Silence
Anonymous Me
By the time Illya got settled in with Kalizda it was late, but he figured he would sleep good. It was hot with his blanket and he was feeling wore out after the long day and short night before. Then hopefully in a day or so they could get into the mines. Despite the fact that he was a bit skeptical of the mines truly being uncontested they had thus far been undisturbed so far as he could tell.
Suddenly a blip sounded in the ship and then the whole room lit up red and the siren started to go off. Illya bolted upright in the bed. They were under attack by the Tannas and if it was an alarm they weren't registered and that meant that they were hostiles. Couldn't be anything else if they were approaching the ship and setting off the alarm. In his scramble to get out of the bed Illya tripped on the part of the sheet that was still wrapped around his prosthetic leg. Pulling the leg out of the bed he ran to where he had his bag of gear and started to throw on a basic tactical gear set and then his armor and vest. Finally, he strapped on the sword. "Yah stay here in dah ship." When he stepped out the door he could see that Duncan was just strapping his belt on and he was standing outside of his room.
Looking over Illya saw that Harry and Priscilla were looking out of their doorway with wide eyes. This was insane. Why would they be looking out their doors? They should be huddling in their room and trying to stay out of sight. "Yah stay in dah ship. Ef someone try ta break down dah door or dah ship goes into lock down den yah know yah have tah leave." Lock down would indicate a gas attack and it would prevent outside air, but they would have to leave or suffocate. Get out of range of the gas attack. Breaking in would indicate that Duncan and Illya hadn't survived the attack.
The two Chippequoti stepped outside and shut the bay door closed behind them. They stood on the ramp long enough to fix their night vision goggles on and look over the desert. "Yah see dem over dere." Illya nodded toward the west. "Aye," Duncan replied and then Illya moved off the side of the plank and stood on the ground near the ship. "We'll stagger and I'll hold ground you hold entrance." Again Duncan ageed with a single word and the two of them watched the small group of men try to sneak in on the ship. It wasn't going to be pretty with nearly 50 of the Tannas. Even though Duncan was not green eyed he had obtained immunity to the Wilds and he would be able to survive if he had to.
Only a few moments later the first wave of men hit and Illya had his sword ready. Swinging the blade in a cross section moving upward he cut off one Tannas leg and cut deep into the artery of another Tannas just under the arm. A thick spray of blood spattered over Illya's armor and then a glurb of it oozed out and covered part of his pant leg when the body fell against him. Using the ship as protection Illya kept his back to it till he found that the Tannas were trying to pin him there. Angling himself a little bit he moved away from the ship. Suddenly one of them rushed him and the Tannas slammed Illya into the gang plank hanging down from the ship. The metal rung caught Illya in his lower back and he grunted when he felt the body armor forced further into his back. Momentarily his legs went to jelly and he started to fall. It happened to be a lucky thing since the Tannas could not support his weight and it had been braced for a struggle. Losing its sudden position of dominance the Tannas dove for the Chip, but not in time as it was caught on the sword.
A fresh glurb of blood ran down Illya's sword and pooled at the hand guard before it ran over and began to soak his arm. Once he was on the ground it was a lot harder to fight his way up. Slashing at the legs around him Illya would drop as many of the enemy as he could and then he would move over and stab them. It took nearly 2 minutes of crawling and fighting from the bloody ground to get himself up and even then his legs felt unstable.
In a desperate attempt to fight off the five Tannas that had begun to close in on him Illya twisted as he swung his sword. It was something he hadn't been able to accomplish without seriously hurting his back for sometime. However, it was a necessary move in combat at times. The twist had one leg planted and then swiveling with one knee and twisting from the hip up to have greater reach. A bullet from one of the Tannas made a tink as it hit his vest. Whatever it was had to have been high powered. Illya stumbled back a step and then lunged forward again. With 3 steps forward and then a foot planted he twisted and killed the first four and only severely injured the last one.
Momentarily it was quiet and Illya winced as he pulled himself from the ground again. There was only one more wave of Tannas and this time they made a full on frontal attack. Illya and Duncan stayed closer on this one and when it was finished the two of them drug themselves up the gang plank. They were exhausted and half afraid of what they may find. If the ship's systems failed everyone inside could be dead. Illya opened the door and to his relief he saw that Kalizda and Lohgan were still there. Harry and Priscilla were still alive as well. They hadn't stayed in their rooms, but they had watched as well as they could from the inside of the ship.
The ship was still mostly dark inside, but Illya still waited for a few moments longer. It was quiet except for the groans from those still alive that had made the attempted attack. This was nothing short of an assassination attempt and he wiped at his face only to feel the blood smear. His other hand and the sword were both sticky. Looking behind himself at the others he gave a quick verbal check. "Everyone alive yet?" Since they were he nodded mostly to himself and then gave an order. "Turn dah flood lights on. I need tah check dah bodies." It wasn't pretty, but he knew what he had to do if they were Federation men. It was just too bad that Harry, Priscilla, Kalizda, and Lohgan were here for this. When the light turned on it revealed the blood covered Chips and the thick red droplets that fell from their hair. Illya still clutched his sword tightly and he started with the first body on the ramp. Kicking it hard he waited a second and then leaned down close enough to push it over and check for identification of sorts.
Calysta heard the terrible sounds from outside dull to groans of agony and pitiful cries. She heard Illya ask if everyone was left alive so far and she answered, her voice shaking. "Aye." Harry was staring out of the hatch, almond shaped eyes wide with horror while his wife cried into his shoulder. His hand stroked her shoulder, holding her close but unable to truly give comfort to her. Calysta stayed close to Lohgan who was crying in her bundle of blankets with the president and his wife. "Stay here," she told them, her voice cracking. Calysta forced her shaking legs to move her toward the hatch and peered around the corner to see Illya there along with Duncan. He was standing tall, sword in hand, and drenched in blood. Not a spot of him was left unstained, the gore dripping from his hand and his hair as he kicked over a groaning man off the ramp. It was only one of many bodies that littered the ground. "Illya...is it over?" Her question sounded pathetic and hated it but between Lohgan's shrill cries, Priscilla's sobbing and the groans of the dying it was the best she could do.
