Stars Gods Wolves by Dan Kirshtein (good books for 8th graders .TXT) 📗

was nearly too late, he swerved, barely missing the Eighth that was projecting the transmission.

Atop the glider, the captain was nearly growling, his rifle pointed at the Eighth. Once it was aware of the threat, it aimed back at him. The rest of the crew immediately attempted to calm the situation, and Nitro was the first to lower his weapon, albeit reluctantly.

Still, the projection and the captain exchanged looks before Rook spoke again. “I can begin assembling accommodations for you.” It looked to the others before giving one last glance at Nitro, who was still staring intently. “Don’t make me regret it.”

The red light projection evaporated, and Gally looked to Martin, her face pinker than usual. “You didn’t have to do that.” She looked to him as if he wasn’t the man she’d argued with at the research station. She was still terrified, still teeming with rage, but the sentiment in her words was gratitude.

He didn’t look at her; he just stared at the gray snow as it fell in front of him. “It is the endeavor of all scientists to better the worlds they live in.” His words were dry, as if they weren’t his own. “And this place,” he said, half-heartedly gesturing around him before his hands fell against his sides. The doctor finally looked up at her. “I don’t want it to be how I’m remembered.”

Gally’s words failed her as she looked up at the man. Having no real experience with feelings or comforting words, she couldn’t even muster a smile. She just patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

Harper watched as the rest of the crew began to walk, led by the Eighth escort and Martin. They all passed him, even Boomer and Josie after they’d caught up. And, finally, he saw her: as frail and as fragile as ever, walking a great distance parallel from the rest of them.

He looked to Ula. “You did good back there,” he assured her. She turned, the helmet still a bit too large for her head, and smiled at him. “You okay if I hand you over to Josie for a bit?” He was addressing Ula, but was really asking Josie, who had just dropped within earshot. Thankfully, the mercenary nodded and extended her arms. The hand-off went well, and Ula seemed quite comfortable within the group, as if she’d been there since the beginning.

Harper smiled at them before jogging through the snow, covering the distance Gally had put between herself and everyone else. When he finally caught up to her, he didn’t say anything. Not being able to see her eyes due to her visor being down, he was met with a silence that he couldn’t identify. After some time, she spoke. “Fucking coward, hiding behind a hologram.” Her voice came through her teeth, trembling with anger. Harper made a more obvious attempt to look at her, seeing her tightly clenched fist.

The pilot nodded, not practiced in these sorts of things. “You’ll get your shot at him,” he shrugged, and she finally looked at him. “You will. But what you gotta realize is, then what?” He didn’t look back at her. He could feel her stewing before she answered.

“Then he’s dead. Just like my–” she couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Yeah,” Harper spared her. “But, Gally, then what?”

“Fuck off.”

“This whole crusade you’re taking us on? I’ve been on one of these before. I know how it ends.” He trailed off before looking at her and realizing his words weren’t having much of an impact. “Look, I’m gonna do my best to protect you in there.”

“Yeah?” Her demeanor seemed to calm slightly. The question wasn’t a confirmation of the words, but the sentiment. She knew what he was really saying, and she wanted him to reaffirm it.

“Yeah,” he nodded, looking straight ahead once more. “Try not to make it too tough for me, alright?”

He’d finally gotten her to smile. “Alright.” And they walked together the whole rest of the way.

They walked for hours, all through the night, and when the sun rose, a distant static came over the coms. Upon hearing it, Nitro perked up like a meerkat and looked around. The static continued for a bit before a deep, familiar voice came over the coms. “Purple Company, do you copy?”

Boomer shot the captain a confused and skeptical look, as if he were surprised anyone else heard the voice. “Couldn’t be,” he wondered. Josie, still carrying Ula, came running up to meet the other two, excitedly uncertain.

“Purple Company, come in?” the voice insisted, and three jaws dropped.

Nitro finally replied. “This is Purple Company; where have you been, private?” he asked with a grin.

Through the gray snow, the horrible storm, they could make out a large figure. It walked toward them with a limp, carrying a long bag with it. “I do not believe I could convince you of the events that transpired this evening, sir.”

Ox emerged from the snow. His environmental suit was torn and ragged, but his helmet was still intact, despite a few scratches of its own. He wore some blood stains; some his blood, some not. His staff was unharmed, however. The long bag he dragged next to him was thrown at Nitro’s feet.

The captain didn’t acknowledge the bag; he just ran up and hugged the huge Waykind. The hug was returned with one arm, and the others in the Company approached, greeting him in their own way. He reciprocated their happiness, though he held a great sadness in his eyes, and his hands clung to the staff more tightly than usual.

Finally, Josie inquired about the bag. He replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “I assumed, after the crash, you would have trouble getting the…” He knew what they called the monsters; he just didn’t want to say it aloud. The dead were sacred to his kind, and the origin of their name was an affront to all of it. “These things,” he finished, quietly.

“Look at you, going off and completing the whole mission on your