A rusty golden spaceship entered the sky and hid in the clouds. The sun was gently setting, and the scenery was tinted in pink and electric blue. The vegetation welcomed the night paving the way with a fluorescent parade. This was a planet with the soul on the surface, cuddled by flora growing from the unseeable bottom and reaching the limit with the sky. It was the perfect place to hide, but the advantage worked for both, hunters and prey.
Two similar ships, one in dirt-white color, and the other in night-blue, followed and positioned behind the first in an elegant synchrony. The leading ship dictated the pace, smoothly adjusting as the group moved forward.
Eye visibility was nil, but such conditions were no concern for a trained pilot from the past wars. Each ship’s cabin could carry a crew of three. On the leading one, only the pilot was onboard. His eyes peered forward at the clouds hitting the windscreen. His look was dark and deep, highlighted by a shadow under the eyes, but contrasted by a curly gold mane falling to his shoulders. He whispered imperceptible words and closed his left fist to kiss the folded fingers, while the com system interrupted with its distinctive noise.
"Falcon Wing to Lion Head. According to the Nav system, we are getting close to the waypoint. Is it not better to descend and approach through the woods? Over." said a swift and sharp male voice.
"Heck, Hurin. I told you that gibberish talk is not necessary. That crap is long gone," replied the pilot with a hoarsely dry voice while opening his eyes.
After a brief pause, the voice in the com broke the silence once more.
"Roger that. Over."
"You’re a sharp bird, I give you that…" the pilot said with a hint of a smile.
"There could be eyes in the jungle, I’m not risking it. We’ll get as close as we can from above and we’ll descend with the cloaks on," he continued while zooming in on the map to check their position.
"Isn’t the boss’s contact receiving us?" the swift voice asked.
"The boss may trust too much. My job is to make sure we don’t overpay for that," replied the pilot.
"I’ve never seen her wrong on whom she trusts- the voice insisted.
"That’s because I'm good at my job. The Mi…"
"The mission is always first. Roger that." The voice over the com interrupted.
The ships kept flying through the clouds to an invisible goal. A few minutes later, the com channel opened again.
"Both of you, listen up. Get ready. Activate stealth and lock me in. Do not split unless we get a hostile welcome. Do not deactivate stealth." said the pilot with a scolding tone while grabbing the ship controls with both hands.
"Eagle Wing here. Cloak is on. The team is ready," said a strong female voice over the com.
"Falcon Wing. Ready," joined the first voice.
An invisible mantel covered the ships mixing them with the clouds. The Lion Head swept into the jungle like a bird fishing in the sea. The Eagle Wing and the Falcon Wing followed in a single line. The ships flew gently and fiercely through the foliage, and after some maneuvering, the leading ship halted the descent and regulated speed. The remaining light from the sunset did not reach that far in, but the woods had enough light of its own to guide the way.
"Falcon Wing to Lion Head. How do we know where to go in?" the sharp voice asked.
"She said we’ll know." The Lion Head’s pilot replied.
The ships moved through trees, branches, and leaves even double their size. A white light beamed through the open spaces catching the pilot's attention. Colors there were glowing variants of green and blue, so that was surely the signal. As the group advanced, the biggest tree they had seen was raised before them. The stem was formed by giant vines wrapping in a dance from the root to the top. The white light blinked in a spot above an unnatural formation of leaves.
"We’re going in," said the leading pilot.
The heap of vegetation gave in to an invisible push and revolted as if a wing blasted through. The ghost ships followed a tunnel bending downward until a wide area, lighted with the same colors as the forest above, opened in front of them. Everything was made of stems, logs, and leaves, but the layout and shape showed human presence.
A big stem stood in the middle, drawing a path in. From it, smaller branches grew outwards aligned perpendicularly and at the same distance from one another. At the end of each, a wooden surface is invited to land. The area was big enough to hold five ships the size of the ghosts, and they were empty, no signs of life could be seen. The ships landed in the closest platform where the main stem reached its end.
"We’ll have to leave the engines on to keep the ships invisible. Leave one person onboard, the lighter we go the better." The golden pilot ordered.
Three rectangles drew in the air opening a window view inside each ship. From the first one, a tall man with thick features emerged. His eyes were dark and had skin shadows under them. He had a prominent nose, abundant dirt-gold curly hair, and a dead serious countenance with a hollow look. He was wearing a worn-out dark outfit. The material was leather, but it had patches of synthetic and metal to protect vital areas. From around his neck, a dark blue cape fell down his back. He had a belt with gadgets and weapons, but most notorious was a leather handle slightly bent, on the left side of the belt. It had strips of leather wrapped around, it and the head of a roaring lion made of metal at the guard. On the right side of the belt rested a tri-barrel magnum laser cannon with a prominent handle.
From the second ship, a strong woman stepped down. She had penetrating blue eyes. Her skin was dusk, her nose refined, and she had sharp features contrasted by wavy natural grey hair and an ironic smile. She had the same style of outfit as the leading pilot but lacked the cape and sleeves, and the main color on top was white with black leather belts wrapped around. She held the same variety of gadgets, and instead of a blade, a spear locked on her back. The weapon on her right side was a compact kinetic auto-rifle.
"We’re ready boss," said the woman with a confident strong voice.
"I’m not your boss Itzel. If I were, you would be my responsibility. You’re not, the mission is," said the man with the golden mane.
Her brows frowned, her eyes rolled, and an imperceptible sigh escaped her mouth.
"As you say, Lieutenant Cadmus,” she replied.
"Don’t Hurin me. My name is Jarl." he said twitching his face.
"The Falcon reporting for duty." said a rather thin man walking down the ramp.
