Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3) (37 page)

Since the
Formidable
had transferred to the border region of space, the entire squadron had been on endless patrols into a bunch of nothingness. A marauder had appeared at the edge of their patrol range, but wisely fled into empty space instead of heading toward them or the nearest star system of Claria. This was the first time the ship had been placed on red alert since … the funeral.
 

She changed into her uniform, taking a sideways glance at herself in the mirror. Her blue Tizona cap sat atop her black hair. A stray strand draped over her bloodshot eyes. Beneath her eyes, her skin puffed and darkened. Another sleepless night, filled with nightmares and images of Austin. Shaking her head, she left her quarters.
 

The halls burst with activity, officers mixing with the enlisted crew as everyone rushed in different directions. She marched with purpose toward the briefing room, her flight tablet tucked under her arm. Dodging a pair of crewmen pushing a cart, she pushed through the collection of people and made her way into the briefing room. Captains Doug Lord and Lo Talad stepped into the room at the same time she did. Commander Mitchem Horace and Major Ty Braddock stood at the front, both men nearly on the tips of their toes.
 

“Everyone sit down,” Braddock said, leaning forward. “We don’t have much time.”

“The other Star Runners need to be here, sir?” Talad asked, rushing into the room and taking a seat.

“I have them reporting to the locker rooms and preparing to fly,” Braddock barked. “Seriously, sit now. Let’s get underway.”
 

Braddock waved his hand to the crew in the back of the room to close the door to the bustling corridor. “The Legion just received a message from inside Zahlian space. It’s from an asset in trouble. We have been ordered to assist in the rescue.”
 

Ryker’s stomach twisted. An asset in trouble on the other side of the border could mean anything, from a spy to a downed probe. But the fact it was across the border and being mentioned in a closed-door meeting meant the
Formidable
was about to do something about it.
 

“Captain Reece Towers will be in here in a moment,” Horace said softly, lowering his gaze. “He is prepping his men as we speak.”

Ryker exhaled. Captain Towers was a legend throughout the Legion. His
Serpents
were so revered some believed them to be more myth than reality. She didn’t even know they had been brought onboard; the carrier had so many Kardas coming and going that it wasn’t surprising a team of special forces had been brought on board, but Towers’
Serpents
?
 

This was serious, she thought.

The
Serpents
were sent in to do things the small Legion Army couldn’t, such as quell rebellions or alter the course of events on a dark world. Sometimes she heard rumors
Serpents
toppled governments unfriendly to the Legion on dark worlds. Ryker had heard they prevented nuclear war on a dark planet at the edge of Legion space in the last year. It was rumored they helped save the lives of several Star Runners during the recent Tyral Pirate campaign on Earth, going head-to-head with the Phantom mercenaries.
 

“Captain Towers and his
Serpents
will be ready to fly in minutes,” Horace continued, “but it is imperative you understand this mission is off the books. There will be no flight reports, no records, no support—nothing. Therefore, the mission must be voluntary. If the mission fails, the Star Runners involved will be left in the open. There will be no rescue. Understood?”

Talad glanced at Ryker, a smirk on his face. Ryker nodded to Braddock. She had never heard a commander of a Legion carrier speak in this way. No support? No rescue? Was he serious?
 

“Very well,” Horace said. “All identification marks are being removed from a Karda in the hangar at this moment. The crew has been ordered to make this Karda look like a pirate modified it, painting over the Legion symbol and removing other marks linking it to our ship. The transponder has been ripped out, and the Karda will be squawking nothing. It’ll go in dark and, creator willing, come out again without being recognized.”

“I beg your pardon, sir,” Lord said.

“Make it fast,” Horace said.

“What’s the actual mission, sir?” Lord asked.
 

Horace took a breath and glanced at the tablet. “We received a message from this moon.” The room’s hologram activated, displaying a sector of space just inside Zahlian territory not too far from the
Formidable’s
current position. The holographic image zoomed in on the system’s gas giant, Nattalee, and focused on a small habitable moon orbiting the planet. “The message provided the coordinates leading to this moon here.”
 

