Project - Prometheus Ch. 03

"Well, it sounds like you three have a lot to talk about," Inari commented as the rest of the crew joined them.

"Captain, you wouldn't believe the things that are on this ship! There is so much we haven't even seen yet!" Natalya enthused, her voice bubbling over with excitement. Korsa stretched out behind Nats, her joints and bones popping audibly.

"She'd have stayed there all night if I let her!" Korsa said, as she worked her arms and back from being hunched over a desk for the last few hours.

"Mama K, I'm not that bad!"

Korsa crossed both sets of arms and gave her adoptive daughter a look that said, 'Really?' Wilting under that gaze, Natalya said, "OK, fine."

Giggling, Taal'ani filled in, "She probably would have fallen asleep at the desk if we didn't half drag her here." Natalya fired the catgirl a dirty look, while Taal'ani just shrugged and stretched out.

"Mama K?" Kasumi asked, puzzled.

"My parents were killed back when I was eleven years old. I would have died with them if it wasn't for her," Natalya responded.

"What happened?" Kasumi queried, curious.

"An upcoming gang that was running the streets on the station I lived on were pressing my parents for 'protection' money. Only thing was that my parents didn't have much," Natalya went on, spilling her story.

"They had just started their own business, stepping away from being slaves to some faceless, corporate giant. They had already paid another gang for protection, but these guys had set up shop in the same area, having taken down the previous one."

Her voiced choked up, as what happened next was always difficult to tell. "When my parents couldn't pay, they made them pay in another way. They took us to their hideout and separated us. They locked me up somewhere, but they took my parents somewhere else. I remember little from that time, but I know that my parents suffered. I heard them screaming in pain, crying out for mercy, but the gangers never gave it. I heard the things that those bastards said they would do to them. I was in there for three days before they brought me out."

"I cried out for them to stop hurting my mom and dad, but they didn't listen. They only did what they wanted to do because they didn't give a fuck. Their leader, Michael Phillips, stood next to my parents. They were shackled up to the ceiling, hanging limply. They were both tortured, brutally. They beat my father to where I couldn't recognize him anymore. My mother..."

Kasumi's demeanor had softened substantially and hearing what this woman had endured, forced her to re-evaluate her own views on life. She tentatively reached out to put her hand on the young woman's shoulder. As she clasped her, Natalya's head shot up and looked at the soldier. Seeing compassion there, Natalya grabbed Kasumi's hand and squeezed. Reminiscing dragged Natalya down into the dumps, but she would always find her way back. It helped that there was someone was there to listen and help pull her back if needed.

She continued her story, "My mom was... abused... badly. Some of those gangers even made comments about how good she was, doing everything they had asked, just to save her family. Mike, who I call Rat Face, was leering at me. He told me that if I did the same things she did for him, that they'd let us all go."

"Though he was barely conscious, my dad spoke up, told me not to do it. He told me to fight with everything I had, otherwise they'd win. Mike just walked over and put a bullet through his head, like he was an insect. My mother screamed, crying and begging for them to leave me alone," Natalya said, her voice sad and forlorn.

"Mike and his crew just laughed like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard and continued abusing her. Then he pulled a knife and came at me. I was so scared that I froze. Just as he reached me, the door into their little hideaway shattered."

"Korsa stood in what remained of that doorway, in full battle armor. Mike was pissed that someone had crashed their 'party' and ordered his boys to kill her. The gangers tried gunning her down, but they'd never fought a Khontaran before. They did not understand they were already dead men," a note of satisfaction carrying in her tone.

Nodding mutely, Kasumi remembered the full scale of wrath and fury that Korsa had unleashed on the Sentries. She shuddered to think what the massive woman could do if she stood against sentient beings.

"Half of their shots missed, and the other half hit her, but they might as well have been armed with water pistols for all the good it did them."

"When I saw Korsa there cutting down those scum bags like she was vengeance itself, it jolted me awake. I then did the only thing an eleven-year-old girl could do. I kicked that rat bastard in balls, hard, and got behind her. Some of his crew tried to fight Korsa hand to hand, but they didn't last long. The most skilled of them there kept his head for maybe ten seconds before Mama K took it clean off his shoulders," the dark-skinned woman shuddered.

