Warhawk’s Sacrifice (The Amnesty’s Adventures #3)

29. Casualties

29 CASUALTIES

W ith a tap on the controls, the door swung open and Seb tightened the grip of his revolver. Scorch marks and bullet holes dotted the sleek, polished metal that lined the floor and ceiling. Gold and red hues danced through the blood smudged windows, displaying the chaos of the battle happening outside. The recessed artificial light flickered with each pulse of waning electricity. There were no sounds, only a low hum coming from the nearby ventilation.

Mischa took the first step out the door. “Quickly, and quietly.”

The trio scurried through the halls, weapons raised. They paused at the edge of each turn, allowing Mischa to give the all clear before pushing further in. But the deeper they ventured, the bigger the weight that filled Seb’s stomach.

The answer was evident in the blood trails, but he still couldn’t help but ask himself, where are the bodies?

The view outside didn’t help either. His enemy had pushed the ally fleets so far out, Seb could barely see them with his naked eye. Ships buzzed and filled the surroundings like a swarm of insects.

Guess I see where they got their name, Seb mused. I just hope Iris is all right.

He fought the urge to slip on the HIM device as he turned down the next path. It’d been days since their last connection. Without her whispers prodding his mind, it felt like a small part of him was missing. He used that feeling to focus—wanting nothing more than to bring her back home.

After crossing the last threshold, the trio came up to the massive metal doors that led to the warp gate’s command bridge. Seb and Mischa secured each side while Eni plugged in her deck. Everyone stood on edge. Their eyes darted around their surroundings, waiting for the expected ambush. The smallest sound pulled their weapons’ attention.

“This is too easy,” Mischa muttered. “Isn’t this supposed to be their command bridge? Where are the guards?”

Eni let out an obnoxious groan. “Why did you have to jinx it?”

As if divine providence, a screech echoed from another corridor. Seb shuffled to the nearby edge and peered around the corner. Four heavily armed soldiers marched in his direction.

Seb sprinted back to his comrades. “We’ve got four Songless heading our way.”

“How much time?” Eni blurted.

“Thirty seconds, if we’re lucky.”

“Ugh…”

“Are you going to make it?”

“I don’t know! This shit isn’t easy!”

As the steps reverberated down a hall like a falling toolbox, Mischa joined Seb at his side and pulled her sword from her back.

“Ten seconds,” Seb said, raising his weapon.

“I’m trying!” Eni said, frantically tapping on her deck.

When the hall glowed red, Seb pulled back his hammer. “Eni…”

“One. More. Second!”

Seb heard the hiss of the doors opening before Eni’s prideful, “I got it!”

He glanced over his shoulder and backpedaled inside, only pulling his weapon up once the door closed in front of him. The trio stared at the door, trying to listen for soldiers’ footsteps.

“Did you lock it?” Seb asked, half-jokingly.

“Quiet!” Mischa snapped.

The thump of the approaching footsteps increased with each second. Seb’s grip tightened around his weapon, ready for the door to swing open. But as the cascading sound reached its peak, it continued down the hall until it fell silent.

The group let out a collective sigh of relief as they turned around.

“Too many close calls alread—” Seb froze when he realized they weren’t alone.

Six songless stood motionless in front of several of the many computer terminals that lined the command deck. However, their heads, arms, and legs were retracted into their torsos, creating perfect rectangles the size of a refrigerator. Dozens of cables protruded from their backs, interconnected to the bridge’s consoles.

“Nimora’s breath… what are those?” Mischa asked.

Eni waddled up to the closest one and reached her hand out.

“Eni what are you?—”

She touched it and nothing happened. “Huh… I think they might be in a runner-like state.”

“What do you mean?” Seb asked.

“Like when a runner connects to the holonet, their bodies typically go into a sort of catatonic state. This frees up mental processing power, allowing them to devote all of their internal energy for their actions inside the net. The Songless could be doing the same thing here. Or they could be acting like giant batteries.”

“So, you’re saying they’re not dangerous?” Mischa asked in suspicious disbelief.

Eni shrugged. “I’ve got no fucking clue. I’d still treat them as such. If they move, shoot -em.”

“I’d planned on it.”

