Scenes From Space

Chapter Forty-One: A Dropsite

Kuzzon escorted Ben and I down to the surface of the abandoned planet in one of his ship's runners. We hadn't been given our weapons or my mask back, but my com had returned to my wrist, and that was a comfort. We landed in a valley between high pinnacles of red cliffs. The tech-eye circled, taking in the new terrain of ruddy sand and boulders of various sizes. There was a flash of something from high and to the left, I turned my head to get a better look but there wasn't anything there.

Another ship began its descent through the atmosphere, casting a shadow over the valley. The tech-eye focused again on a flash from the distance. I zoomed in before I could lose the flash. It was the barrel of a rifle, aimed at the Prince.

I tackled Kuzzon behind a rock before I could even think about not saving his life. There was a seer of pain in my left shoulder and a cry forced its way out of my throat before Kuzzon and I hit the ground. I rolled myself off of Kuzzon and leaned up against a boulder. I tore the neck of my shirt and the straps of my undergarments down. I palpated the skin from my collarbone over my shoulder. There wasn't an exit wound.

"G, you okay?" came in over the com. I looked around to see Ben crouched low. Taking cover behind another boulder about 40 feet to my left.

I flicked my wrist to start an open channel. "Well, I've been shot, but I'm currently still alive, so there's that." I moved my left hand to the back of my neck and tried to find the wound with my fingers and feel out what kind of shot I'd taken. I'd be fucked if there was still a bullet in my shoulder. Kuzzon gently pulled my hand away from my body.

"It was a blaster round," he said softly. "Looks nasty and burnt but it'll heal up with a few regen sessions."

"Good," Ben's voice said as Kuzzon pulled the clothes back up my arm.

"I wasn't fishing this morning, but seriously," I said a little incredulously. "How hard is it to say thank you? Thank you, Gwen, without you and your brave connected rebels, I would never have found my mom. Gwen, thanks, seriously, your shoulder will heal, but I would be dead if you hadn't heroically tackled me."

"Several things," Ben said. "One, Guinevere, do we need to have another talk about your death wish? Two, should we have another talk about the two things you don't do to the enemy, sex them and save their lives? Three, Kuzzon, you found Disciela? That's awesome, I'm glad that she got away from all that mess."

"It's not a death wish, Ben, I'm just heroic as fuck, and in so much pain right now, Jesus Christ. Is that our ship out there or more bad guys?" I hissed. I didn't even think to respond to the 'sex or save the enemy' comment. I was mostly sure that Ben was joking and even if he wasn't, Kuzzon probably didn't deserve to be dead.

Kuzzon glanced up. "Well, that is the new class of Collective vessel, so unless your people stole a ship..." Kuzzon let the sentence trail off.

"Ben, I'm going to call Graham real quick," I said and cut off the open line without waiting for his response. Graham opened up the video transmission almost immediately.

"Hey, are you already at the dropsite?" He asked with a smile. His eyes drew in as he took in my position and the alien next to me.

"You wouldn't happen to have snipers in position on this garbage rock, would you?"

"No," Graham said slowly as he shook his head. He was in my room on my ship. "We're on route to you, probably a tenth cycle out."

"Cool, cool, cool, uh, problem is that we're a little under attack right now," I said with a wince.

"And I suppose you're hurt as well, probably from doing something heroic," Graham frowned.

"You know me very well," I sighed and Graham's frustration deepened.