Suddenly, the enemy vessel appears on the main screen.
Slowly, its cockpit de-polarizes, and I immediately recognize the scaly skin of my former associate.
Bully.
He waswaitingfor me. And like an idiot, I dove headfirst into his trap.
The cockpit vibrates violently as the ship starts a dizzying fall toward the reddish planet. Bully doesn’t follow long. Just enough to flash me a mocking grin and make sure I’ve recognized him.
“Azkarra? Get us out of here!” I growl anxiously.
“I can’t. I’m trying to steer us toward a suitable area—not entirely barren. If you survive the impact, remember to grab your emergency kit, breathing mask, sleeping pod, and full survival pack. Don’t forget your thermal-regulated suit either.”
I listen as Azkarra calmly lists everything I’ll need to stay alive. But my eyes are glued to the main screen… and the ground rushing up at a terrifying speed.
Instinctively, I dig my claws into the armrests of the pilot chair. Useless move, of course—but I do it anyway.
Everywhere I look, all I see are red mountains topped with heavy snow. No oceans, no city lights—nothing to suggest any large settlements nearby.
“Warning—impact imminent,” Azkarra says. “Speed too high. Attempting landing maneuver.”
Yeah, good luck with that!
Despite the velocity, I spot the relatively flat zone she’s aiming for. Needless to say, I’ve given up trying to pilot in these insane conditions. I’m using all my energy just to cling to my seat and brace for the inevitable.
We’re heading fast toward a vast frozen field, edged by mountains—and maybe even a few trees.
The good news? There’s no village or house in sight.
At least I won’t be taking anyone else down with me.
The bad? We’re still going way too fast—and the nose of the ship is angled far too low.
“Pull up, dammit!” I shout, nearly choking on stress.
Before I get a reply, theBakartiaslams into the ground—thankfully in an almost-horizontal position—and continues skidding wildly across the icy surface. The scraping and groaning noises are deafening. A small compartment on the console suddenly pops open.
“Hull integrity compromised. Cabin depressurizing. Oxygen levels dropping rapidly. Prax, you must use the breathing mask inside the compartment,” Azkarra states, ever so calmly.
I snatch the mask and slap it onto my face. It’s connected to a small air canister by a thin tube—no more than twenty inches long.
TheBakartiakeeps sliding—nothing to slow it down, not even a bush or blade of grass. At this rate, we’re gonna crash straight into the mountain looming ahead.
“Deceleration in progress,” Azkarra warns.
Really? Doesn’t feel like it. But maybe I’m too on edge to notice.
After what feels like forever—though probably just a few seconds—the ship comes to a brutal stop with a haunting crunch.
“Bakartiahalted,” Azkarra reports. “Our trajectory intersected a small rocky surface. Damage report as follows: landing gear torn off, hull breached at—”
I barely register the damage inventory. All I can think is: I’m alive. I survived an emergency crash landing. On aviableplanet, no less.
Sure, it wasn’t in the plan, and things are about to get seriously complicated. Judging by the barren ground outside and the earlier warnings about this world’s extreme conditions, survival won’t be easy. But the hardest part’s done: I’m alive.
Little by little, I get my wits back and start forming a plan. I retract my claws from where they’ve punctured the armrests. Then I decide to send a distress call to Akifumi—my superior within the Confederation—to let him know just how royally screwed I am.
I also warn him that Bully is nearby and could pose a threat to others, even if today’s attack felt awfully personal. I mention the potential presence of other Coalition members in this solar system.
