Postal Delivery

Posted on Wed Aug 14th, 2019 @ 6:14am by Petty Officer 2nd Class Corvus Hannah
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 5:52pm

2,099 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Atlantis
Location: Capital City, Ulibarri
Timeline: 2429-10-31

Corvus leaned against the wall of the building glad it was past twilight and the crystalline structures were no longer reflecting the lights of the twin suns. Gunfire continued sporadically as Corvus held his own rifle before him, ready to move to a shooting position if any of the enemy came into view. But, he'd been running from building to building, one short burst of energetic flight after the other. He needed to take a moment to catch his breath. He armed sweat from his brow and did a quick look around him.

The team leader was at the next building and as Corvus looked at him the signal to advance was given. He shoved his helmet back into place, the visor filtering just enough of the light to keep him from being blinded.

While the materials of the building were similar to plasteel, they were latticed in such a way that they were more reflective, like facets of gems. Most of the town was made that way, the wealthier portions shone brighter, of course while the squalid sections were dull and listless, made more like stone than anything else.

They'd been here two days already, slogging through the forests to get to this point. Their intel stated the rebel factions would be in a holding pattern for several days. They were supposed to have time enough to slip into the city, acquire the package and get out again.

That was, of course, their intel. Which meant it was going to be completely SNAFU. The three of the rebel factions moved quicker than anticipated, bringing their conflict to outside the city and then inside. Which left Corvus and his team in the thick of fighting.

He didn't know which faction was the one in the right and it didn't matter because they were all trying to kill him. Merely because he wasn't a member of their faction.

He slid to a stop against the wall, taking the place their team leader had been before Corvus started his hop. The team leader was now at the next advance point with the other three of their team. Their goal was to clear the way ahead, while Corvus brought up the rear and kept watch over the others. His skillsets were less gung ho combat and more...keeping the gung ho combatants alive.

"Contact nine o'clock," he heard over the internal comms right before they started firing. Corvus shifted his position to scan the area indicated. His line of sight however was blocked by the building which gave him concealment at the moment.

Drawing in a deep breath, he dashed forward, coming behind the rest of his team in a slide that brought him to a halt but up on one knee as well. In the same fluid motion he had the rifle up to his shoulder, the sights linked to his visor. Greenish ghosts indicated faction combatants.

"Negative, Hannah," the team leader said over the comms. "Carry out the mission, secure the package."

"Sir..." Corvus began, shaking his head. His team commander, however, turned to glare at him. Though his visor was down, Corvus knew him well enough to know the look he was being given. Not just that, though, he knew he was being given an order and not a suggestion. "Yes, sir," he said, shifting so he could go from kneeling to running in the same motion.

His visor HUD shifted, showing where he needed to go, calculating the safest path it could to get there. Three blocks. They were half a mile from the target. Half a frellin mile!

All this way and stopped so short. He waited, listening to the sound of the gunfire from his team, working on the pulse and rhythm. "I'm going, I'm going," he answered the commander's growl.

Two more pulses and, with the available data his suit's AI had, he saw a clear path. If the rest of the team kept them bottled up here, distracted by firing at them, he had a good chance to get to the package. To secure and help finish this mission and get them all out of here.

Without anymore thought he pushed off the balls of his feet, on the run as soon as he was up. He worked to stay crouched, create a smaller, lower profile target as he sped away. It wasn't a complete break, energy beams pulsed around him. Chips and chunks of crystallized building flew around him, some of the edges sharp enough to scratch his armor.

Swearing, he poured on more speed, pumping his legs and arms to go faster, to get out of range of their weapons or so far behind walls they could no longer see him clearly enough to fire. The second sun slipped beyond the horizon, bringing on night and darkness. If he didn't stop, didn't slow down, he'd make it to the package while there was still some light left get it wrapped and ready for transport back to their shuttle.

If they were lucky enough that the rebel factions stayed focused on each other and let them slip out. Which could only happen if they weren't aware they'd taken over delivery and transporting it out of the city and to safety.

His lungs burned, an ached burned deep in his side. He wanted to switch his HUD back to his team, see how they were faring, but he needed it to get through the warren of alleys and side streets. He couldn't afford the time getting lost or sidetracked would cost him. Not if he wanted to make sure his team - his friends - stayed alive.

The package, that had to be his sole focus now.

But...

No, he had to remain focused. Merely minutes passed and he was never more glad for Warrant's singleminded insistence on grueling PT sessions and brutal training sessions. Even with their two day movement to the city, the running firefights and now this mad parkour sprint through the heart of the capital. He was winded, sure, but he wasn't at the end of his endurance yet.

A minute more and the HUD indicated he was there. He slowed, bringing up his rifle. Time was a factor, but so was getting to the package alive. If they didn't get it, then everything they did was for nothing.