Everything on his face gave a sharp edge impression, except the olive color of his skin and the hazel of his eyes. His eyebrows were abundant and brushed. His black hair was short and pointed both, forward and back. His look was smart and penetrating. The outfit was all blue and bright. He didn’t wear a cape and had a sword with a straight handle, with a pair of metal wings carved at the guard. On the right side, a rapid-fire kinetic weapon, and on the back, a buildable laser sniper rifle. A young but tall woman with a strong look and firm posture stood at his back.
"So, this is the famous Tiquanda. I’ve heard good stories about the biggest jungle in the galaxy." Hurin said joining the group.
"Leave two aprentices guarding the ships," said Jarl ignoring the comment.
Jarl stretched and turned his arm in front of both pilots. From a small computer on his wrist, a hologram emerged showing a digital layout. A corridor drew out, quickly branching in three paths, to further branch in more. Some paths intercepted back to branch away again. On some corridors square shapes suggested rooms. Deep in the maze bigger rooms with different shapes formed, but the most noticeable was a pentagonal one showing a blinking cross over it.
"That’s our goal. The reactors must be there. I expect it to be the most isolated room in the facility."
"This is supposed to be abandoned, right?" asked Hurin.
"Nobody leaves a full cargo of jump reactors abandoned," Jarl replied.
"It’s a strange place to store reactors. To whom did they belong” Itzel asked.
"This recks" Hurin said.
"Starting to doubt the boss?" Jarl replied with a sardonic smile.
"Not her." Hurin gave the golden pilot a sharp look.
"Let’s do the job. You have the map set up." Jarl continued.
"We’ll split. I’ll take the central path; you decide which one to take. You handle your kids, you hear me?" Jarl concluded putting down the map and pointing at the two young warriors standing behind.
The passageway was open and the path clear. Everything was a natural part of the forest arranged symmetrically. The floor was firm but rugged, with a bed of leaves and twigs that softened the walk. It was rather a hollow tree log, with leaves and branches climbing from the floor to the walls and to the roof, giving the illusion of spinning and twisting.
The group advanced until the first split. Jarl stopped and turned his head back.
"Limit communication to the essential. We’ll meet in the marked room." He moved on not waiting for a reply.
"Which way do you prefer?" Itzel asked.
Hurin didn’t reply immediately. He was absorbed by the looks of the wall to the right pathway, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He saw an arrow forming, but he wasn’t sure if it was an illusion of perspective or his head playing tricks.
"I think I’ll take this way." he snapped out of it.
"Good luck, Eagle. See you on the other side," He said nodding and moving on with his companion.
"Careful Falcon. Come on, Jade. This way." she said nodding back.
Itzel and her scared companion went through the left tunnel. They walked slowly, and with each new path decision, the Eagle Wing pilot looked at her companion nodding with a gentle smile. She was uneasy, but she didn’t want to pass that to her peer who had enough by himself.
Hurin walked without doubting which path to choose. He felt a confident pull, although he still was unsure about the mission. He stopped and turned back, the young woman looked at him with confidence, ready for orders.
"I like to follow my instinct; I feel like the best is we split up here. It’s easier to help each other if we don’t get caught at the same time," The pilot said to his follower.
-"’ll take the left. Careful, Diana." He smiled and nodded before turning away.
"Good look, sir." She said firmly.
Hurin looked at the map and saw that his path led to a room. He took out the gun from his belt and continued yet slower. As he approached the room, he could see a hole forming on the side. He leaned on the wall and carefully peeked in. The room was pitch black, but as he doubted whether to go in, a warm female voice froze him to the bones.
“Please come in and be quiet.”
Jarl walked with a steady pace and the right hand was placed on his belt. As he reached the next split, he stopped to check the map. He continued on every step faster. The leaves on the floor muted his steps, but his breathing roared in his head. He tried to hold the air in his lungs for as long as he could, fearing someone would hear him until he finally reached the end of the road. He cleaned the sweat off his forehead with the back of the right glove, closed his eyes, and kissed the left fist one last time. In front of him stood the first metallic door so far. There was no visible mechanism to open it, so he approached and stretched his hand. Before his palm could touch the door, it opened letting him through. He then realized Hurin’s concerns were valid. He shared them too, but he couldn’t allow the others to see that. He knew this mission was not going to be a simple get-in and retrieve, it was the farthest into the galaxy he’d been in years, and the increasing action on previous expeditions was no coincidence. He stood there with the right hand still up, raised his left wrist, and pressed a red bottom before moving in.
Jarl walked inside the chamber with both hands up while looking around. As he moved, the place lit up showing every corner. At least thirty guards, male and female, stood before him. They all wore leather and fur outfits, but these were rather patches arranged disorderly to cover their skin and held together with ropes and belts. Armor pieces covered the chest, thighs, and upper arms. Their faces were uncovered and showed dirt, scars, and wounds. They all had the same hunger look. The handmade weapons on their hands, made Jarl wonder what kind of hunger.
"Right on time, Lieutenant Cadmus." A deep echoing voice made his way through the crowd.
The source was unclear at first view, but the crowd moved to the sides opening the way for a man with a different look. He was taller, with a curly black mane and red and black armor that made him look bigger. Except for his tanned face filled with scars, a prominent nose, and deep eye cavities, every single part of his body was covered with a metallic piece. Jarl’s knees bent faintly at the look, but the man moved with such a grace that the reaction moved up to his guts. Was he that strong or was the armor a new technology? Jarl didn’t want to think of the third option, so he directed his attention to a person standing to the man’s right. It was the most vulnerable looking in the room. His all-white outfit and no protection suggested he was a scientist, this must be the one who set them up, Jarl thought.
