Warhawk's Sacrifice - Ch. 25 - Pulled Apart - Alpha (Patreon)

Nalla was a welcome distraction in the chaos of everything. Over the next few days, any crested smile or cocked brow she gave him was enough to take him from six to midnight. Given there was little for them to do other than wait for a response from the calist and pulling data from the nakai station, left them both with plenty of time to sneak away and explore all the hidden corners of their luxury vessel.

The fantasy of it all took him back to when they’d first met. The grip she had on his heart was unlike that of any other. She was his first from a time when he’d been given a second chance. And that was something that he would never forget.

But in a moment of heart pounding indecency, Syn’s voice echoed over the ship’s intercom. “Captain, please report to the bridge immediately.”

Hearing “immediately” caused Seb to freeze. He pulled away from Nalla as a string of spit strung between their lips. They slowed their panted breaths and stared into each other’s eyes. The fear he saw in her shimmering orbs brought all the anxiety of their situation back to the forefront. He slid himself from out of her and lowered her legs to the ground.

Nalla cleared her throat, pulled up her underwear, and pushed down her skirt. “Do you think it’s Headmistress Ablee?”

“I don’t know,” Seb said, pulling up his skinsleeve. “Could be that. Could be something else they found in the data.”

Nalla nodded, and the two walked across the catwalk that hovered above the ship’s cargo bay. After climbing down the ladder, Seb tapped the projected button to call the elevator. Once it arrived, they ascended to the bridge in silence.

When the doors opened, Vi and Roja spun in the two pilots' seats.

As they approached, Roja grinned, exposing her long canines. “You two have fun?”

Nalla’s face turned a bright red and she let out a bashful laugh. “Uh… yeah…”

“No need to be ashamed. To be honest, I’m a little bit jealous. It’s been too long.” She looked up at Seb with a deep hunger in her eyes, as if expecting him to offer.

Seb let out a brief laugh and tried to ignore her advance. “So, what’s going on?”

Syn’s voice echoed from the upper intercom. “Zara is on hold.”

“Zara? We’ve still got a few days left. What could she want?”

“I don’t know. But she said it’s urgent.”

“Okay. Patch her through.”

The room’s lights dimmed, and the central projector illuminated a blue image in front of Seb. Zara paced back and forth. She took a deep drag from her long cigarette. When she noticed the camera feed, she threw it down without hesitation.

“Seb, what the fuck are you doing?” Zara hissed in a hushed tone.

“Woah, calm down,” Seb said, raising up his hands. “What’s got you so upset?”

“Oh, I don’t know, perhaps the calist?”

“What about them?”

“Don’t play coy with me… Maybe the fact that they met with a precursor at an ancient vault. That they’ve rekindled their memories and know of an impending invasion. They petitioned the GRC to shut down the warp gates.”

Fuck, Seb thought. I didn’t expect them to say anything about Iris.

“What did the GRC say?”

Zara snorted. “What do you think? They laughed them out of their chambers. They think they’re all delusional.”

Seb clenched his fist, his tone growing stern. “Zara, listen to me. Everything they said is true. We’ve seen it ourselves. This is the reason we came here. The data has been validated by Syn. These… things are coming. We have to prepare.”

“Whether or not what you say is true, storming the GRC offices, demanding an audience, and shouting half crazed nonsense is not how you do things around here. You must play the game within the confines you are given.”

“So, what are we supposed to do? Just let it happen?”

“You need to get your asses back here. My father is asking about our whereabouts. I’ve managed to buy us enough time and told him we are out at an event, but that’s not going to last long. You have to get back here today.”

“But what about what we found? This is serious, Zara.”

“I understand your conviction, Sebastian, but our immediate need is to get you and your team back so we don’t have all the might of the GRC targeting you again. If we lose my father’s protection, you’re right back where you were.”

Seb hung his head. He knew she was right, but just wished there was a better outcome. After relenting, he nodded in agreement. “All right, we’ll wrap up what we’re doing and head back immediately.”

“Thank you Sebastian. And when you return and we get settled, you and I can review your findings and figure out any options available.”

“Thanks Zara. I owe you one.”

A pointed smile crested the horned-beauty’s lips. “Yes you do. Oh, and Sebastian?”

“Yes?”

