By: Chris Gilman
Chapter 8
Chilan sits at her desk. Her feet resting on it as she leans back in thought. ‘Knight, why did you let this happen? Now I get to try to figure out how to rescue you.’
She lowers her feet and sits up straight. Activating her terminal she starts scrolling through the list of personnel available on ship. She makes a few notes on the small pad next to her keyboard and returns to the list, scanning it again.
“Not much to work with here. But nothing better either,” she mumbles to herself and makes a few more notes. “Going to have to talk to Conner about getting a group trained to be ground-pounders if we are going into the enforcement business.”
Changing the readout on her screen she looks over what they can call on to support this little assault and her eyes widen in shock. “Where the hell did Conner get three of those? They are not sold on the open market last time I checked, that’s for sure.” After a quick thought she shakes her head and changes her mind, “I don’t even want to know where he got those from.”
***
Conner is dozing lightly on his bed when his com-link buzzes for his attention. He activates it with a flailing hand, “Yeah?”
“Captain, the ore transport and re-supply ship is on approach,” says the watch officer on the bridge.
He sits up and stretches, “Good, we need those supplies. Besides, it’s been a while since their last run and our ore holds are full.”
He stands and starts putting his shirt on, still talking to the com-link. “Launch the alert fighter to escort them in and tell them to wait for escort. We don’t want that ship to fall under attack without something to guard them.” He pauses a minute in thought, “Better tell the Alphas to be on alert, just in case.”
“Aye sir,” replies the watch officer on the bridge.
“I’m on my way to the bridge now,” he says as he thumbs off his com-link and heads out the door. ‘I hope we have one uneventful day for once.’
***
Blade is sitting in the hot seat when the call comes up to launch. He gets immediate clearance and the launch officer gives the hand signal to him for launch. With one hand gripping the control stick tightly he slides the thrust control forward and feels the acceleration shove him back into his seat like a huge fist. In less then a second he is out of the ship and free in blackness of space.
“
The air-boss replies over the radio, “Roger that Alpha-Three. Good luck and bring her home safely.”
Blade adjusts his frequency to the one that the transport is
supposed to be on. “Lucky Ticket, this is Alpha-Three outbound from
A voice comes over his headset, “Affirmative Alpha-Three, we expect to see you soon.”
Blade keeps the channel on the transport’s frequency,
knowing the
He sighs as the transport comes into view and he does a fly by as the same voice comes back over his radio. “Alpha-Three, we see you, glad for the escort. There have been reports of strange raiders all over civilized space lately.”
“What is that about raiders?” asks Blade as a chill runs down his spine.
“That’s affirmative; guess you guys have been left alone out here if you haven’t heard anything about them. They’ve been springing up all over ever since the Stellar Patrol got wiped out.”
“Uhhh… Roger that Lucky Ticket. Need to report to
With speed, Blade changes his frequency back to the air-boss’ and keys his mic, “Air-boos this is Alpha-Three, get me the captain.”
“Captain is still on his way to bridge Alpha-Three. What’s the problem?”
“Tell him to meet me when I land, got something to report to him that I don’t want to put out on the air.”
There is a ripe pause before the air-boss comes back on the air. “Uhh… Roger that Alpha-Three. Captain says he will see you when you land, but he wants to know what’s up.”
Blade pauses for a moment before he keys his mic again, “In a word, trouble.”
Without another word he changes back to the transports frequency and transmits, “Okay, we’re cleared all the way in it looks like. ETA for docking is twenty minutes.”
“Roger that Alpha-Three, we are on the beacon and your systems are linked to us. Guide us in.”
Twenty minutes later Blade is circling over the large Mammoth class vessel as the smaller transport slowly settles down into the dorsal docking bay. Once settled in he flips his fighter over and swings around to get into an approach vector.
“Air-boss, this is Alpha-Three requesting permission to land.”
There is a moment’s pause as the air-boss checks his vector and the lights over his bay turn green. “Affirmative Alpha-Three, bay is ready for retrieval.”
***
Conner watches as the Griffon class fighter settles down and the outer bay doors close. A crew starts swarming over the fighter as the canopy opens and the pilot climbs down the ladder.
The pilot walks over to where the captain is waiting and salutes. “Sir, I have information to report.”
