don’t have a reason to trust anyone after what she’s done,” Sora said, stepping forward. He took a deep breath. “But our people need us, no matter the circumstances. When I first met you, I told you we wanted to fight against Queen Bettina and I still want to see that through. Now, I have to see it through.”
Scout stayed still for a moment. She didn’t look away from Sora. “Alright.”
“Thank you,” Sora said, smiling. “Now, what do you know about this ship? What should our strategy be?”
Scout exhaled. She needed to do it. She wanted to do it. “The Bombard has strong turrets that have the firepower to cut through any ship. I doubt the Killer can take them out. Its sensors are strong; I only made it past once because my shuttle was small. There aren’t any turrets around the main hangar, but we can’t just fly inside either. If we want to get on the ship, we have to be inconspicuous. I don’t see how.”
Sora bit his lip, glancing around the small medical bay. Scout doubted that held the answers. Sora turned and glanced outward toward the rest of the freighter. “We don’t have any smaller vessels or escape pods. Nothing else that could survive in space.”
“Then Chok better be one good pilot if we’re going to dogfight Bettina’s flagship.”
Sora glanced right and didn’t speak. Scout leaned out, trying to see if he saw something. She could only see the cargo hold down the hall and to the right.
“Actually, Fi mentioned finding some suits in the cargo hold,” Sora said, scratching his chin as he turned back to Scout and Nait. “I think they may be space suits. Are those sensors strong enough to detect people?”
Scout looked at Nait, blinking and furrowing her eyebrows. “Uh, people probably would be too small, but are you suggesting that we literally bounce onto the ship?”
“What other option do we have? The Killer could release us at a distance and we use the suits to get to a window,” Sora said. He sighed. “It’s risky, but we can’t be picky.”
Scout stared at Nait, who shrugged. Of course.
“Well, it’s already a long shot, so why not?” Scout said, looking back at Sora. “As long as they really work.”
“I’ll make sure,” Sora said, stepping into the hall. “In the meantime, get as ready as you can. We will do this, Scout. We will get them back.”
Sora left. Scout wanted to believe that. She didn’t know if she could, but she wanted to. She wanted to rescue the crew. She wanted to save Naos one more time.
Anziar extended his arms as he proceeded forward, brushing his hands against the wide laboratory’s steel wall. He heard the blare of the alarm levels below. He listened to the shouts of Captain Nelson and the thuds of soldiers’ boots hitting the steel. He heard the crew whispering and bickering as they darted away from the cell block.
The soldiers hadn’t reached the crew yet. Anzia
r did not intend for the situation to spiral out of control in this manner, but Felicia Malone made a shortsighted decision. No matter. Soon, the crew nor the soldiers would have importance.
Chief Bosnan listened to his offer and adhered to it. That would give Anziar all that he needed.
He reached the end of the room, running his nails against the glass window that gave him a view of the experiment chamber below. Anziar turned his eyes away, choosing not to take in his army yet. He focused on Chief Bosnan. “Were the Queen’s laboratories suitable for your work, Chief?”
Bosnan folded his hands behind his back and nodded. “Surprisingly so. Since Miss Malone suggested that I use a non-human form for this army, I have been conceiving the design. It did not take long to mix the materials into their new form. The clay has stabilized their internal structures as well.”
Anziar tapped his hands together. “Excellent. It is fitting irony that you used Queen Bettina’s technology to design what will be her downfall, yes?”
“Indeed. These creations are truly my own and they will send a message to her from all the people of Catalan. The time for our glory is at hand.”
Anziar looked to the glass and smirked. Bosnan had a brilliant mind, but he failed to realize the most important fact: these creations belonged to Anziar.
“They are truly beautiful,” Bosnan said, stepping closer to the window. He allowed himself to smile. “Twelve specimens the nebula has never laid eyes on. I have not yet given them orders, but once I do, they will reveal themselves to this galaxy.”
“I will step into the chamber and examine them personally,” Anziar said, turning to the right and walking down five steps. He reached forward and shoved the door open, listening to the awful screech as it swung into the rest of the chamber. Anziar proceeded inside.
The twelve gray creatures stood in two rows of six, motionless and devoid of life. Muscles lined every part of their bodies, which stood at over eight feet tall. Massive, sharp claws decorated their hands and feet. Their heads lacked hair and their faces lacked noses. In fact, their cheekbones and chins looked contorted. Large, black eyes and hanging mouths stood out as their most prominent facial features. Sharp, yellow teeth protruded from their mouths.
Anziar grinned. They had turned out better than he hoped. They would serve him well. Chief Bosnan made an innovation.
Anziar walked through the space between the two rows, puncturing one creature on each side of him with his nails. Anziar inhaled the freezing air and breathed it back out. “Do not listen to anything that the scientist tells you. I am your master now and forever. You will obey my every order.”
He took a step forward and punctured the next two creatures. “You will bring my wrath onto the nebula. You will bring my wrath onto this flagship and you will not stop for anyone. You will gain knowledge as you gain domain over the Bombard.”
Anziar took another step and punctured the next two. “You will use your strength to tear apart this ship. Destroy any walls that block your path. Tear down the ceilings. Demolish every console and every engine.”
He stepped forward again and stuck the next two. “You will slaughter every soldier, officer and worker on this ship. You will strike them down in my name.”
He proceeded and ripped into the next pair. “You will murder the fugitives who run across this ship. You will not let one escape.”
He stopped at the final two and sunk his nails into their gray, tough skin. “You will leave no one alive, nothing functioning and you will gain complete control. You will make this place my ghost ship.”
