Chapter 25

I slowly make my way down the hallways and corridors of the underground bunker complex, checking my corners and clearing rooms as best to my ability. Every so often I check over my shoulder to ensure no one is following me or setting up an ambush from my rear.

After coming across a large bulkhead door, I halt and check my gear, ensuring my shotgun is loaded before I try the door. I tap the door's Haptic interface, nothing happens. I frown and look for alternatives. Scouring the door's frame, my eyes land on a service panel on the bottom-left of the door frame.

I find my knife in my kit and pry open the panel. Inside I find a cable bundle. I grab the bundle and yank them, sparks spit back at me signalling that I have cut the power to the door. After discarding the cables and standing, I pry open the door with my hands and press into the large shuttle hangar. pressing my back to a stack of crates to listen for any other occupants inside the vicinity.

Hearing voices a bit away in the cavernous room, I sneak closer to the sounds. I peer around the corner of a crate and notice a pad with two shuttles parked on top. In the far corner, I notice two Iridians conversing.

"Do you think they killed the intruder?" one of the two voices says. A younger sounding woman.

"I do not know sister, we should leave soon" A second voice responded. A more mature sounding woman.

After a pause, the mature woman's voice went on "we need to leave. your life is in danger the longer we stay."

The younger woman responded shortly after "I will go ready the shuttle."

"That would be best. I'll stand watch. Go. Signal me when the shuttle is ready"

I decided after hearing this to emerge from cover.. Racking my shotgun. It was a pair of Iridians. One younger than the other. The younger of the two was mid-way up the ramp into a shuttle before she froze at the sound. The other woman stared at me as she gripped her blade hilt, which was in its scabbard by her right hip. "who are you?" she tilted her head as I level the muzzle of my weapon with her chest and pull the trigger.

The report of the shot echoed in the shuttle bay off the metal walls. The woman falls to the bulkhead as I approach still. Several fragments of bone and pink-colored blood with bubbles in it smatter the shuttle ramp behind her and blood pools around her, I rack the slide of my weapon. The spent shell clatters to the metal bulkhead floor and I finish them off with one last shot. Quick and painless, headshot. Her snaps back as the flechettes rip her skull apart and brain matter oozes out of the exit wounds.

I look at the younger Iridian who is still frozen with fear. She was House Vansae member for certain. She had Teal hair and another tell was the clothes. Iridian clothing was a good way to gauge status and rank inside of Iridian society. Purple and Teal were reserved for nobility and House leadership respectfully. This girl was wearing purple garb with a very ornate corset. Obviously a -very- important member of house Vansae. Her death would send a message.

I speak. "What is your name?" The young woman swallows. She can not be a day older than Galinae and appears just as timid. "M-m-mine?" Great. She seems confused, bewildered or she is just playing dumb. "No, the person over there. OF COURSE I meant you!" I snap at her.

She winces. "Laza, why?" I smile "lovely name. One I will remember. Open or closed?" she blinks "what do you mean by that?" I repeat my last statement. "Open or closed?" she blinks a few times "O-open.." I nod, then level the muzzle of my shotgun with her head.. Before aiming downwards at her abdomen before I pull the trigger. Her abdominal cavity eviscerated by the Tungsten-Carbide flechettes.

Her spine shatters into fragments and the wad from the shell buries in her kidney. Another piece of the wad grazes her skin and cuts it deep, bouncing off the metal of the shuttle ramp. I pause and take a look at her now-lifeless body Before walking up the shuttle ramp and into the cargo bay of the craft. After a quick sweep, I find it clear of hostels and head to the flight deck in the forward compartment.

After a few minutes, the shuttle's engines hum to life as I translate all of the controls, combined with a bit of luck and process of elimination. As I depart, I slide a switch on one of the panels to close the rear cargo ramp I entered with.

Just as I maneuver the shuttle out of the shuttle bay, I find I have to fly in a thunderstorm to leave the planet. Lightning strikes crack the sky and high winds buffet the shuttle in the climb for orbit. After a minute, the shuttle breaks through the cloud layers at an altitude of 3000 meters, I can see Void Star in low geosynchronous orbit above and dead ahead of the nose of the shuttle.

***

Galinae sat patiently onboard the bridge at the coms station for any transmission from Kara. only for B'Nan to grunt in confusion "I have a single iridian shuttle heading our way.." Galinae perks up "what?"

The comm board shows green on their hailing frequency just then. "I-incoming transmission from the shuttle!" Galinae squeaks. "This is S.S. Void Star responding to hailing frequency from Iridian shuttle."

***

Aboard the shuttle, I respond. Pressing the comm transmit switch "this is Kara, Galinae. I stole a shuttle." After a long pause, Galinae responds "B'Nan says he thought we'd never see you again. That the entire idea of infiltrating the bunker was a suicide mission."

I raise an eyebrow. Clearly B'Nan has no idea just how more capable a Chimera is."we'll discuss my findings when I get back. Open shuttle bay 5 for me, hun?"

The port side of Void Star's ventral section has five shuttle bay doors outlined by the subtle seams in the flanks of the vessel.One of these doors swings open. Hinging from the top and swinging up by means of a hydraulic arm and piston.I maneuver the shuttle alongside the opening and an arm emerges to pull the shuttle into the hull, settling it down in a cradle inside the shuttle bay.

After the engines shut down and the flight deck re-pressurizes, I stand from the flight deck seat and open the cargo ramp in the back to exit. Making my way to the elevators towards the aft of deck 4.

After a short ride up, I make it to the bridge. "We will talk in my quarters." I announce. "B'nan, Galinae? With me."

***

We arrive in my quarters at the top of the ship. It is the ideal place to hold a meeting away from prying ears..Not only having been soundproofed but being outside the bulkheads in it's own pressurized hull section. Thus.offering no realistic way to eavesdrop from anywhere but inside the room.

"So what did you find, Kara?" Galinae starts. I hold up a staying hand. "Patience. First we have to go over what i saw."

I start on "First off, this is not a small facility.They had Iridians from House Vansae that boxed me in from both sides in a corridor as I breached. Clearly they knew I was coming." Galinae perked one eyebrow. "So how did you survive, then?" I hold up a staying hand again "Patience, Gali. I am getting to that."

After smiling, I continue on with my story of what transpired. "I simply bypassed the direct entrance and passed through by way of the ventilation ducts. After dispatching four guards, it was easy as the facility was mostly empty. Save two others I encountered after extracting the entire computer core's worth of data."

I slide the data chip from earlier onto the coffee table in between the chairs and couches. "We have to deliver this to Farsa. I am sure she'd be interested in the contents." I lean back in my chair and watch both Galinae and B'Nan's expressions. They both nod in unison and I sigh. Continuing on. "What is sure to ruffle some feathers is that I encountered a noble girl named Laza."

At that, Galinae perked up "you dont mean Laza of house Vansae, do you?" she stares at me, scrutinizing my expression. "I quite possibly mean her, Gali. I was unable to confirm her identity but she wore purpose garments.. Which as you and I know is reserved for Iridian nobility and the high matron."