“How many Troopers have we left?” Audrey wheezed.

“Only about seventy, and some of them are injured.”

Audrey got lost in her thoughts. It would be standard practice to kill those injured that might hold them back. Brona protected me.

“Try to bring the injured with us as best we can.”

They were in a plateau under a light blue sky. The granite rock beneath them was smooth. Huge mountains were to their left right, with streams of lava flowing down. The air stank of sulphur. In the distance, an artificial oblate structure loomed large.

The battle chair activated to Audrey’s touch. A hologram of the planet appeared before her. A flash red dot highlighted their current position near the equator. The artificial structure close to them was the largest on the planet. It was named as The Convent. Audrey felt a shudder down her spine.

She faced the Troopers and told them to move out.

Progress was slow. Audrey felt pain after every bump.

Specks of black dots appeared above the structure. Then they headed straight for them. It could only be one thing – drones.

“Defensive circular formation,” Audrey commanded. Her tone frantic. “Fire at will.”

She turned on the machine guns of the battle chair.

Brona placed her hands on Audrey’s face to quell the bleeding. “You’re going to be okay.”

Behind her one of the other Troops said, “Leave her, she’s finished and will only slow us down.”

“Never.” Brona shot back, “anyone who touches her is answerable to me”.

Audrey felt her energy draining away. A few seconds later she had lost consciousness.

She awoke in what she recognized as a standard imperial tent. Brona was by her side rubbing her face with a wet cloth..

“Welcome back commander. You gave me a bit of a scare back there. I had to stitch up the side of your face. It will scar but hopefully you can have it cleared up when you back on Uisneach. Amazingly, you have no broken bones.”

Audrey smiled on her good side. “I won’t be beautiful again for some time.”

Brona took her hand. “You will always be beautiful.” The two women got lost in one another’s eyes.

A clamor came from outside and Brona went outside, before returning. “They want to know if you are okay to continue.”

Audrey nodded in the affirmative. “It may not be much longer before we come under attack.”

Two Troopers entered and lifted her out and back into the battle chair.

Audrey winced and opened her eyes, to see only darkness. Blood dripped from a gash on her face. The carbonite battle chair should be fine but her body was pressed down, unable to reach the controls.

This could be the way I meet my death, not gloriously in an arena or battle but alone on an unknown world.

Hours passed. She struggled to move but to no avail.

A clink. Did I imagine it?

The almost inaudible sound of voices.

It grows louder. Is that Brona?

Audrey tries to shout out her name. Her mouth is dry, her throat sore.

Soon, Brona’s voice can be clearly heard.

“Brona, over here,” she gasped.

“Yes, commander. We’re almost there.”

Audrey smiled till the pain hit her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

A few minutes later a dink of light appeared. The Emperor has looked kindly on me.

Brona appeared peering at her. “A section of the ceiling collapsed on top of you. A piece has cut into your cheek. It could cause a lot of damage lifting it off.”

“Do it, Brona. We could be about to come under attack, for all we know.”

“Yes, commander.”

The debris lifts, pulling at Audrey’s face. It takes every bit of resolve not to scream.

The aged captain shouted back from the controls, “We came under fire from the planet on our approach.”

Loud cackling noises were coming from the ship.

Audrey shouted once more, “Did you provide the security clearance?” She could see a red and blue planet looming large, and flashes of yellow light trying to hit the spaceship.

“Of course I did. You need to prepare for a crash landing.”

For a moment, time seemed to stop. Her heart was pounding, sweat dripping down her brow. “Brona, inform the troops to prepare for a crash landing.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What about you?”

Audrey pressed a button on the underside of her control panel. Magnets bolted the chair to the floor, and extra safety straps wrapped around her. “I’ll be more fine than anybody else. Now go.”

Brona sprinted out.

“Do you have any preference as to where to land?” the Captain asked.

“Yes, somewhere relatively flat and close to where that firing is coming from.”

The ship began to shake as they entered the atmosphere. Audrey tried to control her breathing. There was still a chance that she might yet survive and have a further chance to serve the Emperor.

