Elemorts

Chapter VIII - Crossfire

Zablaron watched as far away by the lakeshore, the Knight and Steed slowly turned from the runway onto a taxiway. Above, dark storm clouds were gathering, reminiscent of swarms of Honaxee honey bees drawn to the flower gardens on planet Honax. The dense cover enveloped the spacecraft in the sky, and gloom was settling all over the spaceport. The Great Unzayi Lake was all riled up, sending spray and foam onto the asphalt runway. Beyond the fuel depot to Zablaron's right, an oil rig swayed and rocked in the water as the waves beat against its base relentlessly.

Zablaron was standing on the balcony of a VIP lounge, restricted from access to ordinary travelers. The balcony afforded a view of rows of private hangars up ahead, lining the ramp. Zablaron furrowed his eyebrows in consternation as he watched elite security officers in black suits setting up a green tarp around the entrance of a hangar, blocking it from view. The Crimson Crows, thought Zablaron. The Crimson Crows, previously known as the Blood Ravens, were a private security firm based on Karomoz notorious for their clandestine operations all over the galaxy, a lot of them allegedly unlawful. They are very serious about their smuggling, Zablaron mused.

A blue truck idled around the back of the hangar while several loaders arrived at its front. It was a private hangar, but Zablaron had no doubt the Knight and Steed was heading for it. He could no longer watch from afar. I have to find a way in, thought Zablaron. He leaped over the railing of the balcony and gently lowered himself onto the ground using steel-blue magnetic waves.

Jayrock watched from the truck cab as Gylith scaled the crane looming over the back of the hangar. Jayrock was parked nearby, next to its sidewall. The wind lashed at his face through the open cab windows, bringing along a spatter or two.

Gylith clambered onto a strut and crouched down. He aimed at some windows set high in the hangar's back wall with his sniper rifle and looked through its scope.

"What do you see, Gylith?" Jayrock spoke into his transceiver.

Jayrock watched as Gylith took a few moments with his scope. Then he put it aside and took out his transceiver. "I see the freighter spacecraft parked at the back. The crew, too, sitting against the walls and men with guns. I have never seen them before, but I think they are the Blood Ravens." Gylith's voice was shaky. "And... and bodies... I see bodies, Jayrock!"

"Bodies! Whose?" Jayrock felt stupid the moment he finished his question.

"The crew, of course. Four or five. Lying right there."

"Alright, no time to lose, then. I'll be on my way to blow up some fuel tanks. See ya. Out."

"Copy that. Out."

Jayrock set his sights on the fuel depot visible far ahead, slightly to the right, barricaded by a fence. He was about to move when a sharply dressed, silver-haired man in thick-rimmed spectacles entered Jayrock's field of vision from the right. Jayrock waited for a moment as the man crossed Jayrock's path, presumably headed for the hangar entrance. Doesn't look Karomozian, Jayrock thought. What's he got to do with it?

Once the man had cleared the way, Jayrock stepped on the accelerator and steered the truck toward the fuel depot. He lowered his cap as he rushed by the front of the hangar.

Zablaron ran a hand through his hair as he approached the Crimson Crows. He tried to figure out which one was in command. All of them were carrying amaranth blasters with deep-pink decals. I'm pretty sure these are made by my company, Zablaron mused as he observed the blasters from a distance.

"Stop right there, you!" a heavily built man with a goatee cried out as he noticed Zablaron. He was apparently in command as he had been supervising a handful of men setting up the tarp. "Where do you think you're going?"