Chapter 2

Preface: Again this might contain stuff that people might find traumatic. Just a warning for anyone who wants to read this.

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Fire. Sparks. Explosions.

Brahk found it difficult to concentrate. The world spun around him. Loud popping noises surrounded him. Screams matched the hectic nature of his own mind.

He put one of his arms behind him to push himself into a sitting position. Slowly his mind was catching up. Realizing the events that led to what had occurred. Though that action was hindered as he was stuck strapped in the seat still.

Rifling through one of the pouches on his side, he found his arc knife. The strap was nothing to it and he was released. Quickly he realized that it was a mistake as he had been upside down and fell to the ground.

Above him the helicopter had smashed into two buildings. The front part of the aircraft was in the middle of one of the buildings while the tail was hooked on to the roof of the adjacent building. Considering what he knew about the structures, it wouldn't last.

No one else was in the aircraft at least. He noticed he must have been the last one. A tap on his shoulder, followed by a member of the squad from earlier, holding what he assumed to be a medical kit. His helmet on showed that the space suit was still intact and he didn't find anything wrong with his body either. He waved the man off, giving a thumbs up with a nervous smile. Well he hoped that a thumbs up wasn't some curse for these people or anything.

A loud bang caught his attention and the medic next to him. A door was busted open and Iremagren, Woph and another squad member were taking out both pilots. One was being carried over the shoulder of Woph. He had blood all over his head, unconscious or dead. While the other was being helped out by the others. That man was stumbling

The medic next to him had his firearm out. A sidearm of sorts. With it lowered and stowed away he rushed over to the others. To provide first aid. The man next to him helped him up and then pointed towards the group. Brahk moved closer while the man was looking away with his weapon raised. He noticed that they were using fabric to cover the wound. It was clean and at a higher quality. Like their clothes and weapons. It didn't match the area around them.

One of the pilots, the one with the head injury, was now bandaged up. Unconscious, but Brahk was able to see he was alive. Everyone had survived. Considering his record with surviving so far it did nothing for him. Maybe he was feeling a bit apathetic towards it all. That realization made him all the more wary that everything that had taken place was just out of control. Taking a deep breath within his helmet, he calmed himself.

Iremagren was giving out orders. It was something Brahk did himself so he understood. Woph and the other squad mate were keeping the perimeter safe. Even from this distance he could hear screams from the buildings surrounding where they had crashed.

The medic was looking after the other pilot while the one laying down was laying there. It looked like a sprained foot from Brahk noticed, but he couldn't be sure. The pilot, while wincing every so often when the medic was wrapping fabric over a small cut, held up his own weapon looking over the flank of the others. He was still in the fight.

But it was a fight. A place for soldiers. This location wasn't safe and he knew it. There wasn't much he could do at the moment. He could help. Assist.

'What if someone tries to kill me?' Should he believe in his luck in his survival so far? 'But what if they put a weapon in my hands and tell me to-. The implant won't allow that and if they get hurt…' He shook his head. Right now he needed to focus. Regardless if the situation was insane as it was, he needed to do something. Going over to the medic and pilot, he tried to gesture that he wanted to help. His did have five Avartseeble shots with nanites in his a pouch. One for each member of his crew. Something that both him and Thevhei agreed that everyone should carry on them.

Though for him it was a memento of those that meant everything to him. He didn't want to waste it, but there was no reason to keep it in this situation.

"What can I do to help?" He had to repeat that phrase three times before the medic seemed to understand. The medic spoke into his communication device before gesturing to Brahk. "I'm Brahk."

"Roush." The medic, Roush answered. It was nice to get his name.

Roush kneeled next to the unconscious pilot and made a lifting motion. Another gesture where he was wrapping the air around him with one hand, then pulling the 'wrapped' air tight. All of that while pointing to Brahk.

So he was meant to carry the pilot and then they would wrap him around him to keep him from falling. That was something he could do.

As Roush lifted the man under his arms while Brahk was hunched over, the pilot on the ground started losing his breath. Quickly, Roush laid the man down as gently as possible and laid his head on the pilot's chest. He shouted into his communication device.

