A Soldier For All Seasons Ch. 21

By the time they'd arrived at the dockyards, Cora was still saying silent on the matter of her new eyes. She'd bandaged the front of her face across the eyesockets, claiming she didn't want to horrify anyone with the sight of them.

But Ana had caught her smiling and if Cora was smiling, it meant that something must be growing in those sockets.

If only they had Nate on hand to speed it up.

With just her white bandages covering her face, she looked a little odd, but Ana had seen much more oddities in people, especially the cybermodded.

They landed in the dockyards without any fanfare. Watta Lien Bay was a port built into the sea, the only way they could find enough space on the crowded planet of Tarnarus. Most of the Lunari military was serviced in Watta-watta, as the locals called it, and with that much need came the best mechanics, engineers, shipbuilders and interior designers and builders.

And with the resources in place, so came the nobility, because nobody wanted to settle for second best.

They had descended slowly, wanting the best view over the mass of ships, docked in an extending radial around the central circular plaza of workers. Gleaming whites with yellow stripes for the nobles' small ships, pure whites for the military battlecruisers, their skin marked by the tell-tale blasts of bug fire.

Regular shuttles could take you or your cargo back to the mainland, but Ana could see that an industrial village had popped up in place of one of the docking positions. Shanties and shops, for the worker that didn't want to — or more likely, couldn't afford to — travel back home before the new day.

She scampered down the ramp, trying her best not to walk like a Princess, swinging Cora's hand back and forth as she guided the blind girl.

The security guard looked appropriately scandalized.

"Your majesty, we weren't expecting—"

"And you weren't meant to," Ana interrupted. "I am conducting an investigation into the embezzling of royal funds. If you tell anyone of my presence, I shall assume that you are involved. Am I clear?"

"Yes, of course—"

"Good, thank you." Ana beamed at him. "You're very good at your job, I can tell. Perhaps you should go welcome that three-pronged Wingwave landing over there?"

"Yes, thank you, your Majesty." The man bowed his head, pale, and practically sprinted away.

"Embezzling?" Cora muttered to her, clinging to her arm.

Ana shrugged. "Could be true." She pulled Cora along, neck craned to stare at the ships above. It was a sight that never failed to amaze, these great beasts casting their shadows, enormous cranes rising alongside them, walkway rigs, hanging panels. Sometimes, they'd been opened up like a tin can and you could see inside, the magic trick revealed, the naked frame, a blimp without its covering.

Figures worked within or outside, sometimes harnessed, sometimes striding along a wing, not even as big as the lettering on the wing.

"I wish you could see this." Ana told Cora.

"Eh, not my first dockyard. I do love them, though. Aside from the smell," She wrinkled her nose.

The sea salt spray was a pleasant scent; less so the sulfur of the fuel and the furnace where metal was being bent and treated.

It didn't take long to find the ship that the Prince had escaped on. They'd seen it coming in. And they'd also seen the supremely high corrugated fencing around it, as thin as could be but still unclimbable.

"They've fenced it in. High walls." Ana muttered.

"Is that unusual?"

"Not really. Even noble ships carry weaponry and you don't always want others to see what you're carrying. Might be seen as uncouth, see?"

"Carrying quad-stacked plasma beamers on your pleasure liner might be a bit vulgar, huh?"

"Something like that." Ana smirked.

"What's the security look like?"

"Just two but they look big and...and mean." Ana hesitated.

"Really? Mean?"

"If you could see them, you'd agree."

"Can you do your hoity toity Princess thing?"

"My what?"

"You know — your 'begone peasants, do not even look at my face' thing."

"I don't do that!" Ana said, affronted.

"You literally just did it to that security guy—"

"I was very reasonable."

"He's going to piss blood later—"

"Don't be uncouth—"

"Oh, now I'm uncouth."

Ana paused, examined Cora. Twitching lips. "Are you playing with me?" She demanded.

If Cora had eyes, she would have rolled them, but she still tilted her head to the skies. "You think? Look, just point me at the big meanies, I'll take care of them, you go in and do your thing. Okay?"

Ana felt a pit in her stomach. "But-but what are you going to do? You can't even see!"

"I'm going this way." Cora declared, stepping in more or less the right direction. "Just watch."

Ana did watch as Cora walked forwards, hands outstretched, a pink-haired blindfolded creature of the undead.

"Alright there, ma'am?" Ana heard one of them say.

