Collision Course (Class 5, #6)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

They hadn’t been flying long before Rose realized there was something wrong.

“What now?” she asked, and heard the weariness in her own voice.

It had been a very long three days.

“There is a . . . weapon,” Sartie, the Kimol woman who spoke Tecran, responded hesitantly. “I don’t know the word for it in this language we are speaking, but there is a ship following us and the weapon is locked on, and trying to shoot us.”

“The Bandri?” Rose asked. She sat up.

“Yes. They are trying to bring this ship down.” Sartie turned and called through to the pilot, and the response was terse.

The whole vessel suddenly tilted left, then right.

Rose reached up for the straps set above her and clipped herself in.

She felt a stab of fear.

“What’s the chance of them hitting us?” she asked, but Sartie wasn’t listening, or didn’t have the words to answer.

The tension in the ship was palpable.

“Tell them if I die, everyone on this moon dies.”

“What did you say?” Sartie grabbed her arm.

“Tell them I’m in this ship. They need me as much as you do. Their infrastructure has been threatened, the same as yours.” She didn’t want to go into what Sazo would do. Her Tecran was strained enough as it was.

Sartie shouted back to the pilot and after a moment, the ship leveled out.

“That was a good idea.” Sartie rose from her seat. “They’ve disengaged.”

The ship shuddered suddenly, and then Rose heard the sound of an explosion in the distance.

Sartie called to the pilot again, and her gaze went straight to Rose, fear in her eyes.

“What is it?” Rose asked.

“The ship that shot at us has been destroyed.” Sartie narrowed her eyes. “You said that. That we would all be dead if you are killed.”

Sazo had heard the transmission between the two ships, Rose guessed. And he’d gotten rid of the ship shooting at her.

Relief washed over her. He had her location now.

The pilot called back, and Sartie gestured to her.

“Your people are demanding we allow you to speak to them.” She motioned to Rose’s harness. “Come forward with me.”

Rose unclipped and moved to the pilot’s deck.

There was a spare seat beside the pilot and Sartie waved her into it.

The pilot stretched across her and touched the comms panel, and Rose leaned forward.

“Sazo?”

“Rose!” Sazo sounded a little overhyped. “You’re all right?”

“Thanks to you. It’s good to hear your voice.” She spoke in English, just like he had. It almost made her cry.

“Why were they shooting?” Sazo asked.

“There are two groups in conflict with each other on this moon. They are in a kind of cold war on their own planet, from what I gather, but the battle is a little hotter here.”

“I know where you are now,” he said. “But my drone was shot down. Now I know about the active hostilities, I think one side thought my drone might belong to the other side.”

“Are you here alone?” It was wonderful to hear Sazo’s voice, but she wanted to hear Dav’s just as much.

“The Barrist is coming,” he told her. “It’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

She switched to Tecran and glanced over her shoulder at Sartie. “How long until we land?” The relief at hearing Dav was on the way made her lightheaded.

“We will be at the military bunker shortly,” Sartie said. “Tell your people to get in touch with our people there.”

“I heard that,” Sazo said. “I will make sure they treat you like a queen until we work out how to get you back up to the ship.”

“You destroyed their bunker and the Bandri’s landing pad, from what I heard,” Rose said. “But there is another landing pad near a mine that belongs to this group. And there must be other ways off this moon.” Not that she wanted to travel anywhere else, but she wanted off this place, and they would probably need a landing pad to do it.

“I’ll find out.” Sazo’s voice was soothing. “Right now.”

“It’ll probably take a bit of time to sort that out. And I really need a rest.” She was feeling so exhausted, she didn’t know how she was going to get up out of the co-pilot’s chair.

Then she decided she wasn’t going to bother.

She sat, eyes closed, until they landed roughly, forcing her to rouse herself.

The hard landing was because there was nothing but debris where the landing pad had once been. It was all destroyed.

Rose walked down the ramp cautiously, and stood with Sartie and the others while four skimmers moved toward them, seeming to emerge from the ruins of the bunker.

She got on the back of one, and simply felt relief that the ride was five minutes at most.

When they reached what was left of the building, the four soldiers driving the skimmers turned sharply down a ramp and took them into an underground area. They parked near the bottom of the ramp and stood to one side.

Rose was very aware of their weapons.

The soldiers she’d traveled with in the ship spoke to their colleagues in quick, choppy sentences, and then Sartie turned to her, although as she’d donned her helmet when they’d left the ship, it was impossible to see her expression.

“You will be taken to rest while we speak with your people. Come with me.” She led the way into the deep shadows and Rose wondered how structurally sound the place was given the damage Sazo had done to the upper floors.

When Sartie realized she wasn’t following, she turned.

“You’re sure this isn’t going to collapse?” Rose asked.

“They have checked. It’s fine.” Sartie’s voice held an edge, and Rose wondered why.

Maybe they were angry with her since Sazo had flexed his muscles. They probably blamed the destruction on her.

She walked cautiously forward, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Sartie moved deeper into the shadows and then opened a door, lighting the way.

As soon as she was inside what was a long, poorly-lit corridor, Sartie began walking at a fast clip to the right.

Rose wasn’t able to keep up, and she refused to run. She let Sartie get far ahead, and heard her exclamation of annoyance when she realized Rose was not close behind her.

Rose didn’t apologize, and Sartie shifted irritably until Rose reached her.

“In here,” she said, opening a door and sweeping her hand in.

“Can’t you breathe well in here?” Rose asked, wondering why Sartie hadn’t removed her helmet since they’d stepped into the building itself.

“There are leaks on this floor. It’s no longer airtight,” Sartie said. “Your people completely leveled the parts of the building above ground.”

That made sense. She didn’t like not seeing Sartie’s face, though. It helped her to get a sense of the woman’s intentions.

The room she had been brought to looked utilitarian. A bed, with a small table beside it. A single chair, with a door beyond she hoped was a bathroom. An open rack for hanging clothes.

“Rest here. I will come for you when we know what is the next step.” Sartie moved aside to let Rose enter.

The door swung shut, and Rose turned immediately and tried the door.

The handle didn’t move. It was locked.

She stared at it for a moment, then turned on her heel and went to the bathroom.

She had suspected they would lock her in. So she shouldn’t be so surprised they had.

If she had hot water, and a bed that was even somewhat comfortable, she would count it as a win.