Fighting Chance (12 page)

Mahoney stumbled down the hallway toward her old room, her
lungs heaving for breath and her throat clogged with recriminations and tears.
She felt as if her chest would burst from the pain and her head pounded as if
Thor himself were striking her temples with his mighty hammer. She didn’t even
make it to her room when she collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her
hands to sob with the deep, wracking cries of a wounded animal. It was ugly and
brutal, just like she felt on the inside. How could she have hurt him that way?
How could she have struck him when he had shown her nothing but kindness and
caring?

All her life, she’d had to fight for what she wanted. She
had to fight her mother in order to continue her martial arts training, she had
to fight the misogyny of her male competitors in class, she had to fight her
opponents in the ring to win her matches, and she had to fight for her job and
equal compensation for the dangerous stunts she was expected to perform. Was
that all she knew how to do anymore? Fight? When would it end?

Her body shook with grief. He had said he wanted her as a
lifemate and to raise children with her. No one had ever said those things to
her before, and she had never been tempted to seek those things with anyone…
until now. Mikael had touched her heart in ways that no man had ever done
before. His honest and sincere declarations of caring paired with his respect,
humor, and the way he brought her to new heights of ecstasy were unlike
anything, or anyone, she had ever known before. She had fallen too hard and too
quickly, and that had scared her. Instead of talking it through like an adult,
she had lashed out at him and pushed him away like a child.

She struggled to her feet and swiped the tears from her
face. She had to see him and make him understand. It wasn’t too late; it
couldn’t be. She would force him to listen to her and to talk to her. She could
work this out. They had another month to figure out how to make this work, and
she would fight for his love again. She was good at fighting. This time she
would do it the right way.

She had only taken three steps back towards his quarters
when a harsh, wailing alarm cut through the silence of the hall accompanied by
flashing lights. Mahoney covered her ears and looked around helplessly to see
if she could find out the source of the noise. The answer was provided for her
when the computer voice announced, “WARNING! Code Alpha! Security breach
located at loading dock bay A-741. Intruder alert! All non-essential personnel
should report immediately to their pre-arranged safety zones. Repeat: All
non-essential personnel should report immediately to their pre-arranged safety
zones.”

Mahoney’s heart leapt up her throat and she turned back around
to run towards Jessica’s room. Within their first days on the ship, the safety
officer had given them detailed instructions on what to do and where to go in
the event of different emergencies such as a hull breach, crash landing, contagion,
and the unlikely scenario of an unauthorized boarding. Even though he had
assured them that such things had never happened during his ten year career, he
still drilled them on each emergency and what they were to do.

As she rounded the corner to Jessica’s wing, she almost
crashed into the young woman who was obviously on her way to find her, too.
“Mahoney! Thank God I found you!” she yelled over the blaring siren. “What’s
going on?”

Mahoney grabbed her arm and started running for the lift.
“We’ve been boarded by intruders. We have to make our way to the medical ward
like the safety officer told us during orientation,” she explained as they ran
down the hall.

Other doors in the sleeping quarters started to open and
pour out their occupants who followed in their wake in various states of
undress and alertness. They reached the lift and waited impatiently as the crew
shoved and jostled their way inside until it was full. The noise of the siren,
continuous announcements from the computer, and the panicked babble of their
company made it impossible for further conversation between the two human
women.

When they reached the next floor down, over half of the
occupants of the lift exited out of the doors to head towards their safety
zones. Mahoney and Jessica had been assigned to the medical ward, and they did
not hesitate as they ran toward its relative safety. They dodged other running
crew members who were either reporting for duty or racing for their safety
zones while the computer continued to issue instructions.

Within minutes, they arrived at the medical ward and rushed
inside to see utter chaos. The three medi-techs were grabbing supplies,
devices, and rolling beds against the walls while the chief medical officer
called out commands.

“Fallon, get the emergency kits out of storage in case we
need to abandon ship. Mylana, make sure all of the corrective treatment devices
are charging and situated next to each bed. Octavari, ready the steri-pads and
skin sealant and prepare for incoming injuries,” Mikael’s mother ordered as she
raced from one vid screen to another pressing buttons. When her eyes landed on
the two women, relief swept over her face and she announced, “Command, initiate
protocol Omega-One-Nine.” The doors slid closed and a second panel made of
dull, thick metal slammed shut over top of it.

Jessica, her eyes taking in all the frenzied activity,
asked, “What can I do to help, Officer?”

A proud smile flashed across the older woman’s face and she
replied, “Report to Fallon and he will give you tasks to complete if you are
willing to offer your assistance.”

She rushed off to obey the officer, and Fallon seemed pleased
to have an extra pair of hands to help. That left Mahoney and her lover’s
mother alone amid that mounting panic. “Ax’Sandre, what have you found out
about the intruders?” Mahoney asked, watching the woman’s fingers flying over
touchscreens.