"Who is that there?"

"Ma'am, we need to you to step back. This is a private area."

"Oh, I'm looking for the private area. I've been booked, see? Don't tell anyone, but I'm the very private dancer, if you get me?"

"Ma'am, this is not a dance area—"

Cora reached out to pat the guard. Ana choked. Her hand shot down to his waist, grabbing for a can of his impedi-spray.

"Ma'am, what the f—"

Quick as a flash, Cora threw the can back towards Ana, whipped off her bandages and started screaming. "They blinded me! They blinded me! Look at my eyes! Help! Help! Please," Her voice broke into sobs. "Won't someone help me?"

Her red raw eyes bled claret tear drops down her face as she fell to the ground. She cried loudly, quickly grabbing the attention of both the dock's security patrols and passersby.

Ana gaped and then quickly caught on. "They just sprayed that woman's eyes out!"

"Shit, I'm gonna retch." A pampered young man commented.

"You can't trust the security here, they're on a power rush." His pretty date said, tutting.

"No—that—I mean, she was blind already!" The guard cried. His face paled in horror as he realized what he'd said.

Ana took one last look at Cora's dramatic wailings in the center of the gathering crowd, and then easily passed by in the commotion. Past the fence.

The ship wasn't large. It had the emblem of the tribes the Prince represented, a ship in the sea and a ship of the stars right above it. The twin seas. The emblem was painted in copper red, a not so subtle reminder that the history of these tribes was red with blood.

But which of the Lunari tribes weren't? Her mother had made all of them fight for everything they had, for every crumb that came tumbling from Mother's hand.

The ship was lit up — even the computers were on, running a software update. The workers were busy.

She didn't have much time.

But she knew what she was looking for. The engine room was at the back, burrowed under a floor hatch.

It was locked — a old school padlock. Ana grimaced. She should have brought a blaster. She grabbed the fire-axe from the wall instead and hacked at it like a logger, sweat shining on her forehead. The computer sounded a fire alarm, but she'd be long gone, soon enough. The lock split like sugarcane, in two.

Below, the room was cold. Too cold. Engines ran real hot and engineers usually ran engine stress tests when they were on solid ground.

But this engine had more problems wouldn't pass a stress test.

Of the eight core fuselarium flows that ran in the chrome beast, two had been shot up. A black and purple fire radius scorched the flows around it, staining the reinforced glass that contained the fuselarium. A small close-range impact.

A blaster. A handgun.

Not a big bug blast.

"I knew it!" Ana clenched her fist, examining the engine closer. The Prince had been lying.

"But why?" She murmured to herself. "Out of shame...or because he's a traitor?"

"Perhaps I just didn't want to die for the daughter of the greatest psychopath our people have ever seen?" A voice cut through. Elathariel's voice.

Ana tried to turn around, but she was frozen, limbs shaking. In a second, his arms were around her waist, squeezing so hard it hurt.

His breath on her face, cold. "Oh, Ana." He murmured, chin resting on her head.

She tried to say something. "Prince, I—"

"I was just snooping in your engine room, looking for evidence so I can get my murderess mother to execute you, so she can gain full control of our people."

"No, that's—"

His hand drew circles on her stomach and dipped down her leg as she struggled. Tears sprang to her eyes as she wrestled ineffectively.

An elbow to his chest to gain a gap.

He gasped.

She jabbed his face, just like Nate taught her. He only laughed as she backed away. The ladder to the hatch above was closed. She'd never be able to climb it in time.

"Ana, darling," Elathariel called out soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Stay the fuck away!" She screamed, swiping her face clean. "I'll never marry you! I'll never love you!"

He snorted, unbuttoning his shirt. "Who ever said anything about love? You should count yourself lucky, you know. I'm going to bring peace to our people. You're going to be revered as the first wife of Prince Elathariel, the mother of the Twin Seas tribes."

"You could never unite our people."

He smiled, an ugly twist to his mouth. "Something I learnt from your mother dearest — sometimes you can unify by force." He leaped forward, smacking away her punch and wrapping a strong arm around her windpipe.

She gagged, coughing, trying and failing to smash her elbow backwards, trying to find leverage with her feet to push back, trying anything to escape him. Her vision swam.

"That's right," He cooed. "Surrender. I'll make you feel so good." His hand slipped to her ass. "I've never seen such a body."

Ana wanted to fight back. Had to fight back. But she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't...the room was so dark. Everything was so dark.

