The North Star, page 24
part #1 of Galactic Sentinel Series
Grimshaw was glad when Nakamura confirmed that she would be okay until they got help, providing no one interfered with her suit. The Aegis explained that she would require serious work and only stood a twenty percent chance of survival. It was better than nothing.
Nakamura, Grimshaw, and Kobol dominated the conversation, but every now and then a junior officer would pipe up.
“My orders were to take Project Zero to another classified location,” Nakamura said. “But that was before we knew about the Chit attack. The ship should be more than capable of breaking through a small blockade, but reaching the alternative location will be a problem.”
“Where do you suggest we go?” Kobol asked.
“The only real option is the intersystem gate. If we can reach that, it’s a short jump to the intergalactic network.”
“You want to take the ship to Sentinel Station?” Kobol was outraged. “From what you said, if the Galactic Alliance find out about this, it could mean war.”
Nakamura pointed his thumb in the direction of the canteen containing the civilians. “Given the situation, I don’t think we’ll be keeping it secret for very long. The Alliance will find out anyway.”
“We can’t just waltz up to Sentinel Station,” Grimshaw said. “We need a plan.”
“The plan is to contact Ambassadors Andallis and Straiya as soon as we’re through the intergalactic gate. Hopefully, they’ll be able to make alternative arrangements before we’re detected by anyone else.”
“That’s all good and well. But you’re assuming we’ll reach project zero through that mess out there.” Kobol pointed at the wall.
Grimshaw scratched his beard. Kobol was right, of course.
The holoform of the ship zoomed out to reveal the entire hangar. The building was almost a mile long, and Project Zero rested at the far end before a large gate. Rows of workshops, storage units, and production lines separated the hangar control room from the ship bay that made up a third of the building. Not far from Project Zero was the source of their most immediate problem. After the shields went down, a hole had opened up and the hangar flooded with Chits. Hundreds of Brownies swarmed about the aisles, but surveillance picked up a few Elites too. It was more than the troops could handle in a direct gunfight, especially with civilians thrown into the mix.
“We won’t get far fighting our way through. The civilians will slow us down,” Grimshaw said.
“We can’t just leave them here.” Captain Kobol didn’t sound too happy. “We didn’t bring them all the way from the other side of the city to be slaughtered.”
“I wasn’t suggesting that we leave them here permanently,” Grimshaw said. “I’m thinking out loud. I don’t suppose you have anything?”
Kobol shook his head.
The discussion descended into an argument that split those gathered down the middle. One side wanted to take the civilians through the hangar, and the other wanted to leave them in the labs with a few guards until a way to clear a path was found.
“With all the scientists and operators dead, we don’t even know if we can use that ship’s weapons,” Wallace pointed out. “What if we get on board and find out there’s no way to get rid of that swarm?”
“It’s a risk we might have to take.” Grimshaw tried his best not to sound too frustrated. “Our priority should be—”
Evans slammed her fist on the table disrupting the holoform momentarily. “We take the civilians with us. You’ve all seen how fast things can go to shit when it comes to these Chits. Besides, we need to blow the lab sooner rather than later, and we can’t do that with people still inside.”
Grimshaw couldn’t help but notice that she was no longer the kid he had reprimanded only a few days prior. Her point was valid.
“We can use the environment to our advantage.” Nakamura winced as he attempted to use reason.
The Aegis had been in pain since leaving the seventh floor but refused the medics when they offered to help.
“There’s plenty of cover, but that will slow us down even more,” Kobol said. “It also gives those Elite bastards cover and the Brownies somewhere to hide.”
“And don’t forget that with those Elites around, the vox will probably be jammed outside of a few meters,” Lynch reminded them.
“We need a distraction.” Grimshaw rubbed his burning eyes. It had been days since he slept more than an hour or two. “If we can draw them together somewhere, maybe we can clear a path.”
“Zoom over there.” Evans pointed at the holoform.
Briggs worked at the controls and enlarged an area behind the ship.
“Are those security bots?” Grimshaw asked.
“I’m checking now,” she said as she worked at the controls.
“They could be useful.” Kobol sounded a little more hopeful.
“Two maintenance droids and two security droids.” Evans looked around the table. “We’d be fools not to use them.”
“We could move the maintenance bots over there,” Kobol gestured at the hangar corner. “They could make some noise, maybe blow those fuel drums. They’re attracted to heat, aren’t they?”
“Great idea. Not everyone has a suit, though. We’ll have to make sure we only blow those drums,” Grimshaw said. “It’s a huge hangar, but if we blow too many, we’ll smoke ourselves to death.”
“I’ll deactivate the anti-fire system and run air filters at full power,” Evans added. “What about the security droids?”
“Those could attack any Chits that remain around the hole,” Grimshaw suggested. “Pull them out of our path. The less we have to deal with the better.”
“The hangar gates have secondary security seals.” Nakamura seemed happy that they were finally cooperating and coming up with a strategy. “We’ve already removed the primary locks here, but the others need to be operated manually and are to the left of the gates.”
