ID5: Chapter 22

The South Tunnels

Veenkah, Tahee Minor

“Cindra?” came a male voice she knew all too well.

“In here,” Cindra snapped back. She didn’t bother looking up from polishing her Skite blaster.

Gownder entered the armory, giving her a wide berth, and sat atop one of the Stratus crates. “Thought I’d find you in here.”

“Congratulations. You work out plans for your retreat with that woman?”

“Sillix? Yes. And I’m hoping you’ll join us. Wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Guess you’ll have to get used to it.”

“Cindra, please,” Gownder said, stepping forward and pressing his hands together. “You’re being irrational.”

“Irrational? How is finally having the enemy in our crosshairs and taking the kill shot irrational?”

“Because it won’t be the enemy in the crosshairs. It will be us.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Perhaps.” He pulled an inquisa from his jacket. “But Pelegrin Hale does.”

Cindra eyed the device curiously. Gownder pushed it toward her, insisting she take it. Eventually, she did and then noticed the incoming call indicator was live but muted.

“I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Gownder replied and then receded from the armory in the same gentle manner he’d entered with.

Cindra took a breath and noticed her hand shaking slightly. She suppressed her nerves and pushed the open channel button. A blue light popped to life and projected a ten-inch image of Pelegrin Hale’s head. The monochromatic display washed out his Viridis green skin, but the rest of the details of his face were just like she’d seen in all his other holo videos. The only real difference was that this time, Pelegrin Hale was speaking directly to Cindra, and her alone.

“Cindra Kin?” he asked in his low raspy voice.

“That’s me. And you are Pelegrin Hale.”

“Guilty as charged. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes. Same.” Despite the nervousness she felt at having a personal inquisa call with her hero, Cindra figured she knew what this was about. “Gownder ask you to talk me out of fighting the Stratus?”

“Didn’t need to. I’m asking.”

“Yeah, well… sorry to disappoint you.”

“You’re that stuck on it?”

She felt heat flood her chest and rise into her neck. “And why wouldn’t I be? I don’t understand how Gownder doesn’t see it.”

“See what?”

“That for us to walk away now is to trample on all the sacrifices that others have made before us. It’s like… it’s like saying that their deaths were pointless. And now, when it’s our turn, we just… walk away when she should stay and fight.”

Hale nodded several times and looked down. Cindra wondered if she needed to say more… to add to her argument, when Hale’s eyes snapped up and glared at her. It wasn’t a menacing look, but it was strong… like he was seeing straight into her heart. “Honoring the sacrifices of those who’ve gone before us is paramount. You’re right to recognize that, and I commend you for it. Others might forget. But remembering them is how we keep them alive… how we keep them from being lost to oblivion.

“But, if we’re not careful, we can still dishonor what they purchased for us. If they fought to buy us a window of opportunity, and we don’t take it? Then we trample their sacrifice all the same. The key is reading the moment and knowing what needs doing… what they would have chosen for us were they able to spend the currency of their own blood a second time.

“Now, contrary to what you may think, I’m not here to talk you out of staying or even fighting. That’s not my call to make it, nor are the consequences mine to live with. But I am here to ask for your help, because of all the people in TRL U15, Gownder says you’re the best and bravest, and right now, that’s who I need.”

“For what?” she asked, doing her best to ignore Gownder’s praise of her. She wouldn’t be taken in by that.

“Given the enemy’s size and proximity, we’re not gonna have enough time to evacuate everyone from the enclave… unless we have someone create a diversion.”

This gave her pause. “You… want me to buy time?”

“I do. And so does Gownder.”

“Really?”

“He knows you’re not gonna budge. Which means you must be one hadion of a fighter. And that’s exactly who we need to spearhead what he has in mind.”

“And what’s that?”

“To load up a skiff with as much of your remaining ordnance as it will carry, drive to the north side of Veenkah, and detonate it outside the city limits. The Stratus will investigate, which will give us the cushion we need.”

“Sacrifice our own supplies? But—”

“It’s better than sacrificing people, Cindra.”

She ground her teeth. Hale was right, of course, but giving up their means of waging war was… well, it was wasteful.

