Jolo heard the fuel cell blow and several things happened. The big boat slowed instantly, the worms had suddenly found themselves inside a black alacyte oven with a hot fire underneath. Jolo dropped, thankful he could finally let go of the hook, thankful he could let go the burning rifle. There was no more power left in his hand anyway. As he dropped to the ground he saw the Scout. Actually he saw the underside of the hover craft. One of the railgun blasts had finally hit. Right when the fuel cell blew.
Jolo landed on his feet and rolled in the hot sand, his arm still on fire and dirt in his eyes. But the pain was a distant second to his main concern: finding Katy. He came to a stop and tried to stand, but fell, dizzy and disoriented. He willed himself up, his eyes coming into focus and ahead he could see the nose of the Scout sticking up at an odd angle, facing him. The top was buried in the dirt and the bottom was reflecting the bright blue sky. He started running.
He made it to the hover craft and yelled Katy’s name, but no answer. One side was tilted a little higher so he pulled on it, but it was no use. Even with his strength he couldn’t move it. He tried again, screaming and straining, thinking Katy was trapped under the little boat, suffocating in the sand. And then he heard a voice.
Katy came walking up with the kid. Her head was bloody and the kid was quiet and still in her arms. Before Jolo could make it to them he heard another sound. Thrusters. And for the first time ever, he was sorry they weren’t Fed. A black cruiser escort ship hovered directly over them. Jolo could see the hard edged shadow on the undulating sand at his feet. The larger ships were piloted by fully suited warriors. On smaller ships one worm piloted the craft, housed in a small, protective shell, sending signals to the ship just like the warriors send signals to their mechanical arms and legs. They didn’t have to use arms to press buttons and levers like humans. All they did was think where to go. And Jolo knew it was all over. He looked at Katy, still holding the child protectively.
The smaller BG boat’s turret swung around, pointed right at Jolo. He thought to run, but why? His hand went for the Colt, but he stopped. It was no use.
“Jolo, run!” Katy screamed. But he knew there was no running from this. He just looked at her.
Then he heared the unmistakable roar of the Argossy’s engines going full out. The BG’s turrets swung around, but it was too late. The Argossy’s ion cannons tore into the smaller craft right before ramming it. Katy ran up to Jolo just as the Argossy came around again.
“How’d you make it?” said Jolo.
“We jumped out right before,” said Katy. He gave her a hug, offered to hold the child, but she refused. By then the Argossy had landed. Greeley ran down the tail ramp holding Betsy.
“Come on!” he yelled, we got red dots all over the scanner. Black ships got the jump on us.
Katy quickly took the little girl to the Argossy’s tiny infirmary and the med bot started working on her. She hit her head when they dove out of the Scout.
Jolo checked the scanner display and Greeley was right. They would have to run and Koba didn’t need any encouragement. He had the old ship running full out ten meters off the ground. They flew right past the downed tower and Jolo’s heart sank. There were bodies laying everywhere. Burning hover craft. He wondered if anyone else had escaped. He stared at the still image of the site, and one thing gave him hope, the young girl on Mantis’s crew might have made it. Her boat was not among the destroyed hover craft.
“How’d you sneak up on the escort?” said Jolo.
“Because it thought we were a tiny surface boat. Right up until I rammed it,” said Koba.
“You did good,” said Jolo. But there was no joy in his voice. They’d taken down two towers and lost nearly everyone to do it.
Aftermath
On Duval
29 days left
Marco met Jolo and Katy in the hangar as the light of day began to fade, the gray walls taking on an orange hue. Jolo stood on the deck near the Argossy, burn marks on the front and several dents along the fuselage from the run in with the BG boat. He stared out across the ravine, a slight breeze blowing in. Then Greeley carried the child named Fiorna, her eyes open, to the med bay.
“The BG hit several different places on Duval at once,” said Marco. “I guess they figured out what we were up to.”
“We need some outside help,” said Katy, a bandage across her right eye. “What about Bertha? She contacted her core world people, right?”
“She got in touch, but…” said Marco. Then he just took a deep breath and shook his head, no.
“Lets talk to the Fed, then,” said Katy. “The BG just attacked innocent people. They gotta listen now.”
“Katy, the Fed don’t care,” said Jolo. “They stood by while the BG conscripted people from freighters. They allowed the BG to enslave entire towns to work the alacyte factory right here