“That’s right next to the Chit hole,” Evans objected. “We should be able to take care of any stragglers, but there’s no telling what might come out of there.”
“That’s why I’ll be the one going over there,” Nakamura said. “I’m the fastest here. I’ll be in and out in no time.”
Grimshaw raised an eyebrow. “No disrespect, Aegis, but I’m not sure you’re in any condition to go on your own.”
“Don’t worry about me, Commander. I may look like a mess, but I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“But—” Nakamura didn’t let Clio finished.
“Not only am I the only person that can do it, but it requires an Aegi DNA scan. The rest of you can focus on getting the Marines to cut through any Chits that don’t fall for the distraction. No matter what, Evans and Grimshaw need to get on the ship safely. You’re our only pilot, and Grimshaw’s the only one qualified to command the vessel.”
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
Kobol nodded. “I’ll work with Wallace and Lynch to break our people into teams. The smaller the groups, the faster they’ll move. Leave the civilians to us. The rest of you focus on getting to the ship.”
On the one hand, Grimshaw was happy that they’d reached an agreement. On the other, he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
STARTING HAND
Randis emerged from the Bometown sewers to find an old battered ground vehicle just like Zora had described. It was the kind driven by those who couldn’t afford anything that flew, which in the Underways was almost everyone. It was parked behind a billboard, but the dusty old road didn’t look like it was used that much. He approached the car, and it responded to his exo-tool as promised. He climbed in and started the engine. A map appeared below the front window with directions to his destination.
He pulled the vehicle out from under the billboard’s shadow and sped toward the outskirts of town.
As dim road lights shot by, he thought about the data crystal that Zora gave him. She told him it would explain everything, but it left him with more questions than answers. Randis wondered whether he was doing the right thing by going along with Zora’s plan. But every time he got the urge to turn away, his instincts tugged at him like they knew something he didn’t. That was probably because they usually did, so he decided to roll with the madness. It was an adventure, like the good old days when he tracked down bad guys and put them behind bars.
Since it was after lights out, traveling to the location Zora had marked for him didn’t take long.
It turned out to be a dilapidated old shop close to District Sixteen’s walls. It was a little too close to Black Robe territory for his tastes. Structures were scattered about the hamlet, most of them abandoned or lived in by squatters: a den for substance addicts and the lowest of the low. Randis would have eventually ended up in one of those buildings had Zora not been around. Even if the Doctor Kira thing had all been an act, the woman had dealt him a new hand, and he owed her.
Machines hummed in a nearby waste processing plant. Randis activated his air filters to block out the stench of rot.
The shop’s stairs had long ago caved in, but he found a way to the third floor via a collapsed ceiling. Getting comfortable wasn’t easy, but he eventually settled into a spot near a broken window at the front of the building. Rusted support beams were visible where parts of the floor had given way. The area by the window creaked precariously under his weight.
He peered through the opening and found that it was precisely as Zora’s notes had described. At the end of a broken up road, strewn with rubble and lined with rusted vehicle shells, was a twelve story building that dominated all others in the area. It was also reasonably new, having been built with the same prefabricated gray panels that most recent structures in Bometown had been fashioned from. Not only was it in use, but traffic to and from the complex was also relatively frequent. It was a serious operation. If one wanted to keep such a project secret, the rim of Bometown was probably the perfect place. No one traveled to the fringes of the Underway districts if they could help it.
Zora’s file said there would be a sign. He cursed her for not being more specific.
She could have at least stipulated the nature of something so important.
Once the sign was given, whatever form it took, the plan was for Randis to provide support from his position.
Or she could’ve told me who the damn target is. What if I shoot someone I’m not supposed to?
It was obvious that an attack on the complex of some kind had been planned. Randis just hoped she had access to a small army. Either way, things were bound to get messy. Her notes instructed him to prime his shadow drive. Randis didn’t like the sound of that as the semi-stealth gear drained his suit’s battery fast, but he prepared it anyway. So far, Zora had shown that she somehow knew what she was talking about. For some reason, the thought only made him feel even more uneasy.
Randis further examined the scene through his scope as he waited.
A high barbed fence patrolled by several Wargs ran the building parimeter. The only way in or out was through a checkpoint guarded by even more warriors. Two Warg sharpshooters rested lazily two floors apart from each other about halfway up the structure. Randis wouldn’t have seen them in the dark windows if they’d been taking their jobs seriously. The aggressive aliens never had been ones for finesse. One thing was certain: Mr. Darcy and his Warg legion weren’t expecting trouble. The complex was nothing short of a small-scale military operation, and Randis wondered what the White Dragon boss was up to.
Time passed slowly, and he was about to take a rest when an unmarked truck pulled up outside the checkpoint gate. It was admitted access, and it stopped again at the bottom of the steps leading to the heavily guarded front entrance.
Two warrior-class Wargs exited the truck and walked to the vehicle’s rear doors. They opened, and four heavily armed guards climbed out holding a bound prisoner.