As the others took their positions around the room, Seb stepped up to one of the immobile Songless. Even though the head was retracted in the torso, he could still see the eyes in its open frame. However, there was no glow or movement.

The way the metal pierced the carapace flesh caused his skin to crawl. Oil-like blood dripped from the wounds. It looked inhumane, sadistic. Yet, from what he remembered, they felt no pain.

While he had a moment of empathy, it left him quickly. They were his enemy—a threat to all life in existence. It was why they were there. He scanned the creature for weak points across its body that looked susceptible to fire.

As he examined his foe, Eni called him from the front of the bridge. “Seb! We’ve got a big fucking problem.”

Seb shot a glance at Mischa. The soldier nodded affirmatively before taking up a defensive position. He jogged over to Eni who was madly scanning the lines of code on several nearby terminals.

“What’s wrong?” Seb asked.

“Do you want the bad news or the really bad news first?” Eni asked, coldly.

“The bad news.”

“The Songless have completely cut off the warp gate’s control systems from the command bridge.”

“Wait, what? How is this place still running, then?”

“They’ve just removed the remote power button.”

“So, how do we shut it off?”

“We’ll have to head to the warp gate’s reactor and manually shut it down.”

“And how far is that?”

“Nearly a mile.” Seb shook his head as she continued. “We’ll have to take the facility’s tram system.”

“What’s worse news than that?”

Eni swiped her hand, bringing up a hologram of a security feed. Gone were all the FLS fighter craft and ships, replaced with Songless vessels and a metal vat-like container. It sat in the middle of the hangar. A giant mixer spun the bubbling black ooze inside.

Piled along the side lay the warp gate’s dead personnel—a mountain nearly as tall as a space cruiser. Songless soldiers heaved the corpses into the giant vat, one at a time. Twisted pipes carried the black ooze into a row of spigots where the Songless stood in a coordinated line. Each stepped up to the tap, opened their maws, and drank.

“They’re fucking eating us!” Eni cried.

Seb gritted his teeth, his body burning with disgust and rage. “We’ve got to shut this place down! We can’t let any more of these things into the galaxy.”

A chittering groan caused Seb to flinch. He spun and raised his weapon, only to watch Mischa slice through the block of steel and carapace with her power sword. Sparks shot out into the air from the remaining husk with each pulse of electricity.

“It moved,” Mischa said, pulling up her blade.

An alarm echoed from the ceiling speakers, followed by the bridge door opening.

“Fuck, they’ve found us!” Eni shouted. “We’ve gotta go!”

The red eyes of the dormant Songless lit up. As they attempted to rise, the trio fired volleys of laser fire and bullets into the machines. Seb’s Lawbringer sang as he pulled the trigger. The thick caliber bullets pierced the chest and eye-sockets of the machine, causing them to explode in a shower of metal and carapace.

Eni let out a battle cry as she squeezed the trigger of Betty. A hail of lasers penetrated everything not covered in a thick plate, causing the remaining flesh to slide from the metal frame. It crashed into a bubbling sludge.

As Seb turned to target the remaining foe, Mischa heaved her powersword straight down the center, cleaving it into two vertical halves.

“Their armor is thick,” Mischa said with heavy breaths.

“Go for their joints and head,” Seb said before running toward the door. He peered around the corner. A blaster bolt slammed into the wall, inches from his face. The hall lit up with red lasers coming from both directions. “Fuck, we’re cut off!”

“How many of them are there?” Mischa asked, slamming into the wall across from him.

“Couldn’t tell. But at least two on each side.”

Mischa activated her shield and peaked around the open door. It shimmered blue as the lasers slammed into it. She jerked back. “Damn abominations. I saw four on the left, but I’m certain more are around the corner. They’re pushing close.”

Seb holstered his revolver and retrieved two grenades from his belt. He pressed the plungers on top before tossing one down each side. A violent clash of electrical noises preceded a symphony of heavy thuds. Smoke filled the air, giving Seb the confidence of checking the path again.

The electrical grenades did their job. A mound of fried Songless created makeshift barricades of dead bodies. But the reprieve was short-lived when new reinforcements stomped over the dead and fired at him.

