The Beacon, page 11
She was bent over the console, staring at the instruments with severe intensity. He didn’t like that look. That look meant there was bad news, or there was certainly no good news.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
She pointed to one of the screens. It showed a grid-like image of the planet and had a shroud of red light all around it, swirling with storm-like motion. He frowned because he knew what the color of that reading meant.
“The planet is completely covered in strong magnetic currents, so our instruments can’t pick up anything from the surface. I suspect once we’re planet-side, we might be able to use them, but we’d be going in blind first.”
He stroked his chin, fingers pausing over his mouth. “If the Lightbringers did pick this as a place to lay a trap, then they damn near picked the perfect spot.”
She shook her head as she stood straight, arms crossed while she looked from the readings to him. “I think it’s probably safe to say that Red and the Lightbringers likely aren’t here. They wouldn’t have suffered having the Colossi in orbit, and neither would the Colossi have liked having the Lightbringers here unless somehow they were being used by the enemy in some way. Given the nature of the devices and the Octopoids' general tech, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.”
“But we don’t know that for certain. And it’s possible the Lightbringers would use the magnetic shielding to keep the Colossi from knowing they were there.”
“Possible, it's true.”
Melias didn’t like any of this. He hated not being prepared. With such a thick magnetic shroud around the planet, they couldn’t even send a surveillance probe down to the surface for some recon. They would have to risk going down there themselves. The only solace was that he thought perhaps this would help Red, if she’d escaped and had come here to hide. It would serve her well, though he reflected it was almost a miracle they could still receive the tracking ping.
He sighed, hands on his hips. “We need to be careful. Besides the obvious Lightbringers trap, there could also still be land-based Colossi down there that we can’t see. We have no idea what might be on the surface.”
“Maybe we could ask the commander to send reinforcements.”
“No,” he replied, a little quickly. He elaborated, “I can’t have the commander risking more men when she’s already lost one squad. We’ll go in, have our noise dampeners activated in case of the device being used to ambush us, and we’ll take our chances. If it is a trap, we’ll retreat, no questions asked.”
She nodded. He didn’t know the other squad that well, but she undoubtedly did, having been a Sentinel for almost a century before Melias joined. Of course, technically speaking, Niath had been estranged for a few years from the cause when they’d crossed paths, but not long enough that she didn’t know most within the organization.
They waited a few more minutes for the crew to be looked after and regain their wits, then Melias announced that they would continue to the planet.
10
He guided them through the debris field of the shattered Colossi ships. It would be a lie if he said he didn’t search through it, wondering if perhaps he had made a mistake and the Colossi had taken the Sentinels prisoners and he had killed them, but he saw no evidence of that, so he pushed past it.
The planet, which was previously undiscovered by humanity and its allies, was a mix of pale greens and browns with thick cloud cover. Just from the looks of it, he didn’t spot any oceans or seas, but without their instruments, it was hard to tell if there was any water or oxygen or anything. The presence of green made him think there was something organic, at least.
Despite the strong magnetic field, pushing through the atmosphere wasn’t too difficult. It was a thinner atmosphere, which might have meant it was hotter with a lesser gravity, but that could all be measured and adjusted for once they were on the surface.
Once they passed through the lower troposphere and the wall of clouds as they raced toward Red’s coordinates, he caught his breath.
The world wasn’t a barren, lifeless husk, but it also wasn’t lush. It was a volcanic world, with vast plains of old lava rock, huge swaths of mossy land, deep valleys with gorgeous waterfalls, and rivers cutting through the terrain. In that way, it was beautiful, even though he didn’t spy much animal life beyond a few flocks of some flying creature with three pairs of wings and long, snake-like tails.
So, there was surface water, just not huge oceans of it. They passed over a large lake of silvery water. There were geysers that exploded high into the air, and thermal vents spewing columns of superheated steam. He had seen old vids of places like this back on Earth, as well as on a few of the colonies. This place could support life, though with the threat of Colossi Mecha in the sector, any galactic race might have trouble ever getting a colony here.
As they flew, the instruments slowly began to show some readings. Not all, and not all accurate, but it was something. Most importantly, they were able to scan for signals, and it didn’t take long for them to pick up the transponder for the Sentinel ship.
“That’s the signature for the Caspian,” Niath said, pinching her bottom lip, trying not to get too hopeful.
