ReDawn (Skyward, #2.2)

Nedder and Arturo shot out in front of Jorgen and Kimmalyn and then slowed, taking point again. Jorgen didn’t say a word about it. Rather, he let them ride out in front of him like he wanted them there.

The others must have been doing a good job chasing off the other ships. We were nearing the tree now, passing by the thickest branch of Hollow and into the thin bubble of clear atmosphere. A few small towers wound around the edge of the branch.

The transport ship wasn’t going to get away. Even if we hadn’t had the ability to hyperjump, it wasn’t designed to move at fighter speeds in atmosphere. It seemed to have realized that, because it had stopped moving away from the tree and was now headed toward it, quickly disappearing from view.

“Alanik,” Jorgen said. “The ship we’re after disappeared into the tree. Is there a hangar down there you’re aware of?”

“No,” I said. “The base with the hangar is in the upper branches. But they call it Hollow for a reason.”

    “Okay,” Jorgen said. “Let’s follow that ship. Alanik, since you know the terrain, take point.”

It was a good plan, though I wished taking point didn’t put me out in front when I was struggling with my ship’s controls. Thankfully I had the maneuvering down, so I didn’t look like an idiot as I led them around the thick trunk of Hollow and down toward the chasm in the crook of the tree branches.

“FM,” Jorgen said over the radio. “Sitrep?”

“We’ve got them running,” FM said. “They’re headed in your direction though.”

“Took ’em long enough to catch on,” Nedder said.

“They had to know why we were here, didn’t they?” Arturo asked.

“They did,” I said. I remembered what Rinakin said. Just because they understood our tactics didn’t mean they wouldn’t work.

I flew my ship through the gaping mouth of Hollow and into the depths of its trunk. It was dark in here, though daylight did shine in patches through knotholes in the sides of the trunk, some of which were as much as a kilometer wide. Spindly buildings stretched up the inside, carved and constructed against the interior of the tree. Lumber mining facilities, cutting out the dead wood to be shipped to other parts of the planet. The chasm went deep down into the trunk, partially formed by the natural rotting of the dead tree and then expedited by mining.

We spotted the transport ship heading toward the mining facilities at the bottom of the chasm. “We’ve got limited time before those ships arrive,” Jorgen said. “Alanik, plan for forcing the ship to land?”

    “You can’t shoot it down,” I said. “And they’re not going to land willingly. Do you have light nets?”

“We have light-lances,” Jorgen said. “We can use them to grab the ship, but we wouldn’t be able to drag a ship that big without taking out its boosters first.”

“Will it be cornered down there?” Arturo asked.

“No,” I said. “There are exits near the lumberyard for exports.”

“It’s bigger than a fighter, isn’t it?” Kimmalyn asked. “Could we take out the boosters without hurting the prisoners?”

“I doubt it,” I said. “The boosters are right below the hold. My people are practically on top of them.”

“Let’s get closer,” Jorgen said. “Quirk can take a look, see what she thinks.”

We approached the transport ship. UrDail transport ships weren’t equipped with weapons, but this Superiority ship had a shield and some basic destructors.

And they said we were too aggressive.

“Boosters are no-go, Jerkface,” Kimmalyn said. “No way I can hit those without damaging the hull. Cockpit is possible though. I’m guessing the pilots aren’t our friends?”

“Not friends,” I said. “But you can’t shoot out the cockpit without hurting my people in the hold…can you?”

“Quirk?” Jorgen said.

“I think I can get it,” Kimmalyn said.

“Be sure,” Jorgen said.

    “Ummmm.”

Below us, the transport ship was moving across the top of the lumberyard buildings. It was a medium-sized craft, designed to move maybe thirty people. If they had fit everyone from the base inside, they’d be packed in tight.

The transport ship cruised toward the exit shaft. They probably guessed we were here to rescue their captives, and that we weren’t willing to shoot the ship down.

They guessed right, on my part at least.

“We’ll have to get the shield first,” Jorgen said. “Nedder, go in close, get it with your IMP. Alanik and Amphi, ping them with your light-lances.”

“Where is that, exactly?” I asked. FM had told me, but I couldn’t remember. It wasn’t in the same location as my light hook.

“The buttons on the sides of your control sphere,” Jorgen said.

I found them. “Got it. I didn’t hear Quirk say she was sure she could do this.”

“Um, Jerkface?” FM broke in. “We can’t figure out how to get to you.”

“We’re inside the tree,” Jorgen said. “Entrance is where the branches meet the trunk.”

I still couldn’t tell several of the humans apart, especially when they all started to chatter together.

“Say again, Jerkface? Did you say you’re inside the tree?”

“What’s the matter, Sentry? Never flown a ship inside a tree before?”

“Shut it, T-Stall.”

    “We’re on our way, Jerkface,” FM said, “but you have incoming.”

“We need to do this now. Quirk?”

“I can do it,” she said. “I want to have to use only one shot, but I can do it.”

“Nedder,” Jorgen said, “catch that ship before it leaves the tree.”

“Jerkface?” Arturo said. “If we chase it outside, we’d have more space to catch it in an uncontrolled descent before it hit the ground.”

“Are you talking about chasing that ship full of my people down toward the core?” I asked.

“Um, maybe?” Arturo said.

“In here is better,” Jorgen said. “We have incoming. Nedder, get it done.”

“Copy,” Nedder said, and he dove toward the ship as it headed into the mouth of the shaft that would lead out of the tree. When he got close, he hit his IMP, dropping the ship’s shields.