48 years later

  Sarayan Occupied Space, Standard Year 400 after founding

  “My brother was right.” Alanna admitted, stretching out in a futile attempt to get comfortable in her seat on the shuttle. They had been sitting for three days now, the navy transport shuttle far too small for the number of troops being transported. There wasn’t room for anyone to lay down. So they were sitting, as they had been, for the past three days.

  “About what?” Waylen asked, wincing in his own attempts to get comfortable. He sure as hell hoped the Tundrans wouldn’t come any time soon. They were all too stiff to get up, let alone fight.

  “He said volunteering for the navy was the worst idea ever.”

  “Oh yeah, he was definitely right.” There was a general round of nods all around the shuttle. There was no question about it, Alanna’s brother had been right.

  “Wait, wait a minute.” Danil turned towards her, looking somewhat incredulous. “You volunteered?”

  “It was before the war.” Alanna snapped in annoyance. She wasn’t a complete idiot, dammit. She was only a partial idiot.

  “Oh yeah.” Waylan nodded. “The free college tuition program, right Summers?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was the geology degree worth it?”

  “Depends on whether we all get back home alive.” Alanna said glumly.

  “Cheer up kids.” Lieutenant Turner spoke up with characteristic optimism. “We’re headed to the very edge of Sarayan space to camp out in the enemy’s backyard. What could possibly go wrong?”

  “Might die any day.” Waylan nodded. He sat up somewhat straighter in his chair, shooting a hopeful look in Alanna’s direction.

  “She does not put out.” Danil said with bemusement. “Famously.”

  “Well sure but… you know…. sometimes, right?” Waylan raised a suggestive eyebrow.

  “Famously not.” Lieutenant Turner spoke up, equally bemused. “And she sleeps with a gun Waylan, so don’t get any ideas.”

  “Damn.” Waylan whistled quietly. “This gun, is it like on a stun setting or…”

  Alanna’s green eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Or.” She said flatly.

  “Right you are.” Waylan nodded, deciding a change of subject was timely. “Enough with the gloom and doom. I heard we might get to do some geology research on Titan.”

  Alanna perked up. “I heard that too. But not in a while. Lieutenant” she turned to Turner “have you heard anything about it?”

  “Might be.” Turner said. “There won’t be much to do on Titan station, not unless the Tundrans come calling. Do all the geology research you want.”

  “We’ll need equipment.” Waylan reminded everyone, his eyes lighting up. He glanced over at Alanna out of the corner of his eye, to see if she noticed his enthusiasm. He was excited about playing with the equipment, and Alanna was excited about the rocks. As far as he was concerned, it was a match made in heaven.

  “Does not put out.” Danil repeated with a dismissive shake of his head.

  “And doesn’t miss with that gun, either.” Lieutenant Turner said with a slight smile, before getting down to the serious business of trying to get comfortable in his seat. It would be several more days before their arrival on Titan Station.

  ---

  Six months later

  Titan, Sarayan Occupied Space

  “New captain coming on board today.” Lieutenant Turner said, looking tense as he walked in.

  “Anyone we know?” Waylan asked. Up until Turner walked in with the news, it had been an uneventful six months, and everyone had gotten comfortable. They were all sitting companionably enough, in a loose circle on the floor of their sleeping quarters. Nothing much happened. Their current entertainment was chewing their way through ration bars whose consistency bore a disturbing similarity to shoe leather. The taste, was also similar. Titan station didn’t have tables or chairs for the lower ranks, there was no need. It wasn’t as if they had real food, anyway. Lieutenant Turner could have theoretically eaten in the officer’s mess hall, but he rarely bothered. Turner liked to eat with his people. Everyone liked Turner, and the tension he was exhibiting at the moment, was not reassuring.

  “How the hell do I know who you know?” Turner snapped.

  “Well what’s his name?” Danil asked reasonably.

  “His name’s Captain Bernard Bernhard.” Turner said, his lips turning down in distaste.

