Tig was still alive, and most of the insectoid guards were dead.

 

That might sound like things were going well.

 

They were not.

 

Tig’s left arm had been severed from her body by the mandibles of one warrior, and even if she hadn’t been in shock, her gravitics were struggling to compensate. She used lattice gel to seal the wound, and her armour deployed an auto-tourniquet. Not that it mattered.

 

She forced herself toward her gun, dragging her shoulder, which felt like it was being pulled to the ground by an invisible anchor. She heard the ship’s engines coming on now, and worse, she heard a sound in the distance – the sound of warriors advancing on her position.

 

“Ms Malor, if you’re alive, I could use some help,” she said, but there was no answer; she knew Malor probably wasn’t alive. She’d gone under a sea of bugs, trying to draw them away from the bags, and there’d been an explosion….

 

She’d killed off all but one – the one that came back for Tig, the one that took her arm off, before Tig managed to wrench its head off in one sweet, sickening motion.

 

She had to hold them off. She didn’t know if her team in the ship was alive, but if warriors were coming, she was all that was left. The only thing that could give them time.

 

Almost.

 

“Ma’am,” a voice said, softly, “how can I help?”

 

“Lokagos Riab,” Tig gasped. The soldier was perched on her shoulderblades, close enough to the helmet that she could be heard. “Asker Nemeta?”

 

“He didn’t make it, ma’am. Went under with Ms Malor. Is there…is there anything I can do?”

 

“Warriors are on their way, yeah?” Tig asked.

 

“Yes, ma’am. Ship is still powered up.”

 

Tig grimaced. She looked forward at something nobody should have to look at – at least, not without breaking down in tears.

 

But she said, simply, “My arm…there’s a gravitic compensator on it. I need it.”

 

Riab didn’t question. She leapt down, and rushed toward a strong, bloodied, disconnected arm, terminating in a slender, gentle hand that had once caught a human, falling from the ventilation system on Titan station, so very long ago.

 

Riab clambered up onto the arm, and undid the clasp holding the bracelet in place. She then dropped, and heaved; it was still active, and that meant it weighed enough less than it should that she could guide it. And as quickly as she could, she guided it toward Tig Belfsec.

 

On the ship, ninety nine thousand, six hundred and forty-four people were alive.

 

Two of them were warriors. One was a Ler, though she was bleeding and unconscious, and had minutes left of life.

 

99,640 were human civilians.

 

One was Computer-Fixer.

 

He was being careful. The warriors had incapacitated Ler-Hero, and had killed the four Human-Heroes who had helped her. They didn’t know that he had opened up the wiring; they would come back and kill him if they realized it.

 

He considered attacking them unawares, but he had checked quickly; they had secured themselves in the cockpit. They clearly were intending to take off.

 

He had it laid out. Four cables. If he could find something to cross-connect them, it would short out their guidance systems. It would kill the ship.

 

But he had not found anything suitable. he would have to tear out other wiring, and the second he did that, they would know.

 

And then he heard a sound that he had been dreading. The gangplank began to rise up.

 

He looked around. There was no time. He had to make the connection. And there was only one way.

 

Tig took the bracelet fom Riab, her hand trembling. She felt very, very tired. She just wanted to sleep, go to sleep, and hope that wherever she woke up, Ted would be there, waiting for her. He would hop onto her shoulder and caress her neck, and tell her that he was both furious with her and so proud he could burst, and she’d tell him that she felt the same way about him, always, and they would be together, forever, just like that.

 

But she couldn’t rest. Not yet. Not with the hissing and crackling she heard coming her way, not with the ship powering up. She took the bracelet, and jammed it into the tourniquet, securing it by forcing it into her own flesh. She didn’t even feel the pain anymore. All she could feel was the drive, the drive to stop them, to protect these people, no matter what it cost her.

 

She stood up, and walked to her gun.

 

She turned, and saw the ship’s gangplank retracting. She prepared to run, but didn’t get the chance.

 

There was a sudden whine, and then an explosion.

 

Computer-Fixer’s body bent in anguish, all four of his hands fused to the wires they held. He lost consciousness long before the ship’s power plant failed from the strain, blowing out the back.

 

The gangplank fell back down with a thud.

