Blade
Scrapper. Part 6.
Damantha Makarova

Cover made with use of AI Kandinsky

© Damantha Makarova, 2024

ISBN 978-5-0064-8693-5 (т. 6)

ISBN 978-5-0062-7070-1

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Chapter 1. Gear

Serena stepped calmly, even though she felt confused and enraged by what the Empress had done.

A million questions flew about her head, not allowing her to stay collected. Was she being punished for arresting Elijah? Was it because she took in an Ilarian man that was supposed to be dead? Was the investigation leading to something the Empress didn’t want her to find out?

Walking up to MSS Lyssandra, she saw a royal engineer stepping up with a smile:

«Serena Dal Thara-Lyss, an honour to meet you.» the young man bowed. «Ilzer Garad, my lady.»

Serena stopped before him and nodded in a polite half-bow, greeting the man:

«Ilzer, a pleasure.»

«Allow me to deliver some new gear for your crew, my lady. By order of the Empress.»

Serena frowned:

«Gear?»

«Empress Alathea ordered to have your crew geared up with Special Forces jetpacks for the upcoming missions. She thought they will come in handy where you’re going.» Ilzer showed at the container behind him. «I was told to deliver them to your ship.»

«Uh… and how many of those have you got in there?» Serena nodded to the container.

«Enough for your whole crew, my lady. Even your new crew members.»

«Some of them don’t have Veluthian armour and won’t be able to use them.»

«Irrelevant, my lady. I was only told to issue you as many jetpacks as you have crew members.» Ilzer shrugged. «It is up to you if you wish to make them our armour. The Empress gave an order and I am only following it.»

Serena sighed and gestured to her ship:

«Very well, then…» she bowed slightly, welcoming him aboard. «You can leave the container in the cargo bay.»

«If there is anything else I can help you with, just let me know.»

They walked into the cargo bay and Ilzer ordered the anti-gravitational platform to unload the container next to the wall.

«I do need… something.» Serena felt strange, asking the royal technicians for anything, but since he was the one to offer her his services, she couldn’t pass this opportunity.

«I’ll be glad to help, my lady.» Ilzer sent off the platform and smiled to the Captain. «What is it you need?»

«Do you think you could spare us some hover bikes?» Serena watched his face flash a bit of surprize for a split second, and then he chuckled:

«But of course! How many do you need?»

«Eight will do.»

Ilzer nodded and tapped his wrist band, inputting something into it. A few moments passed and two rows of hover bikes – four in each row – slowly flew up and landed into the cargo bay, folding into parking position.

Serena couldn’t help but twitch her brow: these hover bikes weren’t the typical ones available for purchase all over Velutha.

«You’re giving me Dragons?» Serena asked, glancing at Ilzer.

«As per the Empress’ orders, I am to supply the best of our gear to you.» the man replied with a polite nod. «You must be a very important person if the Empress holds you in such high regard.»

Serena bit her tongue, not to say that she doesn’t think so. Ilzer stepped up closer with a very intrigued squint and asked quietly:

«Is it true that you are now working directly for the Empress as her tactical crew?»

Serena cleared her throat, collecting her thoughts:

«Yes, I guess, you could call us that.»

«And… with Terrans in your crew? How peculiar…»

«These Terrans are hand-picked and capable, Ilzer. Do not underestimate them or disrespect them.»

«I beg your forgiveness, my lady.» Ilzer bowed. «I meant no offence, I was only surprized a Veluthian captain would associate with Terrans. As you understand, we are… in a state of high alert towards Terra and its threat. Your investigation has made it impossible to think otherwise.»

«I understand. But these men ran from Terra for a reason. More than enough times they have proved their loyalty to me as their Captain and to the Laithorian Empire. So yes… I associate with Terrans. Even Terrans have honourable men.»

«Then not all is lost in our cause.» Ilzer bowed. «Safe travels, Lady Serena.»

«Thank you, Ilzer.»

«Until we meet again.» the man walked out of the cargo bay and Serena took a moment, looking at the new hover bikes she received so easily.

«Lyssa! Send Cipher an order to get to Veluthian orbit. And commence lift-off!» Serena ordered.

«Yes, Captain.» the AI closed the bay door and began the lift-off sequence.

Serena breathed out the tension gathered in her and stepped up to the hover bikes, admiring the sleek design. She knew that hover bikes like these were usually issued for the Empress’ private guard, and the fact that she and her crew received them was surprizing.

«Lindon? Hunter? Wolfin?» Serena called the men through the communication device in her ear. «I think you’d better come to the cargo bay. We have new toys you’d love to see.»

«Toys?» Wolfin’s voice came through. «I’m more worried about your visit to the Empress.»

«Let’s talk when we get to orbit and reconvene with Cipher and the others. Just get your asses here. I know Lindon will definitely be thrilled I got this.» Serena kneeled next to one of the Dragons and ran her fingers on the matte black spine of the steering panel.

As the men hurried to her, she was enthralled by the amazing tech before her eyes, in awe of the gift she was given.

«The fuck?» Wolfin gasped as soon as he stepped into the cargo bay.

Serena glanced back and saw all three standing there – Hunter intrigued and Lindon wide-eyed and with his mouth open. Wolfin, on the other hand, was completely baffled.

«We got new toys, boys.» Serena chuckled. «And the best ones in all of Velutha.»

«Dragons…» Lindon breathed out. «They gave you Dragons…»

The Captain stood up and walked over to the container, flicking the open button. The container unravelled, becoming a portable holding for the small, but powerful jetpacks.

«And Wings, Lindon.» Serena smiled, taking one out and taking a good look at it.

Lindon walked up to her, hesitantly taking the jetpack and meeting her gaze:

«But… why? How?»

Serena shrugged with a smile:

«I guess, our team has made it clear we’re worthy of an upgrade…»

«But… this is…» Lindon looked at the jetpack in his hands and fell silent.

Serena glanced at Hunter, who studied the hover bikes attentively and then at Wolfin, who stood at the door with a deep frown on his face. When the Veluthian noticed her looking, he grunted, crossing his arms:

«And, uh… what did you do to get these?»

«Well…» Serena’s smile faded slowly. «We received an order from the Empress. And we were supplied with means that could come in handy.»

Her mentor approached her, still frowning:

«I’m serious, Serena. What did you do?»

«Our investigation granted us favour of the Empress. I didn’t question it, Wolfin. I just accepted it.» the woman replied, feeling uneasy under his heavy gaze.

Wolfin glanced at the bikes and the jetpacks and took a deep breath:

«Why do I get the feeling we’re getting into some shit storm of a situation again?»

Hunter looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with Serena:

«We are, aren’t we?» he asked.

Serena sighed heavily:

«Maybe.» she looked at the information tablet provided by the Empress. «Give me a little time to get my thoughts together and invite Cipher and his crew on board. All hands on deck meeting… let’s say… twenty minutes? By that time I’ll know exactly what kind of a shit storm we’ve been sent to face.»

As she walked off, the men exchanged worried glances, but said nothing.

Chapter 2. Briefing

Serena looked at the information tablet and sighed. She wasn’t sure if she should mention the possibility of Veluthian children being on the Kargalan planet. After all, even the Empress didn’t know if the Academy students reached it or not.

She remembered her own Academy days, when they would be subjected to months without any contact with the outside world – either training survival skills on distant planets or going through battle training with the older kids on designated training fields located all over – within the Laithorian Empire, and outside its borders on distant outposts.

Could the students be elsewhere? Maybe.

«Captain, the whole crew is gathered and awaiting your attendance…» Lyssa reported.

«Thank you. Tell them I’ll be right there.» Serena replied with a sigh.

She ran out of time to decide what she should tell them and what to conceal, so they won’t be worried ahead of time.

The woman stood from the couch and exited her quarters, still looking at the information on the tablet before her eyes. Reaching the dining area, she stepped to the wall, activating one of the larger screens and sending to it the map of the Karaleer system, where planet Kargalan was located:

«Alright…» she sighed, raising her eyes to her crew and seeing worried eyes aimed at her. «So… we… uh… were taken off the smuggling case.»

She fell silent, seeing surprise on her men’s faces.

«What do you mean we were taken off the case?» Wolfin frowned. «How so?»

«Well, the development of our case turned a little… sideways. As all the things we’ve found out made the Empress and Counsellors believe the Laithorian Empire is facing a direct threat from the Terran Company.» Serena took a deep breath. «And because of the high alert, our crew has been asked to investigate a Laithorian outpost in the Karaleer system that sent an emergency signal a couple of days ago and fell silent.»

She showed at the map and pointed out Kargalan.

«What do you mean the outpost went silent?» Lindon tensed up.

«I mean, the partial signal that was received stated that the outpost was under attack. Who attacked it is unknown. And since the Empress believes this could be connected to Terran Company’s efforts in obtaining Veluthian and Laithorian tech… we were ordered to check it out and report on the findings.»

In the heavy silence that hung among the crew everyone heard the tapping Dean made, and Hunter cleared his throat, translating his words:

«Does this mean we are no longer pursuing the Veluthian traitors?»

