Fishing

Dageer changed his helmet for a diving mask connected to a small gas tank on his back. On normal circumstances, the tank was able to sustain for thirty-six hours underwater.

He and sergeant Salv directed themselves to the tunnel. When they arrived, Dageer saw it wasn't actually a tunnel, but a big well. On it, a treadmill was moving, but there was nothing on it. Some robots attached to the treadmill were doing picking motions, probably to separate the algae, if there was any.

Dageer pulled the diving mask over his face and jumped in the water. It was surprisingly clear, and the lights on the treadmill made so that he didn't need to use the lantern on his mask. Dageer grabbed the treadmill and used it to propel himself downwards.

A splashing sound, and then Salv was on the water with him. It was obviously not the first time he did that, and his movements were experienced, leaving Dageer behind.

The large well soon started to narrow, and the before smooth walls soon became rocky. The treadmill accompanied them all the time, providing light.

After a few dozen meters the vertical descent started easing, and after a few more dozen meters it became a normal tunnel.

Dageer and Salv released their grasp on the treadmill and started swimming. About two hundred meters later, the tunnel came to an end on a metal grid.

"As you see, sir, the grid is intact. But if that scum took the keys from Fytt and Hingh, they can easily open it. We can change the lock though."

"There is no time. A job like that, underwater, will take some time, and we don't have that time."

Dageer approached the grid and looked outside, but the lights from the treadmill only illuminated so far as a dozen meters. Some strange fishes swam away when he got close, but nothing bigger than a fist appeared.

"Open it. I want to take a look outside."

"Are you sure sir?"

Dageer checked the weapon he brought, a DC-17. He had grown fond of it after Commander Keeli showed all of its uses to him. Besides, his DC-15A was too cumbersome and big to use underwater.

"Yes. Open it."

Salv took out a keycard and passed it in front of the lock. The red light turned to green, and then he pushed it slightly. A small section of the grid opened, and Salv passed through it, followed by Dageer.

They turned on the lanterns on their masks, and two flashes of light swiped the darkness. Well, not total darkness. After they got out Dageer saw that the light from outside still illuminated a good hundred meters below them, although weakly.

They swam a couple of strokes forward, and Dageer turned to look at the entry of the tunnel. He was already having some ideas. Their opponents would have to pass through there. If he could get a couple of detonat...

A shadow. Somewhere behind him, something big swam. Very slowly he lifted his pistol, trying to give the impression that he was just going to swim back.

The shadow moved fast to him, and Dageer turned as fast as the water let him, and fired the pistol. The blue laser concentrated a high amount of energy, and water evaporated on its path, even underwater.

As the trail of bubbles cleared, Dageer saw what he hit. A mon calamari corpse floated to the surface, a hole on its throat and green blood staining the water around him. Next to him was a vibro-trident, a weapon more lethal than blasters on close combat.

Through the transparent mask on Salv's face, Dageer could see his shock. But soon that Express turned to one of surprise, and the sergeant fired his weapon, a DC-15S.

The laser passed a few meters away from Dageer face, engulfing him in a cloud of bubbles. Behind Dageer was another mon calamari, now with a blaster wound on his arm.

Contrary to Dageer expectations, after the arm that was holding the vibro-trident was disabled, the mon calamari didn't run, but showed his sharp teeth and swam to Dageer barehanded.

Dageer didn't show mercy. They stayed alert for two minutes, but no more mon calamarians came.

"They should have been guarding the grid. Salv, when we return send someone to fish their bodies. Let's see if we can find them on our database."

"Do you think those two are the only ones?"

"No. They are probably just sentries. But now we know two things. The first one is what happened to our brothers. The second is that our enemies will be aware that we know from where they are coming."