“Traitors…Understood, my lady.”
She continuedtoward the wreck ofthe Deathstalker. Shedidn’t necessarily feel better, after taking revenge, but she didfeel… different.
She realized she mightnot have been entirely fair with the Hooligans’ squadron leader.Sure, she’d been in a crash but she also had a pretty strongpersonal motive for staying in the fight.
She smirked,pretty sure what her aunt would tell her. If youaccidentally show good leadership, she thought, don’t screw it up with an admission.
Ragnarok was currentlyvulnerable. The attack was over and another was unlikely for the nearfuture but that didn’t mean they should just leave the door wideopen. Even a half squadron getting out into the black to watch fordanger was a good start.
A warning chime put herheart into overdrive and new icons appeared in her HUD. They blinkedgreen, indicating friendlies.
Fighters? Sheblinked and checked a second time, then realized the Universe mightjust be offering a break to the folks of Ragnarok.
There were twoother squadrons basedon the Kuphar, afterall. Some of them must have survived. Maybe Hennessy was with them.He’dmade no secret of his plans to leadwith one of the squadrons.
Thank God someone senior can take the reinshere, shethought, breathing a little easier.
She frowned. Whyis nobody calling them? The Hooligans are busy prepping to launchfrom a crashed carrier…
She muttered a fewwords that even her aunt would probably have disapproved of, thenopened a channel. “Inbound callsigns, this is…” She racked herbrain for something appropriate. “...Orbital Control, Ragnarok.Identify.”
She kept flyingback to where she’d left the young colonist, listeningto static for what seemed a very long time. “Orbital Control, thisis Dice Actual.Who is this? O.C. Rag was on the Kuphar.”
Shefelt like cheering. The defenses were looking a lot better with everypassing minute.
And itrepresented a lot of details to work out that had nothing to do withher own personal tragedy. Shewas inclined to see the distraction as a good thing but who was shein all of this? Do I have any placetelling these guys what to do?
She allowedherself a mirthless chuckle. Back home, not a chance. Outhere, though...It was,technically, her responsibilityas first in line after Luna and Gleb.
And anyway, she couldprobably leave most of that to Hennessy, when he made his presenceknown.
“Dice, this is LadyGabriella Morales. The Hooligans are working to get a few fighters upfor a CAP. I need you to get down to their location and see how muchof the hangar is still intact while they fly cover.”
“Are youkidding…” Thevoice wentsilent just about thetime her voice-print would have come up in his HUD. “Nergal’sballs!” he exclaimed. “Pardon,my ladybut it’s just…”
“Never mindabout that,” she cut him off. “Just get to what’s left of theKuphar. Help with thewounded and get a party to work assessing what we have left.”
Her training as afighter pilot and all of the political,technical and operationalmodules her aunthad insisted on cramming into her brain came bubbling to the surfaceas she wondered what to do.
It was all there, inher head. She could fight against it or use it.
“I need to knowwhat’s left of the ship. Can we re-arm fighters? How many birds andpilots do we have? It’s gonna be a week, at least, before we seeany help from home, so let’s get some plans in place.”
Vikram tensed ashe saw the fighter approach. It was easier to seethan when it had left. The hull was still black but it was scorchedclean of its stealth coating. Thedetails were now visible.
It came in gently, fora fighter. No violent rush of air this time, just a rumble in hisguts as it cycled through the lower power levels.
Gabriella openedthe cockpit and leaned out,lookingat Vikram just long enough to make him uncomfortable. “I think,”she said carefully, “that I have a good idea about why you’re uphere in the middle of a battle.”
Sheturned to gaze off into the jungle, looking toward where Vikram hadbeen found unconscious. “I heard something when I was still inorbit, something in my mind.”
“Avoice?” Vikram asked her. “Kusha?”
“You’vemet her?” She looked at him sharply.
“No.”He shook his head. “But I think it’s time to try.”
“Whatdo you know about her? How do you know her name?”
Heshrugged. “I barely know anything. She just seems familiar. Thisfeels right…”
“Saidevery fish before biting the hook,” she said wryly. She slid downthe sponson to land with a dull thud on the jungle floor.
“Ihave no guarantees we aren’t talking about walking into some kindof alien trap,” Vikram admitted, “butI don’t think that’s the case and I’m not willing to ignore itany longer.”
“Shit,”she said wearily. “What a godsdamned week. I was just wishing I wasback home in Cali, reading some meaningless novel.”
“Abouta young woman in an impossible situation?” heasked.
Shesniffed in what could almost pass for a laugh. “Alright, smart-ass.Lead the way.”
Theywalked through the dappled light in silence for a while. The junglearound them sounded removed. All of the chirps, squeaks and screecheswere still there, but it sounded like Vikram’s ears were underwater.
Hervoice was clear enough, though. “It’s funny how I can just takeover the defenses because it’s my responsibility but I have troubletaking this walk through the trees.”
“Well,you probably have the training in here.” Vikram tapped his ownforehead. “That would lay out why you need to take charge andexplain what you need to do. This…” He gestured ahead. “It’sa mystery.”
“Ihave no idea what we’re doing,” she admitted.
“Sometimesdoingis enough,” he said. “Understanding can come as we go.”
Hestole a glance at her. Whatmust it be like? All that privilegeand responsibility forsomeone who wasn’t born to it… He looked ahead as they came into the clearing.
“Well,”he said, slowing his pace, “that’s new.”
Therewas a newlycleanedarea around the space where he’d previouslybeen found unconscious.He’d known there was some kind of metalic structure underneath butnow something had cleared away the jungle debris.
Inthe centerwas a round platform, slightly raised and ribbed around the edges. Afaint line marked a circle in the middle and there were oddcharacters etched there.
“Ithink we just step on,” he said.
“OK.”
Hewas surprised to feel her hand seeking