  Alanna paused midbite.

  “Oh, look at that.” Waylan said, studying Alanna closely. “Summers knows him.”

  Alanna went back to chewing her ration bar, ignoring him as her eyes met those of lieutenant Turner.

  “How do you know him?” Waylan asked.

  Alanna shrugged. “He came to the orphanage.” She said.

  “What, like to volunteer to help the poor teenie wee bit orphans?” Danil asked.

  “Not really, no.” Alanna said flatly.

  There was a somewhat uncomfortable silence as everyone chewed through their ration bars.

  “Um.” Danil said eloquently.

  “Soooo just what do you m…” Waylan began.

  “It’s time to go.” Turner said, getting up abruptly.

  Alanna stuffed the remainder of her ration bar into her mouth and got up to follow.

  ---

  “It is my great honor, to serve alongside you all on the great outpost of Sarayan power that is Titan Station. You are the few brave souls standing on the very edge of Tundran occupied space. Every one of you standing before me today, serves as an unflinching shield against the unchecked aggression of our enemies. I can only hope, as our friends and family back on Saraya hope” Captain Bernard Bernhard paused meaningfully, his voice lowered to ensure every Sarayan in the room heard the threat beneath his words “as our friends and family on Saraya hope” he continued, “that you will be enough. Failure, is never an option. It will not be an option here. Every man and woman on this station must at all times remember their mission objective: hold the station, at all costs. Our friends, our families, are depending on us. They are depending on you. To be the best. To do what needs to be done. Do not fail them. They need you.”

  Perfect silence reigned across the room as the Sarayan troops lined up in dozens of straight rows in front of their new captain. The troops, were Sarayan. They knew how to read between the lines. What captain Bernhard had issued, was a direct threat against the friends and families of everyone standing before him. If they failed, their families would pay. Not because of Tundran aggression, but because quiet orders from Captain Bernhard would be handed down and family members would disappear, never to be heard from again. Failure was indeed, not an option.

  The soft click of Captain Bernhard’s magnetized boots echoed across the room as he walked up and down the rows, surveying his troops. He paused mid row, taking it for granted that people would step aside as he walked towards the back. Everyone did.

  Alanna tensed, looking up into his cold, dark eyes.

  “As our families depend on us” Captain Bernhard continued, his voice as silky smooth as before “so do those of us here, depend on each other. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Be careful, that you don’t place your trust in the wrong people.” He turned slightly. “Lieutenant Turner.” He said. “I’ve seen your reports. And I was surprised that your experience has been so very divergent from our own. It may be a great credit to your skills as an officer, to draw out some talent from even the least promising among us. Well done.”

  “Alanna’s done well.” Lieutenant Turner said, his voice carefully neutral.

  “Has she?” Captain Bernhard asked softly.

  “Her shooting skills…” Lieutenant Turner began.

  “Ah well, anyone can shoot. I am curious to see” Captain Bernhard smiled slightly, his gaze turning towards Alanna, “Her hand-to-hand combat skills.”

  ---

  The man was three times her size. And as Alanna discovered about two seconds into the match, he was fast. Very fast. The first blow was aimed at her stomach, and she moved just in time to avoid the full force of the hit. The second blow probably didn’t actually crack any of her ribs, but it felt like it had. The man was holding back. She didn’t even try to fight, her strategy entirely defensive. And of course, it wasn’t enough. She was pathetically terrible at hand-to-hand combat, and that fucker Bernhard got one of the best people on the station to fight her. The man felt sorry for her. She thought she could see it in his eyes, right before his fist smashed into her face. She went down. Strategically, Alanna reminded herself as she fell and looked up at the metal ceiling of the station. I’m going down strategically, to avoid getting hit. It didn’t really work.

  “Now.” Captain Bernhard smiled slightly, walking up to her a while later as she blinked up dizzily. “Let’s see those famous shooting skills your lieutenant keeps talking about.”

