Warhawk's Amnesty - Ch. 12 - The Yearning Nightcaller Pt. 2 - Final

As quickly as Seb’s confidence came, it vanished once he stepped beyond the hangar doors. The door into the rest of the ship ground open along its tracks, showing signs of rust and improper maintenance. When he looked past the threshold, Seb frowned and pulled up his map. The ship’s schematics must have been outdated, given the fact it displayed a perpendicular hallway, yet the only way to go was to venture forward.

It reminded him of a book he read in prison of a living precursor ship that had moving interiors. For those welcome, their path would always take them where they wanted to go. However, bandits would walk through one doorway and be transported into a completely different part of the ship, forever lost to the seemingly endless metal corridors that twisted inside the ship.

Unlike the story, this ship was so mismanaged, Seb wondered how it was even functional. Twisting pipes, rows of unshielded cables, and piles of garbage lined the walls without organization. It was simple chaos, and it made him feel uneasy. He wondered if he opened the wrong door, would he be accidentally vented out into space? Pressing the button on his wrist, Seb activated his skinsleeve, just in case.

Before he marched forward, he marked the point of the hangar on his map, leaving a digital trail he could use to find his way back. Once inside, he scoured the halls looking for the pits. As he roamed through the halls, an alert popped up on his HUD, and Seb became glad he salvaged the helmet. The message showed a level one toxic atmosphere. It was breathable, but over time, most humans would start to suffer infections like pneumonia. Even more of a reason to find everyone and get them the hell out of here, Seb thought.

When Seb walked into a dead end, he turned around and found himself by a dozen waist-high humanoids wearing thin camouflage that shimmered like plastic. It wasn’t until they sprang up to their feet behind him that Seb had realized they weren’t bags of garbage. They pointed rusted shanks up at him as the first one stepped forward.

“You’ve awoken the Terrible Trixies for the last time, manthing known as Sam,” the red-eyed creature said. “You were warned twice now what would happen if you ventured down our alley of annihilation, and now you must pay the toll.”

Seb shifted back onto his hip. The creature’s high-pitched voice and small stature made it hard to take him seriously. However, they still had weapons, and he didn’t want to find out what kind of disease was waiting for him at the edge of the blades.

“You can’t expect me to avoid this place. I can’t tell one place from the next.”

“Not of our concern! You must pay the toll or face a death of a thousand cuts!”

Are these things even pirates? Maybe they’re some kind of parasite that lives on the ship and shanks anyone who passes by. Either way, they don’t seem too bright. I need to end this and just get a move on.

“All right, all right,” Seb said, holding his hands up. “I’ve got a handful of credits on me. You can have them all.”

“We do not need measly credits!”

“Well, what do you want, then?”

The creatures huddled together, their whispers not loud enough for Seb to hear. When their consensus formed, the previous leader spoke. “We demand a zipdoodle!”

“A zipdoodle? I don’t even know what that is.”

“It is a plant of knee high and beautiful laurels.”

“That’s impossible. There’re no plants on this ship. I can guarantee you that. The request needs to be something obtainable.”

The dozen beasts congregated in a circle before returning with their next demand. “We demand meat!”

“Meat?”

“Yes, tasty, succulent flesh.” The lip-smacking, moans the creatures made caused Seb to shift his rifle forward.

“And if I go to bring you this . . . meat, you’ll let me pass?” The twelve creatures looked at each other and nodded in agreement. “Okay then, I shall bring you back some meat.”

When Seb took a step forward, the potential foes shifted in front of him. “You must return here with meat for each of us, or else you will suffer a death of—”

“A thousand cuts,” Seb said, pushing past them. “I remember.”

After Seb rounded the corner, he chuckled to himself. Stupid bastards. It was clear once Seb entered a deeper part of the ship. The entire environment shifted to something a bit more modern. The brown, rust-colored walls shifted into a deep red. The halls widened, allowing three to four people to pass comfortably through, a needed necessity as the number of pirates he passed became more frequent. A crude painting of a cage with an arrow underneath filled Seb with hope that he was on the right track. He continued farther down the hallway.

Seb’s grip tightened as a familiar thump echoed throughout the halls. It was the sound of gunfire. When he reached the end of the walkway, a door opened into a three-story warehouse-like structure. On his right was a shooting range with ten stations, every one of them filled with a pirate paired with a laser weapon. They shot at the blackened metal targets suspended from the ceiling. Sparks of each shot rained onto the ground below.

It wasn’t until his eyes followed their fall that Seb noticed something moving underneath the crisscrossing metal walkways. Square five-by-five cages were squeezed together like a carton of eggs. The people underneath all cowered into their simplest forms, covering their ears as the shots rang above. He was at a loss for words.

