The ship lights changed red and there was a new sense of urgency in the air. As I ran past people, I could see frantic movement and a greater sense of purpose. Not saying that the situation earlier was a walk in the park but you tend to be more receptive to action when somebody was trying to shoot you.

I was running hard, trying to reach my team but the pack was slowing me down. The armored environmental suit I was wearing didn't have the amplification system that the combat models do. The model I was using was rated for extreme temperatures for both hot and cold and was certified for void work. All of that amazing tech still weighs and I was already puffing and I was only just halfway there. I had the unfortunate luck of responding to an emergency that was way out of my area of responsibility.

"Albert, D-15 and D-16 are on their way here. The fire is getting out of control. I can see you're going to pass a repair locker. Get some gel. We're gonna need it."

"I..got...it..." I could barely find the air to speak, I was so focused in sucking as much oxygen in my lungs. I was really out of shape. Well, I was never really in shape.

I took a left at the end of the passage and found the locker Franny was talking about. Repair lockers are placed in strategic locations for easy access. They all have the same contents so if you can find one, you'll always know what's inside.

I yanked it open and popped the latch of a sealed box. The box contains half a dozen gel packs and I took them all, stuffing them in my front pouch. I closed the box and made a quick scan to see if there is anything else I could use. There were a few more fire grenades but I decided that it would be a bad idea to take everything. Somebody might need it later. Besides, I was already heavily loaded.

I started running again and almost tripped when the ship suddenly rumbled. I was more surprised than physically bothered by it. The inertia compensators were working so it must have been something serious for me to feel it. I toggled our team channel.

"Got the gels...huff...Will be there...huff...soon."

"Great. D-15 is already here but D-16 got redirected towards a different emergency. Move your ass!"

I didn't bother to answer and just took the next ladder down. I slid down and dropped heavily, groaning from the weight on my back. A couple of turns later, I finally reached the storage room that was in flames. Franny was not kidding, the room was raging.

My team was hanging back, assisting D-15 while they used their suppressors to try and beat back the flames. T saw me and pointed at the ground in front of him. I took a knee at the spot and pressed a button on my backpack belt. The retracted rack on the pack extended, allowing quick access to the stuff I brought.

The team hastily started removing things, attaching some to their person while replacing some parts on their own equipment. I could see that their suits were blackened from the fire but were still in good condition. T replaced a melted connecting tube while Musaka reloaded his grenade launcher.

The fire grenade works on the principle of oxygen starvation. The grenade creates a small explosion that burns the oxygen in the area, therefore starving the fire of the fuel it needs. The difficulty in making these grenades was that it should be strong enough to use the surrounding oxygen while not blowing anything up. In most situations, chemical retardants would be easier than using the grenades but for ships, there could be some very important equipment that is susceptible to them.

"Right on time, man. I was starting to feel a little useless watching those D-15 guys." T said. He just finished replacing his tube and was spraying a specialized non-conductive fluid that has been highly modified for fire fighting. The fluid needs to be able to suppress fire and keep our electronics alive. Rather than spraying it as a stream, the fluid was being projected from T's hose as a thick mist, slowly moving its way inward the room.

"Yes. I also dislike the feeling." Musaka added. He was firing his launched at an angle, working his way from the back, sweeping left and right. The grenades were working beautifully, blasting pockets of fire out.

"Don't worry. There's enough work for everybody. Albert, the gels please." I passed the gels I primed while the team was loading themselves with equipment to Franny. She pressed a button on one then tossed it at a cleared space. The area was still smoking and the glow of embers could be seen scattered amongst the burned equipment when the pack hit the floor. The gel pack quickly melted then a thin green, viscous liquid started spreading out rapidly. The gel spread out across the room, smothering embers, ensuring that it would no flare ups would occur in the case of oxygen. The gel slowly evaporated, leaving the area completely fire-inert.

Our team and D-15 worked in tandem, slowly but efficiently working ourselves deeper in the storage room. It's a huge one with a lot of things to feed the fire. Franny and T worked at each end of the room, slowly sweeping with their mist guns while Musaka was pumping grenades at especially fierce fires. I trailed behind, injecting reloads for the mist tanks, handing out fire grenades and keeping an eye out for flash points. I have a heat sensor in my left hand that I used to sweep the extinguished areas of the room. It's more of a safety precaution more than anything. The mist, grenades, and the gels already formed three levels of blanketing material. My sensor is already overkill but like what I learned during training, fire is the bane of all ships. Much better to be doubly sure than not.