  Alanna struggled to get up as the room spun wildly around her. She shook her head with regret when Lieutenant Turner stepped up into the makeshift arena, helping her make her way up. He shouldn’t do that. He would only make himself a target right along with her. But there was no way to say that to him now, in a room full of people, and she was too dizzy to stand up on her own. Gratefully, she took the water Turner handed her, soothing her parched and aching throat.

  “She needs time to recover before the shooting match.” Turner began, looking over at Bernard.

  “Lieutenant Turner.” Captain Bernhard said, letting his voice carry across the room filled with their fellow officers. “We are at war. Are you harboring the impression, that the brave Sarayan marines are unable to fight under less than ideal conditions? I assure you, commander Sloan.” He gestured at the hulking man now standing by his side “went easy on her. If we cannot perform under pressure, then we are not marines.”

  Alanna tried pushing Turner away, doing her best to stand on her own. She watched as Captain Bernhard walked up to her, taking in the bruises and the blood still streaming from her nose. His eyes glowed in the neon light of the room. “Pick up your gun, Summers.” He said quietly.

  “With pleasure, Captain. You know how much I hate it when I miss.” Alanna said, refusing to look away. A reminder to both of them, of a time long ago, in an orphanage on distant Saraya, where eight people died, and one person survived. “Let’s do some shooting.” Alanna added. Her nose was still bleeding, but the room no longer spun. She was ready.

  ---

  “God damn.” Waylan said with a shake of his head as they returned back to their sleeping quarters.

  “That. Was. Epic.” Danil grinned as he walked, his eyes bright with appreciation. “Absolutely goddamn epic. I think that might have been your top score.”

  “I’ll give you this, Summers” Waylan said with a grin of his own, “you don’t rattle easily.”

  Lieutenant Turner, was silent. Alanna slid a look in his direction, but also remained quiet. They needed to talk in private. Because while it felt great to figuratively spit Bernard in the eye, she may well have just gotten her entire unit killed. Captain Bernard Bernhard would stop at nothing, to make sure she never returned to Saraya.

  ---

  “Let’s go for a walk.” Turner said later that day, pulling Alanna away from the others.

  “Where?” Alanna asked, puzzled. The station was painfully cramped, and there certainly wasn’t much room for a stroll.

  “Outside.” Turner said shortly, leading her to the space suits.

  A short while later, they were walking along the surface of the station, the orange ocean of methane rolling as far as the eye could see. So far away from their sun, the stars were unbelievably bright. And one blue star shone brighter than the rest. Not because it was bigger, but because it was so very close. The planet of Tundra, dominated the starry dark sky.

  “There are some things you don’t want to hear.” Turner said, his unhappiness clear in his voice. “But you need to hear them.”

  “I should have just missed half the targets. Let him win. I know. I’m sorry.”

  Turner sighed into his helmet, his electronic voice echoing with perfect clarity in her ears. “I don’t know that it matters.” He said frankly. “You two have a history. And if it’s the kind of history I think it is, missing a few targets – well that’s not going to fix your problem, is it?”

  “And what will?” Alanna asked somewhat tensely.

  Turners sighed again. “This is the part you don’t want to hear.”

  “Nothing will fix it?”

  “This isn’t the academy, Summers. I know he gave you a hard time at the academy. But you weren’t in his chain of command, and there were other officers, more senior officers, watching. This isn’t that. As of today, Titan Station belongs to Captain Bernard Bernhard. He’s the commanding officer. No recourse. No oversight. I can’t protect you.”

  Alanna stood quietly on the metallic surface of Titan Station, looking out over the orange ocean of methane swirling all around them. “It’s not your job to protect me.” She said finally.

  “It actually is. But that doesn’t matter. Because I can’t. All I can do is tell you the thing you don’t want to hear. Because for you to be in Bernard Bernhard’s power…” Turner shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell you, Alanna.”