Her lips thinned into a grim line as she pressed a few more
buttons before facing Mahoney. Keeping her voice pitched low enough not to be
overheard, she replied, “We’ve been boarded by a rogue scouting party of
Warfarers. Somehow, they have acquired cloaking technology only available to a
handful of the most powerful planets in The Great Alliance. That was how they
managed to get close enough to us to board without raising our alarms until it
was too late.”

Mahoney’s eyes widened in alarm. “Warfarers? Wasn’t that the
hostile alien force that tried to invade your world? I thought that T’Kala came
out victorious in that war?”

Ax’Sandre nodded sharply. “They are and we did. However,
they lost a great many of their number under T’Kalan blades, and it appears
that they are looking for revenge. My greatest fear is that if this small craft
has gotten their hands on this technology, what could that mean for their
warships? If they are all using the cloaking tech and decide to attack T’Kala
again, we may not be so lucky the next time around.”

Mahoney’s heart pounded and her palms were sweaty with fear.
“What about Mikael and the warriors? Have you heard from him?”

“I have. He tasked me with making sure you and Jessica made
it safely to the medical ward before sealing the room. When I initiated the
protocol, Command informed him that you were safe. He and the warriors are on
their way to confront the intruders and hopefully route them from the ship.
It’s our job to remain safe and prepare for the wounded.”

The thought of Mikael in danger sent Mahoney into a tailspin
of fear. Grabbing his mother by the arms, she demanded, “I have to get out of
here, Ax’Sandre. I have to go help any way that I can, and the only thing I
know how to do is fight.”

“No, absolutely not, Mahoney. The best way you can help is
by staying safe here with us so that he can do his job as commander without
having to worry about the woman he loves being in danger,” she replied firmly.
“He would never forgive me if something were to happen to you.”

A single tear slipped from her eye to trail down her face.
Her voice ragged with desperation, she countered, “And I will never forgive
myself if something happens to him and I was not there to watch his back.
Please, Ax’Sandre. I can’t stay here and do nothing while he is out there
fighting for our lives.”

The older woman searched her face carefully for several
moments. Finally, she sighed heavily and looked away. “Fine, I will open the
doors briefly for you to leave, but you had better stop by the training room to
arm yourself. There is also body armor located in the cabinet along the western
wall. Be safe, Katsuko Mahoney, and keep yourself from harm.”

She nodded sharply in understanding and made her way back to
the door. Jessica watched her curiously, but horror widened her eyes when she
realized what was happening. “No! Mahoney, you can’t go out there! Stay here
with me where it’s safe. You don’t know what you’re getting into!”

As the officer issued her command override, she replied, “I
have to go, Jess. I’ll come back, I promise. Just stay here and help any way
you can and I will be back before you know it.”

Without another word, she stepped out into the eerily silent
corridor and began to run.

Mahoney burst into the training room at full speed to find
it empty and echoing with the noise of the siren. She raced across the open
space toward the weapons cabinet and was relieved to see her two favorite short
swords still mounted on their hooks. She lifted them free and trotted over to
the cabinet where Mikael’s mother had said there would be armor. When the panel
opened, she rifled through the stock, but found next to nothing that would fit
her smaller frame. She settled for two flexible knuckle guards, arm shields,
and a handful of the familiar stun flares that Mikael had used during her
capture.

When she was as ready as she would ever be, she paused in
the center of the room and called out, “Jarvis! Locate Commander Mikael
R’Varsel!”

“Commander Mikael R’Varsel is located in loading bay A-741,”
came the prompt reply.

She remembered that was the same area where the breach first
occurred, which meant he was already in the thick of battle. “Jarvis, how many
invaders have breached
The Ax’Sandre
?”

“There are 53 armed Warfarers currently engaged in combat on
board
The Ax’Sandre
,” he replied.

Mikael’s warriors were outnumbered. Including the commander,
there were only 25 trained T’Kalan warriors on hand. “Shit! Shit, shit, shit!”
she yelled, her eyes wild with panic.

A door panel along the wall slid open to reveal the
bathroom, but Mahoney ignored the distraction. What they needed were more
warriors. Her gaze trailed around the room until they landed on the ten
remaining android training bots. They had been wildly successful in helping
train the warriors with new skills once Jarvis had downloaded the necessary
programming based on the schematics from Earth’s internet. She viewed them
skeptically, her mind rolling over an idea.

“Jarvis, do you have access to information about the
Warfarers? I need their general appearance, typical method of dress, and any
information you have about their battle techniques and weaponry,” she snapped.

“Affirmative. Requested information has been compiled and is
ready for transmission. Where should I deliver it?” he asked in his dreary
monotone.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Can you download the
files into each of the remaining training bots with the command to initiate
battle sequence with targets identifying with the Warfarer files? I will need
you to stay linked with bots and control them to follow my commands.”

“Affirmative. Download complete. Which battle sequence
should be initiated?”

A triumphant smile curled her lips as she ordered, “Jarvis,
initiate protocol ‘
Mahoney Kicks Ass’
.”