"I hope that the sadistic bastard also joined his boys on the floor, bleeding out," Kasumi commented before letting Natalya continue.

"Sadly, that fuck head still lives. He recovered quickly enough where he got out the back door while Mama slaughtered his crew down to the last man. As he ran though, he shot my mother in the chest."

Tears spilled down Natalya's cheeks, as this memory was a very painful one to remember, even after all these years. "Korsa saw what happened and chased after him for a moment, before coming back. She took my mother down and tried to save her, but it was a lung shot and Korsa had nothing that could keep her alive long enough. 'I love you baby girl.' was the last thing my mom said. She died right there in my arms."

"After we put my parents to rest, Korsa took me in and raised me as her own daughter. I was one of several kids she brought in from... unpleasant places. Even though my parents were gone, they treated me like family. It was difficult to boot, but we were there for each other and Mama K always made sure we were safe."

The entire crew had stopped what they were doing to listen while Natalya told her story. Though they had all heard it many times before, they still listened. Kasumi now had a newfound sense of respect for both Natalya and her adoptive mother, Korsa.

Inari stepped forward and spoke to Kasumi, "We all have our own war stories. Each one of us has had to claw her way through the worst that the galaxy has had to throw at us, and we're still here. It didn't break us."

"I think I understand some of what you all are now. Not all of it by a long shot, but some," the red-haired woman said solemnly.

"Some time, you might just tell us your war story," Natalya said, clasping Kasumi on the shoulder. Sniffling, Kasumi nodded, while the chocolate-skinned woman drew her in for a hug, recognizing the pain that was buried within the soldier. A swooshing sound announced another arrival, in the form of Captain Tomisic, who walked in with bleary eyes. Every head turned to regard him as he ambled over to the bar. Looking over at all the women assembled there, he let out a slight laugh.

"Seems like I'm not the only one in need of a drink," he chuckled as he made his way to the dispensary behind the bar. When prompted about what he specifically wanted, Alex said aloud, "Sortilege maple whisky."

As it was dispensing, Priya piped up and said, "Maple whisky? You have actual maple whisky? Where in the name of the gods did you get it??"

Alex gave her a dubious look and replied, "This ship was crafted back when we still held Earth, so everything on it came from Earth." His matter-of-fact tone was not lost on the rest of them as he walked over and sat down in a cushy armchair, enjoying the liquor's unique flavor.

Incredulously, Priya continued, "Do you have any idea how much that glass of whisky is worth in the Federation?"
Shaking his head, he said, "None. How much would it be worth?"

"At least two to three thousand credits per shot!" Choking for a moment on his drink, Alex recovered after pounding his chest to clear his airway.

"Are you serious??" he responded with a tinge of awe in his voice.

"Yeah. Anything that is certified to have come from Earth has had its initial value inflated at least three to four thousand times, as we have so little left that has come from Earth."

Kasumi looked at the women dubiously and laughed. "Yeah right! You're going to tell me that if we had a greenhouse full of fruit and vegetables that came originally from Earth, that we'd all be rich?"

Turning to regard both the soldier and what she had just said, Inari asked, "Do you?"

"Do we what?" Kasumi asked while still laughing.

"Do you have a greenhouse full of fresh fruit and vegetables?"

Standing, Alex answered the question, "We do. There is an entire section of the Perseus that is dedicated to growing food via an advanced hydroponics system, which is how the entire crew was fed," he said matter-of-factly.

Eyes the size of saucers, the Natalya asked, "Would it be possible to see this system for ourselves?"

Alex opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Jaesa, appearing in the holographic display podium. "Priority alert! Intruder detected in cryo storage!"

"Jaesa, bring up the feed!" Captain Tomisic commanded. Her image winked out and was replaced by cam feeds, which displayed Shazza. She was lurking around in pod storage, deftly avoiding the Sentries as they went about their duties.

"A Xuul'khani survivor! How is it that one of them had lived for this long, without the Sentries finding her?" Kasumi wondered, anger edging her voice.

"Ask her that question when you apprehend her, Commander," Alex said as he turned to address the red-headed soldier. "Take Charlie squad and hunt her down. Kill her like the rest of those who attacked us."

Smiling, Kasumi cocked her weapons and was ready to head out, when Inari spoke up.

"Captain, sir?" she asked as she stood.

"What is it Lt. Commander?"

