February 2931
Kilian System
Specialist James Belcher stood in the shopping mall arms full of bags, boxes and trinkets. How had he been relegated to Nanny he thought to himself letting a small chuckle out loud.
"What? Uncle James?" Five year old Matt tugged at Belcher's shirt.
"A nothing squirt. Where's you're mom and sister?" Belcher shuffled the goods to lessen the load on his now sore right arm.
"Over there." Matthius' first-born pointed at a shop for women's maternity clothing. Belcher's eyes lit up. Another one, he thought to himself.
"Come on let's meet up with your sister Lexi and you're mother." He held the boy's arm with renewed interest.
Five year old Samantha Stormfury was holding her mother's leg as she tried to compare a couple of tops. "Lexi, Momma cannot try these on if you hold on so tight." Almost counter to it, Lexi tightened her grip.
To her delight, Alexis noticed James Belcher approaching with Matt. "James can you please hold Lexi?" She said as if not seeing the mound of packages the specialist was already holding.
"Sure" He said as he grabbed a hold of Samantha with his one free hand. "Have you decided on a name?" He prodded.
"Elizabeth" She smiled. "What do you think of this one?" She held out one of the tops for review. "These military 'shopping' malls are so hard to find quality clothing." She responded before he could answer.
His muscles begged to differ but Belcher decided a little pain wasn't worth fussing over and his duty was to protect the Stormfury family. He'd sworn an oath to Matthius and intended to keep it.
"Matthius should be here in another day, so we'll finally get to spend some time together." She interjected. "Why did he want to come here any ways? This place is nothing more than a dreary military shipyard." She stopped as if answering herself.
Belcher couldn't help but interject. "He's got a meeting at the Anvil Aerospace showroom. Think the organization is purchasing a Carrack or possibly some Hornets and Gladiators."
"Men and there toys." Alexis said as she headed to the checkout counter. "Let's get these kids home."
"All three of them!" Belcher added.
Twenty Minutes later...
Belcher landed the Course Correction on top of their private hotel suite. Alexis with both Kids hands held began walking towards the door to the suite. Belcher with a few bags in hand started to unload the freelancer when he noticed a fresh spot on the tarmac. Tasting the fluid it was some form of hydrolic fluid and it was fresh.
"STOP!" He bellowed as Alexis and the kids were a mere feet form the entrance.
Instantly, the door began splintering under the heavy gunfire. Glass and plaster chunks along with the smell of burning debris overtook his nostrils. Belcher fired a few shots blindly into the room.
Making his way to the now slumped Alexis and children, Belcher felt the sensation of warmth overtake his left arm. The shot had skimmed his arm. Firing more frantically, he heard a slump inside. Shots continued to rain out though. This had to be the Shadow Advocacy and no telling how many were inside.
As he approached Alexis, he could hear the children sobbing. "Mommy get up." Young Samantha was crying. Belcher had no time, he grabbed her arms and began to pull, half kneeling. "Kids run to the ship!" he urged the twins.
Pain over took his right shoulder as another bullet hit it's mark. Running fully on adrenaline, he pressed on dragging Alexis up and into the cargo hold of the Freelancer.
Desperate, he pressed the cargo bay lift mechanism and rushed to the cockpit. Gunfire pointlessly fell across the ship's hull. "Get to your seats kids!" He ordered, not looking back to see if they'd listened. Coming out of the door, he now saw a special ops team fully in black suits rushing to the tarmac. One of them began rushing to the ship with an explosive device in hand.
Belcher hot started the freelancer. Timing was everything at this point. He pulled the gears urging the Course Correction both up and to twist around all in one motion. He felt the explosion rattle the aft side of the vessel, but it must have missed. Readouts showed no structural damage. Facing the assassin team head on now, they were turning and running back into the structure for cover. Belcher didn't waste any time. He unloaded the two Behring Mk VI laser cannons into flesh, bone and the structure. For good measure he added the two Behring Executioners to the frey as he watched a couple of the black clad figures rip to pieces under the gunfire. Three managed to get inside, but Belcher continued to fire.
What was once a lavish, exotic and exquisite private villa was now a pile of rubble, burning and charred to the foundation. Belcher's fingers didn't let off the trigger until the system warned that three of the four weapons were burnt out.
Coming out of his rage, he programmed the nav computer and headed to the nearest hospital. Breaking air & safety rules, Belcher raced the clock to get Alexis to the emergency room. Thinking along the way 'Only a few knew we'd arrived early.'