Pegasus (Part 106)

The bridge went silent as our ship descended into the back of the convoy, the habitat growing ever larger in our translucent screen. For the first few moments, Tabitha looked warily into my eyes.

Then the sound of chatter started coming in and out over the comms –

  • Come in Delta V, come in Delta V. State the nature of your business
  • Delta V here. Delta V here over. We are transporting Lithium 95 over Code 415356 over
  • You are cleared Delta V. Your convoy is to proceed

“That’s all yall have to do to get in?”

The intricacies of my calculations were lost on her. They had flown into one of the most corrupt parts of the Empire, and had taken advantage of it. The code provided was too short to be anything other than criminal. It avoided the financial pain of them having to pay their own.

They were now approaching the thin red atmosphere of the habitat.

“Buckle up,” Tabitha commanded.

Everyone complied without hesitation.

The ship began to vibrate.

Leanne and Casey held each other’s hand.

Then it stopped, and our target city of ten million souls appeared in the distance—a sea of skyscrapers jutting up to heights almost out of the atmosphere.

Pegasus (Part 105)

It took several hours to reach the complex. But the wait was worth it.

“What are they?” Tabitha asked as it finally came into view. Chrissie beat me to the punch.

“They are extremely heavy laser cannons. This is probably the most fortified and well-armed habitat in the system. Aren’t we the crazy ones to be going there?”

“We’ll be okay,” I told them but they both looked at me with a frown.

Casey and Leanne entered the cockpit. I was quickly learning that patience was not their strong point.

“Are we nearly there yet Mum?”

“It’ll be another while love.”

This whole plan I had concocted relied on reaching the city of Kolkata V on the habitat. It was the only low-security settlement, the only one we had a reasonable chance of setting foot on.

Sweat began to drip from my brow as the habitat grew larger in front of us.

I saw a convoy of merchant ships and told Tabitha to fall in right behind them, hopefully making ourselves less conspicuous.

“What is this place?” Casey asked.

“Hell,” I replied.

“You’re so dramatic,” Casey replied.

“If they want us dead, then that’s what we’ll be. And it will be over in a flash.”

Pegasus (Part 104)

The Taurus V Military Complex was legendary, an almost mythical place. It was a spherical rotating habitat with a habitable surface area equivalent to Africa’s. It was home to the Emperor’s most loyal, best-paid, well-armed battalion. They were called the Blue Core and numbered over thirty million soldiers. Their armor consists of over one hundred thousand tanks, four thousand dreadnoughts, thousands of heavy lasers, and artillery pieces. The Space Core is required to transport them to battle, a cautious Emperor wary of giving any of his forces too much power.

They regularly carried out war games on the habitat, which was very close to the real thing often resulting in thousands of casualties. They were easily replaced in a large empire.

The Blue Core was infamous for its role in many battles such as putting down the Lunar Rebellion and the Comotose Habitat conflagration.

Still, it was the massacres that they were best known for. Men and children were murdered, the women were raped first. Any habitat that dared to resist. A thoroughly delightful bunch.

And I was now on a spacecraft veering through space right toward them. Because their corruption was also legendary. That was the weakness we were going to be depending on.

Pegasus (Part 103)

“It would be very dangerous,” Casey said with a smile.

“Indeed,” replied Leanne, “But it was the Emperor soldiers who killed our father and robbed us of a home. I say fuck ’em. Let’s do this.”

With a simple nodding of heads, it was agreed that they too were rebels.

“So what now?” Leanne asked with wide eyes.

I felt now was a good time for me to speak.

“The plan is to get to the Emperor’s habitat and to launch an explosive device to kill him. I am one of his distant progeny so I will be more trusted. Still, I can’t just fly there or I’ll be shot down. I need an official invitation of some sort. We will need to get incrementally closer. Our next stop is the Taurus V Military Complex.

Once there we need to bribe our way to a habitat closer to the Emperor’s. It will not be easy but it’s the only way.”

Tabitha then took control.

“The two of us have been through so much already. At times, things have looked really grim, but we persevered. With your help, I now truly believe that we can make this happen.”

Chrissie went to walk to the controls.

“I’ll input the details of our next destination.”

Pegasus (Part 102)

“Well, what are you two going to do?”

Casey was suddenly looking right at me.

Balls, I should have stayed asleep.

Tabitha replied, “We are rebels, and have only one goal – The end of the Empire.”

Wow, that went much further than what I would have divulged. Damn, she’s looking right at me.

“Don’t look at me like that. We have the money, and now we need help.”

There was sustained silence apart from the beating of the craft’s engines.

“Your fuckin’ serious,” Casey interjected, “You want to destroy the Empire. And I had you down as lowly drug dealers. I shouldn’t be so quick to judge.”

Leanne got to her feet, the medical device having done its magic. “What do you think Mum, should we join the rebels? They did save me. A swashbuckling adventure perhaps. What do you say?”

Chrissie looked up at the ceiling, then pouted her lips.

“It’s like this girls, we’ve lost all our product. And I couldn’t bear making you the product. We’re bang out of options. But everybody I know that was a rebel, died shortly afterwards. I’ll leave it to you two to decide. There’s no stopping you anyhow.

Casey and Leanne looked at each other.

Pegasus (Part 101)

“Come on Casey,” I roared over the din of laser fire.

