Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3) (22 page)

“—Too close. Break right!”
 

The abrupt audible explosion blasted through her ear piece. Ryker flinched, wondering at first where the sounds had originated.
 

“Watch your back, Rock!” Skylar’s voice penetrated through the static. “Three on your tail.”

“I’ve got them,” Austin shot back. “They’re all over me!”

Ryker felt a tingle at the back of her neck. “Rock, Cheetah, report in.”

“Scorpion, Cheetah. A band of marauders appeared on our patrol route, coming in hard on modified fighters. They suddenly came into view and went straight for Rock as if they knew we were coming.”

Ryker’s gut twisted. “On our way.”

“Hurry!”

Ryker pulled power from her shields, transferring all she could manage into her engines. “Curly, divert power to the engines. Let’s get moving. They need us.”

“Copy, Cap.”

In the distance, the darkness of space flashed with laser fire. The engines rumbled to life as she increased speed, the vibrations rattling her seat. The forward shield flashed violently as a piece of space debris vaporized.
 

Ryker stared at her long range sensors. “Tower, Scorpion. We have engaged four bogeys in patrol sector six. Request backup.”

“Copy, Scorpion. Launching alert fighters.”

With Austin still out of sight in the darkness of space, Ryker watched the sensors display his evasive maneuvers as the three Trident marauders unleashed a barrage of deadly laser fire, filling the black with gleaming flashes of red. The remaining bogey drove Skylar away from the battle, firing lasers and missiles.
 

“I’m hit!” Austin yelled loud enough to cause static over the gamma wave.
 

Ryker’s throat constricted. Icy fingers gripped her heart. “Rock, hang on. I’m nearly there!”

“There’s too many of them,” he snapped. “They’re too good!”
   

Ryker leaned forward in her seat, the three fighters on Austin’s tail beginning to take shape in the darkness. The fighters were flat and saucer-shaped, similar to the original Zahlian fighters but highly modified. An impressive arsenal of lasers and missiles bristled from beneath the wings. Her targeting computer searched for a lock on the closest marauder. “Curly, break off and get that bandit off Cheetah. I’ve got Rock.”

“Copy, Cap. On my way.”

Brylee’s Trident disappeared from her wing, scrambling off to save Skylar. Turning her attention away from the sensors, Ryker focused on her HUD and the targeting computer trying to get a lock on the nearest marauder pursuing Austin’s Trident. The moment her crosshairs touched the bandit, he launched into a deep dive away from the pursuit. In a split second, Ryker decided to chase the fleeing marauder. Her crosshairs blinked yellow as she stayed on the enemy.
 

Two more seconds.
 

The crosshairs burned a blood red, the familiar high-pitched wail of a missile lock filling the air. She squeezed the trigger, watching as the missile blasted from beneath her wing toward the enemy. Trusting in the missile’s capability, she pulled up to head back toward Austin’s remaining attackers. Three seconds later, the locked enemy disappeared from her scope.
 

“Rock, one down.”

“Rear shields gone,” Austin said. “Just took a direct hit to my rear engines. Stunner’s fried my controls.”

“Hang in there,” Ryker said, pulling back on the stick to bear down on the remaining marauders pursuing Austin. “I’ve got them in my sights.”

Laser blasts pummeled the rear of Austin’s Trident. His fighter spun out of control, twisting and spiraling as the marauders moved in close for the kill.

“Too late!” Austin yelled. “I’m hit again … an’t hold … unching out!”

Ryker’s eyes widened as the broken transmission filled her ears. “Rock, Scorpion, I’m right behind—”

“I can’t—”

The gamma wave went silent.
 

Ryker swallowed. “Rock, Scorpion. Do you copy? Rock.” She blinked. “Rock?”

The two marauders broke formation, heading off in different directions. Austin’s Trident, powerless and sparkling as it tumbled through space, remained in front of her. A powerless escape pod spun away from the Trident.
 

Austin.

“Scorpion, Tower.” She heard the gamma wave crackling as if from a far distance. “Report in. We lost a signal. Alert fighters are en route.”

Austin
.
 

Her stomach rolled. Her eyes watered. It had happened. After countless close calls in and out of the Trident cockpit, Austin’s incredible good fortune had come to an end.
 