Serena shook her head:

«Unfortunately, not only Veluthian traitors are roaming about.» she said. «There are people from all four Laithorian planets that have been found connected with the smuggling… So their reach is wide. I suspect the attack could have also been made by forces of these traitors. But, unless we go to Kargalan and investigate, we can’t be sure. Whatever the case may be, this just got a lot more complicated than we’re used to. This isn’t a usual mercenary job, guys. And I’m afraid we can come upon something… even more disturbing than ever before.»

«What’s so special about this… Kargalan outpost?» Pher leaned over the table.

«Well…» Serena zoomed in on the map, showing the outpost’s location and its schematics. «This planet has long been used as a training ground for the Academy, and some research, including testing some new weaponry and other means of war. If the outpost has been, in fact, attacked by either Terran forces or Laithorian traitors, then they could have gotten their hands on some prototypes the Laithorian Empire hadn’t yet fully developed. This does pose threat not only to the Empire, but also to all other colonies that aren’t as close to Company government as the Company wants them to be.»

Serena looked at Dean, and saw him nod in understanding.

«You said it was used for Academy training…» Wolfin crossed his arms, leaning back on his seat. «Are there students on the planet?»

Their Captain shrugged:

«There shouldn’t be.» she said, realising she slipped and told them this information, even though she didn’t want to in the first place. «According to the schedule the last group should have left the planet two weeks ago to undergo battle training elsewhere.»

«This planet seems…» Taliesin took a moment, choosing his words. «Barren? What did the Academy do there at all?»

«Survival training.» Wolfin replied instead of Serena. «Kargalan is best in teaching our children how to survive in harsh environments. It looks barren, but it’s actually filled with places that are rich in animal life, water, shelter – everything you need to survive when left without your regiment somewhere. All you need is know where to look. And that’s exactly what the children are trained to do there.»

Serena nodded to this fact, because most Academy students went through Kargalan during their studies.

«Wait…» Dean tapped again. «So are those students or children?»

«Our Academy students wary in age, but we start teaching them early, Dean.» Wolfin glanced at the Ilarian. «These students can be… maybe twelve, thirteen years old.»

«Like I said…» Serena cleared her throat, catching everyone’s attention once more. «They should be off the planet already, according to the schedule. If you’re so worried, we can check the barracks as soon as we get there to make sure.»

Dean seemed to be satisfied with this answer.

«So what’s our plan when we do get there?» Cipher watched Serena closely, noting her tense posture.

«Our first objective is to get into the outpost and search it for survivors or any signs of battle.» Serena brought up the detailed schematics of the outpost. «We’ll have to split into two groups and enter from these points…»

She showed the two main gates of the outpost, surrounded by watch towers.

«Laneth, you will need to access the surveillance system remotely, however I was informed this could pose some difficulty, as the outpost might have been issued with prototype anti-hacking servers to test them. I am hoping the fact that Lyssa’s systems are marked with Royal Decrees and approvals will help us access the system without a problem, though.»

«I’m more of a mechanic, so if that fails, I’m ready to open the gates the old fashioned way.» Laneth smiled to her Captain.

«That too is an option.» Serena nodded to that thought.

«And if it comes to that, I can also take one of those amazing hover bikes to get around quicker if needed…»

«Question…» the Captain frowned. «Did you make yourself a set of Veluthian armour?»

Laneth opened her mouth, then closed it, but a moment later sighed:

«I did. I couldn’t force myself to try it out though…»

«Why?»

«I’m afraid it will hurt.»

Serena took a deep breath:

«Well, then, if you are to come with us, and I would prefer you do to help access any closed doors we won’t be able to… you will have to put it on. And it will be easier if you don’t take it off, as it does hurt every time you do…»

Laneth pressed her lips together and nodded, understanding everything.

«Yeah, it does hurt to put it on, Laneth.» Cipher tapped his armour pin. «So I don’t recommend taking it off too often.»

Dean glanced at him, then at Pher, who carried the same armour pin that was noticeable under his shirt:

«So they are not Veluthians?» he asked through Hunter.

«No, Dean, we’re Terrans.» Pher replied with a chuckle. «We got the armour to be effective crew members for our Captain.»

Taliesin met the Ilarian’s gaze and shook his head:

«Even I don’t have that armour yet, Dean. And I’ve been here longer than you and those two bodyguards there.» he gestured to John and Fisk, who sat silently.

«It does take time to manufacture it, so…» Laneth shrugged.

«Plus, each pin is bonded to the DNA of a certain person wearing it. So even if we had some dead Veluthian’s armour pin, it would be impossible to make it work for you.» Serena added.

Dean nodded once again, apprehending what he learned.

Hunter stood from his place and walked up to the screen, studying the schematics closely:

«I have an idea…» he said, glancing at the Captain.

«All ears.» Serena shrugged. «What do you have in mind?»

«Well, we have seven people capable of slipping in unseen…»

«Yes, so?»

«Kind of…» Hunter rubbed his chin in thought. «We could limit our reconnaissance groups to the two, but send only those that can be cloaked.»

«Those cloaking devices don’t work without the armour, right?» Taliesin asked, frowning.

«Well, they do, but…» Hunter shook his head. «Without the armour you won’t be able to see us. The devices connect to the armour and allow seeing those, who are using the devices through the visor.»

«Oh. Bummer…»

«The outpost is too big to be searched with only seven people.» John noted.

Serena couldn’t agree more.

«No, I didn’t mean we go in with just those who can use the cloaking devices.» Hunter retorted. «Hear me out… We could scout ahead and if there isn’t any danger, you could go in behind and search the buildings more thoroughly for any leads as to what happened there.»

«We will run a usual life signal scan first anyways, so if there will be anything or anyone alive in there – we’ll know.» Serena shrugged.

«Captain?» Kayla stood onto her seat, straightening. «Will I be on monitors again, helping keep an eye out on the ship?»

«Yes, Kayla. You’re part of this crew, and if you really want to help, you can monitor the scanning systems and alert us if anything goes wrong.» Serena nodded.

Dean tapped again:

«You let a child help you on your missions?»

«Don’t worry, Uncle Dean!» Kayla smiled to the Ilarian. «I’ve done this more than once. I’m capable and smart.»

«Don’t underestimate my crew, Dean.» Serena smiled as well, meeting the man’s gaze.

«Wouldn’t someone need to stay on board to protect the child?» Dean asked, surprised to hear all this.

«No need.» the ship’s AI replied. «I will protect the girl to the best of my abilities.»

«Lyssa will ascend into the skies after we disembark.» Serena nodded, agreeing with the AI. «And it will be cloaked, so no one will be able to see it or catch glimpse of the ship by any sort of scanners.»

«We’re the Ghost crew, Uncle Dean!» Kayla chuckled. «We’re ghosts!»

«I’m a little nervous letting a child be the look out, Captain.» Fisk glanced at Kayla and shrugged. «Sorry, little girl, I am! No child I ever knew was able to keep concentrated on one task for long enough.»

Kayla showed him her tongue.

«Fisk.» Serena’s voice sounded calm and the man looked at her. «Trust your crew. Kayla is not any child. She’s been part of our family not very long, but proved herself being trustworthy and capable. Cipher can second that, as his past crew members weren’t even remotely as responsible and helpful on any mission.»

Cipher cackled, seeing Fisk twist his brow:

«Damn right, Fisky boy!» he said. «Kayla here is better than the two fuckers we had to ditch on Garmfrig! And those two were grown man and woman!»

«Language, Cipher.» Laneth sighed, shaking her head.

«Catch!» Kayla threw Cipher a piece of candy and the man caught is with a smirk and a nod.

«Okay…» John clasped his palms together, looking at the outpost schematics. «So… after the first sweep we go in and search… two by two?»

Serena glanced at the outpost schematics and considered it:

«Yes, that could work… After initial sweep, we can break up to smaller groups and check each hall and compartment thoroughly in pairs.» she looked back at her crew. «Question is… what do we do if there will be locked doors we won’t be able to open without Laneth’s help? I mean, Hunter can do that too with his system, but what about others?»

«Rotation?» Hunter proposed.

«I’m not bothered to jump around if needed.» Laneth said with a smile.

«I’m more worried about how to pair up, so that the teams would be balanced…» Serena fell deep in thought. «We have five people strong in these conditions… And only seven of us have the armour…»

«I was thinking the same thing, Captain…» Wolfin tapped his fingers against the table.

«I can make a suggestion, Captain.» Cipher grunted. «Pher and I are already a good team without your Veluthian strength, however… if you allow Wolfin to come with us, he can pair up with Laneth to keep her safe.»

Fisk raised his hand:

«Captain? Serena?»

«What is it, Fisk?» Serena looked at the man.

«My brother and I… well, we’re used to being paired up ever since we served together in the military…»

«And you’re fine without being someone stronger to cover your back?»

«We’ve dealt with worse, Captain.» John shined a charming smile.

Dean tapped out:

«I’m afraid I have to be paired up with Hunter… He’s the only one who can translate what I say…»

The cyborg fell deep into thought, realising the man was right.

«Right…» Serena took a deep breath. «You can’t communicate with us via other means yet…»

Laneth suddenly took out her information tablet and began drawing up something.

«Did we bore you already?» Wolfin grunted.

«No… I just had a thought…» Laneth frowned. «I could make him a wrist-worn device which could translate his taps to vocal means, so that we could all communicate with him through our communication earpieces… if Hunter will help me input the patterns, of course…»

Dean seemed interested immediately:

«Can you make one while we’re flying to Kargalan?»

