On the Roster - Chapter 5

“Blue spider is not starting. I repeat Blue Spider is not starting.”

The voice rang out across the mission channel in Kiri’s voxbead. Voidstalker’s engine was humming and Varro was running the pre-flight checks.

“Have you appealed to the machine spirits?”

“Twice!”

“Prepped and ready to fly,” Varro mentioned to Marrick. Marrick was stationed next to Marrick in a Marrick nodded to Festerwel.

“Voidstalker prepped and ready for flight,” Festerwel said over the vox.

Lieutenant Creustal voice came back. “Take flight and happy flying. Blue Spider will follow when she can.”

They hadn’t even taken off yet, and they were down to half-strength. The thrill of excitement danced along Kiri’s breath.

Festerwel turned to Varro. “You heard the man, we’ve got the green light.”

“Marrick, punch in the coordinates.”

“Already done, Sir.”

“Let’s fly, voidsman.”

“Sir.”

Kiri watched Varro’s hands play across the controls. The low rumble of thunder permeated the cabin as the engines revved up. Varro provided a bit more juice and then they were off and into the void, hurtling towards the planet.

In fact, there was something about this that jumped out at her.

It was a Starridge. Her present as a 16 year old had been a Starridge bike. She’d ridden it for 4 years before she’d accidentally totalled it against a hive wall. Only her anti-grav belt saved her from dying that day as well. It took her an entire afternoon to float down from the upperhive to a midhive tier before she could be picked back up.

I’m surprised the Navy can afford Starridge, she thought. She watched the controls - it was the same setup, just with … more. She studied it carefully. That panel would operate the doors. That panel was for void-flight before they made atmospheric entry. Varro was all over it at the moment. The symphony of their flight changed as they started to descend into the atmosphere, the sounds gaining in intensity until the cabin was an orchestra of powerful engines. The hull juddered as if it wanted to break apart. Kiri studied the cabin with rapt attention. She’d flown almost exclusively in atmosphere, so re-entry wasn’t something she’d flown much.

It’s a prayer, Kiri thought. Flying this lander is a prayer to the Emperor.

The voidstalker was much bigger than her Starridge Peak Runner, but it was still much more nimble than an arvus lighter. She’d flown those once or twice just for the experience, but had quickly stopped because she hadn’t liked them.

“Target is stationary, we’re locked in on the coordinates,” Marrick said. “ETA 3 minutes.”

“We’ll be in and out before they even notice we were there,” Festerwel said, a nervous smile on his face.

Kiri could see Varro’s hands across the controls. Simple, she thought. Just like my old Ridgerunner.

“Command,” Festerwel voxed, “we’re at 3 minute ETA. Any word on the Blue Spider?”

“Negative Voidstalker, it looks …”

The vox just cut.

“Marrick,” Festerwel said, “get command.”

“Sir, I’m trying,” Marrick said. His hands were flying over the comms part of the display. “We can’t get anything.” He pressed a few other buttons, tapped his vox bead, “looks like local vox still works.” He said over their squad vox.

Kiri noticed Corwin glaring at her from the far side of the chamber. He made the sign of the aquilla and spat on the ground in front of him. Probably blamed her for the bad luck.

“Well, that’s something at least,” Festerwel said.

“Sir,” Marrick said, turning around. “This feels like it might be a trap.”

“ETA 45 seconds,” Varro said.

Kiri raised her eyes from the flight console and studied Festerwel. He chewed his lip, and the fingers in his right hand rubbed furiously together, seemingly unknown to him.

“Sir,” Marrick said.

“Let’s go in, we’ve got an agent to rescue.”

Marrick’s lips tightened, but he said nothing. It was clear to Kiri exactly what he thought of that idea. And exactly what kind of soldier he was.

A good soldier follows orders, she thought of her father’s words. A great soldier follows the right orders. Ahh, what she wouldn’t give for 5 minutes with her father right now. She fingered the signet ring under her uniform. But it was too late for that.

“ETA 20 seconds. LZ in sight.”

Festerwel tightened his fist. “Take us in,” he said.

Marrick scowled. “Varro, bring us in backwards, have the door gun cover us, not the surrounding area. Dravik, man the doorgun. Kiri and Tallow with me. Corwin support Dravik. Any questions?”

No one said anything. Marrick tried the vox one last time. “Nothing,” he spat.

It made sense. There were bigger guns on the front of the voidstalker, but they weren’t as nimble as the mounted stormbolter in the rear.

Kiri reached under her shirt and slipped on the ring. “Just in case,” she muttered. Nobody would notice it now, and she needed the ring’s help.

“Oh, and Varro,” Marrick said. “Keep the engine running. Be ready to get out of here fast.”

“Excellent suggestions Leading Voidman Marrick,” Festerwel said, resting his hand on his laspistol. He cracked a grin. “Emperor willing, we’ll still be back by mess shift.”

“Throne help us,” Marrick muttered under his breath. Kiri couldn’t hear him, but had seen him mouth the words in a cockpit mirror. She could only read it because she’d been thinking the same.

“There it is,” Marrick said, pointing. “The signal is in that courtyard.” There was a man there, waving at them.

Varro swung the Voidstalker in and dropped in on the other side of the courtyard.

The rear landing door swung down, and Festerwel marched down it. One hand on the butt of his laspistol, and the other tucked behind his back, looking for all the world like he was on a parade march.