  “Sounds like you do.” Alanna said, somewhat sharply.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “You make your own choices. But you needed to hear this.”

  “So it’s either him or me.” Alanna said out loud. She really wished she could hold her gun just then. “Fine. Easy math.”

  “Are you implying…”

  “Was I?” Alanna interrupted. “I’m not implying shit. I’m saying if it’s either him or me, it’s bloody well going to be him. We’re on a station with thousands of people, every single one of them armed. Every single one of them, watching Bernard being Bernard. Well not me. That’s never been me. And you’re not going to stop me. Because you know damn well what he’ll do to all of us if I don’t take him out. And he’s not too thrilled with you either, Turner. Bernard’s death will be the best thing to ever happen to you and your people. He won’t stop with me. He’ll go after the rest of you just for fun. So thank you, truly, for telling me what I don’t want to hear. And you are right, I needed to hear it. We should head back in.”

  “And your family?” Turner asked. When it came to taking out a commanding officer, the consequences would not stop with the perpetrator. Their family would pay the debt.

  “I don’t have any family.” Alanna said cheerfully. It was the one advantage of being an orphan. The ties of friendship that they called family, did not exist in any government record.

  “He’s the best commander we have.” Turner said quietly. “No one else on this station is competent.”

  “You’re competent.”

  “I’m not taking command of the station, Alanna. You may not want to hear this either, but you take out Bernard and you may get everyone on this station killed. The Tundrans” Turner looked up at the large blue star in the sky, “are very close. And they don’t like us in their backyard. They are coming, Alanna. I understand how you feel. I do. But there’s a reason why we don’t take down our leaders. Certainly not in a time of war. I won’t stop you or report you. I don’t know the right thing to do either. I just know you might doom us all.”

  “So what, you want me to take the honorable way out and kill myself?” Alanna asked bluntly.

  “Alanna…” Turner began.

  “We should head back in.”

  ---

  When they came back inside, Captain Bernhard was there, waiting for them. And he was alone.

  “Lieutenant.” Bernard nodded to Turner. “I would like to speak to Summers, alone.”

  For the briefest of moments, Turner hesitated. He was genuinely unsure of who he wanted to protect. So in the end, he nodded to them both and walked out, leaving them alone inside the airlock.

  Alanna finished taking off her space suit, her hand hovering around her gun. It was still there, still with her. The setting was on stun but that could be fixed easily enough. She looked over at Bernard.

  “Have a seat.” He gestured.

  “I’ll stand.” Alanna said, her hand carefully at her side.

  “You’re disobeying a direct order?” Bernard asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Was it an order?” Alanna asked calmly. “I thought it was a request.”

  “Very well. We’ll stand.” Bernard smiled slightly. “You don’t scare easily, Summers.”

  “What’s there to be scared of?” Alanna asked.

  “If I were a selfish man, I would have you taken to the brig, and ensure you lived for a good long time. Long enough to learn exactly what there is to fear. But now… you have the eyes of a killer, Summers. I wonder, are you a killer?”

  “Isn’t that why we’re all here, captain? To kill?”

  “You’ll find some of us are better at it than others. Do you think you’ll be good at it?” Bernard asked.

  “What do you think?” Alanna replied.

  “I think…” Bernard sighed again, a deep and entirely heartfelt sigh. “I think that your planet needs you, Summers. And I, to my greatest regret, am too much of a patriot to destroy you. Stay here, and do what you do best. I will not interfere with you or your unit. You have my word.”

  Alanna’s hand twitched as she stood, frozen with uncertainty.

  “Forgot my glove.” Turner’s voice floated back towards them. “Ah, here it is. Sorry for the interference, captain. You all done here?” He asked, looking at both of them.

  “We are.” Bernard said, turning around and walking away from all of them.

  “Well?” Turner asked.