“I see you recognize Valakis. He’s quite the mischief to trick the great Cassandra. Or maybe she is not what everyone gives her credit for.” Said the big man showing a wild smile.
“What do you want?” asked Jarl trying to keep his composure.
“Well, you, of course. All of you. You and your work.” The man smiled at Jarl’s flinch.
“Well, you have me. You might at least be more clear.”
Jarl raised his hands showing the palms.
“Oh, relax. You don’t have to beg me. I will tell you exactly what I mean because that’s how you’ll give me what I want. But isn’t it obvious already?” replied the armored man.
“What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?” countered Jarl.
“I bet you are not used to failing a mission, but you lost the moment you jumped to this system.” The man’s laugh made him pause.
“But hey, we all know who the true loser of the night is. This is the story of Cassandra’s fall, not yours,” he concluded.
“It seems you know a lot already,” Jarl replied while frowning.
“Of course, Valakis did his job. But even though Cassandra turned out to be naive, we didn’t expect her to invite us directly into her home. That’s where you come in.”
The man walked to the sides, back and forward as he talked.
“This is a bigger win for us, this way we find her little science fair and we get her best guns all for ourselves.” He stopped to take a good look at Jarl’s reaction.
“If you knew me as you say you do, you would know I’m not talking,” said Jarl lowering his hands.
“Well, you certainly didn’t come alone, and we can make any of you talk with the snap of a finger.” said the man acting the gesture with his hand.
“You talk as if I knew who you are. Should I?” Jarl asked.
“No. We know that secrecy is worth more than a bunch of reactors,” replied the armored man growing a bigger smile.
Jarl’s right hand flinched craving to reach the belt as he listened.
“She is so desperate to have reactors that she handed herself over. But nobody can hide forever, the galaxy is shrinking more and more every day.” The man continued as he sighed. “The name is Konrad, if you so wish to know.” he finished turning his back to Jarl.
Hurin got inside the room with the gun up. As he stepped in, the entrance closed behind him with vines and branches curling to the middle. On the sealing, a pale blue light glowed from hanging plants lighting the room. A red signal turned on and off on his bracelet, but he hid it away. There was nothing he could do for the others.
“You must be on Jarl Cadmus’s squad.” said the female voice.
The room was filled with crates and metallic boxes spread throughout. Some were stacked in piles, with no care for order. A woman came from behind a pile holding a device in her hand. Her presence was hypnotic. Her emerald eyes had an intoxicating look, but most noticeable was the scarlet red of her curly hair falling past her ears. She wore a dull outfit made of leather and ropes, but she had an elegant stance that overrode the impression.
“We don’t have much time, so I’ll do the talking.” The woman said as she stood at a distance inviting Hurin to sit with a movement of her head.
“As you must have figured out, there are no jump reactors here. You were led into a trap.” Hurin stared at her without blinking, unable to hide a gulp.
“I’m your only chance to get out of here alive, but I’ll need you to do something for me,” she said.
Hurin opened his mouth forming a circle with his lips, but she continued before a sound could come out.
“This facility was built by the Tiquandians a long time ago, but as it became common these days, the population shrank and fled to small hidden cities. Pirates operating in the system came to recruit as many desperate people as they could and took over this place.” She paused. Hurin couldn’t know if this was an invitation to talk, so he remained silent.
“Operations from such organizations are increasing. Yours included, of course. If you travel as much as I imagine, you must have seen the fracture growing quietly and steadily around the galaxy. Someone is taking advantage of it.” She pointed her head to the create where Hurin was sitting.
Hurin looked to his side and saw an emblem carved on the corner. An isometric image of a spiral surrounded by stars. He frowned and looked up at the woman.
“Boyd’s emblem…What...?” He tried to ask but mumbled.
“Members of the Council are plotting something; they’ve been quietly reaching out to every corner, and I bet your leader knows about it. They all want the same thing in the end,” she said.
“How do you know about us?” asked Hurin giving her a serious look.
“You’ve come here looking for reactors but there aren’t any. I can give you coordinates of the closest facility where they have them, and how to access it.” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken.
“Who are you?” Hurin asked.
“I’ve been with these people for some time. They found me and saw some use. But I have bigger needs than their protection and I believe Cassandra is my only hope.” She replied finally acknowledging Hurin’s question.
“You’re a warrior...” said Hurin while looking closely at her stance.
“What matters now is that Konrad will take you to a facility in Iota, a moon in this very system. Here’s where you’ll find your reactors, but you won’t get out if you go in with him.”
She took out of her wrist a chip card the size of her finger and threw it at him.
“That’s a map of the place, you’ll know where to go. It has an encoded signal to make your ship pass as one of theirs, you’ll be invisible to radars.”
She made a pause while taking a step forward and pointing a finger at her listener.
“First, you must get out of here and make sure nobody follows,” she concluded placing her finger on his chest.
Hurin looked at her eyes scrutinizing.
“You’ve seen this place; plants are everything. Tiquandians learned to control them through electric pulses. The people here stole the technology and now own this place. Every tunnel will open and close at command, it’s a maze impossible to get out of.” she said looking around the room.
“But you can get us out,” Hurin said keeping his eyes on her.
“I can disrupt the signal to let you, but you need to be fast.” she raised the device in her hand while she spoke.
“My team could be captive by now,” Hurin said.
“They’ll wait until all of you come to their trap,” she said turning her back at him.
“What do you want in exchange?” Hurin asked.
“I need you to take something with you. Someone…” she replied.
“Someone?”
