Ancient Hunter
Chapter 63

I got up off the floor of the shuttle bay gazing at the neat row of items I’d placed there. Then I glanced at the empty equipment harness in hand. I supposed this was necessary but I was itching to get moving.

“That was the easy part,” Jervic commented. He was standing beside me in combat armour we all were.

“I hate this bit,” Kelli groaned. She’d spent the last five minutes shouting out the contents of our harnesses as we laid the items on the floor.

It was time to put it all back. I hated to admit it I hadn’t really taken the time to fully engage with this type of group activity.

“Right ladies!” a voice called out. “And I do mean ladies.” I saw Freyhilda glance at Jervic and Denassi. “Pack it away.”

I heard a chorus of groans from Freyhilda’s Marines so it must be a universal thing.

“Come on I don’t want us to be the last to the party!” Freyhilda said in her best parade ground voice.

This was a side of Freyhilda I hadn’t seen before more business like. I suppose it was because she wasn’t just with Valkyrie. She had my team with her. I was nominally in charge, which I was a bit surprised by yet Xenai had affirmed it.

We packed the contents back into the harness, a harder task than taking them out. I had a few difficulties putting some of it back and found myself muttering curses under my breath. Freyhilda was following military protocols as far as I could see. There must be a practical explanation of these actions. Finally I managed to pack it all back into harness and copied the others in securing it over my combat armour.

“Move faster Initiate!” Freyhilda barked at me. “Don’t let the Silver Guard down.”

A fact I couldn’t forget when dealing with Valkyrie. The Elders had done that made me an Initiate in the Valkyrie Silver Guard.

“Yes ma’am!” I responded with a smart Confed salute.

“That’s Sarge to you, Initiate.”

“Yes Sarge!”

“Weapon check!” Freyhilda commanded.

We were all issued with a Coil Assault Gun, a Seven Double ‘M’ and a combat knife. I copied the others as they set out their weapons and ammo in a line just like we did with the other equipment. We’d been issued with both standard and explosive ammunition for the Coil Assault Guns, Three clips of explosive to five of standard ammunition. Four for the Seven Double ‘M’s.

“Strip and clear!” Freyhilda ordered.

At least this was an activity I was more familiar with. Thirika had taught me to do this, strip down a Coil Assault Gun. I stripped down and reassembled the weapon with comparative ease beating both my team and Freyhilda’s squad.

“Faster!” Freyhilda said to her squad. “ You’re not going to let an Initiate with the Silver Guard beat you?”

“Sarge!” I protested. “It’s not fair?”

“On you being faster or for us for being such laggards?” Freyhilda nodded to me. “We have much to learn?” she admitted.

“Are we finished here?” A new voice interjected.

I glanced across to the pilot of our shuttle. A female T’Arni her blonde hair cut into a military bob. She was wearing a vacc suit the cross between Security Armour and a space suit. It consisted of a plated cuirass with attachments for hoses and other equipment. The legs and arms in vacuum protected cloth. In her hand was a helmet that looked a bit like a fish bowl. It wasn’t a bulky as a pressure suit but ideal for use in space.

“Get aboard and store your gear.” Freyhilda ordered.

We all clambered aboard. It was a tight fit with the larger than average Valkyrie. The excess gear not immediately needed was stored in racks above the seats. We were still milling about finding space for everyone when the pilot entered.

“Lieutenant Hunter you’re with me. Take the co-pilot’s console.”

I opened my mouth to ask why but closed it. I’d gone beyond asking ‘why me’ long ago. I couldn’t fight fate I just did what I was told in these situations.

I sat in the co-pilot’s seat and strapped myself in. I felt a little odd sitting here I was normally seated in the pilot’s seat.

“Door sealed, depressurising the bay, hangar doors opening.”

Through the front window if the shuttle I could see flashing orange lights and with our facing I saw the hangar doors slowly open. I felt the engines come to life as the pilot powered up the engines. The shuttle effortlessly lifted from the bay floor and edged out into space. There was no turning back now. The T’Arni pilot put on a burst of speed once it was free of the ship. We flew to join other shuttles at a rendezvous point. I hadn’t been privy to what the plan was. I’d just been briefed on what the plan was when we reached the Goliath. She guided the shuttle into the formation and hovered there waiting.

“Central waiting for link up,” The T’Arni said through her comms.

I didn’t know what that meant it wasn’t anything I’d been trained in. I’d just have to see how this played out and learn from that. “Link up?” I asked.

“We link up with the drop ships and tow them. Drop ships are too slow to reach the target on time at this range. We give them a burst of speed and they coast in on our shirt tails.”

I was surprised that the T’Arni was speaking like she was an Imperial. I couldn’t tell anything from her accent. But I guessed she was an Imperial since the Valorous Star was an Alliance ship with both Confeds and Imperials working together. It sort of made sense with what she was saying. They’d tow the drop ships with a tractor beam.

“Link is green!” the T’Arni announced to her comms. She concentrated on her console.

I was merely a passenger all control was with her.

“Central do we have a go?” the T’Arni glanced to me. “Hold onto your panties girl.”

I felt a jerk as the inertial dampeners kicked in. We propelled forward dragging a drop ship in our wake. We flew through the asteroid belt emerging into the space behind it. Ahead of us was the debris field scattered with the skeletons of ships dismantled for parts. Something dark zoomed past us heading deeper into the system. One of the Alliance frigates followed by another shadowing them the bulk of a Confed style light cruiser the Constance I assumed. In the direction the ships had headed I saw brief flashes of light followed by a bright glare that rapidly faded.