  “Well the Tundrans are definitely coming.” Alanna said sourly. And one Alanna Summers was on Titan station for the exclusive purpose of killing them. Alanna gritted her teeth. Why didn’t she just kill him? She was quite certain she would live to regret her hesitation.

  ---

  It was four days later, and Alanna was sleeping through the night again. It wasn’t a particularly relaxed or restful sleep, but it was sleep. It was the smell that woke her. Familiar. It seeped in sometimes, when her and Walen went out to do their research. Methane. The alarms came seconds later, followed by Turner’s shouts. “Space suits! Get your space suits on now now now now!”

  Alanna moved on autopilot, running for the closet where space suits were stored as the icy bite of Titan’s atmosphere seeped into the station. The station’s hull, had been pierced. Snapping her helmet into place, Alanna looked around, trying to make out what was happening in the dim light of their darkened sleeping quarters. Turner was on the ground, helmet in one hand. Gasping, she ran towards him, putting his helmet on to feed his body the oxygen he needed to survive. “Turner!” Alanna screamed, shaking him. “Turner!!!” She screamed again as his body remained limp on the floor. Turner, didn’t move. And somewhere in the distance, she heard gunfire.

  “Turner!” Danil yelled, coming in on her other side, his voice cracking in terror. “Come on, wake up!!! what the hell do we do?!”

  “Pull back.” Alanna said, standing up.

  “He’s not waking up. Alanna he’s not…”

  Alanna grabbed Danil by the shoulders, shaking him. “Pull back.” She shouted. “They’re coming. We need to find a secure position. Sector E. Everyone to Sector E. Pull back. Move.”

  “But Turner…” Walen began.

  “Turner is dead.” Alanna said flatly. “We move out.”

  They ran, the gunfire echoing behind them. “The posts along the corridor are made to provide cover.” Alanna said, her voice carrying to everyone in the vicinity. “You all know the drill. Pick a spot, guard the perimeter. They’re coming to us. That gives us the advantage. Hold your fire until you see them.” She took a breath. “Shoot to kill.” She added.

  About fifteen minutes later, the gunfire stopped. There was only silence.

  “Who’s gone?” Alanna said. Everyone in sector E had switched to a private channel, the open channel had been filled with screaming and panic and in the end, everyone agreed it was distracting. Unlike the other sectors, they held their ground. “Nine down.” Walen said, a renewed calm in his voice. They held, and now there was silence. And most of them, had survived. “You did good, Summers.” He added.

  “We all did good.” Alanna agreed, her heart beating like an avalanche in her chest. She found the quiet disturbing. It didn’t feel right. With trepidation, she went back to the open channel. There was no more screaming now, they must have muted the others. There was only the orders, in Captain Bernard Bernhard’s voice, playing on a loop. ‘Your orders are to hold the station. Hold the station, at all costs.’

  “What about the updates?” Alanna asked, switching to their private channel. “What about all the other sectors? How do we know what the hell is happening? Maybe someone needs help.”

  “Maybe we just stay here and hold our sector.” Walen suggested.

  “Ok.” Alanna took a breath. “Ok. But for how long?”

  “Well… until they leave.” Someone said over their private channel.

  Alanna thought about the bright blue star that was Tundra, dominating the night sky. “Um.” She said. “Guys, I don’t think they’re leaving.”

  There was a long pause, as everyone processed that. “But there’s more of us.” Someone said. “And we have more ships. We’re winning. We always win. They’re nothing.”

  “Right. There are more of us.” Alanna nodded. “On Saraya. But we’re not on Saraya.”

  “Orders were to hold the station.”

  “At all costs.” Voices chorused over their channel.

  “Right. But for how long, would you say?” Alanna asked flatly.

  “Well… for as long as it takes?”

  “Is it going to take longer than a few hours?” Alanna asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Probably.” Others echoed agreement across the channel.

  “Because in a few hours…” Alanna began.

  “We’re going to run out of oxygen.” Walen finished for her, coming up to stand by her side.

