need to get down there. Since we’re down a shuttle, it’ll have to be a suit drop. Beauty, Red… bridge duties. The rest of you, suit up.”
“Hell yeah!” Zero handed off flight control to Beauty’s console. He was off the bridge almost before T’Raal had given the order. Sliding down the stair rails on his hands, his feet hit the deck of the staging area and he was half in his suit before the others piled in.
They suited up with quick, economical movements. While the empire might only use power suits in extreme circumstances, they were par for the course for the Warborne. Why refuse to use an advantage because some outdated honor system forbade it? Especially when there were creatures like the Krin out there.
“We go in hard and fast,” T’Raal ordered, his voice muffled for a second as he pulled his helmet on. A second later, his voice filtered over suit comms. “Technically, this is an act of war, so I don’t want anyone down there getting too good a look at us. Zero, can you block all the security cameras down there?”
Zero nodded, doing up the last zips and latches on his suit, and then turned to check Fin’s. Giving his battle partner a thumbs up, he answered T’Raal as Fin returned the favor. No one went ex-atmosphere without double checks, even when they were on the clock. Not unless they wanted to suck cold, hard space.
“As soon as we go boots down, I’ll jam everything and its mother,” he promised and then grinned. “And as for a good look… I can promise you, they won’t be looking at us.”
“Good.” As usual when they went into action, T’Raal’s voice was clipped and professional. Zero hefted the heavy machine gun he preferred—in the suit he couldn’t use his arm-mounted gun rig—and turned to face the ramp.
“Dropping ramp in three…” Beauty’s voice came over the comm. “Two… one… go!”
They were already running before he finished talking, flinging themselves off the end of the ramp as the Sprite flew low and fast over the central part of the lab.
A battle cry broke from Zero’s lips as they dropped like stones—armor-clad, heavily armed stones. Parting his feet, he brought his gun to bear as they crashed through the ceiling of the dome below.
Shattered glass and the shriek of environmental alarms surrounded him. His visor was slapped by foliage for a second before he landed heavily in the dirt below.
The rest of the Warborne hit the deck around him, plus one, heavier addition that made Skinny grin behind his helmet visor. “Too fucking right they aren’t gonna be looking at us!”
“Stay quiet on comms,” T’Raal ordered. “Remember, we’re behind enemy lines and not supposed to be here. No one gets left behind to give them any evidence to start a war with. Zero, let’s go get your girl.”
BOOM!
Eris tensed as the room exploded with blackness and gunfire. But where was the nothingness that was supposed to come after? Her breathing rasped in her ears, and her heart pounded in her throat…
But she was still on her knees with the same bit of metal that had once been part of some sort of lab equipment digging into her skin. Wasn’t there supposed to be more bright lights, harps and whatnot?
Two spotlights snapped on, and she winced, pulling her bound hands from behind her head to shield her eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear those were the shoulder lights on a Scorperio…
“Don’t go into the light!” Sparky warbled and then grinned as heavy footsteps brought Skinny and Zero into view from the darkness. Dressed in power suits like the ones she and Sparky had stolen, they both had their helmets down and wore matching grins.
“Someone need a little backup?” Skinny asked as he stepped forward to cut her cuffs off.
She gasped, scrambling to her feet. A second later, she slammed into Zero, almost taking him off his feet as she threw her arms around his neck. He rocked on his feet and smiled.
“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers.
“Hey,” she managed, her throat thick and choked. He’d come for her. Even after their argument and her being mad at him, he’d come to find her. “Zero… listen, I’m so—”
He shushed her up, finger against her lips as he pulled back to look down at her.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” His voice was soft, just between them but she was aware of the rest of the team listening in.