Star-Crossed - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Blake couldn’t get the man’s cries out of her head.  Not even a morning spent observing the power dynamics of the crew - which was cliquey, to say the least - distracted her from the horrible moment when Adam made her a liar.  The sorrow over pointlessly-wasted lives ate at her heart, but also made her more determined than ever to bring the Blackguards to justice.

So, after meeting more crewmates who would surely stab her in the back at the first opportunity, she spent the afternoon exploring the Inferno.  Yang had shown her the highlights of the living areas, but the less-frequented sections of the ship still needed to be investigated.  Copious amounts of drugs and smuggled weapons had to be stored somewhere, and she wanted to find them.

That mission led her to the cargo hold - the most probable storage facility for items the Blackguards planned to sell.  Since no one had expressly forbidden her from visiting the hold, she felt reasonably assured that she could plead ignorance if caught.  Of course, that assumption depended on who caught her...

Resolving not to be spotted at all, she snuck into the cargo hold and realized that her wish was nothing more than a pipe dream.  Where she’d expected a giant, empty room filled with crates and boxes, she found a giant, busy room filled with crates, boxes, and Blackguards.  Apparently, the meticulous organization she’d noted on her first pass-through was the result of the crew putting in hours upon hours of shuffling boxes around.  

Blake’s presence was immediately noticed by a woman standing near the door but, when no warning was issued, she figured that she was allowed to be here.  So she acted like she belonged while strolling further into the room and taking a good look around.  

Again, the neatness amazed her.  Every rack served a defined purpose, and every shelf on every rack was labeled, as was every box and crate.  Without opening anything, she knew exactly what was inside.  Drugs, guns, items she’d never heard of - everything a criminal group could ever want or need was stored here, ready to be exchanged for the right amount of credits.

Ultimately, she needed to know how the Blackguards acquired the contraband and what they planned to do with it, but that information would come in time.  She should take pictures for Command first...but the last thing she wanted was to be caught with a drive full of suspicious photos, especially if Cinder stopped by for a surprise inspection.

Reconnaissance first.  Pictures when she knew that she could get them out of her possession as fast as possible.

“Need help?” she asked one of the Blackguards, who hardly glanced at her before shaking his head and shoving a large, open container across the room.  Upon reaching the far wall, he used a crowbar to pry the lid off one of the boxes and began removing packages of what looked like pulse grenades.  Those packages were carefully stored in the open container - five in total - before he dragged his work to another section of the room.

He must be filling a buyer’s order.  Who the buyer was, Blake wanted to know.  If she could find a list of everyone purchasing drugs or weapons through the Blackguards, ISA could orchestrate a comprehensive program to remove even more criminals from the system.  If such a list existed, it should be here somewhere...

Doing her best not to draw attention, she walked over to the computer panel she’d passed on the way in.  It probably tracked inventory in the hold, but it might also have a list of open and closed orders.  Assuming the orders weren’t encrypted, maybe she could download them.

One glance at the screen confirmed it wouldn’t be that easy.  Before she could dream about downloading anything, she would have to figure out a way to unlock the system.  Considering her status as -

“Grunt.” 

Jumping at the word, which she already associated as her name, she stepped away from the computer and turned towards the door.  Cinder’s glare sent a shiver of worry down her spine, and she immediately started working on an excuse for why she was in the cargo hold checking out the inventory system.

“You’re coming with us today.”  

No further explanation was given before Cinder turned and walked out of the room, prompting Blake to follow her into the hall.  

“Wasn’t my decision, of course,” she added with an annoyed scoff.  “Adam thinks you’ll be ‘helpful.’”

If Adam thought Blake could be helpful, that was a good thing - that meant she wouldn’t find herself on the receiving end of a phaser blast or floating through space anytime soon.  But the comment also filled her with trepidation.  After witnessing only a fraction of what Adam was capable of, she didn’t want to be useful for any of his plans.

Whether she wanted any part of this or not, she said nothing and followed Cinder.  Before long, they turned into a large room that served as one of the Inferno’s docking bays.  Through the windows, a small passenger ship approached for boarding, drawn in by the Inferno’s graviton beams.  Waiting for the connection to complete were several Blackguards carrying rifles - Yang included.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked, scowling as soon as she caught sight of Blake.

“Adam wants her to come along.”  Even though Cinder shrugged, she looked pleased to have information that Yang didn’t.  “Said he’d rather do this onsite than drag people back and forth.”