Randis zoomed in for a better look and realized it was Zora… Only she wore her doctor’s uniform.
What the hell is the woman playing at? Where’s her backup?
He blinked several times to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him or that something hadn’t gone wrong with his implant.
Wu’s agent looked in his direction and winked before the Warg holding her chains pulled so hard she fell.
Was that the sign? It couldn’t be. Surely...
They led her up the steps to the main doors when Zora looked back at him, her face contorted with concern.
Something told Randis he had missed the mark.
Leaning into his Twin Viper, he inhaled deeply and controlled his breathing. The distance was only a little less than the two platforms from earlier that day, but Randis was confident he could make the shot.
As a guard pulled the large building doors open, he got the Warg tugging on Zora’s chains in his sight. If he got them off her, she would probably be able to escape, but he didn’t like her chances.
He pulled the trigger, and a split second later the Warg crumbled like a concertina.
Before his body hit the ground, Randis had fired two more shots, taking out the sharpshooters in the windows. He fired a fourth as the ground under him shifted, and he missed, hitting the gray wall.
He regained his balance and loaded a new clip.
An alarm broke out in the complex and echoed down the streets toward him.
Looking through the scope, he found that the place was in disarray. Wargs milled about the building grounds not knowing what to do.
One reached for Zora’s chains and hit the ground hard instead, blood pumping through a wide hole in his suit’s chest-plate.
Zora hit the ground as gunfire erupted around her.
She looked in Randis’s direction and smiled despite being surrounded by pandemonium.
Three Wargs ran at her from the gate.
Randis steadily took them down one at a time.
The remaining guards shot in random directions, hoping to hit their invisible enemy.
He reloaded his weapon and looked back to Zora. A Warg reached through the doors and grappled with her. Randis didn’t have a clear shot, but she was holding her own. Even without her suit’s enhancements, she took the beast down single-handedly.
Randis went for the guards shooting along the fence instead.
Doors burst open and dozens more poured onto the grounds. Randis wondered how Mr. Darcy had smuggled enough guns onto the station to arm them all.
He tilted his rifle to check on Zora again and found that she was being dragged inside by four of them. She kicked her legs free, but the others pulled at her arms and hair.
Randis didn’t have long before they had her inside and out of his sight.
The ground shifted beneath his feet as he pulled the trigger, and the bullet hit another abandoned building across the road. Randis steadied himself, and the rotting support beam under him gave way.
He crashed through two levels and hit the bottom floor hard.
THE HANGAR
Everyone was crammed into the control room waiting for the blast shields to be lifted.
Clio and Briggs programmed the droids to draw the Chits out of the path to Project Zero as planned. As soon as the Chits started to be pulled, Nakamura was to lead the way before breaking away from the three-team column at the gate.
He would be followed by a squad of Marines, and behind those would be Clio, Grimshaw, and the Project Zero scientists who would be needed on board first. The remainder of the columns consisted of three teams made up of civilians and Marines.
Nakamura had activated Project Zero and would lower its prow ramp after releasing the secondary gate locks.
Swigger had found Clio a new helmet when he and a team of Marines raided a nearby armory.
Booster poked his head out of his bag.
“Booster, what did I tell you? Stay in the bag until we reach the ship.”
He growled before doing as she said.
Clio was watching the timer counting down in her visor when Nakamura opened a private vox channel.
“Make sure you give that data crystal to Ambassador Andallis or Minister Straiya for me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “What data crystal?”
“Check your suit’s injection chamber.”
Clio popped the hinge and found the tiny white data crystal he was talking about. “What is it?”
“You’ll see when you pass it on. And you might want to reconsider feeding classified Confederation data to third parties in the future.”
The words shocked her, but at the same time, she wasn’t surprised. “How did you know?”
“I have my ways.”
She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Why didn’t you do something?”
“Do what? Kill our only hope of getting off this rock and warning the right people? Listen, kid. I know you have your reasons, but just pass on the crystal I gave you. Promise me that at the very least. And don’t worry, it has nothing to do with your little indiscretion.”
“You haven’t told anyone else?”
“Let’s just say I believe in second chances.”
“You make it sound like you’re not coming along.”
Nakamura chuckled and coughed. “Just promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you. And just so you know, it was a pleasure serving with you, Clio. Stay strong.”
He cut the connection before she could respond.
An explosion erupted from the hangar, and the control room blast shields opened, revealing two wide windows and a door. Nakamura rested before the door, waiting for the right moment to open it.
Gunfire echoed beyond the wall.
Nakamura pressed his exo-tool, and the door opened.
The crowd pressed forward as they filtered into the hangar after him.
The door exited onto a raised platform, with steps leading down to the hangar floor.
From the height, Clio caught sight of Nakamura. He moved fast for a man who had recently been severely injured. Then she remembered what Nakamura said about the Aegi using research from the Fury program and how she felt when she had exhibited symptoms. He cut down a Brownie with his power blade before carrying on toward the gates.
