"I understand."
"Good. I'll let you know just as soon as I hear anything."
A few minutes later, Grier signed off. Van considered all she'd learned from the commodore and knew she couldn't go back to patrolling the outer rim while someone else attempted to rescue Cade. It just wasn't in her. She glanced at the sofa and regretted the lack of sleep while her heart rejoiced at the news that her lover might still be alive. Van thought she should have known. She would have felt it if Cade was truly dead.
Van stripped off her shirt and headed for the shower. Nothing in hell or in heaven could stop her from her next course of action. The only possible delay would come when she gave the crew the option to disobey orders with her or return to headquarters on the ship's lifeboat, Pemberton. She just hoped that only a few would decide to leave as the small ship could only hold twelve.
As it turned out, she didn't have to worry. The entire crew was with her.
Chapter Eighteen
CADE STOPPED AND squatted down in the deepest shadows available. She could hear the grunts and shouts from the warriors pursuing her in the distance, quickly closing ranks. She scooped up a handful of soot-covered dirt and smeared it around the palladium that encircled her wrist. A glint from the luminous white metal would reveal her location and spell her doom. She couldn't afford any more mistakes. Her carelessness from a week ago had the Gothoan patrols on her trail, although the palladium dampened the signature emitted from her bio-signs chip. That deception would prove useless if one of the soldiers spotted her. Removing the circlet long enough to relieve the constriction of blood flow to her hand had almost cost her life.
Tired and hungry, she closed her eyes for a moment and rested her forehead on a rusted hunk of metal. The wind tossed her hair and caused her to shiver. Cade's uniform hung tattered in some places, but still provided some warmth on the cold and barren planet. Remnants from a long-ago battle littered the landscape, providing shelter and the opportunity for death. Here, semi-destroyed vehicles and burned out buildings competed with unexploded ordnance and anti-personnel mines. Regardless of the danger, the dark side of the orbitally locked planet was far safer than the alternative.
In the distance sat the Gothoan military capital, Han-su. Someone in their perverse wisdom had placed the headquarters right on the dividing line between darkness and light. When Cade needed food or water, it required a trip to Han-su. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the futility of her last foray, but at least she'd taken out the newest Gothoan battle cruiser before enemy engineers finished it. A well-timed plasma grenade, courtesy of the soldier she'd surprised, saw to that.
Now she knew that the Gothoans, so long-thought defeated and demoralized, were ready for an all-out assault. It was just too bad she couldn't tell anyone. Cade berated herself for not waiting until after she found something to eat.
She opened her eyes when she heard something bounce off metal nearby. The latest patrol was closing in on her. Cade had left too obvious a trail when she ran from the complex housing scientific research and development. It seemed too tempting a target, the R&D division butting right up against the dark side, though the largest portion of the building sat in perpetual, albeit weak and watery, sunshine. Now, she wished she'd taken time to consider the consequences of her actions. Hunger and lack of sleep had her teetering on the edge of a full collapse.
"Over here," a man shouted.
The Gothoans weren't the intruders here and felt no need to lower their voices. Clearly, they didn't consider her a threat. Cade hoped that would work in her favor. Carefully, she backtracked. She tried to stay in the shadows and keep as quiet as possible. If she drew the attention of her attackers, their night vision goggles would easily find her. Cade had nothing except her wits. Crouching low, she circumnavigated a downed inter-planetary aircraft and headed for some nearby ruins, though they weren't her destination.
The farther away she moved from the terminator, the line marking darkness from light, the easier it was to see. Gothos's atmosphere wasn't like any other planet in the solar system. The stars were closer to the world, making her feel like she could reach out and touch them. Moreover, they provided enough light to interfere with the Gothoan night vision goggles' photoelectric effect. In a nutshell, the soldiers would be on equal footing.