The comment sent Blake’s thoughts reeling back to the interrogation from a few days ago, but she did everything in her power not to let those emotions show while Yang looked her up and down.

“Why not bring her later?  With Adam.”

Blake actually shook her head at the suggestion, wanting to avoid as much time with Adam as possible.  Fortunately, Cinder and her were on the same page for once.

“She’s supposedly capable,” Cinder replied in a dismissive tone that Blake couldn’t even find issue with at the moment.  “Shouldn’t she be able to help?”

The look Yang sent Blake suggested she wanted a reason to say ‘no.’  Instead, she grabbed another rifle off of a rack filled with them.

“You’ll need this,” she said while pressing it into Blake’s hands.  “I’m assuming you know how to use it?”

“Of course.”

“Good.  Anyone aims at us, shoot them.  Anyone aims at you, decide what you want to do - got it?”

Even though Blake nodded, she questioned whether or not she would do as instructed.  If someone was about to shoot Cinder, would she jump to the rescue?  If any Blackguards were around, she might have to.  Otherwise, one of them might notice her hesitation to save one of their commanders, and she didn’t have to guess what would happen then.

Feeling a jolt run through the floor, she looked at the docking bay and found the window filled with the exterior of the other ship.

“Take a look at who’s coming,” Yang instructed while they waited for the airlock to pressurize.  “These are the people you aren’t shooting.  Everyone else is fair game.”

Clutching the weapon to her chest, Blake silently swore not to use it unless absolutely necessary.  She didn’t know who was on the other side of this door, but she wouldn’t risk hurting a civilian.

When the airlock opened and two Blackguards rushed forward with a torch, she realized that the other vessel didn’t want them on board.  Unfortunately, that wouldn’t stop them, as the torch quickly cut through the hull and opened up the airlock beyond.

“Let’s go.”

The Blackguard squad members entered the airlock first, with Yang and Cinder bringing up the rear.  Blake followed the commanders into the small space between ships and watched one of the men unlock the airlock door.  While he overrode the control panel, her sense of dread grew overwhelming.  

As soon as the door slid open, the first line of Blackguards rushed through with weapons drawn.  The second line was close behind but pushed even further into the still, lifeless room beyond.  Their swift, controlled movements made the hairs on the back of Blake’s neck stand on end, being so reminiscent of Alliance sweep training that only their black uniforms set them apart.

In no time at all, the forward squad signaled that it was safe for the rest of them to move in.  Yang and Cinder confidently walked into the room, but Blake couldn’t fake even half of their certainty while trailing behind.

She sent a warning to Command.  Command would find and warn the Riols of the danger they were in.  But had that happened?  

Now, she feared it was too late.  The Blackguards found them first.  Hopefully, she was wrong, but why else would they bring her aboard a civilian ship?  They must expect the need for more on-the-spot translation.

“Alright, you know the drill.”  Yang’s tone was quiet but certain as she addressed them, and the Blackguards heeded her instruction in kind.  “Check every room and bring anyone you find to the bridge.  Do not kill anyone - we need them alive.”

The Blackguards nodded at the order before splitting into their predetermined squads.  Each squad then chose a doorway leading off of the room and moved into position to breach and clear.

“Why don’t you take the grunt?” Cinder suggested, her smirk implying that saddling Yang with Blake’s presence was the ultimate form of payback.  “If we’re lucky, maybe you’ll get each other killed,” she added before joining one of the groups with only two members.

“You -” Yang motioned to one of the men before pointing at Cinder.  “Go with Cinder.  She needs the extra help.  The grunt and I will be just fine.”

With a nod and no complaint, the man hurried over to Cinder, who rolled her eyes but didn’t bother sending him away.  Yang then gestured to Blake and moved to the door nearest to them.

“You ready?” 

Raising the rifle in her hands, Blake swallowed and nodded.  She had no idea what awaited them on the other side of this door, but she prayed it was empty hallways and even emptier rooms.

“On three,” Yang said to the rest of the room.  Everyone stilled, and Blake’s muscles unwittingly coiled in preparation of a firefight.  “One...two...three.”

In unison, the doors opened and Blackguards flooded the passageways in search of the ship’s passengers and crew.  There was no immediate phaser fire, which Blake took as a good sign but didn’t have the opportunity to dwell on it as she hurried into the hallway behind Yang.