As if reading her thoughts, Hale added, “You can always get more guns, Commander. But people? Not so much. And every good leader I’ve ever served with knows that. I’m hoping you do too.”

Cindra thought for a second. “He knew I wouldn’t like this idea.”

“He did.”

“Which is why he sent you.”

“Yes. But he also sent me because sometimes we have a hard time hearing things from people close to us. Familiarity can breed contempt if we’re not careful. None of us are immune. Which is why we need outside voices from time to time. And I consider this a privilege.”

Cindra pressed her lips together and looked to the side. In her heart of hearts, everything Hale said rang true. It still didn’t make the idea of spending ordnance on a diversion any easier; the sacrifice would set them back months… maybe years until they could acquire more contraband through their traditional channels. And no way they were getting another Stratus drop like the one they’d scored before.

At last, she said, “If my people need to leave, and this is the best way to buy them time, then I won’t be the one to stand in the way. But I am still not leaving with you.”

Hale pushed his lower lip up and nodded several times in understanding. “I respect that and admire you for it even if I do think you’re making a mistake. But I know what it’s like to have convictions, and I’ll be the last person in the sector to tell you those are meaningless.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hale.”

“Eh, Pelegrin is fine. It’s an honor, Cindra. Now, Gownder needs your help, and I need to get back to our preparations before jumping in. We are Valorious.”

She paused, never having heard the Stratus mantra altered in that way. “We are Valorious,” she replied and then switched off the channel.

As soon as her eyes adjusted to the armory’s light again, she spotted Gownder standing in the doorway, arms crossed, shoulder against the frame.

“You’re a sneaky old bastard,” she said.

“How do you think I’ve stayed alive so long?” Gownder relaxed his arms and waved her out of the room. “Come on. Let’s prep that skiff.”

* * *

The jump into Tahee Minor’s atmosphere was unlike anything Hale had ever experienced before. Normally, a ship warped into the black, gave onlookers several hours or days to view the iridescent hyperspace medium, and then jumped back into inky space where some new star, planet, or space station awaited in the distance. This time, however, Hale experienced a near-instantaneous jump, and one with much more dramatic scenery upon arrival. One moment, Tahee Minor was a perfect sphere set against a monochromatic starscape, the next, the planet’s frozen surface was just seven thousand feet below.

“Ho-ly crit,” Dell exclaimed, bracing himself on Veepo’s seat back. “I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t live it.”

“How do we look?” Hale asked the bot hurriedly.

“We have arrived at the intended coordinates,” Veepo replied in his perpetually happy tone. “Our descent to the north will take us four minutes thirteen seconds, and keep us behind the mountains on our approach to Veenkah. Likewise, our transponder is emitting credentials that won’t raise suspicions from the fleet carrier above.”

“Nice job, bot,” Hale said as the ship started to nose down. “Everyone, hold on. Sillix? How read?”

“Loud and clear,” she said, her voice coming over the ship’s comms as well as from inside Hale’s helmet. “ETA?”

“Three minutes fifty-three seconds,” Veepo replied.

“We’ll be ready.”

Hale pinged Rim’s channel next. “Gray Maven, this is Alpha Command. You have eyes on the enemy?”

“Howdy, Command. Yes, sir. All’s quiet in the Stratus garrison, and I’m not detecting any movement from above. Standard comms chatter all around.”

“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way for a while. Gownder? What’s your status?”

“Skiff nor—bound, Mr. —ale.”

Hale tapped the side of his helmet. “Please say again. There’s interference.”

“That is not interference, Just Hale,” Veepo interjected. “That is wind noise.”

“Wind noise?” Hale tilted his head slightly. “General, are you on the skiff?”

“Affirmative, —right beside —mmander Kin.”

“Hi, Pelegrin,” Cindra added as Veepo worked quickly clean up their transmission.

“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Hale said.

“I’m well aware,” Gownder replied. “But I couldn’t let my best head into the dragon’s mouth alone.”

Hale glanced at Dell and Orelia. While neither of them looked pleased at the development, their furtive shrugs and smiles echoed his own sentiment of reluctant admiration. “Understood, General. If we’re able to recover you, we’ll swing back.”

