Chapter 17: Chapter 17
A spacecraft sliced through the silent vacuum of space, traveling at a steady but swift pace.
Onboard, Strike Officer Harley Stanford stood on the flight deck, within the whole ship were a team of one hundred and fifty soldiers, not including the pilots and comms crew.
The mission was clear, as per Commander Ellen’s orders, find and destroy the Nebulux Core at all costs.
But Harley was strangely quiet, her arms folded, her gaze fixed on the vast expanse of stars through the ship’s massive windshield. She was lost in thought, a frown etched on her face.
"Alright, spill it. What’s bothering you?" a voice asked.
She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see her friend and fellow soldier, Ross.
"Oh, it’s you, Ross." Harley’s expression was a mix of fatigue and worry. "To be honest, there’s a lot going on in my mind."
"Is this about Yelena? If it is, we can—" Ross began, joining her at the railing and looking out at the swift-moving stars.
"No, the order wasn’t to go after her," Harley interrupted. "Besides, we all know Yelena. She can handle herself."
"So what’s the strange mood all about?" Ross asked, folding his arms and standing firm beside her.
"There’s this strange feeling. Something doesn’t seem right with all of these," Harley said, releasing her arms and gripping the railing.
"What?" Ross turned his head to face her.
"This whole operation. There’s something we’re not being told." Harley raised her head, her expression one of frustration and concern.
"How so?" Ross asked, trying to understand his friend and boss.
"The Nebulux Core was heavily guarded and sealed off. I know this because I’ve seen it myself and I’m aware of the level of security around it," Harley explained.
"We were told it was stolen and no one knows how. We’re expected to believe it just vanished, but I don’t buy it." She looked at Ross, her expression hardening.
Having worked with her for years, Ross knew she had a knack for sniffing out unsettling issues so he trusts her without any complaints.
"I did some private investigation and found out that all the personnel in charge of outer security that day are also missing. And on that same day, there was a maintenance check." She squeezed the railing, her knuckles turning white.
"Who were the ones assigned for maintenance? Nobody knows. Why weren’t they checked for verification as usual? Nobody knows. Where are they now? Nobody knows!"
It was clear she was deeply unhappy and uncomfortable with her thoughts. Ross could see the frustration in her clenched jaw and angry eyes.
"So you’re saying it was all intentional?" Ross said, understanding the puzzle pieces she was putting together.
"Security and maintenance are prime suspects, all working together for the Nebulux Core to be stolen."
"The worst part is that the commander won’t say anything about it or address it," Harley said, almost instantly, slamming her fist on the railing. "She won’t even directly go after these traitors."
"From the looks of it, she’s being careful not to expose any info that NEXUS’s security was severely breached and the Nebulux Core got stolen under poor management," Ross calmly replied, trying to soothe her.
"She’ll be heavily questioned, even though she’s not directly linked. Sector One has been in a mess for the past few years, so she’s trying her best to not let it get worse." He slowly and calmly placed his hand on top of Harley’s clenched hand on the railing.
Harley noticed his effort and finally calmed down. She turned to face him, resting her back on the railing and hanging her elbows on it. "It’s already worse, there’s no denying that."
"I’ll be honest with you," Ross said, joining her and leaning back against the railing. "Right now, you’re making things boring for all of us."
His unexpected change of subject confused Harley. "Boring? I don’t understand."
"You need to lighten up, cheer up for a little," Ross said, his mood shifting from serious to playful. "As a matter of fact, I’ve got something that might cheer you up." He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Twenty steps toward the corridor and to the right is R-34B. The room’s kind of... tempting. We could have ourselves a good ride." He raised an eyebrow and gave her a playful smirk.
For a moment, Harley was completely lost, staring at him in confusion. Then, it clicked.
"Ah, for once, stop thinking with your dick and get your head straight on the operation," Harley replied, giving him a serious look.
"Well, you have to admit, last time was bad ass, no pun intended" Ross interrupted, avoiding eye contact with a smile on his face.
Completely fed up, Harley turned away from the railing. "Oh, please. You barely lasted ten seconds," she said, though a hint of a smile played on her lips.
"Three hundred bucks says I’ll make it to thirty," Ross countered, his tone playful but his composure unbreaking.
"Five hundred bucks says you won’t," Harley immediately shot back, her expression a serious one.
"Well, there’s really only one way to find out," Ross said, craning his neck to look at her, a soft smirk on his face as he awaited her answer.
Harley stayed silent, staring out the windshield, ignoring him. A few seconds later, she turned and grabbed him by his collar, dragging him down the corridor.
"Come with me," she said, a serious look still on her face.
"As you wish," Ross replied happily, letting her pull him away.