“One room at a time,” Yang whispered while moving swiftly away from the docking bay.  “You check that side of the hall,” she added with a gesture to the right.  “Find anything, call for help.  Move fast, and try not to get shot.”

Trying not to think about anything other than her training, Blake grasped her phaser tightly, rushed over to the first door, and tilted her ear towards it.  For the first few seconds, she only heard the beating of her heart.  After taking two deep breaths - she didn’t have time for more - she forced herself to calm down and listened for sounds of life.

As soon as she was reasonably confident that the room was empty, she took a step back, opened the door, and lifted her weapon in rapid succession.  Greeted by a storage closet holding a variety of linens, she quickly scanned the room before backing into the hall and closing the door.  Yang had already moved to the next room, emphasizing the need for speed as Blake rushed to the next door and listened again.

The ship couldn’t be empty.  There must be passengers on board, and possibly armed guards.  They would shoot her on sight if she wasn’t careful.  But she also had to be fast or Yang would leave her in this hall by herself.

At the next door, she spent half as much time listening before opening it and finding a small cabin beyond.  From the covers on the bed and folded clothes on the drawers, it was being lived in.  The children’s toys on the desk tripled her sense of urgency as she scanned the rest of the room, including kneeling on the floor to check underneath the bed.  

Empty, but if there were kids here somewhere…

A phaser blast tore her attention away from the toys and had her flying out of the room in no time.  Her adrenaline spiked even higher when she didn’t see Yang, but her ears pinpointed Yang’s voice nearby.  Without a second thought for what she was doing or what might be happening, she sprinted towards the sound.

The moment she flew around the corner and spotted Yang poking her head into an open room, a wave of relief rolled through her.  

“ - understand?” Yang whispered, replacing Blake’s relief with full-fledged confusion.  When Yang spotted Blake rushing over to help, however, she stepped out of the doorway and shoved it closed.

“This one’s clear,” she said before motioning Blake to a door across the hall.  “Check the others.”

“But -”

“Check the others.” 

Heeding the stern order, Blake backed away and raced to the next room.  After sneaking one last look over her shoulder, she shook her head and refocused on the mission at hand.  But she was positive she heard Yang talking to someone...

There was no time to analyze the situation, as she had another room to clear.  No sooner had she pressed her ear to the door did she jump at the sound of phaser fire in the distance, coupled with shouts of fear and pain.  The commotion died quickly, but her heart kept its elevated pace as she concentrated on the room in front of her. 

People were on board, and some of them were fighting back.

Straining her ears, she listened for signs of life in the room in front of her.  Movement, whispers, breathing - anything implying she might need to fight.  Hearing nothing, she stepped back, readied her weapon, and pressed the door release.  While the door slid open, she raised the rifle and stepped through just like ISA taught her - eyes scanning every inch of the bedroom as it was revealed to her.  

After the initial sweep revealed nothing, she stepped inside and checked every location she couldn’t see from the doorway, beginning with the closest before moving towards the far wall.  Under the desk, behind the sofa, under the bed - all empty, just like the room itself.

Satisfied that no one was here, she turned around and froze when she found Yang watching her from the doorway.  The intent look in Yang’s red eyes made her worry she just behaved too much like an Alliance agent, but that worry settled when Yang said nothing and hurried to the next room.

Anyone could learn how to clear a room, Blake assured herself while closing the door and moving on.  That didn’t make her an ISA agent; that made her a skilled mercenary who’d cleared out ships like this before.  At least, that’s what she told herself while rushing through rooms in the same methodical fashion.  

As much as she wanted to match Yang’s breakneck pace, any mistake or lapse in judgment would have more lethal repercussions than forcing Yang to slow down or wait before moving into the next hall.  Still, she hurried, and worried that her inexperience with live sweeps was showing.  But a mistake during the Academy resulted in a painful shock and lingering numbness.  A mistake here resulted in death - she couldn’t afford to mess up.

“Empty?” Yang asked as soon as Blake walked out of yet another abandoned cabin.  Once she nodded, Yang did the same and motioned to the end of the hall.  “We’re near the lifts,” she added while moving that way.  “Let’s get to the bridge.”

Any relief in not finding anyone in the living quarters evaporated as Blake followed Yang into one of the lifts and watched her push the button for the top floor.  While they hadn’t found anyone, the other groups must have.  Yang ordered everyone to be brought to the bridge, but what happened next - and what would Blake’s role be in it?