Seb gritted his teeth as he looked at the men in the shooting gallery. They smiled and laughed while they took shot after shot. They toyed with the prisoners, aiming as low as they could without coming into contact with their cells. It was at that moment that Seb decided these weren’t men, they were monsters. He shouldered his weapon, lined himself along the back wall behind the men, and fired. The roar of his shout dampened the sound of his weapon while he shot through the line of foes.

It wasn’t until he was halfway through the pirates that one of them noticed. The farthest pirate and last one alive swung his rifle around and fired. Both men’s laser bolts crossed each other in midair before connecting with their intended target. The one aimed for Seb deflected off of his helmet, shattering the visor into his face. Seb fell to his back and froze while his mind processed what had happened. It’s okay. There’s pain, but you’re still alive.

Hearing movement near his feet, Seb lurched his body forward and aimed his rifle. A smoldering hole replaced what was the pirate’s right eye. His leg twitched uncontrollably with his death. Seb fell onto his back and took a moment to breathe. We were trying for the stealthy escape attempt, Seb. Not the murder everyone in the path attempt.

The HUD on the remaining pieces of his helmet flickered momentarily before fading away. Seb twisted the helmet and pulled it off of his head, allowing his skinsleeve to generate its replacement shield around his face. His face felt warm. He rolled to his side and saw blood drip onto the metal floor. He sensed the familiar repairing pain he felt back on the ship and watched as pieces of the shattered helmet fell to the surrounding ground. You’re good. Now get up and move.

Seb pushed himself off of the ground and picked up his rifle. He double-checked that each of the pirates was dead before sprinting to the door and shutting it behind him. With the door locked, he rushed across the metal walkways, searching for a way to get the people out of the cages. His feet rang throughout the large room, drawing attention from everyone below him.

He watched as the prisoners stood up in the cages. They shouted signs of excitement as Seb ran throughout the room. It wasn’t until he reached the middle that a prisoner directed him to their freedom.

“It’s over there,” the man shouted, pointing to the far corner of the room.

Seb looked up and noticed an electrical panel on the wall. Once he reached the mounted box, he saw red and green lights on a display. He turned and counted the cells behind him, and realized the red lights indicated that a cell was full. Seb highlighted all the full cells and triggered their release.

When he turned around, he watched each cell raise and shift to a nearby platform before lowering the bars that kept the inhabitants caged. After everyone’s release, Seb’s heart sank when he realized he didn’t see Nalla. It grew worse when Thompson sprinted over to him. The man stopped, and his jaw dropped.

“I know you . . .” Thompson said. “You were a prisoner back on the Redeemer. Back before—”

“We don’t have time for this,” Seb shouted. “What the hell happened while I was out? Where did they take the rest of the crew?”

“I don’t know. After firing some warning shots at us, Captain Ortiz landed us on the ship. She told us it was the only option; otherwise, we were going to be space dust. When we landed, Captain Blue-tongue was waiting for us. They split us into two groups. Captain Francisca, Toros, and Nalla all went one way, and a group of pirates led us here. We’ve been trapped in these cages ever since.”

Seb chewed on the inside of his mouth as he thought through his next move. I’m not leaving without them. If it means fighting my way through the whole damn ship, then that’s what’s going to happen.

“Well, we don’t have a lot of options. There are some dead men over in the stalls. There should be enough weapons for half of you. Grab any gear you can. And follow me.”

“Wait,” Thompson said, grabbing on to Seb’s shoulder as he passed by. “I just wanted to say thanks. We all thought we were going to die here. You’ve saved us twice now.”

Seb nodded and smirked. “We’re not out of this yet. Come on, let’s get back to the ship.”

“Do you know how to get back? This place is a fucking maze. I tried counting the turns, but I’m pretty sure the guys leading us didn’t even know where this place was.”

“Yeah, I do. I tracked my progress in my—” Seb stopped when he realized what had happened.

“What’s wrong?” Thompson asked.

“I was keeping track of my route in my helmet’s comm. It took a bolt off the top a few minutes ago. I can guess our way back, but in all honesty, I was more focused on not getting caught on my way over.”

“Maybe with the both of us we can figure something out.”

“I hope so.”

Seb led the men to the dead pirates and stood post by the door while they geared themselves. Thompson suggested he and Seb take point with two other men, while the others covered the rear. They were going to engage only as necessary and would use Seb’s suppression to take out anyone who lingered in their path.

The way Thompson commanded the other survivors gave Seb the impression he had prior military experience. It was reassuring. He was happy to take all the help he could get. Once they were ready, they lined everyone at the door. Seb unlocked it and forced it to open.

A pirate stared, looking up at the door, carrying several weapons in a bag. Seb flinched when the bolt pierced the man’s chest. Both were in shock as the man looked down at the hole in his body before he fell to the ground.

“What was that about being silent?” Seb asked.

“I’m not just going to stand there and do nothing,” Thompson said. “We’re surrounded by enemies on all sides. We can’t hesitate.”