Conner returns the salute and nods.
“While talking to the comm. officer of the transport he relayed a worrying bit of information. He informed me there have been raids all over civilized space of late, ever since the Stellar Patrol was wiped out.”
The captain leans in and whispers to the pilot, “Don’t mention about our guests. I don’t want it well known that we have changed out mission of late. But thanks for the information Blade.” He stands back up straight and waves towards the door. “Bird Dogs have next watch, get some sleep son.”
“Thank you, sir,” says the tiger as he heads for the corridor out of the bay.
Walking down the hall he rubs a hand over the back of his neck and groans. ‘I hate those eight hour stints in the hot seat. It’s too much tension.’
***
A female jaguar is standing in the transport bay watching the cargo being unloaded by various crewmembers in heavy lifting power suits. Conner walks up behind her and she doesn’t even flinch as she says, “Hello Conner.” She turns to face him with a smirk on her face.
“Hi Jessica, how was the ride out?” asks Conner as he closes the last few feet between them and rests his hand on her shoulder.
She shrugs her shoulder, “Eh… About what you would expect in times like this. The universe is going nuts. But I see you are still doing good out here, lots of demand for these ores. Mostly it’s used to build new starships, but there are other uses.”
He nods and gestures for her to follow him. “Yeah, business is good, and I’ve got a full load of ores for you to take back, usual cut for the crew. But I need you to get in touch with some of your old contacts.”
She gives him a knowing nod, “I saw the escort that led us in. Good idea to arm yourself now days. Especially with this beauty,” she says as she looks around her at the ship. “Just think about what a pirate fleet could do with this baby as a base.”
Conner gives an involuntary shudder, “I’d rather not. I’ll blow her first if she is going to be captured.”
She gives him a nod, “I bet you would too, but let’s try to keep it and our skins intact dear,” she says and she saunters into the office in front of Conner.
Conner enters and shuts the door as the jaguar pulls a chair out from in front of the desk and plops down into it. Conner takes the seat behind the desk and brings up a file on his display. Tapping a few keys he nods at the screen and turns it to face her.
“Here’s what I need.”
She looks over the list and slowly raises her eyes back to look at Conner’s face. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Slowly Conner shakes his head, “Nope, not in the least.”
“Conner, this is going to wipe out any and all profit we’re going to get from that load of ore.”
Conner gives her a slow nod, “Yep.”
She rotates the screen back to him and leans back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. “Hon, you and me have been together how long?”
Conner gets a thoughtful look, “Been ten years next month.”
She gives a sharp nod, “And I know we haven’t seen much of each other lately, but in this time we have been with each other you have never tried anything like this.” She stands and braces her hands on the desk as she leans towards Conner. “Now are you going to tell your wife why you are trying to get this kind of firepower out here?”
Conner looks up her and smiles, “You wouldn’t believe me dear.”
Slowly the jaguar walks around the desk and sits in Conner’s lap. Taking his head in her furry hands she gives him a deep kiss before breaking it and looking deep into his eyes. “When have I even not believed you?”
Conner smiles at her as he looks back into her eyes. “I know that, but if I tell you, it can’t go past you, and only you.”
She gives him a skeptical look, “What, you starting a war?”
He gives her the most serious look he can and says one word, “Yes.”
She gives him a startled look as she sits in his lap. “What?”
***
Later that night Conner and Jessica are lying in the large bed in his cabin. Jessica rests with her head on his chest, idly stroking the hairs on his chest. “I think I know why you’re doing it, but still I need to ask.”
Conner runs his hand down her furry back and gently squeezes her rear. “I understand why you need to ask.” He takes a deep breath and thinks on how to answer her for a minute.
When he is slow to answer she raises her head to look up at his face, “Well?”
“I owe him a blood debt many times over. He saved my ass back when I was a rookie transport pilot and he was a rookie fighter pilot.” He sighs, “He tried to talk me out of doing it when we found him. But you know how stubborn I am.”
She looks at the scar on his left hand and traces it with a delicate finger. “You’ve enacted blood revenge haven’t you?”
Slowly he nods his head, “Yes, I did.”
She looks up at him and strokes her hand over his chest, “Then by marriage it is also my revenge.”