“Please use expediency. The longer the delay of our return, the more suspicious it will make my father.”

“I will. See you in a few hours.”

“See you soon.”

As soon as the call ended, Seb tilted his head up. “Syn, get Ablee on the phone. We need to have some words.”

“Of course, Captain.”

“It seems like they screwed us over,” Vi said. “Why would they reveal Iris?”

“I don’t know,” Seb said. “Maybe they thought it added more weight to their argument? Either way, we need answers.”

After a few seconds passed, Syn spoke up again. “Captain, I have Headmistress Ablee available. Should I put her through?”

“Yes, please.” Once the visage of the headmistress appeared, Seb threw up his hands. “Where the hell have you been, Ablee? We’ve been sitting around for days waiting for a response.”

“And for that, I apologize,” Ablee said, like a career politician. “Things have been… chaotic since the revelation was made.”

“So we’ve heard. It’s a shame I had to hear from one of my benefactors about what happened, rather than from you.”

“Trust me, my plan was to reach back out as soon as possible. But because of the lack of support from the GRC, plans are moving faster than expected.”

“I thought you were the one in charge.”

“Of certain elements, yes. However, the action being taken requires the collective.”

Seb cocked his brow and shifted on his hip. “Why does it sound like I’m not going to like what you’re going to tell me? What kind of action?”

Headmistress Ablee let out a heavy sigh before furrowing her brow. “We approached the GRC with the recording data you provided. We used what we had on record on our ships and corroborated it with what we had on our ship's data terms. However, since most of our data is corrupt because of the warp activity, it’s not a complete count. We did our best to explain the situation carefully and succinctly. The GRC must shut down the warp gates. But upon our conclusion, we laughed out of the council’s chambers.”

“That’s what we’d heard.”

“Since then, the collection of calist leadership has been in deliberation about what action to take. And an hour ago, a decision was made.”

Seb jerked his head forward and extended his hands. “And?”

“We’re mobilizing to attack the FLS warp gate.”

Everyone in the room gasped as Seb shouted, “What!”

“Destroying the gate is the only solution to preventing the arrival of the Swarm. The gates only work when both are powered. We will not sit here and wait for our new home to be destroyed through inaction.”

“But you’re talking about war.”

“This isn’t war, this is self-preservation. Not just for us, but for the entire galaxy.”

“Ablee, the GRC is going to flag the calist armada as galactic enemies. They are going to kill you for this. You must reconsider.”

For the first time they’d met, she laughed. “I know, but this wasn’t just my decision. It’s the decision of my people. It’s funny how ironic life is. We’ve spent all this time trying to remember our past, only to have the horrors we’d escaped return. It’s why this time we won’t run. Whatever happens, I hope history looks back on this moment and remembers us.”

“I… understand. When do you depart?”

“We’re still coordinating our ships. Since we’re only one system away, we’ll be departing last. So I’d estimate in the next thirty minutes to an hour.”

“I see. Well, I—”

“I know it’s foolish of me to ask,” Ablee interjected as she twisted her lips. “But I’d regret it if I didn’t. There isn’t any way we could count on your crew and Iris’s support in this endeavor, could we?”

Seb froze. Her question caught him off guard. This was supposed to be his imposed duty, to defeat the Songless along with Iris. She was the Divine Equalizer, he, the Inhibitor.

However, as he glanced around the room, he looked into the eyes of Roja, Vi, and Nalla. Their unease was palpable, and Nalla’s fear radiating. It wasn’t just about him. He had his entire crew to think about. His single answer would plunge their lives back into a danger they’d just crawled out of.

Seb hung his head and shook it before looking up. “I’m sorry, headmistress. While I share the same concern of our enemy as you do, I can’t knowingly thrust my crew into the dangers this mission presents. I hope you understand.”

Ablee nodded. “As a fellow leader, I do. It was an honor meeting you, Captain Warhawk. You and your crew gave us a gift which could never be repaid. Rest assured that you will always have allies in the Calist Armada. I hope we meet again.”

“As do I Headmistress Ablee. May the Maker watch over you.”

“And may the Nakai sing our song. Farewell, captain.”

When the hologram dissipated, silence filled the room. Seb stood alone in the dark reaches of his mind.

