Lieutenant Danielle sat at the tactical position, looking out
the viewscreen at the featureless nature of hyperspace. She checked her
controls restlessly, black hair swept back from her face, looking for
any sign their Paranoid pursuers might be closing the distance.
"Coming up to the location of the first colony," Lieutenant
Lauren reported from her seat beside her. Danielle tossed the little
blonde a look, but she was steadily focused on her job. Only the
slightest sheen of perspiration showed her nervousness.
"Understood," Captain Gail said from behind them, her voice
carrying a gentle sort of calm. Danielle knew the redhead was probably
as nervous about this as they all were, but she projected an aura of
absolute confidence. "Tactical, any sign of Paranoid ships?" she asked
softly.
"Nothing on sensors," Danielle had to add, "but it's difficult
to scan normal space from Hyper. There's no guarantees."
"Understood," Gail answered smoothly then asked, "Engineering?"
Lieutenant-Commander Karin reported in almost immediately, "We
have two shuttles with salvage teams ready to go down to the planet as
soon as we have the all clear."
Major Tanya spoke up and Danielle felt that odd mix of pleasure
and fear at hearing her voice. "Fighter escorts are ready to launch,"
she reported crisply and Danielle could easily imagine the green haired
pilot's cocky smile, "just make sure you don't shoot us down."
Danielle felt a ghost of a smile tug at her lips, but she
responded with her best military style. "We'll try not to," she said.
"Communication is ready to hail any possible survivors," Catty
said.
"Looks like we're ready to go," Commander Allaine said softly.
Danielle turned back to her control panel even as Gail firmly
said, "Commence operation!"
There was a vibration as gravity shifted in the vessel, the
engines changing functions to bring them out of hyperspace and back into
normal space. The screen cleared, stars and planets outside, and below
them a once habitable world turned slowly.
"Gods," Lauren murmured and Danielle was too shaken to chide her
about it.
The world was scarred, burned from orbital strikes. Massive
round craters marked the world in overlapping rings, the oceans that
records showed the world having simply gone, blasted away from the
surface. The planet was dead, irretrievably so.
"Scan for any signs of Solonoid technology," Allaine spoke up
into the dead silence and the crew leapt to work.
Danielle fought back her sick horror as she worked, wondering
how many colonists had been on this world when it had been destroyed.
Finally she reported, "The surface installations have all been
destroyed, but there's indications the underground facilities may have
survived."
"Request permission to accompany teams down to the surface,"
Catty surprised them all by speaking up. Danielle looked at the purple
haired girl from the corner of her eye as she continued, "If computers
or records survived, I may be able to recover them."
"Go," Gail said, then she looked at Danielle, "I want you down
there with the engineering teams, too." A ghost of a smile, "We have no
idea what's down there, I want the best available if this goes bad on
us."
"Understood," Danielle said as she and Catty headed into the
lift. She was a bit amused to see Allaine taking her position, then the
bridge disappeared as they dropped away. They reached the shuttle launch
bays a few moments later, climbing aboard the command shuttle.
"Welcome aboard," Lieutenant-Commander Karin gave them a smile,
her black hair falling into her eyes. She turned and shouted to the
front, "Davies! It's a go!"
"Right," Davies answered then the sandy haired woman ducked into
the cockpit. There was a jerk as they began to move, slipping out of the
bay as their fighter escort formed up around them.
"So why did the boss send you along?" Karin asked as the vessel
rumbled slightly, the remnants of atmosphere buffeting the craft.
"Computers," Catty said calmly, "they may have acquired useful
data on the Paranoid before the final attack, it's worth while to try
and recover it."
"That's not your only reason," Karin noted, and Catty looked
nervous. "You communication types don't get off the ship that often, it
must be exciting to you," she said.
"Well, yes," Catty admitted, looking oddly relieved.
"The Captain's not sure what's down there," Danielle answered
the question calmly, "and she wanted me here to back you all up."
"Got it," Karin agreed. She activated the shuttle communication
systems and said, "I want everyone in the armored extra vehicular action
suits, just in case. The radiation levels could still be hazardous down
there."
"Right," the green haired young woman beside them murmured
nervously. Danielle searched her memory a moment, finally coming up with
the name Jame.
"Don't worry Jame," Karin confirmed it as the engineer gave the
girl a reassuring smile, "as long as you practice reasonable caution
you'll be all right."
"Thank you, ma'am," Jame smiled up at her tentatively.
'Isn't that cute,' Danielle thought, turning to look out at the
fighters that were following them down, 'I wonder if Tanya's with them?'
"Touchdown in ten," Davies voice called from the front, followed
a moment later by, "brace yourselves, this might get a little rough."
"Shit," Karin cursed as she grabbed at the rails on either side
of her, the rest of the passengers quickly following suit.
"What?" Danielle asked, grabbing tightly.
"Davies tends to practice understatement," Karin explained.
Even as she said that the shuttle bounced off the ground, the
belts and restraints they all had barely keeping them into their seats.
Twice more they thumped before finally skidding to a stop, rattling
everyone inside quite thoroughly.
"Remind me to kill that pilot," Danielle groaned, unstrapping
herself then quickly pulling the segments of the heavy EVA suit on.
"That might be a bit extreme," Jame said, a bit of a flush to
her cheeks.
The little redhead stuck her head around the cockpit hatch,
giving them all apologetic looks. "I'm really sorry," Katrine smiled
tentatively.
'Isn't that interesting,' Danielle looked between Jame and the
pilot, then the slightly pained expression on Karin's face. "Try to do
better next time," she scowled, feeling a bit of satisfaction as the
girl squeaked and ducked back into the cockpit.
"Thanks," Karin murmured, swiftly pulling her EVA suit on.
"No problem," Danielle said dryly. They were all quickly armored
up, moving to the back of the shuttle. They stood waiting for a second
while the air in the vehicle was stored away, then with a soft thump the
rear hatch opened up.
"We need to find access to the lower levels," Karin said,
leading the way into the wreckage of a Solonoid settlement. Where once
great towers reached towards the sky only rubble lay, transport
corridors in ruin, the green, pleasant environment they thrived in
utterly gone.
"I'd better go first," Danielle moved to cut her off,
unstrapping her sidearm and raising the slim pistol as she moved.
The group moved forward hesitantly, both shuttle crews fanning
out with scanners to spot any access ports or hatches. After a few
moments searching one of the pilots accompanying the team found a
access, and to all their surprise the indicators glowed green.
"There's still power?" Karin murmured, unhooking a small device
and plugging it in.
Something seemed to catch the silent Catty's eye, maybe the
rapidly changing display or something else but she grabbed Karin, bodily
yanking her away as she cried, "Look out!"
BOOM!
The explosion was violent, shrapnel and metal fragments flying
violently about as vapor and gasses vented towards the sky. The view
finally cleared a few moments later, revealing a blasted out opening
leading down into the lower levels.
"Booby trap," Danielle muttered, "probably set up if any
Paranoid forces were foolish enough to set down on the planet. Amateur
job, though."
"It very nearly got me," Karin said to her ruefully. She looked
over at Catty and smiled as she said softly, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Catty said simply.
"Amateur," Danielle said crisply, "it opened up the route for
us."
Jame hesitated then said, "Unless there's more booby traps
waiting for us down there."
Karin puffed out a nervous breath before looking over at
Danielle. "We really need any supplies we can get," she said, "we have
to go down there."
"I'll lead the way," Danielle said simply and with that the
group moved forward.
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