Me again coming back with one of my little speeches the story. This chapter is my longest yet. I told myself "Chapter 4, I got to get to the action." But then I was like "I need to get some D'awwww started." so I did. But you guys probably don't want me to continue rambling on, you came here for the story so here you go, Chapter 4. And thank you to all my readers positive comments help me get through the writers block. Remember read and review.
Karl lay on his side asleep curled up against the wall. His head buried in between the wall and his pillow. "Karl, sir are you awake?" Alina said leaning over the bunk looking at Karl with her head dress falling off.
"Now I am." Karl said with a yawn rolling to look at Alina. "And please you don't have to call me sir."
Alina shifted around in her bed until she was sitting with her legs dangling off the side. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"What is?" Karl asked rubbing his eyes as he sat up.
"Out there, space. It has all those beautiful stars and planets."
"Yes it sure is."
"Being on a planet and looking up at the stars doesn't compare to being on the ship. Back on the Tonbay whenever my dad had time he would take me to one of the observation decks and we would sit and just enjoy each other's company." Alina said swinging her legs back and forth.
"What did you and your parents do on the Tonbay Alina?" Karl said memorized by the movement of her legs.
"Well my dad is a marine and escorted tech team around and did security on the ship. My mother she is an engineer and she met him on one of those tech missions. Me other hand I work in tech labs with cybernetics because everybody told me that I was gifted in it." Alina said laughing.
"Well are you?"
"I guess so because they postponed my pilgrimage so they could have me there to help with an important project. A whole five years and we hardly got anywhere. But also in those five years it gave my father time to teach me some more stuff to prepare for the pilgrimage and I also got some basic marine training." Alina sat there wringing her hands in a small red blanket.
"Five years? How old are you Alina?"
"I'm only twenty-two. I would have left when I was seventeen but they needed me there." Alina said letting her blanket drape in between her legs. They sat there for minutes. Alina just sitting there playing with the blanket and Karl staring out into the endless space. "So how old are you Karl?"
"I'm twenty-four." Karl said with a yawn running his hands through his hair.
"Twenty-four that seems young for doing all this." Alina said curling her toes as she yawned out the sentence.
Karl's attention shifted away from space to the red blanket. "I thought we only had white sheets. What is this?" Karl said pulling the blanket from Alina's hands.
Alina jumped down from her bunk trying to grab back the blanket. "It's nothing please give it back."
Karl held her back with one arm and held his other arm back with the blanket away from her. "It's really nice did you get it when you were on Illium?" Karl said smiling.
"No it's my blanket now give it back to me." Alina knocked Karl's arm away. She pushed him over pinning him to his bed. Her hands pressed down on his shoulders and her knees at the sides of his body. Time felt like it dragged on as they just stayed there, Karl staring into Alina's eyes and Alina staring into Karl's.
"Here is your blanket Alina." Karl said lifting the blanket up. Well, this is interesting.
Alina looked at the blanket and then back. Seeing where she was and what she was doing she jumped back. "Thank you." Alina said embarrassedly looking away as she took it. "I think it's time I went to sleep." Keelah what did I just do.
"Yeah I'm tired too." Karl said watching Alina climb back up to the top bunk. The room was quiet all except the background hum of the engine. The bed shifted and creaked as Alina tried to get comfortable.
"It was a gift." Alina said quietly.
"What was?"
"My blanket. My mother gave it to me when I was young before I even had my suit. When we are little we don't have a suit, we don't get them until we are at adolescent, and so we are usually just in a clean room or a bubble. It was so warm and fuzzy; she told me it was made by the humans. I just can't remember what it was made of."
"It's made of fleece."
"That's what she said. Even though I have this stupid suit on whenever I touch the blanket I remember it and I can feel its soft touch and its warm embrace."
"I can see how that is really special to you."
"Yes it is. Good night and thank you Karl."
"Thank me for what?" Karl asked. He waited for a moment for an answer but all heard was a soft snore. Karl rolled to his side and smile. "Good night Alina."
"What did you find Kryik?" Karl asked getting out of seat walking up to Kryik.
"The sensors are picking up a distress signal coming from MSV Lazy Horse." Kryik said moving the screen so Karl could look at it.
"Nice name." Karl said with a little chuckle. "Sal, bring us in slowly and dock with it when we get a full read out the ship."
"You know it's probably a trap Karl." Sal said turning in the pilot's chair.
"Of course. Kryik, I want blueprints, control of security systems, cargo, and location of any personal or hostiles. When you have all that meet me in the armory. It will be me, you, and Alina, and Sal I need you to be our eyes and ears."
"Are you sure you want to take Alina on this one?" Kryik asked surprised.
"Yes and she told me she has some quarian marine training. She is also stronger then she looks." Karl said with a small smirk.
"I hope your right about this." Kryik said turning his attention back to the console.