Digging into the front of the man's vest pocket Illya pulled out a small medallion and turned it over in his bloody hand to look at the back. He'd seen just about every kind of little identification that the soldiers of the Federation would carry with them and this one indicated a special sort of unit. One that was mainly for sabotage and gorilla warfare tactics. Usually a precursor to something far worse. It could be hours, days, months, he didn't know when the next group would come, but he did know that they would be headed for the area. The sudden question made Illya jolt to his feet and he flashed Kalizda a wild glare. "Yah get back inside! Ets nut done and ets nut safe."
When his green eyes swiveled to her and the sharp order came, Calysta took a step back into the interior but remained peeked at the door way, with her pistol ready. "Do we know who they are?" She asked from behind the hatch wall. They didn't know how many of the Terran army was left alive, the secret service, and thr work force. The president was still shaking off his shock, and they were sitting in the middle of a hostile zone. Illya couldn't do everything with himself and Duncan alone.
Kalizda wasn't listening to well since she still was poking her head around the corner and Illya marched back up the ramp toward her. "Dey're Federation." Stepping closer he made sure she stepped back so she wasn't visible. "Yah stay inside and yah dun be poking yah head around eh? Ef dey're still alive dey try tah get sneak shots in. I dun need yah getting shot." Turning sharply he stalked back down the ramp toward the body of the first man and knelt close to him again. "Yah tell meh when yah expect back up." The man wouldn't answer so Illya drug him through the sand and started to pack it into the wounds. It would burn and sting plenty. Snatching a little scorpion he shoved it into one of the wounds as well. "I jes come back and ask yah in a few minutes." Walking over to the next body he kicked it a few times and leaned down to find the man was already dead. The next one was alive and Illya sliced his throat open with the sword. He wasn't about to take any kind of prisoner. They would kill Kalizda, Lohgan, Harry or Priscilla without a second thought. It was a chance that Illya couldn't take. Picking up a large stinging ant from the ground he pulled the man's shirt open and held the ant at the collar. "Yah ready tah talk now?" Still the man refused so Illya dropped the ant inside and the man started screaming and writhing as the angry creature bit furiously at his back and all over his chest as well. Slowly Illya walked over to the next Federation man that looked lively enough to talk, but he was in fatal condition. "Yah talk to meh, or yah join him." The man's eyes widened and he tried to look away from the other, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from it. Carefully he nodded and Illya waited for him to start talking.
Calysta knew they could be sneaking shots in. It was a risk she knew would happen when she took the position, but behind the wild anger in his voice was worry. She nodded and stepped back into the shadows silently when he towered over her. As he turned to go back outside, a few blots of blood flung from his curls and dotted over her shoulder. Glancing at the blood, she bit her lip against the cold shiver arching down her spine. She had been in combat before, but using a sword made everything so much more...personal. Still, she had to keep it together. Looking to Harry, she cleared her throat. "President...president..." He was staring blankly outside of the door, not hearing a word. "Harry!" Yelling his name jolted the poor man from his stupor and he looked to her. "Get on the radio, find what's left of the Terran army men. Give me a report when you find out. This isnt over." Priscilla clutched at him as he rose to his feet nodding. "Priscilla. Get Lohgan and sit in the navigation chair. Do not move or go anywhere." The woman stumbled over and picked up Lohgan, trying to soothe her. It wasnt until Calysta heard the screaming outside the door. A second wave? She dared to poke her for the briefest of moments out of the door to catch a glimpse of Illya standing over a man as he writhed. Not a second wave. Torture. The screams pierced through her ears almost more than she could stand. They weren't in battle anymore, so why was he resorting to that already. He moved on to the next who was whimpering. "Soon...within the hour," he sputtered frantically, "Don't...don't..."
Within the hour left them no time an Illya called to Duncan. "Finish." They had to kill the remaining men and get out while they could. It was better if there was no one left to tell tales or even say where they went. Looking back down at the pleading man Illya shrugged and swung his sword across the man's neck. He wouldn't have felt anything. It was fast and it was done. Walking through the bodies of men Illya kicked them and slit the throats on all those that were still alive. The dead he slit the throats on just to be sure and then he went back to the last man and sliced him open. "I told yah tah talk. Make et easier." It would take about 5 minutes for him to die and then that would be it. Carefully patting him down he made sure there wasn't anyway for him to contact anyone and then nodded to Duncan. The two of them stepped back into the ship. "Kalizda." Illya called to her. "Yah get engines going and we leave now." There wasn't time to wait. He had to get her and the president out of here. Since he and Duncan were covered in blood they stayed in the cargo bay area with the draining slats. "We change here and get cleaned up. Bring some buckets wit water when yah can." That was the best way to proceed and then he could get started on making the report and ordering soldiers to control the area. They were obviously going to be putting up a fight for a part of Terra and it wasn't what they'd agreed on with the president. He told them it was free and clear. Part of Illya surged with anger. Accuracy was paramount to these sort of things and they could still be at considerable risk because of the Terran's incompetency.
Calysta nearly jumped when Illya called her name, ordering her to start the engines. "Aye..." Walking over to the pilots chair numbly, she nudged Harry out of the way. "No one is answering," he mumbled, "From here to Cairo, Dakar or Oran. None of the military channels." Calysta simply nodded. It didn't bode well for finding a safeport and they didnt have enough fuel to get all the way back to Japan. It wasnt a galactic ship, only one meant for atmospheric transport. "It's alright...just sit down." Calysta sent jets of air through the engine system, clearing it of sand as she pulled up the ramp and closed the hatch which was stained in blood. Once they were in the air, she checked the weapons systems, which were decent enough, then marked a course toward a country they had passed over earlier. According to her calculations, Xiangxang would be the furthest they could go on their fuel supply. Taking them high into the atmosphere, above the reach of most ground to air weapons, Calysta put them on autopilot. "Stay here." With that, solitary order given, she walked back to the bedrooms to look for a bucket. This was a terran vessel and didn't have Kaerelean or Chip needs in some ways. Looking in a few different places, she finally found a bucket in the cleaning closet. It smelled of bleach but that was alright. She filled the bucket up with hot water then threw as many towels a she could find over her shoulder before hauling to Illya and Duncan. "It's the only one I can find for now," she said quietly, setting the bucket at their feet near the drain, "Here's some wash cloths and towels, soap too...I'll go look for another bucket and get some fresh clothes..." She trailed off for a moment, staring at Illya. "Are you alright?"
