Page 43 of Rescued

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CAIMBRIE

“Listen up!” Tayla shouted from the front of the room, marching back and forth like a drill sergeant. “We just got news of another research ship operated by the Patrol. Some of you already know your roles in the coming attacks, but since we have a few newcomers, I’m going to review the plan with all of you. Keep in mind, this time some of you will have partners to work with. Things should go a lot smoother now that was have the manpower to clear the ship.”

I looked around the room, trying to judge the mood of the other women. Overwhelmingly, they seemed eager to go to war for Tayla’s cause. They were all so excited to be part of this raid. But I was struggling to feel that same energy.

“Late last night, Adreax received an important update about the Patrol’s movements. The research vessel in question has been observed cutting its speed and running on minimal power. Our colleagues believe they are low on fuel and unable to run until a resupply reaches them. It’s the perfect chance for us to relieve them of some of their payload.”

She finished with a conspiratorial wink and many of the girls tittered at the joke. Yes, this was all a game to them, and right now the Patrol was the mouse caught in the trap. But that thought caught my attention and I was raising my hand, waving down Tayla’s attention a second later.

“Um, did you have a question?” Tayla asked.

“Are you sure this isn’t a trap? I mean, I was researching power production methods for them before you came, and I knew they had a fuel shortage, but that wasn’t supposed to be a crisis for… years… What if they planted this ship to draw us out?”

“I understand your concern. We have done some additional reconnaissance on the target ship, and we are confident that their fuel problem is real. We’ve had other reports come in of retired and grounded ships. They seem to be shedding large portions of their fleet in an effort to conserve what fuel they do have. They have cut the frequency of their runs. This means they will be unable to outrun us, and their forces are spread too thin to mount any serious defense. This could be our most successful takedown ever!”

Inexplicably, the room burst into applause. All around me, women were cheering and chanting for Tayla. If what she said was true, I supposed I was excited about this raid too. But I still wasn’t sure. I wasn’t really cut out for battle. Last time, I froze, and Herod had to knock me out just to get me out of there. What if I panicked again? Who would save me this time?

Tayla’s presentation continued, a distant blur beyond the anxiety attack that wracked my body. I clutched my arms around myself, trying to breathe through it, telling myself that everything would be fine. But it was impossible to hear Tayla’s words above the thundering thoughts running rampant in my head. I knew she was giving directions, instructions critical to the success of the mission, and I could not make sense of any of them.

Her presentation ended, and the other women filed out of the room. They seemed energized, ready for battle, but I still had questions. I was a fuel cell engineer, not a warrior. The only time I fought was when I had been cornered, and even then, I wasn’t much use. And I still had my doubts about their intel. Unless something had happened to the rest of the Patrol’s fuel supply, I didn’t see any reason that they would be having such a shortage all the sudden.

“Is there a problem?” Tayla asked, coming to stand in front of me.

I didn’t know what to say. I had a lot of problems, and this mission was only one of them. “No, there’s no problem,” I answered quietly. “I was just thinking about what you said. Do you mind if I take a look at the intel you have about their current fuel situation? I want to get the full picture.”

She surveyed me thoughtfully. We were all in this together, and this was my domain. If their intel was correct, there was no reason for her to try and hide it from me. Or at least none that I could see.

“You’ll have to talk to Adreax. He has all the information up on the bridge. I’m sure he’d welcome your insights.”

I nodded and rose to go, but Tayla put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

“You know, if you’re not comfortable running in there, I’m sure he could use your help back here. I’m not going to force you to go if you don’t want to.”

I frowned. How had she read my thoughts so easily?

“I can handle myself. I just wanted to learn more about the fuel situation, for curiosity’s sake.”

She smiled kindly at me and nodded. “Adreax will help you out. Oh, and I should mention, Adreax is going to call in Herod for this run. I thought you’d like to know that.” I paused, and tried to keep my facial expression from revealing my excitement, but Tayla saw right through me. “It’s okay, you can be happy.”

I let out a long sigh and looked straight at her. “Thank you.”

She threw her arm around me and hugged me like a big sister.

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