The Raid

From Haelrahv Wiki

The Raid by Nkehu Lho

There was a loud, thundering crash and then what seemed a million bright flashes, like fireworks or exploding stars. He felt something wet and looked down into a dark river…

The ship jerked and shook violently, pitching Mtenke from his bed onto the cold, hard metal floor. Grunting, he picked himself up and sat back on the cot rubbing his head. The voice of Tka Hignu, ship’s pilot, sounded over the comm. Chuckling she said, “That should keep you guys on your toes…or off them.” There was more laughter and she added, “Anyway, it should be smooth sailing from here on out and we should be arriving within the hour.” “So much for sleep”, Mtenke thought, not that he could go back to sleep anyway with that restless feeling gnawing at his gut. He usually felt a bit anxious before going on a job, he wasn’t the patient type anyway, but something was wrong, this feeling was different. It couldn’t be the length of the voyage, sure seven days had passed since this excursion began but Mtenke had been on long flights before. Maybe it was just that the job seemed too easy, way too easy. He murmured, “Man I just want to get this one over with.”

Only numbering 10 in all, the crew of the Red Sun was comprised solely of Darju from the shadier walks of life: some were brigands, some hackers, some assassins. Whatever their specialty, most called them scum. Yet they were the best at what they did and had to yet fail an assignment, Mlogltu would be proud. They had recently received word of an outpost on Shova 5 that was lightly manned and heavily stocked, basically, the thieves dream. There was that small asteroid field to contend with and while it kept most visitors away, a few measly space rocks weren’t going to keep them from their prize. Reports stated that most of the cargo was mundane items; like food, clothing, and medical supplies, but it was rumored there were some precious metals and weapons hidden amongst the crap. Captain Mul said he had a buyer for most of it back on Hutk, minus what the crew skimmed off the top of course.

Mtenke glanced out the window of his cabin, and noticed the proximity of the planet. He couldn’t lose that uneasy feeling that was tying his stomach into knots. The ship’s comm interrupted his thoughts as the Captain’s voice boomed over the airwaves, “Everyone report to the bridge!” “Time for the pep talk”, Mtenke thought. Captain Vken Mul had been leading them for a while now, in fact, he’s the one responsible for bringing most of the crew on board. Like Mtenke, Mul had saved them from some horrible fate or another. He rescued Hru before he had to do hard time on some prison planet and he let Little Jhara on board to escape the abuse of her father. And they’d all grown close in their time together.

The elevator door opened and Mtenke looked at his companions. Each one had a smile on their face, even Vketa who was usually a sullen bitch. The Captain began, “This should be an easy one guys. We storm in, load up, and move out. I can’t imagine there will be any resistance, but I’d like you all to treat this as any other battle. Keep your eyes open and you’re wits about you.” he added, “….and don’t get too cocky”, as he glanced at Nruktu. “Now ready yourselves, we leave shortly and return rich Darju!” They all cheered and returned to their quarters to prepare…

The outpost seemed more like a prison than a supply facility. Towers stood at each corner of the small courtyard that surrounded the large stone building. A tall wall lined with spikes held it all in. “Funny place to store some food don’t you think? There must be something damn good in there.” Mtenke said. Several of the crew nodded or grunted in agreement, anticipation flashing in their eyes. A few even licked their lips with the thought of all the riches to be won. “Maybe this one wouldn’t be so easy.” Mtekne added to himself.

The gates lay open and there was no sign of movement in the courtyard or the towers. Captain Mul gestured and the group split in two, half sweeping to the one side and half along the other. Still nothing. Moving towards the entrance, a few of the band drew back the think metal door. A dimmed hallway greeted them and it seemed the building was only running on emergency power. Once inside, they slowly moved towards the cargo bay, keeping a tight formation in case any of the guards should come along. Mtenke could already taste all the fine food and ale that his portion would bring. Opening the bay doors they caught the first glimpse of their prize. Large crates formed a ring around the room, piled high to the ceiling, while several others lay stacked in the center of the floor. Mtenke howled, so did a few others. Little Jhara even danced.

Suddenly, the boxes popped open revealing several men with assault rifles. The lids fell to the ground, making a thunderous crash as they landed. Mtenke’s gut twinged. More men streamed in through the doorway and out from behind boxes and began firing. The bullets lit up the dark room with a thousand tiny flashes, almost like fireworks. That restless feeling intensified as Mtenke drew his sidearm and moved forward to engage whoever happened to be in his range. He fired off a few shots, taking one down. He spun around and emptied his clip into another. Moving to the side of a crate for cover, Mtenke surveyed the scene. It didn’t look good, half of his companions had already fallen, and the rest would soon. They were overwhelmed. He didn’t see the Captain anywhere, “Hopefully he’s still alive,” he thought. Reloading his gun, Mtenke moved back out into the fray. Three soldiers surrounded him, bullets spraying at him from every angle. He managed to execute two of them before he stumbled forward and finally feel to his knees, a smile coming across his dying face. The floor was slick with the blood of the fallen, cohort and enemy bodies lie in jumbled piles about the room. Leaning back on his heels as if only resting, Mtenke found it hard to breathe and he glanced down at his chest. His mind was still clear and he knew his body was failing. He stared at the blood gushing from his wounds for a moment and then lifted his head again to see the Captain alive and well. Something in the shadows moved, it was a man. Handing Mul a small pouch, the figure came into the dim light. Mtenke recognized the man, he better. He was the reason that Mtenke had been on the run, the reason that he joined this crew. In fact, now it all came into focus, many of his friends had had their own run in with Dhurik. His eyesight failing, Mtenke continued to stare at the pair as they laughed. The light fading, their laughter echoed in his ears until he could hear no more.