“We were quite worried about you, Captain,” Lucky offered in the silence. “It will not be long and then Doc can address your injuries.” Jason’s mouth had filled back up with blood so he just nodded. He was overwhelmed with relief that began when he saw Lucky’s eyes glowing through the debris of the hole that had been blasted through the compound. He had felt his ship, the Phoenix, approaching as her engines began to shake the compound, and he had been praying they would know where he was. Looking at how close their ingress was, he fervently hoped they had meant to breach that close and it wasn’t just dumb luck that kept them from collapsing the ceiling on him.
“We’re good to go,” Crusher said as he came back in. “I’ll carry him, you take point.”
“Affirmative,” Lucky said as he switched back to combat mode and moved towards the door.
“We can’t risk taking you up the transit beam with your injuries without securing you to a litter first, but we have to get moving … there are more of these clowns roaming the corridors,” Crusher said quietly as he knelt in front of Jason. “Doc is taking the ship and will meet us near one of the entrances.” Jason nodded that he understood and made an effort to stand, even as he heard the Phoenix throttle up and move off.
“Whoa! Not so fast,” Crusher stopped him. He reached and scooped Jason up as if he were a child and moved to follow Lucky out the door, carrying his captain. Jason felt utterly ridiculous, but he knew he couldn’t walk and they needed to move quickly. He marveled at Crusher’s strength as they moved quickly down the corridor to the left. The big warrior was moving like Jason’s two hundred and twenty pounds was nothing.
“Stand by,” Lucky called from up ahead. “Movement near the passage we need to take.”
“How many?” Crusher asked. Lucky ignored him and moved out into the open, weapons fully deployed.
“Engaging,” he said simply as his plasma cannons started barking; he advanced on the unprepared thugs who were milling about waiting for orders that would never come. Judging by the sounds coming from the adjacent corridor, the enemy didn’t put up much of a fight. “All clear,” Lucky called. Crusher moved around the corner quickly and crowded up close behind Lucky, using the battlesynth’s body to shield an unprotected and gravely injured Jason.
“Phoenix, let us know when you’re in position,” Crusher said into the com.
“We’re ready when you are, we’re standing off from the main hangar and can blow the doors when you give the word,” Twingo’s voice came back. The group hurried along, engaging the sporadic resistance they met on the way to their goal: the compound’s main hangar. Once they made it to the door that led into the large, open bay they stopped and Crusher nodded once to Lucky.
“Phoenix, blow the doors,” Lucky said. A split second later horrendous impacts shook the entire facility, and the sound of secondary explosions and wrenching metal could be heard through the door they crouched behind.
“You’re clear, ground team,” Twingo’s voice came through again. “There may be a few stragglers so be careful.” Lucky responded by punching through the alloy-clad door and ripping it from its frame. He then moved into the hangar on a search-and-destroy mission that would leave no one in their way to impede their egress. There were a few isolated shots and even a bit of returned fire before he called the all-clear.
Crusher raised carefully and, still cradling Jason to his chest, moved across the charred floor of the hangar at a dead run just as the Phoenix drifted down into a low hover and lowered her rear ramp. Lucky was running equally fast backwards while covering their retreat with his raised weapons. Once Lucky’s feet hit the ramp it began to rise. The last thing the sole remaining thug saw (who happened to be smart enough to play dead) was a pair of glowing red eyes before the ramp fully closed and the big gunship roared away.
*****
“Get him to the infirmary, NOW!” Doc ordered as soon as he saw Jason. Crusher didn’t hesitate as he leapt up onto the mezzanine from the cargo bay deck in an incredible display of power and agility and hurried as quickly as he dared to place Jason gently on the bed in the ship’s infirmary. The human drifted in and out of consciousness while Doc tried to stabilize his condition. Despite the great care taken by the ground assault team, the moving and jostling had exacerbated his already serious injuries. “Crusher, go help Twingo! I’ve got him,” Doc practically shouted. He knew the big warrior would “hover” if he didn’t give him something else useful to do.