Chapter 148: [ Book 2 ] Chapter 8: Ambush

The assailants formed an L-shaped perimeter around the Acculturation team and the defector. Celescia’s throat constricted as she peered at them, her limbs frozen in place. Some rational part of her brain that wasn’t overcome with pure terror recalled that Trystais had instructed the troupe on combat basics. The formation would allow the assailants to maximize their firepower while eliminating the prospect of accidentally shooting each other. They knew their craft and weren’t unskilled thugs, which meant the troupe was in a bad spot.

The Gray Eyed man gazed upon his prey with a calculating stare. His Pree partner said, “I am the supervisor for this Internal Security team. ” He pointed to the defector. “This male has stolen government property. We’re here to reclaim it and take you all into custody for conspiracy against the Theocracy. We don’t wish to harm anyone. Drop your weapons and lie down.”

"This is a channel station. Without a warrant, you have no jurisdiction here," the captain said. There was a firmness in his voice that surprised Celescia. She didn’t know how he could be so calm when surrounded and outnumbered.

The defector was anything but calm. His face went pale, his hands trembling by his side.

The supervisor stared back at the captain, irked by the challenge to his perceived authority. “We have approval from the Imperatrix himself due to the sensitive nature of the stolen property.”

“Meaning the Imperatrix didn’t want anyone finding out what was taken,” the captain said.

"If you're Internal Security, why do you have Humans with you?" the bodyguard asked.

"They're contractors serving on behalf of the Theocracy in tracking down dissidents," the supervisor paused, and added, "like you."

"Our friend isn't going anywhere with you. We’ll get station security involved if we have to," the captain said.

“Will you now?” the Gray Eyed man said. His gravelly voice matched his rugged features.

The captain’s face tightened as he accessed his PD. Celescia tried to do the same and saw there was no connection. Somehow their ambushers were jamming the Acculturation team.

The supervisor said, “Surrender now or face severe consequences.”

“No,” Trystais said. “You have no right to detain us—”

“The Imperatrix has every right to act against traitors!”

“Then you’d better shoot us because we’re not going anywhere with you. Go ahead, gun down Pree citizens on a channel station. See how well that plays out with the Commonwealth,” the bodyguard said.

The supervisor responded with a thin grin. “We know who you work for. Acculturation,” he said, letting the words sink in. “You overestimate the Commonwealth’s power here. But you are correct that having you alive is more convenient. So we will amend our offer. You can surrender, or one of my team will disable you with a stunner.”

"Choose wisely," the Gray Eyed man said.

“You should leave now before you get hurt, Human,” Trystais said.

The Gray-Eyed man studied Trystais as if looking for signs of a bluff. Finding none, he nodded at the supervisor. He pointed at one of his subordinates, then gestured at Trystais.

The Pree operative holstered his pistol and drew a stunner. He held the wand-like incapacitation device in front of him like a large knife and started to navigate through the construction materials toward Trystais.

Celescia looked to Trystais again. The bodyguard shifted on his feet, his brow weighing on his face. He was furious that he’d been caught off guard. That he’d failed his main objective; to keep his protectees safe.

She had a sudden fear that he might start shooting because of it. To go down in the glory of battle. Her partners gripped each of her forearms, watching the scene unfold in disbelief.

The hostile Pree’s stance widened as he approached. Primed for combat. Trystais remained still, observing with undeterred focus.

The operative was only a few steps away now. Trystais’s lips wrestled with themselves. His body tensed like it desired to fight while his mind commanded it to stand down or die.

Celescia wanted to cry out, to tell him not to do it, not to throw his life away. The operative reached forward, ready to put down the bodyguard into a twitching heap of muscle when the ambushing Pree on the short side of the “L” made a subtle noise of distress. It was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the compartment.

The ambusher stumbled forward from his cover, arms held out to the side, his pistol removed from his hand. The barrel of a hefty pistol pressed against the side of his head. Standing behind him, wearing a disapproving frown, was a man dressed in a full-body construction coverall. She recognized the deep brown eyes and heavy brow staring out the open visor of the environment filtration mask.

“Not sure what you folks are up to, but I don’t think Sanctum security would approve,” Captain Anderton said while eyeing each of the ambushers.

A flood of relief filled Celescia. She’d never been so happy to see someone who irked her again.

She peered at the Gray Eyed man and the supervisor, hoping to witness a scowl of defeat. The Pree appeared incensed—glaring at his subordinate who’d been taken hostage—but the Human was disturbingly calm.

“I didn’t know Acculturation had Humans on their payroll,” the Gray Eyed man said.

Dash shook his head. “I’m just a concerned construction tech.”

The Gray Eyed man considered the captain’s hefty weapon. “Who happens to walk around on his shift with a cannon of a pistol?”

“Yes,” Dash answered a half second too late to be convincing. “The Theocracy must be paying you good money to get involved in this.”

The supervisor spoke each word with an angry bite. “If you’re not with these Acculturation terrorists, then this matter doesn’t concern you. Leave now.”