“Lil, honey. You can come out now,” she said speaking to a pile of boxes in a corner.
Hurin looked around until he saw something move below the woman’s legs.
“What the….” He stepped back stumbling with a box. The shock froze him as his mouth and eyes opened as wide as possible.
A red-haired and purple-eyed girl was gripped at the woman’s leg. Half of her face
hid away, and the other half looked at Hurin, with her eyebrows frowning.
“This is Camilla, or Lila, as she can only say. She is… She is my daughter.” said the woman as she touched the child’s messy hair.
“Say hi, Lil. Don’t be shy, he’ll help us.” said the woman looking back at Hurin. “Is she the first child you see?” she asked.
“I…I…I once was in a nursing facility in Cygna II, a long time ago.” Hurin replied coming back to his senses.
“How…? Did you steal her?”
“Don’t you see the resemblance? She is genuine and I need to get her out of here.”
“Do they know about her?” Hurin asked with his eyes fixed on the girl.
“No... only some dumb goons. But I can’t hide her any longer. If the big ones find out, I don’t know what they would do.” she replied squeezing her face.
“You want me to take her… and do what?” Hurin’s lips trembled, and his forehead glowed.
“Take her to Domus Dei with Cassandra. She’ll take care of her,” she replied.
“How do you know about…?” Hurin started asking.
“The time for talking is over, you need to start moving.” She touched the girl’s face one last time and pushed Hurin to the entrance.
“One more thing: You want to use electricity with Konrad.” She paused.
“And…I would like to know her savior’s name,” she concluded.
Hurin looked at her in the eyes for a couple of seconds.
“Hurin. Hurin Lathiel.” He finally spoke.
“I’m Amaia Ianthe. But she calls me Mia,” she said looking at the girl and back at him. “Thank you.”
Itzel reached the final tunnel before the marked room and ordered her companion to stop with her hand. She looked at her wrist and saw the red light blinking.
“The warning comes from Jarl. We’ve been ambushed,” she said looking back at the scared guy.
“I’m ready ma’am.” said the soldier holding his weapon firmly and nodding.
“Wait. A signal from Hurin.” She said still looking at her wrist.
A blue icon with a small thunder turned on. A red line appeared across the other symbols.
“Put that gun away. We’ll have to go with electric,” she ordered.
They both took out parts from their belts and armor and assembled them to form a new weapon. A blue light glowed in the barrel after the cartridges were slipped in. They clipped out the lock on a box containing disk-shaped grenades on their backs.
“Remember to cover your eyes,” said Itzel giving her companion a last look.
Jarl scanned the room looking for alternatives. He could try to take the guards down, but the problem was not on the numbers. The armor looked heavy, and he couldn’t imagine the wearer being able to run fast, but that level of cockiness was not for free. His instinct suggested he run, there was no mission anymore, and his priority was to get out alive. The others would be in the same situation or already captured, there was nothing he could do, they were on their own as he had always been. He closed his fists and got his legs ready to storm, but the armed men started walking towards him.
“It’s time to get you more comfortable. I’ll take you to the base now, Cady.” said the big man with a deep voice.
Jarl led his hand to the right side of the belt and grabbed the blade’s handle. He started unsheathing the weapon as the men approached, but before he could take the blade out, an object flew next to his head making him flinch.
“Close your eyes and get down.” Itzel’s voice roared from behind.
A blinding flash exploded. Jarl curled down covered his face with his left hand and held the blade in front of him with his right. He could feel the clumsy steps of guards near him. He seized the opportunity and slashed fluently and precisely with both eyes closed. The floor trembled with the weight of bodies falling at his feet. When he couldn’t feel any more bodies nearby, he stopped holding the blade up diagonally in a defensive stance. He counted to ten and opened his eyes again. The armored man was standing a few feet away, holding up a multiple cannon gun with both arms. He moved the gun from left to right, aiming at no particular target. Jarl realized the man was still blinded, so he jumped forward while pressing the badge that held the cape on his left shoulder. The mantle emitted an electric pulse and Jarl grabbed it with his left hand to cover his body with it. The man in the armor opened fire. Jarl stopped holding the cape up as it reflected the incoming bullets and more bodies fell to the ground around him.
When the fire ceased, Jarl pushed back the cape and ran towards his prey. He approached looking for open spots to pierce through, but a swing of the cannon caught him by surprise and threw him on his back. The armored man had both eyes wide open and looked at Jarl with a wild smile. Laughing, the big man stretched his right arm to his back and pulled out a club made of the same material as the armor. He grabbed the club with both hands and pulled it in opposite directions, making it expand twice its original size and showing spikes at one end.
Jarl was stunned and writhing in pain. The armored man hopped forward holding the club up and landed in front of his victim. He swung the club down, but Jarl couldn’t move away in time, he covered his face with his right arm and closed his eyes. He expected a crushing sound followed by excruciating pain, but instead, an electric pulse and a crash that wasn’t his body opened his eyes. The big man landed on the floor dropping his weapon. Next to him, a young familiar face was pointing a gun at the bulk of the floor. Jarl looked at the scene with eyes and mouth wide open, all color left his face. To his left, Itzel pierced through the remaining soldiers with her spear, neutralizing them with deadly and elegant moves. She fought with grace and no drops could be seen on her face. Jarl’s stomach boiled making him stand up, while the young warrior blasted another electric shot at the man in the ground.
“Are you okay, boss?” asked Jade looking at Jarl in the eyes.
“I’m not your boss,” Jarl said showing his teeth and approaching the young warrior.
“We should leave,” Itzel said standing between them.