“Fair enough.” Seb turned and pointed over his shoulder. “There are a few more weapons on this guy. Grab what you can carry.”

The two men crept forward along the hallway, taking point for the group. Together, they charted the path they thought would get them back to the hangar, where they could prepare for their escape. While they shifted from hallway to hallway, Seb tried to come up with any sign or idea on how to find Nalla and the rest of the crew. However, the constant threat of passing enemies and blaster fire left his mind with little room to come up with any grand plans. It was after fifteen minutes of creeping through the halls that the group came up to two large doors.

“I think this is it,” Thompson whispered.

“Really?” Seb asked. “There weren’t any doors where I entered. It was all just one open hallway.”

“Just open the damn things.”

Seb shrugged and pressed on the doors’ activation button. The doors slid open, revealing the ship’s canteen. The two men froze as they looked at the pirates sitting at makeshift tables. There’s got to be fifty of them, Seb thought. The shouting, drinking, and music stopped when all eyes turned to the group of escapees.

Seb slapped the doors’ controls, shunting them closed. He shot the panel just in time for thuds to echo behind the doors. There was no time for respite as a bolt shot through, nearly grazing the top of Thompson’s bald head. The two men shouted and led the human caravan down the opposite direction.

“Where are we going?” Thompson asked.

“I don’t fucking know,” Seb shouted. “Just run!” As Seb rounded the next corner, he fell into the arms of his comrades. “Francisca? Nalla?”

“Seb?” the two women said in unison.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“We were going to get some lunch,” Captain Francisca said.

“Lunch? I’m in the middle of a rescue attempt, and you’re out here getting some lunch?”

“You what?!” Francisca said, shoving Seb over. She jumped up to her feet while Seb helped Nalla up. “You fucking . . . ugh!”

A blaster bolt whizzed by the group, hitting the wall inches from the party.

“Can we discuss this on the move, or do you all want to stand here and get shot?” Thompson shouted.

Toros grabbed Seb’s gun and shot above the other men in the hallway before shouting back at the group. “What’s the plan, Francisca?”

“Fall back to the ship. It will give us breathing room for the time being. We’re not going to be able to outrun them with the FTL drive down.”

Seb laughed as the group took off at a sprint. “That was until I stole all of their floridium rods. The ship is good to go.”

“Why didn’t you start off with that?” Captain Francisca asked, shoving him. “I don’t know whether to kiss you or shoot you with this stunt of yours.”

“If we make it out of here, you can start by explaining to me about lunch.”

“I can do that.”

Captain Francisca took point, getting them back on track. When the group ran past a familiar hallway, Seb told everyone he would catch up. He jogged down to the dead end before shouting at his previous acquaintances. “Oh, Trixies!” The dozen trash bag-like creatures popped up out of their camouflage and waddled over to Seb’s feet.

“Sam wanted me to tell you your meat is coming right around that back corner.”

“The manthing brings us meat!” one creature said. The dozen beasts followed Seb to the edge of the perpendicular hallway. When the pirates were just a few feet away, Seb hastened to catch up with the rest of the group. He didn’t wait to watch the carnage. The chaotic screams and frantic blaster fire were enough to tell him that his plan worked.

A blaring horn alarm echoed throughout the complex, followed by Captain Blue-tongue’s voice. “Captain Francisca betrayed me. The first person to bring me Francisca’s crew will get a fifty-thousand-credit bonus, double that if they are alive. I want to watch them scream.”

By the time Seb made it into the hangar, he could see the blue glow of the Andalusian’s engines. He turned and emptied his Lawbringer into the group behind him when several shots skirted near his feet. There were now hundreds behind him. His only option was to run. Seb ignored the heat he could feel as the bolts passed around his body. You can make it, he told himself. You’re almost there.

He cursed as he watched his ship ascending. Not because they were leaving without him, but because he could now see the hangar doors closing them in. A dozen men stood on the edge of the Andalusian’s cargo bay door and provided covering fire as he dug his feet into the metal floor.

When he reached the ship, he jumped and caught Thompson’s hand. The soldier helped pull him inside, and the rise of the cargo bay door helped them both slide back in as the ship accelerated. The two men fell onto their backs and caught their breath as the rest of the crew cheered in their escape.

A repeated hum rang across the ship’s exterior. The FTL core is warming up, he thought. The noise leveled out before a thunderous boom. The ship’s old frame flexed, and the noise shifted to the all-familiar sound of the FTL core’s coalescence with the ship’s engines.

Seb laughed as he lay on the cargo bay floor. The rescue attempt and the successful FTL jump all paled in comparison to the thought of him getting back to normal society. His successes today proved to himself he had what it took to turn his desires into reality. The conversation he had with Nalla would no longer be just a dream. He was going to put everything he had into obtaining his goals, and no one was going to stop him.