Gall Force Fan Fiction ❯ Another Journey, Another Story ❯ Chapter 10

Gall Force: Another Journey, Another Story

Part Ten

Lieutenant Danielle sat at the tactical position, looking out the viewscreen at the featureless nature of hyperspace. She checked her controls restlessly, black hair swept back from her face, looking for any sign their Paranoid pursuers might be closing the distance.

"Coming up to the location of the first colony," Lieutenant Lauren reported from her seat beside her. Danielle tossed the little blonde a look, but she was steadily focused on her job. Only the slightest sheen of perspiration showed her nervousness.

"Understood," Captain Gail said from behind them, her voice carrying a gentle sort of calm. Danielle knew the redhead was probably as nervous about this as they all were, but she projected an aura of absolute confidence. "Tactical, any sign of Paranoid ships?" she asked softly.

"Nothing on sensors," Danielle had to add, "but it's difficult to scan normal space from Hyper. There's no guarantees."

"Understood," Gail answered smoothly then asked, "Engineering?"

Lieutenant-Commander Karin reported in almost immediately, "We have two shuttles with salvage teams ready to go down to the planet as soon as we have the all clear."

Major Tanya spoke up and Danielle felt that odd mix of pleasure and fear at hearing her voice. "Fighter escorts are ready to launch," she reported crisply and Danielle could easily imagine the green haired pilot's cocky smile, "just make sure you don't shoot us down."

Danielle felt a ghost of a smile tug at her lips, but she responded with her best military style. "We'll try not to," she said.

"Communication is ready to hail any possible survivors," Catty said.

"Looks like we're ready to go," Commander Allaine said softly.

Danielle turned back to her control panel even as Gail firmly said, "Commence operation!"

There was a vibration as gravity shifted in the vessel, the engines changing functions to bring them out of hyperspace and back into normal space. The screen cleared, stars and planets outside, and below them a once habitable world turned slowly.

"Gods," Lauren murmured and Danielle was too shaken to chide her about it.

The world was scarred, burned from orbital strikes. Massive round craters marked the world in overlapping rings, the oceans that records showed the world having simply gone, blasted away from the surface. The planet was dead, irretrievably so.

"Scan for any signs of Solonoid technology," Allaine spoke up into the dead silence and the crew leapt to work.

Danielle fought back her sick horror as she worked, wondering how many colonists had been on this world when it had been destroyed. Finally she reported, "The surface installations have all been destroyed, but there's indications the underground facilities may have survived."

"Request permission to accompany teams down to the surface," Catty surprised them all by speaking up. Danielle looked at the purple haired girl from the corner of her eye as she continued, "If computers or records survived, I may be able to recover them."

"Go," Gail said, then she looked at Danielle, "I want you down there with the engineering teams, too." A ghost of a smile, "We have no idea what's down there, I want the best available if this goes bad on us."

"Understood," Danielle said as she and Catty headed into the lift. She was a bit amused to see Allaine taking her position, then the bridge disappeared as they dropped away. They reached the shuttle launch bays a few moments later, climbing aboard the command shuttle.

"Welcome aboard," Lieutenant-Commander Karin gave them a smile, her black hair falling into her eyes. She turned and shouted to the front, "Davies! It's a go!"

"Right," Davies answered then the sandy haired woman ducked into the cockpit. There was a jerk as they began to move, slipping out of the bay as their fighter escort formed up around them.

"So why did the boss send you along?" Karin asked as the vessel rumbled slightly, the remnants of atmosphere buffeting the craft.

"Computers," Catty said calmly, "they may have acquired useful data on the Paranoid before the final attack, it's worth while to try and recover it."

"That's not your only reason," Karin noted, and Catty looked nervous. "You communication types don't get off the ship that often, it must be exciting to you," she said.

"Well, yes," Catty admitted, looking oddly relieved.

"The Captain's not sure what's down there," Danielle answered the question calmly, "and she wanted me here to back you all up."

"Got it," Karin agreed. She activated the shuttle communication systems and said, "I want everyone in the armored extra vehicular action suits, just in case. The radiation levels could still be hazardous down there."

"Right," the green haired young woman beside them murmured nervously. Danielle searched her memory a moment, finally coming up with the name Jame.

"Don't worry Jame," Karin confirmed it as the engineer gave the girl a reassuring smile, "as long as you practice reasonable caution you'll be all right."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jame smiled up at her tentatively.

'Isn't that cute,' Danielle thought, turning to look out at the fighters that were following them down, 'I wonder if Tanya's with them?'

"Touchdown in ten," Davies voice called from the front, followed a moment later by, "brace yourselves, this might get a little rough."

"Shit," Karin cursed as she grabbed at the rails on either side of her, the rest of the passengers quickly following suit.

"What?" Danielle asked, grabbing tightly.

"Davies tends to practice understatement," Karin explained.

Even as she said that the shuttle bounced off the ground, the belts and restraints they all had barely keeping them into their seats. Twice more they thumped before finally skidding to a stop, rattling everyone inside quite thoroughly.

"Remind me to kill that pilot," Danielle groaned, unstrapping herself then quickly pulling the segments of the heavy EVA suit on.

"That might be a bit extreme," Jame said, a bit of a flush to her cheeks.

The little redhead stuck her head around the cockpit hatch, giving them all apologetic looks. "I'm really sorry," Katrine smiled tentatively.

'Isn't that interesting,' Danielle looked between Jame and the pilot, then the slightly pained expression on Karin's face. "Try to do better next time," she scowled, feeling a bit of satisfaction as the girl squeaked and ducked back into the cockpit.

"Thanks," Karin murmured, swiftly pulling her EVA suit on.

"No problem," Danielle said dryly. They were all quickly armored up, moving to the back of the shuttle. They stood waiting for a second while the air in the vehicle was stored away, then with a soft thump the rear hatch opened up.

"We need to find access to the lower levels," Karin said, leading the way into the wreckage of a Solonoid settlement. Where once great towers reached towards the sky only rubble lay, transport corridors in ruin, the green, pleasant environment they thrived in utterly gone.

"I'd better go first," Danielle moved to cut her off, unstrapping her sidearm and raising the slim pistol as she moved.

The group moved forward hesitantly, both shuttle crews fanning out with scanners to spot any access ports or hatches. After a few moments searching one of the pilots accompanying the team found a access, and to all their surprise the indicators glowed green.

"There's still power?" Karin murmured, unhooking a small device and plugging it in.

Something seemed to catch the silent Catty's eye, maybe the rapidly changing display or something else but she grabbed Karin, bodily yanking her away as she cried, "Look out!"

BOOM!

The explosion was violent, shrapnel and metal fragments flying violently about as vapor and gasses vented towards the sky. The view finally cleared a few moments later, revealing a blasted out opening leading down into the lower levels.

"Booby trap," Danielle muttered, "probably set up if any Paranoid forces were foolish enough to set down on the planet. Amateur job, though."

"It very nearly got me," Karin said to her ruefully. She looked over at Catty and smiled as she said softly, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Catty said simply.

"Amateur," Danielle said crisply, "it opened up the route for us."

Jame hesitated then said, "Unless there's more booby traps waiting for us down there."

Karin puffed out a nervous breath before looking over at Danielle. "We really need any supplies we can get," she said, "we have to go down there."

"I'll lead the way," Danielle said simply and with that the group moved forward.

To be continued....