Halfbreed Ch. 10 - End of Book One

Mike fumbled like a drunk through the dark, his ears ringing from the booming echo of thunder in his head.

Alarms were blaring, a keening repetitive siren that he registered only slowly in his dazed state. The room around him had erupted into chaos: power to the entire floor had gone out, the room was a haze of smoke and shadows and darkness.

The emergency lighting kicked in, casting a dim glare of pale red light in the corners and on the walls. He could see shapes moving in the darkness, panicked voices shouting over the din of the emergency sprinklers going off. Mike shook his head to clear out the cobwebs, blinking to try to regain his scattered senses.

"Get down!" He heard Allynna shout. She leaned in on him from one side, shoving him with her shoulder to the ground as he collapsed onto the ground. Unable to catch himself due to his bound hands, he fell hard against the floor. Gunfire erupted behind him, wild and unfocused, firing blindly into the dark in search of missing targets.

The jolt of the fall brought his consciousness screaming back to reality. Mike crawled for his life. He wormed his way away from his would-be executioners to the far side of the vault, glancing over his shoulder and seeing that Aly was doing the same right behind him. The fire sprinklers above them sprayed wet foam onto the ground. It coated everything with a sticky, slippery fire retardant. They both soaked.

As he crawled Mike worked his hands in desperate, jerking motions behind his back, using the malleable liquid metal to cut at the bonds that held him in place. It was hard to get leverage, hard to see, or even to move properly.

He navigated his way blindly through the dark, reaching the wall as more gunshots rang out from another part of the room. He pushed himself up onto his knees using his shoulder, leaning back against the wall as he sawed the bonds apart at a frantic pace. Mike gritted his teeth and cut through the final link, snapping the cuffs in half and freeing his hands from behind his back.

Aly crawled up next to him. He groped for her in the dark, taking her by the arm and pulling her to her knees. Mike felt more than saw a large shadow appear at their side.

They will recover from their shock at any moment. Came Lass' voice clear in his mind. He felt her large hand fall upon his shoulder in the dark. When her fingers touched his skin, he felt a rush of unexpected emotions. She was feeding him her fear. We need to go. Follow me.

Acting on a smugglers' favorite cocktail of instinct and adrenaline, Mike followed her lead. He pulled his still-handcuffed first mate to her feet as he stood, bracing himself against the wall of the vault as the three threaded their way towards the dimly lit exit in the distance.

The Loupians were still shouting at one another. More gunshots rang out but Mike could hear the Veiled One's modulated voice roaring at them to stop. The ground was slippery, covered in foam and difficult to navigate. Mike nearly lost track of where he was going more than once.

Clearing the exit of the vault and the pitch black room they came to the hallway. Mike at last could make out the bulky form of the Orc in front of him, lit only by the dim glow of the red emergency lighting running across the edges of the hall on the floor on either side of them.

She looked energized, like a coiled spring tense with potential velocity about to snap. She turned back to look at them, and Mike could swear he saw her eyes burning like a Promethean flame in the dark.

Run. She said in his mind. It was not a suggestion, but a command.

Before Mike even had time to process the thought, he was off like a lightning bolt. He ran for his life, his legs carrying him forward without his mind ever willing him to do so. It was an almost dreamlike, out of body experience.

Mike glanced back behind him, surprised to see that Aly was right at his side, running with the same wide eyed momentum. She didn't even glance at him, her arms still bound behind her back as she ran with a long, graceful stride.

Two figures arose in the dark; a pair of Loupians returning from the hangar were jogging down the dark hallway. They shouted out warnings and lifted their weapons.

Lashvara sped up, letting out a bellowing roar that shook the walls with its intensity. It grew louder and louder, far too loud for any beings' lungs to realistically produce. The Loupians dropped their weapons and shrank back. Had Mike any control over his own body he might have cowered in fear as well.

Lass did not so much as slow down, bowling the two stunned Loupians over, smashing into them with her shoulder and sending them flying to either side in her wake. Mike zoomed past them with barely a side glance, his legs carrying him forward after the rushing Orc.

Hurry. Came her voice in Mike's mind. He felt his footsteps quicken.