“Not necessarily,” he says as he smoothes the hair back from her face. “The debt comes from before we were married, and therefore does not include you.” He wraps his arms around her tightly and hugs her to him, “In fact, I wouldn’t blame you if you left me.”
She turns her face up to give him a kiss under his chin. “Now why would I do something like that?” She cuddles down with him under the sheets again. “Maybe you remember the words ‘for better or worse’, and ‘till death do us part’? I meant those when I said them.”
He places his left hand under her chin and lifts her to once more look at him. “I meant that too,” he says as he bends his head down to kiss her deeply on her lips.
Soon, they doze off into sleep wrapped in each other’s arms, content in the presence of each other’s company.
***
Chilan was looking over the document on her screen when a chime signaled that someone was at the door to her cabin. She emits a low growl as she stands and pads over to the door to open it.
Seeing Conner standing there she steps back and waves him inside. “What can I do for you Conner?”
Conner takes the seat in front of her desk as she slipped behind it and into her seat again. “I came to see what you’ve come up with in the last twenty-four hours. We need to launch the rescue mission as soon as possible.”
Chilan steeples her fingers and taps the tips on her muzzle. “Well, I got the only personnel that are remotely trained selected, and I have gone through the gear available.” She looks over at the display and gives a knowing grin, “And I am curious about how you got your hands on some of it.”
Conner gives her a smile, “I’m sure you are. Let’s just say I know some people who know some people.”
She raises her hands in defeat. “I give up, keep your secrets.”
She opens a drawer and pulls out a data chip. “Here, this has the basics on it, men and material. I’ll need them ready in twelve hours. The strike launches then.”
“Who you going to have flying cover?” he asks as he takes the chip and pockets it.
She gives him a steady look then one side of the muzzle turns up in a lopsided grin. “All of Bird Dog and what’s left of Alpha. Nedri will lead the fighters.”
Conner cocks an eyebrow at her. “And where will you be?”
She lets the grin break out into a full fledged smile, “Right in the middle of the firefight of course.”
Conner shakes his head as he leaves the cabin to gather the materials and inform the personnel that will be needed.
***
Twelve hours later Chilan is looking over the assembled personnel she has selected she nods her head as the last enters.
“You know that Jet has been missing,” she starts off by saying and a murmur spreads through the crowd. “You have been selected for the mission to retrieve our friend.”
Brian starts to laugh in his seat and many people turn to look at the fox in shock. “Well, that explains why almost my entire security team is here.”
Chilan gives him a nod, “Your team is the only group trained in assault techniques. The fighters will cover us, Nedri is in charge of that and is briefing them right now.”
The door at the back of the room opens and Conner walks in and takes a seat. “Sorry I’m late.”
Chilan gazes at his in surprise, “You didn’t have to be here.”
He points at her, “Check your file again.”
She quickly scrolls through the personnel and sees at the bottom a change, the name Conner added to the list. She looks back up at him with a shocked expression, “Captain, we need you here. We don’t need you out there in a gun fight.”
Conner shakes his head, “You really need to go over your records better.” He thumbs his chest, “I’m the best fighter in a combat suit.”
Brian and most of the security personnel start to nod their heads. “He’s right Chilan,” he calls out. “Besides, it’s still his ship, so what he says goes.”
She seems to think it over for a minute before she gives him a level gaze and nods. “Okay Conner, you’re on. You’ll lead the team of battle suits in the push.”
Conner just crosses his arms again and smile, “No problem.”
***
The thirty people slowly walk up the ramp into the small mining transport’s cargo bay. Chilan watching them pass as she notices the female jaguar that she didn’t recognize slide into the ship. Her curiosity piqued she follows the jaguar.
She enters the flight deck and is surprised to see the jaguar running through the pre-flight check. “Just who the hell are you?”
The jaguar answers without turning, “I heard you needed the best transport pilot to be had in these parts, that’s me.”
She growls at the tone in the cat’s voice. “Look missy, I don’t know who sent you here, but I didn’t select you. Now get the hell off this ship.”
The cat turns and fixes a steely gaze on the squirrel, “If you think you’re going to fly my mate and his entire security staff into action without me, you’re dumber then you look.”
The statement knocks Chilan’s mind for a loop, “And who is your mate?”
Without loosing eye contact she grins, “Conner.”
