“We have to find him,” Jade said.
The Pod’s beacon was indicating it was a hundred kilometers from the city, nestled into a mountainous valley. I informed Luther, who was still awaiting my orders.
“Varn, what’s happening?” I asked the Sage pilot.
“Dodging some heavy fire, but these Stin are almost as good as me. We’re locked in on the drone station now.”
I made fists and let out a sigh. This all felt wrong. What was I missing? If I couldn’t trust Zonrial and Trid, maybe there was another solution. Octavia’s message lingered at the forefront of my mind. If anyone hears this, my name is Octavia Post, Lead Chair of the Board. The invasion has begun. We’re under attack.
Maybe they were under attack, but not by the Biks outpost. “Varn! Stand down. Did you defeat the Squids?”
“Squids are still fighting the Stin and Kvan. Half are disabled,” Varn said.
“R11, can you connect to Stin?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Tell them to pull back. Do not destroy the drones,” I told him.
“Why, Arlo?” Jade asked.
“Because I’m feeling exploited, and they might be useful.”
“Done, sir. The Stin will protect the manufacturing station,” R11 said.
“We’re retreating, Hawk. This better be the right move,” Varn called through the speakers.
“I hope it is,” I muttered. “Luther and Aster.” I contacted both of their Pods. “Meet me here.” I sent them the location Holland’s Pod was blinking from.
“Roger that,” Luther and Aster echoed.
And it was settled. We would grab Holland before all hell broke loose.
“You changed your mind pretty quickly, Arlo. We signed up for a fight, and we don’t have proof that Trid and Zonrial are acting outside our good faith.” Jade made a good point, but I was positive one thing would keep me safe. “We find Holland. Then what? March into the middle of town waving a white flag?”
“Preston Lewis is nearby. And if he isn’t, they’ll bring him to us.” I needed to speak with him. It seemed impossible that he was working against us, and I wasn’t sure Octavia’s message had been authentic. But the risk of being wrong was a terrible distraction.
Jade hissed an inhale, but she bit her tongue.
“Damn it. You’re right. I’ve had a bad feeling about the Darlor and Hidan since they set that trap against the Velibar and questioned our integrity. They’re on a personal vendetta here, Arlo. I can sense it.” And just like that, Jade was on board.
“First things first. We get Holland,” I said. “R11, what’s the status of the Pod?”
“The readouts are not transmitting. Only the beacon is visible,” the SeaTech robot advised me.
“And the Velibar can’t pick up that signal?” I confirmed.
“That’s correct, Captain. Bryson Kelley ensured that the Pods had a failsafe to go dark when under duress. It’s the same technology the Corporations have used to retain important loads shipped between their colonies for the last decade. Things like expensive Pods are high-valued prizes for the black market.” R11 sent my dash articles about it, and I dismissed them.
“I trust you.” It had been a few months since he’d vanished through the gateway, and that meant Holland might be in rough shape.
I flew high, not wanting to show my Racer in the open skies, but assumed someone was watching our travel. We made quick work of the distance.
“Biks is beautiful,” Jade said.
“It is.” Green open landscape led to a subtle mountain range. The peaks were snow-capped, and a wide river flowed directly between the two largest, heading in the direction of their capital city. Holland’s Pod was close by, and I scoured the region for it as I descended. There was no indication of Velibar for over twenty kilometers, and now I understood why Holland had chosen this as his landing zone.
“Captain, there he is,” R11 said, highlighting a spot on the viewscreen.
The Pod was nearly indistinguishable, mainly covered by boughs from a tree. The hefty red leaves draped over the craft’s hull. He’d done an admirable job hiding it. If we didn’t have the beacon, I’d have flown right by without noticing.
Pilgrim landed on the rocky surface, and we rushed from the cockpit. R11 assured us the air was compatible, and we avoided wearing the spacesuits for this rescue mission. I still brought along a gun, and Jade frowned when I passed one to her.
“Is this necessary?” she asked.
“Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it,” I said, using a line my dad had always touted when I was a kid.
“Whatever you say.” Jade went off the ship, gawking in both directions. “Holland!” she called. Her voice echoed through the valley. A flock of alien birds rose at the interruption, scattering from our position.
“Holland!” I cupped my hands around my mouth, amplifying my voice.
R11 walked to the Pod and tugged a branch free. He opened the door, and we found it was empty.
“Let me go first.” I went inside, attempting to power the Sprinter up. Nothing happened. “She’s dead.”
A streak of dried blood covered the dash; another was on the interior handle. He’d crashed. I closed the door and crouched at the Pod’s nose. It was dented, but the hull had withstood the impact. Holland had survived the shock, but where was he now?
It must have been the middle of the day, and the sun was hot and bright within the range. The black storm lingered near the city, and I guessed it would eventually direct itself here. Water trickled down from the edge of the mountain, rolling over rocks and into the big water source lower in the valley. Fresh water. Holland wouldn’t have hiked somewhere hostile. He’d have gone to the river.
I assumed our supposed allies from Refuge were close to the city by now, and hated that we’d been led into a fight without the proper information. But at this moment, finding Holland was our task. We