Using her sensors, she checked the powerless escape pod. No life signs. No power. He was gone.

And she had never told him anything.
 

No, she thought, this is not how this would end.
 

“Tower, Scorpion. Trident down. Request medical Karda ASAP on my current position.” She watched the dark escape pod pass her canopy, then pulled the stick toward the fleeing marauders. “Remaining bogeys are trying to make a run for it.”
   

Clenching her teeth, Ryker set a course to pursue the closest marauder. Through watery eyes, she bounced the crosshairs over her target. The crosshairs blinked yellow, but the bandits activated their Lutimite Drive and fled the scene.

No pillaging or scavenging their kills. They showed up like predators from the dark.
 

Austin
.
 

“Do you have an ETA on that Karda?” Ryker asked, her voice cracking with the last word.
 

“Scorpion, Tower. Karda’s en route to your position. Maintain a patrol around the area.”

She closed her eyes, pursed her lips. “Copy,” she whispered.

“Scorpion, Cheetah,” Skylar said over the gamma wave, her voice breathless. “Where’s Rock?”

Ryker hesitated. “He’s gone.”
 

“Gone?” She paused. “Where?”

Ryker looked up at the stars, then turned to stare at Binus. “Set up a perimeter patrol around the escape pod,” she whispered. “We are waiting for the Karda.”

“What?” Skylar whispered. “Where … is he?”

Ryker frowned, banking to stare at the powerless escape pod she was unable to assist. “Maintain radio silence, Cheetah.”

Skylar’s voice cracked before the transmission ended.
 

Ryker stared out at the empty space, her mind struggling to catch up with what just happened. Was it possible? Everything had transpired so quickly. Austin was in trouble before she could react. She knew battles occurred with a speed difficult to comprehend, but this time was different.
 

She slumped over her controls, the emotions taking over. Reaching forward, she shut down her transmissions. She needed a moment.
 

This time, she lost the only man she had ever loved. She lifted the helmet’s visor and placed her hand on her face. Closing her eyes, she pictured Austin’s face. She would never see him again.

In the solace of her Trident, Ryker wept.

*****

The
Formidable’s
hangar bay doors crept across their path. Ryker leaned back in her cockpit, feeling the sweat in her flight suit. The medical Karda had retrieved the escape pod … Austin’s escape pod. She and Skylar had escorted the Karda back to the
Formidable
while the other Star Runners remained to guard the retrieval operation of Austin’s Trident. Ryker had landed adjacent to Skylar, saw her gaze fixated on the medical Karda containing Austin’s escape pod.
 

Please be all right. Please make it, Austin.
 

But she knew the truth. The escape pod had no power, which meant there was no life support. Fifteen minutes had passed since Austin’s Trident had been shot down. That meant Austin had been without air for … too long.
 

The hangar bay door shut, the interior lighting shifting immediately from a crimson to a fluorescent white. Skylar’s canopy opened just before the hangar had secured. She pushed it open, forcing her way out of the Trident. Before Ryker had even removed her flight restraints, Skylar sprinted across the flight deck toward Austin’s Karda, dropping her helmet. She halted in front of the Karda’s door, pounding her fists on the hatch.
 

Ryker descended to the deck and slid her helmet off slowly, knowing she had no reason to rush. She wiped her tears from her face before the crew could notice. The cool air of the hangar felt refreshing on her damp scalp, but it did nothing to help with the nausea churning in her gut. As she marched toward the medical Karda, the hatch opened, and the medics pushed Skylar back.
 

“Is he okay?” Skylar asked, gasping. “Is he going to make it?”
 

The medics brought Austin out on a gurney. Skylar’s hands went to her face. “Austin! AUSTIN! No, no, no.”

“Get back, Lieutenant—we have to get him to sickbay,” the lead medic said.

“NO!” Skylar shrieked before taking two steps back and falling to one knee on the deck. Her wet hair tumbled down around her ears as she shook her head.
 

Ryker approached, stopping a few strides behind Skylar, who stared at the medics rushing Austin toward the infirmary. As they always did when a wounded Star Runner came back, the flight deck crew watched in silence as Austin disappeared into the infirmary. Speechless, Star Runners on deck watched, some from their opened canopies and others from beside their Tridents.
 