“Dammit!” Seb shouted. “There’s no way through. They just keep coming.”

As he and Mischa blind-fired from the door, Eni worked on a plan. “Syn, take the current floor plan and calculate any probabilities of escape.”

“Calculating. Confirmed. HUDs updated.”

The marker on Seb’s helmet disappeared. It wasn’t until he looked at the edge of his vision that he noticed the arrow pointing behind him. When he turned, he saw the navigational line heading through the window.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groaned.

“Apologies, Captain. All other routes have a high risk of injury or death. If the warp gate’s vacuum containment system is still enabled, the closing shutters should delay any pursuers for some time.”

“But we’ll be flung out into open space!”

“Stand with me,” Mischa said. “I have thrusters on my suit.”

Seb glanced at Eni. “Are you okay with this?”

The hacker tightened her equipment straps. “Fuck it. Not like we have much of a choice.”

“All right, here goes nothing.”

The trio pushed themselves off of the wall and sprinted toward the front of the command bridge. Seb and Eni grabbed onto Mischa as he fired two shots, each one cracking the ballistic glass even more. On the third and final shot, the glass shattered.

The powerful force ripped the three out the open window. Pain radiated through Seb’s arm as he slammed into the edge of the wall. His stomach lurched in his throat as the galaxy spun around him.

A subtle alarm rang in his helmet and a small oxygen symbol appeared on his HUD. The icon displayed ninety-nine percent remaining. Then ninety-eight and ninety-seven. A second alarm rang more urgently than the first. His HUD highlighted his arm, flashing it in red.

As the spinning eventually slowed, Seb pulled his arm up. A hiss of air and blood funneled its way out near his elbow. His oxygen meter continued to fall with each passing second.

“Shit, I’ve got a puncture!” Seb yelled, holstering his weapon and slapping his hand over the breach.

Mischa fumbled with her utility belt before pulling out a small roll of reflective tape. “Here!”

Seb grabbed the tape and let go of her momentarily to unwind it with both hands. Without asking for it, Mischa held out her blade, allowing him to cut a piece. He applied it to the hole, ensuring a tight seal, before frantically applying several more layers. By the time he finished, a quarter of his oxygen was gone.

“Fuck, that was close,” Seb said, letting out a heavy breath of relief.

“We’re not safe yet,” Mischa reminded him.

After handing over the tape, Seb scanned the horizon. The security system had triggered, sealing their enemy back on the bridge, but he was certain that wouldn’t last long.

Clashing blue and purple hues illuminated the metal exterior of the warp gate. Thousands of Songless vessels poured from the opening near them, expanding out into open space. They moved like a stormy wave, filling every inch with their abominations. His stomach sank at their endless numbers.

We’ve got to hurry, he thought.

“Mischa, take us down there,” Eni said, pointing at the warp gate’s exterior. “We’ve gotta move.”

As Mischa started her thrusters, Seb placed his hand across her chest. “Wait. We don’t have time for this.”

“What do you mean?”

“We need to stay airborne. It’ll take us too long to traverse the surface.”

“Do you need a pickup?” Vi asked over the comm.

“No. You’re our only way off this station. If they find you, we’re screwed. Just be ready for us once we shut this thing down. We’re not coming back that way.”

“Got it.”

Eni’s head poked around Mischa’s chest. “So, how are we supposed to fly there without our ship?”

Seb leaned back and glimpsed at Mischa’s suit. After an idea popped into his mind, he cracked a smile. “Syn, can you override Mischa’s thrusters to increase their output?”

“With Sister Mischa’s permission, of course I can, Captain. But removing the safety controls could cause failures.”

“I think it’s a risk we’ll have to take. We’ll use Mischa’s suit to fly over there at a higher velocity. It should allow us to cover the ground in minutes.”

“The thrusters are part of my life support system,” Mischa said. “The more I use them, the more it drains my oxygen reserves.”

Seb pulled on the refill hose of his suit. “Then we’ll have to share.”

Concern filled the Sister’s voice. “But you just had a leak.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got plenty left.”

Mischa slowly nodded. “Okay.” She bent forward. Seb lifted the pack of explosions on her back, allowing him to plug into one of her connection ports. As soon as he did, a SYNCHRONIZATION message appeared on his HUD.

