Chapter 1: The Pillage
The chaos that continued to erupt around them was, well chaos and Hilda was less than pleased with Uratan for having gotten them into another such a situation. Again. Smoke curled from the barrel of her pistol, empty for what must have been the third time this fight? Which had nothing to do with her aim, but more that there were just so many of them.
“Where the hell are you, Uratan?!” she shouted over the coms they shared, leaning back from checking the hall just in time to miss a spray of bullets. Pulling a grenade from her belt, depressing the button on top of rolling it out to put a halt to the push they were attempting.
“I am almost there!” the energy and glee in his voice infuriating because to him, this was fun. This was a good time.
“Where?! I am pinned down in the hall leading to the hanger,” reloading her weapon, changing the clip this time for some incendiary rounds. Maybe some fire would keep them at bay, at least for a time.
“I am almost there! Just…hold on a moment!”
“A moment? It is because of you we are here! Wanting to pillage a military station!”
“The loot! We had to get it! Now....where are you again?”
“I am in th-” before she could finish, the wall opposite her exploded in a cloud of dust. Uratan’s bearded grin practically gleamed in the shadows before he stooped into the hall and turned what was basically a small cannon at their enemies and fired. There was a pause, the middle of the barrel spinning and becoming charged with energy before a bright white ball shot out straight for those gathered in the hall.
The explosion was enough to throw even the pair of them, yet even as Hilda scrambled to her feet the strong grip of her brother under her arm was already there. “This way!”
They shot their way out of the hanger and all the while Uratan had a smug look of pleasure on his face because his plan worked. Barely, but that was not the point to him, what mattered was that it worked. She hated that the most about him, this odd luck that he always carried with him, so that no matter what happened, it always turned out in their favor. He liked the claim it was his hat, the dusty old attire from a sport no one played anymore. Golf? Often when he went on his tirade about the world of old she would ignore him, not because she did not love him. Brother in all ways but by blood, but sometimes she was just tired of hearing the same story over and over again.
Especially, about a time and place that no longer existed for them.
“What was so important we had to break into the place and get it?” Autopilot engaged on their ship, cloaked now so they were safe on their way to the next jump gate.
“Only the most valuable thing in the universe,” sounding like a kid in the candy story, the large man reached beside his chair for a sealed metal briefcase.
“Uratan, I swear if you decided to steal another bomb I am kicking you out into space myself,” already preparing for the worst.
“You steal one bomb and people just never let you live it down,” rolling his eyes while working on the lock.
“The one bomb that nearly blew up our ship, remember that?” feet kicked up on the console. Honestly, not having the energy if it was a bomb again. He could diffuse it this time, not her.
“Yes, well that bomb turned into great profit once we disarmed it and broke it down, so I count it as a win. You needed that surgery and we were low on funds,” shrugging.
Smiling without looking at him. That was it, right there. Urtan might be insane at times, daring and downright reckless but if she needed something he was always there. Doing anything for her, even if it meant the likelihood of his own pain and even death. Like the good brother he was, Uratan was prepared to do anything for his family.
“I am just glad my hands were steady enough to diffuse it,” now she looked over. “Are we going to see this most valuable thing today? Or am I going to have to get dinner started and we can see it in the morning?”
“Don’t rush me woman!” tone playful despite the volume, though it was then followed by an even louder. “AHA!” the locks clicked as they disengaged and there was a hiss as the seal was broken. Watching him lift the lid her curiosity only growing as she could see the excitement on his face. “Efer...this is...you have no idea…”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call m-” again her words were cut short when he lifted out what looked like a bottle of dark liquid, the bottle adorned with a blue and red label. “What is that?”
“Only the greatest invention ever and we have the last one….”