 

Tig moved. Somehow, she moved. She forced herself up the gangplank, and past Klwrrkgh, laying on the ground, an arm and a leg torn off, maroon and red blood pooling about her. Tig turned toward the cockpit. She waited, patiently, for the bugs to come out.

 

They did. She didn’t blink. She simply fired, twice, dropping each as they did.

 

She didn’t have the strength to free the humans, and she didn’t have time. She struggled back down the gangplank, and sat down, leaning against the ship. Riab had been on a dead sprint after her, and got there as she raised her weapon.

 

“Get aboard the ship, and start freeing them,” Tig said, haltingly. “I’ll hold the bugs off as long as I can.”

 

“Ma’am….”

 

“’S an order, Lokagos,” Tig said. She forced herself back to her feet, and walked unsteadily toward the bags of people piled in the clearing. She stood between them and the noise of the insectoids. They were very, very close. She could see them, rushing for the ship, for the humans. For her. She raised her weapon. They would overwhelm her. But maybe Riab could free some people. And by the time they got another ship here…..

 

“Platoon, platoon, EMP activating, ten seconds.”

 

She didn’t know who called it in, and she wasn’t thinking clearly enough not to simply follow protocol. “Unit, this is Belfsec,” she said. “Power down armor, now.”

 

She pressed a button knowing as she did that there was every chance her tourniquet would fail once her suit lost power.

 

The crushing Cetian gravity yanked her down. As she fell, she heard a whine, and a series of explosions, and then the sickening crackle as bugs fell, their gravitic dampeners failing, their exoskeletons crushing them under the full weight of this world.

 

She looked at the bags, and saw that a few humans had managed to struggle out of them, and were staring at her, wide-eyed.

 

“It’s okay,” she said. “You’re gonna be okay.”

 

And then she fell asleep.

 

 

****

 

 

“This way! Keep moving! You’re safe now!” Moze waved on the now thinning group of refugees that were making their way towards the cave. “Keep going. It’s slippy inside, so watch your step.”

 

Moze had volunteered to act as a warden for the incoming refugees. On the surface it appeared a selfless act of bravery, exposing himself to the dangers above ground when he could be hiding below. But that wasn’t true. He didn’t get any signal on his pad below ground. He could here. He pulled it out and once more dialled Alesia’s contact and once more nothing.

 

“Hurry! Hurry!” Moze shouted. The screeches of Insectoid soldiers and laser fire were far too close for comfort. His instincts told him to hide but his heart wouldn’t let him. Not until he knew his Alesia was safe.

 

He dialled Sorcha and again there was nothing.

 

Moze paced back and forth, desperately impatient. Every sense tingled. Every hair stood on edge. The thick forest was only lit up by flashes of lightning or laser fire. It cast harsh, unnatural shadows that made him want to run. The all too close screams of Titans dying and Insectoid soldiers feeding only made it worse.

 

His eyes darted back and forth. Paranoid at any movement. He spotted something. He held his breath for what felt like minutes but was only seconds.

 

It was a young woman. Small and blonde. Like his Alesia. But not.

 

She was crying.

 

“It’s ok miss. Keep moving. You’re almost there!” he said and pushed her onwards in the direction she needed to go.

 

He was desperate to hear something. Anything. For the thousandth time he tried Joseph. He expected nothing. But then.

 

“Connecting…” his pad read and chirped.

 

Moze’s heart jumped into his throat.

 

“Moze!?”

 

He felt like weeping, but he held it together. Somehow. There she was. Viewed from the angle of a lens looking down. A little wet and little dishevled but unhurt and alive.

 

“Alesia!? Are you ok!?” Moze asked sounding a lot less calm than he realised.

 

She nodded and sniffed. “I am…”

 

“And the baby!?” He cut over her before she could finish.

 

“Yeah, we’re both fine. But Sorcha…”

 

“What’s happened!?” He asked.

 

“Myrell…Myrell was a traitor. She killed everyone…everyone who couldn’t get away. Sorcha saved me. And Joseph did too. But she’s hurt. Hurt bad. We’re waiting on the medivac.” Alesia explained.

 

“Go with her! Get out of here!” Moze said.