From Brahk's guess, the man's lungs were affected. A simple observation, he knew that, but he didn't know what it was. A punctured lung? Collapsed? Maybe fluid got in there? Also who was he to assume that these 'humans' were the same kind of human as he was. They might have different insides than he did. Two hearts maybe? There was no way to know.

But there was something he could do. To at least aid and speed recovery if Roush was able to get it under control. Brahk knelt down and put his hand on blood stained field dressing. The sensors on his hands were still working and it got the man's DNA. Genetically he was human. Maybe off by .01% but there was nothing there that suggested that Avartseeble would kill him if injected.

Pulling out the case in his pouch he spoke to Roush. "I can help. If I inject this into his bloodstream, the nanites should be able to help him." While he knew his words meant nothing, his actions did.

Roush was already working on a solution. He shook his head no and then essentially pushed Brahk away. Which was understandable. He was a stranger to them. Not even from this planet, though he didn't know if they knew that.

Wiping the pilot's chest with a yellow like liquid, Roush pressed with gloved hands against the skin. The pilot's labored breathing was getting worse. The medic next to him then stabbed a syringe into the chest and pulled out blood from the man's chest. The pilot's breathing got better if slightly.

Since the pilot's life was still at risk, Brahk thought of a better way to explain how he meant to help. A simple instructional video.

Iremagren appeared behind him, talking to Roush. While Roush was busy he could show the video to the leader as he had authority in this situation. 'Better to have options available.' Brahk repeated in his mind.

After their quick talk, Brahk got his attention. Iremagren gave him a slightly annoyed questioning look. Instead of talking he held out his data pad and the case with the shots.

The video essentially showed anyone who was a child's level how to program the nanites and then inject into the human body. It was simple, something anyone could do. Though to look at the video again was something of a sore spot for Brahk. The reason he had the video in the first place was that Thevhei had made sure everyone knew how to program and inject the nanites. Sidarce at that point had never used it before, while he, himself, had many times. So he showed her what to do along with the others. Since he had more experience, he did a demonstration. Only he made a simple and obvious mistake when programming the nanites that had them self destruct immediately. From then on he had watched the video numerous times and after his mistake, he was very capable of injecting the medicine.

The video caught Iremagren's attention. Even if he couldn't understand the words, his face told Brahk all he needed to know. Sure he was skeptical, but he spoke with Roush who then watched the video after making sure the pilot was stable. If he could call a warzone a stable place. Which considering the louder noises getting closer it was about time for them to leave. He could understand that.

Iremagren and Roush spoke at length. He could tell they were going through the pros and cons to the shot. Even then they had no idea what it was. Sure he was showing them the nanites and they could repair damage as the main thing, but did they even know what nanites were? What even was in the liquid? It would be extremely challenging to explain when they were on a time limit.

In their place he would be very hesitant to accept something he didn't know about. Something that would be used on his injured crew. On his children. Without proof and complete understanding… maybe he doesn't really know. If there was a chance, then he would take it. Then again it was who would be delivering this hope. Could he trust that person in less than an hour since meeting their meeting?

Considering Iremagren turned him down, he knew he would probably make the same choice. Although depending on what he felt, the implant might take the other option. Since it took his beliefs, even the subconscious ones, it might take the deal even if he knew that it could be harmful as that was his mind saying that it was dangerous and he needed to do it all on his own to save those he loved.

Though there was one more thing he could do. Something less invasive and it just might help.

Taking strong, deep breaths, after getting their attention, he simulated taking off his space suit. If the pilot was having trouble breathing, then the suit could aid in that. Although that suggestion too was quickly shut down as well. At first Brahk didn't know why, but as he looked at Roush who had gone back over to the pilot and took more fluid out. With his suit on, then they would take more time trying to aid him and removing the built up fluid until they could find a place to help the pilot. In a sterilized place.

In the end they made a flatbed like thing out of the various parts around. Laid the pilot down and Roush and him were carrying the pilot while following the others. The other pilot with the broken foot was leaning on Woph, with both of them keeping watch with their weapons in multiple directions.

