Through the Ghost
Chapter 16

The two of them stood on opposite sides of the cockpit, waiting for Anna to awake from the temporary coma Griff had put her in. She was strapped into one of the chairs while the two operatives discussed how best to handle her.

“What setting did you even use?” Tal inquired.

“Seven.”

“Seven? Were you planning to keep her comatose the entire journey?”

Griff shrugged.

We have company, Allie informed him.

At that moment, an alarm began to ring out from the ship’s navigation console. They immediately looked up to see a massive Council warship hovering above them.

“They have requested us to enter their repair bay, in order for them to inspect he ship,” Griff’s A.C. informed them. “I have an incoming transmission from Admiral Galenson, should I transmit?”

“Go ahead,” Griff told him.

The alarm ceased and the holographic image of a man dressed in regal navy attire appeared on the console. His hair was pulled back into a singular ponytail, commendation medals adorned the left side of his chest, and his mouth was set in a stern compression of his lips.

“I am Admiral Galenson, commander of the Council vessel Haven’s Song, in service of Councilman Sandrian. I am looking for a dangerous fugitive last spotted on the pirate settlement of Boca Alacran. According to our scanners your vessel recently touched down there.”

“If you simply wanted to chat Admiral, you could have just contacted us, no need to bring us aboard,” Griff responded.

“Normally this would be true, but our spies on the settlement claimed to have seen the fugitive in question being loaded onto your ship. It’s my job to verify that assertion.”

Tal waited anxiously for Griff to respond.

“Admiral, feel free to come aboard, we have nothing to hide,” Griff replied.

“I appreciate your cooperation Operative. My men will be there shortly.” With that, the image disappeared. Griff stepped forward and began guiding the ship towards the massive vessel.

“So that’s it then, you’re just going to hand her over to them,” Tal said accusingly.

“I’m considering it,” Griff answered. “In the meantime, we should make sure we’re ready to meet the boarding party.”

They walked down the brightly lit hallway towards the loading bay of the ship. His stomach churned at the thought that he’d found Anna only to hand her over to a Council Admiral.

“You really think she’ll forgive you for this?” Tal asked.

“Anna’s opinion of me has never been very high.”

“I meant Jaya.”

“Jaya would understand the need to put the greater good before personal loyalties,” Griff replied confidently.

“Bullshit, my sister would never turn one of ours over to the Council.”

“And what would you know about your sister? You haven’t so much as looked at her in the past year she’s been working with you. You’ve been a ghost, when was the last time you actually talked to her?”

Tal instantly racked his brain for a conversation he knew should exist, yet found no actual recollection prior to Anna’s return. A second pang warped his insides.

“When you landed on Praga, that was the happiest I’ve seen her in a while. Sure, she vented about how you behaved recklessly and wouldn’t answer her questions, but the smile she had when she recalled you actually laughing and talking about Chara with her on your way back is something I will cherish until my dying breath. If I have to hand Anna over in order to keep Jaya and Praga safe, I will gladly have that be the last time I see it.”

Lights flashed as the landing bay began to descend. When it finally opened up, five soldiers clad in maroon and white armor stood in front of them. Rifles are cradled in their arms, plasma cores spun lazily at the center of their weapons.

“We have permission to search your vessel in search of the fugitive Tannah West. Please exit the loading bay,” one of the soldiers called out.

Tal casually walked alongside Griff to the bottom of the ramp. Two soldiers entered the ship, while three more remained behind to watch them. Tal sized them up, consciously deciding how best to take them out if the need arose.

He’d start with the one on his right, by sweeping his legs out from under him and stealing his weapon. From there he’d probably shoot the taller one first, since his armor looked a little more faded and less likely to resist a quick burst of plasma. Assuming he got that far, that’d leave one left but Tal would have little time to charge his weapon and fire it. This meant he’d have to switch to melee combat by batting the soldier’s weapon aside and slamming his head into the ship floor. It could work, he had the speed advantage, but that was assuming Griff remained neutral. If Griff helped him escape, as unlikely as that was, things would be over before they started. Judging from their previous interactions he worried Griff would try to stop him in some way. Any moment of hesitation would result in reinforcements coming down on his position.

Those are terrible odds, Allie informed him.

Before he could reply, the two soldiers returned down the ramp. Tal’s hands flexed, he readied himself to fight his way out. A hand on his shoulder stopped his progress. He glared at Griff, the operative simply shook his head discouragingly. Tal looked back at the soldiers, and noticed Anna was missing. A moment later, the admiral arrived with his own entourage of soldiers.