Was that the right choice? Attacking a warp gate? That’s suicide. They are some of the most heavily fortified installations in the galaxy. Not only that, but they have small detachments of military armadas from the GRC protecting them. Once the shooting starts, all hell is going to break loose.

As he stood alone contemplating his thoughts, Nalla’s voice pulled him from the reaches of his mind. “I know it was difficult, but I think you made the right choice.”

Seb looked up and cocked his brow. “You do?” Her reassuring smile and nod helped ease his worries.

“I do too,” Vi said, brushing her hair tentacles from her face. “They’re rushing into this.”

“Agreed,” Roja said. “I’m not opposed to their plight. But I don’t think this is the best course of action. We should be trying to get the GRC on our side. Not make them our enemies.

“If the Songless are indeed on their way, the best thing we could do is cut the warp gate. It would cause the warp lane to collapse. It would destroy everything in transit.”

“There’s nothing we can do for them now,” Seb said with a heavy sigh. “They’ve made their decision.” Seb tilted himself up toward the intercom. “Syn, can you open a broadcast channel across the ship and to anyone outside?”

“It’s completed, captain.”

“Crew. This is Captain Warhawk. I want everyone to return to the ship and prepare for departure. We’re leaving as soon as everyone and the equipment are on board.”

“What about the calist?” Iris asked. “What are their plans?”

Seb let out a sigh, knowing this conversation was going to happen, but would have preferred to do it in person. “The calist are leaving.”

“Where?”

“We can talk about it once we’re back home.”

“No! This is important. I want to know what’s happening. Why aren’t you telling me?”

“The calist are planning to attack one of the GRC warp gates.”

“Are you serious?” Sister Mischa asked.

Eni’s cackle echoed through the intercom. “Damn, those calist are crazier than I thought.”

“They believe by destroying the gate, we can stop the arrival of the Songless.”

“Then we’re going to help them, right?” Iris asked, her tone sounding more like a demand than a question.

Seb crossed his arms as he said, “No.”

“Why? This is my purpose. Our purpose! We have to help them!”

“Iris… it’s not just about you and I. This is about all of us. Their actions are going to have everlasting consequences. It’s an act of war. They’re going to become a target of the entire GRC. I’m not going to put our entire crew in danger over”

“You’re right. It isn’t about us. It’s about the trillions that inhabitant our galaxy. We must act or all.”

“Iris stop it!” Seb shouted. “I said no. This is not how we’re going to do this, and I’m done talking about it. When we get back to Mahad, we’ll figure out a better way.”

“And if the Songless arrive by then?”

“I said I’m done,” Seb said sternly.

After a long pause Sister Mischa said, “Come on, Iris, let’s get back—”

“Don’t touch me,” Iris snapped. “I’ll go back by myself.”

Roja let out a quick whistle as everyone on the bridge stared at Seb. He didn’t want things to turn out like that, but knew Iris would feel passionate about his decision. She’d been pushing for more and more action since she’d awoken. He didn’t blame her for it. It’s what she was born for. But he had everyone else to think about. It wasn’t just them.

After a few seconds of silence, Eni said, “Hey Seb?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you come help me with Syn and the equipment? I have a lot of stuff.”

“Yeah, I’m on my way.”

When the connection ended, Seb pointed to Vi. “Get the ship ready for takeoff.”

“You got it.”

“Nalla, Roja, if you two can head downstairs and get everything else ready, I would really appreciate it.”

“You’ve got it,” Roja said.

The trio walked down the hallway and piled into the elevator. When it opened, they split in their individual directions. Seb walked into his room and grabbed his helmet and HIM device. He twisted on top of his skinsleeve and watched the HUD flicker to life. As he pressed his hand into the glove, he prepared himself to feel Iris’s wrath, but when secured itself around his palm, he felt nothing.

That’s odd, he thought. He tried reaching out for her mind, but there was nothing there. Maybe she can block the connection?

Seb ignored it for now. He had work to do. After exiting his room, Seb took the elevator outside. He glanced over at Headmistress Ablee’s ship. The boosters on the craft hissed as they warmed up, ready for departure.

I sure hope it’s not going to go as bad as I think it is, Seb thought. But if they succeed, we’re talking about them killing thousands of GRC personnel. There doesn’t seem to be a right or wrong way.