“Nonsense. We both know how that ends. I’ll figure my way off the planet eventually. I know how to find you.”

“Understood.”

“In the meantime,” Cindra said, “I have three of our five units in defensive positions and monitoring all northbound activity. The remaining two are with Sillix, as planned, and will assist in load out.”

“Thank you, Commander. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet in person.”

“There is still time. Tahee Minor warms up a few degrees in summer. You should come out.”

“I’ll put it on my itinerary. Happy hunting.”

“You too. And… thank you… for getting our people clear of the Imperium.”

“You’re welcome.”

“We are Valorious,” she said.

Hale smiled. “We are Valorious. Legacy, out.”

* * *

Hale didn’t like that Gownder had improvised. The Tahee refugees would need a strong leader to help them through the transition, and with both Gownder and Cindra out of the picture for the foreseeable future, that would mean finding someone else in the resistance to be a point person. But that was a worry for another time. At the moment, Hale needed to focus on the evacuation effort.

True to his word, Veepo managed to fly the Legacy just above the mountains and keep the ship hidden from Veenkah. He approached the waypoint from the south and then rotated the vessel to back up to the hangar bay door. Hale was on the ramp as the ship neared the opening.

Snow swirled in great torrents of wind generated by the roaring repulsor engines. Sillix stood in her white-painted Veul armor like a granite statue, stoic and unmoving, while a line of people extended behind her. Beside Hale, Bashok called out distances to Veepo over comms until the ramp touched down on the hangar bay’s outside ledge.

Dell and Orelia’s teams were first off, greeting Sillix quickly, and then filing through the darkened hangar bay to take up defensive positions with the rest of the TRL units. Meanwhile, Bashok and his team welcomed the first refugees aboard as Hale ran down to meet Sillix.

“What’s our revised total?” he asked.

“Two hundred ten. Twenty-four more are on overwatch, north face. Our last two rebels are on the skiff.”

“Gownder and Cindra. I heard.”

“They plan to get off on the far side and then send the unpiloted vehicle with a four-minute timer on the explosives. That will put it far to the north when it goes nova. Though Cindra said they could detonate it sooner if the need arises. We just need to call it in.”

“Let’s hope we don’t have to.”

“Agreed.”

Hale lamented the fact that Gownder and Cindra would most likely be waylaid in the city; there was no telling when the Valorious would be able to make a return trip. Perhaps Rim could avail his services over the coming weeks. Hale would very much like to meet both leaders in person. They’d done much to ensure the safety of the enclave’s citizens while also giving the Imperium hadion. Hale knew that many rebels considered him a hero for the events on Kaletto, but to him, the real legends were people like Elda Maeva, General Gownder, and Commander Kin… they were the ones who’d built and managed entire communities, thriving just beyond the Supreme’s purview for decades. They were the ones who deserved the praise, not him.

Hale and Sillix watched the long line of refugees file from the cave’s depths and up the Legacy’s ramp. They were young and old alike, some walking, others hovering; some being led by the hand, others carried. There was an earnestness to their movements, and those who spoke did so in tones that couldn’t be heard above the sound of the Legacy’s engines. Hale was glad to see the orderly evacuation, but he was also worried about time; the line seemed to be moving painfully slow.

Hale checked the mission clock. “Forty-five minutes remaining.”

“We’ll get it done,” Sillix replied.

Just then, a new figure arrived, this time saluting Sillix and then pausing when he noticed Hale. The man had a slender face with a pronounced brow, deep-set eyes, and a salt-and-pepper beard. He wore similarly colored hair pulled back into a bun while his chin had a matching beard. “You’re really him,” he said above the engine noise.

“Pelegrin Hale, at your service.” Hale extended his arm.

“Gavin. I’m Gavin Kolida. Uh, Lieutenant Gavin Kolida, with U15. It’s an honor… sir.”

“All mine, Lieutenant. You’re in charge?”

“While the General and Commander are away, yes. Your two teams are getting situated with ours as we speak. But I’ve come with news.” He turned to Sillix and offered her a tablet. “We’re tracking a Cadre armored assault vehicle southbound from the Stratus garrison.”

Hale leaned in with Sillix to see a video image of a small vehicle skimming along ice flats.

