Escape of the Relentless Read online

  “Yes, ma’am,” replied Mali, moving next to Pi-ce.

  “Corporal,” she ordered, you take the rear. “Everyone move quickly, but keep your eyes open.”

  The engineering group moved through the wrecked passageways, avoiding areas without atmospheric and gravitational control whenever possible. After a few minutes they were deep within the bowels of the ship.

  They stopped at a set of large double doors. Pi-ce knelt and directed the others to do the same. There was no viewing window into the next compartment. “How much longer?” she asked Mali.

  “About ten frames forward to the access lift to Engineering Control.”

  “And the next compartment?”

  “It’s a passageway with access to some of the auxiliary spaces and some offices,” replied Mali.

  “Everyone hook up!” ordered Pi-ce, clipping the lanyard on her suit to a support beam.

  Once everyone was secured to an object, Pi-ce turned back to Mali. “Open it.”

  The door slid open but there was no pull of a vacuum. Pi-ce unhooked her lanyard and stepped into the passageway, her rifle at the ready.

  The bodies of crewmembers littered the passageway. Looking at the first body, she saw the tell-tale welts of boarding wasps.

  “Everyone stop. Boarding wasps.” she ordered quietly into her comms link as she scanned the overhead for a swarm. She searched intently but didn’t see any.

  Shifting back to the bodies, she saw specs of black and yellow lying on the deck. Raising her right hand to her face to see her environmental data, she read oxygen levels at two percent. “No atmo,” she said out loud. “It’s clear. Everyone move forward.”

  “What about the wasps?” asked Chief Oda.

  “They need oxygen, just like us,” answered Pi-ce.

  “How did they get this far inboard?” asked Corporal Tra-na.

  Pi-ce looked up toward the overhead again. “Must have travelled though the ventilation.”

  “So they can be anywhere?” asked Mali, the uneasiness in her voice evident through the circuit.

  “Like I said,” continued Pi-ce, “keep your eyes open.”

  Mali paused, looking down at the bodies. Pi-ce saw her already pale skin growing even whiter through her face shield.

  “Look up, technician,” said Pi-ce. “And take some deep breaths. You don’t want to get sick in an environmental suit.”

  “What a horrible way to die,” huffed Mali as she leaned against the bulkhead.

  “There are no nice ways to die in space, technician,” replied Pi-ce. “Just honorable and dishonorable ones.” She placed her hand on Mali’s shoulder. “Now we must move.”

  The team moved past the grizzly scene and made their way to the access lift. Once everyone was onboard, Mali activated the platform and it began to descend.

  “How may decks?” asked Pi-ce.

  “Five,” answered Mali.

  The lift was fast and the five decks flew by in seconds. The platform gate opened, and Mali hopped onto the deck.

  “It’s right around this corner,” said Mali.

  Pi-ce checked the atmosphere, then the gravity. “You can remove helmets.”

  “Good,” replied Chief Oda. “It will be hard getting at those capacitors in all this gear,” he added as he pulled the helmet over his head. “Ahhh. Much bet —”

  Oda was cut short as Pi-ce raised her rifle to her shoulder and fired a burst. “Contact!” she shouted as Corporal Tra-na shoved Mali behind a storage bin.

  A Qua-la infantryman fell to the ground near the lift behind them.

  Pi-ce swung her rifle in a circle checking for other enemy troops. “You see anything, corporal?”

  “No, ma’am,” replied Tra-na.

  “Is everyone okay?” she asked.

  “Good,” answered Tra-na, his hand still resting on Mali’s shoulder.

  “Yeah … fantastic,” replied Oda, standing and holstering his pistol. “Give me a fire or piping rupture any day over that.”

  “Well the day is young, chief,” replied Pi-ce. “Maybe you’ll get your wish.”

  “I’m good,” said Chief Oda. “I’ll just get Beacon — where’s Beacon?” asked Oda as he looked around the room.

  “Damn it,” cursed Pi-ce as she saw the engineering technician lying on the deck a few feet away. “He’s over there. Tra-na keep an eye out,” she ordered as she and Oda rushed to Beacon.

  A few feet away, she stopped.

