The Astronites II: Avast Voyage

Chapter Twelve: Marooned

A single missile, fired from the Samson, cracked open Star's eggshell-fragile window and instantaneously disemboweled the entire fleetjet. The levitating chairs flew out into space, along with an unconscious Natalie, who hit her head on the uppermost edge of Star and left behind a floating, bloody trail. Yona and Ranger, who had been protected in the explosion thanks to their helmets, chased after Natalie. They grabbed her flailing arms and delicately returned her to Star's shadowy confines, staying out of sight from the distant Mandata warships.

Ranger inspected the gash across Natalie's forehead and picked out tiny pieces of glass.

"Dammit," he winced. "This is gonna leave a permanent blackbite."

"I don't think so," Yona said through her earpiece. "Natalie's an Astronite. Her body heals better than ours."

"Still, we should get this wrapped up before Goldie wakes up," Ranger assessed. "Where's the dog? He's got the medical supplies."

Yona looked out into space. "I thought he . . . where'd Ador go? He was just here!"

To her bewildered surprise, Ador was nowhere to be seen. Yona checked her battlesuit's radar. Nothing came up. She, Natalie, and Ranger were the only living beings within miles.

Ranger rapidly tapped his earpiece. "I can't reach Command Castle. The Mandata are jamming our communications. You know what that means."

"They're looking for us," Yona muttered. "What do we do? Fight?"

Ranger tsked and waved his hand, leaving Natalie to Yona's care. He maneuvered his way to the other side of the blasted window and scouted the outside.

"We were betrayed," he whispered, drawing his missilor. "The Samson didn't appear commandeered or taken over by enemy forces. I'd say Admiral Blosam sold us out to the Mandata. That's why he stopped talking to us. Look. There's a Mandata battalion coming towards us. Anywhere between seven hundred to one thousand soldiers flying our way as we speak."

Yona felt as though somebody had dropped a piano on our head. "W-What do we do?"

"We use time to our advantage," Ranger diagnosed. "The Mandata know we're here. They won't return to their warships without one of us in cuffs."

He suddenly tossed Yona his missilor.

"Your battlesuits conceal your heat signatures," Ranger reminded her. "Take Goldie into the bedroom, barricade the door, and hide. If you think about coming out, I'll kill you before the Mandata do, understand?"

"You . . . you're going to let them take you?" Yona pieced together.

"They won't kill me," Ranger estimated. "Not before they try to get some information out of me, which they won't, but I'll make them believe they will. Don't worry, Shadow captain. I'm a gifted actor. For now, you focus on hiding and then getting the hell out of this place."

Yona fervently shook her head. "No! We can't split up!"

"Shut up!" Ranger angrily replied. "The battalion's a minute away! If you don't get in that room right now, it'll be you who gets fed to the Mandata and me who stays behind!"

Yona's voice was stuck in her throat. She felt her arms and legs move of their own accord, directing her backjet to take her and Natalie into the bedroom.

"This isn't the end, Shadow Captain Reed," Ranger promised her. "I've lived this tale countless times. You'll see. Everything will be fine."

Yona turned her back on Ranger and entered the dark bedroom. The beds and chests were mostly intact, but badly scorched. After stowing the limp Natalie into one of the bunk beds, where she levitated in place, Yona then sealed the door and placed anything she could get her hands on to form a makeshift barrier — mattresses, pillows, blankets, even bedsheets. When the work was complete, she joined Natalie in the far corner of the room and patiently waited for what was to come. She muted her earpiece and listened to Ranger's measured breathing.