Space Shift Stories: McGuffin 46

I Have A Plan

"Open the damn sunroof!" I shouted while banging on the glass. Strife rushed to the controls to open the sunroof. I slid right in. "Didn't you say you'll keep the coms open?"

"I did." Strife felt embarrassed. He covered his face.

"Then why didn't I hear anything from you?"

"Wait, what happened. And where's the drone?" Julia asked me.

"Something went wrong. Grabbed the drone and ran" I replied as I handed the drone. "I have the item, let's run before-" I said while taking out the tablet out when our windshield got shot, but not that damaging. "Dammit"

"What's that?" Julia was worried.

"Other scavengers." Strife replied. "It's common among scavengers. Along with double-crossing and shoot-outs." He went to the cockpit. Started the engines.

I sat on my chair as well. We saw about three aliens shooting at us. I opened fire, hitting near them. Not them. "Coast clear, let's go!" I told Strife. "Jul, strap yourself somewhere" I also told Julia.

"How many were at your tail?" Strife asked.

"About four? Didn't really wait to count."

The Carpenters flew out. "Are some of your expedition like this?" Julia asked us.

"No. In fact, the deal I had before meeting you. The guy wanted to shoot me in the back" Strife told Julia as he laughed.

"Well the last guy I worked with turned out to be a genocidal sociopath. I actually depends on your luck" I reassured Julia.

"What?!" Julia got frustrated.

"Rover chatter later. We need to get out of here now." Strife ordered me.

"Yup. Gonna put max thrust." I said as I turned over the controls to me, calibrated the ship. As the Carpenters gains speed. Our radar beeped. "Incoming!"

Strife quickly transferred back controls to him. He delivered a quick aileron roll dodging the projectile. He elevated the ship. We saw two enemy ships. I fired away. It grazed their wings, they rolled away from our line of fire. As we moved forward two shots hit our back, it wasn't a fatal hit but it was enough to rock us on the inside. I gain back the controls and did a quick barrel roll hitting both of them. I switched the controls back.

I looked back to check over Julia. She was holding tightly on the captain's pillar. "If you feel nauseous. Just get in the toilet, you'll be safer there." I ordered her. She went inside and locked the door.

"Hey can you check radar, see how many were going to deal with." Strife said as he struggled to move the ship.

"I have about five" I replied.

"Can you handle the firing?"

"Probably" I answered nervously. I mean I haven't really flew this thing with him in a long time. I need to adjust.

Strife thinking it was sarcastic, let the ship on a nose dive. I held tight on the trigger. I saw one enemy ship. I fired away. It was a clean hit. The radar beeped. I was a missile volley from three ships. I activated the flares, took control and did a sideslip maneuver.

We were dead ahead of the three ships. Strife fired away. We all of them, two exploded instantly while the other one crashed in our direction. We managed to pull away but it hit one of our wings.

"We have a hit." Strife shouted.

"I'm seeing small error on our altitude." I said. I gave back the controls to Strife. He knows better what to do in this situation. As Strife struggled to keep the ship steady. Our radar beeped. "Strife. We're in danger."

He looked at the radar, then to the cockpit. It was a bigger ship that we previously engaged. From the looks of it it's the same size as ours. Only a different model.

At the enemy ship, I could see the alien leader smiling. His thoughts are along the lines of "I'll take the tablet off your dead corpse."

As if I could read his mind I mouthed. "Oh you're the one dying here." Strife was still in total concentration with our ship's situation. The alien leader raised his hand. It was to signal a complete bombardment, but as if my luck would have. Some else fired at them. They were quickly taken out of commission.

Strife looked for a clear path to land on. "We need somewhere clear to land."

"I have an idea." I opened fire at the tall trees clearing a way for us.

"Pull out the emergency landing gears." Strife ordered to which I complied.

"Landing gear ready"

As the ship braced for impact, everyone of us felt the landing gear hit the ground. It yanked and jerked us a little bit. But it gave us a safe landing. I disengaged my seat belts and reclined my chair as I sighed in relief. Strife removed his seat belts and stood up.

"Hey. Mind checking on the reporter?" I asked Strife.

"Julia?" Strife asked.

"Yup." I nodded.

He walked by the toilet. Knocked on the door. Julia got out threw up a little bit on Strife. "I'm sorry" Julia apologized. She looked along the lines of a witch or a hobo. Her hair frizzy and clothes not in proper order.

"It's okay" Strife said wiping the puke out of his fur as he gets in the toilet.

"So what happened?" She ask obliviously.

"We almost got killed, but something happened. Probably another ship" I answered her. She smiled in relief.

Strife got out of the toilet clean. "Anyways we need to check the ship's status." He said as he opened the side door. He stepped out we follow soon after.

Before we could make a round around the ship, a different ship hovered above us. It slowly descended. Strife and I were on alert. We held on to our guns.

"That's my cousin's ship" Julia exclaimed.

"What?" We both asked in unison.

"Well while I was on the toilet I called my cousin for help. sure enough help arrived" She said it with pride.

Her cousin's ship smoothly landed. Julia stepped a little closer to the ship. While me and Strife held our guns a little tight. As the ship's door opened slowly, Julia's cousin was slowly revealed. Julia smiled ear to ear, as if this was a reunion rather than a rescue.

"Julia!" her cousin shouted excited to her.

We both saw the cousin.

"Who knew" Strife said as he grinned like he saw an old friend.

"No..." I utter in disbelief.

"Celestine! Long time no see" Julia shouted with glee.