“I’ve removed the safeguards from Mischa’s suit,” Syn said. “You may activate them at any time.”

“Everyone hold on tight,” Mischa said.

Seb felt himself slip on the initial blast. He tightened his grip around her arm as he hung on. They darted at odd angles until Mischa gained an understanding of how it controlled.

“It’s super sensitive,” she said as they straightened. “But I think I have the hang of it.”

The assumption worked, bringing a smile to Seb’s face. They soared over the warp gate with no obstructions. The distance tracker to their destination scrolled like a slot machine on his HUD. What would have taken minutes took only seconds.

However, as the length to their target decreased, so too did his oxygen counter. Seventy became fifty. Fifty became thirty.

As his suit’s alarm rang, showing he had less than a quarter of his oxygen reserves left, Seb opened a dedicated comm to his virtual intelligence companion. “Don’t say anything.”

“But Captain.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be f?—”

A powerful vibration rolled through Seb’s suit and nearly concussed him. He was no longer with Mischa, only spinning endlessly end over end. Alerts screamed in his helmet with red indicators showing damage to his suit.

He grunted as his body slammed into something hard. In the chaos, the only thing he could think to do was activate his magnetic boots. Pain filled his ankles as his body twisted with his momentum. The grinding of metal on metal filled his suit until he slowed to a stop.

Seb crawled to a nearby wall and took a second to catch his breath. He looked around for his companions, but couldn’t see them anywhere. “Mischa, Eni, are you both all right?”

Eni coughed over the comm. “I’m alive, but Mischa’s in pretty bad shape.”

“I’m fine,” Mischa painfully grunted. “My shield absorbed most of it, but it’s completely overloaded and my armor is cooked.”

“What hit us?”

On cue, a Songless ship flew over Seb and twisted in space.

“Songless gunship, six o’clock!” Eni screamed.

It lined its turrets directly at the captain. His eyes widened as the tubes glowed red. He scrambled to move, but the pain in his legs caused him to stumble. Just before it shot, a hail of laser fire peppered its starboard side.

“Take that, you fucking bastard!” Eni screamed.

The ship twisted away and ascended out of range. While its movements weren’t as graceful as before, it still flew with ease. But the captain noticed the punctured holes in its frame.

“They don’t have shields,” Seb muttered before he yelled it again over the comm. “They don’t have shields!”

The captain cursed under his breath as he struggled to regain his bearings. He leaned into the nearby wall to push himself up to his feet, never letting his eyes leave the pursuing ship. Once he stood straight, he drew his weapon and reloaded.

The ship turned and accelerated for another pass. This time, Eni and Mischa caught its ire. It dodged incoming laser fire before unleashing a barrage of its own. Each shot slammed into the surface of the warp gate, causing vibrations that nearly knocked Seb to the ground.

As it passed by, Mischa shouted over the comm, her voice lit with fury. “Arg. We’ve got to get off the surface.”

Seb spun his head around to check the distance. The length to their goal wasn’t much, but the rest was all open. There was no cover. “We don’t have far to go. Do you think you could make it?”

“Not with this asshole on top of us.”

“Syn, any alternate routes for where we are?”

The virtual intelligence responded somberly. “I’m sorry, Captain. The closest entryway is the one already marked.”

A shadow pulled Seb’s attention airborne as the ship swooped in for another attack. Sparks sprayed into the air when the bolts slammed into his companions’ location. Eni and Mischa’s painful screams echoed through his comm.

Seb’s adrenaline kicked in and he pushed through the pain. He climbed over the barrier separating him and his crew. When he spotted them, he gasped.

Eni and Mischa’s armor had been painted black from the blasts. They huddled under the charred remains of the cover that had once protected them. The surface of the warp gate glowed red from the repeated laser fire.

Seb pulled himself down and sprinted to his companions. When he got close, he realized how bad it was. Mischa’s right arm lay completely limp at her side, while Eni’s helmet was cracked and leaking.

“Maker…” he muttered. “W-what do you need me to do?”

“What do you think? Kill that fucking thing,” Eni light-heartedly joked.