Yang raised her rifle as soon as the lift doors opened and, upon finding the hallway empty, led the way to the bridge with quick, cautious steps.  Blake followed with the same stiff motions, prepared for an ambush at any second, but relaxed when Yang lowered her weapon and walked through the open doorway.  

There was nothing to feel at ease about, as Blake saw the situation on the bridge and wished for a hundred more rooms to clear.  Instead, she would have to live with the sight in front of her - the bloodied and bruised crew members and passengers standing under the watch of the Blackguards.  One man stood separate from the rest of the group - he must be who the Blackguards were searching for.

“Took you long enough,” Cinder sneered.  “Thought we’d have to pick up your bodies on the way out.”

“Didn’t find anyone,” Yang said rather than respond to Cinder, and Blake could swear that relief flashed through their hostage’s eyes.  “Message Adam.”

While one of the Blackguards spoke a few muffled words into a comm device, Blake glanced at Yang for direction.  Yang, however, didn’t acknowledge the look.  Her attention was reserved for the Blackguards, who she silently counted before nodding and striding over to the tall man who appeared to be in charge.

“Austor Riol?” she asked, but he glared down at her rather than answer.  

The name confirmed what was quickly turning into Blake’s worst nightmare.  Despite her warning, ISA hadn’t reached the Riols in time.  Or maybe they found the wrong families.  Regardless of what happened, she was here, now.  And, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, she confirmed that Adam was here too.

His presence added tension to the already-tense room, and he strode onto the bridge as if he owned the place.  Even though the ship had been cleared, he arrived with more Blackguards by his side - apparently, unwilling to risk his life on the short trip from the Inferno.  The cowardice rankled Blake, but she watched with growing concern as he observed the room and locked on to Austor.  

“Any relatives?” he asked, but Yang shook her head.  

“Not that we found.”

“Interesting.”  

If Adam actually found that answer interesting, he didn’t show it as he waved a hand towards the men and women rounded up by the other Blackguards.

“Kill them.”

The captives had hardly digested the words before the Blackguards raised their weapons and put single shots through the back of their heads.  Flinching at the sound, Blake turned away and blew a breath through her lips as their bodies crumpled to the floor.  Deep inside, she screamed at the callous disregard for life.  She cried for the innocent people who in no way deserved to die.  And she bit back boiling anger at Adam.

Adam deserved to die, and she wanted to be the one to pull that trigger.

As if somehow hearing her murderous thoughts, he scowled at her.

“Tell him we’re looking for the maps.”

“I can understand you perfectly,” Austor replied before Blake said a word.  “But I have nothing to tell you.”

No longer needing Blake’s help, Adam moved intimidatingly towards the man.  

“We know you have them.”

“Even if I knew what you were talking about, I would die before telling you anything.”  

When Austor straightened his shoulders he nearly matched Adam’s height, but that was the only similarity between them.  His hands shook.  His pupils were wide with fear.  And Blake seriously questioned his ability to resist the forms of coercion Adam had at his disposal.

“That can be arranged.”  

When Adam nodded to Yang, she grabbed Austor’s arm, twisted it behind his back, and shoved him into the table.  He cried out in pain - or fear, possibly both - while she held him so tightly that he couldn’t hope to move.

“This is the last time I ask nicely.”  Taking a phaser from the hands of the nearest Blackguard, Adam held it to Austor’s temple.  “Where are they?”

Heart racing, Blake watched in silent horror while Austor looked up at Adam.  Short of shooting Adam right then, she could do nothing to help, and that feeling of helplessness shook her to her core.  All of her training, all of her skill, and she could do nothing.  Nothing that could save his life.

“I don’t have any maps.”

“Wrong answer.”  

Adam pointed the phaser towards the floor and fired, making Austor cry out in pain before slumping against the table.  He would have fallen had Yang not held onto him, and she easily kept him on his feet while he uttered curses in his native tongue.

“Let’s try that again.”

When Adam again pressed the weapon to Austor’s head, Blake eased her finger towards the trigger of her weapon and considered her options.  But there were too many Blackguards.  Even if she caught Adam and a couple others by surprise, she would be gunned down shortly after.

Her orders were to complete her mission no matter what.

No matter what.

“Sir.”  One of the Blackguards tapped the ship’s controls after getting Adam’s attention.  “They sent out a mayday.  ISA’s on the way.”

