Awakening the Lightforged

We scavenge everything we need, piece by piece if we have to, and bring some salvage we don’t need back to the site. The Imaia will investigate from above, but they won’t look too closely.

C. 19 days, 30 hours since the assassination of rebel leadership

Uuchantuu sprinted through Wolfden's halls toward the main hangar. She'd left the speeder with Naruuna and Araana outside in one of the depressions and had already told the guards about the wounded and dead. The alarms blared down the stone halls, which meant Luuhuuta and the other pilots had made it back.

Uuchantuu's heart pounded. Sweat made her clothing stick to her skin as she ran. It wasn't from the heat but from the adrenaline rush and subsequent crash after combat. She'd likely have another one of those later today.

Uuchantuu had failed, but the mission wasn't over just yet.

When she burst into the hangar, Uuchantuu found all three transports with their landing gear down, ramps deployed. They hadn't bothered to move to their bays.

Uuchantuu sucked in a ragged breath as she saw Chanuuk and Voranda bearing a covered pallet out of Edendo's transport, and rushed over as Edendo came down the ramp, supporting Jaran.

"Casualties?" she asked, pulling up beside them.

Both frowned at her.

“Induu and Bavlos are dead," Jaran said, wincing. His voice was ragged.

"No talking," Edendo admonished. He turned to Uuchantuu, then nodded toward Jaran. "Pretty sure he cracked a rib getting out of there."

Uuchantuu clenched her fist. "I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened. I—"

"You kept your head," Jaran said, waving away Edendo when the man glared at him. He winced as he drew another breath. "You were exactly what the team needed. We just…" He trailed off, shrugging, then winced again. "Ow."

Uuchantuu nodded.

I should have been a better leader from the start.

She'd thought their first mission had been a success, had proved that they could do this. It had likely been little more than dumb luck.

"How bad is it with Ironpeak?" she asked, helping support Jaran as they lowered him onto a seat.

The two shared a look. Edendo rested his hand on Jaran's thigh.

"Bad," Edendo said. "Jaran and his team secured a few pieces of equipment and saved a few of the sympathizers that were worried they would be found out when the soldiers came. The base, though…"

He didn't have to say it. Uuchantuu knew they would be in lockdown or evacuating that very moment.

"Go back and help them as soon as you're able," she said. "I know Anarak was reluctant about even letting you help us, but tell them that we're willing to take as many refugees as we can hold, and offer whatever help we can in getting everyone out safely."

Edendo nodded. "Thank you."

Uuchantuu nodded back, then looked up, taking in the rest of the hangar. Despite the alarms, it seemed too quiet, too empty for what had happened back at Memfoso.

She rose as Luuhuuta headed for her, but before they'd closed half the distance between them, heated arguing reached Uuchantuu's ears. Turning toward it, she saw Naruuna hurrying toward the hangar, mask still covering her face. Araana stalked after her, face thunderous. Uuchantuu felt cold again when she saw people rushing through the tunnel opening behind them bearing bodies on pallets obscured by thin sheets. As Naruuna and Araana approached, Uuchantuu realized what they were saying and hurried over.

"—panicked, we would at least have something to show for this mess!" Araana growled.

"I told you, I didn't have the proper tools," Naruuna protested. "Even if it had, it barely would have been enough time to—"

"At least it would have been something! Because of you, we—"

"Hey!" Uuchantuu snapped, hurrying over to them. She passed Naruuna and drew herself up as she put herself in front of Araana. "You have no right to treat her like that."

Araana sneered. "Don't defend her just because you have a crush on her. She's the reason we came back empty handed."

Uuchantuu's face burned with anger and embarrassment.

"And what about you?" Uuchantuu demanded, cutting off whatever Araana had been saying.

Araana blinked, eyes wide. "Me?"

"The reason we were in that mess in the first place is because you panicked," Uuchantuu said. "I was handling the lieutenant. Identification is standard procedure. Our credentials—"

"Wouldn’t have fooled her," Araana said. "I've seen her type. She's like Estingai. She would have made us believe we tricked her just long enough to surround and capture or kill us."