Chilan’s jaw drops to the floor. She never knew that the big human was married, especially not to a jaguar.
The jaguar grins at the look on the squirrel, “Now, go get the boys loaded.” She turns back to the control panel and continues with her checks. “We’ll be ready to launch in ten minutes.”
Chilan numbly nods as she leaves the flight deck. Reaching the cargo hold she storms up to Conner and taps him roughly on the back.
Conner turns from the power suit he’s securing to look down at the squirrel who has a look of anger painted on her face. “Yes?”
She glares at him for how calm he is. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a mate?”
Conner gives a chuckle and turns back to the suit, “Ahh, I see you met my darling Jessica.”
Still fuming she replies, “Yes, she’s running down the checklist in flight right now.”
Conner nods, “Ahh good, then she did take my hint.”
Now she glares at him all the harder, “Your hint?”
Conner turns back to her with that grin on his face, “Yep, and trust me, you’ll want her along. You can pilot a fighter better then most, but she pilots transports into places you wouldn’t dare take your fighter. Trust me, she knows what she’s doing, and she’s the best.” And with that he turns back to finish securing the battle suit.
“We’ll see,” she growls under her breath as she turns to supervise the final securing of equipment.
***
The security team and Conner are strapped into their seats twenty minutes later as they feel the gentle acceleration of take-off. Once the acceleration ends and the light near the door turn green they un-strap and start moving around. Some strapping on body armor, others check weapons.
But several turn and watch as Conner and two of the bigger security team members unclothe. The two males and one female walk up to the secured suits and unlatch the access panels. Several others stand and help the three secure their bodies into the large heavy suits. One by one they are secured and the hatches are closed and latched on the inside.
Conner brings his systems up and grins in the suit, he activates the PA system with a thought to the neural interface and speaks into the suit’s microphone. “Ok, ready for tests. Stand clear.”
The crew surrounding the suits step back as They each bring their suits up to full power. With their shoulders strapped into the restraint harnesses they aren’t supporting any of the weight. Slowly they work each of their limbs through some test movement. Different weapons sliding out of concealed compartments. Everything from chain guns that pop out of hidden compartments on their backs, to mono blades that slid out of their forearms.
Having run the tests Conner’s suit nods its head as he raises his hands to the restraints and releases them. Now standing on his legs the suit easily towers over the assembled fighters and they let out a cheer as the last of the suits completes its tests and unhooks from its restraints.
Looking around at the other suits he nods and they walk over to the crates that remain un-opened to one side of the cargo bay. They all step heavily over to them and each opens one. The heavily armed men and women watch wide eyed as each suit pulls out a different exotic weapon from its crate.
Conner pulls out a large caliber chain gun and secures the large ammo pack to his back with magnetic pads. Then pulls the belt from the side of it and slams it home with a loud click in the receiver of the gun.
The male bear that had climbed into the second suit pulls out a contraption with a large tank of some kind secured under it. With a metallic click he lets the magnetic pads on its side secure themselves to the leg of the suit for transporting. He reaches back into the crate and pulls out what appears to be a spare tank and it snaps to the armor on his left leg in a similar fashion.
The female zebra in the last suit pulls out what appears to be a rocket launcher and an audible chuckle can be heard from her suit speakers. “Conner, you got to be kidding.”
Conner looks over at her and his suited head shakes back and forth, “Nope. No clue what we are going to run into. Look at it on the bright side; you don’t have to carry it without the suit.”
The zebra shakes her armored head and picks up the ammo pack which she clips to her back in a similar fashion to the way Conner clipped his on. Then she attaches the launcher itself to the harness for it on her right shoulder. With a thought it folds back and now rests against her back, its muzzle pointing towards the ceiling and sticking a good foot higher then the top of her helmet.
The suits had been nine feet tall already, and now with their extra weaponry they looked like something from a nightmare.
Each suit is a glossy black, except for the SP logo on one shoulder and the blood red visor slits. Several of the people in the cargo hold almost feel sorry for whatever they are going to face.
As they enter the sector where Jet had gone missing the light over the door turns yellow and the combat ready fighters snap their magazines into the receivers.