Setting herself in a military stance, she replied, "I respectfully request that both Gunnery Sergeant Patel and I accompany Commander McKenzie to hunt down this Xuul'khani. I would also request you rescind the kill order on her."

"Why is that Lt. Commander Sunara?" as he shifted his stance, showing that he was not pleased with her current line of thought.

"As much as we know about the Xuul'khani, there is still so much that we don't know about them. Their command structure, their hierarchy, their traditions, everything, sir."

"And why would we want to know about that?" he asked, irritated.

"Something that my fleet commander once told me, sir. 'To defeat an enemy, you first must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, traditions and even their art. Once you can see things through their eyes, you will then know how they think. When you know how they think, you can anticipate exactly what they will do, when they will do it and how they will do it.'"

His expression now thoughtful, Alex nodded, seeing the apparent wisdom of such a mindset. "Very well, Lt. Commander Sunara. Your request is granted, so capture her if it is possible, but you follow the Commander's lead on this. If she proves to be too troublesome, then Commander McKenzie will end her should it prove to be necessary."

Kasumi stood nearby, unimpressed with the turn of events, but glad that her Captain was being sensible.

"Understood sir. Pree, let's go," Inari said, clapping on her helmet and sealing it into place. Priya was only a few steps behind her and cocked her Night Hammer as she followed both women out of the officers' lounge. Korsa, Taal'ani and Natalya stood and walked towards the Captain.

"Your orders sir?" Korsa asked, her desire to help clear. Alex regarded them for a moment before deciding.

"Doctor Korsa, you and your two crew mates here will head down to the hospital wing that lets out into pod storage and await further orders once you get there. I will return to the bridge where I will monitor and direct both teams. I will send Delta squad with you."

All three women stood at attention and saluted before bolting off to their assigned area. Alex then turned and raced out of the lounge, his long strides eating the distance he needed to cross to return to the bridge.

"Jaesa!" he called out. "Send squad Alpha to the bridge and set up defensively and relocate squad Bravo to defend all access points to the bridge!"

"Sentries on their way, sir! I'm still tracking the Xuul'khani survivor, though the Sentries in pod storage have yet to spot her," Jaesa informed him. Reaching the elevator, he jumped in and set his destination for the bridge.

"Direct the Sentries towards her location. Force her out into the open but do not fire upon her. I want her herded towards Commander McKenzie's team!" the brawny captain ordered.

"Redirecting the Sentries now, sir!" the AI affirmed as the elevator reached the bridge. Racing out of the elevator, the solid blast doors that sealed off the bridge opened as he reached them. Once he was through, Alex was greeted by the sight of Sentry Squad Alpha, all sixteen in a defensive stance, their guns pointed at him. Recognizing their Captain, the telltale glow of their eyes stayed a bright blue, showing him as a friendly target.

Wasting no time, he darted to the command podium, bringing up the video feeds of cryo pod storage. He got a good look at the survivor that was racing from cluster to cluster, trying to stay ahead of the now searching Sentries. She seemed to be tall, of a parity with Taal'ani in both size and shape, though her hips were narrower, and her chest was bustier. Lean in a way that suggested strength, she wore a tight fitting red bodysuit that shimmered wherever the light struck it.

Her hair was white as fresh snow and braided in a complex and intricate braid. She had eyes that blazed a bright green, which almost seemed to glow. Following the contour of her skull was a pair of onyx horns. They flared upwards as they reached the apex of her head, ending in two sharp points. Her legs were both thick and seemed to be powerful as she propelled herself at considerable speed away from the closing Sentries.

Hitting a button on the console before him, Alex called out, "Commander, she's on deck sixteen being chased away from Engineering."

He heard a reply almost instantly, "Engineering? Damn it! She must have been trying to find a way in. How far is she, sir?"

"Eight hundred meters and being herded directly towards you. Take up ambush positions and wait for my signal," he ordered.

"Aye sir!" came Kasumi's crisp reply.

"Korsa, take your team and circle around, get behind this Xuul'khani. Take shots at her, and drive her hard to the waiting team."

"Acknowledged sir! Disembarking in the hospital wing now. We're on our way!" Korsa replied as her team of three rushed out of the elevator on screen.

