Far From Home: The Complete Series (43 page)

In the other he held his blade, at the ready.

“I am finished toying with you. Now you will die.”

He raised the sword and prepared to deliver a death blow.

* * *

Commander Greene backed up against a partly open cell door. The Tonabous let loose a ferocious roar. It ran at him. The Commander dove to the side just in time. The Tonabous smashed through the cell door, tumbling forward in a clatter of broken wall and claws.

Greene waved his hand at the rubble and dust. The murk cleared and he almost couldn’t believe his eyes. General Carn had Hawk in one hand, and was about to execute Hawk with the blade in his other.

“No!” Greene yelled. He raised his weapon.

Carn shoved Hawk to one side. Captain Nowlan struck a wall. Carn now held the blade with both hands, ready to cut Greene down.

“Mistake!” Carn yelled. He dashed at the Commander. Greene backed up, ready to fire.

The Tonabous swiped at the General’s legs. Carn fell backwards. The great creature heaved itself back up. Carn rolled away from it.

The Commander backed into the doorway as the Tonabous shrieked with fury. As General Carn got to his feet, the thing rushed him. Carn slashed with his sword. The Tonabous recoiled then attacked again. Carn edged around the back of the torture equipment for cover. The Tonabous went around, swiping with its huge clawed mandibles.

“Hawk! Can you hear me?” Greene called out to the inert shape lying on the floor in the corner. It didn’t move or respond in any way.

General Carn pulled something from his belt then tossed it to the other side of the cell. Greene retreated into the corridor. The device stuck to the wall. It flashed with an explosion of light and smoke. Greene shielded his eyes. As the flash faded he saw that whatever the weapon was, it had left a gaping hole in the side of the room. Fresh air rushed into the building.

Carn defended himself with sword swipes as he neared the hole. As the Tonabous made a swipe for his head, Carn swung up and down with his blade, severing the creature’s lethal paw. It thudded to the floor in a splatter of purple blood.

The Tonabous reared up on its hind legs, roared in pain and outrage then made a final dash at the General.

Carn jumped backwards out of the hole, the Tonabous directly after him. Greene rushed to the opening in time to see both fall into the foggy basin of the inert volcano, where they were obscured in their final moments.

“Uhhh …” Hawk murmured.

Commander Greene rushed to his side.

“You’re hurt but I’ll get you out of here. You’ll be fine.”

Weapons fire and another explosion filled his ears. Greene watched as Hawk slipped from consciousness. He turned to the door. “Help! Get in here!”

He cradled the ghost white pilot in his arms.

15.

Pilion took up the other side of Hawk as Commander Greene carried him into the corridor. The alarms still rang all around them.

“What’s happened?” Selena asked, rushing to Hawk’s side.

Greene waved her away. “Later. He’s alive. Contact Praror and tell him we’re on our way.”

Walker fumbled with the comm. device.

They passed the mangled corpse of Ensign Maisey, and what remained of Lexin. All three of them tried not to look at what the Tonabous had left in its wake.

“Why would they have something like that in here?” Pilion asked aloud.

Greene shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine. Testing maybe? All I know is, that thing killed two of our team.”

Walker put the comm. device back. “Praror’s prepping the ship now. He’s ready to go as soon as we get there.”

“Good. Now let’s hustle.”

The Commander didn’t look back.

16.

The starship blasted away from the island, up into the open sky.

Captain Praror joined Commander Greene and Selena Walker at Hawk’s bedside.

“How is he?” Praror asked.

“Weak. He’s been through hell,” Greene said.

Walker couldn’t stop crying. She ran the back of her hand softly across Hawk’s face. Greene put his arm around her.

“He’ll be all right.”

“What did they do to him?” she asked.

“Far as we can tell … all sorts. But let’s not focus on that now. We need to stay positive. The minute we get back to the
Defiant
he’ll be in Doctor Clayton’s capable hands. If there’s anyone can fix him back up it’s the doc,” Greene assured her.

A Krinuan crewmember entered the confined space. He whispered in Praror’s ear. The Captain nodded and sent him on his way.

