Through the Ghost
Chapter 24

Station 815, also known as Sanctuary, was once a military outpost on the edge of Council space, now it was a relic of days-gone-by used primarily as a way-station for smugglers, pirates, and anyone else that happened to be passing through and in need of repairs or resupply. The name Sanctuary came about during the war with the Kulrathi twenty years ago, travelers knew that if they could make it to Station 815 they would be safe from the conflict.

Tal watched in amusement at the wonder that appeared on Chara’s face the moment they exited hyperspace. Sanctuary loomed before them, a massive center column orbited by three rings. Several starships already drifted around the station awaiting their turn to dock. Chara looked from her mom to the architectural marvel and back again.

Station Control says we will be allowed to dock in roughly thirty minutes, Allie informed him.

“I want a ship like that one! Oh, or that one!” Chara exclaimed, her hand darted across the clear panel to point at each individual ship. Any trace of the fear that she’d felt while fleeing Praga was gone, replaced by the excitement of the new world she was exploring. He could feel the semblance of a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. That’s when his eyes caught a glimmer of movement coming from the end of the hallway.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Tal commented.

Anna looked at him imploringly.

He smiled encouragingly. “I need to check on Jaya, I’ll see you later.”

She nodded in understanding. “See you when we dock,” she stated. Chara’s squeals of delight echoed as he walked down the hall.

Jaya stood there expectantly. Her eyes were red ringed and vacant.

“Where are we?” she inquired, her voice was raw.

“Sanctuary,” he answered. They faced each other from opposite sides of the walkway, backs pressed against the metallic walls.

She emitted a short, borderline hysterical laugh.

He sighed reluctantly. “Did you have somewhere better in mind?”

“I don’t know,” she replied.

“Jay...”

“You could have let her go. They never would have come if you’d just let her go.”

“I know.”

Then she walked away leaving him alone in the cold intersection.

A curse, followed by the sound of metal falling to the floor, caught his attention. He looked over the railing to see Reis clamoring to pick up various dropped items. As Tal descended the steps towards the loading bay he witnessed Reis attempting to put pressure on his wounded limb, only to wince in pain and be forced back down onto the cot.

“Hey,” Tal said. “You should be resting.”

Reis shook his head. “It’s all gone,” he commented. “Everything I worked on.”

“Not necessarily,” Tal added unclasping the bracer from his arm. Reis looked at him in confusion, then his eyes widened with recognition.

“When did you get that?”

“I may have taken it from your lab this morning,” Tal admitted. His hand sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he cast his eyes upwards. “I thought it would come in handy fighting a Kulrathi.”

“You used it? It could-“

“Have blown my arm off. Yeah, I’m aware of that fact. I’m hoping you can fix it up a bit more.”

“I don’t know what to say. I mean you could have just asked.”

“I was worried you’d try to talk me out of it.”

Reis considered it. “You’re not wrong there,” he said with a tilt of his head.

A silence settled over them. “How is she?” Reis inquired.

“To be honest, I’m not sure, I’ve never seen her like this. It’s like she’s….”

“You?” he commented with a knowing smirk.

Tal nodded. “Was it really that serious? Her and Griff?”

Reis thought about it for a moment. “He’d always been brooding, and became even more so when he was assigned to desk duty. When she arrived on Praga though it was like seeing a light at the end of this dark tunnel.”

There was a faint lurch as the ship connected to the station.

“I remember this one time, she-“ Reis slumped to the floor. The bracer and other gear clattered to the ground. “Reis!” Tal called out in an attempt to wake his friend.

Footsteps raced down the steps behind him.

“What happened?” Anna called out.

“I’m not sure, we need to get him to the med bay,” he informed her.

Tal hastily picked up his fallen friend’s ankles while Anna hoisted him from beneath his shoulders. The muscles in his legs burned with each step they ascended, a sudden reminder that his body was still recovering. At the top of the steps they raced down the hall, their boots clanged against the metal floor. Haggard breaths came and went from Reis’s comatose state.

As soon as they enter the med bay, Tal placed him on the table. A robotic arm reached out to implant a syringe into Reis’s arm. A clear liquid drained from the device.

“It is the same poison I have been working on removing from Tal’s system. Unfortunately, due to his lack of nanite assistance he’s deteriorating quickly. I have managed to stabilize him, but I will need some ingredients from the medical center aboard the station,” Allie informed them. The display on the back wall changed to show a list of ingredients.