“Do we have a reading on the exact coordinates of Red’s ping?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s five hundred klicks northeast from here. The transponder is three hundred thirty clicks, also northeast but bearing more north. Not perfectly on the way but not out of the way either.”
Melias swallowed and ran a hand over his chin. He knew what the commander’s orders were, that Red was the priority, but if she was there and it was a trap, they would remain in waiting to spring the trap. They could wait, but if there were survivors with the Sentinel ship, wounded and dying, then every second counted. The faster they got there, the more likely they could save someone.
It was a risk he was willing to take. “We’ll check our allies first. They may need us.”
“Right, Captain.”
She did a good job of keeping her emotions in check and her gaze level, but he knew she was relieved and that he had made the decision she was hoping for.
He set the ship to hover as he called everyone to the common room. It was a bit of a risk, as they were out in the open, but he left Niath there in case they were attacked by something. The others gathered, all a bit tired but recovered well from the initial battle with the Colossi.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he began. “The commander wants us to make finding Red’s signal the priority, but the transponder from her missing squad’s ship is on the way, so we may as well stop there first. Red’s signal will stay there, and if there is a trap, then better to prepare for it, plus they wouldn’t spring the trap without the prey caught in it. The sentinels, on the other hand, might need our help and fast. So, any objections?”
When none of them argued, he continued. “I’ll be honest. Even beyond the magnetic shroud, there might still be some interference, so we need to stay on our toes out there. Some of our instruments are back, but others are still down. There could still be Colossi Mecha in hiding, or the Lightbringers lying in wait.”
They knew the risks, and they wouldn’t be Sentinels if they weren’t brave enough to face this right now, so he knew they would have no objections, and there were none.
So, they broke their huddle and went to their stations, with most heading down to the hold to gear up. Melias returned to the cockpit and let Niath continue to pilot the Goose as they soared over the planet.
They soon found the lost Sentinel ship. It was a smaller craft than the Goose, but bigger than a fighter. It was more oval in shape, a design favored by Cereleans. He didn’t recognize it, so it must have been one of the newer squads under Thandriel’s command. It was a wreck, smoke billowing from it, whole sections scorched and ruined with chunks missing from the sides and top. It was half-buried in the planet’s surface from the impact, and he had to think that if any had been alive before, the force of that crash probably killed them.
But they had to know for sure, so he set the Goose down nearby. He put on his kinetic armor, grabbed a rifle, and set out with Nummer, Lyra, and Ixion—Nummer and Lyra for support and Ixion for any potential survivors.
“Anything on the sensors? Any life?”
She frowned as she read it. “Uncertain. It thinks there is for one moment but then it freaks out and says negative the next. Then repeat. Damn magnetic shroud.”
Not ideal but they’d deal with it. “What about the proximity sensors? Or the electro-pulse scanner? Or any Colossi chatter on the frequencies?”
“I’m afraid not. At least, the frequency and the pulse seem to be working okay, and if they are, then we don’t have anything to worry about, but the proximity sensors are rattling like crazy. Which would mean there are thousands of enemies around us, or it’s busted.”
Melias nodded grimly. “I’ll have Tomi keep the ship ready,” he told Niath as he walked down the ramp. “If we can’t trust the instruments, then we need to be on our guard and not take any chances. Or at least not as many as we usually do.”
“Will do,” she said.
“Let’s hope there are still some survivors.”
“Yes.”
It was an understatement. Of course, they hoped the whole lost crew was alive and well, but judging from the shape of the Caspian, Melias wasn’t holding out much hope for good news.
Niath set the ship down on a shallow cliff overlooking the crash site. The Caspian had plunged into a small pond and gouged a deep groove into the ground, tearing through a field of moss-covered volcanic rock. Not a soft landing, to be sure, but the ship wasn’t in a bunch of pieces, so it seemed to have survived the crash as well as one could reasonably hope for.
He and his vice-captain headed down to the cargo hold, passing Tomi on the way as she went to idle in the cockpit, ready to pull them out if necessary. They gathered with the others below. Arke, Nummer, and Aaron had their armor on, and Lyra’Tonvash, whom he’d learned had a natural resistance to a lot of adverse conditions, wore a thin environmental suit with battle armor atop. Not like what Melias would wear.
The planet was uncomfortably hot. Hot enough that they would pass out quickly without their suits. A consequence of the volcanic activity, no doubt. It also had a lower oxygen count, so they needed their rebreathers and oxygen masks.