"I do too." Karl walked out of the bridge and headed to the lab.
Alina was in the lab jumping between a half dozen different consoles sitting on tables. The lab was small but it everything that was needed to work with. She didn't even notice Karl walk into the room and stand next one of consoles. "Oh, Keelah." Alina said putting her hand on her chest surprised. "You scared me there. What do you need?"
"We found a stranded ship and you are coming with me and Kryik. What are you working on?" Karl asked looking into the screen of the console.
"Remember last night how I said that they postponed my pilgrimage so then I could work on something." Alina said pushing Karl out of the way of the console so she could work on it.
"Yeah, I remember."
"Well I took that project with me and some other ones that were my own. I could hardly work on any of them with just my Omni-tool and seeing this lab I could let this opportunity go to waste."
"I see but what are you working on?" Karl said trying to look around Alina.
"On these three consoles I'm working on an implant that would slowly build up our immune system. Those two I'm working on a cybernetic eye. It's almost finish but I don't feel like cutting out my eye just to see if it works." Alina said laughing as she went to the last console. "And I'm just looking at some extranet videos. Now let's head to the armory to then we can talk about this later."
"Kryik are these the new weapons?" Karl walked over to the table grabbing the container.
"Yeah already took out the rocket launcher you got me." Kryik said laughing as he adjusted the collar of his armor facing in his armor locker. Kryik looked like any of turian; he had the face paint but what made him unique was that he only had half of his left mandible "It's beautiful how did you grey was my favorite color."
"I knew you would love it." Karl said slapping the back of Kryik shoulder as he walked to his locker. "Did you put a pistol and sniper in my locker?"
"Sure did, the rest is still in the container." Kryik said sliding on his helmet.
"Alina grab anything you want from there and there are some armor pads you can put on your suit in the corner locker." Karl said securing the chest plate. Alina nodded and walked over to the container pulling out the assault rifle and a pistol. "Alina meet us at the airlock when you are done." The holo on Karl's masked lit up as he placed it over the lower part of his face. The door hissed as Karl and Kryik exited the armory.
"Wait for me." Alina yelled clipping the assault rifle to her back as she ran to the door. What am I getting myself into?
"Run through it one more time." Karl said tapping on the canister on the left side of his mask.
"Okay. The ship has three decks: there is the cargo on the bottom deck, the bridge and the engine room is on the second, and on the top deck are the crew rooms. We will dock at the docking clamp in between cargo bay five and six." Kryik said examining the holo projected on his omni-tool.
"Did Sal get control of the ship?"
"Yeah."
"Are there any noncombatants in the cargo bays?"
"No, there just about a dozen mercs. They look like they are Eclipse. Most of them are in the cargo bays but two of them are walking the hallway." Kryik said expanding the lower deck projection.
"Sal, are you patched into the comms?"
"Yes I am." Sal said going through three monitors by him.
"Good. Now when we get into the ship lock the doors that go to the cargo bays and crack open the bay doors. We can deal with two in the hallway."
"Purge the cargo bays of life, got it. I will keep you updated as you go."
"Where is the crew?" Alina said sitting against the wall.
"The crew has been split up into the four crew quarters on the top deck and I think they still have some of them still in the bridge. They are probably held at gun point." Kryik said closing his Omni-tool. The ship sudden surged back and a hiss was heard on the other side of the airlock.
"Docking clamps secure time for you guys to move." Sal said over the intercom before switching to helmet communication. "They know you're here."
"Stay out of sight. We need at least one of them alive so I will handle it." Karl said as his body disappears into his tactical cloak. Karl ran down the docking cradle till he got to where it connects to the main hallway. The two Eclipse mercenaries started running down to hallway to the docking cradle. Karl shifted over to the other side of the hallway letting the mercenaries pass him as they drew their guns walking towards the open door. Karl took a few steps back before entering a full sprint towards the two men. Once he got close enough he dropped down sliding into the back of one of the man's legs knocking him over. Karl got up and pinned the other man to the wall with his forearm against the man's throat.
"Now you two will tell me what you're doing on this ship." Karl said drawing his pistol as he exited his cloak. The man on the ground reached for his gun that lay beside him but as he placed a hand on the stock a bullet entered the left side of his head. Both Alina and Kryik exited there spots and ran up to Karl when they heard the gun shot. "I will make a deal with you. You will tell me what I want to know and we won't kill you or I throw you out of the airlock without your helmet on."
The man twisted and jerked trying to break free but to no avail. He stopped moving and pointed to the floor. Karl backed off letting the man drop to the floor with a thud. "Okay, okay, okay, I will talk."
"Smart move. Now tell me what is the Eclipse doing on this ship?" Karl said holstering his pistol.
"I don't know I just follow orders but I think it has something to do with food and medicine its carrying." The man rubbed his throat. "Serenda is in for a surprise when you get up there she thought you were another aid ship."