Hunter looked at Laneth, who froze and raised her eyes to him:

«I mean… if we limit your responses to a certain short list… maybe… otherwise it will take too long to program the thing to fully translate your phrases.» she glanced at Dean, tilting her head.

«Alright… Hunter! Take Laneth and Dean and draw up a list of basic responses and words he could use while we’re going to be at the outpost. The closest wormhole jump to that system is a day away, so you have some time.» Serena nodded.

«A day…» Laneth took a moment to think and nodded. «It will be enough.»

Dean looked at Laneth and Hunter translated his words to the mechanic:

«Do you think a belt-worn device would be easier to make? It could come in handy if I need to be… discreet.»

Laneth smiled wide:

«I can do both!»

Dean returned a smile – though, his was smaller.

«Well, then…» Serena sighed. «Let’s get on the road, shall we?»

«Pairing, Scorpi.» Wolfin sat still frowning.

«While they will be working on the translation device, I’ll have Lindon and you help me pair everyone up to make sure no one will be left unprotected. Plus… I’m not sure if you’ll agree to me being on my own.»

Wolfin tilted his head and his brow twitched, giving her the answer.

Chapter 3. Kargalan

MSS Lyssandra and SS Growler – both cloaked from sight and scanning devices – descended to Kargalan, flying slow and constantly scanning the lands for any signs of life.

Serena sat in her Captain’s seat, frowning, and stayed silent, while Lindon and Kayla were busy with the scanners, ignoring any signs of local wildlife that appeared on their screens. The Veluthian showed the girl how to discern animals from people and humanoid races and noted how she could change the spectrum of scanning to see if there are any other signs – such as energy and radiation.

Kayla was so concentrated at the task that didn’t notice anything else – including Hunter discussing something with the two bodyguards by the window.

Serena looked at the information tablet she managed to learn by heart in the past 24 hours, and sighed once again. Something was bothering her greatly, and she didn’t know if it was just her being nervous to be sent on a particular mission by the Empress, or because the assumptions Alathea and her counsellors had might be correct.

The woman closed her eyes with her palm and took a moment to gather her bearings.

«Serena? Is something wrong?» she suddenly heard Hunter.

«Not sure.» Serena replied hesitantly. «I feel uneasy and I have no idea why.»

She lowered her hand and met his gaze.

«Worried that the grouping we did is imbalanced?» Hunter asked, frowning at her expression.

«No… I’m sure we’ll do fine… I just…» she gritted her teeth. «I don’t know. Stop asking questions I can’t answer.»

She stood up and headed out, frustrated at herself for growling at her men.

Walking through the ship she tried her best to calm herself, but every step reminded her about the task at hand, as if it wasn’t enough to know how close they were to disembarking Lyssa.

«Captain.» she heard in her earpiece and suddenly stopped, noticing Dean standing a few steps away from the dining area.

«Hi, Dean.» Serena said, forcing a smile to her face. «I see, Laneth did a great job with the device.»

Dean tapped on his wristband and a simulated male voice sounded again through her communicator:

«Yes.»

«Are you ready? No objections concerning your pair?»

«Yes. No.» though, the list of his responses was limited, he still seemed happy to be able to talk to other people this way – even though he had to use his device for that.

«Good.»

Serena felt grateful for Laneth having the skills to gift Dean such an opportunity. And even though for the time being he couldn’t really speak through the device – Hunter and the mechanic were certain they would be able to program the thing later, widening the list of words and phrases he could use.

Perhaps, the Captain thought, one day they could have normal conversations through this device without Hunter translating his lengthy phrases.

Dean reached to the device again, then smiled wider, shaking his head and gestured to her in Gorzan:

«Thank you.»

«I’m not the one to thank, Dean. It was all Laneth and her wonderful mind coming up with this device.» Serena shrugged.

Still, the Ilarian bowed to her. Serena stepped up and pat his shoulder:

«Get ready, we’re leaving soon.»

She saw him nod and walk off, and the woman walked into the dining area, grabbing herself a glass of Fireball. Taking a few big sips, she set the glass aside and took a moment, feeling unnerved still.

«Something isn’t right here…» she sighed to herself.

«Captain!» Hunter’s voice sounded in her communication device.

«What is it? We’re approaching the mark?» Serena replied, tensing up.

«Scanning shows no life forms of human, or human-like origin anywhere near or within the outpost.» Lindon’s voice came through.

Serena thought for a moment, then took a deep breath:

«So… not a single one?»

«None at all. Not even animals.» Kayla responded.

«Ghost crews get ready to jump. Secondary groups await further orders…» Serena headed to the cargo bay, flicking her armour on.

She already knew this could be possible, and spoke with Lindon about having jetpacks to be able to get a better vantage point while at the outpost. The Veluthian agreed to the plan, but reminded her that of all the crew members only he and Serena herself were somewhat proficient in using those, as they took the course back in the Academy.

Serena didn’t remind him that to her a lot less time had passed.

Wolfin, though hesitant, agreed that in case they find nothing – jetpacks could help the two get around to try and find any other signs, while the others reconvene at the ships.

When others arrived at the cargo bay, Serena was already checking the jetpack systems, noting that ever since her Academy days the device became much easier to operate and not as lanky in terms of reaction delay, which was definitely a good thing.

Hunter saw her concentrated in that and wondered if her nervousness would come between her and their objective.

«Good luck, everyone!» they heard Laneth through the communicators – the woman was already on board SS Growler, together with Wolfin.

«Let us know if you guys find anything.» Wolfin added.

Serena glanced at Taliesin, who was transferred to be paired up with Dean – a strange decision on Wolfin’s end, but she couldn’t help but note that if Dean would do something crazy – Taliesin was reasonable and loyal enough to send them word immediately.

She thought about the private conversation she had with Taliesin the evening before, and the way he reacted at being, essentially, a watcher over the newcomer Ilarian.

«Unarmoured have their shields activated?» Lindon reminded, clasping the jetpack to his back.

Dean watched Taliesin switching on the device that covered him in a barely noticeable force field.

Serena looked at the Ilarian and tilted her head:

«If, for any reason, you will feel your body not adjusting to these conditions, call for Lyssa to pick you up, got it?» she saw Dean nod and looked at Taliesin. «You… keep an eye on that.»

«Yes, Captain.» Taliesin smirked, accepting the order.

The cargo bay door opened and the MSS Lyssandra Ghost crew activated their cloaking devices and jumped out, leaving the others waiting for when the ship will fully land to the rocky surface of the planet.

«Ghost, be safe…» Wolfin’s voice sounded in Serena’s earpiece.

«I will, Wraith. Thank you for trusting me to let me go on my own…» the woman replied, glancing aside to Hunter and Lindon running beside her towards the outpost gate.

«I trust my Captain. And I trust my crew to keep my Captain safe when I’m not there…»

Serena heard Hunter and Lindon smirk, and didn’t answer.

Considering the circumstances they paired up the people as best they worked together. Including Taliesin and Dean, who would work well, if the Ilarian would be worth trusting. This was his test in working in a team after being long on his own.

As for Lindon, Hunter and Serena – they set off as a separate crew, later splitting up and checking the first of the buildings and halls they came across.

«This is… odd…» Hunter came through a few minutes later, as they were inside. «The place is barren…»

«No signs of a struggle?» Serena asked.

«I mean, I saw a couple of blood stains here and there, but other than that – nothing…»

«Blood means battle.» Wolfin growled. «But where are the bodies?»

Serena slipped into a room and saw it being a research hall, filled with broken glass pieces on the floor, some screens burnt through with shots and blood smears on the wall. She walked in, noticing the strange lack of anything that would be usual for a place like this. There were no information tablets, no samples in the refrigeration unit in the corner, nothing at all.

Continuing her path, she growled:

«Group two, you may enter. Take a thorough look around. So far we have no luck finding anything.»

«Copy.» John replied.

Serena knew that whatever happened in this outpost must have been brutal. And though there were guard towers and guards, for some reason there weren’t any signs of heavy battle. Nor were there any corpses left behind.

«I’m in the barracks.» Lindon reported. «They seem to be unused for at least a few weeks.»

Serena tensed up – were the students gone so long? Or were they still somewhere out in the wild of Kargalan, going through training and without a single worry about what happened at the outpost?

As the time passed, Serena began feeling more and more worried that there weren’t any signs around, except for the blood left.

When they finally reconvened in the middle of the outpost, Wolfin noticed Serena deep in thought.

«Nothing?» she asked her mentor.

«Negative, Captain.» Wolfin replied. «The place has been stripped…»

She glanced at her other men and saw them shaking their heads and frowning.

«Phantom! Skies!» Serena ordered, activating her jetpack. «Take the northern direction, I’ll take a look south.»

«Yes, Captain!» Lindon nodded.

They jumped up, ascending into the skies, and Hunter couldn’t help and admire how swiftly they both flew with the newly obtained «wings’.

Serena flew, searching the ground with her eyes and noticing a pattern appearing among the rocks. Something came through there – something big and bulky.

She descended closer to the ground and saw what could be easily be overlooked from afar – tire marks of a vehicle that was definitely equipped with special tires that allowed to mask their passing on such a surface.

«Phantom, on me. Tracks here.» she reported. «Everyone else – return to the ships, now!»