Once they were armored up and armed, he led them out.
The planet's surface, even with his suit, was a bit stifling, but his suit allowed him to bear it, though for how long, he didn’t know. Also, the gravity was heavy despite the thinner atmosphere. Not bone-crushing, but not as comfortable as he was used to. He was out of his element and hoped they weren’t attacked.
They approached the broken wreckage of the Caspian. It was a small skirmisher, meant for a lighter crew than their own. The Goose was great at transporting goods while putting up a fight, so she was a popular model for smugglers and blockade runners and with certain species’ navies. Whereas the Goose was more bird shaped in her design and had a silver-and-blue color scheme, the Caspian had a triangular look, top-heavy wings and a roof that seemed to meld together before tapering into smaller levels that ended in a rounded, skinny belly. She would have been a fast one, lighter on cargo space, living space, and amenities, but a fine craft regardless.
Now, she was in rough shape. The curved bottom was torn open and dented. The portside point up top was ripped clean off, exposing the interior to the planet’s light and heat. On the starboard side, huge slashes pierced the siding, like claw marks, though most certainly from the landing. There was some blaster score, and evidence of explosions from battle, but any deaths likely came from the crash.
It did not look like a wreck that many, if any, could walk away from, but they pressed on anyway.
He led them around the perimeter of the crash, checking to see if anyone might be outside, but there was no evidence of anyone or any footprints. The terrain wouldn’t really allow for footprints anywhere besides the dug-up earth immediately around the ship.
“Doesn’t look good,” Niath said, noting the crushed cockpit and front of the ship as they passed it.
Melias looked at his medic. “Any chance of survivors?”
Ixion looked pale, and his narrow eyes were solemn. “If they were able to strap in and brace, then perhaps, though few would make it through this unscathed. If there are survivors, then they will need serious help, I fear.”
“Better alive and injured than dead,” Arke said.
“True enough.”
They entered the Caspian from a hole on the starboard side, near the rear but above where the exit ramp would have been. The ship was lodged into the ground, tail angled in the air, so when they climbed through the hole, they had to drop down into the small exit room. Not a far drop, but not comfortable either.
Melias put on his helmet light and in the dim space. It was strewn with debris and wreckage. Sparks alighted, and there was still a faint layer of smoke pervading everywhere, though at this point, he didn’t think there was any risk of the ship exploding. Once everyone was safely inside, they started their search.
There were five dead as they made their way through the ship.
The first was a large Othalli woman, tall and broad, her dark skin shining with darker blood that made her seem like she was carved from glassy obsidian, but alas, she was dead, her eyes bright, wide, and unseeing. Melias didn’t know her, but Ixion bent low and closed the dead woman’s eyes.
“As’hana, a lover of poetry and maps, and their navigator and cook. I worked with her once, before the war.”
The second and third were Ter’ Oroi, male and female, though their features were so strikingly similar that they had to be related. Not uncommon, as twin births occurred at a much higher rate for their people than for most races. Even triplets and quadruplets were common. No one knew these two, though, but the brother’s neck was snapped. His head was caked with blood, obviously having been thrown during the crash. His sister lay next to him. It was obvious she’d survived the initial crash, but her stomach and chest were strewn with shrapnel. From the crash or from when they were shot, it was unclear, but a trail of blood showed that she had crawled to his side.
Arke held a hand over her mouth and tried not to make a sound, but he could tell she wanted to weep for them. In this moment, he missed Vasya. She would have said an Ishallan prayer and known kind words to say.
Having gone through war, Melias had lost many friends and comrades, but he never knew what to do with that grief, never found the right words. For him, it had always been a battle with his own emotions, between anger and despair and sorrow, the need to cry and grieve, and the need to right the wrong, enact some sort of revenge or justice.
He knew the latter feelings were wrong, but they still clawed through his mind at times, demanding retribution.
The fourth dead Sentinel was a human man with tanned skin, a wide face, dark hair, and tattoos swirling along his neck and down his exposed arm. He had old Polynesian features. Of course, unlike the rest, Melias knew this one. Siaki Fehoko. They had never served or fought together, but he had been around the commander’s base a lot and they had shared drinks. He had been from the same colony, though Fehoko had moved away years before the war came to their home. He was a good twenty years Melias’s senior, but always a kind soul, always smiling and laughing and offering sage advice. If Melias didn’t know any better, he would have guessed he was the captain of this ship.