She fired another salvo, before quickly looking back at me. Then she sprinted towards the craft. Once inside, I quickly pressed the button for the cargo bay to close as I saw the uniformed men aiming their weapons.

“Get us the hell out of here.”

Laser fire started hitting the ship as the sound of its engines came online.

I went to Tabitha and Leanne, ensuring they had their belts on, before turning my attention to my own.

The thrusters ignited, and I could the ship moving much to my relief. I felt exhausted. There was a familiar smell of drugs.

I must have drifted off for a while because when I woke up everybody, including the supposed pilot was sitting in front of me, and deep in conversation. Casey was holding a medical device in her hand, and a blue beam emanating from it, healing Leanne’s wound. She would be back to full fitness in just a few minutes.

Casey was in deep conversation with her Mum.

“What now? We have lost all our product, we’re wanted criminals, and have nowhere to go?”

“I don’t know Casey. Just concentrate on your sister.”

Yes, they have major problems, I thought to myself.

Pegasus (Part 100)

We ended up dragging her along by her feet.

“Come on Leanne, try to help us. Keep taking steps,” Tabitha implored.

“I’m trying,” she sobbed,

The laser fire was continuing unabated behind us.

I looked up and saw the ship we were heading to. It was not exactly what I had been expecting. It was a medium-sized craft, totally pink, with a large cargo bay entrance to the rear.

As we got close, I stopped helping to hold up Leanne and ran forward to press the button to open it. Tabitha and Leanne immediately fell unceremoniously to the ground. I then ran back, and carried Leanne over my shoulder to the ship, before gently placing her inside. Tabitha stayed tending to her, while I looked out to see if I could see the other two.

For a few moments, all I could see was the flashes of laser fire in the distance. Then, Chrissie appeared out of the corner of my eye sprinting towards me. Then she shouted.

“I’ll get us out of here. Don’t you close up till my Casey is inside.”

She darted past me.

There were more flashes of laser fire.

Then I saw Casey. She was walking backwards towards the ship returning laser fire.

Pegasus (Part 99)

There was the sound of feet clattering.

I looked up to see the mother standing beside me. The muscles in her face tensed as she continued to fire away. She looked down at her stricken daughter.

“Are you okay baby? Mummy’s here.”

Leanne stoically recovered her composure.

“Yes Mum, I think so. These people help me. I’m sorry.”

The Mum replied, “Don’t be sorry baby. I got us into this mess.”

Then she gave me a glance, before firing another shot.

“Buster, the name’s Chrissie, nice to meet you. I don’t know you and your woman. But you looked after my Leanne, so you must be good people. Well for drug dealers and all. Now, I don’t know what your plan for getting off this base was, but I’ve got a ship sixty meters away, behind those crates. There’s enough space for everybody. What ya say, you two bring my Leanne over to it, I’ll give you cover. And we get the hell out of here”

I didn’t need long to think about it. There was no other option. I nodded to Tabitha, and then we lifted Leanne to a standing position, putting an arm over each of us. She smelled of perfume.

Pegasus (Part 98)

Well fuck me

The blonde didn’t hesitate and immediately opened fire, and then shouted.

“You treacherous bastards, come and get me.”

Then, I heard the sound of laser fire coming from behind me. Myself and Tabitha ran behind some cargo boxes for cover, trying to keep our heads down. A barrage of fire then came from the other direction in response.

A squeal of pain.

Tabitha popped her head up.

“It’s Leanne,” she whispered with a frown, “she’s been shot in the leg. Looks pretty bad.”

I nodded wondering if there was anything we should do.

Then Tabitha made a run for her.

What’s she doing doing?

I peeked to see her struggling to pull Leanne to our position.

Damn it

I leaped up and helped pull her behind the cover. Leanne was sobbing.

Tabitha took charge, while I looked on in dismay wondering why we were helping a stranger.

“It’s okay, Leanne. You are going to be alright. It’s just a laser wound.”

She then pressed down on it with her hands, but blood gurgled in between her fingers.

Wide-eyed she looked at me.

I took off my shirt, and tightly tied it around her injured leg knowing that her life depended on it. The firing continued, and distant roars of pain ran out.

Pegasus (Part 97)

The blond woman took charge pointing a laser at me.

“Casey, go check if they have the merchandise,” she said in a high pitch, old American voice.

She gave us a wide smile as the brunette walked past us to check the craft.

There was a pungent smell of fish coming from further away in the cargo bay. The blond woman face was stern.

“Nobody need to get hurt. The transfer will be completed once everything is in order.”

A shout came from behind us.

“It’s all here Mum.”

The blonde woman pursed her lips.

“I told you not to call me that. For Fuck’s sake, Maura”

They are family.

There was a surreal silence for a few moments.

“Leanne, go help your sister.”

The other woman then walked past us. A sound of rumblings came from behind us, and the occassional sound of bags hitting the surface. As the minutes, passed the woman’s eyes started to blink more often.

“Girls, are you nearly done? We don’t have all day.”

A different voice from before spoke before me.

That must be Leanne

The blond woman he up a small screen and then spoke again.

“You can see that the bitcoin has been transferred. You are free -“

Just then a group in green uniforms appeared from a distant entrance. A shout went out for us to drop our weapons.