Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel (14 page)

Chapter 15

Panic set in as Kira charged toward Tyrus’s quarters at a full sprint. It couldn’t be true. Tyrus couldn’t be dead. Reina must have heard wrong.

Outside of his room, a small team of Rebel medics wheeled his body away. Strapped to a lightcycle, a large cylindrical medical device with the ability to repair genetic material and organic tissue, his body was obscured by a cloudy sheet of glass covering his face.

“Oh gods,” she choked out as they rolled the lightcycle past her. “What happened? Please tell me he’s going to be okay.”

The lead medic made only cursory eye contact with her as his face contorted and he shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“What do you mean you’re sorry? Is he …”

“Please, just let me do my job,” the medic said. He looked up at Kira’s face, which must have twisted into an expression as excruciating as the patient’s. The medic shook his head. “He’s alive,” he said. “But only just. There’s no guarantee that even the lightcycle will be enough to save him.”

Kira’s throat swelled and her head pounded, but a glimmer of hope flashed through her. She had to hold on to it. Anchor herself to the feeling. “He’s alive,” she said.

“We’ll do everything we can to keep him that way,” the medic said. “But it doesn’t look good. I’ve never seen a poison like this. His life signs are faint. His organs are failing fast.”

“Please,” she said. “You have to save him.”

The medic nodded. “We’re loading him into the med bay of the Vendetta. He’ll be under Doctor Ganar’s care soon.”

With a piercing wail, the vital monitor on the lightcycle sounded its alarm. Tyrus’ life was slipping away.

And Kira found herself filled with an emotion she never expected. Pure and unfettered rage. The heat and intensity of the thirst for revenge surged through her veins, priming her nerves for action. “Who did this?” she said.

“I’m sorry.” The medic shook his head and pushed on towards the flight deck.

Kira clenched her fists as the adrenaline surged through her. She didn’t need the medic to give her the answer. It was the spy. The same person who’d betrayed their location to the Kamarans.

“Kira, let it go,” said Reina.

The medic stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her. “You’re Kira?”

She nodded.

“Before he slipped into unconsciousness, he wouldn’t stop saying your name. He wanted you to have this.” The medic slipped a chip into her palm.

“What is it?” she asked.

The medic shrugged. “No idea. But whatever it is, he was adamant that you get it. I’ve never seen someone is his condition fight so hard.”

The medic turned and wheeled the lightcycle away down the corridor.

Kira’s temples pounded. She glanced at the chip in her hand. Whatever was on it was important enough to die for. She needed to get to her terminal.

Determination welled up inside her. And a thirst for vengeance, a strength welled up inside her. They’d made enemies with the wrong girl. When she put her mind to something, nothing stood in her way. And attempting to murder her friend? The traitor was going to pay.

She took off at a sprint back to her quarters, whispering a silent prayer that Tyrus would pull through.

“Kira, wait,” called Reina, chasing after her.

But Kira only heard the pounding of her heart as she raced through the passage. The dry rock walls of the asteroid closed in on her. Her whole world was closing in on her. The Kamarans were coming to destroy the closest thing to a home she’d ever known. The man she loved was staying behind to die. And the young engineer who’d grown closer to her than she cared to admit had been ….

No, she told herself. She couldn’t think about it now. She had to see what was on the chip. There would be time to mourn later. The Kamarans were closing in too fast, and there was still a traitor among them.

“Kira, wait!” Reina called again, sprinting through the rocky halls at a breakneck speed. Finally catching up with her, she grabbed Kira by the shoulder. “Where are you going?” she demanded.

“We have to see what’s on this thing. Tyrus might have figured out a way to save us. The Storm Squadron may not have to stay behind, and Ja’al …” She bit her tongue. She hadn’t told Reina about their relationship. Though she’d probably guessed it by now. Reina was a shrewd woman.