  “Yeah.” Alanna nodded.

  “The docking bays.” Walen said immediately. “We need to get to one of our docking bays, there must be an evacuation…”

  “We’re not in the evacuation.” Alanna said, grabbing his shoulder. “They’ve already left. Haven’t they? Those orders are on loop. Bernard Bernhard, isn’t here.” Because Bernard fucking Berhnard, was going to make damn sure she never got home alive.

  “We’re dead.” Danil said quietly.

  “Why aren’t the Tundrans coming?” Someone asked.

  “They don’t need to.” Alanna said immediately. “They’re going to wait us out. Until we suffocate to death. Like Turner.” She swallowed, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy. She shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t what the others needed to hear.

  “Then why were they ever here?” Someone called out.

  “To take out…” Alanna began.

  “Our oxygen reserves.” Someone on the channel called out. They were following along now, everyone thinking for themselves.

  “To take out our oxygen reserves.” Alanna repeated, her brain racing nearly as fast as her heart. “I need to see what’s happening.” She said abruptly. “Walen, boost me, I’m going on the roof.”

  “You won’t have any cover.”

  “I need to see.” Alanna repeated, laser focused. She needed to see. Then the plan would come to her. Without another word, Walen moved in, giving her a foothold and boosting her easily up in the lower gravity. Cautiously, Alanna peered over the rim of the torn shell that used to be Titan Station. Their ships, were gone. And in their place, floating along the sea of methane and pressed almost directly against the skin of the Sarayan Station, were dozens of Tundran ships. Of course their shields didn’t hold. The ships didn’t attack from space. Using the lower gravity of the planet and the oceans of liquid methane, they attacked by ocean, pressing their weapons directly against the station and piercing it easily. The turret guns that covered the station exterior were useless. The Tundran ships were too close to the station for the turret guns to hit their targets. The turrets were made for long range battle. “Those brilliant bastards.” Alanna murmured under her breath. So many ships, but all Tundran. Not a single Sarayan ship remained within her field of vision. Her gaze strayed over to one of the smaller ships, over on her right. So many, many ships, Alanna thought.

  “Fuck it.” She said, jumping back down. “Let’s take one of their ships.”

  “I think they might still be using them.” Someone called out, to general laughter. The idea was ridiculous.

  “Some, but not many.” Alanna said insistently. “They’re still here, going after our oxygen reserves. Skeleton crew on the ship. We need to move fast, before their troops head back.”

  “And if they don’t let us in?”

  “Walen.” Alanna turned to him. “The drill.”

  “On it.” Walen said, already moving. He had seen where Alanna was going with this.

  “Everyone who wants to come, move now.” Alanna shouted, already running after.

  There were sixty of them, the Sarayans who held Sector E. And when Alanna led, they all followed.

  Alanna and Walen ran ahead. The drill they used for geological research wasn’t far, lying abandoned on the roof of the station. Alanna moved up but this time it was Walen who put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down. “Stay back, mission commander.” He said firmly. “I have it.” He called down a moment later. “You six.” He gestured at a group of them. “Cover the mission commander. Move out. Alanna, which ship?”

  They chose the smallest of the ships in their vicinity, running at top speed along the hole riddled surface of what used to be Titan Station. No one shot at them, no one was looking for them. The whole idea was sheer madness. They ran up to the edge of the station, looking down at the swirling orange ocean below.

  “Shit.” Someone said. The Tundran ship must have been modified, to float on liquid methane as well as fly through open space. And on the waves of the methane ocean below, the ship was moving. It also wasn’t completely attached to Titan Station. A narrow gap between the Tundran ship and the station remained. To fall into the icy methane below meant certain death.

  “I think we could jump it.” Alanna said, looking somewhat hesitantly into the orange depths.

  “Not with the drill.” Walen shook his head.