Coming to the end of the vault hall just before the hangar bay, Lass skidded to a stop. Mike and Aly arrived right after, huffing and puffing. Spotting his chance, and feeling a it of his own will returning to him, Mike grabbed Aly by the arm and dragged her behind the nearby support pillar next to the closest vault side door.

"Quick, your cuffs." Mike said, crouching down as he made a sharp gesture with his right hand. Aly went down on one knee and turned her back to him, allowing Mike to saw at the links.

There is no time. Lass said in his head, her eyes almost burning a hole in his head from their intensity. We are being pursued.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Mike shouted, too caught up in the moment to ponder the inherent ridiculousness of arguing with a voice in his head.

Sweat poured down his temples as he sawed frantically at the final cuff links. Mike heard the rapid approach of footsteps from the hallway they'd run from. There was the snap of metal, and Aly's hands came free. "Cmon, let's-"

Bang, bang, bang. Came three pops in rapid succession. The pillar he had ducked behind caught the gunfire with a screaming protest of metal on metal.

A bullet struck his back. Pain exploded into the back of Mike's ribs as he was carried to his knees by the momentum of the impact. He only just managed to catch himself upon the ground with his hands as the wind was knocked from his lungs.

In a rush Aly was kneeled down next to him at his side. He heard her shout his name. Mike sucked in an airless breath, his throat closing as he tried and failed to remember how to breathe.

Mike!

Lashvara's voice carried through his haze like a clarion beacon. Flashes of images filtered through his head, as though he was seeing the environment around him through someone else's eyes. The two Loupians from before were approaching Mike and Aly's pillar at a rapid clip, their guns raised.

In the blink of an eye Allynna's ringknife was in her hand. The Elf pivoted around on her heel in a graceful circle in time to meet the first Loupian as he came around the pillar. The Elf tensed her leg and shot up from her kneeling position, stabbing the knife deep into his midsection.

The curved blade bit deep, slicing through the body armor beneath his suit with ease and embedding itself in his stomach. Her other hand grabbed the barrel of his gun, driving the Loupian's rifle upwards as his shots popped harmlessly in the air. She pulled the knife back and stabbed him again in the space of an eyeblink.

The Loupian cried out and dropped his rifle, reaching down in reflex to clutch at the wound. Allynna didn't give him the chance to respond, using her forward momentum to slam her right shoulder into his chest. She clutched the handle of her knife as leverage, shoving the bulk of the bigger Loupian before her with determined, precise steps.

The second gunman came into view a few feet behind the pillar. Allynna rushed forward towards him, using his compatriot as a shield as the startled Loupian backpeadled from her relentless advance.

Three more bullets slammed into the back of the first Loupian's body armor. Allynna used his bulk as cover while she closed the distance. The dying Loupian lost his footing, and Allynna shoved him out of the way, pulling her knife free in one smooth movement.

Now there was nothing between Allynna and the aim of the remaining aggressor. She leapt at him with a near blinding speed, stepping to one side when she saw the gun barrel jerk in her direction.

Pop. A final gunshot, one that Aly had anticipated. She moved like a dancer, lifting her leg out of the way as the bullet went wide to her left. The Loupian reoriented the barrel once more. He wouldn't miss again this close.

Aly flicked her wrist, and the knife left her hand in a blur. It cut through the air with a strange, almost singing whistle. The Loupian staggered back, dropping his gun as he recurs up to clutch at his throat. Blood poured from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.

It had all happened like lightning: two men dead in the space of seconds. Lashvara hadn't even had time to react, staring in horror at the carnage Allynna had wrought.

The Elf stepped over the gurgling body of the Loupian and pulled her knife free from his throat. She flicked the blood from the blade before sheathing it and concealing it on her person once more. She then turned and ran to Mike.

In a rush Allynna was at his side, her hands reaching back to feel for the wound in his spine as Mike tried to pull himself up off his hands and knees. "Stop moving Michael," she said, her usual timeless voice filled with a curious kind or worry. "We need to stabilize the wound." He felt her fingers trail across the divot in his jacket where the bullet had hit, and-

"Freya's Mercy," Allynna murmured, letting out a soft gasp. "It really is Gelph leather."