 

Alesia nodded again. “I will, I will. Are you ok?”

 

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m at the caves trying to get as many people below ground as I can.” He said.

 

A roar came up on the remote side of the connection. The roar of a ship’s engines.

 

“The transport’s here Moze, I’ve got to go.” Alesia said.

 

“I love you!” He said “Be safe! No matter what!”

 

“I love you too,” Alesia replied. “And don’t do anything stupid. This baby needs both parents.”

 

“I won’t!” He said.

 

Alesia lingered for a second, the noise of engines growing ever louder and then the call ended.

 

Moze looked at the black screen for a moment and then he heard voices. More people fleeing. He put his pad awayand focused.

 

“Hey! Over here! You’re almost there!” He shouted. And for the first time that day he felt good.
****

 

 

“Absolutely not.” Captain Gwenn replied.

 

“There’s no other choice!” Bass replied, looking at the door to the bridge nervously.

 

Lauryna resisted the urge to shout. “I’m not letting you ram my ship into that thing!”

 

Aerti grabbed her by the shoulders and held her gaze, clearing the doubt and fear and leaving only resolution on his face. “If that thing gets away then there’s nothing to stop it from reaching Earth Lauryna. Twelve billion people Lauryna. And who knows how many after that. It has to end here…”

 

“At least let me…”

 

Aerti broke her gaze, smiled and shook his head. “You’re not anywhere near the pilot I am. Besides, I have a more important mission for you.”

 

“More important than saving Earth?” Gwenn asked.

 

“Get my wife home, get her back to our kids. Get your crew and your wife to safety.” Aertimus said to his old friend.

 

Lauryna stared back at him. She knew this look too. And she knew better than to argue with it.

 

“Gods damn…you insane frakker…you never did get over losing this ship…” she said. “It’ll take a couple minutes.”

 

“Of course,” Aerti said. “I’ll head back out. And Lauryna?”

 

“Sir?”

 

“You’re right. I never did. But if I had to give it up…you always steered it true.”

 

“Steer it true for me, then,” Lauryna said.  “And make them bleed, Aerti.”

 

He smiled a small smile. “I blow this thing it counts as a win, right?”

 

Lauryna chuckled for a moment as Aerti walked through the door. She sent two quick messages; this was a damned unusual order, but not outside the realm of possibility. The chief engineer sent back one incredulous text response, but assented after her response. Rovlan had done what he always did – responded with a clear affirmative.

 

She wouldn’t tell Izzy. Not yet. Not because Izzy would do anything to interfere. She wouldn’t.

 

She just knew how much she wanted to stay. And she knew Izzy would too. And she couldn’t allow her to. Not this time.

 

Lauryna put her captain’s face back on and strode across the bridge to her chair and sat down for the very last time.

 

A quick, three-tone klaxon sounded, right on schedule.

 

“We’ve lost magnetic containment,” Rovlan said. “It’s a chain reaction.”

 

“Can we lock it down?” Izzy asked.

 

“Crewmate Usorte,” Laurna said, knowing what the answer had to be.

 

“We’ve lost redundant backups. We can’t eject the core, not in these close quarters, ma’am. I’m sorry.”

 

“Not your fault, Crewmate,” Lauryna said. She took a deep breath, and pressed a white button.

 

“All hands, this is the captain, magnetic containment breach. Abandon ship. Repeat, abandon ship.”

 

“Lemmer!” Bass shouted to the screen. “Pull all fighters back and have them cover the ships evacuating from the Gyfjon.”

 

“Sir, our sensors…”

 

“Just do it Seminavarchos.” He responded firmly.

 

Lemm swallowed. “Aye sir.”

 

****

 
As the evacuation klaxons sounded Bogomolov dropped to his knees in the palm of Eyrn Bass and evacuated the contents of his stomach. He knew what this meant. If the Titans were abandoning ship it meant there was now no hope. No hope for Earth and no hope for his wife and children.

 

“Here Mr President.” Ridgemont said and handed him her handkerchief.

 

He looked up to her, tears openly streaming down his cheeks. “My wife, my children…”

 

Ridgemont faltered just for a moment but composed herself with a sharp intake of breath. “We have to be strong Sasha. Earth will fight. Our countries will fight side by side until the end. The Titans are sending more ships. Earth will fight and it will live! There’s still hope!”