Melias knelt and closed the one eye that was open. He didn’t search for wounds. He knew Fehoko was gone.
“I’ll pour a pint into Seroshi Pond for you back home, my friend,” he said.
Aaron patted his back. Arke put a hand on his shoulder. No one said a word. There was nothing to say. These were Sentinels, their comrades, even if they didn't know each other that well. They were all mourning in a way.
The final body was near the front of the ship, in the broken cockpit. In fact, they didn’t really see the full body, just a dark, twisted arm and leg jutting out from the mass of broken metal, dripping with blood. He gulped at the mangled sight and was silently happy he couldn’t see their face. He wondered if anyone else knew who it was, as he did not, but no one said anything.
They had come to the end, and he was crestfallen. They had found no survivors—this had only been a parade of death…
As they turned to leave back through the ship, however, a soft, pained voice spoke.
“Please… Don’t… Don’t g-go. Please, h-help me.”
Melias stopped dead in his tracks. His head on a swivel, his gaze darted around, searching for the voice. Thank the stars, a survivor!
They hadn’t fully combed the ship, only done a cursory walk-through along the passages that were still walkable, but there were rooms and halls and ramps to lower decks that were more difficult to navigate or altogether impassable without using heavy machinery to clear debris away.
Still, the voice had been low and had to be close.
“We hear you but can't find you,” he called, loud and firm. “I’m Captain Volery, Sentinel under the authority of our Commander Thandriel. We’re here to help you.”
“H-here. Please.”
The pain in those words cut him deep, and he and his crew doubled their efforts. It didn’t take long to find the owner of the voice.
“Here! I found her,” called Nummer, having just ducked his head inside a small chamber half-collapsed with debris. He began to strain and push some of the twisted metal back, and as he did, Lyra and her superior strength came to help.
“Careful,” Ixion hissed, rushing to them. “She might be pinned and pierced through, and if we remove it, she could bleed out.”
That made them pause immediately. They held the debris on their shoulders, supporting the weight but not moving it anymore for fear of killing the one survivor they had.
The rest of them gathered around the survivor, giving Ixion plenty of space to get through and take a look at the wounds before they proceeded to remove the debris. Melias was able to get a look at her from over Ixion’s shoulder.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
She pointed to one of the screens. It showed a grid-like image of the planet and had a shroud of red light all around it, swirling with storm-like motion. He frowned because he knew what the color of that reading meant.
“The planet is completely covered in strong magnetic currents, so our instruments can’t pick up anything from the surface. I suspect once we’re planet-side, we might be able to use them, but we’d be going in blind first.”
He stroked his chin, fingers pausing over his mouth. “If the Lightbringers did pick this as a place to lay a trap, then they damn near picked the perfect spot.”
She shook her head as she stood straight, arms crossed while she looked from the readings to him. “I think it’s probably safe to say that Red and the Lightbringers likely aren’t here. They wouldn’t have suffered having the Colossi in orbit, and neither would the Colossi have liked having the Lightbringers here unless somehow they were being used by the enemy in some way. Given the nature of the devices and the Octopoids' general tech, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.”
“But we don’t know that for certain. And it’s possible the Lightbringers would use the magnetic shielding to keep the Colossi from knowing they were there.”
“Possible, it's true.”
Melias didn’t like any of this. He hated not being prepared. With such a thick magnetic shroud around the planet, they couldn’t even send a surveillance probe down to the surface for some recon. They would have to risk going down there themselves. The only solace was that he thought perhaps this would help Red, if she’d escaped and had come here to hide. It would serve her well, though he reflected it was almost a miracle they could still receive the tracking ping.
He sighed, hands on his hips. “We need to be careful. Besides the obvious Lightbringers trap, there could also still be land-based Colossi down there that we can’t see. We have no idea what might be on the surface.”
“Maybe we could ask the commander to send reinforcements.”
“No,” he replied, a little quickly. He elaborated, “I can’t have the commander risking more men when she’s already lost one squad. We’ll go in, have our noise dampeners activated in case of the device being used to ambush us, and we’ll take our chances. If it is a trap, we’ll retreat, no questions asked.”
She nodded. He didn’t know the other squad that well, but she undoubtedly did, having been a Sentinel for almost a century before Melias joined. Of course, technically speaking, Niath had been estranged for a few years from the cause when they’d crossed paths, but not long enough that she didn’t know most within the organization.