With a soft tug she pulled free the shattered husk of the bullet lodged in Mike's jacket. It had crumpled from the impact, having failed to pierce the thick padding of his favorite attire. Mike let out a wheezing chuckle as he tried to suck in air into his uncooperative lungs.

"Told you..." He whispered, grimacing in pain as he struggled to shoot her a cocky grin.

With help from his first mate Mike struggled to his feet. He wobbled a bit from the ache in his back, but was otherwise unscathed. There would be a large, painful welt tomorrow, but there was no time to worry about that now.

"The gangsters in the hangar almost certainly heard the shots, Michael." Allynna said, her hands trailing across his abdomen as if to confirm that he was, in fact, okay. "They know we're coming."

We need an escape route. Lashvara said, staring down the vault corridor with a hard expression on her face. The Veiled One is coming.

"There's an... emergency side exit. Fire escape. Other side of the hangar." Mike said, trying to catch his breath from the force of the impact. He stood and took ah experimental step, grateful to feel steady on his feet. Aly moved to collect the dead Loupian's guns. "If we can reach it..."

We can get to the hovercar garage. Lashvara finished in his head. Mike nodded; it was more than a little unnerving to have her speak his thoughts out loud faster than he could think them. I can sense the Loupians in the hangar. If we move quickly we can avoid being overwhelmed. I believe I can lead us safely to the other side.

"Let's go." Mike said. "Time's wasting."

Allynna picked up the rifle the first Loupian had used to shoot Mike in the back, slinging the weapon over her shoulder to take as her own. Ever the soldier, Aly went for the weapon that most suited her temperament.

She unholstered the dead man's pistol from his waist and tossed it in Mike's direction. Mike caught it in midair. He checked the chamber, dropped the magazine and verified that the number of rounds in the magazine. Sharing a glance, the two nodded at each other.

When Aly moved to hand Lass the remaining pistol from the second dead Loupian, the Orc stared down at it.

I do not want a gun.

"Want's got nothing to do with it." Mike said. "The only way out is through that hangar."

I am not a murderer.

"Well that's a damn shame, because they sure as space-dust-on-a-starship's-ass are." He retorted, letting out a pained sigh.

"We don't have time to argue." Allynna said, her ears pricking up at the sound of running footsteps echoing down the vault hallway. "We need to go. Now."

"Fine, then follow my-." Mike said.

Lead the way, smuggler. Came the voice in his head. It was eerie, feeling the Orc's knowing eyes on him when she "spoke."

"...Yeah. That."

The vault door to the hangar bay slid open, exposing the three to the dark interior. The lights had gone out in the entire section of the facility; only the emergency lighting hanging high on the walls were on, casting beaming rays of insufficient light across the cavernous room.

Flashlights from the muzzles of guns turned from the center of the circular room where the Loupian's transport sat. They pointed their accusing glares in the direction of the opened door.

Then the shooting started. Mike stood for a half-instant in the flashlight's glare, then dove for the nearest cover. He saw flashes of pinkish light and the sound of roaring gunfire as he leapt to one side, rolling onto his hands and knees as he crawled towards a pile of stacked crates. He planted his back against them and took stock of his surroundings. It was hard to see, he was terrified to move and catch a stray bullet.

Continue left, they're trying to flank us. Lashvara's voice was in his head. He watched as her large form sprinted past him down a narrow thread of space between cover. Circle the outer ring of the room. They don't know what's going on.

Allynna lifted her rifle to her shoulder and returned fire, sidestepping gracefully in the direction of the Orc as she forced the Loupian to duck and cover. "Go!" She shouted to Mike. He could barely see her face in the darkness.

Summoning his courage, Mike rose to his feet and ran in the direction that Lass had disappeared to, keeping the light of the Loupian's flashlights to his right as he ran for his life through the outer ring of the Hangar bay. The cavernous room was a network of clutter and shadows, a confusing place to navigate at the best of times. And this was far from the best of times. Bullets ricocheted here and there as the Loupians took potshots at his shadow.

Stop here a moment.

Mike skidded to a stop behind a tall shelf stacked with starship weapons components and took stock of the situation. Aly was a ways behind him, moving like a Valkyrie across a battlefield as she ran and turned and fired and ran again. The flashlights were repositioning, now some of their glares were coming from the vault door they had entered. They were mostly focused on the Elf.

