survivors.”
“Acknowledge the request and wish him good luck,” Thala sighed.
“Aye, Captain.”
“Captain,” Masha growled. “The enemy raiders are escaping into the asteroid belt. We are losing sensor contact.”
“Let them go, Lieutenant,” the captain said after a moment. “As much as I want that ship, our priority is finding and rescuing any survivors.”
“Captain,” Kath called. “I’ve got ten search crews ready to launch and begin the search.”
“Clear them for launch, Lieutenant Commander.”
And good luck, she thought.
1.30.2136
1711
Duterius Prime
Outside the Capitol Building
K’Alan fought back the tears as the fighter landed near the rubble that used to be the Capitol Building. There was no time to let the worry about K’Itea get to him. He had a job to do. Readying himself for the task at hand, he pulled his energy bow off its charger and attached it to his belt. He clipped a couple extra power cells and growled impatiently as he waited for the engines to cycle down and the hatch to open.
“Maybe she wasn’t here, Kal,” Mario looked over at him.
“She was here. This would be the only place she’d be during a planet-wide emergency.”
“Can you still sense her?”
K’Alan closed his eyes and focused on the bond he shared with K’Itea. “Barely,” he said after a moment. He hopped out of the fighter. “We’ve got to hurry. I don’t know how long she can hold out.”
“We’ll make it, Kal,” Mario said softly. “We’ll make it.”
1.30.2136
1723
SLS White Knight
Medbay
Captain Ker’sal smiled as she walked into the medbay. When she had visited medbay earlier, it had been just her and Jewel, but now there was a bustle of activity, as a full complement of doctors and nurses prepared for the influx of casualties.
“What can I do for you, Captain?” a nurse asked as she hurried by.
“I was just checking on the ready status of medbay.”
“We’re just about ready,” Jewel appeared out of nowhere. “This is probably the best crew I could have hoped for. The only reason it took so long to get ready was that some of the equipment hadn’t been unpacked yet.”
“Kath reports that the first shuttle of casualties just launched from the planet. That gives you about fifteen minutes before they get on board.”
“Understood. We’ll be ready.”
1.30.2136
1730
Duterius Prime
The Capitol Building
K’Alan and Mario moved along a ruined corridor towards the command center of the Capitol Building.
“Do you know where you’re going, Kal?” Mario asked, grunting as he nearly tripped over a pile of rubble.
“Nope. But I figure that this is the best place for us to look.”
“I hope that this room is better than the others we’ve already been through.”
“I know what you mean, Mario,” K’Alan looked back at his friend.
So far they’d been through about fifteen rooms, but they hadn’t found any survivors. Still, K’Alan clung to the belief that Kit was still alive. He could still feel the bond he had with her. As long as he continued to feel that bond, he knew he would move mountains to find her.
They carefully entered the command center. K’Alan almost tripped over a body right as they entered the room. The body, that of an elder Duterian male, groaned, and K’Alan knelt down next to him. Although it had been many years since he had seen the old man, he recognized him immediately, even though the old man’s face was a mask of blood.
“J’Anai? J’Anai Sirrus?”
“K’Alan, my boy?” J’Anai asked weakly. “Is that really you?”
“Yes, old friend, it’s me. Mario, call for a shuttle. We’ve got a survivor here.”
“Do not waste your energy on saving me, K’Alan,” J’Anai rasped. “I don’t think I’d survive the journey back to your ship. The council….” J’Anai broke off into a fit of coughing.
“Take it easy,
“Acknowledge the request and wish him good luck,” Thala sighed.
“Aye, Captain.”
“Captain,” Masha growled. “The enemy raiders are escaping into the asteroid belt. We are losing sensor contact.”
“Let them go, Lieutenant,” the captain said after a moment. “As much as I want that ship, our priority is finding and rescuing any survivors.”
“Captain,” Kath called. “I’ve got ten search crews ready to launch and begin the search.”
“Clear them for launch, Lieutenant Commander.”
And good luck, she thought.
1.30.2136
1711
Duterius Prime
Outside the Capitol Building
K’Alan fought back the tears as the fighter landed near the rubble that used to be the Capitol Building. There was no time to let the worry about K’Itea get to him. He had a job to do. Readying himself for the task at hand, he pulled his energy bow off its charger and attached it to his belt. He clipped a couple extra power cells and growled impatiently as he waited for the engines to cycle down and the hatch to open.
“Maybe she wasn’t here, Kal,” Mario looked over at him.
“She was here. This would be the only place she’d be during a planet-wide emergency.”
“Can you still sense her?”
K’Alan closed his eyes and focused on the bond he shared with K’Itea. “Barely,” he said after a moment. He hopped out of the fighter. “We’ve got to hurry. I don’t know how long she can hold out.”
“We’ll make it, Kal,” Mario said softly. “We’ll make it.”
1.30.2136
1723
SLS White Knight
Medbay
Captain Ker’sal smiled as she walked into the medbay. When she had visited medbay earlier, it had been just her and Jewel, but now there was a bustle of activity, as a full complement of doctors and nurses prepared for the influx of casualties.
“What can I do for you, Captain?” a nurse asked as she hurried by.
“I was just checking on the ready status of medbay.”
“We’re just about ready,” Jewel appeared out of nowhere. “This is probably the best crew I could have hoped for. The only reason it took so long to get ready was that some of the equipment hadn’t been unpacked yet.”
“Kath reports that the first shuttle of casualties just launched from the planet. That gives you about fifteen minutes before they get on board.”
“Understood. We’ll be ready.”
1.30.2136
1730
Duterius Prime
The Capitol Building
K’Alan and Mario moved along a ruined corridor towards the command center of the Capitol Building.
“Do you know where you’re going, Kal?” Mario asked, grunting as he nearly tripped over a pile of rubble.
“Nope. But I figure that this is the best place for us to look.”
“I hope that this room is better than the others we’ve already been through.”
“I know what you mean, Mario,” K’Alan looked back at his friend.
So far they’d been through about fifteen rooms, but they hadn’t found any survivors. Still, K’Alan clung to the belief that Kit was still alive. He could still feel the bond he had with her. As long as he continued to feel that bond, he knew he would move mountains to find her.
They carefully entered the command center. K’Alan almost tripped over a body right as they entered the room. The body, that of an elder Duterian male, groaned, and K’Alan knelt down next to him. Although it had been many years since he had seen the old man, he recognized him immediately, even though the old man’s face was a mask of blood.
“J’Anai? J’Anai Sirrus?”
“K’Alan, my boy?” J’Anai asked weakly. “Is that really you?”
“Yes, old friend, it’s me. Mario, call for a shuttle. We’ve got a survivor here.”
“Do not waste your energy on saving me, K’Alan,” J’Anai rasped. “I don’t think I’d survive the journey back to your ship. The council….” J’Anai broke off into a fit of coughing.
“Take it easy,
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