Solarian Down
Chapter 9

Cailhem was shaking his head. “What is Kuruan silk?”

“What?” Daroon looked up suddenly. Before walking over to him.

“What is it?” Cailhem asked.

“That engine damage. How close is it to the cargo hold.” Asked Daroon.

Cailhem took a glance at damage control. “It looks like none of it reached the cargo.” He turned back to Daroon. “Why?”

Daroon took a breath. “Kuruan silk is the new term for slaves”

“...Which means we have to get to them before these knuckle fucks try to eject them.” Benjamin said.

The three Wardens let out a collective sigh. They could hear pounding from the other side of both doors. Ben walked to the first door and shouldered his weapon.

“Benjamin.” Daroon said. “Give me a moment to route the ships systems to my helmet.”

“Sure. Just let me know when you’re set.”

“Also, what is a “knuckle fuck?” Daroon asked.

Ben looked at him and moved his right fist up and down, pantomiming the act of pleasuring himself.

“Oh yes! That is a very appropriate description then.” Daroon nodded. It only took him a minute for him to finish with the ship controls and give the signal he was ready,

“Open the door and stand out of the way.” Ben commanded as he took a knee and got low.

Lenaga disengaged the door locks and pulled it to the side. Ben opened up on the surprised pirates. A moment later, when they were dead, he stood up and walked his way to the first crosshall.

“Daroon with me. We’ll clear out the group by the other bridge door and then sweep both halls towards cargo.”

“Agreed.” She said again.

“Lenny, if you run into any fighters just hold your ground until I can replace a cross hall to come up their ass.”

“Agreed.”

“Call out the crossways when you reach em.”

“Understood.” She replied as she and Cailhem began to work their way down the hall.

They were halfway to the next crosshall when they heard Ben’s gun open up with several short bursts.

“Got a group of fighters here. Daroon, take cover and watch our backs.”

She and Cailhem continued until a mob of pirates spilled out onto their path from the next crossway.

“Looks like they may be runnin your way.” Ben said.

She could still hear him firing. “Yeah! Thanks for the heads up on that!” She yelled as they fired their weapons. “Cailhem, take cover and return fire!”

They both stepped into doorways. Lenaga had to switch to her left hand to keep firing around the doorframe.

“Workin our way to you and I’m - Sorry - combat isn’t convenient, Lenny.”

“Stop - Calling - Me - LENNY!” She yelled as she dumped thirty rounds into the mob.

“You bet! We’re at the hall. Daroon hold this corner. Coming to you.”

“You have one hiding on the left on the far side of the crossway.” Cailhem announced.

“Looking to my left and Check your fire. Coming out in your hallway now.”

He only took a few steps before the one at the back poked his head out. A small burst of plasm vaporized the pirate’s head before Ben turned back. He then walked his way through the four pirates that were shooting at his friends.

“I count five down.” Ben stated.

“Sounds correct.” Lenaga answered.

“Sensors are clear. “Cailhem said.

“Daroon, comin back to you. Are you good?” Ben called.

“Yes. All is quiet… Too quiet.”

“Don’t say that shit!”

“I was making a joke. Like in one of your human movies.”

“Cops don’t joke! Back me up here, Cailhem.”

“Ben is correct. Peace officers have no sense of humor.”

The halls were clear as they continued toward the hold of the vesel. There was only one more crosshall to pass. They were just getting to it when every door around them opened and a flood of men swarmed both parties.

Thankfully, Daroon and been keeping low in case Ben had to turn and fire over him. This helped when the pirates ambushed them. Because he was lower than they had anticipated. He let loose into the door to his left and shoved back as best he could against those coming from the right.

Ben however was in the bad spot of having his back to the crosshall trying to keep those men at bay. While spraying the hall in front of them. Their weapons weren’t near strong enough to breech his armor but they were trying to pull off his helmet. He finished off the crowd in front of him as he spun to his left and sprayed what was left of Daroon’s group.

Things were not as sedate on Lenaga’s side. She and Cailhem opened up as soon as the trap was sprung. But she found herself up against the wall with her weapon pinned against her. She could see Cailhem hit one pirate in the head with the butt of his rifle knocking the man to his right. Before the Warden kicked the man in front of him back out of the way. Then he was free to spray the hall again.

Pinned as she was she still managed to pull her side arm and kill the man in front of her. She dropped the pistol to fire down the back hall with her repeater.

Ben felt a wave of terror rush through him as his helmet came off in a maelstrom of a screaming terror filled hall. He was trying to turn to fire but the men in the crosshall had him tight. Just as he saw a pirate pointing a gun at him a glowing white barrel came across his shoulder. It spit red light into the pirates.

Daroon had scaled Ben and was using him to fire down on the pirates between them and their friends. Ben’s face was covered in blood from the eruptions caused by the weapon. Daroon doubted he would complain much.

Lenaga thought they almost had it under control when she heard Cailhem cry out in pain. “I am shot!”

