HAWK

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: PEGASUS (1/6)

The Pegasus was a large, stocky ship, as ugly as the F-88 was beautiful.

Kas observed it via the big screen in the command centre, watching as Worm and Captain Mack and a small army of engineers looked the freighter over, inspecting it for faults.

Worm led the way in her robot suit, stopping every five seconds to point to various places on the hull while the mechanics behind her nodded and made notes. They certainly had their work cut out for them; the ship looked like it had already died twice and should have been broken down for parts years before.

The team spent the next few hours with an arsenal of welding tools, giving the elderly ship a much-needed overhaul while Worm worked her magic on the engine.

When the time came to finally start it up, the command centre was filled from wall to wall with people who had come to witness the big moment. Kas scanned the room and quickly spotted Rhaspa and Mana standing on the dais inside the hologram of Xeo. They looked like they were trapped inside a bubble, waiting for it to pop.

When the floor began to rumble, Kas turned back to the monitor where the old freighter was shuddering violently. The life that had slowly bled from it over several decades was suddenly being forced back into its veins, summoning it back from the dead and demanding it to fulfil its purpose. For a long moment, Kas thought the effort was futile - that the thing would more likely roll over and cough its last than take to the air - but as she watched on, the hulking mass of metal seemed to defy the laws of physics and slowly tore itself away from the ground, spilling ancient dust and small rocks that had settled on it over the years, thinking it as safe a place to rest as any. The ship was leaning a little to one side, but against all odds, it was up.

A huge cheer engulfed the room with claps and hugs aplenty.

'PEGASUS!' someone shouted, and then someone else. More and more people joined in, and within seconds, the entire room was chanting the ship's name.

'PEG-AS-US! PEG-AS-US! PEG-AS-US!'

'Looks like you're getting off this rock after all...' mumbled a voice under the noise. Kas turned to see Sudds standing behind her, his eyes locked on the spectacle in the hangar.

'Looks like it,' Kas replied. 'Have you worked out who else is coming with us?'

'Pari and Beak.'

'Is that all?'

'Not quite. The kid wants to come, too.'

Kas's first instinct was to say no, absolutely not, but what would be the point? Worm would be more useful on board the Pegasus than she would be. If something went wrong with the ship, they would need a mechanic, not a bounty hunter. To leave Worm behind would be to put the entire mission at risk, and since any kind of failure would likely result in the destruction of the solar system, taking the girl with them was probably the smartest thing they could do.

'Then make sure you pack extra food,' she said.

Kas and Sudds watched the Pegasus for a few more seconds before Sudds turned and cut his way through the cheering crowd like a blunt knife. He passed by Rhaspa and Mana just as the old man raised a hand for silence. The noise ceased.

'It is at times like this I would give anything to have my sight back,' Rhaspa imparted. 'The last time the Pegasus was used as a ship was almost thirty years ago. For a long time, it was my home. Now, I pray it will be our saviour.

'Once the Pegasus departs, there will be nothing more we can do. It will take six days for her to reach the IRIS, during which we will have no means of communication with her. We cannot risk the crew being discovered.

'I wish I could tell you we stand a good chance of succeeding, but the immediacy of this new threat has robbed us of time and tactics. We are extremely fortunate that Astrid has arrived when she has. She is now our best and only hope to stop the Intelligence.

'Whatever happens, I want you all to know that I could not have wished for a more wonderful family to share my final years with. Your courage and determination have been my strength for so very long, and I need that from you now more than ever. Be proud. Be fearless. Be the people... you have always been.'

The crowd applauded, and this time there was no cheering or chanting. Every clap was one of respect and honour. Kas felt the hairs rise on her arms and neck and before she knew it, she, too, was clapping.

She looked back at the big screen which now showed the Pegasus lowering towards the ground, touching down with a little more grace than it had risen.