Chilan walks out from the flight deck in full battle armor and surveys around the cargo hold. “We got a large contact on the scanner. Looks like the local capital ship that has been harassing us. All but Bird Dogs-Four and Five and going to break loose and draw their attention. Once they have their attention, we’ll sneak in using a cloaking device and latch onto their hull. We will then storm in and find our crewmate, and return him to ship.”
The assembled fighters give a cheer, raising their guns over their heads as they do so. Chilan gives them a nod as she shoves her helmet down on her head and slams a clip into the assault rifle. “Be ready to board when we have latched on.”
Many of the personnel nod and sit in their seats as they wait. Some pull out small metal flasks and take sips, offering it to those around them. Others pull out packs of cigarrets and light up. While others just sit quietly, their eyes closed and concentrate on what is to come.
But the three battle suits stand next to the breaching hatch they are going to use to enter the ship. The three of them are having a private talk over their suit radios.
“Natasha, if you get the chance to do some serious damage with that pop gun you got, use it,” says Conner as he clips the heavy cannon to his right leg where it is easily reachable. “Jake, you get to clear each corridor of soft targets, and I’ll take the soft ones. When possible, conserve ammo and go hand-to-hand with the mono blades in tour wrists. Not sure how far we are going to have to go to find Jet.”
“I’m sure you’ve thought of this boss, but uh, how are we going to find jet in something that big?” asks Jake.
Conner taps one armored gauntlet against his helmet, “Got a highly advanced scanner in here. It can actually detect Jet’s distinct vital signs if I get close enough. We’ve got a sweeping mission basically.”
“What about the unarmored?” asks Natasha.
Conner looks around at the people whoa re dressed for battle around them. “Them, we’ll need them. Some will stay near our entrance. But we’re not going to keep all three suits together. Each suit will take a team of five troopers. That’ll leave a little over ten here to guard the ship. Each of us will take a different direction and yell out when you find him.”
The three large black armored figures nod to each other and then stand motionless as they wait.
***
The fighters are intermingled nicely with the each other as Jessica watches the sensor screen. “There’s the opportunity,” she whispers to herself and slides her clocked ship up next to the huge vessel. With a thud she settles the magnetic breaching collar against the hull and flips the switch to blast a hole in the side of the ship. With a nod to Chilan she locks down the controls and waits.
Chilan runs back into the cargo hold and motions towards the breaching hatch. With a nod Conner flips out the smaller chain gun built into this armor and steps through the hatch. Seeing no activity he motions for the others to follow. Once in the hallway they break up and each head off in different directions.
Conner and his team head towards the front and encounter their first resistance. A laser rifle drops for m the ceiling and takes a shot that reflects off the black armored suit in the lead. Conner raises her arm and closes his fist, the gun on the arm speaking for him and it blasts a crater in the ceiling where the gun used to be.
Keying his radio on he speaks to everyone’s headsets, “Watch out for automated defenses.”
A series of “affirmatives” answers him and he takes off down the hallway again with the troopers behind him watching the hallway all around them nervously.
***
The troopers back at the ship glace around nervously as they hear a metallic clanking coming closer, and it doesn’t sound like one of the battle suits. Coming out of a side corridor come three mechanized figures who don’t even try to take cover as the troopers open fire.
Their bullets just bounce off the metal bodies and show no effect. “Damn,” shouts Chilan as she thumbs a explosive round into the under slung launcher of her rifle. “Clear,” she shouts as she leans out and launches the round, ducking back before it hits.
The corridor is filled with flames, smoke, and debris as the shell blows and carefully Chilan looks back out into the corridor. She is shocked to see the metal figures still approaching. “Damn,” she yells as she pulls her head back in as a laser bolt hits the bulkhead next to her.
“Conner, I need one of you suits back here now!” she shouts into her com-link, but static is all that greets her ear. Ripping it off her helmet and throwing it down she curses again. “Jessica,” she yells towards the flight deck, “try to get a hold of Conner. We need heavy support here, now!”
Jessica tries to raise him on the com-link, but there is only static now. “I can’t, we’re being jammed somehow.”
“Fuck!” Chilan shouts as she runs over to the weapon rack and pulls the rail-gun. Slapping a clip in she watches as it slowly charges up for its first shot. Looking over at the security personnel taking cover in the doorway she grimaces, “Guys, hold them back, if nothing else those shells hitting them have to slow them down, I need a minute.”