  Damn. They had no rope. Alanna watched carefully, observing the movements of the ship as it moved up and down, in sync with the waves below. “We just have to time it right.” She said finally. There wasn’t time for anything more. If they lost the drill, they were all dead. Realistically, they were likely all dead anyway.

  “I’m going first…” She began.

  “No.” Multiple people stepped up, pushing her back. After a brief hesitation, Alanna stepped back. She watched others cross the thin line of space between the station and the ship. The low gravity of their system’s tiniest planet worked in their favor. But Alanna wasn’t watching for that. She was trying to time the movement of the waves. “The further the ship pulls back, the closer it returns.” She said out loud.

  “I hear you.” Walen said immediately, stepping up.

  “No don’t jump with it.” Alanna held him back. “Get the two strongest people to toss the drill and those on the other side catch it. I’ll tell you when.” She took a breath, focusing. Time was of the essence. Soon now, the Tundrans would finish destroying what was left of the Sarayan oxygen reserves and return to their ship. But nothing happened without the drill. They held their breath and waited, watching the waves. Not far enough, Alanna thought. “Not yet.” She said out loud. It needed to be right. She eyed the swell of waves below. Smaller, smaller… bigger. “Now.” She shouted. They tossed the drill perfectly, but it still wasn’t quite enough. Everyone gasped as it tottered on the edge of the Tundran ship. Someone on the other side moved to grab it, only to slide down along with the drill. Two more people caught the legs as others moved in, pulling the human chain up one by one.

  “Keep moving.” Walen and Alanna both shouted, nearly in unison. They had the drill, they needed to move. Timing was everything. If they couldn’t beat the Tundran troops back to the ship, they were all dead.

  “We drill.” Alanna began.

  “No.” Someone called out. “Not here, there’s a weaker spot on their ship, and closer to engines where they’re not as likely to hear. Follow me.”

  Walen nodded. “I know him. Studying to be an engineer. Come on, let’s move.”

  “They’ll know we’re here.” Someone called out as Walen powered up the drill that would hopefully help them carve their own door onto the Tundran ship.

  “Engine noise isn’t gonna block that.” Someone else agreed.

  “Drill fast.” Alanna said, and immediately bit her lip guiltily. She wasn’t saying anything Walen didn’t know. “Help him.” She said instead. “Two people can push harder and…”

  “No.” Walen said firmly. “You’re gonna break the drill if you push too hard. Wait.” He refocused.

  “We wait.” It was the engineer who agreed, holding Alanna back. If the drill broke, they were dead.

  It took over two minutes to drill the whole. When they went in, the Tundrans were waiting for them. Alanna was pushed to the very back of the line. By the time she came down, the Tundrans were all gone. Four Tundrans lay dead. And nine of her people lay dead next to them.

  “We move.” Alanna said, without hesitation. “Where’s Walen?” She added. She’d expected to hear his voice by now.

  “He’s dead.” Someone answered. The engineer, Alanna realized. The other engineer. She stopped, her heartbeat revibrating in her head as she tried to process the words.

  “We have to move.” Someone called out.

  “No.” Alanna stopped.

  “It’s not the time…”

  “No.” She said, more insistently this time. “We can’t take the bridge. Too many… she swallowed. “Too many will die.”

  “What choice do we have?”

  “We draw them out.” Alanna said, trying to think clearly past the screaming in her head. “What can we do to their ship that would draw them out?”

  “Mess up their engine, make them think their ship’s about to blow?” The engineer suggested. The engineer who was not Walen.

  “Can you do it?” Alanna asked.

  “Shit. Yeah, maybe. And bring the drill.”

  “We can’t actually break the engine.” Alanna pointed out. “And I need more than a maybe. Otherwise, we’re taking the bridge. You decide.” Walen had vouched for the engineer. And that was all she had.

  “I can do it.” He said, his voice more decisive. “We move. But bring the drill.”

