Dancing in the Darkness Read online

  Kal took a side step and held out her arm toward the stack of ten crates that held the fuel. "The first load as requested for the Omega."

  Anderson toothily smiled at the partial ransom. "How long will it take to prepare the second load?"

  Kal turned her attention back to Anderson. "Nine rotations of our planet," she replied.

  Anderson tilted his head and stared at the crates before nodding a few times. "I've further considered the terms of our agreement." His sickening smile made Charlie want to wring his neck. "Rather than ten loads, we will take twenty for the Omega's release."

  "Twenty?" Kal echoed in disdain and rising anger.

  Jett laughed at the High Commander's reaction and joked, "I told you to make it thirty, boss."

  Anderson waved him off and argued, "We're not greedy." After giving Jett a pointed look, he smiled at Kal but slowly, it melted away. "Think of us as reasonable."

  Charlie could only imagine Kal's expression, but she felt every tendril of godhood pulsing off Kal, and her heart jumped into overdrive. Everything went to absolute hell in half a heartbeat, and she worked on instincts only.

  Kal had unsheathed her sword, which was completely ignored by the kidnappers as a threat. She slashed through Jett's wrists, cutting off his hands from the rifle. She spun around with the blade and drove the tip into Anderson's gut.

  Maya had stumbled away but not before firing shots at the High Commander.

  Growling low, Kal moved the sword so fast it was a blur, and the laser shots bounced off her. She stalked closer to Maya, who continued firing at her, but every shot was repelled by Kal.

  Before it was too late, Charlie scooped up the laser rifle and fired at Maya, knocking her back on the ground.

  Kal turned around and threw the sword into Jett's chest, ending his maddening screams.

  Charlie hurried over to Anderson and felt Starr on her heels. She pointed the gun at him and watched him clutch his stomach, his hands covered in blood.

  After ripping the sword from Jett, Kal stalked over to Anderson and flipped the handle in her grip so the tip pointed downward. Lifting the sword above her head, she growled and declared, "The Omega is worth more than all of the planet's darakar."

  "Wait!" Anderson yelled, one hand up. "I can—" His words were cut off by the blade that sliced through his open mouth and pierced his brain.

  For good measure, Kal wrenched the blade hard, then pulled it free from the corpse. She proceeded to wipe the blood onto Anderson's clothes.

  Charlie blew out a breath and looked at the three dead kidnappers. "Well, that was really—"

  "Unexpected," Starr supplied.

  "Joh." Charlie shook her head and argued, "I mean it was, but it was really badass." She heard Kal's low but thick rumble, and she wondered if Starr caught it. Hastily, she grabbed the techbit from her jacket and radioed Raakor to come back.

  Kal sheathed the sword and remained eerily quiet but approached the ship's open bay.

  Charlie followed, with Starr at her side, both of them looking over the ship's exterior details. All the characteristics indicated that the ship was built by a Hurr company, a rather well-known one in the galaxy.

  Standing at the bottom of the ramp, Kal peered into the dimly lit mouth but never boarded it.

  Starr entered the vessel, rifle at the ready and searching for any surprises.

  "It's definitely a transporter," Charlie mentioned once she came to Kal near the metal beast. After a quiet moment, she tilted her head and asked, "Have you been in space yet?"

  "Joh."

  Frowning slightly, Charlie suspected Kal had little to no desire to ride into outer space unless absolutely necessary. She cleared her throat and said, "You were amazing with that sword." Earlier, she had noticed the blade was made from a white metal that had a reflective glass-like surface. "What is it made from?"

  "A rare alloy called viton. It's a precise combination of villion and diton metals that are forged using darakar." Kal rested her hand on the hilt, gently gripping it. "It is the Sword of Kalatas."

  Curious about the blade's history, Charlie folded her arms, then turned to Kal. "How did you know it would stop the lectra blasts?"

  Kal flashed a toothy smile and leaned closer to Charlie. "I didn't." Upon hearing the convoy's return, she joined them and barked out orders to have the darakar reloaded in the truck.

  Raakor rushed to Charlie and carried a heavy satchel filled with their gear. "It's a Hurrion Grey 231B Transporter," he stated while visually scanning the ship.