They give her a nod and half of them start firing at the approaching machines. As their clips run dry the ones behind them step forward and start firing while they step back and reload. Chilan watches them do this a few times before the light on the side of the gun turns green.
She runs up and sets the gun against the bulkhead, carefully aiming. With a high pitched electric whine she pulls the trigger and a small projectile flies out of the end to impact one of the approaching machines. The projectile hits and the machine falls over as the back of it blows out.
The two remaining machines stop to look at their fallen comrade before they look up again to see two more shots coming in rapid secession to take them out. Chilan grins as she brings the gun back and holds it carefully as it cools off. She looks at the cheering troopers and nods.
“Get some more of those AC-mags ready. I think these babies are the only things that are going to take out those damn things.” Four of the troopers nod and run to grab the other rail-guns from their mounts and load them. Soon there are five of the powerful guns keeping watch down the corridors leading to the transport.
Chilan checks her watch and frowns, “Hmm… They’ve been ten minutes so far. Hope they find him soon.”
She hands her gun over to another trooper and heads for the flight deck. Tapping Jessica on the shoulder she draws the jaguar’s attention. “How’s the space fight going out there?”
“From what I’ve seen on the scanner so far so good, no major damage, and the enemy fighters are taking a beating.”
“Good, cause I’m getting worried.”
The jaguar just stares blankly at the scanner, “Don’t worry, Conner will find him, and then we can get out of here.”
Chilan turns back to the cargo bay and hears the high pitched whine of the rail-guns firing again. “I hope he finds him soon.”
***
In the stern of the ship Natasha and her small group of troopers still haven’t seen any resistance as they draw nearer what should be the engine area. She scans the area and detects a strong power source behind a heavy blast door.
She looks down at the man carrying the breaching charges and points at the door. He nods and scurries forward while the others cover him. After a few moments he’s running to get around a bulkhead only seconds before the charges blow.
Through the smoke and debris Natasha walks forward and enters the room. Suddenly hundreds of rounds and lasers are bouncing off her suit. “What the hell?” she screams as she raises her right arm and the gun there pops out. She starts filling the room with her own gunfire and bullets fly out to hit her attackers.
After less then a minute she lets up and the room falls silent as her gun spins down to a stop. Looking around her she sees the remains of at least twenty strange machines that seemed to have been hooked into a large machine in the center.
She turns her head to see the troopers with her sticking their heads to look in. “Stay out for a minute,” she says as she turns back to the machine and brings the rocket launcher up.
Using the HUD of the suit she locks onto the large machine and watches as the targeting hairs turn red. She triggers the launcher and watches as in less then a second the missile flies out and strikes its target. A wave of debris and flame licks over her suit. Her suit is so heavy though, that it doesn’t even rock from the blast of air that hits it.
But the sound does deafen her for a moment and she misses the transmission, “What was that, please repeat?”
Again the signal comes to her, heavy with static, but she can make it out. “Get back to the ship, we’ve got him.”
“Roger that.” She steps out into the hall and nods to the troopers waiting for her. “Come on, we got what we came for.”
With a cheer the troopers start running back the way they came. Natasha takes one more look into the room she just blasted and wonders what she just blew up before she follows the troopers at a run.
***
Conner is side-by-side with Jake as they try to hold off the machines closing in on them. They are trying to give the foot troopers time to get back to the ship with Jet. “Good thing I ran into you Jake, even with all our firepower these is not easy.”
Jake nods as he gives another blast of the heavy flamer, causing one of the machines seems to explode as its ammo is set off.
Conner grins as he lets off another burst from his huge chain gun and a handful of the machines fall twitching. “Where are all these things coming from?”
Jake ejects his empty fuel canister and slams his spare in. “I don’t know, but there is going to be a lot less before we leave here though.” He looks over his shoulder and sees the breeching hatch, “Almost there Conner.”
Conner hears the sound he feared, his gun just clicked empty. “Damn,” he says as he grabs a device off his belt and shouts, “Run for it.”
The two powered suits turn and ignore the shots bouncing off their armor as they run for the breeching tunnel. With a jump they dive through the breech and land hard on the deck.
“We got everyone?” Conner asks.