And then light.

"Arrgh!" Cora yelled. She jumped down and with her she brought down the axe, splitting into the Prince's head. It split like a watermelon, a blood bath. His grip lessened as he sunk lifelessly to the ground. "Fucking rapist asshole!" Cora screamed, wrenching the axe out and bringing it back down.

Ana just cried, covered claret. She was cold until she felt Cora's warmth, hugging her tight. Tears ran down her cheeks, unable to dismiss the thoughts of what-could-have-been.

"It's okay." Cora murmured. "You're okay. Say it, girl. I'm okay. I'm okay. Say it."

"I'm okay." Ana sobbed.

"Again." Cora ordered.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." She cried.

"Yeah, you are." The pink-haired girl nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm not okay." Ana said suddenly, looking at her with realization. "It's not okay. We've killed the Prince and I—I've started a war."

Cora's face paled before her jaw set. "Only if we get caught."

Ana let Cora pull her up. "Only if we get caught." She agreed, feeling shaky. She wished Nate was here.

"Let's go."

Up the ladder, Ana tugged Cora back. Something occurred to her. "Cora...can you see?"

Her eyesockets were still red, raw and frightening, but there seemed to be a loose little worm, the beginnings of an optical stem. Ana did her best not to show her disgust, in the case Cora could see.

Cora smiled. "No, but yes. I can...sense. Something Nate's done, no doubt. I can't see your face, but I can make out your outline, your figure, in shades of red."

"Really?" Ana said, astonished.

"Really." Cora nodded. "Looks your boy has some tricks up his junk, huh? Come on, we need to go quick."

"I don't think I can sneak out of here." Ana looked at herself. Even covered in blood, she was still the Princess in Lunari territory.

Cora grimaced. "Fuck, fine, you're probably right. I'll do it myself. Imma get the ship, go find something to cover your face and then...can you get on the wing?"

Ana stared at her. "How's that going to help me?"

"We're gonna do this holomovie style."

***

Cora bit her lip as she looked at the fence entrance. She'd barely managed to slip the security guards once she'd caused the commotion, slipping out amongst the crowd as an argument began between a do-gooder and the poor guard.

But the crowd had yet to disperse and she'd attract too much attention, especially with the blood splatter on her clothes.

Her vision was wavy, like she was using her old thermal optic, making her stumble and walk into crates and trip over cables.

You can do this. She told herself. You told Nate you'd protect Ana.

But try as she might, she couldn't see a solution. The fence was too high.

She paused, examining the inside of the shipbay. The ship was settled in a standard dockstation for work being done on a small to mid-sized ship. They'd removed the ship's landing feet in order to raise it up in a firm three-prong grip, the center supporting the traditional curved base, the dock walls pushed in pretty far to grip it, the vice tightened. The side prongs came up under the wings for them to rest on, ensuring the ship was both balanced and lifted for undercarriage work.

Cora hummed, judging the height of the fence. High — but not high enough.

The dock station terminal was unlocked.

Fools.

Two swipes and the left prong withdrew, sinking to the ground. The ship creaked, the center base groaning with the weight before the weight of the wings toppled left. The wing stabbed into the ground with a terrific crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.

And giving her exactly what she needed.

Cora set off with a sprint, up the wing, leaping over the vents, footsteps clapping against the metal, a little echo unheard over the sudden sound of shouting.

Over the wing, sliding over the raised bubble of the ship's center, and up on the right wing, ramped up high in the sky, the angle perfect.

The fence stretched before her. There was gap, a jump.

But Cora didn't hesitate.

She sprinted until her foot was placed on the edge and then leapt.

For a moment, the fence's corrugated tops looked like they'd pierce her stomach, and then she was over.

Her foot caught on the fence, a graceful leap turning into a painful tumble.

Pain shot through her nerves as she stared up at the sky. That blue sky turned red in her vision.

She'd made it. She'd made it!

She laughed, adrenaline shooting through her. Ana wouldn't be able to do that and her dockstation hijinks would bring attention fast.

Cora stumbled to her feet, relieved she was in a basic bay for a Wingwave — unfenced. Within moments, she was back on their ship, sighing in relief as she sank in the captain's console.

Now she just had to fly half-blind. The ship fired up with a satisfying roar and she thanked the stars that Ana had dismissed that security guard so quickly — no forms, no fees, no locks, she could simply fly away.