She directed Jade to the entrance with her look and faced Jarl. He followed his savior with a deadly look and finally walked to the exit.
The man in white looked at the scene from the safety of a door at the rear end of the room. He pressed a red button on a computer device in his hand.
When the intruders were out of sight, he ran to the armored body lying in the middle of the room. He leaned down and pulled a syringe out of his sleeve. He pierced the neck of the unconscious man, and this one opened his eyes violently. The big man raised up and looked around.
All the guards laid down across the room, inherent. He turned at Valakis and screamed: “Where are they!?”
“They are trying to escape, sir. I already set the alarm.” He replied curling away.
The armored man walked to the back while ordering: “Close every path, send all the troops available. Do not let them leave!” He said still walking. “Where the fuck is Amaia!?” he stopped and turned back with the face colored.
“She should be here, I’ll find her,” Valakis replied.
He dialed on his computer; his fingers moved faster than the eye could see. It took him a couple of seconds before jumping in surprise.
“Sir!” he screamed at Konrad already at the door. “I think you should head back to the base, there is a recent route mapped there from a computer.” He said trembling.
Konrad gave him a deadly look and disappeared behind the door.
The doors at the sides of the big room opened, and a horde of soldiers in the same outfit as the ones lying on the floor, marched in. Valakis looked around with a look of disgust.
“What are you waiting for? Go!” he screamed turning red and showing several veins.
The red-haired woman finished locking the child on Hurin’s armor chest, triple-checking every belt. She put both hands on the child’s head and kissed her. She grabbed the girl by the cheeks and smiled as tears rolled down.
“You’re going to be fine. You are so strong, much stronger than me. I’ll do my best to come for you, but you’ll be safe.”
The girl looked at her mother not making a sound. Tears mirrored her mother’s face, but not a word came out.
“You are so brave. One day you’ll rise like a phoenix and shine like a star. Remember, don’t let them cut your wings, always fight until you’re free,” she kissed her forehead and hugged her with tenderness.
Hurin was drenched in sweat and his face glowed like the woman’s hair. He was shaking from head to toe. He felt a strange but warm feeling that dug a hole in his chest.
“Now listen to me. One of you must take her out of this system right away. Get her to safety first, you hear me?” Amaia stared at Hurin with her eyes wide open.
“Okay.” He mumbled back.
“Go!” she screamed.
Hurin walked out of the room and started running. He reached the first deviation but stopped to a halt as he saw a figure standing in front of him.
“Sir. Are you okay?” asked Diana.
“What are you doing here?” He replied trying to recover his breath.
“You said we should follow intuition, I felt I was needed here,” Diana said.
“Good. I need you to run like you haven’t before. Get everyone on the ships ready. Get in the Falcon and place it over the middle stem with guns ready to fire at this entrance.”
“What is…” Diana tried to ask.
“No questions. Go.” Hurin interrupted her.
Jarl moved at the head with Itzel and Jade trying to follow his pace. He looked back every few steps. They reached a split road and stopped. He tried to remember the way in and leaned to the left hole when it closed before his eyes. He looked back at Itzel and opened his mouth but a movement behind her held the words in. Whatever was following was approaching fast.
There were no guards, but vines and branches growing and closing the tunnel. His feet reacted before his mind and pushed him through the open hole. Itzel and Jade looked back and stifled a scream. They followed Jarl copying his moves. The three warriors ran as fast as the ground allowed them. Jarl could feel the exit was close, so he sped up even more.
“What about Hurin and Diana?” asked Itzel panting.
“They’ll find their way out, Hurin can handle himself.” Replied Jarl without turning back.
They kept going through the only open holes they could find until they reached the entrance tunnel.
They crossed the final hole and ran over the big stem leading to the platforms, welcomed by the Falcon Wing floating with propulsors ready and no stealth cloak on.
“What the hell is he doing?” asked Jarl to himself.
As they rushed through the stem, Hurin stood halfway through with his rifle up. He didn’t move an inch when they reached him.
“I’ll hold them. Get on the ships,” said Hurin without taking the eye off the scope.
“Do as you wish,” replied Jarl without stopping.
Itzel stopped by Hurin and touched his arm.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Perfect. Go, hurry.” He said not looking at her.
“Thanks, friend. Let’s get out of here.” she sighed and continued.
Jade followed Itzel to the left platform into the Eagle Wing, as the ship was waiting with the engines on and facing the exit. The Lion Head was already rising up on the platform to the right. It moved slowly as Jarl looked at the rear view from inside. His eyes followed Hurin as he ran to the Falcon. Jarl sighed and pressed his teeth until he felt dizzy. The Falcon fired a shot that lit up the entire hall and turned away. Jarl pushed the lever forward and flashed out not waiting a second longer.
“Everybody straight to the breach point. We need to jump together.” Jarl ordered through the com.
They went out of the giant hole, but a different view welcomed them. A red aura beamed covering the entire view.
“Damn it, we’ve been tagged.” Hurin lamented.
“We can’t jump like this; if they pin our jump, they will follow us,” Itzel added.
“Screw that, it’s all her fault, she should handle it!” Jarl’s scream broke through the com.
Silence.
“How do we lose their track before jumping back?” Itzel asked in a gentle tone.
“They have a base in a moon on this system. I’ve got a map with a signal camouflage.” Hurin suggested.
“They can’t follow such a close jump and they’ll never expect us to land in their noses,” Itzel said with a high pitch.
Jarl remained silent.
“We jump, we put on the cloaks, and we hide inside.” Hurin insisted.
