Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 183: Other Targets Acquired

"We are here." One of the pilots called out. "Connect communication earbuds." Jace and Nina pulled out devices and hooked them up in their ears. "Testing testing."

"Spectre Nina, I hear you loud and clear." Nina answered as she stood up from her seat. She started double checking her gear.

"Spectre Jace, I hear you loud and clear." Jace stood up as well and moved to the rear ramp of the ship. "We have people watching the targets right? Where are they?" Jace asked as the ship slightly shuddered as they entered the planet’s atmosphere.

"Connecting you now." The pilot answered and there was a noise over their communication devices for a moment.

"Spectres are on Vexical Prime. Where are the targets?" The pilot asked once the communication devices were connected to a larger channel.

"Eric Callus is at the Axis Trade Spaceport. It looks like he brought a bag. He is waiting for the person being smuggled out of the Imperium." A voice answered, they were probably part of the group sent to watch their targets.

"We still do not have an identification on the other person? How can we only have a single image from when he passed through Woltar? Even then it was not a full image." Jace asked in anger. Unfortunately for these targets he would be venting his anger on them.

"We believe he has spent his entire adult life in the Imperium as a spy. But for a handler to go out of his way to personally meet with him means he has to be relatively high ranking within the Union. The second target’s ship is about to land." The person answered. "But we keep seeing Eric check not just the second target’s arrival time but other ship’s arrival and departure times as well."

Jace frowned and thought for a moment. "You said he had a bag with him?"

"Affirmative."

"There is a good chance that the others jumped the gun. They should have waited until we were in position. They know we are coming." Jace looked at Nina and made a few hand motions. "Clear the area of local police or any military. They will only get in the way. Especially if the civilian population gets in the way."

"Civilians? Sir, are you sure? They could be of help." The person on the other end recommended out of the blue. He was clearly the type that was more concerned about casualties than the objective. Which was probably why he was relegated to being an observer.

"Then you can have them make a perimeter around the space port. No one in or out. If any one forces their way out, take them down with non lethal measures." Jace answered while rolling his eyes and looking at Nina who just shrugged in response.

"Uhh... yeah, I mean yes sir. I will do that." The person on the other end probably realized almost immediately that Jace’s new order will cause a lot of casualties if the people following them are inexperienced or jumpy.

"We are flying over the space station now." The pilot called out as the rear ramp opened up. Air was sucked out as Jace looked out the back of the ramp. He held onto a handle that was on the roof. By over the space station they meant miles above.

"Okay drop the ship, we will jump out when we are just above it." Jace informed the pilots.

"Drop the ship?" The pilot asked.

"I mean that literally. Turn off the engine and then power it back on when we get close enough." Jace informed them. "It doesn’t matter if someone gets a picture of the Puddle-Jumper." Jace predicted what they were worried about. They would have to cut corners since the targets already knew that someone was coming for them.

"Understood." The pilot answered and a moment later they felt weightless. The air rushed into the rear of the ramp. While they could see the clouds get closer and then pass by, then the space port was getting closer.

After half a minute they could suddenly feel a heavy weight as the engines fired and they had to hold on as the ship slowed down. A moment after it happened they were over a recently landed trade ship docked in one of the ports. There were screams and yelling from the civilians below as they dropped in.

Jace ignored them and looked for the ones that were not screaming. There were only two of them. One was their first target, Eric Callus. The other was the second target and still unnamed.

"Target’s sighted. Moving in." Jace told them and jumped out of the rear of the Puddle-Jumper. Nina followed him out.

They landed on the roof of the trading spacecraft that just dropped off the second target. Jace ran toward the targets, jumping off the roof of the spacecraft and into the crowd of civilians. They screamed and panicked moving out of the way.

Probably because they were wearing unmarked armor and gear. Jace raised his grenade launcher and fired a grenade. It flew through the air and crashed into a wall. It started spewing green gas.

Now they were really screaming as Jace ran through the crowd followed quickly by Nina. Jace could see the targets started running ahead of them. He could also hear them.

"Run, they are here for us. I will explain once we are out of danger." As Jace ran after him he reloaded his grenade launcher, putting in a taser puck for his next shot. Nina ran ahead of him.

"This was not what I was expecting when I came back to the empire, uncle!" The second target screamed. The second target raised his hand with a Pyre in it and fired. Nina fired her own gun and there were sparks in the air as the bullets from her gun hit the second target’s bullets. He could see the second target’s eyes widening in surprise. "The fuck!"

"They are Spectres! We cannot fight them and win!" Eric Callus yelled as he messed with a door pad.

The landing pads door started closing and they ran out into the hall. Nina and Jace followed them into the hall as the doors were just about to close. They were quickly closing the distance.

Eric Callus tossed aside the bag he had for a small square object. It was probably a communication device. "He has a communication device. Shoot it before he gets a chance to use it." Jace told Nina as he aimed his grenade launcher at the secondary target.

Jace fired and the puck flew through the air. But he was suddenly pulled to the side by Eric Callus. Behind a stack of boxes that was near another landing pad’s entrance. It sailed by and hit a space port worker. Lightning arced off his body before the worker fell unconscious.

Nina and Jace slowed down. Nina moved around the corner cautiously while Jace reloaded the grenade launcher with another taser puck.

"They moved into the landing pad area. Puddle-Jumper, take aim at the ship in landing port zero six." Nina communicated over the communication channel.

Jace grumbled as he moved around the boxes. They moved around into a landing pad where there were several boxes and a single cargo ship. There were a few people offloading the boxes. They froze when they saw them enter.

"Did they move on?" Nina asked.

Jace listened for a moment.

"Do you think they will move on?" He heard the second target’s voice.

"Damnit, now they won’t." Eric Callus told him, Jace could hear the annoyance in the man’s voice. They were moving through the boxes, hiding behind them.

"They are still here," Jace answered with a smirk. Making several hand motions. Nina nodded and they split up. Jace moved along the outer edge of the landing pad. While Nina moved toward the ship.

He could hear them moving slightly. One was moving toward the ship behind some boxes. While the other was moving around the outside. They were moving into a position that Jace would struggle to attack from the area he was coming from.

As Jace moved towards the corner he heard a noise and stopped for a moment before smiling. He moved forward only for the second target to jump out and aim the Pyre he had at Jace. Jace kicked a box toward him while lowering his body.

The bullets flew over his head and hit the wall. Jace then smacked the Pyre out of his hand but as he went to aim the grenade launcher at the second target, the target pulled out a small black device and jammed it in Jace’s side.

Jace felt electricity course through his body. "Take this you bastard." Jace stopped for a moment before turning to the second target. The second target’s face went from a mad grin to a look of horror.

Jace aimed the grenade launcher and fired. The man spasmed for a moment before collapsing forward on the box that was pushed up against his legs. "Second target is acquired." Jace announced.

Then he could hear Eric Callus talking so he reloaded. "This is Shepard to Trentwood, we are compromised. Myself, the Witch, and the guest I was expecting are all going to be captured. I request-"

Bang!

There was a gunshot followed by silence which Jace could only guess meant Nina shot the communication device. He jumped up onto the boxes after reloading another taser puck. He could see both of them. He fired the grenade and the puck hit Eric Callus in the back. He fell on the ground unconscious.

"Both targets acquired, bring the Puddle-Jumper down. Inform command that Eric Callus referred to himself as Shepard and he sent a message directly to Trentwood." Jace announced as he jumped back down and picked up the second target. Even taking a moment to pick up the gun he dropped.

He looked up as the Puddle-Jumper hovered over the landing pad. It was time to go.

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