Star Runners: Scorpions

Chapter 5

5

The ARC fell into low orbit after passing overhead and out of sight for most of the night. When it reappeared, it slowed overhead, moving at a snail’s pace. Then it stopped, lingering for about eighty minutes before dropping four sparks of light descending like embers falling off a burning branch. They fell together, in line.

Ryker held her breath, staring at the heavens without using the binoculars. Pursing her lips, she watched the smaller vessels. Please go away. Go somewhere else. Go into the valley and recover whatever it is you left on this world.

The ships broke formation, flying in multiple directions. They hit the atmosphere, forming a streak across the early morning sky. One flew east, another to the west. The third headed on a trajectory toward the valley. But the fourth…

Standing next to the mushroom, she raised the binoculars to her face. Please no.

She watched the burning orb as the atmosphere battled against the ship’s shields. Flames brightened and beamed.

The fires went out. She saw the ship in detail for the first time, the position lights blinking, bearing down on her.

It looked like a modular drop ship from her intelligence briefings; a favorite new toy of the mobile and improved Zahlian Navy. The drop ships enabled the ARCs to respond to all manner of incidents including using the module for transporting a detachment of Marines. Staring at the incoming craft, she couldn’t tell what type of module it carried. She didn’t need to know.

They were coming.

She sprinted through the thick forest, searching for a place to hide. Scanners could penetrate the trees and fungi using an infrared scanner. With no wildlife on this moon, her heat signature would glow like a beacon. Sweat dripped down her forehead, burning into her eyes. She stopped next to a tree, gasping.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, the rolling sound echoing off the trees and echoing around her.

That wasn’t thunder.

Pulling out her pistol, she continued running. Tripping twice on the uneven surface, she yanked herself back to her feet. She didn’t know where she was running, but ran until her muscles ached.

A jet engine roared. She heard the distinct whine of breaking thrusters firing to slow a rapid descent. Peering through the treetops, she searched for the incoming vessel. She tightened her grip on the pistol. Seeing nothing through the trees, she started running again.

“ATTENTION, STAR RUNNER! ATTENTION!” a voice exploded through the forest like the voice of God.

Ryker halted, holding her breath. Her face trembled, her fingers rattling on her pistol’s grip. She looked up without tilting her head backward as if the movement would give away her position.

“GOOD. STAY WHERE YOU ARE. YOU ARE NOW A PRISONER OF THE ZAHLIAN NAVY.”

She exhaled and placed her hands on her knees. Prisoner? She had heard horror stories of what the Zahl Empire did to captured Star Runners during the last war, torturing pilots to learn their secrets or, more often, placing them in unarmed and aged fighters for use as target practice.

No, she thought, I’m not going out that way.

Adrenaline shot through her. She bolted through the trees. Branches scratched her face, ripping through flesh on her forehead. Tearing off the top part of her flight suit, cold air surrounded her undershirt, reviving her. She swung the satchel over her shoulder and continued running.

“THERE IS NO ESCAPE, STAR RUNNER. HALT!”

A fierce blast of wind hit, swaying the trees and revealing a creek cutting through the forest. The drop ship hovered over the water, the engines sending ripples across the surface.

She ran parallel to the creek to maintain cover. An explosion ignited the trees on the far side of the water. She recoiled, ducking as she continued running. Fire ripped through the treetops, sending a heatwave through the forest. The tree cover slackened and ended as the stream disappeared into a rocky hill. She spun around and froze.

The drop ship hovered over the creek, the lights beaming on her like she stared into the face of a star. Wind whipped branches and leaves across the creek.

“DROP THE WEAPON.”

The bright light blinded her until she saw spots. Boots splashed into the creek. Marines were coming.

She knew the ship’s weapons targeted her, ready to fire.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the creek vanishing into a cave in the hillside. If the Zahlian forces wanted to kill her, they would have done so by now.

Staring back into the light, she raised the pistol and fired three times. Turning toward the cave, she shot without looking. Blue bolts sizzled around her like lightning.