The Lion Head flew avoiding obstacles in the way. As the ships stormed through the woods, stems started to move as if the trees were rising from the ground. Giant branches struck and pierced the air, aiming at the ships. The Lion Head moved like a bird, avoiding every hit, but the other ships struggled. A branch hit the Falcon Wing, destabilizing it. Hurin grabbed the controls as hard as he could, trying to regain course. His face was red and soaked in sweat.
“Hurin!” Itzel screamed.
“I’m OK.” He replied.
“We need to get out of the woods,” Itzel said.
There was barely any space left to maneuver. The Lion Head turned up and accelerated. The two ships behind struggled to keep pace. Jarl looked at the computer and pressed a button to the left. Laser blasts fired from two big cannons on the front, hitting everything on the way. The skillful movements of the leading ship and the fire devouring stems and branches on the way, got the ships to the sky.
“I should bring these bastards to her,” said Jarl pressing his teeth. “There really is no other choice. Hurin, take us to that base.” He finally said.
“All right. Hook on my ship.” Hurin said panting.
The Falcon Wing emerged through the clouds and passed the Lion Head. The Eagle Wing followed right after, positioning to the right of the golden ship.
“Hang on, here we go!” Hurin screamed.
The area around them formed a whirlpool. Wind, clouds, sky, and ships merged. The view bent and twisted until a blinding blue light flashed and the spaceships disappeared.
The three ships, hooked in a triangle with the Falcon Wing at the top, emerged from a whirlpool in the dark void of space. A yellow glow covered the ship’s cabins illuminating the crew’s faces. The control screen in front of Hurin emitted a blinking signal.
“Everyone good?” Hurin asked turning at his back.
Diana had her eyes closed and was wet from head to toe. The guy sitting next to her was unconscious with the head facing down. He looked at the furthest seat where the little girl was curled up in her mother’s armored bag. Her eyes were closed but she was the best composed of all. She was a warrior without a doubt, Hurin thought.
“Over there, everyone good?” Hurin asked once more speaking to the com.
“All good here, Falcon.” Itzel’s voice replied with a struggle to keep the air in.
Jarl had both hands on his head and eyes closed until the wrinkles and scars relaxed. He whispered something to himself and closed his left fist to kiss the folded fingers.
“It’s beautiful,” Itzel observed.
They were close to the rock. It covered almost the entire view. It was mostly yellow, but with orange, red, and white stains painted all over. Some coral formations raised like towers filled with holes. Big craters could be seen everywhere, and a metallic tower grew in the center of the biggest one. The facility had several rings around the tower, with tunnels connecting the circular shapes to the main structure. Around the rings, at the same distance, big square and spherical structures emerged. The screen on the Falcon Wing’s panel marked a blinking light on one of the structures. Hurin adjusted the course to align altitude and position.
“I’ve got our way in. We’ll have to turn the cloaks on and go manual.” Hurin said.
“I’m taking the lead.” Jarl’s voice came through.
“No! What is he doing? I told him to leave! Damn it!”
Amaia was staring at a screen that showed a light blinking on a digital map. The dot was next to a moon and a planet. She stormed out and went through a metallic door. She crossed the main room, and as she walked by, vines wrapped up bodies everywhere around her. A guard stared frowning and crushing the teeth inside his mouth as she passed through the next door. In the next room, a man wearing white stood in front of a big cylindric chamber.
“You’re here,” he said as she approached. “Planning to use the elevator?”
“Where is the boss?” she asked looking past him at the control panel.
“Back at the base.” he smiled even more.
“What?” she turned at him.
“I found a chart of one of the unused hangars in the database.” he paused. “As it looked at her, I told the boss the intruders might be there,” he concluded.
Amaia pierced him with her look and turned back at the panel. She typed on it, and before finishing, she turned at Valakis and punched him in the face. The man fell to his back unconscious. A green light turned on, and she stepped in a big door.
The ships went inside the hangar. The absence of any life signs invited them to descend over the first platform. The cloaks and engines remained on. Itzel looked at Jade and gave him a reaffirming look. She lifted her arm and spoke to her wrist.
“How long would it take the ship’s reactors to charge?” she asked.
“Some minutes, but I know how to kill some time,” Hurin replied.
“What the hell are you talking about? We’re waiting here” Jarl’s voice spat through the devices.
“The reactors we were looking for are here. Across this very hangar. This section is empty, and this was the mission anyway.” Hurin explained.
“How did you get all this information; one ambush is not enough for you?” Jarl’s voice got bitter.
“I…I have enough reasons to trust this information. I need you to see something.” Said Hurin stuttering.
Three ramps unfolded from the air at the same time. Itzel got out from the first one in a jump. Jarl walked down with caution. He looked around scanning every detail of the place, his hand resting on the blade’s handle.
Hurin walked down slowly. He was carrying a bulk in his arms. The others could not see anything but a bunch of armor and clothes. When he reached them, he stopped and looked at each in the eyes, uncovering the bulk. Itzel got closer to have a better look. Jarl stood there not moving a hair. A red fluff turned around to uncover a bright face with two purple spotlights. A little girl looked at them with distrustful and challenging eyes.
Itzel busted a mute scream and covered her mouth with both hands, while her eyes popped out as if trying to leave the sockets. Jarl stood immobile but the look on his face radically changed. The shadow beneath his eyes was deeper and his dark irises shouted the scream Itzel tried to drown. Hurin never seen that expression on Jarl’s face before. Was it fear? he thought. No, it was something else, but he couldn’t tell what.
Jarl’s chest inflated and the veins in his neck and forehead popped out. His eyes, however, did not blink, did not move. He stared at the girl as if time had stopped.
“How…When…?” Itzel chocked.