Horace allowed his gaze to fall on each of them. “The message itself was fragmented, and parts didn’t make any sense. We believe the asset might be injured, under duress, or under fire. Our long range scans have shown the Zahlian vessel,
Dauntless
, is in orbit over the moon and is conducting a search of this planetary body. As you know, the
Dauntless
is the flagship of Sector Regent Tulin. It is imperative we get this asset off the planet ASAP, and this first stage is why we are asking for one Star Runner volunteer.”

The hologram zoomed in on a canyon on the moon’s surface. “What the Star Runner who volunteers will have to do is pilot the Karda and deliver Towers’ men to this location. Once they have been dropped, the volunteer will exit the area as quickly as possible.”

“Wait a minute, sir,” Talad said, “how is one Karda going to get through a blockade being carried out by a Zahlian ARC? That’s impossible.”

Horace sighed as if he expected the question.
 

“They curve into orbit,” Braddock said, taking charge of the conversation.

“Curve into orbit?” Talad asked. “That’s … dangerous.”

“Absolutely,” Lord said, leaning forward in his seat. “If you’re off just a bit in the calculations, the curve could open in one of these mountains here. This is incredibly risky, sir. Is the asset really worth it?”

Horace exchanged a glance with Braddock. After a moment, Braddock looked at Ryker. She held his gaze, wondering what Braddock’s stare implied.

“The asset is definitely worth it,” he said. “Once the
Serpents
are dropped, the Karda will curve back out again.”

“Dropped?” Lord said. “How do you mean?”

“They are using wingsuits to drop in fast and quietly. They simply have to open the door and jump out. The Star Runner then leaves.”

“I don’t like it,” Talad said, shaking his head. “The moment they descend on the planet, the
Dauntless
will be all over them. What about a planetary bombardment?”

“Negative,” Braddock said. “They will not risk the asset. The greatest threat will be Interceptors and Zahlian ground troops.
 

Ryker frowned. “And what about the
Serpents
?”

Horace folded his arms over his chest. “They hold out until we can get to them.”

Ryker nodded, knowing the
Serpents
were embarking on a one-way trip. She looked at the other captains, saw them shaking their heads and staring down at the floor. They don’t believe in this, she thought. They had the look of failure on them already.
 

“We need a volunteer,” Horace said, “and we don’t have much time.”

“Why, sir?” she asked.
 

“What do you mean?”

“Other than the
Dauntless
in orbit, why is the time such a factor?”

Horace cleared his throat. “The message indicated the asset was nearly out of power and would soon be unable to avoid detection.”

Ryker nodded. “How long?”

“About four hours.”

Her jaw dropped. “From now?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

She sighed.
 

“We will need the Star Runners on alert status here on the
Formidable
. There is a possibility we will need all the Tridents and Corvos on board by the time it’s all over.” Horace stared at the other captains. “But first, we need a volunteer.”

Ryker stared down at her tablet, sliding her fingers along the edge. While Commander Horace nor Major Braddock hadn’t come out and said it, a fellow Star Runner had to be down on that moon, far from home and alone. They waited for rescue, waited for the long promise of Legion forces everywhere that proclaimed they would never leave a comrade behind, never abandon a friend to the enemy.
 

And Ryker knew something about herself, something she had always known since her days on Lian; she would never be able to ask someone else to do something she wasn’t willing to do herself.
 

“Commander?” she asked, her voice cracking. “I would like to volunteer for the mission.”

“Too valuable here.” Horace shook his head. “Ask one of your Star Runners to volunteer.”

“Commander?” Braddock held up his hand. “Scorpion is the best we have on board.”

Ryker glanced at the other captains, saw them both nodding. Blood rushed to her face. “Thank you, sir.”

Horace tilted his head. “You really think you are up for this, Captain? Can you deliver these men to their target?”

Ryker nodded. “Give me the chance, sir. I won’t let you down.”

*****

Mechanics crawled over the hull of the Karda, stripping the craft of any identification linking it back to the Legion. One man, a white fabric tied around his mouth and nose, used a spray can to cover the numbers on the tail of the Karda.
 