They waited a few more minutes for the crew to be looked after and regain their wits, then Melias announced that they would continue to the planet.
10
He guided them through the debris field of the shattered Colossi ships. It would be a lie if he said he didn’t search through it, wondering if perhaps he had made a mistake and the Colossi had taken the Sentinels prisoners and he had killed them, but he saw no evidence of that, so he pushed past it.
The planet, which was previously undiscovered by humanity and its allies, was a mix of pale greens and browns with thick cloud cover. Just from the looks of it, he didn’t spot any oceans or seas, but without their instruments, it was hard to tell if there was any water or oxygen or anything. The presence of green made him think there was something organic, at least.
Despite the strong magnetic field, pushing through the atmosphere wasn’t too difficult. It was a thinner atmosphere, which might have meant it was hotter with a lesser gravity, but that could all be measured and adjusted for once they were on the surface.
Once they passed through the lower troposphere and the wall of clouds as they raced toward Red’s coordinates, he caught his breath.
The world wasn’t a barren, lifeless husk, but it also wasn’t lush. It was a volcanic world, with vast plains of old lava rock, huge swaths of mossy land, deep valleys with gorgeous waterfalls, and rivers cutting through the terrain. In that way, it was beautiful, even though he didn’t spy much animal life beyond a few flocks of some flying creature with three pairs of wings and long, snake-like tails.
So, there was surface water, just not huge oceans of it. They passed over a large lake of silvery water. There were geysers that exploded high into the air, and thermal vents spewing columns of superheated steam. He had seen old vids of places like this back on Earth, as well as on a few of the colonies. This place could support life, though with the threat of Colossi Mecha in the sector, any galactic race might have trouble ever getting a colony here.
As they flew, the instruments slowly began to show some readings. Not all, and not all accurate, but it was something. Most importantly, they were able to scan for signals, and it didn’t take long for them to pick up the transponder for the Sentinel ship.
“That’s the signature for the Caspian,” Niath said, pinching her bottom lip, trying not to get too hopeful.
“Do we have a reading on the exact coordinates of Red’s ping?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s five hundred klicks northeast from here. The transponder is three hundred thirty clicks, also northeast but bearing more north. Not perfectly on the way but not out of the way either.”
Melias swallowed and ran a hand over his chin. He knew what the commander’s orders were, that Red was the priority, but if she was there and it was a trap, they would remain in waiting to spring the trap. They could wait, but if there were survivors with the Sentinel ship, wounded and dying, then every second counted. The faster they got there, the more likely they could save someone.
It was a risk he was willing to take. “We’ll check our allies first. They may need us.”
“Right, Captain.”
She did a good job of keeping her emotions in check and her gaze level, but he knew she was relieved and that he had made the decision she was hoping for.
He set the ship to hover as he called everyone to the common room. It was a bit of a risk, as they were out in the open, but he left Niath there in case they were attacked by something. The others gathered, all a bit tired but recovered well from the initial battle with the Colossi.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he began. “The commander wants us to make finding Red’s signal the priority, but the transponder from her missing squad’s ship is on the way, so we may as well stop there first. Red’s signal will stay there, and if there is a trap, then better to prepare for it, plus they wouldn’t spring the trap without the prey caught in it. The sentinels, on the other hand, might need our help and fast. So, any objections?”
When none of them argued, he continued. “I’ll be honest. Even beyond the magnetic shroud, there might still be some interference, so we need to stay on our toes out there. Some of our instruments are back, but others are still down. There could still be Colossi Mecha in hiding, or the Lightbringers lying in wait.”
They knew the risks, and they wouldn’t be Sentinels if they weren’t brave enough to face this right now, so he knew they would have no objections, and there were none.
So, they broke their huddle and went to their stations, with most heading down to the hold to gear up. Melias returned to the cockpit and let Niath continue to pilot the Goose as they soared over the planet.
They soon found the lost Sentinel ship. It was a smaller craft than the Goose, but bigger than a fighter. It was more oval in shape, a design favored by Cereleans. He didn’t recognize it, so it must have been one of the newer squads under Thandriel’s command. It was a wreck, smoke billowing from it, whole sections scorched and ruined with chunks missing from the sides and top. It was half-buried in the planet’s surface from the impact, and he had to think that if any had been alive before, the force of that crash probably killed them.