Seb looked up to see the ship flipping back around. He glanced around, hoping to come up with any ideas. All he knew was that he needed to get the pressure off of them.

Seb stepped to Mischa’s back and pushed her forward. He apologized as she groaned. With as much finesse and speed that was allowed, he pulled the box of explosives from her back. Seeing the half-melted container, he was thankful they hadn’t detonated. He slung it over his shoulder before grabbing Betty. “I need to borrow this.”

“What are you doing?” the hacker protested.

“What do you think?” Seb said, with all the cocky confidence he could muster. “I’m going to kill that thing.”

With his weapons in hand, Seb sprinted out into the clearing. When he turned around, the Songless ship was already on its third descent toward Eni and Mischa’s position. He raised Betty and held down the trigger. The barrels spun, sending hundreds of bolts into the air. The ship spun and twisted, pulling off from its previous run.

“That’s right, you ugly bitch. Come to poppa.”

Just like it’d done every time, the ship ascended until out of flight range before lining up another shot. It sped up and dove toward Seb with a thunderous fury. He waited until he spotted the glow of the cannons before jumping to the side.

The force of the explosion sent him end-over-end until his boots clasped him in place. Once he straightened, he sprayed several more rounds of laser fire at the threat. It didn’t connect, but it wasn’t meant to.

Seb watched the ship maneuver exactly as he expected—twisting and turning before starting its strafing run. The predictability brought a smile to his face. “I’ve got you now.”

He unshouldered the strap of the explosives and pulled his arm back. With as much strength as he could muster, he threw it at the approaching craft. As its cannons burned once more, Seb drew his Lawbringer and aimed. “Maker, guide my hand.”

When the explosive case came within a close distance of the ship, Seb pulled the trigger. His helmet shielded his eyes from the massive explosion. He braced his arms in front of his face as the shockwave passed over him. When it was all said and done, the ship had disintegrated in a shower of sparks and metal shrapnel.

Seb tapped his gun with his visor and figuratively kissed it. “Thank you, baby.” After taking a moment to collect himself, the captain limped over to his companions. Mischa stood using her powersword as a crutch while Eni sat applying tape to her helmet. When Seb approached, he exchanged the roll of tape for Betty and helped seal the remaining cracks.

“Not sure how you pulled that off, but I’m thankful,” Mischa said with a warmness that surprised him.

“That makes two of us,” Seb chuckled. After applying the last piece to Eni’s helmet, he did a once-over before tapping it. “I think you’re good.”

“Thanks,” Eni said, standing. “I’m not going to say how close I was exactly, but let’s just say my butt might be permanently puckered.”

“That could make things interesting…”

“Oh, you wish.”

As the two shared a brief laugh, Mischa grunted in pain. “We should hurry before they send more ships.”

Seb cleared his throat. “Right. Sorry.”

The three limped their way across the remaining distance. Seb and Eni slowed their pace as Mischa’s wounds kept her behind. Every groan and grunt filled Seb with worry. She’d always been an unyielding force, but in this moment, she almost seemed human.

Once they reached the external elevator, Eni used her deck to slice through the lock, giving them much needed shelter from the external threats. After the cabin pressurized, she tapped a button on the nearby wall and the structure moved.

“We’ve got a moment to breathe,” the hacker said, taking off her helmet. “These maintenance elevators aren’t the fastest.”

Mischa’s arm struggled to hold her weight, and she fell to the floor.

“Mischa!” Seb gasped. He sprinted to her side and pulled off her helmet. Even though her red skin made it difficult, her face shimmered with blood.

She smiled weakly through heavy breaths. “I’ve had worse. Just help me with a stim.”

She pointed to the pocket on her belt, and Seb grabbed the injector. He popped the top and shot it into her neck. The strain on her face relaxed and her breathing slowed. “Ah, that’s better.”

As Seb gazed at his companion, the bright artificial light better illuminated Mischa’s injuries. Her arm looked like it’d been chewed on by a wild animal. Her back and chest were completely melted from the heavy blasts it’d absorbed. He had no idea how she was still conscious.

Seb adjusted his comm back to his virtual intelligence companion. “Syn, how’s she doing, really?”