She entered the dark valley among the boulders and debris from a recent rock slide. At the base of the hillside, she waited expectantly and wasn't disappointed. She'd hoped to ditch her unwanted company, but the soldiers faithfully followed what little of a trail she'd left, which told her how well trained and determined the Gothoans were. True to their reputed tactics, the patrol of five split up as soon as they entered the ancient arena. If they knew the identity of the intruder in their midst, the planetary government would have sent an entire battalion.
Instead, the men held laser rifles ready and spread out to block the entrance to the canyon. From the outsider's point of view, Cade realized it might appear the Gothoans had the advantage, but they would be wrong. Crouching in the darkest recesses of the largest portion of the rock fall, Cade pulled a four-inch, military issue hunting knife from the sheath on her boot. With everything she'd been through, it was a small miracle that she still possessed the weapon.
As a solitary figure neared her position, Cade circled her place of concealment with one hand on the boulder. She could hear him breathe. Even without the physical manifestation of Alaran hearing, the tipped ears, she still had the heightened senses. Cade took another step and found a small ledge cut into the surface of the rock about a foot off the ground and halfway from the top. She placed a knee on the stone and carefully hefted herself upward. From her new vantage point, Cade saw the top of the soldier's black helmet. Dropping down behind him proved easy and the knife across his throat quietly dispatched the threat.
Cade hated using the weapon, how it felt slicing into flesh and muscle. Even worse was the sensation of extinguishing a life. It sickened her even as she acknowledged the necessity. He slipped quietly to the ground, leaving her thankful for the faceplate that prevented her from identifying the features of the soldier.
She searched the body quickly, taking anything that might prove useful including a canteen, the night goggles and a small pouch. Cade squatted and reached into the bag. Among the items, she discovered a spool of microfilament. Perfect.
Cade scooted to another location, back toward the ruins. At the base of the cornerstone, she attached the wire and strung it across to the remnants of the original stairway. Across at an angle, the strand wasn't much of a threat, but would provide a distraction. Cade backed away, hiding where a formal entryway once existed. She could still feel the lines etched in the marble under her feet through the layer of dirt. Just then, she heard a shout and knew the others had found their compatriot.
She hunkered down and waited for the inevitable. Soon, she heard her next target and grimaced in repugnance. Cade didn't want to kill anyone else, but she wanted to survive to return to Van. It was the promise of Van's embrace that kept her going and it was what made her do what she needed to now. Cade was ready when the soldier tripped over the line and fell to his knees. She was on him in a second, her intent to use the knife once again. As distasteful as using the weapon was, it was still quieter than a rifle, or would have been if he hadn't fought back.
The Gothoan pushed up onto his knees and he brought the rifle around, but was too close to actually use it. Cade kicked the weapon away and stabbed toward his chest. The soldier dodged the knife and rolled away in pursuit of his rifle. She followed quickly, hoping to dispatch him before he could shout a warning. Things spun out of control. The black-helmeted Gothoan grabbed the laser rifle and continued to roll into a firing position. Cade threw her knife even as he brought his weapon to bear and squeezed off a shot. Rather than taking him high in the throat as she intended, the knife embedded itself in the soldier's chest. The shriek belonged to a young woman.
Cade hardly registered the fact because
of the lance of red-hot pain that blasted across her left thigh. She swallowed her own scream and scrambled toward the fallen woman, knowing the cry would haunt her for years to come.
"Where'd it come from?"
"Over there."
Cade started at the sound of the pursuing soldiers so close to her position. She couldn't help the Gothoan and forced herself to take the things that might help extend her own life. Cade had time to do only a cursory search before she sprinted for the darkness. Covered in blood, she realized she couldn't keep this up for much longer. Exhaustion had already dimmed her reflexes and almost gotten her killed. Cade decided to end the game of cat and mouse and return to her sanctuary for a few hours of sleep.
Relying on stealth and her years of training, Cade crept away from the ruins. She heard the soldiers near the place where the woman had died and took advantage of the distraction to escape. The remains of a town lay less than a kilometer deeper into the dark lands. Overturned and heavily damaged vehicles lay among what remained of the town that was really more of a village. No houses stood intact and artificial lights had shut down long ago. Cade slid into the rear of an antiquated supply truck. She pulled the rear closed and turned the handle to engage the simple lock.
