Assassin

Chapter Four

     Taiven knew something was wrong the moment he opened his eyes, it was hot, and for some reason he could see stars in the sky above him.  Something wet was running down his forehead, he could smell fire, and a heavy object was leaning awkwardly on his head.  Reaching up he pushed the control panel off his forehead, the sight of it brought his memory flooding back.  He wiped at his head, his fingers coming away covered in something dark and sticky, blood.

     “Tiaf,” someone said hoarsely.

     “Adra?”  Taiven asked, shoving the weapons apparatus off his legs.  He stood up, the world around him swayed a little, then steadied.  The ship was in tatters, burning in places, split open in others to reveal the world outside.  Something at his feet caught his attention, it was Slanik, the weapons operator.  Reaching down, Taiven was about to check the other man for a pulse, when he noticed that one side of the weapons operator’s chest had been crushed by the apparatus that had trapped his own legs.  His eyes were wide open, staring up at Taiven, lifeless.

     “Hunter,” Adra called hoarsely, “is that you?”

     Leaving the weapons operator, Taiven headed for the pilot, who was still strapped into her seat.  Her seat was nearer the ships controls than it had been, the controls shunted back by impact with the ground, and now Taiven could see that there was very little left of the transporters nose.  He could also see trees, right outside the flightscreen, trees illuminated in the darkness by the fire at the rear of the ship.

     Glancing at Captain Kedra as he headed for Adra, it was clear to Taiven that the Captain was dead, his seat had been ripped free of its fixings and his head had clearly made heavy contact with the flightscreen.  Turning his attention to the pilot, rounding the back of her seat, Taiven took in the situation in seconds.  Adra’s legs were ruined, crushed by the control panel in front of her, and she was dying.  A piece of the nose, one of the structural support rods, had been thrust through her control panel and into her chest, impaling her where she sat.

     “I got us down,” she gasped, her hoarseness due to her injuries, “we made it.”  She sounded happy, Taiven frowned.  Adra turned her head a little, to look at Taiven, she smiled.  “You’d better get out of here,” she said, “the ship is on fire.”

     Knowing there was nothing he could do, Taiven hesitated anyway.  He wanted to help the pilot, to save her somehow, but even his healing skills had limitations.  “If I was able to feel emotions,” he told her, “I would feel awe at your bravery, and sorrow that this happened to you.”

     Adra smiled.  “Get out of here hunter,” she said, “there’s nothing you can do and we both know it.  I knew there were risks when I became a pilot.”

     Taiven nodded, about to leave, then changed his mind.  Crouching beside Adra he put one hand on her neck and held her chin with the other.

     “What are you doing?” She asked, suddenly slightly afraid.

     “Relax,” he told her, staring deeply into her eyes, “I’m not going to do anything to hurt you.  Relax and let the pain wash away, let yourself feel sleepy, I’m here with you and you’re safe.”

     “Safe,” Adra whispered, slipping under his control.

     “You don’t feel a thing, no pain, no fear.” He told her, his grip tightening on her neck and jaw.

     “No fear,” she repeated, barely above a whisper.

     “You’re in a field, a field filled with beautiful flowers,” he continued, still staring into her eyes.  She was there, in the field, he could see it in her mind.  Adra was happy, dancing among the flowers, there was no fear and no pain.