“Sister Mischa’s armor is reporting significant damage to her body. I’d estimate several fractures along her right arm, a fractured rib, a minor concussion, and several sprains and bruises across her body.”

Mischa pushed herself off of the floor and stood, her arm still hanging at her side.

Seb tapped his helmet and retracted it. He grabbed Mischa’s hand. “I think it’s time we call it.”

Mischa scowled and jerked away. She bent down, picked up her helmet, and twisted it back on. She straightened and loomed over Seb, her voice booming with determination. “I’m not done until the mission is.”

“I’m with Mischa,” Eni said, stepping forward and putting her helmet back on. “We didn’t come all this way to call it quits now. We’re seeing this through.”

Seb twisted with confliction. Part of him was thrilled to hear they were both willing to give it everything. But that’s exactly what he wanted to avoid. Seeing them in such a rough state, covered in wounds, left him with a guilt he couldn’t shake. He knew, no matter what, he had to keep them both safe.

As the elevator slowed, the trio stepped toward the door. Seb replaced the spent casing with a fresh bullet and readied his weapon. The number to their destination slowed to the double digits, filling him with relief.

“Should just be a straight shot from here to the power plant’s control center,” Eni said.

When the doors opened, all Seb saw was red. His instinct took over, and he slapped the hammer of his revolver, unleashing every shot in his cylinder. The Songless soldier and the several behind it crumbled with ear piercing shrieks. But they were few of many.

Before Seb could reload, Mischa let out a battle cry and charged forward—shoving him and Eni into the wall. Sounds of slicing metal and laser fire couldn’t drown out Mischa’s prayer.

“I am her blade and she is my shield! No foul beast shall slay me because I am protected by her will. As I stare death in the face, I am not afraid, for her voice is always with me. And it is through her words that I shall prevail! EERRAAHH!”

Seb scrambled to his feet and reloaded his revolver. When he peeked around the corner, Mischa had carved her way through a half a dozen Songless with no signs of slowing. Even with one arm, she slung her powersword with expertise, cutting through foe after foe.

“Mischa!” Seb yelled, as he raced forward. Laser fire skirted down the hall, but no matter where he aimed, the path was too thin for him to land a clean shot. Everything relied on the Sister.

“Protect me o’ Goddess, so I may vanquish thine enemies. Let me be the instrument of your word so that I will protect those that I love. Use my body as your instrument—your weapon. Let me fight for you, to become something greater than myself. Grant me your divine power! EERRRAAHH!”

As Mischa cleaved through the remaining enemies, Seb and Eni shot anything that still moved. Smoke and fire filled the thin space, triggering the sprinkler system. The water transformed the hall into a blackened bog.

When the last enemy was slain, Mischa stood at the entrance—steam rising off of her armor. She deactivated her powersword and braced it to hold her weight.

“Eni, get the door,” Seb said, rushing to Mischa’s side.

The Sister let out a wet cough and chuckled. “The Goddess protects.” She slid off of the powersword and splashed into the water.

“No, no, no!” Seb shouted.

He lifted her over and froze at the sight of her chest plate. Four smoldering holes dotted her shoulders and side.

“I’m… I’m okay,” Mischa muttered. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

A pressurized hiss proceeded Eni yelling, “Door’s open!”

Seb grabbed underneath her arms and pulled her inside. Eni shut the door behind them. She kneeled next to him, only to have Seb point to the nearby control panel. “No! You focus on shutting this place down. I’ll take care of her.”

Eni nodded and raced to the controls while Seb pulled Mischa’s helmet off.

“Nalla, are you listening?” Seb asked.

“I’m here, Seb,” Nalla said, her voice oozing with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Mischa. She’s been shot. Multiple laser wounds.”

Mischa let out a guttural cough before grinning. “I don’t even feel it.”

“She should have a first aid kit on her belt,” Nalla said. “Look for a pain suppressor and a gelfoam injector.”

“She’s already had one pain suppressor,” Seb clarified. “Should I give her another?”

“No, just the gelfoam injector. You’ll want to inject it straight into the wounds through the armor until the foam oozes from the plate. It will help seal the wound and any holes in the armor.”

Seb scrambled through the different pouches on her belt before pulling out the small, gun-like object. He inserted a cartridge into the top before plunging it into one of the holes in Mischa’s chest.

