Chapter 2: Unexpected Encounter

 

Rogan could see that Thitaya was nervous about leaving their home planet you are such a delightful friend to have Thitaya Rogan said in her mind. Rogan smiled and put her hand on Thitaya’s shoulder “Are you okay?” Thitaya just nodded silently and looked out the window, Rogan followed her friends gaze and saw she was looking at Shipyard, she could see all the ship classes she had known all of them from Command School, she watched the glimmering lights of the docked ships and some of them undocking for another patrol trip, Rogan sighed would I ever be a Captain she looked at the closest ship on the dock, most of the Venus battleships had a distinct triangle form horizontal to the front which was called the weapons plate cause most of the forward weaponry was armed in that area, two standard pulse guns and beam weapons were equipped side by side on each of the top points of the triangle the bottom point was a missile pod launcher and the middle a Firestorm T92 the Firestorm was a weapon only equipped with assault ships cause of it’s power it shot a wide bolt of fire that could engulf or destroy an enemy ship in seconds. Moments later the intercom lit up again.

 

Alright ladies and gentlemen, the launch cycle has completed, feel free to move about the ship as you please.

 

            Rogan saw Thitaya stand up quickly after the announcement was over she stood, Rogan stood up as well and both of them walked up stairs to the dinning hall, Rogan remembered how huge these transport ships were and were more like earlier years dating back to “Titanic” she had read about. Thitaya and Rogan fixed themselves some food and sat a table with Thitaya. “How delightful this is” Thitaya said cheerfully eating her food

“What is?” Rogan added.

“This trip, I’ve never been in first class in one of these things”

“Oh that’s right” Rogan smiled and nodded, they sat quietly for the next 20 minutes eating and chatting about. Rogan looked around and saw a lot of the other graduates from command school were here too going to earth, she knew Venus was not as much trusted as Mars but and she would likely be treated badly on earth, she yawned and laid back on her chair Would I really be that different on Earth I wonder …Rogan took a look at the monitor in the corner of the room, it was showing what was in front of the ship she could see the two of the battleships in front they were approaching, it was a check up line before heading out of the border. Moments later the ship was past Rogan watched the screen until the two battleships were out of sight of the camera, she look at Thitaya who was watching out the window near to them staring out into outer space. “Thitaya” Rogan tried to get her attention.

“Yes Rogan?” Thitaya responded turning to face her friend.

“What do you think it will be like? I mean on Earth”

“I suspect we wont be treated as if we were still on Venus our power hungry leaders are always wrecking us” Thitaya answered with a yawn.

“You’re probably right Thitaya …”

“Why do you ask?” Thitaya added.

“I’ve been thinking how I should act; I mean it’s different there”

“Act like you would normally do, you know your uptightness around people you don’t know” Thitaya said winking

“Good idea” Rogan replied laughing a little, Rogan herself was usually an uptight women around others and never really opening up unless she knew the person deeply, Thitaya was special her cheerfulness seemed to always calm her.

 

            Twelve hours later Rogan looked at the screen again seeing another ship with it’s top open ready to clamp onto the transport, Rogan remembered earlier that they would have to come in  contact with an additional ship to carry them the rest of the way to Earth cause fuel was running low, a half hour later the ship rumbled as the second ship clamped on, Rogan had a strange feeling in her stomach as if something bad was going to happen, Rogan out her hand on her stomach and looked again at the screen the Carryall that had just made it out of view “Rogan? Are you alright?” Thitaya asked worriedly.

“It’s nothing … I’m alright” Rogan replied lowly taking another glance at the screen, then screams of horror erupted in the intercom then gunshots were heard, Thitaya jumped out of her chair and so did everyone else, Rogan could tell form everyone’s face that they were terrified something had happened the ship had stopped fully, Rogan and Thitaya clambered back to the corridor to investigate, Rogan peered out and saw the empty corridor to the bridge, Thitaya walked over to her seat, took out her hand bag and pulled out two silver pistols the ones that were issued to them during command school they were inside their cases and they were permitted to have them during the flight because of their rank, Thitaya strapped her gun to her right hip and tossed the other one to Rogan “catch”

Rogan caught the weapon and strapped it to her right hip as well. The two headed up the corridor cautiously, then they peered out a corner to the side doors of the ship and saw a dead body of one of the transport crew shot in the head, Rogan had a cold chill run down her spine signaling back to Thitaya there was indeed cause for alarm, Rogan pulled out her weapon, looked around to make sure no one was there then bolting as quietly as she could to the next corridor, Thitaya followed swiftly. Rogan and Thitaya sneak up past some rooms and came up to a stair way leading up to the bridge she saw the dead guardsmen beside the door apparently both shot multiple times. Rogan could tell Thitaya was getting scared from the expression on Thitaya’s face. Rogan gulped to herself and stood right behind the door just to the side, Thitaya took the other side with the terminal, Rogan put her ear on the door and heard the conversation taking place. “Everything’s fit for departure to Jupiter station” she heard a voice say through the door.

“Good” she heard a low voice reply out.

“Ready on your command Captain” another said. Rogan gave Thitaya the sign to open the door, Thitaya beeped on the terminal and door slide open, Rogan popped out first with her weapon drawn, there were dead bodies of the bridge crew at their stations and three dressed as special ops were in the middle terminal “Stop!” Rogan called out holding her weapon at them the three turned around, one of which who had lifted his rifle and fired at her, Rogan rolled forward and shot back at the man who had pulled out his weapon fell to the floor the other two started firing at Rogan as well, Rogan had rolled right front of a terminal she peered out the side of it and returned fire using the terminal for cover, Thitaya had still been behind the door peering out occasionally to fire at the men who had taken cover now behind another terminal, after while of exchanging fire the door to the left of the bridge opened up and 2 more men peered out firing rifles at the two women. Rogan peered out again shooting at new threat she missed as the reinforcements ducked under a terminal, Rogan took out a clip from her belt she always had and reloaded her weapon, she glanced back to see Thitaya was doing the same What are they doing here Rogan though in her head. Rogan looked up at the terminal she had been using for cover she saw it was just a normal sensor station then she looked across and saw the communications station, she held out her hand at Thitaya to hold fire, Thitaya saw her, nodded and ducked back down to the side, Rogan rolled forward to the next terminal delivering covering fire for herself as she crosses she quickly started working the SOS signal from being ducked down as much as possible, one of the men peered out from the side and fired, she was clean hit right on the shoulder and she fell to the floor wincing she took up her weapon and fired back at the man causing him to take cover once again. Aching on the floor Thitaya quickly fired and rolled forward to Rogan’s attention “you okay?!” Thitaya said while giving them covering fire.

“I got hit in the shoulder, I’ll be fine, activate that SOS!” Rogan shouted over the gun shots using her one good arm to fire her weapon to keep the men down in cover. Thitaya worked viciously on the SOS she flicked the switch and the message was sent to the closest Allied vessel, the 4 men threw a cylinder like grenade over the terminal Rogan and Thitaya were. “Look out!” Rogan shouted as she dove to the side pulling Thitaya with her to the floor, the room filled with light blinding to the eye, it was a flash grenade, Rogan shook her head then she peered out the terminal the men were gone. She breathed in relief and lowered her weapon “Thitaya?” Rogan called behind her huffing and puffing “Yeah? I’m here” Thitaya answered back. Rogan’s vision began to blur she dropped her weapon and put her hand on her shoulder wound that had bleed through her uniform

“Rogan?” Thitaya got up just in time to see Rogan faint and fall to the side holding her wound “Rogan!” Thitaya yelled.