“You can sniff out despotism by the size of the General’s hats.” B. E. S.

Was it respect, or an abundance of caution? Whatever it was, the crew of the Co’Hwaul gave Besh and Warrior a wide berth. Besh turned into the hangar and paused in the doorway. When he saw the Garjan was not there, a wave of confusion swept through him. Had he missed his ride?

The hangar was filled with rushing bodies, bright jumpsuits, and shouted conversations. The essence of the hangar reached out and slapped the senses. The sounds of repair work, the exclamations of frustration, the smells of solvents, and the shimmer produced by heat. Besh looked for a familiar face but saw none.

Suddenly, the Garjan faded into view. Besh watched it turn and roll forward. A worker signaled the craft into position. As Besh walked toward the craft, the back of the craft lowered to become a loading ramp. Heaven peered from the back and waved Besh up the ramp. Warrior ran ahead for a scratch behind the ear.

Besh hurried up the ramp and was not fully inside as the ramp began to lift. The vibration of a powerful engine shook both craft and bone. The mood was taut.

Driscoll shouted, “Line up, you louts!”

Besh fell in at the end of the line beside Hack. Driscoll moved down the line checking each body harness. Heaven followed locking weapons in place. Driscoll came to Besh. She threw wide his black robe and reached inside. Driscoll reached around and gave the back straps a stout tug. Her face close to his, Driscoll winked and stepped away.

Heaven immediately stepped up to Besh and locked a handgun under his left arm. Heaven received the Over Under from Hack and locked it in the abdominal position. Heaven then took the injector and placed it under his right arm. Giving each strap a final check, Heaven adjusted the mask beneath his chin.

Heaven looked Besh in the eye and said, “The button is below the chin. It cycles through three settings.”

Driscoll’s commanding voice put her team in place. “Saltry, take us out. The rest of you, buckle in.” 

Driscoll took the seat beside Saltry. Besh looked down at his gloved hands. Now that the moment had come, he felt nervous. Ship lights turned red, and Besh could feel the inertia of the Garjan leaving the Co’Hwaul. Sitting just across from Besh, Heaven pulled on her contact gloves and clenched her fists. She looked across at him with a straight face, and Besh knew that Heaven was in combat mode.

Driscoll called over her shoulder, “We will deploy from the western end of the ravine. The area is prone to tremors, so watch for falling rocks.”

Saltry spoke clearly, “The clock is on. Five and go.”

Driscoll said, “Simone and Olaf, eyes on the core. Hack will go high. The level of uncertainty is absolute, so stay on your toes.”

Saltry called out, “Four and go.”

Olaf said to Simone, “Flip you for point.”

Driscoll answered, “Simone will take point.”

Simone complained, “I hate point.”

Hack said, “Eyes on, baby!” He nudged Besh with an elbow, leaned close, and said, “Don’t you worry, old man. I’ll have your back.”

Besh stammered, “Thanks.”

Heaven said, “Just stay close.”

Besh nodded into a brief silence. Saltry called. “Two and go.”

Driscoll called back, “Masks on. Let me hear it.”

Besh struggled to keep up with the Elite. The mask closed over his senses in a suffocating manner. He could see Heaven across from him, and the audio hurt his ears. He fumbled with the chin toggle as the team called out.

Simone said, “Sight is plain.”

Olaf, Hack, and Heaven responded. “Aye!”

Besh answered belatedly.

Simone said, “I’ve got night.” 

The team response was “Aye!”

Simone said, “Heat is hot.”

“Aye!”

Simone said, “Augmented overlay.”

“Aye!”

Saltry called to the team, “Point ten and counting.” he counted to zero.

Driscoll made the call. “Take us in.”

Immediately, Besh felt the pitch of the craft. He reached down and placed a hand on Warrior’s back. Besh could sense a slight increase in the ship’s vibration. The trip between the moon and Uswaan took five minutes Besh reckoned. It was too soon; he felt the ship settle.

Driscoll called, “Zippers up.”

The crew stood; they faced aft. Besh followed and was surprised to see the door opening so soon. He swallowed and took a deep breath. As if Heaven sensed his distress, the woman reached over and put her hand on his arm. He turned to look. Warrior ran down the ramp, and Heaven urged Besh forward. At the bottom of the ramp, Hack began to scale the side of a black hill, while Simone and Olaf led the party of four onto a shard-littered trail. The Garjan rested in place, unseen.