“So rough…” Mischa teased in an almost euphoric haze.

Seb replaced another cartridge before slamming it into another hole. “I’m trying to keep you with me, you crazy asshole.”

“Eh, what’s another death? Who cares?”

“I care dammit. Now stay with me.”

“Syn, what’s her suit’s readings?” Nalla asked.

“Critical, but stabilizing.”

“Seb, we need to get her out of there.”

“I know,” Seb said, stabbing Mischa again.

“Just say the word and we’re there,” Vi added.

After the last hole was filled, Seb wiped the blood from Mischa’s lips and cheek. Her golden eyes looked up at him with longing.

“Never thought I’d have someone care like you do,” Mischa said.

Seb cupped her cheek. “Remember our time together?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want it to be the last, do you?”

“No, but it’s not my choice. I am Nimora’s.”

Seb gripped her cheeks with both hands and leaned forward. He spoke with fiery conviction. “Fuck that. You. Are. Mine. And I’m not about to lose you. Got it?”

Mischa’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She looked at him like he’d given the greatest gift she could have asked for—the ultimate declaration.

“Seb, I?—”

“Do you understand?” Seb asked as more of a command.

Mischa beamed. “Yes, my captain.”

As the two shared a smile, it quickly faded as Eni’s panic echoed through the comm. “Syn, are you seeing this too?”

“Affirmative, Eni.”

Seb squeezed Mischa’s hand before joining Eni near the consoles. “What’s the problem now?”

“It’s fucked. We’re all fucked.”

Seb grabbed Eni’s shoulders. “Calm down and just tell me what’s going on!”

Eni swung her hand at one of the nearby terminals, bringing up a holo-feed of a giant room covered in metal boxes with small electrical rods in the center of each. Electricity bounced between the tips that all faced a small star which floated in the middle of the room. Metal rings spun around it in random directions. Giant wires sprawled into the ceiling and floor.

“This is the main reactor,” Eni said, pointing at the image. “It powers the entire warp gate. The control station here is supposed to allow for a smooth shutdown. However, the Songless have overwritten all the controls! There’s no way to shut it down from here, either!”

“From here?” Seb asked. “Is there a way to shut it down at all?”

“Sure, if we had the explosives we had earlier, but we don’t.”

“What about manually?”

“It requires commands to shut it down safely. There’s no way to do that.” Eni slumped into one of the chairs and threw her hands up. “I’ve tried thinking of everything. There’s no way to do it. This was all for nothing.”

Seb and Eni’s heads twisted as a shriek cascaded from the nearby hall.

“Gods dammit!” Seb shouted with all of his frustration. “This can’t be it!”

“It has to be,” Eni said, jumping from the chair. “There’s nothing we can do. Mischa’s injured and so are we. We gotta get out of here.”

Seb glanced over at Mischa, who stared at him from the floor. Through her waning breaths, she nodded in agreement. He shook his head but relented. “Vi, we’re going to need that pickup.”

“We’re on our way.”

The captain rolled Mischa over his shoulder. He drew his revolver just in case they weren’t fast enough. As they passed the perpendicular hall, Seb expected to see another army of Songless, but breathed a sigh of relief when there were none. They sprinted forward into the elevator.

Once inside, Seb carefully set Mischa down with the help of Eni. When he reached for the elevator button, he hesitated.

Living to fight another day will only prolong this, Seb thought. This has to end here and now. Eni said it requires commands to shut it down safely. Not that it couldn’t be shut down at all. She didn’t want to recommend the obvious. But if we want to stop this today, someone has to stay behind.

Seb opened a direct comm to Syn. “There’s a way to shut it down, isn’t there.”

The virtual intelligence hesitated before responding, “Yes, Captain. But not one you can come back from.”

Seb glanced back at his two companions. He watched Eni help Mischa put on her helmet. The sight brought a smile to his face. The love he shared for all of them was unconditional. From the very beginning, he swore to do anything to keep them safe.

This is anything.

“I love you all,” Seb said, tapping the elevator’s button.

“What?” Eni asked, popping her head up with concern.

When the elevator began to close, Seb jumped.