Alone and fairly secure in the alumenethal-lined vehicle, she dropped the supplies taken from the soldiers, removed the palladium circlet and rubbed her sore wrist. Then she eased her trousers down to check the seriousness of her thigh wound. From the appearance, there was both good and bad news. The laser had cauterized the wound so she wouldn't bleed to death, but considering the conditions, she couldn't guarantee freedom from infection. On top of that, now that she'd sat down, her leg hurt like hell. She probably wouldn't be able to go anywhere for a few days at least.
Disheartened, she refastened her pants and opened the canteen she'd taken from the first soldier and cautiously sniffed the contents. Water. Cade drank a third of the container in one long gulp. The fluid eased some of the pain in her stomach, but she realized the need for rationing. Cade eased into a more comfortable position before delving into the last satchel she retrieved from the female soldier and could have cried in relief when she found a morsel of rough bread wrapped in a cloth.
She took a bite and chewed slowly, savoring the food for as long as she could. A minute sound caught her attention and she wondered if she imagined it when it didn't repeat. Shrugging it off, she took another bite. She heard the sound again and frowned. Cade stopped chewing and listened intently. She raised the wrist communicator to her ear and knew what it was...static. Cade dropped the bread and reached for the handle to the truck, stopping just before she opened it. The alloy lining the interior of the vehicle interfered with energy signals, that's why she'd felt comfortable removing the palladium.
Someone was sending a message on Coalition channels. Was it a trap? She didn't know, but couldn't take the chance of ignoring it. She raised the door and opened herself up to the possibility of Gothoan military forces tracking her. The sound disappeared as soon as she opened the hatch and didn't return though she listened for a long while, nearly holding her breath in a fervent desire for rescue. Eventually, Cade had to concede that she was mistaken. No one was coming and it would be up to her to escape this nightmare planet on her own.
Resolute, Cade decided that her small acts of terrorism against the Gothoans weren't enough. Destroying a ship here and there was at best an annoyance and at worse could get her killed. She had a stockpile of weapons and armaments taken from the enemy over the weeks and she intended to deal them a crippling blow. Before that, Cade needed to devise a means of escape. She would set off her parting gift of destruction just as she left the planet. She knew the layout of the military complex and where the Gothoans kept their space-worthy fighter craft. Though heavily guarded, Cade didn't consider that especially discouraging since she didn't have a choice. If she stayed on Gothos Prime, she would die.
Cade finished the bread and lay down on the bottom of the supply truck's rear compartment. While waiting for the relief of slumber, she wished for some more water to slack her thirst but realized the importance of conserving her supplies. She tried not to think of Van. Allowing those thoughts to surface would only make her more miserable than she already was. Now, if she could only keep the woman from visiting her in her dreams.
Chapter Nineteen
"CAPTAIN, WAIT."
THE half-Thuban tactical officer stopped Van before she repeated the hail. Without words, she acknowledged Lieutenant Commander Ozal's concern. Nodding once, Van terminated the attempt to contact Cade on Gothos Prime's surface. She couldn't make that call without possibly endangering Cade. Limited on what actions she could safely take, Van stood and addressed her seasoned officer.
"Can they detect us?"
"There aren't any signs of it, Captain. No weapons have powered up and patrols haven't headed in our direction. I'd say the new cloak is effective."
Van felt a small sense of relief. So far, all of the prototypes enhancing the Pandora had proven effective. "Scan the planet. Tune the sensors as high as they'll go. I want to know if you even think you find any Coalition signatures."
"Aye, Captain."
Van pointedly ignored Commander Byra's disgruntled expression. He didn't speak, but looked as though he'd tried to gargle with broken glass. Just like the rest of the crew, Van had given him the choice to opt out of her self-appointed mission. He hadn't.
