“That’s good. Probably for the best,” I said. “If we’re here, who’s setting the explosives off?”
As if on cue, Clare’s voice came from the speakers on the wall. “Are you guys coming for the show?”
“Just video-record it. We’re busy,” Mary said, and we heard the line of communication close with a beep.
“We are?” I asked.
Instead of answering with words, her lips found mine, and soon I saw there were ways to find happiness still in the midst of so much loss.
“And how is Slate going to fly the ship by himself?” Mary asked Clare. We were standing on the bridge, all in uniform, even though I wished I could be wearing anything but the Earth Defense badge at that moment.
Clare shrugged. “He said he could handle it. I imagine he has some military stims or something. The ship does have somewhat of an autopilot when we’re in FTL and not needed to maneuver. Plus, he’s really cranky.” Her eyes locked with mine for a brief moment before she looked back to Mary.
“What about Nick?” I asked.
“What about me?” the doctor asked back.
“Couldn’t you go keep him company? It’s only a couple of weeks,” I said. As much anger as I felt at Slate for shooting Mae, I couldn’t really blame him.
“Let’s get through the first wormhole and convince him to take Nick or Clare on board.” Mary’s idea was a good one.
Mary sat at the helm and communicated over to Slate that we were leaving. Slate was already in the Kraski ship alone, having flown it into space before detonating the explosives below. I looked to the images where the Bhlat outpost once sat, and it was nothing more than rubble and small craters.
The wormhole wasn’t far, so we didn’t hop in FTL like we had to beat Mae only hours before. Only hours. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like a week had passed since we’d approached the outpost. We all sat on the bridge, our task done, but somehow, I couldn’t help but feel like we hadn’t accomplished much. We’d found out what the hybrids were up to. I learned that Mae was the one to kill those guards in cold blood and realized that Mae was right. There was no coming back for her after that, unless we lied about it, and by doing that, we would have pinned it on Leslie and Terrance, who would never have their voices heard for the hybrids.
I wondered if President Dalhousie would let the hybrids leave. I hoped for their sake she would. They had been through so much. Created to deceive humans, then asked to sacrifice themselves and fly into the sun with vessels full of billions of us. Now we kept them in a cage, pretending everything was normal. It wasn’t. If she didn’t let them leave, I was going to make it happen.
“We’re here,” Mary said, slowly flying us to the wormhole.
“Wait, what is that? I asked, seeing a yellow icon appear on the map. It was nothing more than a glowing circle, moving quickly toward us.
“Slate, we have incoming,” I said through the ship’s comm-link.
“I see that, boss. I don’t expect it to be a welcoming party. You guys head into the wormhole and stick to the plan. I’ll hold them off.” Slate’s voice was grim.
“We can’t do that. We’ve already lost one of our own.” I wished I could take the words back as soon as I said them.
Mary zoomed on the approaching ship, and it matched the ones parked at the outpost. Probably a Bhlat ship on a supply run. They may have gone home to find everything gone, and now they would be seeking revenge.
“Just do it.” Slate’s ship veered off from our path to the wormhole as he attempted to take the Kraski ship away and lead the Bhlat with him. We were almost invisible to their eyes, but we didn’t know much about their sensors. Since we’d been able to sneak onto their outpost without them knowing, we most likely would be safe hiding in plain sight from them.
“We have to help him!” Clare yelled.
I sat in the captain’s chair, my head aching fiercely. We could just leave, go through the wormhole, and destroy it. If Slate survived, it would be a long trip home, but he would eventually make it. Years later.
If he survived.
“Dean, make the call,” Mary said, and I was almost surprised they were waiting on me to decide a man’s fate. As if I hadn’t had enough of that already.
We were survivors. I wouldn’t abandon the soldier. If I did, I was no better than our enemies.
“Follow them. We sneak up behind and give them a show. The Bhlat won’t know what hit them.” I was done feeling sorry for them, or myself. I just wanted to get my friends home, and away from this new threat.
Nick paled to the right of me as Mary swung us around, racing after the two blinking icons on our map.
We could finally see them in the viewscreen as they darted around, Slate trying to lead them on a wild goose chase away from us.
“Slate, we’re on their ass.” I stood watching the boxier Bhlat ship fly after the sleek silver ship Slate was racing away in.
“You had your window to leave!” He sounded angry with us.
“Just work with us, and we can be on the other side of that wormhole in time for lunch,” Mary said calmly.
I hopped to the console next to Mary and took control of the weapons. We hadn’t tested the new ones yet, but Slate had gone over them with us a few times, and I’d done well in the training programs.
“Slate, slow down,” Mary said. As soon as he did, yellow fire erupted from the Bhlat ship at him, narrowly missing him.
“They’re hostile.” I could almost hear his grin.
“You think?” I asked.
“Loop around behind us. I’m going to thrust facing up, and we’ll blast the hell out of them.” Mary had her Air Force persona on now.
Slate’s ship did just that, and we saw him fly over our viewscreen, quickly followed by a firing Bhlat ship. It was my turn. I aimed, letting the computer calculate their trajectory, and then fired the pulse gun. Red beams shot out, one hitting the ship. It kept flying, the small explosion not slowing it.
“I think you angered them,” Clare whispered as we saw their volley of fire increase, and one hit the Kraski ship Slate was trying to maneuver.
“They know I’m not alone now,” Slate said. “My shields handled that blast, but I don’t think they can handle any more.”
Their attention shifted toward our position, and though they couldn’t see us, it didn’t stop them from firing at will in our direction. Mary swept us away, avoiding the barrage.
“Wait for it,” she said, spinning us around the hard-edged enemy ship. They were still firing, nearly hitting our ship. My eyes darted to the viewscreen, where I could see the icon of Slate coming up above them. He blasted a red rain of fire on them just as I shot a combination of the pulse guns and torpedo, Mary racing away to avoid any crossfire.
The Bhlat ship took the barrage, and for a split second, I thought they might have survived it, before they exploded, the flames quickly disappearing in the oxygen-deprived vacuum of space.
“Woohoo!” Nick shouted, jumping from his seat.
“Let’s not celebrate too quickly. We need to get the hell out of here in case there’s more of them around,” I said.
“I agree,” we heard from Slate on the comm-link, “and thanks for coming back for me.”
“Anytime,” I replied.
We made our way back to the wormhole, this time not lingering at it.
“Everyone belted in this time?” Mary asked. When no one answered, she moved us forward.
“Slate, see you on the other side.” This from me.
“You got it, boss.”
We were off, travelling through the fold once again. We jostled around hard, but we were expecting it, and the trip didn’t feel quite as bad. Moments later, we were through, Slate following closely behind. I breathed a sigh of relief.