He brought up the screens that showed both the ambush team and the survivor. The team was sitting in place, waiting for their moment to pounce. All the while, the onyx skinned woman was dancing from cover to cover, trying desperately to stay ahead of the clanking Sentries. Alex smiled to himself as she was following the path was being laid out for her. Soon, they'd have her and hopefully, some answers and insight into the why and how they were attacked.

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Korsa, Natalya and Taal'ani sprinted along the walkways, following the guide path that had popped up in their helmet HUDs. While they were moving along at a good pace, Korsa had to slow down, to allow both of her crew mates to keep up.

"We take a left here," Korsa ordered, as they continued their run, the cryo pod clusters becoming a blur as they raced by.

Moving along quickly, it wasn't long before they saw the groups of Sentries, once allocated to cleanup duty, now converging on a singular target. Korsa raised her upper left hand, indicating a stop. Skidding to a halt, her compatriots took a few moments, their lungs sucking up the oxygen they so desperately craved. After about a minute, Korsa drew her sword and gestured forward.

"Doctor stay behind the Sentries and have Engineer Vostrikov and Taal'ani make their shots. Do not engage directly. Let the Sentries do their job of herding the intruder," Captain Tomisic's voice came in over the helmet comm.

"Understood sir." Korsa replied. "Well girls, you heard the man."

Nodding, both Natalya and Talon unholstered their weapons and took aim between the Sentries. Looking for any sign of movement. At first, they saw nothing. But out of the corner of her eye, Taal'ani saw something shifting in the dark. It was far too large to be any pod machinery or mechanism.

Aiming her pistols, she squeezed off a few rounds, the chatter of shots ricocheting off of the substructure. She heard a sharp cry, one that sounded like pain, and saw a roughly humanoid shape emerge from the darkened area. It then bolted off, throwing all sense of caution to the wind.

Both Natalya and Korsa saw the movement, Nats took aim and fired. Her shots missed her target, but not by much. Korsa let out a bellowing war cry, trying to catch the intruder's attention. Just as she finished, their quarry froze, turned and stared at them. Even though she was over one hundred meters away, they could see her eyes widen, fear etched into her face. After a moment, she turned away and broke into a dead run.

"Like I said Mama, you make the most battle hardened marines shit themselves when they square off against you," Natalya said as they followed the Sentries giving chase on the fleeing woman.

"Something I suppose helps in certain situations," Korsa laughed as they sprinted along. The Sentries sped up their pace to match the women's, driving their quarry onward. Other groups of the mechanical defenders closed in from adjacent walkways as they passed. Grinning, Korsa knew it would be soon before this chase was over.

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Adrenaline surged through her system as panic drove Shazza to run as fast as she could. 'How did they find me?!? I was careful!' Banishing the fleeting thoughts, she did everything she could to stay ahead of her pursuers. Several shots came at her, but they were poorly aimed, as they pinged on the surrounding decking.

She knew if they caught her; she was a dead woman. Shazza was still in shock at the sight of a Khontaran on board this ship. 'They were supposed to be wiped out! They turned the planet into a nuclear wasteland! Nothing survived! Our scans confirmed it!' Again, she put useless thoughts out of her head and focused on ones that would be needed to survive.

Pushing herself to her limits, Shazza surged ahead of the group following her. As the distance lengthened, she smiled, believing she'd be able to escape from her pursuers. A foreign word was barked out just ahead of her and as she focused, she saw the barrel of a shotgun pointed in her direction. She tried to turn left down another walkway to avoid the ambush, but it was already full of Sentries, closing on her position. Going the other way was out of the question, as it was a wall, showing that her current position was right up against the bulkhead of the ship.

Catching her breath, she set herself as they shouted more words at her. She couldn't understand them but knew what the intent was. Deciding to comply for the moment, Shazza knelt and placed her hands upon her horns, a gesture of submission among her people. She hoped that these primitives would understand her gesture. She did her best to look horrified as she had one last card to play before she was done.

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"Sergeant Patel secure the intruder. We've got you covered," Kasumi ordered. The others had just caught up to where they had finally cornered the Xuul'khani woman. Inari circled to the right, giving Priya additional cover. She reached out and took one of the woman's hands, placing a locking brace on her wrist, before maneuvering behind her to grab the other one. Before Priya could reach it, Shazza flicked her arm downwards, faster than anyone thought possible.