HMS Valediction

Chapter 5.4

The VIPERs and I wait in the loading bay where the techs click into our helmets. The rustling of jumpsuits and weapons thrust into holsters speaks for us. As we walk to the end of the bay, we grab our rifles from the locker.

"Good luck, VIPERs." A familiar voice echoes through the room. I spin around, too stunned to respond.

Hayomo surfaces from wherever the hell she's been hiding for the last few months. She's in her traditional fatigues of a commanding officer—the ones she wore in the bowels of the URE. Not a single hair on her head is out from the place where I remember it being months ago. Her eyes are still full of suspicion as if she believes we're the ones who are under question.

Fingers flex through my gloves and I turn away so she doesn't catch my scowl. Where has she been? Every chance I've tried to reach her has been met with dead air. But here she stands as if she's been actively part of this torture all along.

"May the Lady watch you from her elevated position on the Heap. May she see you and reach down with Her Hand and touch you with blessings." I hear her voice as deep as before like she had been speaking to me all this time.

"Amen," a few of the VIPERs respond.

The ship rattles violently, but we all keep our footing.

"Touchdown in two mikes," SCOPE states in our ears.

I shuffle to the side of the silver bay to take my place in the front left of our two lines, Coodi at my side. With all the turbulence and my unfortunate lack of clear understanding where my center of gravity has disappeared to, I clench my core to avoid toppling over. With some difficulty, I manage to hold my position as ARC10 vibrates hard. Confident I won't crumble, I peer over my shoulder at the VIPERs in two sharp lines behind me. Love and Flatts, side by side, bump fists, top then bottom. Umpire and Grant tower above the rest and take the rear. We're ready—our shoulders back, our helmets high, with the exception of one shrunken body McCroy inhabits, we're ready to land. Hayomo watches from her lofty position on the raised platform above.

Coodi throws me a pointed look from under her long, black lashes.

I read you loud and clear, Coodi. Why is Hayomo hanging back? Why was her position in the ground reconnaissance never discussed? How come she gets to stick around here and not risk her neck when the rest of us go charging into unknown planets where any number of unknown nightmares await us.

It's too late to freak myself out now. This is what I wanted — on the URE and in this ship — this is what I was born to do.

ARC10 jostles as it shoves its way through the planet's atmosphere, becoming more violent and erratic. Grabbing the railings at our side become critical to remaining upright. We grip them with both hands. The roar of engines deafens us. The only noise I can decipher as being ours is Grant's low bass of a wail. Two hands push me from behind and Flatts careens across the floor. She covers her head with her hands as we jerk about. Love reaches out to grab her as she slides by. He misses. She hits the wall.

I look back at Hayomo who is white-knuckled and gripping the railing above us. She sneers down as the ship's vibrations become a long hum.

We're landing.

We're actually landing. I can't tell if it's the ship shaking us or my own nerves.

A heavy thud rips after-shocks through my boots up to my knees. We're still. We're silent.

We're here.