Thinking quickly, Mike took aim with his paltry pistol, pulling the trigger as he picked off the emergency lighting above his head. Glass rained down after his second shot, and the room grew even darker.

Now! Go! They're trying to cut you off!

Mike ran, dodging the sound of gunfire as he bobbed and weaved his way through the dark hangar. He almost tripped twice, but managed to right himself and keep on running.

The pattern repeated several more times: Lass directed them through the ever increasing gloom, Aly drew their fire and kept the pressure off of Mike, and in turn Mike picked off the emergency lighting, allowing them to flee further into the darkness. In hot pursuit were the Loupians and their insufficient flashlights.

They had nearly reached the other side of the hangar. Mike could see the door to the fire escape. Lass got there first, silhouetted by the light coming through the door as it opened.

Mike dived behind the last bit of cover before the door: ironically the pile of collected bags of dust that had yet to be loaded into the back of the transport. He ducked down for a moment, hearing the sound of bullets striking burlap. When the shooting slowed, he was up again, sprinting the final distance, moving with a speed he had never known he had.

Allynna ran like the wind behind him, sprinting into cover behind the bags herself as she waited for an opening to follow. The gunfire intensified, ripping holes through the makeshift defenses as she scrambled to stay out of the line of fire.

A stray bullet hit one of the larger bags at the top of the pile. However, instead of absorbing the impact, the bag exploded, spewing a massive purple dust cloud in all directions. Allynna was engulfed.

"Aly!" Mike shouted at the top of his lungs as the Elf staggered into view through the fallout. She reached the edge of the drifting dust, the rifle slipping bonelessly from her grasp as she lost balance. She collapsed to her hands and knees as her body reacted to the illicit compound, letting out long, heaving coughs.

Mike raised his gun, unloading the clip in all directions to keep the remaining Loupians who hadn't been hit behind cover. Lass responded to his delaying action as if reading his mind: taking off at a sprint to retrieve the fallen Elf. She scooped the smaller woman up in her arms while Mike kept the gunmen occupied.

Cradling the stricken Allynna like a child, Lass ran back to him, surging into the fire escape with a speed that belied her large frame. Mike, having emptied his clip, tossed aside his gun and ran after her, shutting the door and making quick work of the lock mechanism with his multitool, buying them time.

"Aly! Aly!" He said, waving his hand in front of her face as the Elf blinked repeatedly. She only responded with a confused moan. "Can you hear me?"

I can feel her thoughts through the haze, Mike. She is not hurt. But the dust is affecting her mind.

"Fuck." Mike said, shaking his head back and forth. He turned to the stairs and began to climb up them at a rapid clip. "Come on, we'll deal with it in the hovercar!"

What about the Veiled One? Will she not pursue us?

"Not with half of Charity City's security forces descending on her. Your little magic trick set off every alarm in the facility." Mike's expression hardened as he took the stairs two at a time. Lashvara led the way. "The Veiled One missed her chance to catch us in her net. She'll be looking to make tracks before the authorities finger her. We've only got a few minutes at best to get the hell out of here."

Out of nowhere Allynna started to laugh hysterically. The sound was unnerving: a high pitched squeak that made her sound delirious.

"Aly?" Mike said, watching as her unfocused gaze turned to look at him from the other side of Lashvara's elbow. She smiled - no, she grinned at him. Her facial expression looked cartoonish in its over exaggeration. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

At his words she started to cackle again. "Fire escapes." She said, gesturing theatrically with a hand before dropping it limply from her side, "It's always 'fire escapes' with you, isn't it... Mike?" She giggled at the sound of his name, leaning her head back in Lashvara's arms to stare at the ceiling as they rounded the bend and resumed the climb up the next flight of stairs.

"She's drugged." Mike said, concern rising in his chest. "Is she...?"

She only took a few breaths of the dust. She will be fine.

Allynna looked back at him again, her facial features shifting abruptly from near-ecstatic humor to almost tearful melancholy. He had never seen such expressiveness on an Elf - let alone Aly - before. "You worry about me, Cryllinor. I don't want you to worry. We are alive and together; that is all that matters."