“Affirmative. Download complete,” he replied.

As one unit, the white, latex-coated robots came to life and
bowed to her with one fist clenched against the open palm of the other.
“Jarvis, have the bots grab weapons from the wall. I want each bot to have at
least one each, if not two.”

“Affirmative,” the bots answered with his voice.

Each of the ten bots selected the first weapon that they
came to. Some of them carried T’Kalan swords, some of them clenched knives, and
still others were armed with staves and replicated hook swords that had so
fascinated Mikael when he had watched her favorite movie with her.

When each of the bots were armed, she called out, “Jarvis,
dispatch seven of the bots immediately to loading bay A-741 and engage enemy
forces at will. The bots are to be given the directive to incapacitate the
enemy by any means necessary. The other three will accompany me.”

“Affirmative,” seven of the bots announced. “Affirmative,”
the other three called out, flanking her on all sides.

The seven took off like a shot. They were wickedly fast, and
she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up with them at a full run, and Mikael
needed reinforcements faster than she could get there. The other three kept
pace with her as she jogged from the room and headed down the corridor toward
the lift. She tapped her foot impatiently as the lift lowered to the bottom
level where the loading bays were located, each of the three bots imitating her
movements.

When the lift opened, she ran again, following the numbered
bays. As they rounded the corner, she could hear distant shouts and the
clanging of steel on steel. She could see several bodies littering the floor,
but none of them wore the T’Kalan colors. She got her first look at a Warfarer
soldier as she raced by the downed men. They were humanoid in appearance, but
there was where the similarities ended. Their skin was pebbled and rough, and
varied in shades from sickly gray to khaki green and their hair was long,
greasy, and twisted into knots where it was pulled back into high ponytails.
Their blood pooled on the floor from wounds received in battle.

She was getting closer to the battle, and her blood raced
with adrenaline. Mikael was in there, and she needed to get to him fast. They
skidded around a corner and came face to face with a snarling Warfarer. He was
at least a foot taller than her and armed with a jagged sword dripping with
blood.

“Jarvis! Engage enemy!” she shouted, as she took up a
fighting stance.

One of the bots broke rank from her left and sprinted toward
the enemy soldier. The Warfarer roared a challenge and raised his blade to meet
that of the android. He swung, aiming for the bot’s neck, but it sidestepped,
grabbed the enemy’s arm, and used his momentum to flip him over onto his back.
Before he could recover, the bot slammed his sword down into his chest with a
sickening thunk. The Warfarer screamed, viscous blood bubbling from his mouth,
but it was cut short when the bot followed up with a killing blow to his head.

The whole thing had only taken seconds, but it had seemed
like an eternity to Mahoney. Even though she had fought her whole life, she had
never actually seen or been part of life or death combat. Her stomach wanted to
rebel, but she swallowed thickly and ordered the bots to continue forward. Now
was not the time to be squeamish. Mikael could be hurt or worse. She had to
keep moving forward.

They encountered three more enemy soldiers before they
reached the loading bay, and she left the three bots behind to dispatch them
with orders to follow when they completed their mission. She finally reached
dock A-741 and skidded to a stop at the sight before her. The bay was huge,
roughly the size of a football field, and full of battling T’Kalans, Warfarers,
and training bots. Two of the bots were down, hacked into pieces, but the
remaining five were engaged in battle utilizing her Kung Fu animal forms, Wing
Chun, and Krav Maga skills.

She ran across the space, stopping only long enough to look
for wounded T’Kalans, but she couldn’t see Mikael anywhere. Her progress was
halted, though, when a familiar voice called out, “Mahoney! Over here!”

She made her way around the downed bodies of enemy soldiers
until she reached Lieutenant Andreus. He was propped against the wall holding his
obviously broken right arm and blood was dripping from a deep gash on his head.
His pale gray eyes were glassy with shock, but he still offered her a wobbly
smile as her three accompanying bots raced past to join in the fray.

“Lieutenant, are you okay? Where’s the commander?” she
demanded, dropping her weapons and stepping closer to inspect his wounds.

“The commander is battling by the doors, doing his best to
keep more of their forces from boarding. When I saw the training bots come
through the doors, I knew you would not be far behind. It is thanks to you and
one of your bots that I am not a dead man right now,” he confessed, his body
slipping down the wall.

She forced him to sit and grabbed one of his knives from the
bandolier-style belt that was slung over his shoulder and across his chest. She
raced over to the closest dead Warfarer and used the knife to cut the thick
cloth of his pant leg until she had a handful of the stuff. She folded the
material into a thick pad and pressed it to the gash on his head.

Picking his hand up to take the place of hers, she ordered,
“Keep pressure on the wound. If you feel like you are about to pass out, press
harder. Don’t move. We’ll send a medi-tech for you as soon as we have this
under control.”

When she was sure he would comply, she grabbed her weapons
and raced away as he called out, “May the stars go with you, warrior!”