Sweat burned Mal’s eyes and the slag, kicked up from the torch he was using, burned his bare hands. He had to hand to Morgan. Of all the crazy plans they had used in the past to get out of tight spot this was the craziest. They were going to blow up the Reliant.

Morgan explained to Mal, lighting off the armory wouldn’t be enough to damage the Alliance frigate that was docked to them. They had to destroy the drive core. If they were lucky the explosion would take out both ships and the escape pods would be safe. The problem was the drive core was one deck down.

Mal used a rifle butt to pry up the plate he had just cut. He swore when he saw the I-beam underneath, and went back to cutting. He and Morgan were both inside the vault. They had closed the door facing the hatch and opened the one behind. Morgan was rigging the explosives as Mal was making a hole. Outside the abandon ship recording could be heard between the gunfire and explosions.

Since they were blowing up the ship, Morgan saw no reason they couldn’t use the deadlier arsenal against the Purple bellies. The grenade launchers and heavy machine guns were holding back the invading troops. Mal could see Jennings and Kelly guarding the route to the escape hatch through the vaults back door. They would signal if the rest of the squad was overrun.

Morgan swung the crane used to stock the armory into position and latched the hook onto the I-beam. With the cut complete, Morgan used the chain pulley and they muscled the beam free. Four foot down another beam blocked the plate to the engine room.

Mal leaned into the hole “Can’t reach it”

“The crane” Morgan yelled.

Mal shrugged off his coat as Morgan tied the cable around his waist. Once secure Mal went head first into the hole. Mal knew there was no time to bring out the other beam. He would have to cut through it and the floor. He didn’t look up. He just saw to the task at hand. It seemed like an eternity in the hole. Each breath he took choked him as the smoke filled the tiny crawl spac