“…Ja’al needs to see this,” she said. “Whatever is on here, Ja’al needs to know. Maybe Tyrus figured out who betrayed us, and that’s why he was …” she couldn’t bring herself to finish. He couldn’t be dead. She had to hold on to hope.

“Kira, give me the chip,” said Reina, jamming the barrel of her blaster into Kira’s side. The metal clicked and whirred as she charged the pulse, readying the weapon to fire.

Kira tightened her hand around the chip her heart racing in her chest as she shook her head. “What the hell?”

“Gods dammit, Thorne. We don’t have time for this. Give it to me.”

The weight of the realization hit Kira hard as the pieces fell into place. Reina’s uncanny technical prowess. The way she handled herself during the training exercise. The urgency of her communication to her friends.

“Reina … you?”

“I’m sorry, Kira. I don’t want to hurt you. Give me the chip, now, and you can go back to Ja’al. Retreat with the rest of them. After I’ve jumped in a JRV and made it safely out of here.”

“Why?” said Kira.

Reina shook her head. She tensed her face, fighting back a tear. Hand trembled as she held the blaster. “Give me the chip.”

“Why are you doing this?” Kira pressed. In spite of everything, Reina’s humanity showed through. She could use it. “Whatever the Empire promised you … you know they’re not going to deliver, right?”

“Gods damn it, Kira, I’m not doing this for myself.” Her grip steadied on the blaster. “Just give me the chip and let me go,” said Reina through watering eyes.

Kira recognized the look of pain on her face. It could be another manipulation, but Kira had played Traps long enough to spot even the most convincing bluffs. Reina’s conflict was genuine. The break of her voice was the kind that couldn’t be forced. A realization dawned on her. “You’re not doing this for yourself,” she said.

“I had no choice,” said Reina. “They kidnapped my daughter. I couldn’t let them keep her. I don’t expect you to understand.”

Kira’s head spun. She had always felt vaguely distrustful of Reina. Something seemed off about her. And now it made sense. “There’s got to be another way,” she said. “We can figure out a way to save her.”

“If you think that, you don’t know the Empire at all. They’ll kill her. And I’ll be left with nothing. My little girl is all I have in this world.”

“If you think they’ll let her go now …”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Reina. “What’s done is done. They’re on their way here, and I have to see this through. I have no other choice.”

Kira’s stomach twisted. She felt sorry for her … friend? Yes, she told herself. Reina was still a friend. She was acting under duress. She tried to imagine the situation from Reina’s point of view. Would she have done anything different?

Reina was right about one thing: They couldn’t change the past. What’s done was done, and now they had to deal with the situation at hand.

“We can talk to Ja’al,” she said. “If we explain it to him, he can help us find a way out of this.”

“If you think Commander Ja’al will show any forgiveness, any mercy at all, then you don’t know him as well as you think you do. You know their flagship is called the Vendetta, right?”

Kira recalled the fortified frigate that they flew back when they were still an aimless band of space pirates known as the Gamma Raiders. Before the rebellion began. “Of course,” she said. “I always assumed that it was a reference to Prince Adaar wanting revenge on the royal family.”

“Oh, someone wants revenge on the royal house of Kamara,” said Reina. “But it isn’t the prince. Ja’al’s thirst for blood and vengeance is stronger than any Kamaran you’ll ever meet. I’m surprised he hasn’t told you. Maybe he doesn’t trust you as much as you think.”

Kira felt as though she’d been punched in the face. The will to action slipped from her as the fight escaped her body. Ja’al was the only one who had believed in her. Unless it was all just a ruse. A ploy to get her to cooperate.

She struggled to gain control of her thoughts. She was letting her own self-doubt get under her skin. Reina was bluffing. She had to be. Kira wouldn’t let her get under her skin.

But Reina’s mask had returned. The opportunity to reason with her had passed.

“The chip, Kira.” She pushed the barrel of the weapon deeper into Kira’s belly. “Now.”

