In the shadow of the stolen light. Nika Veresk
not getting involved,” explained Lora, “We’re just offering help to a spacecraft that had crashed. This doesn’t violate the terms and conditions between our races.”
The refugees nodded in agreement.
“That’s great!” smiled the girl, “I’m going to stick a transmitter onto every one of you, and it will initiate your teleportation into the compartment with a suitable atmosphere.”
By the time Chris’s agitated voice was on air again, Lora and Derek had already helped a dozen Tarians they had found in different compartments.
“Guys, finish with it! The fighter ships are already near. Paul is talking to the unit commander, who had been sent to Gron after the spacecraft that was shot down. Their ships will be here in less than twenty minutes. They have orders to destroy the remains of the ship.”
Lora looked at her watch.
“Message received, we’re coming back!”
“You’ll have to climb one deck up so that the beacon signal becomes stronger,” added Stan.
“The scanner has detected three more life forms on the level above us,” noted Derek and pointed Lora in the direction of the correct compartment.
“We didn’t follow this route when we came here. There could be piles of debris,” answered Lora. “Let’s follow the more certain way.”
“But the Tarians will die then!” insisted the earthling. “We’re obliged to save them!”
The girl sighed deeply and peered at the persistently flashing red light at the corner of the virtual screen. She didn’t want to tell Derek about her injury she had got due to the fall. Besides, regardless of the leg trauma, the chances of saving several other refugees were miniscule. At the same time, the risk of dying under the fire of the Tarian fighter planes far away from the place where Stan could teleport them was quite high.
“We’re not going there, Derek,” Lora concluded calmly. “We did everything we could. It’s time to go back.”
“The sooner, the better,” Captain’s voice could be heard on air. “The fighters are seventeen minutes away, and we also need time to fly as far as possible before the shooting. Come back, this is an order!”
“We can’t leave like this!” insisted Derek, “I can make it!”
“Now it’s not only your life you’re endangering,” suddenly firmly stated the girl, “Your efforts are senseless, if the captain doesn’t risk the shuttle and everyone else on board.”
“She’s right,” the captain interfered into their argument, “We’d have to stay very close to the debris in order to teleport you and the other three. And, Lora, what are your bio indicators?”
“Everything’s fine,” Lora tried to calm him down.
“It wasn’t just a minor injury, was it?” guessed Derek.
“There’s no point discussing it now, the main thing is to get out of here.”
On arriving at the shuttle, Lora was immediately transferred into the medical compartment. By the time Derek took off the spacesuit and entered the bridge, the ship had already left Taria’s satellite.
“You did a good job,” said the captain noticing him come. “How’s Lora?”
“Mary said that she’d be fine,” answered Derek. “What about the Tarian fighter planes?”
“A few seconds ago they started heavy shooting at the remains of the ship.”
“What happened to those the cruiser was aiming at?
“They remained there. Not one of them took the risk any more. I think, sooner or later they’ll either land on Taria or die.”
“Can’t we help them in some way?”
“We have no right to interfere in the domestic conflict, but have the order to return back to Titanium. Today ‘Solar Flotilla’ will leave Taria’s orbit. The Council made this decision less than half an hour ago.”
Derek didn’t say anything. For a while not one word was uttered on the bridge.
“Captain, the border cruiser started shooting at the passenger ships,” Chris broke the silence. “We’re outside the affected area, but several ships with refugees followed by the fighter planes are moving in our direction. They are seeking asylum on Titanium. Shall I turn on the loudspeaker?”
The captain nodded. Voices and loud sounds resembling explosions were transmitted on air. Derek was very grateful to Mary for the speaker with synchronized translation. Now he could understand the aliens’ language.
“We have no authority to provide asylum for you,” answered Paul calmly, using his personal speech synthesizer. “We can’t interfere…” Suddenly the connection was lost.
“This ship has just been destroyed,” quietly reported Chris.
Paul shook his head, signs of sincere regret could be read on his face.
“Another one is coming too close. The fighters shooting at it could hit us by accident.”
“Get me their captain.”
“Ready! The connection is established!”
“I am Paul Stones, the captain of ‘Solar Flotilla’s’ shuttle. Your actions threaten the safety of our spacecraft. I am asking you to stop fire!”
“Your ship’s well protected and will not be damaged even if the passenger transport explodes!” answered the Tarian through interference.
Derek approached the porthole – now he could clearly see what was happening outside with his own eyes. The transport with the refugees was awkwardly manoeuvring and trying to stay close to the shuttle in an attempt to prevent the fighters from shooting at them.
“What does our protective field have to do with anything?” said the captain indignantly. “You have no right to put my crew’s life at risk!”
“In this case, go faster so that the ship of the delinquents can’t use you as a shield!”
“We have some cargo onboard that’s slowing us down” confidently lied the captain, which came as a total surprise to the earthling.
Stan hemmed and, looking at the earthling sullenly, put his finger to the lips symbolizing silence. The Tarian was obviously dissatisfied.
“Alright! We’ll stop the fire, but only until your shuttle enters the Titanium protective field!”
The connection was lost.
“But the refugees’ ship won’t be able to pass through the protective field of the artificial planet…” noted Derek, watching the captain closely.
“No, it won’t,” like an echo answered the captain.
“What if we teleport them?”
“Such actions can be viewed as interference into the domestic conflict…”
The earthling swore.
“This is not our war, Derek,” added the captain quietly.
The lighting in the medical compartment seemed too bright for Lora after a long time spent in the darkness of the broken ship. She squinted and covered her eyes with her palm while lying in the regenerative capsule that allowed a quick recovery of the damaged tissues. Her loneliness was disturbed by Derek walking in silently.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine, thanks,” she opened her eyes and noticed a gloomy expression on his face. “Did something happen?”
The earthling explained the situation in short and the girl sighed heavily.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the consequences of the fall?” asked the young man with reproach after a short silence.
“What for? We were on a mission that I could