She couldn’t stop to think about it. She grabbed him and forced him forward passed the crosshall. That section no longer had pirates rushing at them. She was trying to keep them pushed back but there was little cover here.

She watched with relief as Ben’s plasma rifle shot through the pirates and into the wall. He had just stepped into view when she heard the “click” that marked its magazine as empty. He pulled Bertha and fired at the heads of the pirates in one long spray until it was empty. He continued his forward march as he dropped Bertha and pulled Betty. She watched his first round blow through a pirate and wound the man behind him. The entire hallway seemed to shake from the sound. She was loud. Ben fired seven times and Lenny was grateful when Betty ran out of ammunition.

She had to stop firing when Ben finally blocked her view of the back hall. That was when she noticed Daroon had been squatting low behind Ben firing around him. There were still a few pirates. He dropped Betty, Daroon shot the closest pirate when that man charged. Ben grabbed the pirates rifle and fired on the rest.

With the last assailant dead, Ben tore a shirt off of one of the pirates and wiped the blood from his face. Lenaga was on him, pressing her mouth to his the moment the rag was clear.

“What happened to your helmet?’

“Bastards tore it off. You OK?”

She nodded as she remembered her man. “How is Cailhem?” She asked Daroon as they approached.

“He is good but he will not be able to play with Grumpy anymore.” Daroon gave a compassionate smile to his friend. Cailhem scowled back at him. “It was a projectile weapon. I am not sure how, but it pushed through his armor then his right bicep and out the back of the armor. I have given him a local pain medication for the wound and a healing agent. Need to get the armor off of his arm to bandage it.”

Lenaga and Daroon set about getting Cailhem’s arm bandaged. While Ben rummaged through the pirates and reloaded his weapons.

When they had his armor back on Ben approached. “You have any more of those Elf straps?” He asked Lenaga.

She grumbled something about F-ing elves but nodded. “What are you doing?” She asked as he placed two pieces of pirate arm armor over Caikhem’s wounded bicep.

“Bulking up his armor and splinting it some.” He gritted as he tightened the first strap at the bottom of the bicep. “Really wish we had a couple of Marines right about now.”

“Because of their field medical knowledge?” Cailhem asked knowingly.

“Naw! Because they’d be hoppin around. All excited.” He continued in a childlike voice. “We doin it! We doin it! We kickin they ass!” If they had tails they’d be waggin em.” He heard Daroon laugh. He started placing the second strap at the top of the bicep. “Yes you are. Yes - you - are.” He said in a condescending tone as he finished tightening the last strap. “Yeah, Marines aint real good for pettin on but they are adorable little fuckers.”

`He took another strap and tied down the sling where it came off of the butt stock. So it attached from the bottom instead of the top. He slung the rifle around Cailhem and held it against his shoulder. While Daroon tightened the sling enough that it jutted out from Cailhem’s shoulder.

“Alright. Can you support the weapon with your left?” Cailhem nodded. “Can you still fire with your right?”

Cailhem tested it out. “Yes. This should work.”

“Good. That’ll have to get us through for now.” He looked Cailhem in the eye. “Try not to get shot again.”

Cailhem nodded as Daroon and Ben went back to their hallway. Ben located his helmet and put it back on before the two teams began their sweep once more. Soon, they were at the cargo bay doors. Benjamin went first in case the pirates were planning another ambush. When Daroon saw him stop just on the other side of the door he waited for Ben to shoot something. That had been his default so far. But Ben just stood there.

“Ben? What is going on?” Daroon asked after several moments.

“Uh… Sorry! It’s all clear. Nothing but slaves.”

Lenaga burst through her door to see filthy men, women and children stacked in cages. Rows of them covering the entire cargo area with aisles between. The people looked beaten and tired. Some Luthiel, some human and even a few Kurus.

Lenaga popped her faceplate and rushed to the nearest Luthiel woman. “Are any of the crew in here?”

“Water.” She pleaded weakly.

“These people need food and water!”

“We finish clearing the ship.” She looked at Ben with a hard expression. “We will do them no good if we die.”

Lenaga gave a reluctant nod. She lowered her faceplate again and fell in with Cailhem as they walked their aisle to the rear. Not far passed the rear cargo bay doors they found the ship had been sealed. Benjamin insisted they clear the rest of the ship before they could see to the captives.

They were distributing water when Daroon announced, “Being hailed by a Navy frigate.”

She noticed he was speaking Luthiel not Solarian. She looked at Ben who was still handing out water.

“What do they say?”

“They are the Navy ship “The Arm of Albus.” They are responding to an explosion their sensors picked up and a distress beacon. Please respond.”

“Go ahead and give them who we are and be thorough about what is going on. Then replace out how they would like to proceed.”

She looked at Ben again but he didn’t even flinch. She went back to handing out water as well. They had left the people in the cages on Ben’s insistence. She told him he was a heartless bastard but secretly she understood. There was about four hundred people and if they released that many on the ship? Hungry, thirsty and tired?