They were trying to taze her.

One bolt clipped her right arm, tingling like an electric shock until the muscle went numb.

She dove into the cave. Tumbling, her body cracked across wet rocks. The gun ripped from her grip as she fell, rolling into the crevice. She plunged into frigid water.

Gasping, she kicked and tried to swim. She reached, feeling around in the darkness as she powered forward. Her muscles tightened, burning and stinging in the cold water.

She struck a slimy surface and pulled herself up on a slick boulder.

Get up.

Her body refused to move. Cuts and scrapes burned. Salty blood touched her lips.

Get up, Ryker.

Grunting, she stood on wobbly legs. She thrust a hand into her satchel, found a light and turned it on.

She had landed in an underground river, flowing into the shadows.

But she had escaped capture for now.

Ignoring the pain in her legs and feet, she limped along the rocky riverbank. Mist swirled in front of the flashlight’s beam as she negotiated the uneven surface.

Well-trained and motivated Zahlian Marines pursued her. She didn’t plan on being taken alive, but she knew they would search her belongings for any intelligence. She’d left all forms of identification on the Formidable for this mission. Only one object she carried might be useful to her enemy, and that was the Whisper. If they could crack this piece of technology, communications across the Legion would be compromised.

She grabbed it and knelt next to the water, holding the Whisper. Her hand trembled as she held the device over the flowing river. She hesitated as the decision to drop the device battled with her instinct to survive. It was the only way she could contact Legion forces if they arrived.

But she knew no rescue was coming. Austin couldn’t save her this time.

Closing her eyes, she let the Whisper fall from her grip. It splashed, floating for a heartbeat before disappearing beneath the surface.

Voices clamored in the distance, echoing off the cave walls. She stood and continued into the tunnel.

After rounding a bend in the tunnel, the path split. The river continued down the left cavern. She shined her flashlight, saw the water winding around a corner. Rocks made the right side much tighter, but it was dry.

Think, Ryker.

“Left,” she said aloud, deciding to follow the water.

It had to go somewhere. If it didn’t, this entire cavern would be filled.

Water trickled from stalactites, her flashlight’s beam stretching the shadows across the path as if she ventured into the mouth of a giant beast. She passed under massive rock formations and pulled out her bottle of water. Leaning against the stone, she took a long drink.

Slinging the satchel over her shoulder, she trudged forward. Her boots sank into the wet soil with each step. She soon lost all sense of distance and time. She could have walked a hundred miles in this underground world, and it would have looked the same.

A light beamed down from ahead and increased as she moved forward. A roar rushed down the tunnel.

A waterfall.

She ran forward, tapping into whatever energy she had left. A swirling mist flowed toward the cave’s opening. She placed her hand on the wet rocks and gazed down at an immense body of water far below surrounded by forest-covered mountains. Daylight illuminated the water’s surface with golden rays.

Two drop ships ascended over the mountains and shot for her position. Her heart sank.

Turning around, she realized Marines were close behind.

“THERE IS NO ESCAPE, STAR RUNNER,” the amplified voice boomed from the hovering drop ships and echoed down the cave. “DROP YOUR WEAPON.”

Her face twitched, her fingers tightening around the pistol’s grip. She glanced at the gun in her shaking hand, realizing it was her only escape, her sole path to avoid capture and torture at the hands of the Zahlian Empire. She wouldn’t be their toy, their lab rat to play with and rip intelligence from before she collapsed into a worthless heap of flesh and bone.

No, not her. She wouldn’t go that way.

She had one choice.

Staring at the nearest drop ship, she winked. Raising the pistol to her head, she pressed the muzzle to her temple.

I’m sorry, Austin.

Electricity shot into her back, thrusting her muscles into spasms. Her gun fired, the bolt exploding into the cave’s ceiling. She went numb, her teeth clenching so tight she thought they’d shatter. Her vision dimmed.

Losing her balance, the world spun as she tumbled through space until her body slapped water and darkness took her.