But they had to know for sure, so he set the Goose down nearby. He put on his kinetic armor, grabbed a rifle, and set out with Nummer, Lyra, and Ixion—Nummer and Lyra for support and Ixion for any potential survivors.
“Anything on the sensors? Any life?”
She frowned as she read it. “Uncertain. It thinks there is for one moment but then it freaks out and says negative the next. Then repeat. Damn magnetic shroud.”
Not ideal but they’d deal with it. “What about the proximity sensors? Or the electro-pulse scanner? Or any Colossi chatter on the frequencies?”
“I’m afraid not. At least, the frequency and the pulse seem to be working okay, and if they are, then we don’t have anything to worry about, but the proximity sensors are rattling like crazy. Which would mean there are thousands of enemies around us, or it’s busted.”
Melias nodded grimly. “I’ll have Tomi keep the ship ready,” he told Niath as he walked down the ramp. “If we can’t trust the instruments, then we need to be on our guard and not take any chances. Or at least not as many as we usually do.”
“Will do,” she said.
“Let’s hope there are still some survivors.”
“Yes.”
It was an understatement. Of course, they hoped the whole lost crew was alive and well, but judging from the shape of the Caspian, Melias wasn’t holding out much hope for good news.
Niath set the ship down on a shallow cliff overlooking the crash site. The Caspian had plunged into a small pond and gouged a deep groove into the ground, tearing through a field of moss-covered volcanic rock. Not a soft landing, to be sure, but the ship wasn’t in a bunch of pieces, so it seemed to have survived the crash as well as one could reasonably hope for.
He and his vice-captain headed down to the cargo hold, passing Tomi on the way as she went to idle in the cockpit, ready to pull them out if necessary. They gathered with the others below. Arke, Nummer, and Aaron had their armor on, and Lyra’Tonvash, whom he’d learned had a natural resistance to a lot of adverse conditions, wore a thin environmental suit with battle armor atop. Not like what Melias would wear.
The planet was uncomfortably hot. Hot enough that they would pass out quickly without their suits. A consequence of the volcanic activity, no doubt. It also had a lower oxygen count, so they needed their rebreathers and oxygen masks.
Once they were armored up and armed, he led them out.
The planet's surface, even with his suit, was a bit stifling, but his suit allowed him to bear it, though for how long, he didn’t know. Also, the gravity was heavy despite the thinner atmosphere. Not bone-crushing, but not as comfortable as he was used to. He was out of his element and hoped they weren’t attacked.
They approached the broken wreckage of the Caspian. It was a small skirmisher, meant for a lighter crew than their own. The Goose was great at transporting goods while putting up a fight, so she was a popular model for smugglers and blockade runners and with certain species’ navies. Whereas the Goose was more bird shaped in her design and had a silver-and-blue color scheme, the Caspian had a triangular look, top-heavy wings and a roof that seemed to meld together before tapering into smaller levels that ended in a rounded, skinny belly. She would have been a fast one, lighter on cargo space, living space, and amenities, but a fine craft regardless.
Now, she was in rough shape. The curved bottom was torn open and dented. The portside point up top was ripped clean off, exposing the interior to the planet’s light and heat. On the starboard side, huge slashes pierced the siding, like claw marks, though most certainly from the landing. There was some blaster score, and evidence of explosions from battle, but any deaths likely came from the crash.
It did not look like a wreck that many, if any, could walk away from, but they pressed on anyway.
He led them around the perimeter of the crash, checking to see if anyone might be outside, but there was no evidence of anyone or any footprints. The terrain wouldn’t really allow for footprints anywhere besides the dug-up earth immediately around the ship.
“Doesn’t look good,” Niath said, noting the crushed cockpit and front of the ship as they passed it.
Melias looked at his medic. “Any chance of survivors?”
Ixion looked pale, and his narrow eyes were solemn. “If they were able to strap in and brace, then perhaps, though few would make it through this unscathed. If there are survivors, then they will need serious help, I fear.”
“Better alive and injured than dead,” Arke said.
“True enough.”
They entered the Caspian from a hole on the starboard side, near the rear but above where the exit ramp would have been. The ship was lodged into the ground, tail angled in the air, so when they climbed through the hole, they had to drop down into the small exit room. Not a far drop, but not comfortable either.