“Low Warden?” Daroon contacted her. She nodded while she continued to hand out water. “Boarding parties are on the way. When they arrive we lay down weapons, hands in the air and wait for them to secure the ship.”

“Good.” She said.

When she looked to check on Ben, he was gone. She scanned the room quickly but he was not in the bay. She checked her motion sensor… He was sprinting down the hall. She set down her box of water bottles and sprinted after him.

“Stay with the victims! I am going after Benjamin!”

She made it through the door when Daroon called. “He has taken an escape pod!”

“Are you sure?!”

“Yes, Low Warden.”

“I am following!” She announced as she sprinted down the hall and popped the door to another escape pod.

It was a one man pod but it had basic pilot controls. She fastened in, closed the hatch and launched the pod. She could see Ben’s pod in her sensors and did her best to come into line with his trajectory. She realized she was excited by the chase. But her smile faded when the thought surfaced that she didn’t know if Ben’s people could harm a Luthiel frigate. And what if that was what he was trying to do?”

Her sensors showed Ben’s pod landing. He was only a few hundred meters from his home. She knew he was going for the communications system. The wait to catch up was unbearable.

It was a relief when her pod’s retrojets fired just before she slid into the snow. She threw the hatch open and sprinted toward home. She almost vomited as she ran passed the red massacre of the landing party. She focused on the garage doorway. She jerked her pistol. She could already hear him talking. He had left the doors open.

“Solarian down! I say again, Solarian down! One Luthiel frigate on site. Stand - down. I want no hostile action taken. Over.”

She could hear metal hitting metal as she entered.

{Of course not. Because why would -we- want to kill the enemy?.. Over.}

She slowed her approach through the room. She could see that the metal sound was Ben taking off his armor and dropping it on the floor.

Ben heard her as she slowly stepped around the corner with her pistol pointed at his head. He shucked the last of his armor.

[Papa Smurf, it’s personal. There’s a girl here and she’ll forgive me for conning her,]

He saw her suddenly lower her gun as a sickened expression crossed her face.

[...but she’d never forgive me for killing her people just to stay out of jail. Over.]

{And I suppose you think I owe you after that thing I had in Tharsis with that Marnese girl? Over.}

[I had actually forgotten about that but YES you do. Over.]

{...Understood. ...Cutting comms. Out.}

“I just stopped an attack on your Navy ship. So, why do you look ill?” He smiled.

She gave a pained smile. “I didn’t get it until just now.” She gave a shake of her head. “Benjamin Hadd. -Been had-.” She let out a disgusted laugh. “I am an idiot.”

He stepped toward her. “You’re not a…”

She stuck her pistol in his face. “Do not.” She shook her head.

He licked his lips right before he grabbed her hand and forced it out of the way. But she came across with her left which he grabbed before forcing her back to the wall. She immediately came up with her knee. But he pivoted his hips to the side and slid between her legs forcing them apart. As she slammed her forehead into his nose.

“Fuck, Lenny! Would you stop?!”

“Let me go!”

“Look...” He shook off the pain in his almost broken nose. “You’re not an idiot.” She was trying not to look him in the eye. “Look at me.,, Lenny, come on.” She finally met his gaze/ “We came up with that joke months ago… I never would’ve gone along with it if I knew I was gonna meet you.” She gave a short cynical laugh. “I wouldn’t. But we already had documentation showing this ship belonged to Ben so... “ He shook his head. “You’re not an idiot. You’re an intelligent, strong, beautiful woman.”

She laughed as she shook her head in disbelief. “What - is - your - ‘name’?” She saw him grimace. She laughed harshly and nodded. “You cannot tell me that either. Can you?”

“...Johnathan Blackwell.”

“OH MOTHER!” He let her go as she wrapped her arms across her stomach and slid down the wall to sit. “I’m gonna be sick.” He felt disgusted with himself as he listened to her cry.

What she had heard was, “Enemy of the Kinsmen. Hold or Kill. All means forgiven by the High Lord.” And that little voice she had ignored for so long didn’t seem so little as it screamed “Traitor.”

John didn’t know what to say. It didn’t matter as six Luthiel infantrymen came through the door with their guns ready. John put his hands in the air and stepped away from the Low Warden. He watched as the “Fist” in charge of the squad, or “Hand,” looked at Lenny crying and back at him. John couldn’t see the man’s face through the face plate but he could guess.

“I did not touch her.” He said in Luthiel. “We were just talking.”

The Fist knelt down in front of her. “Low Warden, are you alright?”

Lenny realized where she was and looked at the Infantryman. She wiped her tears away and nodded before standing up. They heard her clear her throat before pointing her pistol at John.

“...Johnathan Blackwell!

The warriors, who had been a little relaxed, suddenly snapped to as they aimed their weapons at John. The Fist and the Infantryman to his left knelt low as the three behind them spread out, focused on John.

“...You are held in the law until such time as judgment can be passed on you! Do you concede?!”

“I do, Low Warden.”