“I’ve just been informed we’ve achieved significant enough distance from the planet’s gravity well to make the Jump. I’m going up there now to supervise. If you need me, just call,” Praror said.

“Thanks,” Greene told him. “Lexin fought bravely. We wouldn’t have got to Hawk if it weren’t for his efforts to stop that thing.”

“I thank you for the kind words, Commander,” Praror said stiffly.

“I’m sorry,” Walker said.

Praror dipped his head. “Lexin volunteered for this mission, as did everyone else who stayed behind. We all knew the risk going in. Including yourselves.”

Commander Greene’s mind flashed back to Maisey. He knew that watching that man die would haunt him.

The Krinuan Captain looked down at the inert form of Hawk Nowlan.

“Lexin did not die in vain.”

Praror left. Commander Greene watched him go, then turned back to the legend before them. He looked to be on death’s doorstep and if not, then not far from it. Selena looked at Hawk’s hand, at the missing tips of his first two fingers.

“Horrific …” she said sadly.

“He’s strong,” Greene said. “He’ll pull through.”

On the bed, Hawk slept. But it was not a sleep filled with dreams.

Just one nightmare … one scene that replayed itself over and over. In his unconscious state, he couldn’t fight it away. Couldn’t stop it coming.

In it he saw a Draxx Queen. She birthed an endless supply of Draxx soldiers.

Next to her, arms crossed in front of his chest as he laughed behind his silver mask, stood General Carn.

Behind them both, a spinning wheel of light he felt incapable of ignoring. And all around him, loud as a fog horn, a sound that would haunt his dreams for a long time. Hawk covered his ears with his hands, and in the dream he started to scream over and over and over …

PART EIGHT

WARRIOR

1.

The planet Krinu was a veritable paradise. Lush vegetation covered the surface in cohesion with the sprawl of the many Krinuan cities and star ports. The Krinuan government had designated an entire precinct to the
Defiant
and her crew. They were treated as guests of the highest order.

None of this was lost on Captain Jessica King. And yet, she felt ill at ease.

Her crew happily relaxing in the sunshine of this tamed jungle planet, the
Defiant
remained in orbit as her repairs continued. The fact that their ship – their home – had been designated unsafe for the crew to remain on board saddened her in a way she couldn’t quite explain. It was like they’d all given up.

The Krinuans had offered them sanctuary there on Krinu. They could stay if they wanted. Though Jessica had no desire to do any such thing, she knew it was not her place to make that decision for her crew.

She’d decided to let them know the offer and make up their own minds. Stay in paradise or continue to tramp through the stars on the thin hope that a way to get back home would be discovered.

I’ve got to admit, there’s not much to offer them,
she thought as she made her way into an area of cultivated garden. There she set her cane against the side of an ornate bench and sat. It was becoming more difficult for her to get around.

She massaged the bottoms of her legs. Her feet were numb, a sensation she’d not quite gotten used to yet. They seemed to hang from her legs, cold as ice, heavy counter-weights against her desire to be free of her sudden immobility.

Dr. Clayton’s treatments helped, but there was no denying the truth of her condition. It was getting worse. Soon, she would be unable to walk for long periods. That meant a hover chair to help her get around. The MS had gone up a gear.

But for now she relaxed in the sun. The worry of her legs faded to the back of her mind, and she was able to enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting in the quiet, with only her thoughts to accompany her. A breeze picked up and Jessica momentarily closed her eyes. She could have been anywhere in that instant. The sun’s warmth on her skin, the soft whisper of the trees in the wind.

“There you are,” a familiar voice declared. Jessica opened her eyes, turned around to see Commander Greene approach.

“Ah. You found me.”

“Sorry to bother you,” Greene said as he sat next to her.

“No problem. I was just resting up out here. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately, it helps,” she said, indicating her legs. “Stress brings it out more.”

“Ah, I see. Well it’s nothing to worry about. I hear that Chang’s just about ready to take the
Defiant
out for a little shakedown,” Greene said.

“Yes. I know that.”

“And you’re sure we shouldn’t be there?”

