Star Storm

Chapter Nineteen

Where the Watch Failed to Watch

Too much occurred at once for Kael to be sure what was happening.

Laser light flashed, Cyre swore and the window to his left was covered with a shield of metal. Orders were being barked, the commander's and Amara's voice bouncing off the walls. Officers were running, the sound of their footsteps getting louder. Kael stood still amongst it all, not knowing whether he should fight or beg for mercy.

Unsurprisingly, his companions decided for him. They fired their blasters swiftly, not aiming at anything in particular, and dragged Kael down the corridors of the ship. A warning light flickered overhead, transforming the corridors from simple white hallways to crazy coloured chambers.

Something hit the back of his foot and Kael stumbled, falling into Cyre.

"Sorry," he muttered, regaining his balance. The floor behind his ankle had been hit but no harm had been done to his body.

They rounded a corner and ducked into a room, the sound of the door opening and closing masked by the Celestial Watch officers' shouts. Kael ducked low in the shadows and let Amara and Cyre discuss what they would do next. He desperately wanted to disappear.

You've got to think and stay alert. Fix the problem. Amara and Cyre will forgive you easier if you try to make-up for breaking cover. Doing nothing will make things worse.

"We can use the ventilation system to avoid being detected," Kael pipped up. His courage to speak was surprising, but he knew it was the right thing to do. These rogues favoured actions over words and if he had any chance of smoothing things over, this was it.

A heartbeat later Amara and Cyre were discarding their disguises so they could slip into the vent overhead. Amara went first, her blaster at the ready, then Kael was pushed up. Since Cyre was the tallest, she was last, her long arms easily reaching up to take hold of Amara's outstretched hand.

"Awfully cosy in here," she grunted.

The vent was a fine size for Kael and Amara – both could walk in a low crouch – but Cyre did not fit in the same position. Instead, she pulled herself along on her front. The belt she worse scrapped against the vent when she moved. With no room for her to remove the belt, they were forced to move slower and more cautiously.

Amara held up her fist upon reaching a metal grate.

Below was the main service room, filled with officers who were ignoring their duties. Swinging on their chairs, the men and women passed a ball between them, throwing jokes at the same time as the toy. It would be impossible for Cyre to get past without altering them someone was in the ventilation.

Amara put a finger to her lips as Kael opened his mouth to ask what they would do next. Slowly, she turned to watch the Celestial Watch members. The ball landed in the hands of a large alien, her long eyes blinking at twice the speed of a human's.

"Ha," the alien said loudly. "That Valour has no valour at all. Went running after his girl without any second thoughts."

"Only scum would abandon their post," the next to catch the ball said. Kael found the stranger to be highly hypocritical considering he himself was doing no work. With another laugh, the officer passed the ball.

"Why'd he run off anyway?" the third asked.

"I heard his wife died."

The ball reached the hands of the female alien again and she kept the toy tucked to her chest. "Aye, she did die. Her ship got struck down by some pirates. But that isn't why he left the Watch. No, no."