While they waited for the water to be brought Illya and Duncan started to strip off armor and their shirts. Getting off what they could for now would help when they did get some water to clean up with. At least enough that they could get to the shower and finish cleaning up. They had barely stripped off their shirts and Kalizda was back with the bucket. Neither of them looked directly in her eyes, but they nodded solemnly when she placed it near their feet. Illya clenched his jaw when she asked if he was ok and he nodded. He was about as fine as he was going to be. What he did was necessary and he didn't mind doing it, but deep down it bothered him a little bit. Torturing the one man was enough to get someone else to talk for fear of what would happen, but he didn't really have to spill the man's guts that didn't talk and let him die a little longer and more painfully. None of it really mattered now. They were all dead and he did what he had to. This met his objective. Protect the Council Woman, protect the president, protect his family. That was all that mattered. Both Illya and Duncan were anxious to get out of the bloody pants they wore and they started to strip them off before Kalizda was even out of the small room. Illya and Duncan shared the bucket and washed off the blood till the bucket was red too and they were essentially smearing blood all over themselves. The second bucket didn't last long either and this time they were clean enough to walk into the main part of the ship with towels on. Duncan collected bags to pack their armor and swords in. When they each grabbed a shower it was to wash the blood out of their hair and clean their gear. Keeping the weapons clean was just as important as keeping yourself clean. Illya was in the bathroom almost an hour between cleaning his gear and himself. Even after he was clean he could have almost swore it felt like he had liquid rolling slowly down his back and his arms. Multiple times he would check or look in the mirror, it was just the after battle creeps. Everyone got them at some point.
Calysta left the men to do what they needed to do and went to find another bucket. It took another 10 minutes to find a small plastic pail hidden in a cupboard under the galley sink. By the time she returned with the small bucket sloshing water down the hall, the previous one had been turned bright red with blood. She kicked it over into the drain and sat the fresh one in the same spot with out a word. When they were clean enough, Illya took up residence in their bathroom and while Duncan went to his own. She let them be and do what they needed to do, returning to the cockpit. "Here, let me take Loh-" It wasn't till she held up her hands that she saw more blood spatter from simply getting to close to Illya when he was changing. Priscilla gave her a horrified look and Calysta slowly let her arms drop. She couldn't hold her baby like that. "Excuse me." Leaving the two Terrans, she walked back to their quarters, grabbed a change of clothes, and went to the galley sink to scrub off. Even changing clothes didn't make her feel too much better, but at least she wasn't dribbled with red anymore. Once she was clean as she could be, Calysta returned to the cockpit and took up Lohgan in her arms. "Shhh....it's alright...." Lohgan wailed for a few more minutes, her face twisted into a look of angry fear. 30 minutes passed, then 40 , and with every ten minutes Calysta checked the sensors. They started to pass over Cairo, and from that high in the atmosphere the city were mere dots of light. When they were an hour and a half from Xiangxang, Calysta carried Lohgan back to their quarters to check on Illya. Pushing aside their door, she poked her head inside only to find him standing in the bathroom door which was still open. "Illya?" She stepped further into the room and looked at him, though he wouldn't meet her gaze. "We'll have to land within the next few hours for fuel. I haven't asked for clearance yet, but Harry says we wont need it. None of the military channels are working so far." She didn't know what else to tell him, or what would make the situation any better besides to be helpful.
The sound of Kalizda's voice broke into Illya's thoughts and he nodded listlessly as he stared at the counter top in the bathroom. He would need to get geared up and ready to fight again if there wasn't any contact. This was getting to be a bit stressful. Duncan and him couldn't hold off an entire attack by the army and there wouldn't be any mercy for Kalizda or Lohgan if he failed. When she left he put his soaked boots back on and the dripping armor. His arm hurt, but there wasn't anything to do for it now. Grabbing his sword he checked the blade to be sure it was sharp and clean then slid it into the the sheath. Illya rubbed his face a little and shook his head before he headed toward the navigation and control room. Maybe they had got through somewhere.
He didn't even stop to say anything before marching toward the door as if there were somewhere to go. "Illya, wait...just sit down for a minute, yeah?" she called, reaching out for his hand, " There's nothing up there that I can't handle for the time being."
A sharp sting ran from Illya's finger tips to his shoulder. He could only figure that Kalizda had reached for his hand. Turning slightly he stared at her and Lohgan for a long moment. This hardly seemed to be the time to talk. He needed to be doing everything he could to make sure they got back to Pytra safely. They needed to get off Terra and Japan would be a safe stop, but he needed to get them there first. Still, it could be the last time that he had to sit next to her. Pausing mid-step he turned back toward her and perched himself on the edge of the bed. If she wanted him to sit then he was going to sit for a few moments. Reaching with one hand he gently rubbed Lohgan's back and listened to the girl coo gently at him. She still had little red rimmed eyes from crying and he knew it scared her, but it had to be done.
Calysta lowered herself next to Illya, holding out Lohgan for him as she leaned her temple against his shoulder just ever so slightly. They sat in the quiet of the cabin for a long moment, watching their daughter smile up at them after such a terrible night, and trying to calm down. Eventually, Calysta tilted her chin and kissed his cheek with the lightest of touches. He should know that she loved him, no matter what happened. After a moment, the president's voice came over the comms in the cabin. "General? Councilwoman? I've made contact with the ground forces in Xiangxang. From what their report says, the black out in coms was due to cyber attack on the regional hub. Otherwise, our location was the only one with direct combat. Coms to the area will be up shortly and Xiangxang will be ready to receive us. They stated that the weather was not good, and to watch for the docking lights on the mountain. Terran army will be waiting there to receive us. " With that the intercom system clicked off and Calysta rose to her feet before turning to gaze at Illya. He knew that they would have to be on guard when they landed to refuel at this mountain city already. She didn't have to say it. "I'm sorry, Illya." What else could she say, when it was her job to make sure he didn't have to do those things?