It’s then that he noticed a silhouette pass by the door. When he left to investigate, he witnessed Jaya standing in front of the airlock. Upon recognizing his sister, he called out to her. She ignored him. A hiss at the end of the hall preceded the doors opening.

“Jay, wait!” he shouted.

She gave no indication that she heard him as she entered the airlock. He ran to the doors but due to his injury he wasn’t fast enough. By the time, he got to the airlock all he could see through the small window was the back of his sister’s head as she crossed through the other side.

“Are you going after her?” Anna inquired.

Tal sighed. “Later, we’ve got to find the supplies Allie needs first. Jay knows how to handle herself.”

Tal removed his armor then joined Anna at the hatch. When they cross to the other side of the airlock they’re greeted by throngs of people eager to cross the station to their next destination. One particularly exhausted Souri pressed through the busy corridor carrying a large bundle of goods. Unfortunately, he strayed too close to a pair of humans caught in a physical altercation. The Souri’s delivery clattered to the ground; boots crushed various packages as he struggled to retrieve them all.

“Where to?” he asked.

Take a left, then use the station elevator to reach the lower levels. A medical station will be twenty meters from the elevator.

They hastily navigated the river of individuals to reach the elevator. Both operatives stepped inside. Calm music played, then Tal felt the ground seemingly drop away as the elevator plunged slowly to its destination.

Then it stopped, and the doors parted to reveal their destination. The lower level of the station was darker than the central level. People passed by with their heads hung low, and their faces hidden in shadow.

“Hell of a place to find medical supplies,” Tal muttered as they stepped from the elevator. A thick, moist, musty odor lingered through the hall. The sound of someone losing their meal sounded off in the distance. Flickering lights cast a barely visible glow.

This level was designed to house refugees during the war. Over time, they simply stayed here to set up some semblance of a life. However, once Council forces pulled out there was no one left to police them, or protect them.

The two operatives silently made their way towards the med station. Once there, they were greeted by a rusted android. Any attempt at making it appear human had worn away long ago. The right side of its face consisted of a grey artificial skin covering that flapped lifelessly, like a loose bandage. The left side was purely robotic. Chrome plating had been chipped away to reveal the wires and gears underneath. Rust covered the corners of its mouth and the exposed hinges of its jaw. Blank, lifeless eyes blinked as if unaware of the cosmetic misfortune it had endured.

“How may I help you?” it droned.

“We need supplies, a friend of ours has been poisoned,” Anna pleaded.

“Do you have a requisition form?”

“No, we’re just passing through,” Tal responded impatiently.

It reached down to retrieve something from beneath the counter. “Please fill out your name and residential zone. A specialist will respond to your request in (information not found),” it replied, holding out an electronic tablet. More rust speckled the gaps in the artificial skin of its forearm.

“Listen Rusty, we don’t exactly have time for this bureaucratic bullshit, are you going to help us or not?” Tal pressed.

He expected the android to repeat its request, instead it released what could only be described as a mechanical sigh, got up from its chair, and crossed the dirt and blood covered room to enter through the large doors at the back. Its right leg moved rather stiffly while its left leg seemed to be the only portion of its body unaffected by time. As soon as the twin doors closed, Tal and Anna exchange confused looks. A few seconds later the robot returns through the doors to usher them in with a wave of its hand.

Suspicious, albeit grateful, they followed the android to the back of the room. There they found a man speckled in blood and grime passed out on an operating table. A tube connected his arm to a container of turquoise liquid beside him.

“What happened to him?” Anna inquired.

The man was fairly disheveled, with a patchy beard that still contained traces of his last meal, and a haircut that looked like it had been done blindly.

“Doctor Kyrden is on break. What ingredients do you require?”

Tal listed each one as Allie told him. He quickly found himself wishing he’d retrieved his bracer before they left as the words became increasingly more difficult to pronounce.

“Odd, we haven’t had a request for such things since the war. Why would you require ingredients to treat Kulrathi poison?”

“You, know what it’s for?” Anna asked in astonishment.

“Of course, I was a field medic before my time on this station. I was to be decommissioned before Doctor Kyrden gave me a job.”

“How long have you been here?” she pressed.

“I have been here (information corrupt) years.”

“And you’ve been working for him? He doesn’t really look like a doctor,” Anna commented.

“And you don’t look like my normal customers,” the doctor replied while slowly sitting up to get a good look at his guests. He examined them with bloodshot eyes. “Merry, what did I say about bringing people back here during my break?”

