Aboard the Osprey, Ingrid joined her colleagues. Naomi walked up to Jax. “This ship is too small.”
“Glad you found your way back.” He ran a hand through his now sweaty and dust crusted hair. “You’re welcome to get out and walk. I’m pretty sure you weren’t on my must retrieve list.” He looked at the ceiling, then tapped his ear. “Speaking of must retrieve , Rudy, have you accounted for everyone?”
“Actually, no,” the droid replied. “We’re missing three; someone named Thomas Chen is on the must retrieve list …Laura Bennet and Joel Tillum. The latter two are optional.”
Jax looked around the cargo, his eyes falling on Naomi. “Where’s Thomas Chen?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, you mean Thomas has to live?” Jax tilted his head but said nothing. She sighed, “Fine. He, Laura, and Joel went to the Capital two days ago. Tom thought he could negotiate for militia protection of the camp given our mission is apolitical.”
Jax pointed to Ingrid, who was talking to the tall guy from earlier, Martin, and said, “Ask Ingrid how that went.” He turned and headed for the stairs. He got halfway up and turned. “Stay on this level. There’s a head upstairs, but otherwise, I need you all in the hold.” He pointed. “Med bay is there.” He pointed to Naomi. “What’s Tommie’s comm ID?” She answered quickly. He moved up the stairs.
When Jax dropped into the pilot’s seat, he said, “Okay, Rudy, let’s see if we can’t find our wayward aid workers.” He gave Rudy the comm ID and said, “Once we’re airborne, see if you can ping that ID, figure out where it is.”
The droid said, “Will do. I’ve plotted a course to Darby City and the governmental building. Seems reasonable that’s a good place to start. Fair warning, the capitol building, called the Palace, is in the center of the city.”
Jax reached for the lift engine controls but stopped when someone said, “You can’t take this ship into the city. They’ve got at least four or five anti-aircraft emplacements that I know of.” Jax turned. It was Naomi, of course.
“And how do you know that?” he asked.
The black-haired woman shrugged. “I keep my eyes open.”
Jax looked around. “So, what do you suggest?”
“There’s another hovercraft in the motor pool.”
Jax sighed as he stood up. “Skip, I’m taking Baxter. Deploy your self defenses.”
From the speakers in the ceiling, the SI replied, “Copy.”
“Baxter, meet me outside.” He looked at Rudy. “Try to maintain some semblance of order, please.”
“I’ll do my best,” the small nav droid replied.
Jax motioned to Naomi. “Come on.”
* * *
As the hovercraft roared through the valley toward Darby City, Jax looked at his only human passenger. “Something tells me you’re not just a relief worker.” She ignored him, pulling her long jet-black hair into a ponytail to keep it from whipping around into her face.
From the cargo area of the hovercraft, Baxter said, “I’m picking up another vehicle, up ahead.” The matte black droid stood, his feet magnetically attached to the cargo deck. Jax pushed the throttle all the way forward.
Over the whine of the overtaxed electric engine, Naomi shouted, “This seems like a reckless plan!” Jax grinned.
As they rounded a bend, another hovercraft came into view. From this distance, Jax couldn’t tell if it was rebel or militia. In the cargo bed, Baxter raised his forearms as panels raised and barrels extended, revealing blasters. From his back, two foot-long barrels deployed, then swung around to face forward. Railguns. Jax wasn’t sure if Baxter could tell who the occupants of the hovercraft were or not but didn’t really care. Baxter opened fire, and less than a minute later, they sped past the burned, gory remains of the hovercraft and its occupants, what was left of them. What the combat droid’s railguns lacked in range they made up for in destructive power. By the time they sped by, the railguns were stowed and Baxter’s forearms looked innocuous again.
Naomi looked over her shoulder, then to Jax. “He’s handy.” Jax was grinning. She continued, “I’m thinking we stash this thing somewhere a few blocks from the Palace. It’ll be easier to get close on foot. The last bit of news we had was that the rebels had taken the district around the government building.” She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “Especially with him. We get in, get Thomas and the others, and get back to the hovercraft. We’re not the ones the rebels want, so I doubt they’ll pursue, so long as we don’t cause too much trouble. Getting past them, however...” She trailed off.
They rounded another bend in the trail and found themselves in the outskirts of Darby City. Small one-story cinder block and pre-fab buildings formed streets. From that close, it was obvious the fighting had taken its toll. “How long has this been going on?” Jax asked.
Naomi was looking around as they passed one burned out building after another. “About a month. There have been rebels here as long as the colony has existed, as far as I know. This particular group has been active about two months, but when the Empire pulled up stakes, the rebels made their push. The militia and the governor thought they were untouchable. Shock Troopers at the door help with that.” She smiled a sad smile. “They found out the hard way that their authority was just an extension of the Empire.”
“Why’d the Imps pull out?” They passed a squat building that said “Daycare” in colorful, differently shaped letters. A fire had gutted the building. “I thought this place was supposed to be the next great breadbasket world?”
Naomi pointed. “Let’s park there.” She pointed to a mechanic shop that looked mostly intact, except that its main service bay door had been ripped from its track. Jax followed the instruction. She finally said, “I don’t know the details, but sounds like they found something in the soil near Regis. That’s the city in the Southern Hemisphere. Spooked the Imperials.” The whine of the hovercraft’s motor faded to nothing as it settled on the stubby landing that deployed from its underside. “I’m guessing those rumors of the next great breadbasket were premature.”
They hopped out of the vehicle, and Jax leaned out the large service bay door to look up and down the street. “Doesn’t look like anyone is home.”
“I’m not detecting any nearby life signs,” Baxter added. His optic sensor swished back and forth.
Naomi pointed down the street. “The Palace is that way.” She dropped to a crouch and sprinted away.
Jax looked up at his mechanical friend. “I guess she’s leading.” The droid said nothing.