“Her name is Camilla. She was handed to me by the person who gave me the map and indications. She let us out of Tiquanda alive. I accepted to take the girl in exchange for her help.”
“Take her? Where” Itzel asked while her look changed. Her eyebrows raised, and her pupils trembled as she stared at Hurin.
“To Cassandra,” Hurin replied.
“Are you stupid? Why would you…” Jarl burst in anger finally looking away. He stepped towards Hurin grabbing the handle on his blade. At one step away, he suddenly froze.
The girl stretched her left arm with her fist aiming up at Jarl. She frowned and her eyes threatened him. She was ready to fight, but Jarl didn’t look at her face. His eyes trembled and his face loosened up. His look stared at the little fist raised at his face. His hand released the handle and raised up shaking toward the fist less than half the size of his. The girl kept her stance firm, and as Jarl’s hand approached, a voice disrupted from behind.
“I told you to get her out of here first!” Amaia dropped down from a platform landing steps away.
“I couldn’t, they were waiting for us. It was not as easy as you said it would.” Hurin replied while putting the girl down on the floor. She ran clumsily to her mother and clamped at her legs.
Amaia lifted the girl as she hugged her. Her face was covered in tears, but her voice didn’t crack a bit.
“Damn Valakis found out. They know you’re here; Konrad will come fro you.” Amaia said.
“We can’t jump if they will track us!” Itzel looked at Jarl in desperation, but he was looking at his left fist.
Everyone looked at him in silence. Hurin was about to speak again but got interrupted.
“This is all her fault… you do as you please. I’ll jump to the base and leave with another ship. Screw all of this.” Jarl finally snapped out and burst back in anger.
“What!? Are you seriously Jarl Cadmus?” Amaia walked towards him holding Camilla’s head to her chest.
“And who are you!?” he screamed at the red-haired woman.
“I’m the one who saved your butt!” she said with the same look as the girl’s.
“You brought us here! Didn’t you?” Jarl’s eyes opened wide.
“Cassandra is not that smart after all. She thought she found a contact, but the contact found her instead.” he continued moving closer to Amaia.
“What are you talking about?” Hurin stepped in while Amaia kept her eyes locked on Jarl’s, unflinching.
“The reactirs were a lie. You lured us in.” Jarl continued pointing a finger at Amaia’s face.
She looked at him in the eyes but didn’t reply immediately.
“I get your anger. You’re a great warrior whose skills went obsolete. You are not used to failing cause failing means dying, but you need to understand there are bigger things. Cassandra knows it and she trusts you to understand it.” Amaia spoke calmly.
Camilla turned her tender but defiant face to Jarl. He stood there with his eyes still on the mother, unable to speak because of the anger.
“She is the only hope for her, Domus Dei is her only hope for a home…” Amaia said.
“What did you say?” Jarl leaned back with the eyes wide open.
Amaia remained silent.
“You can’t possibly know that name. Nobody who hasn’t been there knows about Domus Dei.” Jarl insisted.
Amaia opened her mouth but hesitated. Camilla closed her fists and raised them up once more. Jarl looked at the girl and the tension in his face faded away. He turned his face down for a moment, and back to the girl. His breathing was calmer, and his face lit up.
“You didn’t reach out to Cassandra, she reached out to you,” Jarl said.
He raised his hand and pointed at the girl.
“She was the real mission from the beginning,” he said looking back at Amaia.
An excruciating silence took over the place. Hurin and Itzel looked at each other and back at the pair standing face to face.
“Look, you have to get her out of here. I’m begging you.” Amaia finally spoke.
A crushing sound broke the moment and forced everyone to turn. The giant door at the end of the hangar slid in two pieces slowly dragging to the sides. A small platoon marched towards them. Jarl looked at Amaia with his eyebrows tilted up. She could swear his eyes watered. He looked at Camilla and then turned back to Hurin and Itzel.
“Get on the ships and get ready to fire and jump,” Jarl commanded.
Itzel nodded and gave a final look at Amaia and the girl before rushing to the Eagle Wing. Hurin hesitated but turned back and followed to the Falcon.
“Go with him,” Jarl said to Amaia while looking at the armored man approaching.
“I can’t go with you, I’m marked, and they will always track me,” she said while her eyes watered up again.
Jarl looked back at her and frowned. He wanted to refute but no words came out.
“Take her to Hurin then,” Jarl said.
He raised his hand and this time touched Camilla’s fist. A smile assaulted his face and the girl’s cheeks trembled and relaxed, her lips stretched slightly.
Amaia ran to the Falcon and Jarl advanced with the right hand on the blade and the left hand on the triple barrel pistol. After some steps, he stopped and waited. Amaia’s voice spoke to him from behind.
“Don’t let them catch your ship or your body. Neither dead nor alive. They’re building some kind of mind-harnessing technology.” she added.
He looked at her as she placed next to him, holding Hurin’s sword. She looked at him and noticed a new look, but she couldn’t tell if it was fear or concern. Jarl raised his left arm and spoke to the wrist.
“Aim to the sides. Fire on my command.” Jarl said
“Roger that boss.” Itzel and Hurin replied at the same time.
“How are we getting out of here unnoticed,” Itzel asked.
“Wait for further indications.” Jarl said looking at Amaia.
“You know how to defend yourself, don’t you?” he asked.
“Not as well as Camilla, but I know some tricks.” She smiled. “How are you getting out?”
“One step at a time. We handle them first,” he said moving forward.
Konrad stopped in front of them. At least twenty soldiers dressed in the same color as him waited back in two lines with guns up. Jarl examined left to right and stopped at the big man.