  The Qua-la solder must have managed to get off a round as Pi-ce fired and it had found its mark. Beacon was dead.

  “Son of a bitch,” grumbled Oda.

  Pi-ce new Chief Oda was a professional but also knew that he hadn’t seen many, if any, of his men die. “You should get to work, chief. There is nothing that can be done.”

  “Yes,” he grumbled. “Mali!” he shouted. “Get over here and let’s get this panel de-energized.”

  “We’ll keep you covered,” said Pi-ce.

  ***

  “This is it,” said Communications Technician Brada, pointing to the communications suite.

  “The system appears to be down,” said Ensign Landa.

  Brada looked at the power available lights on the electron spin panel. Both the normal and alternate lights were off. She looked toward Ensign Landa. “It might just a failed bus transfer or the power supply itself. We might still be able to get a working card.”

  “Sounds good,” replied Landa. “It’s your system.”

  “Sir, I hate to ask, but can you and Elan check … uh …” She paused as she flipped through an isolation book on the desk beside the panel. “… Panel Eight-Five. It is on that elevated platform behind that storage tank. Breaker Eight-Five-Tac-Two-Tac-Two-Echo should be open.”

  “Sure,” replied Elan. “Eight-Five-Tac-Two-Tac-Two-Echo.”

  “And, sir …” she paused. “Actually, it might be easier for me to check it out.”

  “Okay,” replied Landa. “But you shouldn’t go alone.” Landa looked toward the Marines.

  “I’ll go with her,” said Gunner Ven-do.

  Sergeant Bar-ke nodded in acknowledgement. “Just keep your comms open.”

  “Aye, Sergeant,” replied Ven-do.

  “We’ll be back in a few minutes,” said Brada. She turned toward Ven-do. “Follow me.”

  Brada quickly made her way to a scuttle in the aft of the compartment.

  “It’s down there,” she said to the Ven-do. “Three levels down.”

  “I’ll go first,” replied the Marine.

  Brada watched as the broad-shouldered Marine struggled to fit in the small scuttle. As Ven-do disappeared into the vertical trunk, she followed, shutting the scuttle above her.

  Reaching the first level, she saw the Marine glance down the next scuttle. “You sure you want to go first?” she asked.

  “I need to,” he replied.

  She watched as the Marine twisted and squirmed to fit into the next two scuttles. As he hit the last platform, she looked down to him.

  “Shit,” she cursed.

  “What is it?”

  “We went down one too many. It’s through the hatch up here. I’ll just go in —”

  “Wait!” huffed Ven-do. “I need to clear the room for you.”

  “I can —”

  “It’s my job.”

  “Fine,” huffed Brada, motioning for the Marine to come back up the scuttle.

  He began to ascend the ladder, but his gear hit the edge. “Shit,” he cursed as he twisted his body.

  “Reach me your rifle so you can fit through the scuttle.”

  “Here,” replied Ven-do as he extended the rifle to her.

  Brada grabbed the rifle and Ven-do began to climb the ladder.

  “Thanks,” he said as he put his hands on the deck to push himself through.

  “No problem,” replied Brada as she turned the rifle toward Ven-do and fired a burst, knocking him down to the next level. She dropped the rifle down on top of Ven-do’s body. �
�Idiot.”

  Climbing back up the ladder, Brada opened the scuttle and quickly made her way back to the others.

  ***

  “Where’s the corporal?” asked Landa as Brada came into view.

  “I don’t know, sir. We had just checked the panel and he said he saw some movement through a viewing window of a hatch and went to investigate it.”

  “And he left you alone?” asked Bar-ke.

  “We’d already found out the breaker panel had no power,” replied Brada. “He told me to come back and he would be right behind me.”

  “Fucking glory-hound,” cursed Bar-ke. “He was supposed to stay focused on the mission.”

  “I don’t know, sergeant,” replied Brada. “He said to come back, so I came back.”

  “Should we go after him?” asked Ensign Landa.

  “But shouldn’t we try to get the card as soon as we can?” asked Brada. “Maybe some of us should stay here.”

  “Split up again?” asked Landa.

  “That’s not a good tactical idea,” added Bar-ke, activating his comms link. “Gunner Ven-do, come in. Get your ass back here now.”