Up above the bay and she could see the mass of shouting, the security. Panic — they were running out of time.

She leaned the ship toward the Prince's bay and kept her ramp lowered, the rush of wind fierce throughout the bridge. Somewhere, a bowl crashed to the ground. The powerful oily smell of the fuselarium from the engines, the heat, spreading through the ship.

"This is such a bad idea." Cora muttered. Below, Ana's white silhouette, her figure unmistakable even with her bad vision. She stood on the raised wing, examining the fence with fear. Below, other figures were swarming the ship.

Cora lowered the ship hard, trying to mentally judge its base, so close to the ground that the knockback from the engines created a dustcloud. Crates fell from their stack. The figures took slow, steady steps forward, arms raised to protect their eyes.

"Don't squash the Princess." Cora chanted to herself. "Don't squash the Princess. Auto-engage, hover."

And then she rushed down the ramp, coiling her foot in the cargo webbing, pressing her body against the cold steel of the ramp. The wind breeze swept again, drying the sweat on her face.

"Cora!" Ana cried, so close yet so far.

"Grab my hand!" Cora yelled, hanging off the ramp, held only by the cargo net. Why doesn't this ship have a fucking rope?

"You're too far!"

"I'll catch you," Cora promised.

"I can't make it," Ana wiped her eyes. "Go! I'll be fine."

"Don't be stupid! You have to jump. We can do this!"

Ana took a deep shaky breath, taking a few steps back. Behind her on the wing, someone appeared. Security.

Ana ran, jumped.

For a moment, weightless horror.

And then Cora caught her wrist.

"I—" Cora growled, her shoulder popping, clenching her teeth as she strained with all her might. Ana hung in the air, a painting on the wall, the nail dipping.

Cora made an inhuman scream and swung Ana up and into the ship, her shoulder screaming along with her.

Ana pulled the net back and Cora was dragged back in, a pink-haired fish caught by a trawler.

"Thank—" Ana blubbered.

"Thank me later." Cora snapped, darting back to the Bridge to close the ramp. A second later, a bursting fire of the engines and they were shooting high and clear, towards the stars, out of the atmosphere.

Free.

"Well, that was fun." Cora grinned.

Silence met her. She turned back to see Ana, ashen, crying.

"Hey, it's okay." She held out her arms and Ana rushed her tightly, squeezing her hard. "Whoa, easy. You're okay. We got away clean."

Ana shook her head, sniffling. "It'll get out that I was there, thanks to me showing off. The security guy." She said bitterly.

"That'll take time and they might not believe him." Cora assured her.

"T-there's no papering over this. The Prince, I, he was—what have we done?" She said, eyes haunted.

"We stopped an awful man from raping you." Cora said firmly.

"Nobody will believe me." Ana choked.

"Then we need to find evidence of him being in league with the bugs. We need to find real proof that he's a traitor, not just a coward."

Ana's eyes refocused on her. "How do we do that?"

"Well," Cora smiled coldly. "We've tried doing it your way. Let's try doing it mine."

***

Nate blinked as the hand in his shifted. Lunar Moon.

"You're awake." He said stupidly as her eyes blinked down at him blearily.

"I am." She croaked.

Nate helped her drink some water, watching as her eyes adjusted to the medbay around them, her nose wrinkling at the smell of disinfectant. Even though she seemed fine, the doctors had kept her overnight as they tested for water in her lungs.

"Xavier?" She said simply, watching him intensely.

"Got kicked out," Nate said with no small satisfaction. "They patched him up, just about — the safety coils weren't meant to be used offensively and I apparently caused some significant internal damage." He kept his tone light — it wasn't difficulty. He didn't feel guilty.

"Good." She squeezed his hand, her eyes glistening. "You saved me. Why?" Lunar stated, frowning, blinking rapidly.

"Well," Nate paused. "I can't let a team member fall, can I?"

Lunar stiffened, hand coming up to her chest, clenching over her heart. "Thank you, team leader. I shall work harder to become your sharpest sword. You have honored me. I have much to learn from you."

"Lunar, it was nothing—"

"If you'll forgive me, team leader, I should like to be alone to collect my thoughts." She said formally.

"I-yeah, of course." Nate stumbled up, wondering what he'd said wrong. "Take it easy. I'll get Lita to bring you some food later if they don't let you out in time for dinner."

He made to leave the bay.

"Nate!" She called behind him.