Rebel Yell: Operation Ardent Redux: Episode 1 (A Space Opera Adventure) by J. L. Stowers

Author:J. L. Stowers [Stowers, J. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sixth Moon Publishing
Published: 2020-05-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Roni, Zadria, and Ryan stopped to catch their breath. They were about two-thirds of the way to the ships according to Ryan’s intel.

“This is crazy, you know,” Ryan said between gasps. “There’s no way the three of us can take on a GC army, even if it is a small one.”

“If we get there in time, we won’t have to. The shields on those ships are incredible,” Zadria said as she stretched.

“We aren’t going to beat them if we just stand around yakking all day,” Roni said before she took off once more.

Her lungs burned, and her face was hot. Beads of sweat rolled down her brow and her back as she pumped her arms and legs. She hadn’t run this much in years. Not since she was a teenager with a habit of thievery. She kept pushing herself. There was too much riding on her shoulders. If she failed now, then everything anyone had ever said about her would be true. Before David, she had only looked out for herself, and people weren’t shy about pointing that out. But he was able to help her open her mind to helping others, and he didn’t judge her when she messed up. She wanted to save these people for him. She wanted to make him proud.

Another earthquake struck, the strongest one yet, causing Roni to trip and tumble to the ground. “Enough already, we get it!” she yelled at the ground as she got back to her feet. Her legs were unsteady, like she’d had too much to drink. Still, she knew she had to push on.

“They’re getting worse.” Zadria bit her lip and looked back toward where they had left Billy and the miners. “You think they’re okay?”

“We can’t worry about them right now,” Roni and Ryan said in unison.

“Uh, alright?” Zadria seemed perplexed.

“It’s one of the first things they teach you when you join the rebels. You worry about your mission. If you spend too much time worrying about what everyone else is supposed to be doing, it may put your job at risk,” Roni explained as the group started jogging again.

“That seems so cold though.”

“Not really,” Ryan added. “We all have jobs to do. Right now Billy’s job is getting those people across the desert. Our job is securing a ship. If we slow down to see if they’re okay, then we may not get to the ship in time. Then no one is safe. If we do get to the ship in time, we can take it to look for them if possible.”

“But what if they don’t make it?” Zadria asked again.

“Then they don’t make it,” Roni said coldly, slowing to a stop and staring hard at Zadria. “Not everyone makes it.”

Roni took off again, faster than before. Maybe she was a little harsh just then, but all her feelings about David’s final act started bubbling to the surface again. It was all she could do to not yell at the rookie. Her feet pounded the ground hard as she pushed all that energy out of her mind and into her body.

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