  Charlie smiled wickedly, happy they were catching a break. "Come on." Together they hurried through the metal hallways and went to the cockpit where Starr was seated in the co-pilot's spot.

  Raakor was already in the pilot's seat with his special tech. "It'll probably take me ten ticks unless…."

  "Unless what?" Charlie narrowed her eyes at Raakor's frustrated look. "What?"

  "It has a biometric scan requirement before I can even power anything."

  "Can you bypass it?" Starr asked.

  "Ja, but that'll just waste more time." Raakor looked at them and said, "It just needs to scan his hand."

  Starr grunted, popped up from the chair, and marched off with Charlie on her heels. Outside, the Kalmar soldiers were carrying away the last crate and started collecting the dead bodies. Starr went to Anderson's body and told the two soldiers to back off.

  Charlie halted when the two soldiers bared their teeth at Starr, but Kal ordered them to stand down. "We need his hand for a biometric scan," she explained.

  Starr had her arms hooked under Anderson's body and stiffened when Kal approached with a sword.

  With a single clean cut, Anderson's hand was removed, picked up, and tossed over to Charlie in less than five ticks. But Charlie fumbled with the hand and finally let it drop to the ground, softly squealing in reaction. "Fuck," she hissed and turned her glare from the offending hand to Kal. "I hate decapitated body parts."

  With a smirk, Starr came up and snatched the hand from the ground, then held it up in front of Charlie, not at all bothered by it. "Only a head is decapitated, it's a severed hand."

  "Shut up," Charlie snapped. Yet Starr's banter was a sign that the flare-up was gone or nearly gone, and that gave Charlie some relief.

  Starr chuckled on her way past Charlie and muttered, "I like her style, for an Alpha."

  After rolling her eyes, Charlie followed and decided to get changed from the overly tight clothes into her regular attire. Starr also retrieved her clothes from Raakor's duffle bag.

  "It's done," Raakor announced and stepped out of the cockpit. "I set up a link to the Pacifica, so we can communicate."

  Charlie shrugged on her leather jacket. "Perfect."

  "But there's one problem," Raakor mentioned and hesitated when Charlie gave him a menacing look. "It's an ancient Hurr design and requires three operators; one to fly, one to navigate, and one to land."

  Starr smacked the bulkhead next to her and swore loudly.

  "I thought this thing had auto."

  Raakor shook his head at Charlie and explained, "It's a 231B. It's older than this planet."

  "We need Raakor to lead us with the Pacifica," Starr reminded them.

  Humming low and staring at the floor, Charlie softly asked, "Sturdy boat, right?" She raised an eyebrow at Raakor.

  "231Bs are still used for a reason," Raakor argued.

  "I got an idea then," Charlie declared and started to the stern again.

  "Have," Starr corrected.

  "I like you better when you're flaring." Charlie ordered her team to wait at the mouth of the ship while she handled the situation. She went directly to the High Commander, who was waiting for her while the soldiers loaded into the trucks.

  "Can you fly the ship?" Kal asked.

  "Ja, but there's a problem." Charlie paused and folded her arms, then immediately went in for the kill. "I need a volunteer." She gestured at the transporter vessel and said, "It was designed to fly w
ith three heads. Raakor needs to return to our ship so he can follow us, or else the escape plan might get really messy."

  Kal visibly clenched her jaw and studied the ship before vehemently declaring, "This was not a part of the agreement. I will not risk another one of my people's life."

  Taking a deep breath, Charlie did her best to remain calm rather than rise to Kal's aggressive nature. "And this time the risk is worth it."

  Kal shifted closer into Charlie's space and growled, "I hired you to—"

  "Fuck the job! I am asking you to trust me," Charlie snapped, losing her control finally. "You trusted me last night," she whispered. "Trust me with this." Even as she felt Kal's raw power building up, she didn't surrender to it and swore, "I will bring both your people back to you."

  After a low huff, Kal pivoted and yelled, "Andren!"

  Charlie released a strangled breath and allowed the tension to recede from her chest. She thanked the Celestial Fates or whoever it was that gave Kal a measure of clarity.

  "Ja, Kal?" Andren asked once she approached them. She was carrying a laser rifle between her hands, toying with it a little.