“When was this taken?” Sillix asked.

“It’s live, ma’am. Four miles out.”

Hale looked at Gavin. “Anything on comms?”

“Nothing. We figure it’s a random patrol.”

Sillix returned the tablet. “Make sure your people and ours stay hidden. No fingers on triggers. Let’s hope this is as you say and just routine.”

“Affirmative, ma’am.”

“And keep eyes on the garrison,” Hale said. “If another vehicle is mobilized, I need to know. One is a random patrol, as you say. But two? That’s a recon run.”

“Understood.” Gavin made the sign of the Valorious to Hale and Sillix, dipped his head, and then raced back to the tunnels leading out of the bay.

“You worried?” Sillix asked Hale.

“From the moment we left Trion. Let’s hope it’s nothing.”

“Mmm,” Sillix grunted. “You want to stay here or head to overwatch?”

“Need you even ask?”

* * *

Two minutes later, Hale was following Sillix up a ladder whose metal rungs were affixed inside a narrow tunnel. There was light at the top, as well as the faint sound of wind. Hale finally arrived on a flat crawl space barely high enough for him and Sillix to prop themselves up on their elbows. Directly ahead was a small opening that looked north over the ice flats and toward Veenkah.

“They have these portholes all over the mountains,” Sillix said. “Virtually impossible to see from out there.”

“Good cover.” Hale’s eyes spotted the incoming stratus sled and the high rooster tail of snow arcing behind it. “Coming in hot.”

Sillix passed Hale her proximabinoculars and said, “I don’t like how they’re looking our way.”

“Our way?” Hale zoomed in. A Cadre of eight stratusaires filled out the armored assault vehicle, heads popping out of the forward and rear hatches, weapons pointed south. A normal patrol would have all strats covering 360 degrees. The fact that the entire unit was focused in one direction did not bode well. “They’re following a hunch.”

“Or a lead,” Sillix replied.

Hale lowered the optics and gazed at her. “You think someone tipped them off?”

“Informants are everywhere. But my credits are on Kull.”

“Kull? But he’s the one who—”

“Who’s masterminding this. I guarantee it.”

Hale wasn’t so sure, but arguing with her about speculation was pointless. He went back to eyeing the vehicle. It was less than a mile from the base of their overlook. “Remind Gavin’s people to stay quiet.”

She nodded and sent the lieutenant the message, while Hale kept watching. The vehicle slowed and then deployed six of its eight strats who set a perimeter and then deployed south, closing the gap to the base of the mountain.

“I don’t like this,” Sillix said.

“Me neither. But let’s wait and see. Could just be investigating the snow the Legacy kicked up.”

All at once, Hale caught sight of something on the horizon. He flicked up the proximabinoculars and zoomed in. “Crit. Second sled.”

Sillix asked for the optics. Once in hand, she used them to zero in on Hale’s directions. “They know.”

“Yeah. Not good. But it looks like they’re not fully committed. Which means we still have time.”

“What do you want to do?”

Hale considered their options for a second and then pinged Veepo. “Any movement from the fleet carrier?”

“Negative, Just Hale,” Veepo replied. “I am not detecting any increase in communications traffic, nor are our sensors picking up air wing activity.”

“Then we proceed as planned.” He checked the mission clock. “We still have forty minutes. They can wander around all they want. If they do end up getting too close for comfort then we—”

Hale froze. He saw something on the horizon.

“What is it?” Sillix asked.

“Crits and cosmos. They’re mobilizing.”

“What?” Sillix snatched the optics from his hands again. A moment later, she cursed under her breath.

“Spread the word,” Hale replied. “First Stratus is inbound. ETA, five minutes.” He pinged Gownder and Cindra’s channel. “Seems we’ve attracted some attention.”

“You need it sooner?” Gownder asked.

“Affirmative. Mink is about to pay us a visit.”

“Consider it done.”

Hale closed the channel and began scooching backward toward the ladder.

“Where are you going?” Sillix asked.

“To help Bashok. You don’t need me here. Let’s just hope Gownder comes through for us with that diversion.”

“And if not?”

Hale paused and gave her a half smile. “Then this is gonna be one hadion of a short-lived rescue op.”