The front of the shop was now turning a bright white.

Audrey gasped for breath. Pain was emanating from every limb and crevice of her body. Someone was talking to her, but she was groggy. She shook her head, trying to regain control of her senses.

A few seconds later, her eyes began to focus. It was Brona, her eyes red with tears flowing down her eyes, who was trying to speak to her. Audrey realized that she was back sitting in her battle chair.

Brona shook her. “Commander, the ship has come under attack. What are your orders? We had to do an emergency evacuation from your pod. That is why you are nauseous.”

Audrey looked around in horror as the stench of burning bodies hit. Most of the pods were alight or smashed. Screams of pain echoed around the ship. We need to get to the deck. The rest of the troopers should try to save as many of their fellows as they can.

Brona nodded and gave the troopers beside her instructions. “Let’s go, commander. I will clear the way.”

Audrey pushed her controller forward as Brona pulled bodies, dead or alive, as well as broken pods and other debris out of the way.

They reached the bridge, the door automatically opening.

“What is happening, captain?” Audrey shouted.

Within minutes, all the other troopers were in their pods.

Audrey shuffled herself forward in her chair and put on arm on the pod for support. “I’ll need your assistance, now.”

Brona supported her to stand and then to lay down into the pod. Her long hair draped over Audrey, she smelled of soap. Audrey felt a tingle run through her body.

Timothy would like her.

Pushing back her hair with her hand, she smiled. “Are you okay now?”

Feeling warm all over, Audrey smiled back. “That is fine. Go to your pod. When you wake, I will need your assistance once more.

Brona placed her hand on Audrey’s. Her hand was warm, soft. “I’ll be just over there.” Brona pointed to a nearby pod.

Audrey nodded, then pulled the translucent opening closed.

For a brief moment she wondered what awaited her on the other side. A strange new world full of horrible Sisters, no doubt Then her thoughts turned to Timothy, the love of her lfe and if she would ever see him again.

The pod turned cold. The hairs on her arm stood up and her breath became white. A few seconds later a white gas gushed over her body.

The bridge was small and difficult to drive the battle chair around. A man with long grey hair was standing in front of the viewport.

“Are you the captain?” Audrey enquired, her voice echoing around the deck.

He tuned around, adorned with deep lines across his forehead and crow’s feet. in a shabby, torn blue uniform. “Yes, I am. My name is Carthage. Sorry that the bridge is so cramped. Not very accessible. It’s not a priority where this ship is from.

Audrey shuddered. “Is there anything I need to know about it?”

He rested his hand on the captain’s seat for support. “It’s more of the shock when you come back, We will be travelling close to light speed. While you are in stasis much time will pass.”

Audrey swallowed. “I know. All in service to the Emperor.”

Carthage then continued. “Well then, you should go to your pod. When I next see you, we should have arrived.”

Audrey turned and went to the back of the ship where her pod was waiting for her. It was in the center, with row after row of other pods surrounding it.

“Enter your hibernation pods,” she bellowed.

Brona went to leave before Audrey hushed, “Not you.”

“We have been given a mission of the utmost importance by our most beloved Emperor. At all times, your total obedience and loyalty are expected.”

With that, she watched her troops, a mixture of stern-faced men and women, walk up the long ramp to the ship.

A sound of feet clattering. Audrey turned to see one of her troops running towards her.

A young woman with long, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes spoke. She was trembling. “I’m so sorry for being late. There is no excuse.”

I should really punish her. Set a good example for the others.

Audrey looked behind her. All the other troops are inside.

However, I could use an assistant. And she does look good.

“What is your name, trooper?” Audrey asks in a softer tone.

“Brona,” she replies, standing upright.

“Well, Brona, as punishment, you will be my personal assistant for the mission.”

Bron’s eyes flicker towards her and then away. “Okay, as you wish.”

“Walk behind me at all times. Speak only when spoken to. Now come along.”

Audrey pushed her joystick forward, and they made their way up the rampway into the ship. Inside, the troopers were already readying their hibernation pods.

Audrey headed to the bridge to talk to the captain.