young soldier was desperately shaking Rent by his body armor, trying to get some sort of response.
– Someone’s alive! I found a survivor! – Zorn continued to shout, addressing the rest of the squad.
Rent was slowly coming to his senses. His vision was blurry and there was a nasty ringing in his ears. He struggled to turn his head, trying to focus his eyes on his surroundings. Through the fogged visor of his helmet he saw some movement-a blurred black figure slid between rocks and cliffs about fifty meters from the crash site.
Suddenly the commanding voice of Captain Vorn Lex came over the airwaves:
– Everyone take cover immediately! The situation is extremely dangerous!
Zorn immediately responded to the order:
– Captain! I report the prisoner has left his cell! He escaped through a rift in the wall after the crash before we came to our senses!
The young soldier raised his hand, pointing east, and straightened to his full height:
– I think he headed toward the canyon…
Before Zorn could speak, a rifle charge struck him in the chest, just under the ribs. Rent reacted instantly and ran toward the nearest mountain, using the wreckage of the starship as cover from the line of fire.
The sergeant ran, overcome with pain and fatigue. The heat pressed down on him like a heavy blanket, making every movement difficult. Pulse rifle rounds whizzed around him, some hitting the ground at his feet, kicking up fountains of sand and dust.
– Goddamn it!» he cursed through gritted teeth, sweat beading in his eyes.
Suddenly he felt a sharp blow to his back. The charge hit him in the shoulder blade, piercing his body armor. Rent fell to his knees, gasping in pain and shock. But his survival instinct was stronger, and he got up again and ran with all his remaining strength toward the group of surviving fellow soldiers.
The sergeant ran, constantly looking over his shoulder. His foggy mind was frantically trying to figure out where the prisoner was firing their own weapons from. Each step was difficult, the wound and the unbearable heat draining the last of Rent’s strength.
At last he reached his own. Breathing heavily, Lyle collapsed on the ground beside Captain Lex. His face was covered in sweat and dust, his eyes glittering feverishly.
Rent tried to answer, but only a hoarse cough escaped his throat. Thirst and fatigue stiffened his tongue. Finally, pulling himself together, he wheezed:
– Zorn… dead, I guess. The prisoner is… armed. Using… our weapons.
Rent, breathing heavily, held out his hand and said hoarsely:
– Give me the rifle. Now.
Before anyone could react, Zorn ran up to the group. Blood was trickling down his legs from a wound on his chest. Despite the obvious pain, the young soldier kept on his feet.
Rent grabbed the rifle held out to him and began to survey the area through the scope. His gaze quickly found a moving figure in the distance. At the same instant, the figure opened fire.
A fierce firefight ensued. The charges of the pulse rifles cut through the hot air. The prisoner deftly changed positions, running from one cover to another. His movements were quick and precise, making him a difficult target.
– Shit!» Rant cursed. – I’ve lost the target.
The guardsmen began to talk among themselves:
– Can anyone see him?
– Negative. He’s gone to ground.
– Stay alert. He could reappear at any moment.
Captain Vorn Lex has assessed the situation and given the order:
– Activate battlefield intelligence systems. Now!
Each Guardsman reached for a device on his belt. These systems were indispensable for assessing the surroundings. Rent had a system named Lula with the pleasant voice of a thirty-year-old woman.
– Greetings, Sergeant Lyle. I’m in formation and ready to go,» Lula’s melodic voice sounded in Rent’s earpiece.
– Lula, activate general communications,» Rent ordered.
One by one, the fighters confirmed that they were on a common channel with their combat systems.
Captain Lex turned to his system:
– Roko, patch me through to the main starship.
Despite the wreck, the transmitter on their ship remained barely functional and could transmit a signal over long distances. But the battery was damaged. Soon there was a reply:
– This is a starship cruiser speaking. We’re listening.
Captain Lex, breathing heavily from the heat and exertion, began to report:
– Our ship has been hit by pirates. It’s beyond repair. There are three survivors of the crash. We need immediate medical evacuation.
The captain looked over a dozen bodies on the sand.
– We’re not getting any signals other than your radio transmission,» the starship officer replied.
– The beacon was damaged in the crash,» Lex explained, wiping sweat from his forehead. – It’ll stop working soon.
The officer informed them that an unmanned search and rescue ship would be sent to them and would arrive in a hundred hours. They would need to retain their combat intelligent systems to authorize on board.
Suddenly, the officer’s voice became tense:
– What is the status of the cargo you were carrying?
Lex, feeling sweat pouring into his eyes, replied:
– The cargo survived and left the crash site.
– The status of the mission remains in effect,» the officer said stiffly. – The prisoner must be preserved and delivered. It is of the utmost importance.
The captain nodded, though his interlocutor could not see him. The heat was becoming unbearable, and every word was hard to get out.
– Roger that. We will accomplish the mission at any cost.
– Over and out,» the officer said and disconnected.
Lex turned back to his men, his face covered in sweat and dust:
– You heard the order. We have one hundred hours to catch the prisoner.
Rent growled, barely containing his anger:
– It’s pretty clear we have to catch the prisoner. Except I’d rather kill him. This mission wasn’t serious from the start.
Captain Lex turned sharply to the sergeant:
– What did you say, Lyle?
– You heard me, Captain,» Rant replied gruffly. – This mission is a farce.
– You think it’s funny that we lost a warship on a mission? – Lex’s voice was threatening.
Rent, ignoring the captain’s tone, continued:
– Funny? No, captain. I’m not amused. The prisoner is alive, well and armed. He wounded Zorn and me. And we warriors couldn’t stop a handcuffed prisoner.
Lex stepped closer to Rent, his eyes narrowed:
– You’re right, Sergeant. There’s nothing funny about this. It’s a disgrace. Is this really how a warrior fights?
Rent whispered angrily:
– No, sir.
The captain took a step back and loudly commanded:
– Everyone