“I see you’ve met. What a nice reunion we have here.” Konrad stopped in front of them. “Maia, sweetheart, I thought we had an understanding,” he said looking at her.
“You know I have no other option,” she replied.
“I promised I would look out for you both, have I ever lied?” Konrad asked.
“This is no safe place for her, I had no choice.” She replied.
“I offered you my protection, my word is unbreakable. You belong to us.” Konrad insisted.
“They’ll find her sooner or later,” Amaia said bitterly.
“It saddens me. It truly does. But I understand. Our dear Cadmus here learned today the true price of trust.” Konrad said pointing his gun at Jarl without looking at him.
“I have to kill you both now, this has gone too far.” He continued. “I may not turn in Cassandra’s playground, but I might bring something that will be well received too.” He paused to smile. “You know they are desperate for all kinds of breakthroughs.” He finished as he raised the gun.
Jarl hit his left shoulder with the lower side of the wrist. A light turned on the small computer and he curled down turning his back to Konrad. A blast passed to their side and exploded lighting up the hangar. Smoke covered the place. Screams and coughs flooded the air.
Amaia burst into the line of stunned soldiers and snatched a gun from the hands of one. Jarl fired left to right. Konrad fired and hit one bullet in Jarl’s armor covering the chest before he could cover under the cape. Jarl curled but recovered and fired two more shots, though his target remained unwavering. Jarl unsheathed the blade and jumped slashing at Konrad’s right arm. The smoke faded away and Konrad stood unharmed but stripped off his gun.
“That’s a nice weapon from ancient times. Truly beautiful.” Konrad walked forward. “But that’s why they are so rare, they’re useless.” He said while smiling.
Konrad grabbed the spiked club stretching it as he waved it at his prey. Jarl struggled to deflect the strike and slashed repeatedly while his enemy’s posture looked vulnerable. The clumsy look of the armor was misleading, his wearer could move nimbly blocking every strike. After several blows, Jarl got tired and began to miss and retreat. Konrad stroked back making his victim kneel.
The armored arm grabbed Jarl on the right shoulder. Konrad was holding the club with one hand, pointing the spikes forward like a spear. He charged the arm back and thrust the weapon forward. The spikes hit Jarl in the left shoulder. An electric snatch springled and blood spilled. The cape glowed with electricity and turned off. Konrad pulled the club out as Jar howled and bent.
“You’re not what they say, after all.” Konrad smiled as he leaned to Jarl who gasped in pain.
Konrad raised the club over his head using one hand. As the weapon reached the highest point, Jarl grabbed the sword pointing it down, and pushed it between the armored legs to stab the back of the right knee. Konrad roared and dropped the club falling to his knees.
Amaia finished off the last soldier and rushed to Jarl. As she ran through the hangar, she noticed a crackling noise and the floor shaking. The blast had damaged the structure and it was slowly giving in. She reached Jarl and helped him stand up.
“How bad is it?” she asked.
“I’m okay. It’s just a scratch,” he replied squeezing his teeth. “Let’s go to the ship.”
As they walked, Jarl raised his left arm and spoke to the wrist.
“The only way you can get out is if we turn the trackers off.” He said pausing to breathe.
“How are we going to do that?” Hurin asked.
“Let’s use the goddamn reactors for once. You get out and fly away as fast as you can. I’ll blow this place up.” Jarl replied.
“No way! We’re not leaving you here.” Itzel and Hurin countered.
“I’m not asking you, it’s an order. You get the child safe to Cassandra, the mission is always first.” He pressed the wrist and the sound died off before they could reply.
Amaia looked at him outlining a smile.
“I saw how you looked at her,” she said.
Jarl remained silent.
“You looked at her as I do. But you were not looking at her, were you?” she continued.
Jarl looked at Amaia for a moment and turned his eyes to the ship.
“You said it right, failing means dying. Someone always dies.” He said not looking at her.
Jarl picked up the pace and remained silent the rest of the way. Inside the ship, he went directly to the controllers. The spacecraft lifted from the platform turning towards the big metallic door. He readied the guns and looked back.
“Do you see that frame over there?” he asked to Amaia.
She looked at a door-shaped device, slightly taller than him.
“Those are the controllers. The big switch turns it on. You can scroll for parameters, don’t worry, it’s very straightforward.” Jarl continued.
Amaia went over and turned it on. She read as fast as she could, but Jarl’s voice made her turn again.
“Filter for distance and pick the furthest one away. Set it on ready.” he indicated.
“What is this?” she asked.
“An emergency jump gate. One of Cassandra’s toys. A perk of being her favorite. She is building bigger ones, that’s why she wants reactors.” Jarl replied.
Amaia remained speechless.
“It’s small so it won’t get us far,” he added.
The ship moved towards the door. Amaia looked down to the hangar, the structure collapsed leaving nothing but rubbish and smoke. Jarl blasted two shots opening a hole in the door and locked the lever forward.
The ship kept moving. Jarl stood up and joined Amaia. He grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes nodding. She nodded back and squeezed hard.
“One. Two… Go.”
The ship hit the glowing pile and exploded in a bang. It devoured the entire facility and cracked the moon’s surface. The wave travelled through the space’s void slowly fainting away until the calmness gently settled back.
In the outskirts of a system many light years away, a whirlpool broke the calmness of a star-splashed background. Two ships appeared in the view. Inside the cabins, a giant space station got the crew’s attention.
“We made it.” Itzel’s voice spoke over the com. “It always takes my breath away.” she added.
Hurin turned to his left and saw the little girl sitting tight with her mouth and eyes wide open.
“Welcome to your new home,” he said while smiling at her. “Welcome to Domus Dei.”
To be continued.