  No answer.

  “What’s going on, Sergeant?” came Pi-ce’s voice over the circuit.

  “Looks like Ven-do went off looking for some kills, ma’am,” replied Bar-ke.

  “Is your area secure?” asked Pi-ce.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “If the techs can do their work without you, go get his ass.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” replied Bar-ke. He turned toward Brada. “Where did he go?”

  “I was through the opposite hatch and forward about five frames when he told me to come back.”

  Bar-ke looked toward Ensign Landa. “I’ll be back in a few, sir,” said Bar-ke before racing off toward the false location given to him by Brada.

  With the Bar-ke off to track down his missing Marine, Landa turned toward Elan. “Elan, is the other power source energized?”

  “No, it’s —”

  Elan was cut short as Brada drove a knife into his neck.

  Brada spun around and slammed her boot into Landa’s knee before he could react, sending the ensign to the ground with a grunt.

  Landa drew his pistol and swung it toward Brada, but she grabbed his hand and twisted it backwards, causing him to drop the weapon. Before the pistol hit the ground, a slash of Brada’s blade opened up Landa’s throat. He was still on his knees when Brada sent him toppling over with a kick to his torso.

  Hitting the ground, Landa activated his comms circuit but all that escaped his mouth was a raspy gasp as blood pumped from the gash in his neck.

  “Sorry, Ensign,” growled Brada. “But sacrifices have to be made to restore the Empire to its rightful rulers.”

  As Landa bled out on the deck, Brada turned toward the electron spin panel. She opened the access panel and flipped onto her back. Sliding her torso into the cabinet, she reached inside and pulled out a small power disrupter — one she had placed there before the original Qua-la attack.

  Pushing herself to her knees, she saw one of the power available lights energize.

  She took a deep breath and began to punch in the valance sequencing to contact the Qua-la fleet. The message screen appeared. Brada typed the message: One family member left alive. Rescued by frigate Relentless. Current location is at wreck of Thunder.

  Once the message was sent, she activated her comms circuit.

  “Help!” she shouted. “Bar-ke … we’re under fire!”

  She fired her pistol into the air.

  “Landa’s dead!” she yelled. “I —” She fired two rounds into the electron spin panel and then turned off the comms link.

  Brada placed a new magazine in her pistol and lay against the panel, feigning death.

  ***

  Bar-ke rushed into the compartment, his rifle held to his shoulder.

  “Status?” came Pi-ce’s voice over the comms link.

  “I couldn’t find Ven-do,” answered Bar-ke. “I heard shots and the report from the tech. It seems —” Bar-ke saw the bodies of the three techs spread out in front of the electron spin panel. “Three down,” he reported. “No sign of Qua-la … I’m moving in.”

  Bar-ke crept forward, peering down the barrel of his rifle as he scanned the compartment. After a sweep of the room, he made his way to the panel and knelt beside Ensign Landa.

  He examined the wound to his neck.

  “What the fuck?” he said out loud as he looked around the area again. How did the ensign die from a knife wound with no Qua-la around? He looked toward Elan.

  He had a knife wound too.

  “Shit!” he cursed as he spun toward Brada.

  His eyes open wide as he saw the barrel of Brada’s pistol.

  ***

  Brada pulled the trigger and Bar-ke let out a grunt as he fell backwards.

  She rose to her feet and fired again as Bar-ke attempted to fire his pistol. The round knocked the Marine back onto the deck and Brada was immediately over him.

  She placed her boot on his chest and pointed the pistol at his forehead.

  “Traitor,” spat Bar-ke.

  “I’m no traitor, you fucking robot,” replied Brada with a smile. “I’m a patriot. Too long have the noble families suffered under the yoke of Espara rule.”

  Bar-ke tried to grab a knife from his vest but Brada fired again, sending another round into his shoulder.

  “And after the Qua-la have killed the whore now calling herself queen,” continued Brada, “the Runan Empire will again be ruled by those who are worthy.”

  “You’ll never get away with it,” growled Bar-ke, struggling to bring in air.

  “I already have, Marine. The Qua-la have been informed and they’ll be here soon to finish off the last vestiges of the Espara scourge from our Empire.”

