Mission 4-2-7

Montis

Alex walked over to the window and looked out at the breathtaking view of the towering mountains, which were outlined by the rising sun.

She had come home to her native planet of Montis, which was in the Silvanian system, because of the change of the government. The new government was too controlling, and Alex hated working with them. She had chosen to come to Montis, because it was in the outer reaches of the known galaxy, and wouldn't be affected by the new government for a few years.

Except, she had been a high-class officer in the fleet, raised from birth to lead it, and the government was hunting her down. Alex didn't know exactly why the new government wanted her so badly, but it couldn't be good.

Alex sighed and pushed the sobering thoughts out of her head. She was going to have a nice, calm day today and nothing was going to ruin it.

Then Alex glanced out the window again, and what she saw nearly made her growl in frustration and anger.

Garth Black was walking towards the house. He was likable enough, but on a mission a few years earlier, he had made a mistake that resulted in the failure of the mission and the death of Alex's brother.

Alex's good mood was instantly crushed. What could Garth possibly want? She wasn't concerned about him finding her because they had been friends as children, and they had played in the cabin together often, but she could feel her temper rising at seeing him again.

Cautiously, Alex crept over to the door and opened it. Garth saw her and waved. Alex just glared at him as he climbed the stairs up to the door.

"Good morning," Garth said nervously.

"What do you want?" Alex asked curtly.

"I need help, Alex," Garth pleaded.

"You killed my brother. Why should I help you?" Alex growled.

"It was a mistake," Garth objected.

"It's your fault he's dead," Alex hissed.

Garth was quiet for a minute, then said, "Alex, please. Thane is chasing me down. You trained him, you are the only one who can protect me."

"Why is Thane chasing you down?" Alex asked, now mildly interested. Thane had been a talented student and close friend of Alex, but he had turned against her and was the main reason the new government had taken control.

Garth could see he had struck her curiosity and said, "I'm not completely sure, but I think it's because of mission 4-2-7. Thane is looking for everyone that was part of that mission, including you and me."

Alex let out a gasp of shock, then mumbled some angry words as she opened the door and began walking through the cabin. "How does Thane know about mission 4-2-7? Has he caught anyone yet?"

Garth shrugged as he followed her into the cabin. He watched as Alex opened up a closet and began pulling out packs. She tossed one to Garth.

"Put that on. We're leaving," She ordered as she pulled on another of the packs. Garth put on the pack and helped Alex grab the other things in the closet.

"Were you expecting trouble?" he asked.

"I'm always expecting trouble," Alex answered. "That's why I'm still alive. Did you check to see if you were followed?"

Garth opened his mouth to answer, then stopped, looking guilty.

"Dang you, Garth", Alex muttered.