«Yes, Captain.» Wolfin’s voice came through.

«We’ll update you once we find something.» Lindon added, catching up with Serena.

The faint trail led them away from the outpost, and the Captain started wondering how it could be that a vehicle so massive in size could have been overlooked by those, who were within the outpost walls. By the looks of it, the vehicle stayed by the outpost for some time.

What really happened there?

«Shadow, did you manage to get into the outpost frame?» Serena asked, slowing down to get a closer look at the trail that seemed to have stopped for a bit, as if the infiltrators took a short rest at the spot.

«I have good news and bad news, Ghost.» Laneth replied. «Which would you prefer first?»

«Start with good…»

«I did manage to get into the frame. However…» Laneth fell silent for a few moments. «The bad news is… the files are heavily corrupted.»

«How heavy?» Lindon growled under his breath.

«Extremely.» this time it was Wolfin who answered.

«Copy.» Serena gritted her teeth.

For a while they were flying silently – the trail led far away from the outpost. Lindon started to think they might have stumbled on some old trail, but Serena wasn’t as sure of it.

Finally, the trail turned towards a rocky mountain ridge, and the woman frowned, glancing about and not finding any signs of a camp or anything of the sort at all.

«Spread out.» she ordered to Lindon.

Though, concentrated on finding the tracks and any hints to what the vehicle was and who it belonged to, the woman fell deep into thought, wondering if there was something else at play.

Suddenly, Serena felt a heavy impact hitting her back, and this threw her aside, sending her tumbling in the air. When she hit the ground, a short and pained scream flew out of her, but immediately she continued her tumble, sliding down a steep and rocky hillside.

In the dizzying whirl of rocks and air she noticed how it suddenly turned from light to dark and then in a flash someone caught her, and they almost immediately slammed into a hard surface, throwing them both into darkness.

Chapter 4. Search

Hunter tried hard not to panic – both Serena and Lindon went radio silent over an hour ago. And though Lyssandra followed their trajectory, they weren’t able to find any traces of the two.

«Ghost!!!» Wolfin grew angrier by the minute. «Ghost, respond! Phantom!!! Where the fuck are you guys?»

Kayla gritted her teeth, glued to her working place with the scanners:

«I’m sorry…» she whispered. «I can’t find them…»

Wolfin took a deep breath and stepped to the girl, kneeling in front of her and tried to smile to her softly:

«It’s not your fault, little bug. I’m sure they’re alright.» he sighed.

«Please tell me you found them!» Cipher connected to MSS Lyssandra, and Hunter met his friend’s gaze with a deep frown.

«Negative.» Wolfin grimaced, standing up and facing the screen. «I take it, you found nothing too?»

«Not a sign of either of them anywhere.»

«And the tracks they were following?» Hunter gritted his teeth in frustration.

«They disappear by the mountains.»

«Scanning?»

«No results.»

«Shit.»

«Uh… Uncle Wolfin?» Kayla’s voice sounded aside. «I think I found… something?»

Wolfin leaned to the screen and noted the tiny blip of some sort of an energy source on the ground near the mountain. Frowning, the Veluthian enlarged the picture and saw what looked like a dimly glowing shard that lay among the rocks next to what reminded of a piece of some sort of equipment.

«Hunter. Cloak up… we’re going down.» he said.

«What is it?» Cipher perked up.

«We need to check something.» Wolfin straightened, calling Laneth. «Shadow, take command of the ship.»

The mechanic didn’t reply.

«Cipher, patrol around, and keep us updated if you find anything or anyone.» Wolfin nodded to the SS Growler’s Captain.

Cipher nodded in reply and the communication cut off.

Hunter headed out of the bridge after Wolfin, feeling unnerved.

«What, exactly, did Kayla find?» he asked.

«A shard. It looks like the energy crystal from our jetpacks.» Wolfin grimaced again.

They met Laneth almost running from the cargo bay, where she was leaving the INVI-drones to send them off for reconnaissance.

«I’ve activated the drones, they will circle the surroundings to seek out any traces of Serena and Lindon.» she reported.

Wolfin nodded to her, passing the woman.

«Stay on comms.» Hunter said to her. «We’ll call if we find anything.»

«Take some meds with you!» Laneth shouted. «You know how Serena can be…»

Wolfin growled under his breath, stepping into the medical bay for a few moments to pick up some additional capsules and syringes. He too thought that if something happened, medical supplies would be a good thing to have at hand. Grabbing a portable medical scanner, he shoved it to Hunter.

«We need to be prepared…» Wolfin said to the cyborg, picking up a small backpack from the cabinet under the sink. «Get the bandaging spray…»

Within moments they stuffed the backpack with all the needed supplies they might need and left. Hunter kept silent, but knew that he would feel more confident if he were to carry the supplies. Wolfin didn’t mind, too worried for his named daughter.

As soon as Lyssa descended closer to the ground, the two jumped out – cloaked and unseen – and ran off towards where the shard was located by their scanners.

It took them some time to make sure there was no one around, before they headed to what looked like a cave entrance. Wolfin found the shard and kneeled next to it, seeing bits and pieces of the outer layer of the jetpack they were given.

«Shit.» he breathed out, glancing into the cave and seeing what looked like a trail of a harsh tumble.

In the meantime, Hunter took interest in the tracks that Serena and Lindon were following in the first place. Walking up to where they disappeared in the mountainside, he frowned deeper.

«How…» he took a step closer and kneeled, reaching for the end of the track, but his fingers suddenly fell through the rock that he was seeing in front of him. «Wraith!»

Wolfin whipped around and saw the cyborg looking at him some ways away, with his hand disappearing in the solid ground. Frustrated and confused, the Veluthian walked over and studied the side, before taking a cautious step inside.

The illusion parted and he saw a cavern with a big vehicle parked in it, hidden from anyone’s eyes.

«Fuck.» Wolfin growled, stepping up to the vehicle.

He took a few minutes to circle around – with Hunter trailing him behind and looking out for anyone to be there.

«Wisp… come in.» Wolfin contacted the ship.

«This is Wisp, copy.» Kayla responded almost immediately.

«Mark our location, ready some charges to be sent here.»

«What?» Laneth’s voice came in very tense.

«We found the vehicle that was by the outpost. There’s no one here, but… It’s cloaked.»

«Cloaked?» Kayla asked, surprised.

«It’s Terran-made, Wisp. And yes, it’s cloaked.» Hunter said, his voice low and tense.

«The fuck?» Laneth exhaled in shock.

«Falana must have sold the Company our cloaking technology.» Wolfin growled.

«Any signs of Ghost and Phantom?»

«Yeah…» Wolfin nodded to Hunter towards the exit. «We’re on it.»

«Just keep turrets on this location…» Hunter stopped by the car and stuck a tiny grenade to its side, where it won’t be noticed. «I set down a grenade on the vehicle. Have the ship’s AI mark it and when it moves, activate the grenade remotely and blow this thing to hell.»

«Copy.» Kayla fell silent for a few moments while the two men were walking out of the cavern. «Done.»

«Be careful down there…» Laneth pleaded. «If that thing is there, we can’t know who else is…»

«We know who’s here, Shadow.» Wolfin sighed. «The Company people…»

As soon as they exited the cavern, the Veluthian stopped for a split second, thinking something over, but then shook his head and followed Hunter back to where they found the shard.

They walked inside the cave, stepping silently among the steep decline of the tunnel, Wolfin’s frown grew deeper and deeper, understanding that whoever was tumbling there, must have taken quite the damage.

For some time they followed the slope, trying not to slip on the loose rocks and patches of sand, until they reached what could be only described as a hole, leading into the deep dark caverns of the cave system, with a narrow passage way leading away from it.

Wolfin stepped to the edge by this giant hole and saw traces of someone falling into the thick darkness that reigned down in there. Without jetpacks or any special gear it would be hard to get to the bottom of this void.

«If either of them fell, the other would have followed…» Wolfin growled. «We can’t go this way. Too steep… and too high of a fall to get to the slope…»

«We do have climbing claws… we could climb down…»

Wolfin took a bit to consider, then looked at Hunter:

«It would be the shortest way down, yes.»

«So what are you worried about?»

«I’m thinking if your heavy body will be fine climbing down. I’m sure Falana upgraded your claws, but we don’t know if the rocks will hold your weight.» Wolfin shook his head. «So I’m hesitant to let you do this, because I don’t want to get stuck down there, if you fall…»

Hunter pressed his lips together, then grunted:

«You know what? I don’t care! I’m going down, whether you like it or not!» he activated his climbing claws, immediately lowering to the edge.

Wolfin watched the cyborg slowly descending the rocky wall, until he reached the slope. Feeling unnerved, the Veluthian sighed and descended himself, understanding that he was too worried for Serena and Lindon being off comms for so long.

It took them a bit of time to half-walk and half-slide down the rocky ground slope under the hole, until they reached the bottom.

The trail of the tumble took them straight to the cavern wall, where they found a few drops of blood and tracks, belonging to their friends.

«Small… heavier than they should be…» Wolfin examined the tracks cautiously. «She had to carry him out…»

«What did they get into?..» Hunter sighed, watching Wolfin walk off, following the tracks that led deeper into the tunnels.

It was evident that the jetpacks the two had could have been damaged and there was no way for them to get out through the way they got in – especially if one of them was hurt bad enough.

Chapter 5. Cave

Serena slowly came back to her senses – first, feeling the pain all over her body. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw herself lying in the embrace of a man. It took her a moment to realize it was Lindon, who seemed to be unconscious.

Feeling weak and disoriented, Serena forced herself up, trying to ascertain where they were.

It was dark, but, thankfully, her helmet was equipped with night vision and she could see that they ended up in some sort of a cave. Glancing up, she saw how tall of a tumble they took before they ended up where they were now.

«Shit!» she cursed, swaying from a nauseating wave of dizziness, and hoped to get someone on the communicator. «Reaper? Wraith? Do you copy?»

The signal returned with a heavy interference, and Serena looked up, trying to understand why the signal wasn’t reaching her ship or other devices.

«The fuck did we get ourselves into?» she whispered.

Wincing at the headache pounding on her temples, she flicked Lindon’s helmet off and noticed his head bleeding. But, at least, he was breathing, which was a good sign. She looked down at his belt and suddenly realised that not only his – her own stims were missing. There was only one syringe left on her belt and the woman sighed heavily, understanding that Lindon needed it more. She injected him with the stimulant, feeling a nauseating wave coming over her.

Fortunately, they didn’t lose their blades, so, at least, Serena had some way of defending herself and the unconscious man.

Taking her helmet off, she realised how dark it was, but the fresh and chilly cave air helped her push down the nausea and get some idea of where the exit could be by the way the air moved slowly through the cave system. She hoped that she wouldn’t get lost in the labyrinth.

It took her a couple of minutes to collect herself and flick the helmet on again to see where she was going. Then she picked up Lindon, essentially carrying him on her back to try and find a way out.

«Just hand on, there…» she whispered, knowing that Lindon didn’t even hear her.

She first checked the way they fell through, but soon realised that she wouldn’t be able to keep Lindon on her back and ascend the extremely steep slope ahead. So the only way to get them both out of there was to carry him with her – wherever the fresh air would lead them. Serena wished her communicator would work – this way she could at least tell her crew where they were. But without comms, it was only up to her to get Lindon out to safety.

Walking through the cavern, and then entering one of the tunnels – the one, where she felt the fresh air flowing – Serena couldn’t help, but think that if Lindon wasn’t hurt, they would have been able to move faster, and, perhaps, get out the same way they got in.

Still, she moved forward, carrying Lindon on her back, even though she felt dizzy and nauseated. But, knowing that the man could be badly hurt, she couldn’t wait for him to wake up at all.

Step by step, stumbling through the darkness that reigned in the cave system, she walked from one tunnel to another, each time taking off her helmet to ascertain where the airflow went, so that she could find somewhat of a way out.

Time passed so slow, and so painful that Serena had to make stops every now and again – to rest a little and collect her bearings again before carrying on the road that seemed to lead nowhere. Each time she took her helmet off, she wished she could see in the dark – just like Wolfin – because it was distracting to check the airflow all the time, and not really seeing where to go.

Finally, she came across a cavern with two tunnels leading out of it on the opposite side.

Feeling her head spinning, she carefully lowered Lindon down by the wall and took a breather, regaining her strength and collecting her bearings once more. The nauseating dizziness that was coming in waves made her irritated, but she knew that even if she had any injuries of her own – Lindon was by far in a much worse condition. And with the time that passed by, she was beginning to worry if his wounds were even more dangerous than she thought at first.

Taking her helmet off, she breathed in the thick, cold and moist cave air. This helped her a bit, and the throbbing pain in her head subsided just a little.

«Fuck…» she exhaled, frustrated at the whole situation.

Suddenly she heard a distant skittering, which seemed to come closer in a matter of seconds. Jumping to her feet, she reached to her throat to activate her helmet again, but an immense impact threw her back. Hitting the wall behind her, she grimaced from the blunt blow to her skull, but managed to activate her helmet again and unclasped her blades, seeing a number of creatures around her and Lindon.

The smallest insect-like creature with jagged appendages and two rows of short spikes running up its spine jumped to the man, aiming to drag him away from Serena, but she stepped aside, barely avoiding a slashing hit one of the creatures tried reaching her with.

Serena felt her blades meet with the agile legs of these creatures, cutting through the hard chitin armour they had. The loud screech the wounded monster gave out made Serena wince – it was piercing and hit her hard, making her headache flare up. She missed another hit that scratched against her armour, and gritted her teeth, jolting forward.

Slamming into one of the creatures and piercing it through its mouth, the woman twisted around and sliced apart another. While busy with those two, the third one managed to grasp Lindon’s leg, but Serena jumped back and finished the creature’s existence, hitting it with her blade across the body.

Looking around, she noticed another similar beast crawling deep into the tunnel.

«Fuck…» Serena clasped her weapons back to the belt and stepped to Lindon.

Another – stronger – nauseating wave sent her stumbling to her knees. Grasping at her helmet, the woman took a few breaths before hoisting Lindon onto her back again to get out of whatever lair they got into.

Fortunately, when she chose the tunnel the creature did not crawl into, no one followed.

Pushing through the dizziness and weakness, slowly washing over her, Serena walked for some time, making distance between them and whatever the cave dwellers were. For a bit it seemed like there was no end to the tunnel she took, but then, suddenly, it parted and Serena stepped into a much bigger cavern than before. Something caught her eye, and she slowly stepped forward, tensing up.

As soon as she approached the edge of a small cliff, she saw piles upon piles of bodies.

Among them were some of the smaller cave creatures, but when Serena descended the slope to this giant underground cemetery, the animals scattered, spooked by someone alive appearing among their feeding grounds.

The sight was horrid, filling Serena with a sense of dread. She tried not to think of the putrid air that couldn’t reach her nostrils through the helmet.

Serena looked at the piles and felt her breath becoming pained and shallow. She was shocked, without a doubt, but knew she would need to pass through this cavern.

Forcing herself to walk on, she couldn’t help but look at the bodies of children that weren’t even yet assigned their armour pins. Haphazardly thrown, the piles consisted, without a doubt, of children – not older than 14. Boys, girls, most of them clothed in typical Academy attire, they lay there – rotting, bloated and pale blue.

They were barely starting to learn the ways of war – too young to carry anything, except the shorter, kids’ versions of Veluthian blades. If at least one such weapon could be found among these corpses, then Serena would have means of identifying the group that perished.

Serena felt a shudder running down her spine and suddenly remembered that she was carrying Lindon. Swallowing a heavy lump in her throat, she saw a narrow path between the piles and headed through it, trying hard not to look at the faces of children that will never return home. But, however she tried, it was impossible not to.

Stepping over a mutilated boy, she noticed a few bodies stripped of their attire. Stopping for a moment, Serena studied the cuts that ran on their bodies. Someone deliberately dissected them, taking out organs and samples – only to drop the corpses in this cavern.

Passing a few more piles, she saw a wide space cleared of bodies, but when she approached the corner of this cavern, she saw neat rows of respectfully placed corpses. All of those were covered in body bags, and Serena walked over to take a look.

She counted almost three dozen body bags, and each of those had a label on the chest of the body inside. Name, rank, platoon.

The woman took a moment, looking at the Company Logo above those and understood exactly what was happening here.

Serena glanced aside and saw a passage leading out. Carrying Lindon there, she lay him down and returned to the corpses of Veluthian children. She needed to remember at least some faces.

She looked at those, who still had some semblance of their features being recognisable, and hoped this would be enough to identify these students to bring some solace to their families. She knew how little this meant, but they did, in fact, fight for their lives – some bodies exhibited signs of a struggle and others were shot several times at different angles, as if the children were moving when the shots were made. Serena even checked those who were shot down and noted that none of those hit the backs.

But that didn’t make her feel any better.

These children fought soldiers, though they were young, barely armed, unarmoured, overpowered…

Chapter 6. Scum

Serena walked on, feeling her head and heart hollowed out by the sights she saw back in the graveyard of a cavern. A few hours had passed, and she moved on only because she knew – Lindon needed aid as soon as possible.

Finally, she ascended a slope and noticed the ceiling of the cave give way to dim rays of light, bursting through the cracks and holes. Feeling her face already covered in sweat, she risked to take her helmet off and took a deep breath, feeling the chilly air inside the cavern surrounding her. Wiping her face, she lowered Lindon to check on him and noted no difference in his condition – he was still unconscious, though alive and breathing.

She took a short break, feeling strained and disoriented, but forced herself to get up again and raise Lindon on her back once more.

Her head swayed, adding to the difficulty of her trudging through the endless caves that surrounded her. She could have made a wrong turn at any time – the exit was nowhere to be seen.

Approaching the corner of yet another tunnel, she didn’t even look out to get an idea where it was leading.

Something hit her in the temple, throwing to the ground, and she tumbled, unsheathing her blades, but as soon as she tried to stand up, a few more blows descended on her, making her fall again.

«And don’t get up, you Veluthian scum!» a man spit at her.

One of the men rolled her over face-down, cuffing her wrists behind her back and when they were standing up, they deliberately stepped onto her lower back, making her growl from pain.

«Now which of you two did I shoot down from the sky?» a man approached.

Serena looked up at him, seeing a harsh, tanned man not older than thirty. He was muscular, with broad shoulders, and carried a sniper rifle. She immediately understood that it was his shot that sent her tumbling down.