 

There was a jolt and the hand they were standing on started to rise until it found a pale faced Titan.

 

“I’m sorry, but we have to go. It may get a little tight.” Eyrn said.

 

Ridgemont nodded. “Do what you must Madam Ambassador. We trust you.”

 

Eyrn nodded and looked to Loona. The bridge was emptying quickly. Rovlan Tam nodded to Lauryna, and directed the ship’s pilot to one of the lifts. Lauryna grabbed Izzy and rushed towards Eyrn.

 

“Time to go, Madam Deputy Floor Leader, Ambassador,” Captain Gwenn said.

 

Eyrn wrapped her hand in Gwenn’s, gently depositing precious cargo within and hurried down the bridge ramp to her husband. “We need to leave Aerti.”

 

“I know…I know…” He said and rushed over to an ops console. “I’ll be right behind you, I’m programming the fast tracking turrets to cover the escape pods, then I’m heading to Commander Tam’s pod. Go with Gwenn.”

 

She grabbed him by the arm and kissed him softly. “I’ll see you on the Xifos?”

 

The ship shuddered as it took an impact and the light flickered and sparks fell from the ceiling. He wanted to grab her, hold her and never let go. Kiss her like it was the first time he had ever kissed but he couldn’t. His wife was smart. If he did that she’d know exactly what he was planning. He was barely even able to hold his composure.

 

Instead he cupped her chin and lifted it. Eyrn raised herself to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his and leaned her forehead to his, and threw her arms around him.

 

Eyrn knew. She didn’t know exactly what, she didn’t know exactly how, but she knew. As she kissed him, her mind raced as quickly as it could, to hold onto as much of this as she could.

 

She wanted to stay with him. Whatever he had planned, whatever he was going to do…she wanted to be with him when he did it. She could bear that, she could accept that. She would be together with him forever. That was really all she had ever wanted.

 

To be with him forever.

 

But even if she could ignore her responsibility to her human friends, and to Earth, and the Empire, and her job – and she was willing to, at that moment, she was more than willing to – she had Poly, and Cleo, and Marcy, and Zeb. She had to be there for them, and be there for him. And as long as their family was intact…he would always be with her. Always.

 

They broke, and she looked up at him, and wiped away her tears. “I love you,” she said, softly. “I will always love you.”

 

Aerti blinked back his own tears, and smiled at her. She was too smart, his wife. And too wonderful. He didn’t deserve her, but then, maybe nobody did.

 

“Miracle Girl,” he said….

 

There was too much to say, in that moment. And so all he said was, “I love you too. Always.”

 

Eyrn rubbed her eyes, and walked to the lift, looking over her shoulder the entire way. She kept her eyes on him until the lift doors closed.

 

“Crewmate Riasaes has escape pod Four-Ashay powered up. We’ll pilot it take us straight for the Xifos.” Lauryna said.

 

The lift opened on Deck Four, and Lauryna led them right to a junction of the hallway, where the portal to the escape pod was opened. Lauryna headed for the pilot’s seat, and Loona and Eyrn took the seats behind her. There was a bang as the pod sealed, and then a rush as the escape pod launched, its thrusters pushing full out. Lauryna took one last look at her ship, and piloted toward the carrier.

 

As the pod lurched, Eyrn realized that something didn’t feel right. Something beyond her near-certainty that she had just kissed her husband goodbye for the very last time. The Humans she had given to Gwenn were seated on a console beside her. All were there and looked well, if not a little fraught. She looked down to Loona’s palm to Darren and to Niall…

 

But Niall wasn’t there.

 

Eyrn’s eyes widened and she looked around. “Where…where’s Niall?”

 

Loona sighed and rolled her eyes. “The ass insisted on staying. Said he could save the ship. Arrogant little shaka thinks he knows better than a ship full of engineers.”

 

 

—————————————————————–

 

Author’s note: Thanks to D.X for both his contribution to this chapter and his tweaking of scenes to keep everyone happy!

 

Also – after the discussion on last week’s chapter on how characters look I decided to have a go at rendering Naskia in the newer engine that’s been released. Result: