The Last Spartan – Chapter Thirty-Six

I own no rights to Firefly, and write only for fun, rather than any money.

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Neera and the rest of Foxtrot team raced along the hallways, heading for the security station. Alpha team was busy going through everything there, trying to find either the self-destruct, or special holding. Preferably both.

“All teams, status report,” Neera ordered tersely.

“Alpha team, holding.”

“Beta, engaged in clearing actions.”

“Charlie, engaged, final hallway area.”

“Delta team, unengaged, holding perimeter.”

“Echo is engaged, heavy fire from security forces attempting to break away.”

“Delta lead, send one man to assist Echo, if possible.”

“Delta copies, on the way.”

“Beta, is your area clear yet?”

“Almost,” the reply was accompanied by the rattle of gunfire. “Beta, clear, one down.”

“Damn it!” Neera swore. Beta team had a casualty.

“Copy Beta lead. Send one man to the security station at the hallway nexus, the other to the ship with your casualty.”

“Beta copies.”

She arrived at the security station just as Alpha team found both good and bad news.

“Self-destruct has eleven minutes before det,” Alpha’s leader told her flatly.

“Got’em!” one of his team members exclaimed. “Special holding is one floor down, almost directly under this station.”

“Almost?” Neera asked, an idea forming.

“Looks like. . .twelve feet, that way,” the woman replied, pointing down the hallway Neera had just come up.

“Jerl, lay a demo charge around this station,” she ordered, and McCann and his remaining teammate started laying charges.

“Rest of you, clear out of there. We’ll drop the whole thing through the floor, and make a short cut. Once we locate the cells, if there are any prisoners, we’ll rope them out, so get set for that. Move!”

Alpha began scrambling to prepare for the evac. Neera looked up as the Beat team leader appeared.

“Help McCann,” she ordered, then hit her radio again.

“My Lord?”

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“I’m a bit