«Matters not, you Veluthian whore.» the sniper cackled.

The men around him joined in, filling the tunnel with echoes of their laughter.

Someone grabbed her legs and before she could even kick, she was dragged out into a cavern than was brightly lit by the sun beaming through the cracks above. Serena saw two others drag Lindon in.

«Well, well, well…» the sniper smirked, when Serena could look at him again, gritting her teeth. «What should we do with the two of you?»

He glanced at Lindon and nodded to his men.

Serena saw them approaching the Veluthian and realised what was about to happen. She jolted to Lindon, shielding him with her body and receiving a couple of hits to her head that sent her into another dizzying wave.

«Why not just shoot them?» one of the soldiers asked, when they stepped away, cackling.

«Because we need information, you dim-wit!» the sniper growled at him.

«I know how to make any woman talk all kinds of things!» the youngest of the bunch cackled.

«Yeah, all we need is to get that armour off her body.» the other soldier joined in the laughter.

Serena tried hard to calm her breathing and force down the nauseating wave that was about to throw her into the darkness. Feeling her head pounding, she felt the ringing in her ears subsiding. Though, she could still hear distant thumping – so faint that it was barely noticeable.

«Lieutenant Wilder…» one of the soldiers addressed the sniper.

«What?» he replied, watching Serena closely.

«We only need one of them. The guy’s as good as dead.»

The sniper smirked, seeing Serena squinting with anger.

The woman suddenly closed her eyes and a chuckle escaped her throat, when she finally understood that the rhythmic, barely noticeable thumps were, in fact, footsteps she knew too well.

Lieutenant Wilder kicked her in the face, throwing her to the ground once again:

«You find this funny, Veluthian whore?»

Serena burst out laughing:

«Yes. This is hilarious!» she laughed, pushing herself up and shielding Lindon with her body again. «Because you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. You’ll have just about half a second to regret you’ve hit me even once.»

Before he kicked her again, he was thrown aside by an invisible force, making his teammates nervously raise their guns, aiming all around. Lieutenant Wilder crashed into the cave wall and crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll, no longer moving.

Serena continued laughing, watching how the soldiers began falling – either by a hardy punch, delivered by the invisible cyborg, or a swift blow made by Wolfin’s trusty blade.

«Leave the youngest alive!» Serena chuckled, slowly rising to her feet. «I’d like to interrogate the fucker.»

The youngest of the regiment whipped to her, aiming his gun, but it was suddenly thrown out of his grasp to the ground, and, finally, Wolfin appeared right in front of the young man, flinching to him and scaring him so much that the soldier tumbled backwards.

Serena felt Hunter approaching her and her cuffs screeched, being torn open. When the man deactivated his invisibility device, he caught her in his embrace as she swayed. Pressed against his chest, Serena felt her legs weakening.

«Shit…» she whispered. «Am I glad to see you…»

Hunter sighed heavily and caressed her hair.

«Are you alright?» the man asked quietly. «Did they beat you hard?»

«A Terran’s kick is nothing.» Serena raised her eyes and met his concerned gaze. «I’m more hurt from the tumble I had. And after the scuffle I’ve had with the encountered cave dwellers…»

She decided not to tell him about the underground cemetery she had seen.

Hunter glanced at Lindon:

«He caught you, didn’t he?»

«Yes. He took the brunt of it. We lost most of our stims during our tumble. I had only one and I gave it to him.»

Wolfin dragged the young man to them, shooting daggers with his eyes. Throwing the crying man onto the ground right at their feet, he caught Serena’s chin, studying her bruises.

«Give me permission to interrogate him as I see fit, Captain?» Wolfin asked, keeping the soldier in place with his boot on the Terran’s chest.

«First… I need…» Serena slowly shook her head, feeling another wave of dizziness hitting her. «Lindon needs stims.»

Wolfin took two syringes off his belt and gave her a shot of some painkillers into her neck:

«You too, Scorpi.» he said, handing her the second one. «And we have more if needed.»

Hunter cautiously freed her from his embrace and helped her stay up, even though she was still swaying.

«You wouldn’t happen to have a medical scanner with you?» Serena stepped to Lindon, kneeling next to him and checking his pulse, before administering him a shot.

Hunter handed her one from his backpack and kneeled next to the captured soldier, squinting.

«Please! I had nothing to do with her being beaten!» the young man cried out.

The cyborg tilted his head and caught his chin, studying his face:

«Ricks?» he breathed out.

The sound of his name made the young man freeze in panic for a second, but then he recognized the face before him and his eyes grew wide:

«Hunter?» the guy lowered his gaze at the metal cybernetic body of the Terran he knew from a very long time ago.

«Fuck, Ricks! How the fuck are you here? And why?» Hunter let go of his face.

The soldier frantically looked around, glancing to Wolfin with his hands in fists and boot still pressing him to the ground, and Serena, who was more interested in the unconscious man beside her.

«Classified…» Ricks replied shakily. «We came here on a classified mission. You don’t have clearance.»

Hunter gritted his teeth and raised his cybernetic hand, showing it to the man:

«Now, look here… Since you and I were acquaintances before, I am giving you a choice of a lifetime. You either talk on your own, or I can use this new cybernetic arm of mine to cause you pain beyond what you’ve caused to the woman I love while she was with you guys.»

Ricks threw a panicked glance at Serena.

«And trust me…» Wolfin leaned on his leg a little bit harder, pressing the man down. «You don’t want me joining in, as that is my named daughter.»

«Please! I have nothing to do with…»

«Talk, private.» Serena stood and stepped up. «Because I’m even worse than they are when it comes to interrogations. Either talk… or you’ll start losing limbs. And we’ll take turns causing you pain, until your little act fades and your true self comes out.»

«I never hit you! Not once!»

Serena lowered to him, baring her teeth:

«Should I tell them what you kept suggesting instead?»

Ricks looked at Hunter and Wolfin and noticed their eyes squinting in anger.

«Now that… in itself deserves a couple of broken bones.» Hunter said, gritting his teeth and placing his hand on the man’s kneecap, slowly tightening his grip and smiling maliciously at the scream that the soldier let out.

Chapter 7. Classified

Lindon opened his eyes and saw Serena sitting next to him, looking angrily in front of her. The man moved slightly and felt his chest bursting with pain, making him cough out a little blood. Serena immediately kneeled and helped him roll to his side to cough out some more blood, spitting it to the ground.

It took him a couple of long moments to begin hearing through the ringing in his ears something resembling pained screams.

«Serena…» he reached out to the woman, grasping weakly onto her arm.

«Easy, Lindon.» she replied, touching his face and looking into his eyes. «You’ve done something… stupid, when breaking my fall.»

«Stupid?» he smirked. «Or heroic?»

Serena chuckled, leaning in and planting a kiss to his bloodied lips:

«Both, Lindon. Thank you.» she sighed. «I’m just happy you’re alive, honestly.»

«Ah… hence the kiss.» the man smiled.

Serena squinted teasingly and leaned back:

«Don’t dare ask for more.»

«Not in this state, my lady…» he moved again, trying to push himself up, and bared his teeth in pain. «Where are we?»

«In a cave under the surface.»

«Ah… explains the injuries I’m feeling.» Lindon froze in surprize for a few long moments, seeing Wolfin and Hunter interrogating a soldier at the far wall. «What the fuck happened?»

«Uh… Well, a lot happened, my dear Lindon. As I came to, we were stranded in a deep cave. Neither my jetpack, nor yours were operational, so I had to carry you on my back out of there. Then we were surrounded by some cave dwellers that tried to eat us as a snack. I killed the creatures, all the while trying not to let them drag your pretty ass away. And later I had to carry you on my back again for… I don’t even know how long, before we were attacked by a regiment of Terran soldiers.»

«Terran soldiers? The fuck are they doing here?»

«That’s what the guys are trying to find out.» Serena tilted her head. «How are you feeling?»

«I’ll live.» Lindon felt his strength failing and slowly lowered himself back onto the ground. «But I definitely need a bit of rest.»

The woman unclasped a syringe and administered him some stimulants.

«To tell you the truth, I was afraid I’d get you back to the ship all mangled, as we lost all our meds during the fall…» she said.

Lindon met her gaze, surprized to hear that.

«We did?» he exhaled.

«I had one and had to give it to you, even though I’m quite beaten myself… If it weren’t for Hunter and Wolfin coming to my aid in a nick of time, I’d be in a… let’s say, in a worse condition.»

Lindon frowned:

«What?»

«The Terran soldiers… they caught me off-guard, because I didn’t hear them approaching from the ringing in my ears. They beat me a bit. And tried to beat your unconscious body, so I had to shield you as well, because I was already too weak and hurt to fight back. Plus, they cuffed my hands behind my back, so… that was fun.»

«Are you alright?»

«Better than you, that’s for sure.» Serena smirked, looking back at the interrogation. «But we’re both on their meds now. Let’s hope we won’t need more while we’ll be getting back.»

«If the Terran soldiers were here, that means they must have camp somewhere near…»

«My priority right now is getting you back to the ship. You definitely need medical attention. Everything else can wait.»

The woman felt his palm on her hand and looked at him again.