  They encountered two more Tundrans on their way to the engine room. Four more of their own lay dead. And the engine room was secured. Thick metal doors stood between them and their target. Of course. Alanna closed her eyes momentarily.

  “And that’s why we have the drill.” Milo said calmly, and started drilling through the door.

  “What if it takes too long?” Alanna asked out loud.

  “It’s not taking too long.” Milo shook his head. He had taken off his helmet and paused momentarily to wipe the sweat from his face. “It’s already happening. Once they see we’re trying to get to the engine, good chance they’ll be coming this way.”

  “Brilliant.” Alanna admitted. “Listen up everyone, the Tundrans move fast. It’s ambush time. We can…” The sound of gunfire interrupted whatever else she had to say. Silently, she gestured for her team to split up along both sides of the hallway leading up to the engine room. At least the Tundrans were coming towards them, rather than the other way around. And as it turned out, there were only four of them. The whole thing lasted for less than a minute, and the four Tundrans lay dead while every one of their own remained alive. These were likely to be the non-combat members of the crew, and it showed. But Tundrans moved fast, and their time, was running out. “Run.” Alanna said without hesitation. By now, the Tundrans would know there were Sarayans on their ship. And the real crew, the ones who were combat ready and fully trained, would be on their way back. If they didn’t take the bridge within the next few minutes, they were dead. There was no more planning, they went at a dead run. And once again, others held Alanna back.

  As it turned out, there were only two Tundrans left on the bridge. The outnumbered Tundrans stood no chance. “Who can pilot?” Alanna asked a few moments later, praying that someone could. She hadn’t thought to ask.

  Once again, Milo stepped up, sitting in the pilot’s chair without a word, he stared down at the controls for one long moment before starting to hit buttons. A few minutes later, they were taking off. Knees suddenly weak, Alanna leaned against one of the chairs. “Milo, can we help?” She asked.

  “If they shoot at us and we take a hit, we’re probably dead.” Milo said, his eyes on the controls. “I don’t know how to raise shields. All I know is how to get us the hell out of here. Pray.”

  ---

  “Still alive.” Someone called out. Most of them had removed their helmets by then, looking at each other’s faces curiously as they tried, mostly in vain, to process the events that took place earlier that night.

  “You did it, Summers!” Someone called out.

  A round of whistling and applause echoed across the bridge, as the forty three survivors of the Battle of Sarayan Station celebrated being alive.

  “Don’t jinx it guys.” Alanna said with a slight grin. “We’ll be on the edge of Tundran space for a good day or more.”

  “We got this.” It was Milo who made the call, grinning at her from the pilot’s chair. “I’ve got a good feeling about this Summers. You’re our good luck charm.”

  Alanna looked away. It wasn’t his fault he was the other engineer, she reminded herself. It wasn’t his fault Walen and Turner were dead. It was what it was.

  ---

  “They’re all dead.”

  “Who?” Alanna asked, stirring from her light doze against the wall of the bridge.

  “Everyone.” One of the strangers that surrounded her called out quietly. “Everyone on Titan Station, is dead. It’s in the news.” They could all receive news on their wrist comms, information being the only thing that traveled freely across their solar system. Sending out signals might get them noticed, but everyone could receive. They were getting the news. And the news was that everyone on Titan Station, died. It had been nearly twenty four hours since they left Titan Station. Milo was napping in the pilot’s chair, and the bridge of the Tundran ship was eerily silent. They had removed the bodies of six more dead Sarayans, the ones who died taking the bridge, along with the dead Tundrans. There had been a funeral. It was a fairly informal one, but it was something. Everyone was exhausted, but they were alive. The Tundrans were focused on taking Tundran Station. For whatever reason, they decided that chasing down this one ship wasn’t worth their time.

  Alanna nodded. There wasn’t anything more to say. Walen and Turner were dead, and forty three of them were going home. Captain Bernard Bernhard would not be pleased, was the last thought she had before she finally drifted off into exhausted sleep.