He moved silently, as silently as he could in the armor, among the war damage and ruined buildings. His scanners were set on a narrow parameter, constantly searching.

A brief alarm sounded accompanied by a flash off to his right. He turned, his rifle at the ready as he moved forward. Without the light of the sun and in the rubble of the building, darkness held sway. The war ravaging the city cut down what he could hear, even with the enhanced audio.

There, he told himself, sure he'd found what they'd come to find.

He stopped up short as the whimper cut through the fighting outside the rubble. His visor adjusted, allowing him to see with enhanced light.

A man stood before him, native of the planet with orange scaled skin and ornate horns covering from head to shoulders. Golden eyes stared at Corvus while his spread arms tried to shield the child behind him.

"Team leader," he said into the comms, knowing that they'd not answer even if they could. The risk of having their signals triangulated was too great. "Package found but with a complication."

"Deal with it," he heard the Warrant's growl as easily as if he'd answered over the comm line. Corvus worked and trained with them long enough to know that would be the answer.

"Mister President," Corvus said, his suit AI confirming the identity as best it could without a genetic scan. That would come soon enough. "I'm from the Federation, we're here to get you out."

"No," the Ulibarrian president said, the single syllable full of the promise of uncooperation and rebellion. "Not without my child."

"Sir," Corvus said, wanting to just buttstroke the man and drag him away. "We don't have time for this."

"Daddy," the child muttered, its bifurcated tongue flicking the air. It stared at Corvus, its eyes wide with fear.

"Sir!" Corvus said, reaching into a pouch on his thigh.

"NO!" the Ulibarrian said taking a step forward, raising its arms toward Corvus. "Not without my child!"

"Fine!" Corvus said, flining his hand out. A rope of energy flew across the short distance and wrapped itself around the alien's waist. The other end wrapped around Corvus. The snare was designed to keep them together. While it had a little give, it was tough and could withstand a direct energy blast. Corvus had no choice now, the key to unlock the snare was on the shuttle. He was connected to the planet's president until they were headed back to space.

In the meantime he dropped to his knees, dumping items from his pack. The straps were 'one size fits all' and while Corvus was fit, he wasn't very muscular, nor overly tall. If he stretched them out to their longest and then made a few additional straps from gauze bandages.

"Come here," he said, motioning to the child. It continued to grip its father's leg, hiding behind it. Corvus tried again, motioning with his hand for the child to come to him. It hid its face in the president's knee.

"Sir, could you help out here?" he asked, looking up to the politician, the only man that could bring a legitimate close to this rebellion action, but only if he were able to get off the planet long enough to survive the current conflict. If that meant taking the child then Corvus was going to complete his mission.

"It's okay Nartx, he's trying to help. He'll keep you safe."

"Daddy!" the child said. If it weren't reptilian, Corvus was sure tears would shine on it's cheeks. "No, Daddy!"

"Nartx," the president said, kneeling to see the child. "He'll protect us both, but we have to go. He'll help us move quickly."

Corvus motioned again then opened the pack, showing that he'd created a harnass seat for it. Reluctantly, with glances over his shoulder to his father, Nartx made his way to Corvus.

Corvus guided the Ulibarrian child into the seat then lifted the pack onto his back again. "We're going to go fast, no stopping, our job is to get out of the city and away from the fighting. We're not slowing for anything or anyone, understood?"

"My people-"

"Are not going to survive this war until you can put a stop to it!" Corvus said, a hint of Warrant's growl in his voice. "My orders are to get you back to the shuttle and off this planet. My friends are out there risking their lives to give me this chance, you will not be worth shit if anything happens to them and you slowed me up, making their risk worthless!"

He stood, wrapping the snare as a cuff around the president's wrist before turning. His HUD already plotting the course back to the shuttle and out of the city. Rolling his shoulders to seat the child into the harness, he brought up his rifle and began moving out, determined he would drag the damned politician every step of the way if necessary.

After a brief tug, he felt the resistance against the snare lessen as the president began moving, working to keep up with Corvus's pace.

"Package secured, moving to delivery point," he spoke into his comm quickly as he continue moving.

He wasn't expecting an answer and, though the desire was still overwhelming and strong, he didn't switch over to check on them. It was on him now, they knew their roles and accepted them. He had to accept his.

Except...he thought he was about to receive an answer when it felt as if the whole of the world slammed into his chest. He fell backward, knocked backward, the snare pulling taut as he hit the ground, his breath gone and pain radiating from his chest through the rest of him. The last light of the day glimmered off the few still standing spirals above him, bathing him in golden light.

He always promised himself he would die at home, in his home as an old man and not sacrificed on some alien planet where few knew who he was or even cared. As the golden light began fading in his vision, he realized that some promises weren't ever meant to be kept.

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