“They needed help,” the android, whose name was Merry, replied.

“That’s fantastic, but you can’t bring in any stray person that stubs their toe.”

“We just need some medical supplies to treat a friend of ours. We won’t be here long,” Tal clarified.

The man scoffed. “It’s fine, you don’t have to give me some sob story. Take whatever the hell you want. I’ll even give it to you for free, but first you have to tell me what you took to get veins like that?”

“I’m Tal, that’s Anna. We’re Orothros.”

“Oro- huh?”

“Orothros, we rescue people, fight aliens?”

“Nope, doesn’t…” then his eyes got big. “You’re her! The Avenger of Arizona!” he exclaimed to Anna.

“Azariah,” Anna corrected him sourly.

“Whatever,” he stated with a shrug. “Wow, a real-life celebrity at my little hole in the wall.” His gaze drifted to the floor in contemplation.

“Here are your supplies,” Merry stated, handing them three bags of liquid.

“You know,” Doctor Kyrden said, stepping in front of the android to block access to the bags. “I could use a favor, and seeing as you are trying to rob me of my prized medicine, I think it would be beneficial to us both if you helped me out.”

“We’re a little busy Doc,” Tal replied impatiently pushing the haggard excuse for a doctor aside.

“Of course, of course, off to save the galaxy no doubt, but you see I recall some news report claiming she’s a wanted criminal. Would hate for the authorities to come snooping by and convince me to help them out.”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t break your leg and take the stuff?”

“It’s the same reason you didn’t destroy my robotic friend here, that deep down you’re good people, and you’re duty bound to help those less fortunate than yourselves.” The doctor replied with a cheeky smile.

Tal gritted his teeth.

“You’re right, we should help you, but judging by the number of painkillers no doubt flowing through your system, I doubt you’ll feel anything if I do this.” Tal grabbed the man’s arm and twisted so that it bent at an awkward angle.

Kyrden screamed in surprise, making sure to hurl a few insults in their direction as Anna retrieved the medicine from the passively observing android.

Kyrden’s shouts of rage followed them all the way to the elevator. Yet apart from a few curious glances from shrouded figures, no one tried to stop them. It was likely a fairly regular occurrence in the lower level of the station.

When the elevator reopened they were once again greeted by the lights and sounds of the main thoroughfare. Anna started heading back towards the ship, she stopped in the middle of the crowd when she realized Tal hadn’t followed her.

She looked at him inquiringly.

“I’m going to find Jaya. You take the medicine to Reis,” he informed her.

“Are you sure? She might not want to be found.”

“I have to try.”

She nodded understandingly, then continued on her way.

He tried several stops. First, he’d investigated the other docking hubs in case she’d tried to barter another mode of transportation. He’d had no such luck. Then he’d asked around the main thoroughfare in case anyone had noticed her amongst the crowd. When he finally found her, she was holed up in a little bar with dim lighting, and the smooth tones of a lounge singer bemoaning their lost loves. He quietly took a seat beside her, glanced at her empty glass and waved at the bartender for another. The bearded man with a row of piercings on his left cheek complied by delivering two shots of golden-red drinks. The liquid singed his throat, he took a moment to embrace the sensation. Neither operative said anything, Tal waved for another shot.

“Would you look what we’ve got here,” a nasally voice commented from behind them. “A couple of those orburos soldiers.” The sound of nervous laughter indicated that the no-doubt drunk commenter wasn’t alone.

Tal ignored the intrusion and repeated his attempt to get the bartender’s attention. He grabbed Tal’s shoulder in an attempt to redirect the red-haired operative’s attention. “So, is it true you guys hunt aliens?” The man inserted himself between the two operatives.

He was a scrawny fellow, by the smell of his breath he was hopped up on liquid courage. His jacket had a Humanity First logo emblazoned on the left shoulder. A radical political group that espoused their distrust of other races.

“I mean, that’s like your job, right? You keep those things from attacking us?” He snatched Tal’s glass away. Tal slowly looked the man in the eye.

“Some of them,” Tal admitted.

“Right, sure, there’s like a few good aliens. I think that one that does that song they play in all the clubs is probably nice.”

“Keth-Et?” asked a thick shouldered man with the words “big bird” written on his neck.

“No, I think he means Sogura. I love her song about stealing her girlfriend’s spaceship,” said a lengthy woman with green hair.