The Karda was not as pretty as the Trident, lacking the sleek shape, but she could take a beating and served as a support craft in every capacity the Legion required. Whereas the Trident could be outfitted for air support or bombing missions, the Karda could be sent on every other required mission.

Ryker slid her fingers along the smooth nose of the vessel, her eyes sweeping over the hull. She caught her reflection in the front canopy, saw the plain gray flight suit they had asked her to change into instead of the familiar Tizona blue. As instructed, she had no identification. In the event she was caught during this mission, she was just some pirate pilot.

She snorted.

She didn’t plan on getting caught. There were always ways around that.
 

Throughout the hangar, mechanics mutilated Tridents by removing all identification marks in the event they were needed behind enemy lines. If they went into combat against the Zahlian forces, Horace wanted to make sure these Tridents appeared to be pirate vessels. Otherwise, their actions could spark the second galactic war.
 

Studying the tough little craft, she felt a sense of nostalgia wash over her. She had flown the Karda on her first tour when Commander Saada Keelo sent her on a reconnaissance mission. Nubern had selected her for that mission, but it was nothing like this one.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Braddock asked. “We can send someone else.”

Ryker heard Braddock walk up behind her and turned to looked at him. “You care, sir?”

“No,” he snapped, a smile forming at the edge of his lips. “Don’t start such outlandish lies. Ship’s got enough of them as it is.” He leaned closer to her. “I meant what I said in there—you’re probably the only Star Runner onboard who could pull it off. I just want you to be well informed of the dangers. We will not be able to come for you for a long while. This moon is inside Zahlian territory. You are on your own.”

She nodded, appreciative of the concern her commanding officer showed. “I’ve made up my mind, sir. If I can make a difference, it’s what I am here for. Right?”

“Correct.” He looked at the Karda, then back at her. “I am still very proud.”

The crew covering the Karda suddenly stopped, their eyes fixated on the far side of the hangar. Ryker followed their gaze. Six
Serpents
marched into the hangar, the crews in their path parting. The
Serpents
wore tight-fitting black suits the likes of which Ryker had never seen. Loose fabric swung down at their legs and under their arms. They donned dark helmets covering everything but their eyes and mouths. Grenades and extra packs for laser pistols covered their chests. Each man carried an oversized backpack protruding out from their bodies. The
Serpents
each held a cold stare as their boots pounded across the steel hangar deck.
 

Braddock snapped to attention. The crew, including Ryker, followed his lead.
 

“Captain Towers,” Braddock said, his tone showing deference to the esteemed veteran marching toward them. “Been a long time, sir.”

Tower offered a crisp salute. “Braddock,” he said, his voice almost sneering. “Congratulations on your promotion. Well deserved.”

“Thank you, sir.” He turned to Ryker. “May I introduce Captain Ryker Zyan? Call sign Scorpion.”

“Captain.” Towers nodded. “You offering my men and me a ride today?”

She swallowed. “Yes, sir.”
 

Towers glanced back at Braddock. “She any good?”

“The best, sir,” Ryker said before Braddock could answer. “I’ll get you there.”

Towers nodded slowly, taking a step forward. “These wingsuits we have on will allow us to free fall to the moon’s surface, but you have to slow to an appropriate speed for them to work properly. Otherwise, the speed could break our backs, and we’d fall to the surface like birds with their wings clipped. Can you do that under fire?”

Ryker smiled. “I can, sir.”

He glanced back at Braddock. “I like her.” He slapped his hands together. “Clock is ticking. Am I wrong?”

“Not at all,” Braddock said, waving the mechanics off the Karda. “Clear out!”

Ryker attached her helmet and glanced at her watch. The asset will be out of power in three hours.
 

Time to move.
 

The
Serpents
filed into the back of the Karda, checking their gear and loading their weapons as Ryker settled into the cockpit. When she finished the startup sequence, she saw Braddock and Horace standing on the other side of the hangar. She offered a two-fingered salute, and the men returned the gesture.