Just being able to hold Lohgan for a few moments was calming. Illya heard the little girl protest when she felt that he had his armor on and it was cool and wet. It wasn't good to hold her for too long. Handing her back to her mother he stared at the doorway half expecting something to pop up and try to kill them. He was tired, on edge, and he knew they had to make it through the next port. A tiny kiss on his cheek caused Illya to sit up straighter and his shoulders tightened momentarily and then slackened again. Finally, Harry spoke into the coms and it sounded nice but there was no telling if the next port would actually be safe or not. Nobody was stepping outside for fueling or anything else except Illya and Duncan. He was going to make sure of that and give a few orders. They would be enough to keep other men away from the ship and he could relax a bit more and know they were truly Alliance if they would keep their distance. If they didn't he was going to have trouble on his hands stealing fuel and getting back out. Kalizda broke the silence shortly after Harry. The apology didn't really make sense, but he nodded. "Jes make sure dey know tah stay clear of dah ship when we land and dey only approach ef I give dem signal trough dah ship."
"Aye." Calysta kept Lohgan close as she lead Illya down the hallway back to the cockpit. After a little while, an alert came over the navigation system, prompting her to descend for their stop. Illya and Duncan stood by the hatch as Priscilla held Lohgan once more and Harry gave the order to stay clear of the ship, using his own authorization code. Calysta took over the controls manually and brought them into the storm clouds. Rain pelted the hull as wind threatened to push them in all directions. The ship shuddered and jolted, making Calysta grimace. Kaerelean controls were much better than the fancy, but all show bucket of bolts they were in. After what seemed like ages, the mountain appeared as a black mass on the screen lit only by lightening arching in the sky and a few lights dotted over the side. A series of red blinking lights indicated their docking station, and Calysta put them down, as she looked over the screen. "There are several military personnel along the edge but no one has moved in closer," she told the two Chips.
Illya could feel his back was starting to get that uneven feeling. He probably hadn't done any serious damage, but it still hurt. Almost gritting his teeth he nodded to Kalizda and started out the gang plank to keep watch while Duncan got the ship re-fueling. Warily Illya watched the men outside. None of them moved toward him, but he was still feeling on edge. "Duncan?" They didn't want to leave with anything less than a full tank, but he still wanted to be done earlier if possible.
It felt like everyone was watching him and in part Duncan knew they were. He still felt nervous. If they were attacked he knew that they wouldn't last long out here on the docks. There wasn't quite as much space to move and the General's back was starting to give out. There were too many old injuries that prevented him from fighting like he used to. He could rally that sort of fight for a time, but he couldn't hold it up for as long as he would have before the blast at the first war mission that killed nearly half the unit. Duncan shivered against the wind and he looked at the gauge. They were so close. When it finally clicked off he ran the pump back to it's spot and ran up to where Illya was and the two of them backed into the ship again before they got it closed up.
They were finally fueled up and Illya called to Kalizda again. "We're good. Let's get out of here." Within a few moments they were safely out of the port and on their way to Japan. It wasn't a long flight left, but Illya figured that he could check the updates on the alert systems and see if Japan was safe or not. If it wasn't they were going to transfer back to the ship he got for Kalizda, initiate the cloak and make a run for Pytra with Harry and Priscilla aboard.
Wandering back to their room for the last little bit of the fly back to Japan Illya checked the updates and he almost sighed in relief when he saw that it was just the mines. They were going to have to start a campaign to take the mines, re-work another deal with Terra to help pay for the cost of the mine's repairs, reassessment, and recapture of them. With the short time left on the ship Illya was considering talking to Harry, but that would have to wait until after he had some rest. Illya stripped off his soaking armor and took a small lozenge from his bag. His back was hurting badly enough that he didn't think he would get much rest without taking the lozenge.
Laying back on the bed Illya stared at the ceiling. It wasn't that long, but it felt like he'd been there hours. Suddenly he found himself staring at the sand and the dirt. There were dark patches of it and some of the ground even felt cool underneath his hands. That sharp pain was stabbing and running through his back and then he realized he hadn't made it to safety. His men were strewn and bits of pieces of them were everywhere. One of them looked different, out of place. Mumbling under his breath he started to breathe unevenly in his sleep. He knew that soldier, but he couldn't place them. Then it struck him. It was Kalizda. Her thick hair was matted in blood. They'd blown part of her skull away and he started to scream and yell in his sleep and then woke up. He'd never had a dream like that about Kalizda and it made him sick.
Illya didn't have to ever see an injury like that on Kalizda to know what it would look like. He already knew because he'd seen those sorts of things a thousand times. Even if his back was still hurting he didn't want to even try sleeping anymore. Wandering out to the main sitting room Illya sat near the viewing window and remained silent until they landed. Even then he stayed quiet all the way to the hotel. His mind was whirling with memories of the first war, Isla, Lahna and now Kalizda and Lohgan. He'd almost lost Kalizda and Lohgan and it was playing out in his mind with the most horrific images. Anytime he would start to drift off he'd find himself looking at dead bodies and he always found his men blown to bits. He remembered their faces. Somehow he found Kalizda there a few times and he jolted awake with every new dream. Even in the hotel he couldn't sleep the first night.
After the fourth time in the same night that he woke with nightmares Illya grabbed the blanket and took himself to the couch in the hotel room suite. He was afraid to sleep, afraid to look at the reports and half terrified of anything that might knock on the door. By morning his face was still wrinkled with worry, his eyes wild, and his mind raced. He had to meet with the president, but he was too shaky with his hands. His arm still ached from the fight and his fingers felt like they were on fire. His legs felt weak and he knew that was his back, but he didn't want to get off the couch.
When Kalizda came out to check on him he could barely look at her. Even her fingers resting on his shoulder made him sink further into the couch. "Dun touch meh. Jes no. I can't." At any mention of meetings he cringed and shook his head. "No, no. I can't." On one end he felt like he was going crazy. He'd killed before and it didn't bother him when he was protecting someone, but this time it was beyond duty. Kalizda and Lohgan had been at risk and it toyed with his mind. Taunting him, making him realize that he was just as powerless in this war to protect them as he had been to save Lahna or Isla. By mid afternoon pure exhaustion lulled Illya off to sleep, but it didn't last long and he woke within a few hours again with another image of the wars mixed. It was all starting to blend in his mind and he couldn't stop it.