“Sure, I’ll leave. But the ladies and their friends are coming with me.”

“Take my offer if you want to live,” the Gray Eyed man said. “I will not extend it again.”

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Dash’s eyes narrowed as he studied the man “I got your guy here dead to rights. You've lost the advantage. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

“You won’t shoot,” the Gray Eyed man said. The supervisor shot the Gray Eyed man a concerned look.

“Want to try me?” Dash answered.

The Gray Eyed man answered with a coldblooded expression that shook Celescia. She could sense the incoming violence as if it were a rainstorm on the horizon.

The captain’s face unclenched as he seemed to register the same intuition. He ducked behind his Pree hostage, one hand grasping for the hostage's belt. The Gray Eyed man aimed his weapon in the blink of an eye and fired, sending a shot through the empty air where Dash’s head had been a split second before.

The shock of the unexpected violence made Celescia jump in place. Dash’s arm whipped around the Pree hostage as they both fell. An object sailed through the air into the center of the compartment.

Celescia registered the cylindrical device, her mind deducing the hostile intent. She saw the surrounding Pree recoil in fear and move for cover as Trystais dove in her direction.

Someone grabbed her from behind and pressed her down as gunfire sounded over a chorus of shouting in the enclosed space.

She’d hit the floor behind two scrap containers when an explosion thunderclapped in the unfinished space.

---

Celescia blinked through a haze of disorientation, her sense of balance jostled. A buzzing sound filled her head, and her breaths were labored.

The limp body lay atop her. She wiggled free, and saw the captain's lifeless eyes peering back at her. She wasn’t sure how long she stared at the dead body before she peered around, trying to regain her senses. Trystais was on his knees, blindly firing his pistol over a container. The tech's prone feet were visible sticking out from behind a crate. He wasn’t moving. Her eyes traced lower and she spotted a sliver of movement through a thin gap as wide as her hand. The defector pressed to the floor on the other side of a pair of containers. His terror-stricken eyes rose to meet hers.

The defector's mouth moved, but his words were drowned out.

“I can’t hear you!” Celescia shouted back. The Pree tried again, but a wild shot struck the ceiling overhead. Celescia closed her eyes as hot bits of debris rained over them. When she opened them again, she saw the defector reaching for her through the gap, the tube in his hand.

Giving her a stolen asset.

She crawled closer, stretching out for it. He gave her a frantic wave to get closer. She didn’t know why. She was within a few centimeters of grabbing the tube. Another second and she’d crawl close enough—

A chunk of the container shattered near her head. Pain stabbed the flesh on the outside of her forearm. She retracted her arm, fearing she would find a wound. But she found her hand where it was supposed to be, with not a hint of injury to her body. A stroke of luck perhaps, but she had no time to ponder it further.

Celescia felt a powerful tug. Yanna pulled her away.

“No! Wait!” Celescia cried out. Her words were muffled like she were underwater. Some part of her mind reminded her that Yanna likely couldn’t hear either.

Turning back to the defector, Celescia saw the male wave her away. To flee. She didn’t understand why, he still had the asset. What good would her escape be without it?

“Run!” she heard Trystais command.

She wanted to resist Yanna, to crawl back to the defector. But her body moved of its own accord, scrambling with Yanna behind the forklift as gunfire flashed all around them.

Ruki threw her arms around both of them as they ducked into cover. Celescia could sense her partner’s sobs by the heaving of her chest.

“Thank the Spirits you’re alive!” Ruki said.

A distant voice called to Celescia. She spun and saw the disguised Dash gesturing at them at the outlet of a maintenance tunnel a few meters away. She gripped her parters’ hands and pulled them toward the Human captain.

He stepped out, giving himself an angle to fire at the assailants. His pistol barked a pair of shots, the wicked thing spewing death at the ambushers across the compartment.

Celescia sprinted past him, setting her garments into a retracted configuration as she ran. The loose fit drew inward, tightening around her body. Yanna and Ruki did the same beside her, the material of their arms and legs flapping less with each step. Celescia stayed straight, following the same path back that Trystais had led them in on.

Trystais. She almost froze out of guilt when she thought of the bodyguard. She managed a glance behind them. Dash sprinted after them. A figure followed behind. Trystais, shooting his gun as he ran to discourage pursuit.

“The cart! Get in!” Dash shouted.

Celescia faced forward, spotting the rear end of a parked cart at the tunnel’s outlet.

Yanna and Ruki pulled her along. They burst through the outlet and scrambled into the back of the cart. Yanna ensured Celescia was secured in a seat, then began to climb into the front of the cart.

Dash slid inside, colliding with her. He shouted, “I’m driving! Get in the back!”

Yanna replied with indelicate obscenities as she returned to the rear seat as Dash grabbed the controls.

The cart thumped as a heavy load landed upon it.

“Go!” Trystais shouted, clinging onto the cargo rig on the rear of the cart.

Dash throttled to max acceleration. The cart zoomed down the under-construction corridor and toward the station proper.

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