“Lieutenant,” Ryker said. When Skylar didn’t answer and remained concentrated on the infirmary doors, she took another step forward and whispered. “Skylar.”

Skylar’s head snapped toward Ryker, her bloodshot eyes flashing.
 

“Don’t,” she said, seething. “Just don’t.”

Ryker recoiled, shocked at the venom Skylar exerted with her tone. As Skylar stood to look at her, Ryker held her gaze, but couldn’t find the words.
 

Skylar’s eyes closed to mere slits. She rushed off toward the infirmary. Bear led other Tizona Star Runners to meet her at the hatch, and they rushed down the infirmary corridor together.
 

“Captain,” Major Braddock’s voice boomed in the retrieval bay. “Report.”

Ryker turned to face her commanding officer. “I will get it to you right away.”

“No, Captain,” he said softly. “I don’t need a report full of statistics and narrative. I want to know your status.”

Ryker blinked, her eyes still blurry. “Status?”
 

Braddock glanced over his shoulder. When he did, the crew on the flight deck scurried back to work. Braddock took another step toward her. “I want to know if you’re all right.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You’ve lost a Star Runner, and you’re still on the flight deck.”

Ryker blinked. “Sir?”

“You know he won’t make it,” Braddock whispered.

The words fell over Ryker in slow motion. Her chin quivered. A tear spilled onto her cheek and slid down her face.
 

“I know,” she finally said, her voice trembling.
 

Braddock nodded toward the infirmary. “Then get in there, Captain. Your Star Runners will need you now more than ever.”

The swelling in her throat increased. Her brow crinkled. “Yes, sir.”

She saluted, and Braddock released her.
 

Ryker made her way toward the infirmary as if she trudged through quicksand. She passed through the crews transferring the Tridents to maintenance as if she couldn’t even see them. She wiped at her face, raising her head and swelling her chest to march with confidence.
 

She left the steel walls and grease of the flight deck to emerge into the white walls of the infirmary. Nurse Mary Tomas sat at the desk, typing furiously into a computer. Ryker had spoken to her only a few times on her previous tour but found Tomas to be kind, compassionate and efficient at her job. She glanced up, her attention still on the computer.
 

“Can I help you, Captain?” Tomas asked.
   

Ryker cleared her throat. “I, uh—sorry. I am here to be—I’m here to check with the Tizona Star Runners who came through here.”

Tomas stopped typing, expression vanishing from her face. “Captain, they were in observation room three. But they went back to the locker.”

Ryker clenched her teeth, her jaw muscles bulging. “I see.”

“Lieutenant Stone was DOA.” She frowned, staring at her. “I am so sorry.”

The words hit her hard. She stepped back, trying to resist the urge to run back to her quarters. She stared down at the floor, taking in a deep breath. “Always hard to lose … a comrade.”

Tomas nodded, her kind blue eyes looking at Ryker with a compassion that could not do anything to ease the pain.

Ryker shook her head and slowly turned to head back into the corridor.
 

It’ll be okay, she thought. Project strength to show honor toward the fallen. This is no different from any other fallen comrade. No different at all. Be there for your Star Runners. Braddock said they needed her. This was no different.
 

But it was.
 

She was in charge, and she lost the only man she ever loved.
 

She slid her gloved hand on the wall as she strolled through the corridor, thinking of the last time she saw Austin in the hallway before the flight. He exuded confidence. She wanted him to hold her tight, tell her this was all a terrible mistake. His face flashed in her mind again, the shape of his lips, the smell of his skin.
 

Stop it.
 

She paused outside the Star Runners’ locker room, heard voices speaking quietly. Lingering at the edge of the hatch, she listened to their conversations. Although she heard the voices, she couldn’t make out the details. She took a deep breath and entered.
 

Six Tizona Star Runners sat in a semi-circle, all placing their hands on Skylar’s shoulders. Skylar wept, her head resting on one knee. Bear glanced up at Ryker as she entered, his eyes swollen and red. He tried to nod, but his composure faded, and he looked up at the ceiling.