Suddenly a blip sounded in the ship and then the whole room lit up red and the siren started to go off. Illya bolted upright in the bed. They were under attack by the Tannas and if it was an alarm they weren't registered and that meant that they were hostiles. Couldn't be anything else if they were approaching the ship and setting off the alarm. In his scramble to get out of the bed Illya tripped on the part of the sheet that was still wrapped around his prosthetic leg. Pulling the leg out of the bed he ran to where he had his bag of gear and started to throw on a basic tactical gear set and then his armor and vest. Finally, he strapped on the sword. "Yah stay here in dah ship." When he stepped out the door he could see that Duncan was just strapping his belt on and he was standing outside of his room.
Looking over Illya saw that Harry and Priscilla were looking out of their doorway with wide eyes. This was insane. Why would they be looking out their doors? They should be huddling in their room and trying to stay out of sight. "Yah stay in dah ship. Ef someone try ta break down dah door or dah ship goes into lock down den yah know yah have tah leave." Lock down would indicate a gas attack and it would prevent outside air, but they would have to leave or suffocate. Get out of range of the gas attack. Breaking in would indicate that Duncan and Illya hadn't survived the attack.
The two Chippequoti stepped outside and shut the bay door closed behind them. They stood on the ramp long enough to fix their night vision goggles on and look over the desert. "Yah see dem over dere." Illya nodded toward the west. "Aye," Duncan replied and then Illya moved off the side of the plank and stood on the ground near the ship. "We'll stagger and I'll hold ground you hold entrance." Again Duncan ageed with a single word and the two of them watched the small group of men try to sneak in on the ship. It wasn't going to be pretty with nearly 50 of the Tannas. Even though Duncan was not green eyed he had obtained immunity to the Wilds and he would be able to survive if he had to.
Only a few moments later the first wave of men hit and Illya had his sword ready. Swinging the blade in a cross section moving upward he cut off one Tannas leg and cut deep into the artery of another Tannas just under the arm. A thick spray of blood spattered over Illya's armor and then a glurb of it oozed out and covered part of his pant leg when the body fell against him. Using the ship as protection Illya kept his back to it till he found that the Tannas were trying to pin him there. Angling himself a little bit he moved away from the ship. Suddenly one of them rushed him and the Tannas slammed Illya into the gang plank hanging down from the ship. The metal rung caught Illya in his lower back and he grunted when he felt the body armor forced further into his back. Momentarily his legs went to jelly and he started to fall. It happened to be a lucky thing since the Tannas could not support his weight and it had been braced for a struggle. Losing its sudden position of dominance the Tannas dove for the Chip, but not in time as it was caught on the sword.
A fresh glurb of blood ran down Illya's sword and pooled at the hand guard before it ran over and began to soak his arm. Once he was on the ground it was a lot harder to fight his way up. Slashing at the legs around him Illya would drop as many of the enemy as he could and then he would move over and stab them. It took nearly 2 minutes of crawling and fighting from the bloody ground to get himself up and even then his legs felt unstable.
In a desperate attempt to fight off the five Tannas that had begun to close in on him Illya twisted as he swung his sword. It was something he hadn't been able to accomplish without seriously hurting his back for sometime. However, it was a necessary move in combat at times. The twist had one leg planted and then swiveling with one knee and twisting from the hip up to have greater reach. A bullet from one of the Tannas made a tink as it hit his vest. Whatever it was had to have been high powered. Illya stumbled back a step and then lunged forward again. With 3 steps forward and then a foot planted he twisted and killed the first four and only severely injured the last one.
Momentarily it was quiet and Illya winced as he pulled himself from the ground again. There was only one more wave of Tannas and this time they made a full on frontal attack. Illya and Duncan stayed closer on this one and when it was finished the two of them drug themselves up the gang plank. They were exhausted and half afraid of what they may find. If the ship's systems failed everyone inside could be dead. Illya opened the door and to his relief he saw that Kalizda and Lohgan were still there. Harry and Priscilla were still alive as well. They hadn't stayed in their rooms, but they had watched as well as they could from the inside of the ship.
The ship was still mostly dark inside, but Illya still waited for a few moments longer. It was quiet except for the groans from those still alive that had made the attempted attack. This was nothing short of an assassination attempt and he wiped at his face only to feel the blood smear. His other hand and the sword were both sticky. Looking behind himself at the others he gave a quick verbal check. "Everyone alive yet?" Since they were he nodded mostly to himself and then gave an order. "Turn dah flood lights on. I need tah check dah bodies." It wasn't pretty, but he knew what he had to do if they were Federation men. It was just too bad that Harry, Priscilla, Kalizda, and Lohgan were here for this. When the light turned on it revealed the blood covered Chips and the thick red droplets that fell from their hair. Illya still clutched his sword tightly and he started with the first body on the ramp. Kicking it hard he waited a second and then leaned down close enough to push it over and check for identification of sorts.
Calysta heard the terrible sounds from outside dull to groans of agony and pitiful cries. She heard Illya ask if everyone was left alive so far and she answered, her voice shaking. "Aye." Harry was staring out of the hatch, almond shaped eyes wide with horror while his wife cried into his shoulder. His hand stroked her shoulder, holding her close but unable to truly give comfort to her. Calysta stayed close to Lohgan who was crying in her bundle of blankets with the president and his wife. "Stay here," she told them, her voice cracking. Calysta forced her shaking legs to move her toward the hatch and peered around the corner to see Illya there along with Duncan. He was standing tall, sword in hand, and drenched in blood. Not a spot of him was left unstained, the gore dripping from his hand and his hair as he kicked over a groaning man off the ramp. It was only one of many bodies that littered the ground. "Illya...is it over?" Her question sounded pathetic and hated it but between Lohgan's shrill cries, Priscilla's sobbing and the groans of the dying it was the best she could do.