Jessica slapped his knee. “Del, stop worrying. She’s going to keep her within this system, so there’ll be no worry of attack from enemy forces. The Chief just wants to test a few of the systems. She can’t do that moored up to a space station.”

“I understand, but you don’t think one of us should be there?” Greene asked.

“No. Lisa can handle it. She kept her cool in battle. Saved all of our lives. I’m sure she can handle a little tour around the system. If I thought one of us should be there, I’d go up there myself,” Jessica said. She studied her friend’s face. “What else is it?”

Greene licked his top lip. “I wasn’t going to mention this. Not right now. But I just wanted to be certain you were all set for tomorrow. For the memorial service.”

Jessica looked down at the ground.

“I’ve written a speech, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Is there anything you want me to help with?” Greene asked her.

Jessica shook her head. “No. It will be quick and simple. That’s the way it’s got to be, I think. This crew doesn’t need to dwell on all who’ve been lost. We need to keep looking toward the future.”

With that she looked back up. Commander Greene could see the shine of tears in her eyes. A species of bird native to Krinu flapped overhead and they both looked up to watch it pass.

“I get you,” Greene said. “I checked with the crew taking the
Defiant
out for her shakedown and they’re all fine with missing it. I think they’re doing something on board at the same time. Chang said she’s arranged something.”

“Between Commander Chang and Chief Gunn, they’ll get a good send-off,” Jessica said.

Greene got up. “I won’t bother you any more, Captain. I’ll let you get back to your peace and quiet, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As he made to leave, Jessica held his wrist. “Del… have you been to see Hawk?”

Greene cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

“How was he? The last I heard, he was…”

The Commander only nodded. Jessica said nothing more on the subject.

She watched Greene leave, then she tried to relax again. But it was too late, the damage was done.

The peace didn’t return. In its place were the private worries and concerns of a starship captain. They were hers alone to carry, and like the numbness in her feet, that made them all the more intolerable.

2.

“Belcher, go get some rest. Eat. Do something. Whatever, just get out of this engine room,” Chief Gunn said in her strictest tone of voice.

Gary Belcher shook his head. “With all due respect, Chief, we need to get this repair completed. And we’re just about to launch. You need me in here —”

“No. Down tools and go. That’s a direct order.”

Belcher looked surprised, then hurt that he was being ordered away from engineering. Gunn led him by the elbow out into the hall.

“Well… I guess I’ll go and see if there’s anything in the mess. Maybe a sandwich or something…”

Gunn nodded vigorously. “Yeah. Go do that. Come back to me in twelve hours.”

Belcher didn’t say another word in defiance. He simply walked off.

The Chief herself had been on duty for more than sixteen hours, and Belcher had been there already when she arrived. They were all busting their butts to get the
Defiant
operational again, and she was, apart from some minor further repairs to essential systems. The old girl was far from shipshape, but thanks to weeks of hard work the
Defiant
was capable of travel.

She had her whole team to thank, but Officers like Belcher had gone above and beyond the call of duty to get it all done. However, the Chief knew it would do no good to have her finest falling asleep at their stations when she needed them.

I’ll put that guy in for a promotion when all’s said and done
, Gunn told herself as she re-entered Engineering, her hands in the front pocket of her overalls.

“Chief, this is the bridge. We’re set to disembark if you are.”

Gunn hit a button on the nearest comm. panel. “Yeah. Go for it. Chief out.”

* * *

There were little more than twenty crew aboard the
Defiant
as she undocked from the station under minimal thruster power, and most of those crew members were engineers.

The rest of
Defiant
’s crew would enjoy some much needed R&R on the surface of Krinu while they were gone. Lisa felt proud the Captain and Commander Greene were trusting her with the ship for a few days, though it would be a largely uneventful little cruise within the local vicinity.

“Nice and slow, Rogers,” Chang said.

The bridge still looked a mess from the battle that had exposed it to the vacuum of space, but at least it was better than working the ship from the Emergency Command Centre. The bridge was back to a fully operational – if less pretty – version of its former self. For one thing, Chang was glad to have the captain’s chair back.