It wouldn't be easy, but he would help them. That was all he could do.

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Brahk ran across the road. He had taken care of his body after his physical therapy. He was a lazy person if he could be, but when he had to lead his crew, he needed to be there for them. He would do his best for his children.

One of the squad soldiers led the group followed by Iremagren. He carried the unconscious pilot strapped to him on his back with Woph and the pilot who sprained his foot. They had their guns making their way out of the crash site. Then in the back Roush stayed close to the injured pilots with the other soldier behind him in the back.

Brahk could see people hiding. Closing their doors as he passed with the group. Shouts and glares sent his way. These people he was following didn't seem to have the hearts of the people.

From the moment he met these people, he could tell they were military. Coordinated, respectable, detailed. Those qualities were required for Subhillaj as well. Just the same way people think of them. The nobles building their own mini armies on the ship and treating those below them terribly… not all of them and not all of the time. Then again he has known them for a very short amount of time, so they could just as easily be hiding their true intentions.

So why did these people around them flee into their homes? Was it because of Iremagren and his squad and who they represent? Threats that his squad were here to protect them from? If that was true, then why did everyone he passed by have such a disdain for them?

If he applied Subhillaj military to it, then they feared retaliation. Non-compliance that leads to implants or death. There could even be a threat of exploitation regardless of fault. Power takes what it wants.

But those in the squad around him have been kind, even with the language barrier. As he noted before; respectable. They haven't threatened those around them. Mainly trying to ignore their jeers. All while they take injured pilots, a random man they just met, through streets that hold threats. Considering where they are pointing their weapons, they are prepared to fight.

Why should he trust them? Why did he?

At first he needed a way out of the desert. He would have died out there without water. They just happened to be the only ones. But how did they find him? From the devices he has seen Iremagren's squad carry and from the helicopter, they do have advanced technology. If it was that advanced they could have discovered his emergency beacon that had been activated. Which it did work because he was found, but not by those he expected to pick him up.

So for now he will just have to wait and see. Help where he can and if things turn for the worse he can leave. After all verbal commands cannot stop him. He doesn't understand the language so the implant doesn't understand either. Though he can infer what they say, it isn't a command as he is the one guessing with provided information.

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As they hid behind a wall making sure everyone was there and alright, him included, Brahk had got a look at the maglift transports. Well that is until he noticed the wheels. He had seen them from afar in the helicopter and near the crash sight, but things had been more important than. Now there were about thirty of them, more or less, lined up in five rows all spread out. Many looked to be in various forms of disrepair and in different shapes and sizes.

From the way Iremagren was issuing orders to everyone, they were going to cross that lot.

The other soldier in the squad which Brahk was able to recognize was a name, Laeir. Laeir is as tall as Brahk, though much thinner. It is quite noticeable. While he was wearing the same gear as the others, there did seem less on him in total. It seemed like he or Iremagren prioritized speed for him. It was probably why he was the one leading their group at the moment.

Once Brahk was made aware of the situation in full and understood, Laeir started sprinting across the lot. Iremagren and Roush were covering him while he crossed. Making sure that he was safe.

Though Brahk noticed that Laeir jumped over something. From behind the wall he couldn't see much, but from the chatter over the communication device it must have been something serious.

Roush came over to him and Brahk understood what he had to do and crouched down. They untied the pilot and let him down. The pilot's breathing became labored again. Using another syringe he took the fluid out of his chest and soon once again he was back on Brahk's back.

During that time he was informed that they would be still crossing the way, but he was to stick close to Iremagren.

Once everyone was ready, he started running. Carrying another person was difficult and moving at high speeds made it worse. Thankfully the heat outside his suit didn't affect him and he was cooled from the internal air. Once he got to the spot where Laeir jumped over he spotted a wire connected to something inside a car.

Iremagren kept his speed matched with Brahk. His weapon ready to use on anyone they deem an enemy.

He made it across the lot and made it against the wall panting. If he could right now, he would just go to his room on the research ship with a pot of tea and rest in his bed.

Loud popping noises came from his side far away. It was getting closer, much closer. There wasn't time to relax.