He had to get over it. He'd had his shot.
"Set up station-keeping. The cloak should keep the Gothoans from detecting us."
Byra nodded. "I'm just glad we have it, otherwise we wouldn't even be able to attempt this rescue."
The stuff of science fiction, invisibility cloaks had only recently become viable. Tiny metamaterials guided rays of light around an object rendering it invisible. Now that their scientists could use the materials for something larger than a petri dish, Coalition engineers had decided to try it out on Pandora.
"Right. With all this prototype technology on board, something is sure to break down. Fortunately, the Gilgamesh should be here soon. Bug out if you have to and we'll rely on the Scorpion unit for reinforcements."
Although their relationship was still somewhat rocky, Van felt better than she had in weeks. The tension on the bridge had eased a little as well and she noticed that her crew smiled a bit more. That was good. They needed all of the optimism they could muster. It might make the difference between success and failure on this mission.
"Commander, please ensure the assigned crew members are in the war room in one hour."
"Aye, Captain."
Turning on her heel, Van strode to the lift. It was one of the rare times the conveyance didn't stop to let others off and on as she traveled to the lower decks. In moments, Van entered Pandora's single cargo bay and visually scanned the cavernous room. Rows of supplies took up one long wall, sorted into various categories of necessities. Near the far corner, she spotted the equipment she'd ordered put aside for this mission into hostile territory. Although Van trusted her crew, she wasn't willing to take it on faith that their supplies were properly prepared.
Van walked across the room near a stack of fully equipped packs. In addition to emergency meal packets, small first aid kits, thermal blankets, plasma grenades and more, someone had also considered the planet's cold climate. A crate of white camouflage winter gear stood ready to go. Thankfully, Gothos Prime wasn't as cold as Tokar, but it would still be cooler than most warm-blooded humanoids found comfortable. The parkas were perfect without being stifling.
After digging through one of the packs sitting nearby, Van was satisfied with the personal equipment. She opened a locker that sat against one wall and found it stuffed with pulse rifles, extra charge packs, octanitro grenades and other munitions. Night vision goggles filled one side of the cabinet. Pleased, Van started to head back to the lift with the intention of checking on the Pemberton's status. The rescue team would utilize Pandora's lifeboat to operate t
his mission. Van would have preferred the captain's yacht, but it was destroyed in the battle where she thought she'd also lost Cade. If she really was still alive on Gothos, losing a shuttle was a very small price to pay to get Cade back.
The door opening drew her attention and a single brow rose when Van saw Ensign Yugi headed toward her with a determined expression. Yugi smiled tentatively as she crossed over to stand next to Van.
"Shouldn't you be at your station, Ensign?" Van liked the young Alaran but now wasn't the time to indulge her.
"Commander Byra gave me permission to speak with you, ma'am. Since we're at station-keeping, there wasn't a lot for me to do at the helm."
Van could have pointed out that the situation was volatile and unpredictable. It was more important than ever to have everyone at their post. However, she sensed something unusual was afoot and kept silent. Crossing her arms over her chest, Van looked up at the slightly taller navigator and waited to hear what she had to say. Jaw set, she figured Yugi wanted to offer more moral support and she felt slightly miffed. When Yugi merely stood looking at her, Van broke the silence.
"Out with it, Ensign, and this had better be good. I have a rescue to pull off and I don't have time to get in touch with my feelings."
The last was somewhat sarcastic, but Yugi didn't seem to notice. "That's not why I'm here, Captain. I wanted to ask you to assign me to the mission."
"You can't be serious."
For an instant, Van thought Yugi was joking, but there wasn't anything funny about her request. "The answer is no."
"Captain Swann, please hear me out." Yugi's eyes implored her. Their blue depths weren't the same color as Cade's, but every time Van looked at them, she thought of Cade. She couldn't deny the young woman the right to make her case, though Van would not allow her to join the assault...no matter what she said.
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