"Who's Serenda?"
"She is our commander and a bitch. I think they said she was one of those Council Spectres but went rogue. Be careful she is a fucking crazy powerful biotic."
"Thank you. As I said you will live." Karl turned and nodded to Kryik. Kryik took the stock of his assault rifle smashing into the side of the man's head. The man fell over unconscious.
Alina bent over the man checking him. "Why did you do that? You told him you would let him live." Alina yelled at Karl.
"He's only unconscious. Now we have to get moving." Karl said walking with Kryik down the hall. Alina sighed and ran after them. "Okay, Kryik go up that stairs. Alina and I will go up the other. Sal, what's the breakdown on this deck?"
"You have three hostiles watching the stairs, two down the hallway to the bridge, and no one is in the engine room."
"What about the bridge?"
"They have the pilot, co-pilot, and the navigator in there. There are also two Eclipses watching them."
"Okay good. Now start looking at the top deck as we deal with these guys." Karl turned to Alina and Kryik. "You two ready?"
"Ready." They said as they made their way to their positions. They attacked before the three Eclipses had time to react. Alina and Kryik unloaded their Crossfire assault rifles into the bodies of two men. Karl used his Punisher sniper rifle to put one clean shot through the man's head. They turned the corner and fired at the two men down the hall. The two men took cover as they waited for their shields to recharge. Alina kept up the fire as Karl and Kryik lobed grenades into the men's cover. The explosion threw the two men out of their cover against a wall. They step over the lifeless bodies in the hall as they stacked up by the door to the bridge; Kryik and Alina on one side, Karl on the other. The door slid open as the two mercs on the bridge went out to investigate. Karl grabbed a rifle as it appeared in front of him pointing it at the ceiling and pressed his pistol to into the man's chest and shot three times. Kryik leaned into the room shoot the other merc. They slowly entered the bridge scanning for anyone in it.
One of the hostages slowly stood up from behind a table. "Are, are you here to help?" The hostage said with his whole body trembling.
"Yes we are here to help." Alina said softly trying to calm the man. She walked up to the man putting away her Crossfire. She looked down to see a man and a woman curled up behind another table. "Are you two alright?"
"Yes, yes now we are thank you." The woman said shaking.
"Please you have to get up there and help the others. They already executed Charlie and Beth for disabling the engines. I don't know who's left. Please you have to hurry." Said the first man.
"We will help your crew don't worry." Alina said placing a hand on the man's shoulder. She walked up to where Karl and Kryik are standing. "What are we going to do now?"
Karl turned to look at Alina. "Sal just gave us an update. They are setting up in the lounge area the crew made in between the different rooms. There are nine of them including that Serenda person waiting for us." Karl said looking up the stairs.
"So what's the plan then?"
"I got something but it's crazy and you are going to need this." Karl said handing Alina his Volkov.
"Karl, are you sure this is a good idea?" Alina said looking down the scope at the closed door.
"Nope. Kryik ready?"
"Yes."
"Now!" Karl started running towards the door as Kryik shot a rocket towards at the door. Karl turned on his tactical cloak as the door blew open sending shrapnel everywhere in the room. He dropped two smoke grenades as he enters the room. Three bodies lay on the floor peppered with shrapnel and blood seeping out of their ears. Six. Kryik ran into the room shooting men as they tried to get to cover with his Crossfire. Four. Karl sprinted past two men in cover dropping a grenade. Two. The explosion knocked the Eclipse engineer off balance. Kryik threw his assault rifle at the guy before switching to his shotgun to finish him off. One. Kryik was thrown across the room hitting the wall and bouncing off of it. The asari began to glow blue as she left up a crate. Karl got behind her and wrapped his right arm around her body and smashed his left hand into the side of her head unleashing a dampening. "Zero." Karl said pushing her head away from him as the blue flame extinguished.
Alina laid prone in the hallway looking down the scope. The smoke started to clear she saw her target. Here goes nothing. She slowly squeezed the trigger, closed her eyes and the rifle shot.
"Wha..." The asari managed to spit out before her head exploded. Her body went limp falling into a puddle of purple and red blood.
"Son of a bitch! Alina look to Kryik, check to see if he is alright." Karl looked down at his left hand. His ring finger was shot clean off and the little finger was hanging on a little bit of skin. He took out his knife and placed his hand palm down on a table. Clenching his teeth as he cut the skin. "Check the rooms. Make sure everyone is okay. If they need any medical treatment tell them to go to our ship." Blood started to pool under his feet. "We have to get moving before someone else decides to stop by." Karl knelt down by the body of Serenda. "Let's see what you have." He rolled over the body onto its stomach to look at the weapons. "That's a beauty. I think I might keep this one for myself." Karl grabbed the shotgun with his good hand and unclipped it from Serenda. He stood up clipping his new weapon on his back.