“Where is she?” the admiral asked. “The Kulrathi have promised a substantial reward to anyone that turns her in.”

“We’re not sure, we attempted to locate her position on the planet, but lost her amongst the chaos of the settlement.”

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Council agents saw you two with her.”

“I honestly have no idea what they told you. We found her, she fought back, and then she escaped.”

The admiral sighed. “Rahn is a damned hero in my book, but clearly he has poor taste in those he surrounds himself with. Sergeant, lock them in the brig. Captain, search that ship top to bottom until you find her.”

Two soldiers pressed their guns into Tal and Griff’s backs, while the sergeant walked in front of them. She was shorter than the two operatives, with brown hair that ended at the base of her skull. On her head, she wore an olive colored cap that displayed her rank. Unlike the somewhat armored men and women that surrounded them, the sergeant dressed more suitably for navigation than for combat.

More soldiers moved into the room, surrounding them. The two operatives were escorted out of the massive docking bay and into a cramped corridor. The walls were a brick-red with white stripes painted along various sections.

No one spoke until they reached what looked to be an equally cramped room.

“Get in,” ordered the sergeant.

Griff stepped into the cell. Tal hesitated, he looked around at the five armed soldiers surrounding him. Three had their rifles readied, the sergeant had her hand on her sidearm.

I have been requested to remind you not to kill anyone, Allie informed him.

The butt of one of the rifles came down onto his back. Instinctively Tal whipped around, removed the rifle from the offender’s grasp, and held it up to now terrified soldier. Four firearms clicked to attention. Tal’s eyes shifted from side to side. They were scared. He didn’t blame them, he’d heard stories about Orothros being passed around. Only half of them had been true. Tal carefully set the weapon on the ground and backpedaled into the room with Griff. The sergeant’s hand immediately went to the control console, a clear blue barrier flashed into existence separating the soldiers from the operatives.

“I’m sorry,” said the sergeant. “I’ll be back soon, hopefully this is just one big misunderstanding.”

Tal ignored her attempt at politeness.

“Thank you, sergeant. I’ll look forward to your return,” Griff answered politely.

Tal rolled his eyes. The soldiers all turned and walked back in the direction they’d come from leaving Tal and Griff trapped in their cell together.

“Well great, now we’re locked up. I don’t know how long it’s been since you were on a recovery mission, but usually getting thrown in the brig is a bad thing,” Tal chastised his cell mate.

“I didn’t think this would happen,” Griff replied.

“No, you just thought they take Anna and let us go on our way. I know the galaxy thinks we’re cold-blooded, but you really proved it.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Griff grumbled.

“Then enlighten me,” Tal fried back.

Griff shot around to face him. “She took away my chance at being in the field. She’s the reason I’m nothing more than a highly-trained gym teacher. That day, in the jungle. She broke my leg so she could get the supply drop. Instead of working together, she chose to go alone and used me as bait.”

Tal’s demeanor softened. “She’s not like that anymore.”

“Really? Because from where I’m standing, she assassinated a delegate set to sign a peace treaty between The Council and The Kulrathi, selfishly doomed a whole colony of people, and we’re the ones locked inside a Council warship. I’m willing to bet she’s found a way to highjack the ship and escape without us.”

Tal was about to argue when an alarm started blaring. Red lights flashed along the corridor, and soldiers raced by.

“Hey!” Tal called out. “What’s happening?”

“She’s wreaking havoc on the vehicle bay!” shouted one.

“She’s escaped on that scout ship,” replied another.

Tal felt like their cell had just been spaced.

He looked at Griff who shrugged in a half-apology. His knees weakened and he slumped to the floor. He’d worried Griff could be right, but he’d held onto the hope that the person he’d grown to love was still there. Maybe that had been a mirage, something he’d always assumed was real.

When the alarm stopped, Tal remained in the front corner of the room while Griff resignedly paced beside the back wall. A few minutes later, the barrier dropped and the sergeant from earlier appeared. Griff stopped pacing, Tal looked up from his spot on the floor.

The sergeant from earlier looked shaken, her hat was in her hands.

“You’re free to go,” she stated.

Tal quickly got to his feet. “Why?”

The sergeant shook her head. “The admiral gave the order to shoot her down. I’m sorry.”

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