Chapter 6

Delenor ducked back into cover. She yelled to Maurice.

"I think we have a problem,"

"What…" Maurice replied and got up from his cover. The rest of the security had gone back inside –probably to take care of their wounded.

"This mission is a bust, there are no tracks up front," she pointed to the bridge far ahead of the train.

"What do you mean?" He turned towards the bridge and gave her a puzzled look.

Oh uv display…

"I saw it on uv display."

His eyes widen, "we gotta get outer here then."

"Not so sure, we could jump off the train while still on land but…"

She trailed off and noted the rebels jumping off the train, thudding onto the snow bed nearby.

"What about the people on this train, they don't know," Delenor yelled, before Maurice jumped.

"Pretty fair for trying to kill us back there," he replied.

"They're doing what they have to do and so are you," she said. "And the supplies."

"Screw it, we can get another one."

"If we save the train, we save these people plus the supplies. And that's a more positive stand for the rebellion"

Maurice motioned to jump, ignoring her speech. He turned back to her and noted her glare. He slumped his shoulder and took a breath. He turned to his guys and nodded to them

"Alright let's go."

Delenor nodded and ran towards an open airlock and Maurice followed suit. Some security officers popped out of the open airlocks and start firing. Delenor, and Maurice hid behind the nearest open airlock.

"So… you got any bright ideas to handle this," Maurice said with his fingers gesturing quotes. "Hero."

"What supplies do we have on this train?" She asked.

"Well judging from our tip, they have vehicle parts, foodstuff and so on. Just the right stuff we needed."

"To me it's just the right bait," Delenor said and Maurice glares at her

She ignores him, "and by the way, it's heroine." She winks and spinned on the edge of their cover. She drops into the open airlock behind their cover. Maurice shook his head and followed suit.

They land with a thud to the ground. Delenor glanced around noting absence of security officers.

"My plan is going to need vehicle parts."

"Okaay."

They both headed for the exit to the next coach. In the next coach, the met the security officers treating their wounded. They panicked on seeing them and the ones still fit aimed their rifles at them. Delenor could see their hands trembling, they knew as well, she thought.

She spread her arms and dropped her blasters, "I'm sure you know we're headed off the cliff," sha said. "But it doesn't have to be that way. I have a plan that could raise our survival chances, but I would need your cooperation."

The security officers were still hesitant to drop their weapons.

Screw this, plan b,

She pulled back her hood and took down her nose mask. The security officers gasped to see her face. She looked like a member of the 'Family', and the black dye on her bob was fading back to its original red. Their guns dropped and they fell to their knees and bowed. Maurice was surprised at what happened and saw her face. He stumbled and managed to compose himself.

No time for drama, she thought.

"Can you stop the train?"

They looked at her and most of them shook their head.

Knew it, it's automatic.

"Alright, lead me to the vehicle supplies."

One of the security officers got up beckoned her to follow him. Delenor noted Maurice's strange stare as they followed the officer.

"Don't look at me like that," she said.

"What do you expect, you're part of the 'Family' for goodness sake." Maurice replied.

Delenor shook her head and focused on the security officer in front of them. They got to the right coach and Delenor could see tons of vehicle parts. Her eyes darted around.

Boosters, batteries, good,

She grabbed a battery and some soldering tools, "We're going to need wires, and three boosters," she said and headed back to the exit. "Meet me in the leading coach."

Maurice nodded and carried two boosters on his shoulders while the security officer carried the third one and a bunch of wires. Maurice seemed to understand Delenor's plan. They headed for the lead coach.

We have to be fast, the batteries can't make this train fly, but just a few seconds of levitation is all I need.

They got to the lead coach and Delenor looked out to see the edge of the cliff fast approaching, with the false bridge still in sight.

Mother,

She got to work fast. She used the battery's power to solder the boosters to both sides of the train. She places them in vertical orientation.

"I need to go up, please connect the battery to both boosters while I work, we running out of time."

She carried the booster and her soldering tools, still connected to the battery. Maurice and the security officer helped her up, back to the roof. The breeze greeted her with it's hugs like an old friend. She pulled up her nose mask and got to work. She didn't need to do intense soldering, this wasn't a standard job, it was a plan for survival. In a short time, she had attached the booster to the top. She made sure to place it looking to the right of the train.

"Pass another wire up here," she yelled to Maurice, who responded quickly. She connected the wires to the boosters.

"Activate both boosters on either side."

Maurice and the security officer obeyed. The boosters activated and puffed loud breaths of plasma.

Hope this works.

The lead coach levitated of the tracks. Delenor activated the booster up top and the coach shot to her right, leading it self and its tail coaches right into the forest nearby.