SECOND DRAFT: Hard Bank Left

41

"Wait. Wait a minute. Back up a few steps. You do realize that it's just us, right? I mean, we only have three ships." Krys stood at the edge of a the planning table in the Polaris's bridge, her arms splayed emphasizing the obviousness of their conundrum to the rest of those present. Based on expectant stares of not only Alasier, but also Christian, Raide and, of all people, Tawni.

"Three ships armed to the teeth." Raide crossed her arms, looking much more like herself than she had of late.

"Three ships carrying a small army," Tawni added.

Krys's hands dropped to the table, her eyes drooping. What was the point on trying to get them to see reason if they weren't going to listen anyway? "Yes, of course. We're more armed than we have been in a good long while. Sure." She found herself leaning forward and gesturing emphatically as she carried on. "But the thing that everyone is forgetting is that Chicago is letting Ero back with open arms and already has a well-armed task force."

Alasier moved with an air of condescension, leaning back as he drummed the fingertips of his right hand on the table. "One that we have been beating down for the better part of the last thirty two hours."

Someone stepped forward. "Thirty two hours that have lost us six planes and two airships." It was Coran. "I'm running out of pilots."

"And gunners," added Mizella as she stepped forward, towering over her husband. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, looked in Krys's direction. Her look was one of reassurance as she spoke toward Alasier. "And I may be damn good, but I'm not that good. I can't shoot everyone out of the sky."

Krys smiled a grateful smile at these, her two remaining friends from her academy days. Coran caught the smile and nodded. Likewise, Mizella's mouth twitched as she turned back to the group. Following her gaze, Krys found Graham, standing immediately across from her.

His eyes focused on her as he spoke. "What they're saying is that we're running out of time. We can't just waste our time. We need to get in and get out and we need to do it soon."

"That was the point," cut in Christian, the skin on his neck blotching red in his frustration. "That was the entire point."

"Calm down, Christian."

"No. I'm losing friends out there. Can we stop bickering about numbers and get down to brass tacks already?"

Never having seen Christian so irate, Krys found herself unsure of how to react. "I was only saying--"

Christian exploded. "You were only wasting our time!"

Hell broke loose in a series of overlapping voices and arguments.

"No, wasting our time was not following through with the communications I laid down so that we could get the information we needed on Constantine's travel plans so that we could intercept," Krys spat, her own anger rising to match his.

Whispers in the back cut their way forward, "It was a waste of time to come here," and "Then why even bother coming?"

"You mean the communications that got my people killed?" Tawni hissed.

Graham cut in with a pointing finger. "Hey, we tried to warn you. But did you listen?"

"No, I was too busy imprisoning the man that made mass manufacturing of the Adelaide-based jumpdrive fuel possible in the first place!"

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yeah."

"I have no idea."