«Serena…» Lindon slowly shook his head. «This is more important than my well-being. We have to move quick, because people in camp might move when they won’t have their comrades return. You can contact Lyssa and they can pick me up, if…»

«We can’t, Lindon.» Serena gritted her teeth. «Our communication devices aren’t working. We suspect that the Terrans are using some sort of a scrambler. I’m almost certain it was one of those Falana sold to Elijah.»

Lindon fell silent for a few long moments, surprized to hear such news, but then took a cautious breath:

«Then it’s vital we find their camp!»

«We have no clue how many soldiers can be there.» Serena growled. «And if you hadn’t noticed, you and I are not in our best form to enter a scuffle.»

«A couple of broken ribs don’t make me useless, Serena. I can cover you from behind.»

«You’re underestimating our injuries…» Serena gritted her teeth again. «We have more than just a few broken ribs, Lindon…»

She grasped her head and winced, feeling the painful burst of her headache becoming stronger because of the anger she’s been experiencing.

«Serena…» Lindon heard Hunter walking up and glanced at the cyborg, seeing him covered in blood.

The man kneeled next to Serena and cupped her cheek, forcing her to open her eyes and concentrate her sight on his face.

«What?» she breathed out, looking even worse than she was even a few minutes ago.

«We found out where their camp is.» Hunter studied her face with a frown. «Are you alright?»

«No, I’m not. Neither I, nor Lindon are good enough in a fight right now. I can’t risk infiltrating a fucking Terran camp with just the two of you.» Serena growled.

Hunter’s frown grew deeper and he grasped the medical scanner that lay next to Lindon. When he scanned the woman, his eyes grew wide:

«Why didn’t you tell us?!» he exhaled.

«What didn’t she tell you?» Lindon tried hard to pull himself up and sit.

They heard a loud crack and Wolfin spit to the ground. Lindon glanced his way and saw the Veluthian stepping away from the dead man they were interrogating just a minute ago. As Wolfin approached with a heavy gaze, Lindon pointed at the scanner in Hunter’s hands.

The cyborg didn’t fight it when Wolfin grabbed the device from his hands to take a look. A moment later he took a deep breath and said:

«Alright… Listen up.» Wolfin gritted his teeth. «We have thirty Terrans in camp, awaiting their return…»

He gestured to the corpses lying around.

«Wolfin, tell me what’s wrong with Serena!» Lindon growled, finally forcing himself somewhat up.

«I’ll live!» Serena hissed at the Veluthian.

«We can’t wait and we can’t get back to the ship, unless we take care of the scrambler.» Wolfin looked angry. «So we have to get to the Terran encampment first.»

«Wolfin…»

«Shut up, Scorpi. I’m not asking you both to be in the front lines. Hunter and I will take upon the Terrans ourselves. You’ll stay back with Lindon to cover us.»

«I can’t even shoot right now, Wolfin. I won’t risk your lives by taking up a sniper role.» Serena growled. «I’m not seeing clearly.»

Lindon grasped her shoulder and pulled her closer to himself:

«What is wrong with you?»

He suddenly saw a spot of blood in the white of her right eye and frowned.

«I got my skull cracked, Lindon. One more hit to my head and I’ll be out.» the woman bared her teeth. «It didn’t help that those assholes kicked me in the head a couple of times while I was protecting your unconscious ass with my body. So now I’m seeing double and won’t be able to cover Wolfin and Hunter with fire if the need arises. That’s why I wanted to return to the ship, damn you…»

Wolfin shook his head and took another very deep breath:

«Look, the scrambler is interfering with our communication devices, so we can’t call up reinforcements. There’s only thirty Terrans in camp, we can take care of them with Hunter. All you two need to do is stay back and allow us to clear everything out.»

«What else did that asshole say?» Serena forced down her anger, fighting through the pain that hit her again with a heavy nauseating wave.

«They had a number of objectives, including stealing Veluthian scientific data and some tech. And, according to this Ricks guy they’ve killed everyone in our outpost, except for one. He didn’t say which one. But they are holding a Veluthian captive for interrogation.»

«This is a military mission.» Lindon growled. «Do you understand what this means?»

«Terra declared war on the Laithorian Empire.» Serena closed her face with her palm.

To her this was clear long ago, but now there was no more doubt that the Terrans made the biggest mistake of their lives.

Wolfin exchanged glances with Hunter and nodded to the man, then leaned in and offered his hand to Lindon:

«Alright…» he took a breath. «Let’s get you somewhere safe.»

Lindon got up, grimacing from pain, but managed to keep himself standing.

«If we are to stay back…» the Veluthian growled, feeling his body straining. «Get me that sniper rifle.»

Serena seemed to freeze for a few moments, before Hunter cautiously took her hand to help her up. When the woman stood, she glanced at the cyborg with a grateful nod, but said nothing.

Hunter realised she was worried about her being in a much worse condition than she wanted to seem, but didn’t say anything about that. Instead, he stepped to the dead Terran lieutenant and grabbed his rifle and a couple of additional clips for it from the utility belt the dead man carried on himself. Handing the weapon to Lindon, he noticed how the Veluthian winced at the sight of such a rifle.

«Could be better, could be worse…» Lindon sighed, hanging the rifle onto his shoulder.

They headed out, and Serena fell back, stepping slowly, but keeping herself near Hunter. Wolfin kept glancing at Lindon, wondering if he will be able to walk without aid, but for the time being the Veluthian seemed to hang on just fine. Still, Wolfin stepped closer, as he stumbled over a small rock on his path, and Lindon didn’t object, when his friend offered him his shoulder to lean on.

«How did you find us, anyways?» Lindon could barely walk, held up by Wolfin, but still wanted to know everything.

«We heard the scumbags laughing.» Hunter replied, growling.

«Though, your tracks were headed elsewhere, we decided to check out what was the reason for such cackle.» Wolfin sighed. «Good thing too…»

«Yeah, no shit.» Serena winced, grasping her head again.

«Are you alright?» Lindon asked her, looking at her with worry in his eyes.

«I’ll be alright when we get back to the ship and you’ll be treated from all your injuries.» the woman winced.

«Don’t think that you won’t be, Scorpi. I’ll drag your ass by force into the medical bay if I have to.» Wolfin smirked.

Serena didn’t reply, but the way she looked at her mentor was telling.

The rest of the way they walked in silence, and at some point Wolfin gestured to Hunter and the cyborg immediately activated his cloaking device and slipped away. Serena stopped for a split second, forcing down a nauseating wave, and when she stepped forward again, she noticed the frowning gaze Wolfin gave her.

A few moments passed and Hunter appeared again.

«When you step out of the tunnel up ahead, turn left. There’s a covered platform we can leave Lindon and Serena on.» he reported. «As for us…»

Wolfin raised his hand, stopping the man:

«First, we make sure they will be alright. Then we talk about everything else.»

Serena took a deep breath and activated her helmet.

«If we get there cloaked, no one will know we’re there at all. I’ll stay cloaked with Lindon. Don’t worry about us.» she said.

Lindon gritted his teeth and saw her stepping up to help him walk. The Veluthian glanced at Wolfin and nodded, allowing the woman help him further. Activating his helmet, Lindon flicked on the cloaking device. Serena activated hers and the two slowly headed to the platform Hunter mentioned.

«Alright…» Wolfin gritted his teeth. «Then let’s go…»

Hunter nodded and they activated their cloaking devices as well, passing Lindon and Serena and turning right when out of the tunnel.

Serena helped Lindon take a good vantage point on the platform between the rocks, and sat by the wall, feeling her body too strained. Lindon placed the newly obtained rifle and took a look at the Terran encampment that was located deeper in the cavern that opened to their glances from this place.

«The camp is larger than I expected…» Lindon said a few moments later.

«Maybe, some of the Terrans left somewhere…» Serena leaned back, fighting with vertigo.

«Maybe…»

Lindon turned to see two of his friends cautiously approaching the camp.

Wolfin and Hunter moved quickly, but avoiding being noticed. For a bit they seemed to stop and ascertain their surroundings, but then Wolfin jolted forward and dragged a soldier behind some boxes, breaking his neck. Hunter moved in, catching another one and hurriedly hiding the body next to the first one.

Lindon smirked, seeing them move through the camp slowly, methodically and relentlessly. Noticing a guard, who almost noticed his comrade being dragged off by Wolfin, the Veluthian pulled the trigger. The silent projectile hit the unsuspecting Terran in the forehead, but as he swayed to fall, Hunter caught the body and pulled it away.

Serena watched Lindon shooting from time to time, helping out their friends, and her head kept pounding with pain so hard that she closed her eyes.

Everything fell back, muffled and distant, and the woman realised that she must have lost consciousness only after someone was shaking her to wake up. Slowly and painfully she swam out of the darkness that caged her mind, and when she forced her eyes open, she saw Lindon – pale and panicking before her.

Seeing her meet his gaze, the man breathed out with relief and leaned in, connecting their foreheads.

«Shit, Serena…» he exhaled.

Only then the woman managed to grasp at reality, noticing that her helmet was off – Lindon must have tried waking her up for quite a while.

«I’m fine…» she whispered, feeling her head pounding again. «I’m sorry, I dozed off.»

Lindon cupped her cheek and calmed his breathing, then looked over his shoulder and gathered his thoughts:

«Can you get up? Wolfin and Hunter finished clearing the camp. They set up some grenades to destroy the place once we leave…»

Serena had to take a few moments to collect her bearings, but then pushed herself up. Lindon, though, still weak and pained, helped her straighten and held her as she took another moment to understand if she was able to walk at all.