Onboard the Co’Hwaul, Raul settled into the gunner’s seat. He gave a final check as he donned the gloves, and pulled the guidance crown over his head. Sam stood on the catwalk and watched his flawless crew. For the sake of his son, he gave orders in Terran English.

“Navigation,” called the Captain. “Level three.”

Navigation answered, “Level three. Uswaan ships in pursuit.”

“On screen,” called Sam.

The wall screen switched from a single view forward and split into four views. More than a dozen Uswaan warships, mere specks of reflected light, rose up from the sun-lit disk of Uswaan.

Sam called to Navigation, “Evasive tactics. Cycle.”

Navigation answered, “Cycling evasive tactics. On one.”

The warships were close, easily discernible. They had moved from the left to fill the aft view. Bright flashes appeared among their formation.

Navigation called, “They have exited Uswaan space.”

Sam called to Raul, “Return fire.”

Immediately, the left-most warship burst apart in a white-hot ball of fire. The enemy formation was ablaze with the bright flashes of fired weapons. The Co’Hwaul pitched slightly left and righted. Despite the heavy barrage, there was no sound of it on the bridge. Three more enemy warships exploded.

Navigation called, “Rear shielding down. Mid shield is operational. Generating interior.”

Raul called, “I need a yo-yo.”

Remembering the wels on Pendragon, Sam called to Navigation, “Tactic seven.” 

The Co’Hwaul pitched above the line of fire, then immediately pitched below. As the pursuing warships adjusted course, Raul took out five warships in the center of their formation. The enemy was forced into an evasive spread. Raul lit up two ships on the right, then two ships on the left. The pursuit was done. Three enemy warships turned back to Uswaan.

Sam said, “Take us to the far side of their moon.”

Leaping down the three steps, Sam strode to the gunner’s seat and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Good work,” said Sam.

Raul raised the crown and looked up. He spoke past a smile of elation. “Does that mean I get the job?”

Hack found a level spot to stretch out on his belly. He set the APE on its tripod and adjusted the sighting. The cumbersome mask came off, and immediately, he wrinkled his nose. A foul wind blew back his black hood. He slowly swept the northern entrance into the valley. He gave the all-clear in a low even voice.

Besh and Heaven stood between Simone and Olaf. Besh could feel a slight vibration through the soles of his boots. He switched his mask to enhanced and studied the black glassy spires along the footpath. Loose chips fell. Warrior pressed against his leg.

“All clear,” said Hack.

“Move out,” said Driscoll.

Simone led them forward. A rutted path meandered through a surreal landscape. Overhead, dark clouds scudded in a westerly track. Swirling winds whipped their black cloaks. Besh felt a chill even through his E-suit. Just ahead of him, Heaven navigated the rocky path with seasoned expertise.

“We have you in sight,” said Driscoll. “Let’s pick up the pace.”

Olaf quipped, “No pressure. How does a planet get this spooky, anyway?”

“Can the lip,” Driscoll replied.

Besh put his hands in his sleeves and tried to look the part. He kept his head down, his eyes on the trail. Still, he stumbled. Somehow, Besh had to muster the resolve those he walked with knew as second nature. He took stock. His key was around his neck, his bag was tucked in one of the E-suits’ four pockets. In another pocket, Besh carried a weapons charger, just in case the Pirini needed a boost.

“Black! Black!” said the Pirini. “What an evil color.”

“Excuse me?” asked Hack.

Besh apologized. “Sorry. That was my parasite.”

“Reign it in,” said Driscoll with a growl in her voice. “We are about to lose sight of you.”

“I got them,” Hack replied.

After a moment of silence, Olaf asked Besh, “So, it’s like talking to yourself?”

Driscoll cut in. “Olaf! I got your name on tip of my boot.”

The path they were on was a trail through a maze. Simone raised a clenched fist. The team stopped. They stood near a portal; Besh could feel the warmth of his key. It was somewhere to his right beyond a gray bluff. He needed a ruse to find it, and this pause was his opportunity.

Besh said, “I need to step off the path.” He sent Warrior away. “The dog ran off.”