It was then that the drunk turned his attention to Jaya.

“Hello,” he stated with a lustful leer, “Mind if I buy you a drink?”

The bartender refills the Orothros’ drinks. “I’ve got my own,” she answered coldly before downing her shot.

“Woah, easy gurl. I’m just being polite here. You gonna to be here long?”

“Nope,” she replied.

“Well I was just thinking I could show you around. Be a gentleman and such. I’m sure it gets lonely fighting those monsters out there.”

The moment his hand touched her shoulder, he’s flipped onto the bar with Jaya’s right forearm pressed against his throat.

Tal released a short laugh. “I think you should give up,” he informed their unwanted drinking companion.

“Fuck you,” the drunk gurgled beneath Jaya’s pressed forearm.

Two meaty paws grabbed both operatives by the shoulder. Tal rolled his shoulders then turned to face “Big Bird”.

The large oaf had about a half second to prepare before Tal headbutted him. The thug stumbled backwards, hand clasped over his nose.

Jaya pulled the drunk off the bar, then slammed the man’s head back down, he crumpled to the floor as his lengthy female friend grabbed Jaya by the shoulders and threw her away. Tal’s fist connected with the doubled over head of Big Bird. While the initial drunk troublemaker slowly scrambled to his feet. Jaya climbed to her feet, grabbed the woman’s head and introduced her knee to her attacker’s jaw. A bloodcurdling scream of agony erupts from the woman’s mouth behind several broken teeth.

Tal snatched the right arm of Big Bird, pulled it behind the man’s body and lifted. A spine-tingling pop could faintly be heard under the man’s howl of agony.

The female thug glared at Jaya for a second, then tackled her into a nearby table. The two rolled off the table and onto the floor where Jaya proceeded to grab the woman by her olive-green hair and repeatedly slam her skull against the floor. Tears rolled down the operative’s face as she continued her angry assault.

Swiftly, Tal grabbed Jaya from behind and pulled her out of the bar. He dragged her through a curious group of bystanders that eagerly parted to allow them passage. Once they were a good distance away Tal relinquished his hold on his sister.

“Why are you even here!” she shouted, shoving him away.

“I’m sorry, I was a little worried about where your head was at.”

“Why, did you think I’d turn into you and burn this place to the ground?” she asked angrily.

He didn’t respond, the crowd moved around them as if they were rocks in a stream. Her chest heaved for a few seconds with emotion, then gradually she came down from the tumultuous storm that raged inside her.

“It was his mother’s, the ring. He gave it to me that morning we returned to Praga. It’s why I was on that hill. I never… I never got a chance to tell him my answer.”

“I promise I’ll make this right for you.”

He carefully placed a comforting arm around her shoulders as he pulled her into a hug. They stood in the center of the busy walkway letting the tide wash over them.

Jaya began to speak, but was cut off by Lanie’s voice calling out from Jaya’s bracer. “Miss West has found something I think you should see. It’s a message from New Azariah.”

Without a moment of hesitation, they pushed upstream through the crowd nearly knocking over a hunched, shriveled alien pushing a massive cart. It cast an annoyed glance in their direction that turned to terror upon recognition of Orothros operatives. They continue on their way, passing a Souri digging through the trash for scraps, and a massive Viashano bouncer throwing two humans out of a nightclub. By the time they reached their destination Anna was impatiently waiting for them at the other end of the docking tube.

“What happened?” Tal asked with mild concerned.

“Not here. I don’t want Chara to know about this,” she replied with a nod to the oblivious little girl idlily playing with a couple of toys.

Anna ushered them to the cockpit where Allie popped up on the console display, her image instantly changed to that of Caroline.

“This is the colony of New Azariah requesting immediate assistance,” the message stated. ” Some of the infected have begun to exhibit violent behavior and are killing healthy individuals. I beg anyone listening to this to offer whatever assistance they can.”

“We have to help them,” Anna announced once the message had run its course.

“Anna....” Tal answered empathetically.

“No, they need our help. I can’t let them down a second time.”

“We don’t even know if this is a recent message, how did you even find it?”

“I did some digging, I was hoping to contact the operatives Rahn had investigating the situation,” Anna replied in reference to the lie Tal had given her to keep her on Praga.

“Please, we owe them.”

There were a million reasons to say no on the tip of his tongue, but one look at her pleading emerald eyes, and he knew any argument had been rendered inert. With a heavy sigh he entered the coordinates to New Azariah.

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