She looked at her belt and remembered the stims Hunter gave her.

«I’m good. I’m fine, Lindon.» the woman took two syringes and gave herself a shot, and then another – to Lindon. «Let’s go…»

Lindon grabbed the rifle and they both headed down the path to meet up with Hunter and Wolfin. And though Serena was holding Lindon to help him walk, he felt like she too needed the support, and tried his best not to lean on her too hard.

By the time the two reached the camp, Wolfin and Hunter were already approaching, dragging a man between them. Serena frowned, seeing the man’s face, and tried hard to remember where she saw that face. It took her a bit, but then she finally grasped at the memory.

«Deezer?» Serena exhaled, looking at the heavily wounded Veluthian.

Wolfin frowned:

«You know this guy?»

«Yeah… It’s… Deezer Laoni. We served together back in the Academy.» the woman stepped up as the men stopped. «What the…»

She cautiously touched the man’s chin, raising his head and saw his eyes fluttering open. He was extremely weak, bloodied and definitely in no condition to recognise her.

«Shit! You’re right!» Lindon tilted his head, barely standing up next to her. «Deezer?»

The man’s eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness again.

«We’ve already called Lyssa to pick us up.» Wolfin nodded aside. «We’ve disabled the scrambler and found a closer exit than the one we took to get to you.»

Serena wanted to nod, but closed her eyes, forcing down a wave of weakness washing over her.

«Good… I’m not in the mood for a long walk.» she exhaled.

Chapter 8. Debriefing

Serena still felt the dizziness washing over her. She should have stayed in bed for a couple of days, but the Veluthian captive they saved from the Terran camp finally awakened and she was informed of it. She ordered Lyssa to tell her when that happens and not let anyone else speak with the man before her.

Now, walking through the ship towards the medical bay, she cursed her stubbornness and lack of reason.

Walking inside, she first approached the syringes and capsules and gave herself a double shot of some stims. Only when nausea stepped back, allowing her body to stop searching for something to lean on, Serena turned to the man in the medical pod.

«Hello, Deezer.» she said to the man, who looked around in confusion. «Glad to see you back with the living.»

The Veluthian frowned deep and struggled with his mind before a faint spark of recognition appeared in his brown eyes. Serena tilted her head and twitched her brow:

«You don’t remember me? I am Captain Serena Dal Thara-Lyss. We served together a long time ago at the Academy.» she said.

«Yes… I remember.» the man whispered, sounding coarse. «Where am I?»

«You are currently on my ship, MSS Lyssandra. My crew and I rescued you from a Terran camp on Kargalan. Do you remember anything about that?»

The man frowned, and tried to push himself up to sit. Serena gave him a bit of time to sit up, and when he finally looked at her again, his frown grew deeper:

«Kargalan… I was stationed at our outpost… I was… captured…» he grasped at his head, but then his eyes grew wide. «Wait… the kids… we had five regiments of Academy students stationed!»

Serena stepped up and put her palm on his shoulder, meeting his gaze.

By the way she looked at him the man immediately understood what she was about to say:

«I am sorry to report that all Veluthian students were found dead.» she whispered. «Please refrain from speaking about this with my crew.»

Deezer looked down, shocked at the news, then swallowed hard and took a few moments to gather his thoughts:

«Captain…» he breathed out, looking up at her again.

«Please, don’t worry about anything right now. You are safe and what I need from you is to tell me what those Terrans wanted from you.»

The man took a few moments before taking a deep breath:

«They were interrogating me about our forces. They weren’t interested in those we had on Kargalan, but wanted to know where else we had outposts and training grounds.»

Serena frowned, leaning over the medical pod – more to support her weight than for any other reason.

«So they were trying to find out other places like the Kargalan outpost?» she asked cautiously.

«Yes.» Deezer shook his head. «They were furious to get nothing from me. I didn’t tell them anything except my name and rank.»

«And you are willing to undergo memory extraction to prove this?»

«Of course! Anything to help…» the man straightened.

Serena nodded and took a few seconds to think, before asking:

«When you were captured… what exactly happened?»

«The attack came at night.» Deezer tensed up, remembering. «The trainees were out in the wild on a training run. The outpost seemed quiet, but at about 3 in the morning I heard something approaching and when we scanned the surrounding plains we saw a vehicle of Terran make approaching. At first we thought nothing of it – we’ve had Terran visitors before, but…»

The man fell silent and Serena saw his eyes squinting at the memory.

«But..?» she asked.

«As the vehicle approached, no one answered our calls. We were on high alert, and geared up, ready to take the fight. We guessed that if we aren’t receiving any messages, the Terrans could be having problems or malfunction in their communication line. I was also suspecting that the vehicle could be stolen by pirates of Terran descent. We’ve fought them before on Kargalan, so that wouldn’t be a first. However, the vehicle stopped at out gates and… it… it…»

«What happened?»

«It burst out with a force field of some kind.» Deezer met her gaze. «It deactivated our armour and rendered out comms useless. We couldn’t reach our own within the outpost, and wake them… And while we were trying to figure out what happened, the Terrans entered the outpost. I counted at least two hundred of them.»

«Then what happened?»

«The Terrans had exoskeletons. It was a strange sight – their own were not as advanced as they had then, so we were taken by surprize. The whole outpost was wiped out within half an hour. I survived only because I was knocked out by one of the exoskeleton wearing soldiers. When I came to my senses, I was already at their camp in a cavern somewhere.»

«Lyssa! Show us the schematics of Falana’s exoskeletons!» Serena ordered.

Deezer turned to the screen that switched on, and saw a couple of different models of Falana’s exoskeletons. The man slipped down to the floor and walked over, shocked to see the schematics for the very same devices that were used to take down his outpost.

«Yes… they wore…» the man pointed at the heavier one. «These. Though, five of their soldiers were equipped with the lighter type, similar to these…»

He showed the less bulky version.

Serena took a very deep breath, understanding how many of such devices Falana could have sold out to the Terrans over the years she hadn’t been even suspected in leaking Veluthian technology out into the human Universe.

«Alright… this is… worrisome…» the woman sighed.

«Wait…» Deezer frowned and looked at her. «This is… Veluthian tech. How did Terrans get their hands on it?»

«You haven’t been receiving news? We had a group of traitors working on leaking our tech to Terrans. One of those traitors was a talented scientist and technician. Falana Dal Lanir. By order of the Empress I tracked her down, but not before the woman sold quite a number of such devices – and many others – to Terrans and human pirates.»

«I mean… I’ve heard the news, but I never suspected it was this great of a leak… I thought it was just some weaponry or something like meds and implants…»

«Yes, she smuggled that too.» Serena shook her head. «Look, I’m going to say this straight – what we have right now is a situation that requires us to follow Empress Alathea’s orders. My orders were to find out what happened to Kargalan. I have. You are a survivor with memories of what exactly happened there, so now I am taking you back to Velutha. I suppose you’ll be asked to go through memory extraction once you’ll be strong enough. But for the time being, I suggest you decompress and heal.»

«Yes, Captain.»

Serena wanted to step away, but froze and met his gaze again:

«While on my ship, you are to follow my orders, understood?»

«Understood, Captain.» Deezer nodded.

«Don’t talk to anyone about what happened on Kargalan. If you remember anything else, find me. You will be supplied with personal quarters for the duration of our flight. We arrive at Velutha in two days.» Serena glanced at the stims. «If you need any medical care, stims or anything at all – ask Lyssa, she’ll provide you with everything.»

«Yes, Captain.»

Serena activated her communication device:

«Wolfin, our guest has awakened and has been debriefed. Please, supply him with a place to stay until we reach Velutha…» she listened to the short reply and nodded, then looked at Deezer. «Well, Deezer, welcome to my ship. Come on, I’ll get you acquainted with my crew.»

The man didn’t argue, following her out.

The same evening Serena gathered her crew – except for Deezer, who was recuperating after his ordeal on Kargalan – in the dining area.

«Alright… I know I hadn’t asked you two about what you found in that Terran camp…» Serena said, and noticed Wolfin smirking. «What?»

«You weren’t in the best condition to be thinking straight, so all things considered, it was expected.» her mentor said.

«I still think you should be resting, and not walking around, trying to fill in the information gaps that you have.» Lindon shook his head.

Though he was recovering, he still was just as hurt as Serena was after their adventure.

«Shut up, Lindon. We both should be resting. Yet here we are.» Serena leaned back on her seat and took a moment, looking at her crew. «I’m sorry. I didn’t want to snap at you. I just… what happened on Kargalan is weighing on me. Terrans attacked our outpost, using the technology Falana sold. Our forces were caught by surprise, their armour and comms rendered useless…»

«Terrans used the same thing Falana’s bodyguard used, when he tried to kill you?» Lindon tensed up.

Serena nodded:

«According to Deezer, Terrans came to the camp at night, when most of our soldiers and researchers were asleep. The Terran vehicle emitted a scrambling field that cut communication and deactivated the armour…» she sighed. «Terran soldiers also used exoskeletons akin to those Falana used. Deezer pointed at the heavy model and a lighter one. He also said there were at least two hundred Terrans attacking.»

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