  "The mercenaries require assistance flying the kidnapper's ship." Kal hesitated then asked, "Are you willing to help them? You may refuse, and it will not be a mark against your honor."

  Andren studied the ship behind Charlie for a moment then said, "I wouldn't know how to fly it."

  "You don't have to fly it. We'll take care of that. You just have to help us land it. It's not hard, and we can show you what to do." A stolen glance at Kal told Charlie that they both were anxious about Andren's decision.

  Finally, Andren nodded and had a confident air to her.

  Charlie remained calm but inwardly celebrated, almost wanting to kiss Andren. "Thank you," she sincerely offered. "Starr will show you the ship."

  Andren slung the rifle onto her back, then boarded the vessel.

  "And thank you for trusting me," Charlie softly said to Kal.

  "It isn't a matter of trust," Kal said, and a shadow passed through her features. "I can no longer protect my people once they're off-world."

  Charlie sighed and whispered, "But I will." Then she sensed Raakor coming up to them, so she turned to him. "We're going to brief Andren on the landing systems. We should be ready by the time you get to the Pacifica."

  Raakor nodded and said, "See you in space, boss." He then tossed the human hand at Charlie. "Thanks for the hand too," he said seriously, then left for the vehicles to get a ride to the shuttle.

  After a hiss, Charlie dropped the offending body part and warily eyed it on the ground, even when Kal picked it up. She cleared her throat in hopes it hid her obvious fear of severed parts. "I should go." But she remained still because Kal's expression held her in place. For the first time, there were hints of true concern on her face and deeper in those green eyes. It tightened around Charlie's heart, and she nearly touched Kal.

  "Bring both Omegas back to me," Kal ordered with more strength. "And be careful out there."

  Charlie nodded once, then turned to go yet faltered again, surprised by Kal's last words.

  "Please, Charlie."

  Gazing over her shoulder, Charlie was weak after hearing the soft but sincere plea from Kal. She swallowed hard and hoped her voice came out more confident compared to her thundering heart. Suddenly, it was far more than just another job to Charlie. "I promise, Kal."

  Chapter 8

  "Bay doors are closed and sealed," Andren called out.

  Reaching overhead in the cockpit, Charlie flipped switches but continued watching the flickering onboard dual screens that fed data about the transporter's systems. "Prepare to ignite engines," she yelled through the cockpit.

  Starr was swiping her finger across the single, large screen in front of her. "Clear!"

  Charlie pushed the twin buttons together, listening to the engines firing to life without any hesitation, but the roar overwhelmed the cockpit. "Holy fuck!"

  Starr was covering her own ears, then held up a headset and hastily slipped them over her head. She twisted in the seat and yelled at Andren to put hers on.

  After adjusting the wireless headset, Charlie asked, "How in hell does this ship not have noise dampening on it?"

  "It's that old," Starr argued.

  "Andren, can you hear us?" Charlie checked and peered over her shoulder to the third seat behind her and Starr.

  "Ja. I can hear you both," Andren reported.

  "No auto, no noise dampening, and now headsets. What's next?" Charlie muttered over the headset's comms, but her focus was on the panels all around her. She was used to flying ships that were streamlined and simpler than this transporter, and it took her a few extra ticks to understand everything.

  "I have the route the kidnappers took to get here," Starr reported.

  Charlie perked up at the news. "Where we headed, navigator?" She grinned when Starr gave her a death glare, but then Starr had a worried look when she looked back at the navigation screen. "Where, Starr?"

  "Nowhere."

  After a groan, Charlie's head thudded against the chair, and she rubbed her forehead.

  "Nowhere?" Andren asked, confusion lacing her tone.

  "It's a wasteland," Charlie explained. "It's a planet that used to be called Golden Ring before the entire place got wiped out."

  "What happened to it?"

  Charlie frowned at Andren's curiosity about the dead planet. "It was destroyed by the Sworne." She sat up after noticing the engines were ready for take-off. "Engines are warm."

  "Quickest route to Nowhere has been mapped," Starr reported. "Andren, do you remember what to do?"

  "Ja."