Uuchantuu shook her head. "If she had, I would have gotten us out of there. You didn't trust me."

Araana scoffed. "No shit. You haven't given me much reason to."

Uuchantuu clenched her fist. Araana was right.

That doesn't excuse what she did.

"That doesn't matter. I don’t care what your problem is. I’m your leader. You do what I say and don’t go off on your own.”

Araana glared at her, then glanced past her and sniffed. “Whatever. Naruuna would have had more time if Luuhuuta had done her job and given us more warning about the reinforcements."

"I was exactly where I was supposed to be," Luuhuuta protested, stalking forward. "Don't you dare try to blame this on me. You—"

Gritting her teeth, Uuchantuu brightened her gemcrest and used hardlight to push the two women away from each other, and away from her.

"Stop," she gasped, voice ragged, panting as she looked between them.

"We're all to blame for this," Uuchantuu said, looking to Naruuna, Luuhuuta, then settling her gaze on Araana. "We all had a part to play, and we failed. We shouldn't—"

"No," Araana said, stepping closer. "We all might have failed, but it's your fault. You're the one in charge. Or at least you were. This never would have happened if Koruuksi were in charge."

The truth of Araana's words hit Uuchantuu like a punch to the gut.

The Natari woman looked between Uuchantuu and the other two women, then shook her head. "I'm done with this team. If there ever was one to begin with.”

Uuchantuu blinked, silent as Araana walked out of the hangar. She looked around, and her heart sank as she realized that all those Luuhuuta, Muuzuuri and Edendo had brought back on their transports—all those not seriously wounded, at least—had gathered around Uuchantuu, Luuhuuta and Naruuna during her argument with Araana.

When Uuchantuu met their eyes, some looked away. Others looked back with accusation. Some just looked lost.

One by one, they turned and walked out of the hangar, some supporting others who were wounded in one way or another. A few medics rushed past as they reached the hangar entrance. Naruuna and Luuhuuta were the last remaining.

When Uuchantuu looked to them, Luuhuuta swallowed and looked away.

"I'm sorry," she said as she started toward the hangar exit.

When Uuchantuu looked to Naruuna, the Samjati woman took off her mask. She gazed at Uuchantuu for a moment, silvery-gold eyes unreadable. Then she bit her lip. "Uuchantuu, I—"

"I know."

Uuchantuu knew that tone. She'd known Naruuna wasn't interested. That didn't mean her crush had gone away, and didn't make this any less embarrassing.

The petite Samjati woman nodded, then looked down. "I'm sorry."

Uuchantuu didn't look after the woman as she walked off. She just stood there, frozen.

What do I do now?

She drew in a deep, shaky breath, realizing she'd conjured some hardlight to spin through shapes near her hand, and dismissed it. Shaking her head, Uuchantuu turned in the direction her former team had gone. She wanted to follow them into the base, hoping a shower would make her feel physically better at least, when she saw Estingai and Marjatla rush into the hangar. Their eyes grew wide as they took in the ships, the few wounded like Jaran still sitting or lying down with medics attending to them, and Uuchantuu.

Estingai approached and Uuchantuu started for her. She didn't know what to say to the other woman but she hoped Estingai would be able to do something to make her feel better.

Then Uuldina and Meik'ka rushed into the hangar with Aaden, faces grim, and Uuchantuu stopped.

Estingai frowned, stopping, then following Uuchantuu's gaze over her shoulder. When she looked back to Uuchantuu, her expression was tight, fists clenched at her side.

She has more important things to deal with right now.

Uuchantuu continued forward, but stopped before Estingai for only a moment.

"Uuchantuu," Estingai began, eyes full of concern. It made Uuchantuu feel even worse. "What—?"

"I'll give you a full report later," Uuchantuu said, looking away. "I—" She took a deep breath and forced herself to meet Estingai's gaze. "I failed you. I'm sorry."

Uuchantuu started off immediately. She couldn't bear to see how Estingai would look at her now.

Get back here soon, Koruuksi. I need you.