Melias put on his helmet light and in the dim space. It was strewn with debris and wreckage. Sparks alighted, and there was still a faint layer of smoke pervading everywhere, though at this point, he didn’t think there was any risk of the ship exploding. Once everyone was safely inside, they started their search.
There were five dead as they made their way through the ship.
The first was a large Othalli woman, tall and broad, her dark skin shining with darker blood that made her seem like she was carved from glassy obsidian, but alas, she was dead, her eyes bright, wide, and unseeing. Melias didn’t know her, but Ixion bent low and closed the dead woman’s eyes.
“As’hana, a lover of poetry and maps, and their navigator and cook. I worked with her once, before the war.”
The second and third were Ter’ Oroi, male and female, though their features were so strikingly similar that they had to be related. Not uncommon, as twin births occurred at a much higher rate for their people than for most races. Even triplets and quadruplets were common. No one knew these two, though, but the brother’s neck was snapped. His head was caked with blood, obviously having been thrown during the crash. His sister lay next to him. It was obvious she’d survived the initial crash, but her stomach and chest were strewn with shrapnel. From the crash or from when they were shot, it was unclear, but a trail of blood showed that she had crawled to his side.
Arke held a hand over her mouth and tried not to make a sound, but he could tell she wanted to weep for them. In this moment, he missed Vasya. She would have said an Ishallan prayer and known kind words to say.
Having gone through war, Melias had lost many friends and comrades, but he never knew what to do with that grief, never found the right words. For him, it had always been a battle with his own emotions, between anger and despair and sorrow, the need to cry and grieve, and the need to right the wrong, enact some sort of revenge or justice.
He knew the latter feelings were wrong, but they still clawed through his mind at times, demanding retribution.
The fourth dead Sentinel was a human man with tanned skin, a wide face, dark hair, and tattoos swirling along his neck and down his exposed arm. He had old Polynesian features. Of course, unlike the rest, Melias knew this one. Siaki Fehoko. They had never served or fought together, but he had been around the commander’s base a lot and they had shared drinks. He had been from the same colony, though Fehoko had moved away years before the war came to their home. He was a good twenty years Melias’s senior, but always a kind soul, always smiling and laughing and offering sage advice. If Melias didn’t know any better, he would have guessed he was the captain of this ship.
Melias knelt and closed the one eye that was open. He didn’t search for wounds. He knew Fehoko was gone.
“I’ll pour a pint into Seroshi Pond for you back home, my friend,” he said.
Aaron patted his back. Arke put a hand on his shoulder. No one said a word. There was nothing to say. These were Sentinels, their comrades, even if they didn't know each other that well. They were all mourning in a way.
The final body was near the front of the ship, in the broken cockpit. In fact, they didn’t really see the full body, just a dark, twisted arm and leg jutting out from the mass of broken metal, dripping with blood. He gulped at the mangled sight and was silently happy he couldn’t see their face. He wondered if anyone else knew who it was, as he did not, but no one said anything.
They had come to the end, and he was crestfallen. They had found no survivors—this had only been a parade of death…
As they turned to leave back through the ship, however, a soft, pained voice spoke.
“Please… Don’t… Don’t g-go. Please, h-help me.”
Melias stopped dead in his tracks. His head on a swivel, his gaze darted around, searching for the voice. Thank the stars, a survivor!
They hadn’t fully combed the ship, only done a cursory walk-through along the passages that were still walkable, but there were rooms and halls and ramps to lower decks that were more difficult to navigate or altogether impassable without using heavy machinery to clear debris away.
Still, the voice had been low and had to be close.
“We hear you but can't find you,” he called, loud and firm. “I’m Captain Volery, Sentinel under the authority of our Commander Thandriel. We’re here to help you.”
“H-here. Please.”
The pain in those words cut him deep, and he and his crew doubled their efforts. It didn’t take long to find the owner of the voice.
“Here! I found her,” called Nummer, having just ducked his head inside a small chamber half-collapsed with debris. He began to strain and push some of the twisted metal back, and as he did, Lyra and her superior strength came to help.
“Careful,” Ixion hissed, rushing to them. “She might be pinned and pierced through, and if we remove it, she could bleed out.”
That made them pause immediately. They held the debris on their shoulders, supporting the weight but not moving it anymore for fear of killing the one survivor they had.
The rest of them gathered around the survivor, giving Ixion plenty of space to get through and take a look at the wounds before they proceeded to remove the debris. Melias was able to get a look at her from over Ixion’s shoulder.