Digging into the front of the man's vest pocket Illya pulled out a small medallion and turned it over in his bloody hand to look at the back. He'd seen just about every kind of little identification that the soldiers of the Federation would carry with them and this one indicated a special sort of unit. One that was mainly for sabotage and gorilla warfare tactics. Usually a precursor to something far worse. It could be hours, days, months, he didn't know when the next group would come, but he did know that they would be headed for the area. The sudden question made Illya jolt to his feet and he flashed Kalizda a wild glare. "Yah get back inside! Ets nut done and ets nut safe."
When his green eyes swiveled to her and the sharp order came, Calysta took a step back into the interior but remained peeked at the door way, with her pistol ready. "Do we know who they are?" She asked from behind the hatch wall. They didn't know how many of the Terran army was left alive, the secret service, and thr work force. The president was still shaking off his shock, and they were sitting in the middle of a hostile zone. Illya couldn't do everything with himself and Duncan alone.
Kalizda wasn't listening to well since she still was poking her head around the corner and Illya marched back up the ramp toward her. "Dey're Federation." Stepping closer he made sure she stepped back so she wasn't visible. "Yah stay inside and yah dun be poking yah head around eh? Ef dey're still alive dey try tah get sneak shots in. I dun need yah getting shot." Turning sharply he stalked back down the ramp toward the body of the first man and knelt close to him again. "Yah tell meh when yah expect back up." The man wouldn't answer so Illya drug him through the sand and started to pack it into the wounds. It would burn and sting plenty. Snatching a little scorpion he shoved it into one of the wounds as well. "I jes come back and ask yah in a few minutes." Walking over to the next body he kicked it a few times and leaned down to find the man was already dead. The next one was alive and Illya sliced his throat open with the sword. He wasn't about to take any kind of prisoner. They would kill Kalizda, Lohgan, Harry or Priscilla without a second thought. It was a chance that Illya couldn't take. Picking up a large stinging ant from the ground he pulled the man's shirt open and held the ant at the collar. "Yah ready tah talk now?" Still the man refused so Illya dropped the ant inside and the man started screaming and writhing as the angry creature bit furiously at his back and all over his chest as well. Slowly Illya walked over to the next Federation man that looked lively enough to talk, but he was in fatal condition. "Yah talk to meh, or yah join him." The man's eyes widened and he tried to look away from the other, but he couldn't pull his eyes away from it. Carefully he nodded and Illya waited for him to start talking.
Calysta knew they could be sneaking shots in. It was a risk she knew would happen when she took the position, but behind the wild anger in his voice was worry. She nodded and stepped back into the shadows silently when he towered over her. As he turned to go back outside, a few blots of blood flung from his curls and dotted over her shoulder. Glancing at the blood, she bit her lip against the cold shiver arching down her spine. She had been in combat before, but using a sword made everything so much more...personal. Still, she had to keep it together. Looking to Harry, she cleared her throat. "President...president..." He was staring blankly outside of the door, not hearing a word. "Harry!" Yelling his name jolted the poor man from his stupor and he looked to her. "Get on the radio, find what's left of the Terran army men. Give me a report when you find out. This isnt over." Priscilla clutched at him as he rose to his feet nodding. "Priscilla. Get Lohgan and sit in the navigation chair. Do not move or go anywhere." The woman stumbled over and picked up Lohgan, trying to soothe her. It wasnt until Calysta heard the screaming outside the door. A second wave? She dared to poke her for the briefest of moments out of the door to catch a glimpse of Illya standing over a man as he writhed. Not a second wave. Torture. The screams pierced through her ears almost more than she could stand. They weren't in battle anymore, so why was he resorting to that already. He moved on to the next who was whimpering. "Soon...within the hour," he sputtered frantically, "Don't...don't..."
Within the hour left them no time an Illya called to Duncan. "Finish." They had to kill the remaining men and get out while they could. It was better if there was no one left to tell tales or even say where they went. Looking back down at the pleading man Illya shrugged and swung his sword across the man's neck. He wouldn't have felt anything. It was fast and it was done. Walking through the bodies of men Illya kicked them and slit the throats on all those that were still alive. The dead he slit the throats on just to be sure and then he went back to the last man and sliced him open. "I told yah tah talk. Make et easier." It would take about 5 minutes for him to die and then that would be it. Carefully patting him down he made sure there wasn't anyway for him to contact anyone and then nodded to Duncan. The two of them stepped back into the ship. "Kalizda." Illya called to her. "Yah get engines going and we leave now." There wasn't time to wait. He had to get her and the president out of here. Since he and Duncan were covered in blood they stayed in the cargo bay area with the draining slats. "We change here and get cleaned up. Bring some buckets wit water when yah can." That was the best way to proceed and then he could get started on making the report and ordering soldiers to control the area. They were obviously going to be putting up a fight for a part of Terra and it wasn't what they'd agreed on with the president. He told them it was free and clear. Part of Illya surged with anger. Accuracy was paramount to these sort of things and they could still be at considerable risk because of the Terran's incompetency.
Calysta nearly jumped when Illya called her name, ordering her to start the engines. "Aye..." Walking over to the pilots chair numbly, she nudged Harry out of the way. "No one is answering," he mumbled, "From here to Cairo, Dakar or Oran. None of the military channels." Calysta simply nodded. It didn't bode well for finding a safeport and they didnt have enough fuel to get all the way back to Japan. It wasnt a galactic ship, only one meant for atmospheric transport. "It's alright...just sit down." Calysta sent jets of air through the engine system, clearing it of sand as she pulled up the ramp and closed the hatch which was stained in blood. Once they were in the air, she checked the weapons systems, which were decent enough, then marked a course toward a country they had passed over earlier. According to her calculations, Xiangxang would be the furthest they could go on their fuel supply. Taking them high into the atmosphere, above the reach of most ground to air weapons, Calysta put them on autopilot. "Stay here." With that, solitary order given, she walked back to the bedrooms to look for a bucket. This was a terran vessel and didn't have Kaerelean or Chip needs in some ways. Looking in a few different places, she finally found a bucket in the cleaning closet. It smelled of bleach but that was alright. She filled the bucket up with hot water then threw as many towels a she could find over her shoulder before hauling to Illya and Duncan. "It's the only one I can find for now," she said quietly, setting the bucket at their feet near the drain, "Here's some wash cloths and towels, soap too...I'll go look for another bucket and get some fresh clothes..." She trailed off for a moment, staring at Illya. "Are you alright?"