After entering the nakai facility, Seb used his HIM device to take himself down to the data center room. He found Eni sitting in front of Syn, watching endless lines of scrolling code.

“Are you almost ready to go?” Seb asked, approaching from behind.

Eni looked back briefly before returning to the screen. “Yeah, I just need a few more minutes. We’re trying to pull the last bits of data.”

Seb kneeled next to her. “Anything interesting?”

“I don’t want to jinx it.”

“That good, huh?” Seb asked, chuckling.

“Maybe,” Eni said, the smile clear in her voice. “Is everything good with you and Iris? She seemed pissed.”

“I don’t know. The entire trip here she’s been emotional.”

“She has been through a lot.”

“Yeah, I know. We all have, though. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel like shit for yelling at her. I’m trying to think about the whole team.”

“I get it. I don’t envy you being the captain.”

“You don’t?”

Eni let out a brief laugh. “No way. I’ll let you make all the tough calls. I’m content doing what I’m good at.”

“Do you think I made the right choice?”

“By not helping the calist?”

“Yeah.”

Eni leaned back on her arms. “Hmmm… I think so.”

“You think?”

“I guess I see both sides? You’re trying to protect everyone, which is great. We just got out of the shit storm with the GRC and all the bounties. But, I also think about my family back home. If the Songless are coming, being proactive rather than reactive is best.”

“It sounds like you’re leaning more toward going.”

“No, no. But you know me. If you told me we were going to blow up a warp gate, I’d be the first one to say fuck yeah! Let me grab Betty. But I also understand it’s not the best plan. But we’ve accomplished a lot with worse plans. Either way, I’m happy to follow your lead. You decided, and I have no qualms about it.”

The scrolling text on Eni’s screen stopped and alerted with a small chirp. “Ah, looks like we’re done.” She tapped on the virtual intelligence’s body. “Syn, are you feeling all right?”

The V.I.’s robotic eyes flickered to life, and she looked up at the pair. “I am, Eni. The final byte has been transferred. It is now safe to disconnect me.”

Eni pointed over to her nearby bags. “Seb, can you grab all the equipment while I unhook her?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Seb zipped up each of the bags before flinging the straps over his chest. He picked up the remaining cases that held Eni's diagnostic equipment and stood waiting for his two companions.

Eni climbed over Syn’s body, unraveling all the cables she’d connected to her. After bundling them up and tossing them on her deck, she gripped the final cable connected to Syn’s data term port and disconnected it. After jumping back, the synthetic beauty stood and stretched.

“Ah, much better,” Syn said. “My servos were getting stiff from sitting in that same position for so long.”

“Once we get back home, I can inspect any joints,” Eni said. “If they’re still stiff, they may need to be lubricated.”

“I’d like that.”

The trio ventured toward the elevator. Once the doors shut, Seb directed it upward.

A deep rumble roared through the complex, shaking the cabin.

Seb activated an open comm. “What the hell was that? Anyone got eyes?”

“We’re okay on the ship,” Vi said. “It came from deeper into the complex.”

Sister Mischa’s strained coughs quickly followed. “I-Iris. She’s gone.”

“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Seb shouted.

“I tried to stop her. She knocked me back. Once Ablee’s ship took off, she followed it.”

Seb closed his eyes and concentrated on the HIM device. An eruption of pain crawled up his hand. Every muscle fiber in his body tightened. He fell to the floor, screaming.

Eni dropped to his side. “What’s wrong Seb?”

“It’s the HIM device,” Syn said before tapping the central key. The metallic glove retracted from Seb’s hand.

The captain fell to the floor, struggling to catch his breath. “S-she’s so full of rage. It felt like my blood was boiling.”

“Come on, get up,” Eni said, tugging at his arm. “We have to hurry back to the ship. If we can get there fast enough, maybe we can catch up with her.”

Seb groaned and pushed himself up to his feet. When the doors opened, he picked up the boxes and ran. “Mischa, are you okay?”

“I am,” she groaned. “Just got the wind knocked out of me.”

“Can you meet us back on the ship?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a few minutes. We were deeper in the complex, in one of the familial pods.”

“Stay there then. We’ll come get you.”

“It’s the one that’s burning,” Mischa said, letting out a short laugh.

Seb clenched his jaw as he raced toward the ship. His mind raced with a flurry of emotions. They all faded to one: anger.