He removed his nails from their skins. He waved his fingers in front of his face and shook off the blood droplets. “Now go and complete my tasks.”
A deep, deafening roar filled the chamber. The creatures came alive and sprinted in every direction. Several attacked the opposing wall, hammering it with their fists and ripping it with their claws. The steel resisted, but the creatures did not hesitate. They hit it again and again. They tore the steel apart inch by inch, taking every new opening as a victory. Once they constructed a large enough hole, they charged onward.
Several others did the same with the floor, ripping it apart with all sets of claws. They dropped to the floors below.
Two others jumped and shot their heads through the ceiling. The final two catapulted themselves through the glass window and into the laboratory, sending Bosnan to the ground. Anziar laughed as he listened to the soothing sound of shattering glass hitting the floor. The end had begun.
He returned to the exit, climbing the five steps that led to the laboratory. As he reached the top, he spotted Chief Bosnan pulling himself off the floor. Several pieces of glass pierced his skin, leaving minor cuts.
“What have you done?!” Bosnan said, slamming his hand onto the console beside him. “These are soulless soldiers. It is imperative that I retain control of them and send them to attack at the proper—”
Anziar held up a hand. “Now is the proper time, Chief Bosnan. I have allowed you to give your people a legacy and construct the army you so desperately desire. Now, it is time for me to reap the benefits.”
“They could destroy this ship if left unchecked.”
“Indeed, I intend that they do,” Anziar said, chuckling. He turned to the laboratory’s exit. “I respect the fact that you accepted my offer and did as you were told, Chief Bosnan. I will allow you to leave the ship with your life, but you must escape now. I will not save you when they find you.”
“Excuse me?” Bosnan said, grabbing Anziar’s shoulder. Anziar whirled around and grabbed Bosnan’s wrist, twisting it. The scientist cried out. “This is m-my ar-army… my cr-creations… I am in charge of them, not y-..”
Anziar pulled harder. The scientist screamed again. “This is my army now! You are in charge of nothing and if you were wise you would leave this doomed place before I order that they tear you apart!”
He released Bosnan’s wrist and threw him to the floor. “You have exercised wisdom thus far, Chief. I advise you do not stop now.”
Anziar turned and marched out of the laboratory, leaving the writhing Bosnan in his wake. As he exited the room, he heard the echoes of crashes. The sounds came from above and below. They came from both sides. Anziar heard the shrieks.
He paused, reaching out and touching the walls around him again. He heard three creatures charging through a main corridor, wiping out a squadron of five soldiers with two swift stabs. He listened as two creatures entered the engine room, killing the maintenance workers with quick bites and proceeding to rip the engines’ wires apart.
The Bombard lurched. Anziar heard numerous individuals lose their footing. He pressed on the walls harder, listening for more.
“We have unidentified hostiles on the main deck! I repeat, we have unidentified hosti—”
The roar of the soldier’s murderer paused his alert.
“What is thi—”
More screams from the communications center.
Three creatures charged onto the bridge. Lasers burned into their skins and aggravated them further. They swiped in every direction, slaughtering soldiers and officers. Anziar listened to the patter of blood hitting the ground. He heard metal screeches as wall and floor panels came apart. The beeping of bridge computers ceased. The bridge served as a suitable option for Anziar to watch the madness unfold.
Anziar listened to the crackle of electricity and explosive bursts as wires fell from the ceilings. Not just on the bridge, but all over the ship. Screams, blood and dying systems all over the nebula’s premiere capital ship. The lights above Anziar flickered.
No, Anziar did not have many of his old powers. His own body still limited him in more ways than he knew. However, by regaining the simple ability to control others and exert his influence over one spaceship, he still held his most important quality: the power to create chaos. The power to cause death and destruction. The power that Selas feared so much.
The power of darkness.
Trika fo
llowed Fi’s example in sliding around the next corner, but she fell as the Bombard lurched again. She rolled forward onto the steel, scraping her chest and knees. Felicia charged past her, not bothering to give her a look, but a hand grabbed Trika’s arm and pulled her up. Viktor pulled her forward.
“Does this ship normally do that?” Trika said, raising her voice so that Naos would hear above the screaming alarm. Her ears hurt from that and her eyes hurt from the red that shone throughout the halls.
“No!” Naos said, running next to Fi. “Something’s going on out—”
The ship lurched again and a screech followed it. Trika heard clanging both above and below. She thought she heard a few cries for help. She stumbled, but Viktor held her up. Both quickened their pace, catching up with the others.
“How close are we to the elevator?!” Trika said, nudging Naos.
“Not far! It should be in the next hall to the left.”
The red flickered, giving her a brief reprieve from the retinal pain. The lights returned and she winced. However, before she could wallow in that pain, a panel came loose from the ceiling. Felicia and Naos jumped to the left, while Fi jumped to the right. Before the panel hit the floor, wires dangled and bursts of blue electricity mixed with the red corridor.
“What in the f—”
Trika heard a distant boom. Not on this floor, but significant enough that she heard it.
“It is that spirit, Anziar,” Fi said, turning to the left. “He’s done something.”
“He did want to use Chief Bosnan and our army,” Felicia said, keeping Fi’s pace. “I would not be surprised if he has put his plans into action. He persuaded Bosnan to design the soldiers here. I must get to the laboratory and ret—”
Trika gritted her teeth. “Bosnan had his chance on Wantim, we’re not sparing time for him now!”
Felicia snarled, but before any arguing could commence they rounded the next corner and pulled to a quick stop. Trika lifted her rifle and pointed it at the squadron of four soldiers who guarded the elevator. Nelson stood in the center of the group, scowling.
Survival, Dark Times Page 24
