The howling blizzard had temporarily died down, giving way to a steady, but gentle snowfall, increasing visibility. The raiding team watched near the entrance of one cavern, crouching against the walls in their pristine white cloaks, biding their time.
Several robots were chipping off rocks from one side of the rock face, carefully turning on their freeze guns towards the rock while manually using a chisel to remove chunks of rock. A small hole, about a meter in diameter and two feet deep had already appeared at the rock face. Other robots were transported back and forth from the mining site by a small hovercraft to one of the command ships, carrying containers of frozen Merion rock.
"Well, guys, looks like they’ve been busy," Keith said, focusing his gaze on the growing crater. "And it appears that they really are storing all the rock in one ship."
"That was the same ship they were carting the rocks off to during my watch and the other watches," Airic said. "We made a diagram and marked it, and they’ve been consistent in bringing them there." He took out a small piece of paper where a diagram of the ship positions and the rock face was drawn. Keith took it and studied it intently.
"Jael, which ship was it you said Lotor and Haggar entered the first day?" Keith asked. Jael peered over the rough sketch and pointed to the ship just behind the storage ship.
"If it’s all right with you, Chief, Jael and I would like to take that storage ship," Hunk said, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "We got the most brawn power needed to get all the rocks out."
Keith frowned thoughtfully. "I think you’re going to need more help than that – but if I assign another team to you, we won’t be able to examine one of the command ships."
"One team can take a second trip for the remaining ship," Lance said.
"Lance and I can take the return trip, if there’s still time to do so. We’ll leave Lotor’s ship for last, then, just in case we run out of time," Keith said, crossing off Lotor’s ship with his finger on the diagram. "It’s unlikely that he’ll have any of those rocks near him because it’s just too dangerous. Pidge and Airic, you take the storage ship with Hunk and Jael. The Princess and I will take this ship, and Lance and Sam will take this ship." He pointed out the ship to Lance, and Lance nodded.
"All teams are to meet back in the caverns within one hour according to our watches," he continued. "If we haven’t been discovered by then, Lance and I will go back to examine Lotor’s ships. Allura and Jael stay here for back-up while, Sam, Pidge and Hunk, you go to your Lions on stand by. Is everything clear?"
Everyone nodded.
"We all have commlinks, but I discourage using them unless it’s absolutely necessary. Pidge and Hunk, your teams are going to be in the most trouble because heisting those rocks will set off their alarms for sure, so I’ll personally be monitoring you guys."
Pidge pouted and held a hand to his chest. "Aw, Keith, I’m hurt – don’t you think we can handle this without close supervision?" he said with a mock reproachful expression on his face, causing everyone to laugh nervously.
"I know you can, Pidge, but I still get worried," Keith said with a sheepish smile. "Everyone ready?"
Again, everyone nodded.
"Let’s go, then. And everyone be careful."
They went out like ghosts into the falling snow,
the white cloaks making all of them look like moving mounds of snow.
The guards marched vigilantly back and forth in front of each ship’s portals, shrouded in thick black cloaks and silver helmets encrusted by snow, their laser rifles hefted upon their shoulders, oblivious to the cold.
Lance and Samantha, running in a crouch, made their way to opposite sides of the hatch and crouched behind the two guards on either side, hitting them both with a laser gun at the same time and throwing an extra white cloak over their inert bodies before pulling them to the shadowed side of the ship.
They both peeled off the guard’s uniforms, rolled the guards in the cloaks, and hastily put the uniforms over their clothes. Just as quietly, they ran towards the guards’ posts, returning just in time to see the portals move down.
"We relieve you of your post," one of the guards coming from within the ships said, saluting to Lance. "Come in here and get your circuits unfrozen."
Samantha also saluted to the other guard. Walking in the stiff gait of the robot guards, they made their way inside the ship, watching as the portal slowly closed. They continued walking in the guards’ stiff manner until they reached the first shadowed crevice and turned into it, then both took off their helmets and leaned against the wall in a fit of silent chuckles.
"That was easy," gasped Sam, clutching one hand to her chest in an attempt to hold back her laughter.
"Feels just like old times, doesn’t it?" Lance whispered, eyes twinkling. "Keith will kill us if he found out we were spending our time giggling against the wall like this."
Sam continued to giggle uncontrollably, her hand moving from her chest to her mouth, her silver-gray eyes twinkling as well. A stray lock of chestnut hair had escaped the bun she had tucked her hair in, and Lance couldn’t resist reaching out to tuck it behind her ear gently, brushing the back of his hand against the soft skin of her cheek as he pulled it back. At the gesture, Sam stopped laughing abruptly, staring into his deep brown eyes uncertainly as his face moved closer to hers, eyes slowly drifting closed...
But she turned away at the last minute, leaving Lance to graze his lips against her cheek instead. Lance moved away, startled at himself and not just a little annoyed that he had given in to the impulse to kiss her – and in the middle of a mission, no less. He needed to have his head examined. He put on his helmet abruptly. "We better go find those rocks now," he said gruffly. "Keith and I still have to take a second trip later."
Sam was blushing and staring at him with startled
bewilderment. She slowly put on her helmet as well, and hurriedly followed
him out into the main corridor, walking again in the guards’ robotic gait.
"We’ve found the rocks, Chief," Pidge said into his communicator. "They’re all here in one huge, insulated storage chamber, being kept in a deep freeze. There’s a door leading directly outside the ship from the chamber."
"Is it heavily guarded?" Keith asked. He and Allura were in a shadowed crevice near the main portal of the ship they had infiltrated, already on their way back to the caverns having found nothing in the ship.
"Nah, I think all the guards are spooked by these rocks – and it’s obvious that none of them are expecting any visitors.," Pidge went on. "They’ve just finished depositing another load – we’re about to make our move."
"You all be careful, Pidge – those things are dangerous," Keith warned again. Allura met his eyes over the receiver, and hers were twinkling in mild amusement.
"Hunk thinks he can hot-wire the hovercraft,"
Pidge said. A muffled groan and a scuffle was heard over the commlink.
"Jael and Airic have taken out two guards in here. We’re loading. Over
and out."
Allura chuckled softly. "You make yourself out
to be a fierce lion, but you really are just quite a mother hen at heart,
Captain Keith," she said softly.
He stared at her, startled. "This is the first time you’ve spoken to me since I told you that you wouldn’t be flying Blue Lion today," he ventured cautiously. "What made you change your mind about being furious at me?"
She smiled mysteriously. "Because I’m beginning to realize that it isn’t just towards me that you act this way. And because you care so much about all of us," she said softly, impulsively touching his cheek in a fond caress that stunned him even more.
The buzzing commlink shattered the spell and startled the princess into taking her hand away, blushing prettily, and Keith reached for it. "Yes?" he barked into it.
"Skipper, it’s Lance – Sam and I are back at the caverns… there was nothing in the ship. Do you want us to go back for Lotor’s ship?"
"No, Hunk and Pidge found the entire stash in the storage ship," Keith said, casting a sidelong glance at the princess. "I want you and Samantha to get into the Lions and wait for us there, is that understood?"
"Aye, aye, Captain. Lance, over and out."
A deafening siren suddenly rang throughout the ship, and Keith and Allura exchanged a look of dread. Pidge’s voice came over the commlink. "Chief, we’ve tripped the alarms – but we’re on our way back to the cavern in the hovercraft. Get the heck outta there."
"All hands report to storage ship immediately, there’s been a break-in…"
The ship portals began their slow descent, opening. Keith nodded to Allura silently, and they both replaced their helmets. Without another word, they melted into the ranks of soldiers filing out into the snow.
A Second Chance -- Confrontation