While they waited for the water to be brought Illya and Duncan started to strip off armor and their shirts. Getting off what they could for now would help when they did get some water to clean up with. At least enough that they could get to the shower and finish cleaning up. They had barely stripped off their shirts and Kalizda was back with the bucket. Neither of them looked directly in her eyes, but they nodded solemnly when she placed it near their feet. Illya clenched his jaw when she asked if he was ok and he nodded. He was about as fine as he was going to be. What he did was necessary and he didn't mind doing it, but deep down it bothered him a little bit. Torturing the one man was enough to get someone else to talk for fear of what would happen, but he didn't really have to spill the man's guts that didn't talk and let him die a little longer and more painfully. None of it really mattered now. They were all dead and he did what he had to. This met his objective. Protect the Council Woman, protect the president, protect his family. That was all that mattered. Both Illya and Duncan were anxious to get out of the bloody pants they wore and they started to strip them off before Kalizda was even out of the small room. Illya and Duncan shared the bucket and washed off the blood till the bucket was red too and they were essentially smearing blood all over themselves. The second bucket didn't last long either and this time they were clean enough to walk into the main part of the ship with towels on. Duncan collected bags to pack their armor and swords in. When they each grabbed a shower it was to wash the blood out of their hair and clean their gear. Keeping the weapons clean was just as important as keeping yourself clean. Illya was in the bathroom almost an hour between cleaning his gear and himself. Even after he was clean he could have almost swore it felt like he had liquid rolling slowly down his back and his arms. Multiple times he would check or look in the mirror, it was just the after battle creeps. Everyone got them at some point.
Calysta left the men to do what they needed to do and went to find another bucket. It took another 10 minutes to find a small plastic pail hidden in a cupboard under the galley sink. By the time she returned with the small bucket sloshing water down the hall, the previous one had been turned bright red with blood. She kicked it over into the drain and sat the fresh one in the same spot with out a word. When they were clean enough, Illya took up residence in their bathroom and while Duncan went to his own. She let them be and do what they needed to do, returning to the cockpit. "Here, let me take Loh-" It wasn't till she held up her hands that she saw more blood spatter from simply getting to close to Illya when he was changing. Priscilla gave her a horrified look and Calysta slowly let her arms drop. She couldn't hold her baby like that. "Excuse me." Leaving the two Terrans, she walked back to their quarters, grabbed a change of clothes, and went to the galley sink to scrub off. Even changing clothes didn't make her feel too much better, but at least she wasn't dribbled with red anymore. Once she was clean as she could be, Calysta returned to the cockpit and took up Lohgan in her arms. "Shhh....it's alright...." Lohgan wailed for a few more minutes, her face twisted into a look of angry fear. 30 minutes passed, then 40 , and with every ten minutes Calysta checked the sensors. They started to pass over Cairo, and from that high in the atmosphere the city were mere dots of light. When they were an hour and a half from Xiangxang, Calysta carried Lohgan back to their quarters to check on Illya. Pushing aside their door, she poked her head inside only to find him standing in the bathroom door which was still open. "Illya?" She stepped further into the room and looked at him, though he wouldn't meet her gaze. "We'll have to land within the next few hours for fuel. I haven't asked for clearance yet, but Harry says we wont need it. None of the military channels are working so far." She didn't know what else to tell him, or what would make the situation any better besides to be helpful.
The sound of Kalizda's voice broke into Illya's thoughts and he nodded listlessly as he stared at the counter top in the bathroom. He would need to get geared up and ready to fight again if there wasn't any contact. This was getting to be a bit stressful. Duncan and him couldn't hold off an entire attack by the army and there wouldn't be any mercy for Kalizda or Lohgan if he failed. When she left he put his soaked boots back on and the dripping armor. His arm hurt, but there wasn't anything to do for it now. Grabbing his sword he checked the blade to be sure it was sharp and clean then slid it into the the sheath. Illya rubbed his face a little and shook his head before he headed toward the navigation and control room. Maybe they had got through somewhere.
He didn't even stop to say anything before marching toward the door as if there were somewhere to go. "Illya, wait...just sit down for a minute, yeah?" she called, reaching out for his hand, " There's nothing up there that I can't handle for the time being."
A sharp sting ran from Illya's finger tips to his shoulder. He could only figure that Kalizda had reached for his hand. Turning slightly he stared at her and Lohgan for a long moment. This hardly seemed to be the time to talk. He needed to be doing everything he could to make sure they got back to Pytra safely. They needed to get off Terra and Japan would be a safe stop, but he needed to get them there first. Still, it could be the last time that he had to sit next to her. Pausing mid-step he turned back toward her and perched himself on the edge of the bed. If she wanted him to sit then he was going to sit for a few moments. Reaching with one hand he gently rubbed Lohgan's back and listened to the girl coo gently at him. She still had little red rimmed eyes from crying and he knew it scared her, but it had to be done.
Calysta lowered herself next to Illya, holding out Lohgan for him as she leaned her temple against his shoulder just ever so slightly. They sat in the quiet of the cabin for a long moment, watching their daughter smile up at them after such a terrible night, and trying to calm down. Eventually, Calysta tilted her chin and kissed his cheek with the lightest of touches. He should know that she loved him, no matter what happened. After a moment, the president's voice came over the comms in the cabin. "General? Councilwoman? I've made contact with the ground forces in Xiangxang. From what their report says, the black out in coms was due to cyber attack on the regional hub. Otherwise, our location was the only one with direct combat. Coms to the area will be up shortly and Xiangxang will be ready to receive us. They stated that the weather was not good, and to watch for the docking lights on the mountain. Terran army will be waiting there to receive us. " With that the intercom system clicked off and Calysta rose to her feet before turning to gaze at Illya. He knew that they would have to be on guard when they landed to refuel at this mountain city already. She didn't have to say it. "I'm sorry, Illya." What else could she say, when it was her job to make sure he didn't have to do those things?