  "Time to take off then," Charlie announced and pushed the twin throttles to increase the engine's thrust. She already felt the ship lifting off the ground, but she had trouble balancing it due to the landing gears being extended and magnetized to the ground. "Andren, I need you to shut off the anchoring system, or we're going to slam back down." She growled from the force against the control stick between her hands. "Like, right fucking now!"

  Starr had her hands on the buckles of her chair, ignoring the risks of moving around when the ship was flying.

  "Got it," Andren declared.

  Suddenly, the resistance was gone, and the engines launched the ship into the air without any control. The right wing slammed into the old windmill, shearing off the top of it.

  "Shit, shit, shit." Charlie's mantra continued as she fought with the stick and played with the throttle until the vessel and engines became equal forces again, allowing things to calmly hover high above the ground. "Timing. We gotta work on that." After checking a few systems, she increased the throttle slowly and steered the ship toward the heavens. "And here we go!"

  Starr gripped the chair's arms, knuckles going white. After a few ticks, she finally opened her eyes and said, "I'll radio Raakor." She tapped the panel and went to work.

  "How are you doing, Andren?" Charlie asked over the comms but only received a pained whimper in response, which made her chuckle. "It'll get easier," she lied. She glanced over at Starr, who was talking to Raakor over the radios. It was also a perfect opportunity to spice up the flight back to outer space so she commanded, "Nova, play my MJ list, starting with 'Smooth Criminal.'"

  "MJ list now playing," the techbit reported, and Michael Jackson's voice filled ship's internal comms system.

  Happy to have music again, Charlie sang with Michael Jackson while she flew the transporter through Kander's atmosphere, breaking through a developing storm front that briefly jostled the ship.

  "You're kidding me," Starr complained when she switched back to the ship's internal comms. Her voice caused the comms to fade Michael Jackson's voice to the background.

  Charlie chose to ignore the remark about the music and asked, "Where's Raakor?"

  "He just loaded into the Pacifica."

  "Perfect." Charlie smiled that their plans were playing out well so far. Hopefully, t
heir luck would stay with them for the entire mission.

  "We're about two leagues from breaking Kander's gravity." Starr continued using the touch panel and then gave a low sigh.

  "Now what?"

  Starr looked over at Charlie. "There's no gravity system on the ship."

  "That's a funny one, Starr."

  "It's not a joke."

  A long silence ensued until Andren's weakened voice interrupted Michael Jackson's singing. "What does that mean?"

  "It means tighten your belts," Charlie replied.

  Starr chuckled while rubbing her forehead and offered, "At least we have sufficient heat on this ancient bathtub."

  A sudden yelp from Andren made Charlie glance back at her and grin wickedly. Like the others, she felt the weightlessness begin to lift her from the seat ever so slightly. She recalled the first time she'd been weightless in outer space when she was a kid, feeling like Superman. Nothing compared to it, not even being underwater, and Charlie still loved the sensation.

  However, Starr always had a different opinion about it as she clutched her stomach. Most likely Andren was doing the same, both of their natural Kalmar genetics refusing to accept the off-world experience. It was almost as if Kalatas was willing its people to remain on the planet.

  Starr pressed the headset against her right ear, tapping on the screen. "You're on the comms now, Raakor." Most likely the distraction was helping her stomach.

  "The Pacifica is ready to fly," Raakor reported over the radio. "I have a visual on you."

  "And I have a visual on you," Charlie replied. "The kidnappers came from Nowhere."

  "Ja, that's what Starr said. Do we have a course plotted?"

  Starr was moving her hands fast on the screen. "I'm sharing the course with you now, Raakor." She shook her head and mentioned, "It's going to take at least two hours to get to Nowhere, provided a solar storm doesn't slow us down."

  "It's a long flight to Nowhere," Raakor agreed. "The final reaches of the galaxy."

  Charlie watched a heads-up hologram flicker and solidify with a basic map route to Nowhere, including a moving dot that was their ship. The transporter had an ancient navigation system that required Starr to perform dead reckoning, looking outside the cockpit for what was around them that matched up the charts' markers to reconcile their location in outer space. Dead reckoning had been an easy navigation method before light speed engines were born and required more sophisticated systems. Thankfully, they had the Pacifica ahead of them for more advanced navigation.