Rook Winters - Weight of Ashes

“Yes, I see it.”

“She sees it.”

“I’m such an idiot. We need to go back for it.”

“I’ll go,” Elle said. “You guys get the suit on the pod. It’ll be faster if I run.”

She didn’t wait for a discussion; she turned and sprinted. Over her earpiece, she heard Bear say, “Elle’s on her way for it.”

“Elle, I’ll meet you on the path with it.”

Her legs burned as Elle pushed herself to maintain maximum speed. She didn’t even speak when she reached Britt, she just grabbed the op con and sprinted back.

Over the comm, Britt said, “Oh no.”

In front of her, Elle saw not one but two grav flyers land on the road between her and the pod. Through one hatch, she saw Kane. Behind the other was Petra.

“Petra, what’s going on?” Britt said over the comm. Petra didn’t answer, but she was pounding on the transparent enclosure. “Bear, you there? We’ve got company.”

Bear said, “Kamil, you stay here and get the suit ready.” Then Elle saw Bear and Court running back down the road.

The hatch of Kane’s flyer opened and he slid out.

“Looks like everyone’s been a bit naughty.” He tilted his head toward Petra, who appeared to be locked in her grav flyer. “Good thing I tracked this one down before you all managed to do something really stupid.”

Bear whispered over the comm, “Elle, stay out of sight. He doesn’t know you’re there.”

Bear didn’t waver as he walked toward Kane. Court followed on his heels.

“You got a lot of nerve selling out your own species.”

“Oh, please, spare me the melodramatics. We’re all just doing our best in difficult times. We’re all the same.”

“We’re not the same,” Court retorted.

Britt said, “Elle, move to the other side of the flyers. My left. I’m heading your way. I’ll help draw his attention. Run when he’s distracted and get suited up.”

Elle moved to the side, ducking under one of the fin-like stabilizers of Petra’s flyer. Petra looked expectantly and Elle wondered if she could hear what was happening. Kane was talking but Elle could no longer make out the words.

She heard Bear’s reply clearly over the comm. “That’s a load of crap and you know it.”

Britt said, “This is a long walk. Bear, tell him I’m coming, let’s see if we can get him to come my way. Elle, be ready to run if I say so.”

“People up there are dying. We’re trying to help to them. Do you even know what we do? We send medicine to the sick. How dare you stand there and say that we’re the same?”

“That old bat turned you into a zealot.” Bear or Court must have moved close enough for their comm to pick up Kane.

“She saved me.”

“Not for long, I daresay. After I’m done with you two, I’ll find her and L37, and this will all be over.”

“You won’t have to find her. She found you.”

There was a pause in the conversation and then Bear said, “Whoa whoa whoa. Alright, alright. Just hold on.”

“What’s going on?” Elle whispered.

“Kane drew a gun. He’s moving Bear and Court so they’re between him and me. He’s facing away from the pod. You’re clear, Elle. Go.”

Elle took off, being careful to run with delicate footfalls until she was far enough away to break into a full sprint. Tunnel vision set in and all she saw was the ramp ahead of her. Kane and Britt were beginning a debate about something but the words floated past Elle’s mind as unimportant sounds.

She went up the stairs and around a corner, nearly slamming into Kamil. Elle slapped the op con device into his hand.

“Made it,” she said.

“Hey, folks, nobody react,” Petra said, “but I got the emergency manual release opened on this flyer. Kane’s an idiot thinking he can trap me with a remote override. I have a stun gun. I’m going to come around behind him and put him down, just keep him talking.”

Britt started into a speech on human moral imperatives and Elle was surprised that Kane let her ramble. Maybe he was actually listening to what she said.

Then a crack rang out through the air and over the comm simultaneously.

Britt screamed, “Petra.”

“She’d have been up on treason charges anyway. This is a better death.”

There was a long silence and then a series of unidentifiable sounds. Elle took a cautious look around the pod and saw Bear on the ground wrestling with Kane. It was too far to see who had the upper hand.

Court moved abruptly and then she heard him over the comm. “That’s enough. Don’t move or I shoot.”

The two men stopped struggling. Bear backed away. If he said anything, the comm devices didn’t pick it up.

“You’re a nacking pot of goat piss, Kane. After what you did to my people, I should put a hole in your head.”

“You don’t have the stomach for it, kid. Besides, my gun is paired to my ID. It won’t work for you. You people never learn.”

“This one’s not,” Britt said, holding up Petra’s stun gun.

Kane raised his hands, palms out, to shoulder height, and then most of Britt’s upper body vanished, replaced by a cloud of gray dust. The hum of a grav flyer over head provided the explanation—a Qyntarak black hole weapon. The third flyer descended to the ground at an alarming speed and a Qyntarak in full body armor leaped from it before it had even settled into a stable hover.

“Kamil, there’s a Qyntarak out there. I need to go help.”

“But the suit’s almost ready.”

“I won’t let my friends die. They don’t stand a chance.”

“And what, you’re going to fight off a Qyntarak?”

“It won’t be the first time.”

She ran, anger and terror pressing her forward even faster than before. It was time to find out if Master Zheng was right about her. As she closed the distance, the Qyntarak knocked Court to the ground, using a pincer like a boxing glove on his gut. With its other pincer, it lifted Bear by his neck. The big man was struggling to keep some of his weight on his feet so he didn’t suffocate. Kane was getting back up and brushing off his pants.

Faster.

She wished she had a weapon. Her biggest risk was Kane seeing her too soon. She adjusted her course a foot to the right so the Qyntarak’s body hid her from Kane. She could still see one of Bear’s legs flailing.

Faster, faster, faster.

From Master Zheng’s unofficial training classes, Elle knew that Qyntarak armor was weakest around the long tentacle-like appendages because it had to be flexible. It was strongest over the sensitive feeding slit. The leg armor was plated around the joints to allow for movement. If she hit the lower joint on a back leg, it would have to steady itself with its tentacles. It held Bear in its left pincer. If she went for the rear right leg, there was less chance of the alien’s bulk landing on top of him. Bear would be in a weakened state from lack of oxygen so his reactions might be slow if the alien dropped him.

Yes, back right leg, bottom joint, that’s the target.

She saw the alien twitch at the last moment, perhaps hearing her, but she had already launched herself legs-first through the air, one foot extended toward the joint. She heard a welcome crunch as it absorbed her momentum and buckled. The Qyntarak emitted a bone-chilling sound and stumbled backward. Elle scrambled to avoid being trampled under its other legs as the alien tried to get its balance.

Bear hit the ground with a thud. Elle rolled to her knees and glanced at him. He wasn’t moving.

The Qyntarak hit Elle and knocked her over. She rolled with the direction of movement to get clear of the other swinging tentacles. As she pushed herself back up to her feet, she saw Court kick the stun gun from Britt’s orphaned hand as Kane was reaching for it. Court jumped back as Kane took a wild swing at him.