Just being able to hold Lohgan for a few moments was calming. Illya heard the little girl protest when she felt that he had his armor on and it was cool and wet. It wasn't good to hold her for too long. Handing her back to her mother he stared at the doorway half expecting something to pop up and try to kill them. He was tired, on edge, and he knew they had to make it through the next port. A tiny kiss on his cheek caused Illya to sit up straighter and his shoulders tightened momentarily and then slackened again. Finally, Harry spoke into the coms and it sounded nice but there was no telling if the next port would actually be safe or not. Nobody was stepping outside for fueling or anything else except Illya and Duncan. He was going to make sure of that and give a few orders. They would be enough to keep other men away from the ship and he could relax a bit more and know they were truly Alliance if they would keep their distance. If they didn't he was going to have trouble on his hands stealing fuel and getting back out. Kalizda broke the silence shortly after Harry. The apology didn't really make sense, but he nodded. "Jes make sure dey know tah stay clear of dah ship when we land and dey only approach ef I give dem signal trough dah ship."
"Aye." Calysta kept Lohgan close as she lead Illya down the hallway back to the cockpit. After a little while, an alert came over the navigation system, prompting her to descend for their stop. Illya and Duncan stood by the hatch as Priscilla held Lohgan once more and Harry gave the order to stay clear of the ship, using his own authorization code. Calysta took over the controls manually and brought them into the storm clouds. Rain pelted the hull as wind threatened to push them in all directions. The ship shuddered and jolted, making Calysta grimace. Kaerelean controls were much better than the fancy, but all show bucket of bolts they were in. After what seemed like ages, the mountain appeared as a black mass on the screen lit only by lightening arching in the sky and a few lights dotted over the side. A series of red blinking lights indicated their docking station, and Calysta put them down, as she looked over the screen. "There are several military personnel along the edge but no one has moved in closer," she told the two Chips.
Illya could feel his back was starting to get that uneven feeling. He probably hadn't done any serious damage, but it still hurt. Almost gritting his teeth he nodded to Kalizda and started out the gang plank to keep watch while Duncan got the ship re-fueling. Warily Illya watched the men outside. None of them moved toward him, but he was still feeling on edge. "Duncan?" They didn't want to leave with anything less than a full tank, but he still wanted to be done earlier if possible.
It felt like everyone was watching him and in part Duncan knew they were. He still felt nervous. If they were attacked he knew that they wouldn't last long out here on the docks. There wasn't quite as much space to move and the General's back was starting to give out. There were too many old injuries that prevented him from fighting like he used to. He could rally that sort of fight for a time, but he couldn't hold it up for as long as he would have before the blast at the first war mission that killed nearly half the unit. Duncan shivered against the wind and he looked at the gauge. They were so close. When it finally clicked off he ran the pump back to it's spot and ran up to where Illya was and the two of them backed into the ship again before they got it closed up.
They were finally fueled up and Illya called to Kalizda again. "We're good. Let's get out of here." Within a few moments they were safely out of the port and on their way to Japan. It wasn't a long flight left, but Illya figured that he could check the updates on the alert systems and see if Japan was safe or not. If it wasn't they were going to transfer back to the ship he got for Kalizda, initiate the cloak and make a run for Pytra with Harry and Priscilla aboard.
Wandering back to their room for the last little bit of the fly back to Japan Illya checked the updates and he almost sighed in relief when he saw that it was just the mines. They were going to have to start a campaign to take the mines, re-work another deal with Terra to help pay for the cost of the mine's repairs, reassessment, and recapture of them. With the short time left on the ship Illya was considering talking to Harry, but that would have to wait until after he had some rest. Illya stripped off his soaking armor and took a small lozenge from his bag. His back was hurting badly enough that he didn't think he would get much rest without taking the lozenge.
Laying back on the bed Illya stared at the ceiling. It wasn't that long, but it felt like he'd been there hours. Suddenly he found himself staring at the sand and the dirt. There were dark patches of it and some of the ground even felt cool underneath his hands. That sharp pain was stabbing and running through his back and then he realized he hadn't made it to safety. His men were strewn and bits of pieces of them were everywhere. One of them looked different, out of place. Mumbling under his breath he started to breathe unevenly in his sleep. He knew that soldier, but he couldn't place them. Then it struck him. It was Kalizda. Her thick hair was matted in blood. They'd blown part of her skull away and he started to scream and yell in his sleep and then woke up. He'd never had a dream like that about Kalizda and it made him sick.
Illya didn't have to ever see an injury like that on Kalizda to know what it would look like. He already knew because he'd seen those sorts of things a thousand times. Even if his back was still hurting he didn't want to even try sleeping anymore. Wandering out to the main sitting room Illya sat near the viewing window and remained silent until they landed. Even then he stayed quiet all the way to the hotel. His mind was whirling with memories of the first war, Isla, Lahna and now Kalizda and Lohgan. He'd almost lost Kalizda and Lohgan and it was playing out in his mind with the most horrific images. Anytime he would start to drift off he'd find himself looking at dead bodies and he always found his men blown to bits. He remembered their faces. Somehow he found Kalizda there a few times and he jolted awake with every new dream. Even in the hotel he couldn't sleep the first night.
After the fourth time in the same night that he woke with nightmares Illya grabbed the blanket and took himself to the couch in the hotel room suite. He was afraid to sleep, afraid to look at the reports and half terrified of anything that might knock on the door. By morning his face was still wrinkled with worry, his eyes wild, and his mind raced. He had to meet with the president, but he was too shaky with his hands. His arm still ached from the fight and his fingers felt like they were on fire. His legs felt weak and he knew that was his back, but he didn't want to get off the couch.
When Kalizda came out to check on him he could barely look at her. Even her fingers resting on his shoulder made him sink further into the couch. "Dun touch meh. Jes no. I can't." At any mention of meetings he cringed and shook his head. "No, no. I can't." On one end he felt like he was going crazy. He'd killed before and it didn't bother him when he was protecting someone, but this time it was beyond duty. Kalizda and Lohgan had been at risk and it toyed with his mind. Taunting him, making him realize that he was just as powerless in this war to protect them as he had been to save Lahna or Isla. By mid afternoon pure exhaustion lulled Illya off to sleep, but it didn't last long and he woke within a few hours again with another image of the wars mixed. It was all starting to blend in his mind and he couldn't stop it.
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