Raven Tide

6: Iddril (Chyani)

I spent the majority of the trip pacing back and forth, but I did manage to make time and scavenge for food. There was a modest kitchenette tucked behind the bedroom, complete with a small freezer packed full of meat. Fortunately, the amenities were straightforward to navigate, and it only took a few button clicks to thaw and cook a piece of unidentifiable meat.

"So, he doesn't always eat his food raw... Maybe that's reserved solely for camping."

I found a tap that dispensed water but no cups and ended up snagging a glass beaker from the med bay.

"Good enough," I rewarded my meager success with a self-satisfied nod.

For Raven Tide's sake, I needed to be physically ready for whatever was waiting for me on that moon.

What the hell am I doing?

I barely knew him and here I was, heading into the mouth of a heavily armed enemy like a naïve lunatic. This definitely wasn't the outcome he wanted.

This had to be suicide. I didn't know the first thing about tactical combat or spycraft, but I had to try.

Didn't he do the same for me? He was better trained and equipped, but he still risked his life.

An oscillating tone rang out from the bridge, and my stomach immediately constricted.

It's time!

I ran to the bridge and found the main display highlighting safe options to land.

"Guessing covert is what you were made for," I patted Venom Heart's captain chair.

There were sensors galore streaming mounds of intel about the moon and the compound housing Raven Tide's life sign.

"Dang, his people don't mess around."

The charts and lines of data were lost on me, but so much about this Zhaguai technology was intuitive. I had to see how far it would take me.

I pressed Raven Tide's dot and the image expanded, churning out in-depth maps and multiple potential paths of entry with the least resistance. Some were shorter but in red, while others were long and yellow.

"Ok, nothing coming up easy and green," I fidgeted and clicked my fingernails together. "Can I pull these up on his gauntlet?"

It took a little bit of careful inspection, but eventually, I got the map to sync.

"There, that'll be helpful later if I make it to the surface... What about disguises?" I was back into my jogging clothes because that spotted outfit was a giant target.

I need to do this like in high school, get in, get out, stay quiet, and avoid getting noticed.

The only items Raven Tide wore that weren't armor were his trinkets and a loincloth.

That's not going to happen.

I went to the bedroom and ran my fingers over the walls for hidden panels and sensors until at last something opened. Within sat a cramped, self-contained work table. There were tools organized on the walls and a silver panel to my right.

The screen came alive when my body heat made contact and I scrolled through the menus until I found a section with shapes of clothing. There weren't any shirts, only vests and a large variety of sarongs and pants.

"Will it make these? Can it even comprehend my size?"

I pressed the icon that looked like start and waited to see if what I selected would be produced.

Suddenly, a fan of green laser lights swished around my body and then blipped off abruptly, followed by a soft vibration and a green diode zipping side to side inside a slit on the silver panel.