“Then we’ll have to do this faster.”  

When Adam pointed the phaser towards Austor’s leg, Blake nearly leapt forward to stop him.

“We don’t need him,” Cinder interrupted before the shot fired.  Returning from her stroll around the bridge, she dropped a file on the table in front of Austor and Adam.  “He’s been snatching up storage facilities.  Guessing they’re at one of these.”  

While Adam frowned and looked over the file, Cinder smirked at Yang.

“Brains beat brawn, once again.”

Yang scowled at the insult while Adam grabbed the file and held it up for Austor to see.  As soon as he did, everyone on the bridge knew - from the expression of horror and sadness on Austor’s face - that it held their answer.

“It will take more than some runes and walls to keep me out,” Adam growled before shooting Austor in the head.  His body slumped onto the table as Yang released her grip and quickly gave Adam an annoyed look.

“Was that really necessary?” she asked, but Adam didn’t respond while walking out of the room.  

“Let’s go.”

The Blackguards swiftly responded to Adam’s order, turning and escorting him back to the Inferno.  Cinder wasn’t far behind, though she reserved one last smug look for Yang before departing.  And Yang frowned around the room - at the carnage left in their wake - before shaking her head and following.

“Come on, grunt,” she mumbled on the way past.

Blake followed but didn’t say a word while they made their way off of the ship.  There was nothing she could say.  Not as they walked through lifeless halls that were now even more lifeless than before.  Not as they made it back to the Inferno and she watched the squads disperse as if nothing just happened.  All in a day’s work, they must think.  All in a day’s work.

Rather than follow them, she lingered at the airlock door and watched the Inferno detach and leave the other ship behind.  Then she held her breath and waited, worried that Adam would destroy it like the last one.  And, with it, snuff out any hope of survivors.

When the ship eventually disappeared, lost in the void of space, she exhaled.

It was only then that she realized Yang had stood beside her that entire time, staring out the window just like she had.  And when Yang caught her gaze, the two of them shared a look for just a second - a look of relief.

The moment disappeared so quickly, Blake couldn’t be sure that she’d seen it at all.  And there was no time to think about it before Yang frowned down at her.

“You’re very...methodical.”

“I prefer ‘thorough,’” Blake replied, hoping Yang bought that answer rather than think of her as well-trained.

“Either way…” Yang mused before sending another glance towards the window.  “Good job today,” she finally said before walking away.

Watching Yang disappear through the docking bay doors, Blake wondered how anything she just did could be considered a good job.  She stood idly by while Adam murdered more innocent people?  She watched him use the information she provided to get one step closer to whatever he was searching for?

With an unbearable gnawing in the pit of her stomach, she returned to her cabin rather than attempt being social.  As soon as the door shut behind her, she grabbed her comm device, sat on her bed, and started a message to Command.  If her suspicions were correct...she had to send a message right away.

‘Mission critical - Riol passenger ship - survivors?  Respond.’

Once the message was sent, she stared at the screen and waited for details to emerge.  Branding it as mission critical might be an overstep according to Command, but she had to know if there were survivors.  And she had to know as soon as possible.

If Alliance was already on the way, a rescue ship would arrive soon.  They would signal the passenger ship and request permission to dock.  If no response was received, they would manually dock and send small tactical teams through the ship - similar to what the Blackguards did, only with the intent of saving as many lives as possible.

Rather than dwell on what she just witnessed, Blake imagined being part of those tactical teams and sweeping through the ship.  Every room checked.  No stone left unturned.  If her impossible wish came true - if there were somehow survivors - ISA would find them.

As soon as a message arrived, her heart leapt into her throat.

‘Three survivors - a mother and two daughters.’

Dropping the device on the bed beside her, she put her head in her hands and couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.  The entire situation was horrible - something she wished with all her being to undo - but it wasn’t a total loss.  There were survivors.  

And it was Yang who saved them.

Blake knew that without a doubt now, because it was the only answer that made sense.  Yang found them hiding in that room and, instead of dragging them to their deaths, told them to hide.  Adam would have killed them without batting an eye, and Yang knew that, so she saved them.  

The biggest question was...why?  Why would she tell them to hide when that went against the order she issued?  Could Blake have an ally, or was this a freak incident that meant nothing in the grander scheme of things?

One thing was certain - she needed to learn more about Yang.  Maybe the Blackguard commander wasn’t quite what she seemed.