“Shit that was the Hood!” The T’Arni blurted out.

One of the two Alliance frigates, I took it that the T’Arni knew which one it was.

“All shuttles prepare for an Anoxi drop!”

I’d heard the phrase before but was unsure it meaning.

“Release drop ships on my mark!” The T’Arni touched something on her console.

“Anoxi drop?” I had to ask the question.

The T’Arni didn’t answer but said. “Take off your helmet and stow it securely.”

I did as she asked not understanding why, she must have had a good reason.

The T’Arni turned on the intercom. “Remove helmets and pass around the sick bags for those that need them. I want none of your vomit on my floors the stuff will stink for weeks.” The T’Arni regarded me carefully. “That means you as well?”

I prepared myself for the worst even though I didn’t know what was coming next.

The T’Arni turned back to her console. “Accelerate to light and drop!”

I felt the shuttle speed up and a sudden lurch as the T’Arni tapped her console. “Drop ships released. Anoxi drop in five, four, three, two, one!”

The shuttle jerked as it was pulled into a high speed spin. She continued her wild manoeuvres. I felt myself thrown about in my seat only my seat harness holding me in place. I wondered how the others were feeling and it was easy to see why she’d said remove your helmets. A face full of vomit was the last thing you needed.

“Are you sure this is achieving anything?” I said thorough clenched teeth while my stomach heaved.

The shuttle took another violent turn.

“If stops us from being hit I’m all for it!” the T’Arni replied.

A number of high speed shadows flashed past us coming from the direction of our travel.

“Incoming activating the turret!”

I stared hard at the T’Arni. “This shuttle has turrets?” The only shuttle I encountered that was armed was one on Alfheimir. But that had a only been a heavy coil gun mounted on a swivel. The T’Arni tapped an icon on her console and a joystick popped out on the armrest on my seat. A holo appeared above my console with crosshairs and a number of dots both red and blue.

“Small bursts take out the closest only,” the T’Arni ordered.

This was a less sophisticated set up than the Independence. The shuttle jerked again making it difficult to aim let alone determine the target.

The turret seemed to calibrate to the T’Arni’s wild flying. A red dot centred on the crosshairs and I pulled the trigger on the joystick. The red dot blinked out.

Suddenly above us appeared the hulking shadow of a Confed cruiser. Flashes of light sparked around the cruiser. The red dots blinked out on my holo threat eliminated.

“Constance to all shuttles the gates are open!” an unfamiliar voice called out over the comms.

The shuttle continued on. All that twisting and turning was starting to make me feel queasy. If I was feeling like this then how were the rest feeling? I jerked forward as the shuttle rapidly decelerated.

“Shields are up!” the T’Arni barked alarmed. “All shuttles reduce speed now!”

A number of intensely bright flashes filled space almost like they were mini suns.

“Shield breakers the EMP should disrupt them.”

The T’Arni powered up and we speed forward. I was almost sucked into the seat. I felt as if a giant weight was pressing down on me. A feeling I didn’t like, I felt like I was under a suppresser beam on Saros. That was when to of Veronica’s thugs had kidnapped me. Turning it off had the opposite effect it was tearing my cells part. Kelli saved that day it had been painful but I was alive because of her.

The shields rippled a faint bluish light surrounded the shuttle. We edged through the shield. We were through I don’t know what would be waiting for us but for now we were inside the Goliath’s shields.

“All ships are through!” the T’Arni said relieved. “Proceed to your LZs!” she spoke to her comms.

The Goliath loomed up in front blotting out the light from the systems sun. I felt a shiver as we closed in it was huge bigger than anything I could have ever imagined. The shuttle slowed seeking a way in. We slipped into a vast bay the hanger doors to it missing. The world finally stopped spinning as the T’Arni levelled the shuttle out. She powered the shuttle down and we grounded with a gentle bump. I was glad to be on the ground.

“Helmets on!” the T’Arni called out.

I put on my helmet and adjusted the seals. I was ready to go.

The T’Arni gave me a nod. “ I will depressurise the cabin when you give the word?”

“Thanks,” I replied. I was grateful we arrived in one piece.

“Don’t mention it.”

I released my seat restraints and exited the cockpit. A couple of Freyhilda’s squad and Kelli looked a bit green around the gills. Jervic and the others looked fine.

“Ok?” I asked them. I was most concerned with Kelli.

“We’ll be fine.” Jervic glanced at Freyhilda.

“Helmets on and check the seals,” I ordered.

Combat armour was space capable only for a short duration. Freyhilda handed over small canisters that clipped to the armour. It extended the breathable air for a couple of hours. Freyhilda checked everyone’s armour and I checked hers. It was time.

“Pilot depressurise the cabin.”

“Depressurising now!”

There was a distinct hiss as the air was pumped out of the cabin. I had a moments panic about the lack of air. It was stupid I was ok. Once the air pressure was zero the shuttle door slid open. Freyhilda and her squad were first out spreading out in a semi circle their weapons at the ready. My team and I followed her out. I was glad we still had gravity I hated to admit it I never had any zero-gee training. We were out and we had a task to do.

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