“Yeah, we got everyone,” replies Chilan.
“Good, lock up and get out of here, now!”
One of the troopers hits the emergency close on the breeching dock and Chilan sticks her head into the flight deck yelling, “GO!”
Jessica snaps into action and separates the transport from the larger vessel. She leans on the throttle and the transport speeds away as two of the Bird Dogs form up as an escort.
Jessica switches to Nedri’s channel and keys the radio. “Eyes, we got the package. Break off and form up on me.”
“Affirmative Lucky Star, we are disengaging now.”
Chilan watches out the view ports as the fighters disengage and form up on them. Then suddenly there is a flare from behind them and a shockwave rolls over the ship. “What was that?”
Jessica gets a grin on her muzzle as she answers, “ I think that was the reason Conner wanted up to leave.” She punches up a rear view screen and sees the large gapping hole in the side of the massive ship. It’s easily twenty yards across, but it looks like nothing on such a large ship.
“What could he have put in there?” Chilan says more to herself then to the jaguar in the pilot’s seat.
“I’d say that was a hydrogen charge, somewhere in the ten ton range,” replies the jaguar as she calmly pilots the ship towards its home.
Chilan stares at her in shock, “How do you know that?”
The jaguar grins wider as she looks at the squirrel from the corner of her eye. “Cause, I got them for him.”
Chilan shakes her head as if she didn’t hear her right, “I know what I think you just said, but that’s imposable.”
“Why?” she asks as she refocus on the controls in front of her.
“Cause, that’s high grade charges. They don’t even use something like that in mining.” She gives the other female a glare, “The only way to get those charges is through military channels. They’re used to blow bunkers.”
The jaguar doesn’t say a word, she only nods.
In disgust Chilan turns and leaves the flight deck. ‘It’s impossible to get a straight answer out of people around here.’
***
Conner is helping to secure the other two suits into their harnesses so the two people inside them can extricate themselves. When they finally start opening their latches and crawling out he stands under his harness and reaching up sets his suit into the restraints. With a click a red light on his HUD turns green and he lowers the arms back to his sides.
With a sigh he starts going through his shut down procedure and sighs as the last interlock shuts down. Hitting the sequence in his right glove he hears the click of the locks opening. A breeze of the cool air from the cargo hold flooding through the hatch to his sweat covered body makes him shiver.
With a groan of sore muscles he extricates himself from the suit and stretches once he is clear. His back audibly cracks and he winces as he relaxes.
Brian holds out a towel to him which he takes, “Thanks.” He unfolds it and starts to rub himself down. His body is naked except for the layer of grease and sweat that covers him. After trying to clean himself up some he drops the towel and grabs his pants from where he left them. Finally he takes a seat with the two others who had been in the power suits.
He takes a deep sigh and closes his eyes, “I forgot how much those suits take out of you.”
Natasha rests her head against the bulkhead and sighs, “Yep, now I remember why I gave it up so long ago. I used to wear one of those for eight hours a day. While you’re in them, the stimulus system keeps you going nicely. But not so nicely once you get out.”
Jake lets out a quiet laugh, “At least it was a short fight.”
“Short fight?” asks a female voice in front of the tri.
“Well, short by our standards Chilan,” says Conner without opening his eyes.
“Conner, it took you forty-five minutes to find and extricate Jet. That was far too long.”
Conner opens one eye to look at the squirrel standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. “Chilan, go check on Jet, we need to take a nap.”
Chilan turns and walks off to the small medical bay as Conner closes his eyes again and slowly passes off into the peace of sleep.
***
In the small medical bay Jet lies on the table while a paramedic runs a scanner over him when Chilan enters. “How’s he doing?”
The female wolf looks up at the squirrel and smiles. “He should recover, several severe internal injuries have been suffered, but they are healing now. Looks like they were healing him up before using him in a similar manner to the way they used you and Nedri.”
Chilan nods, “Seems to make sense. Wonder why no one encountered any living beings on the ship other them Jet when they found him.”
The wolf shrugs, “Not my department.”
Chilan nods at the wolf and turns towards the door, “Notify me if his condition changes.”
The wolf gives her a wave, “Sure, you got it.”
Chilan steps into the cargo bay and takes an empty seat.
‘What a day. I can’t wait to get back to the