  She leveled the pistol at Bar-ke’s forehead. “Good —”

  Brada let out a shriek as the blade of Pi-ce’s long knife pierced her back and exploded through her chest. Gasping for air, she looked down toward the blade as Pi-ce lifted her body into the air.

  ***

  A growl escaped Pi-ce’s mouth as she pivoted and slammed Brada’s body onto the deck. The sound of bones and ligaments snapping echoed through the compartment. Pi-ce flipped Brada onto her back with her foot.

  She was dead.

  Pi-ce knelt next to Bar-ke. “Sergeant, are —”

  “She …” He coughed, sending blood flying from his mouth. Closing his eyes and grunting, he tried again. “She called the Qua —”

  His head fell to the deck.

  Pi-ce looked toward the communications panel.

  “Shit.” She activated her comms link. “Team Alpha, get back to the transport now,” she ordered.

  “Roger,” replied Chief Oda.

  Pi-ce activated the link to Relentless. “Relentless, Wolf One. The tech from Thunder … she was a traitor. The Qua-la have been alerted!”

  Chapter Five

  “What?” demanded Catton as he replied to Pi-ce.

  “The Qua-la have been informed of our location,” came the report again.

  Catton clinched his jaw tightly. The enemy would be on them in minutes. “TAO set Battle Stations.” Catton glanced toward the FTL status.

  Three green lights.

  “Don’t leave them.”

  Catton turned toward the source of the soft but firm voice that cut through the bonging of the ship’s Battle Stations alarm.

  “When they arrive, we won’t last more than a few minutes against their ships, Queen Xendi.” He knew everyone on the boarding team would expect Relentless to jump in order to save the queen. “I —”

  “Then we should tell your away team to hurry,” she replied with a nervous smile.

  “I can’t jeopardize your life, my queen. We have to go now.”

  She was brave and almost every action she took made the crew, and Catton, respect her even more. But she had to realize her importance.
r />   “Queen Xendi?” he pleaded.

  She remained silent.

  “Attention on the bridge,” bellowed Catton, drawing everyone’s attention. “Raise your hand if you are willing to give your life for your queen.”

  Every crewmember on the bridge raised a hand.

  “See, Queen Xendi, it is our duty. Everyone knows what the cost of service might be.”

  She leaned in close, her eye’s fixed on his. “Like my cousin?” she asked.

  “Yes,” replied Catton. He was growing frustrated. Her ideology, no matter how stirring, was going to get her killed and throw the Empire into civil war. It was bad enough he needed to once again sacrifice men under his command; now the twenty-three-year-old Queen was making him look bad for doing it. “We sacrifice for the Empire.” He stood, looking down toward her. “And you are the Empire.”

  “I disagree, commander. I am the symbol of the Empire but each of these men and women in on this bridge are the Empire. Just like your teams on Thunder.” She turned back toward him and moved close so that no one else could hear. “We. Stay.”

  He had lost. “Very well, then, your majesty.” He turned toward the communications link. “Wolf One, report status?”

  “One minute from the transport,” came Pi-ce’s reply.

  “Hurry!” he ordered, allowing a hint of urgency to break through his calm.

  An electronic bing drew Catton’s attention.

  “Sir,” reported the TAO. “RADIUS picking up three new cont — identified as Qua-la frigates.”

  “Designate as hostile,” ordered Catton.

  “Aye, sir. Designated TRACKS one through THREE as hostile,” replied the TAO.

  “Very well. TAO put us right up against Thunder in a direct line from the hangar bay.”

  “Aye, sir,” replied the TAO activating his link to the bridge. “OOD put us alongside hangar bay four of Thunder … distance…”

  “Two hundred feet,” said Catton.

  “But, sir. At two hundred feet the magnetic signatures and EMCON from Thunder’s remaining systems will … oh,” paused the TAO. “Yes, sir.” He activated the link to the bridge again. “Distance of two hundred feet.”

  “What is happening?” asked Queen Xendi.

  “We are placing Relentless right up against Thunder, your highness. It will be tricky but getting that close will allow some of Thunder’s electronic signature to hopefully confuse some of their sensors and fire control.”