Kira’s body tensed. Every fiber of her being fought to spring into action, but she restrained herself. The look on Reina’s face told her everything she needed to know. She’d killed Tyrus to protect her secret, and she wouldn’t hesitate to kill Kira, too.

This wasn’t the time for heroics.

She slipped the chip into Reina’s hand, feeling the last lingering remnants of hope slip away.

“Good girl,” said Reina. “I thought for a minute you’d let Ja’al’s pep talks about trusting your instincts get to you. Good to see there’s a shred of reason left in you.”

“We can still help you, Reina. You’re making a mistake. There’s still time to make things right.”

“I wish that were true.” Reina shook her head, and her eyes glazed. “I’m sorry about this,” she said. “But I can’t risk you telling anyone.”

With a twitch of her fingers, she pulled the trigger on her weapon.

Kira’s vision faded to black as she collapsed face first onto the cold stone floor.

***

A haze of light flitted through Kira’s eyelids as a strong hand shook her awake. Confused and groggy, she lifted a hand to her throbbing temple as she lifted herself from the ground and opened her eyes.

“Kira,” said the voice. She didn’t recognize the silhouette in the dim light of the tunnel. All at once, the flood of memories returned. Tyrus’ body in the lightcycle. Her discovery that Reina had betrayed them. It must have been a dream. Reina couldn’t have done something so terrible. Not after everything they’d been through.

“Kira, are you okay? What happened?”

Her focus returned as she recognized the voice. “Jomanak?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Kira, what’s going on? Everyone is looking for you. Storm is gathering on the flight deck.”

She lifted a hand and wiped the blood from her forehead. A burst of adrenaline shot through her. She had to stop Reina. Had to tell Ja’al. They needed to find out what was on the chip.

“Reina,” she coughed, grabbing Jomanak’s arm. “Where is she?”

Jomanak shook his head. “I haven’t seen her. I thought she was with you.”

“She was,” said Kira. “We have to find her. We have to stop her.” She sat upright too quickly. A searing pain shot through her body and she lowered herself back to the ground.

“Woah, take it easy,” said Jomanak as he caught her. “What happened?”

“It’s Reina,” she said. “She’s the one who betrayed us. She transmitted our coordinates to the Kamarans.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said. “She told me everything when the medic gave me Tyrus’ data chip, and …” she winced as she spoke. Her heart raced. How long had she been out? “We have to get to Ja’al,” she said. “He’ll know what to do.”

“Sorry, Kira,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s no time. Ja’al is already on the flight deck. They’re preparing to launch. The Kamaran destroyer sent its first wave of fighters already. They’re not wasting any time.”

“Then we’re too late,” she said. “This is all my fault. It was so stupid of me to trust her. I was so desperate for a friend, and …”

“Relax, Kira,” he said. “If what you’re saying is true, she had us all fooled.”

“But I should have known better,” she said. “I should have seen the signs.”

“Dammit, Kira. Stop. We can’t have our fearless leader doubting herself before the action starts.”

Kira scanned his voice for sarcasm, and to her surprise, found none. “I’m not your fearless leader,” she said.

Jom shook his head. “We don’t have time for that, Kira. We need you to lead the Storm Squadron.”

“I’m not qualified to lead anyone,” she said. “I never was. And besides, why would you, of all people, care? Shouldn’t you be jumping for joy at the chance to take my place?”

Jomanak sat down beside her, retrieving a small pouch of glucose and electrolytes from the pocket of his jumpsuit. “Drink this,” he said. “You need it.”

She hesitated only briefly before taking the pouch form his hand. “Why are you helping me?”

He smiled. It was the first time Kira had ever seen it. “Listen, Thorne. I’ve spent my entire life practicing on the sims, just hoping for a chance at something like this. I had no idea that Prince Adaar was still out there, planning to start a rebellion. So when I heard the news, I was elated. Finally, a chance to prove myself. A chance to put those Kamaran bastards in their place.”