“Look, just give us back the Marianne and let us take care of those Luminal fighters!” she spat. “And while you’re at it, recall those Interceptors! Your pilots are getting wasted out there! Give them to us — we know how to use them!”
Grande paused for a moment and then laughed deeply at the sight of Angelique’s fury. He glanced up at the three Spiner’s as they approached, towering over the group.
Ryann took a step towards Angelique, ready to do what little he could to help.
“Please, call those Interceptors in,” continued Angelique. As they stared out to the battle it was clear to see that Grande’s crew were fighting for their lives. Each of the little craft were engaged in their own private battles, but they weren’t fighting now, all they could do was try to evade the superior numbers of drone-ships.
“You are brave girl,” laughed Grande. “You want me to give you our only fighting ships? That is the trouble with you Inlanders — you always take us for fools. But my duty is to my people. Now give me the codes to your ship.”
“We have a duty to our people as well Jean-Baptiste,” said Angelique quietly, staring straight into Grande’s eyes as though she feared to catch a glimpse of the Spiners beside her. “We share a common purpose. If you don’t want to be taken for a fool, then don’t act like one. You know that in protecting our people we will be saving yours.”
“Our pilots, they are no match for you, it is true,” said Jean-Baptiste solemnly. “They are not used to these small craft. But I suspect that if you defeat the aliens, you will then turn your ships upon us.” His expression hadn’t changed, but a hint of uncertainty had crept into his voice as he listened to this slight girl speaking so forcefully before him.
Angelique merely smiled sadly.
“Think about it — a few fighters against a Luminal battleship? Do you really believe that it will come to that? Jean-Baptiste, we’re not asking for a chance to beat them, just the chance to go down fighting.”
Grande turned to look mistrustfully at Ryann.
“Your father appeared beyond the ice-field with a force of fighting ships several hours ago,” he began, his dark eyes boring into Ryann. “He came aboard the Ibis and we spoke together. I told him you were alive and safe, and that we would release you unharmed when it was time for us to leave.
“He returned to his ship, agreeing to wait for our repairs to be completed.” He paused for a second. “Your father attacked the Ibis the moment he was back aboard his ship. It was his actions that alerted the aliens. And if it hadn’t been for the appearance of the alien battleship, then your father and his men would have destroyed us with ease. We only managed to escape and slip back into the ice-field when your father’s ships turned to engage the battleship itself.”
Ryann looked on in horror.
“My father is fighting the Lumina?”
“For the moment,” replied Jean-Baptiste. “Though how much longer they can last against that battleship I do not know.”
He turned to Ryann with a grim smile.
“You were right Ryann Wade, I am sorry that I didn’t believe you before. But, that is of little matter now. When the Ibis fled back to New Eden the alien ship was still some way off. But it will not take them long to find the way in — for the moment your father and his fighters are all that is stopping it from following us into the ice-field.”
“Then we have even less time than we thought,” pleaded Angelique. “Help us to help each other. You have to believe me — once Grayell sees that we are safe he’ll let the Ibis go free, I promise.”
Grande remained silent in thought for what seemed like an age. But then a grim smile spread across his face.
“Are you true to your word young girl?” he asked at long last, and Angelique nodded proudly. “Then give me your word that you will not fight us when we come to leave.”
“You have my word Jean-Baptiste, thank you, thank you.”
A wave of relief washed over the group as Grande keyed a sequence into his handset and the Spiners immediately powered down, the red glow of their optics fading slowly to black.
Ryann turned to look back out through the docking-bay doors. The Serena had made it across to the Ibis now, and was hastily off-loading the evacuees, but both ships were under constant bombardment as the Luminal drones fired down upon them from all sides.
But it was the flotilla of refugee ships that was faring the worst. Throughout the vessels a myriad of fires were springing up. The larger craft could soak up more damage, but the little shuttle craft and cargo vessels were defenceless against the Luminal’s firepower. Already, many of them had been completely destroyed, and Ryann could only guess at the number of refugees that had already been lost.
“Grande!”
Angelique’s sharp call snapped the big man out of his reverie. To Ryann’s surprise he saw Jean-Baptiste nod sadly. He brought up the comms-panel on the arm of his pressure suit, quickly ordering the pilots of the three remaining Interceptors back to the station.
“Ashe, Mara, Ryann, you’re our best pilots,” called Anders. “Stay here and wait for the Interceptors. Angelique, think you can co-pilot the Marianne with me?”
Angelique nodded hurriedly.
“Come on then. Torrens, it looks like you’re on weapons. You know the drill, warm those turrets up.”
Anders looked over to Grande, and the two men appraised each other for a moment. Then, with a curt nod Anders turned, following Torrens across the landing-pad to where the Marianne waited.
“Angelique!” called Ryann as she went to follow them. He took hold of her arms, looking longingly into her dark eyes. “Be safe
