Star Child

Twenty-Eight - Into the Swamp

"At zero seven forty-eight, scans of the planet show the Yautja leaving the ship without Ashaki Sawyer," Charles said to Kade. "The Discovery is fueled and ready for departure."

Kade nodded before blandly stating, "Good."

Meanwhile, Landon glowered at the recording of the Yautja walking into the swamp. He was fuming with a desire for revenge. It was no longer about the job. It was personal.

Dennis and Richard were already in the hold prepping their gear for the coming extraction.

The Discovery could land and snatch Ashaki before the Yautja got their scent, because if he discovered them, idling around in orbit, they were doomed. The faster they could get in and get out the better.

"Keep a watch on any activity from the ship. I want to know right away if she leaves it," Kade ordered before leaving the bridge for the main hall.

Kade took the small, brightly lit lift down to the lower levels, where the doors opened to the huge cargo hold of the Oculos.

His feet followed the yellow lines painted on the floor, leading past many crates of supplies, but his final destination was the X1 Falcon class Discovery, tucked away in the back.

It was a gift from Weyland-Yutani. Not every mercenary team got the latest model of drop ship. Kade's eyes followed the smooth contours of the black and white truck-size beauty, admiring its snake-headed shape. Unlike the boxy and angular ships he was used to, this one had an elegance to it. It didn't look human, and rumor had it that the entire design was reverse engineered from Yautja tech. Kade didn't believe it until he saw their shit himself. The hatch opened in the rear, not near the fuselage as in previous models. The engines were redesigned for a smoother ride, the ship easily hitting Mach speed in seconds.

Dennis was busy packing extra ammo cartridges into the gear pouches for the ground team as Kade approached. His eyes were tight, his hands performing his task with hidden frustration, a slight shake in his grip. Richard was in the ship, inputting codes into the control panel in a series of flight checks.

The former was the first to notice him, the man scoffing. "What do you want, Kade? Here to babysit us grown men?"

Kade rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"That's my job. Ya know...the asshole manager who watches your every move and criticizes you for the tiniest of mistakes." He smirked, coming closer to lean against the aft of the ship. "I really want to see how our supplies are lookin' for a trip to the ogre's abode."

"Yes, Kade," Richard yelled from the cockpit, "our stock is looking great!"

Why couldn't all of his crew be as good as Richard? He was the most loyal to the bunch. The older man was stoic but steady, the anchor when shit hit the fan in past missions. It was Richard's decades of experience that helped to round out the decision making when Kade was stumped.

"Dennis, I see why you and Richard are a thing. Richard knows how to take a friendly jab." Kade chuckled, ignoring the unamused glare the black man gave him.

The hum of the M41A Dennis held was a silent warning that Kade ignored. Animosity had been building between Kade and Dennis; their professional relationship was breaking down. Ever since Carlos had died, the mood had become hostile.

"You're lucky I haven't left you high and dry, Kade."

Asshole, he mentally hissed.

Just because the job had turned deadly, didn't mean they couldn't work together just a little longer. Once this was all over they could go their separate ways should they wish. This job, coupled with mounting pressure from Dr. Donna Traeger, had managed to create fissures in their group that couldn't be mended. Kade was tired of incompetence anyways.