It took us about five minutes before Franny declared the 'Fire out' signal. All the time we were working, rumbles and small tremors could be felt once in a while. I ignored it and just focused on my job, being a pack mule for the team.

"Shit, man. That's a lot of creds that just went up in smoke. The hell, man!" T was looking around the room, pointing at the destroyed equipment. He bent down and picked up a half-burned replacement chip for one of the recycler drones. It crumbled in his hand.

"Equipment could be replaced. There was no reported casualty during the fire nor did we find one. We are fortunate." Musaka made an excellent point, people before equipment. I suppose there is a point that we have to take risks to save equipment since we are basically floating in space in a metal can and properly non-burnt equipment would be essential for our continued existence but you can buy parts at the next port. You can't buy a life.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't like it when somebody wrecks our stuff. It's a waste of money. Money wasted mean less money for us." Right. the shares thing. I forgot.

"Enough blabbering. Time to head back. Don't forget, we're on General Quarters. D-15 is already gone." Franny said.

I looked around and indeed, the other response crew was already gone. Franny hustled us out of the room, pushing and shoving us to move. There were no immediate problems that we have to respond to at the moment but that could change in an instant, combat damage can happen at any moment.

We made it back in short order. The team was pulling out ammunition and charging pumps. I had to work extra fast since they basically emptied out my pack. The only thing left were the patching equipment. Franny was busy talking with control, trying to keep us informed about the flow of the battle. The rest of us took advantage to get our helmets off. The suits weren't exactly brand new. Despite the advancement in technologies, removing the smell of farts in old suits still elude scientists.

"Hectic day, eh?" T was wiping the sweat off his glistening plate. It seems his suit thermals broke.

"Hectic!? I almost died! Friggin' mine opened a hole in the deck. Mom had to shock me to keep me from passing out. Next, I had to patch a huge hole then I had to run all the way back to get back to you guys, so yeah, It's a hectic day." Musaka was strapping himself secure in his seat and I could hear him laughing, that airy coughing Inugorians make.

"Bracing experience, is it not? I find life and death situations as a testament about our lives, species willing to fight for their place in the galaxy."

"Dude, what the hell are you talking about? The last time we getting shot at you were the first one to tell us to break it off. We could have totally wrecked those raiders." T said.

"Well, yes. We could. But it would also mean less credits for us. If I may remind you, we were being paid to capture them alive. That means not dead. I distinctly remember you were the one insisting that we, and I quote, 'shoot them in the ass' for the difficulty they've put us through. Thankfully, Franny also has a vested interest in keeping our captives unharmed."

"THAT WAS ONE TIME, MAN! You'll never let me live that one down, won't you? There is probably nobody left that you've not told that story to."

"It presents too good of a moral for people. Restraint has a place and time." I didn't notice I was nodding along. Musaka talks like everything he says has weight. He probably does.

Franny removed her helmet and her red hair spilled out. She cracked her neck and looked at T.

"I didn't hear you complaining about the creds in your bank account after that job. Who knows, those stupid bastards could have died from an infection of something. I would have been pissed at you then.

"Anyway, great job guys. All emergencies have been addressed. Control says the transport we were looking for was actually two transports. Somehow, one of the ships was able to extend its cloaking field to hide the other one, that's why were only able to pick up one signal. The other one is a heavily modified carrier. It's a piece of shit from what I've heard and it was spewing out some outdated fighters. Our pilots are having a field day out there. The captain is not in a generous mood after they holed his ship so half of the Spathas are on anti-ship bomber runs. They're not going to last long.

Alright, when we return to normal duties, Albert, you and Musaka are to get some food ready. Our people are going to be hungry. T, check up with the other-

Franny was not able to complete what she was about to say when klaxon suddenly started blaring, drowning her out.

"Attention crew! Boarding sleds detected. Prepare to receive boarders. Repeat, prepare to receive boarders. Ship security, to your defensive positions. Ship crew, report to the nearest armory."

All of us were cursing as we pulled off our straps. The ship has a small number of armories spread out in multiple decks. The biggest one was just beside the security station. The logic behind it was to not put all our eggs in one basket. It gives the ship the opportunity to fight back if one is captured. Conversely, there would be more opportunities for boarders to get extra weapons if they capture one.

I was about to run to the armory when I saw the others opening their packs.

"Uh, guys? Aren't we, I dunno, suppose to go to the armory...?" I was fidgeting around, not sure why they aren't too bothered by the announcement.

I was going to ask again when T pulled out an energy gun from his pack. I looked over to Musaka and he was loading his own energy pistol with a fresh power cell.

"Here, use this." Franny handed me an energy pistol. It's was a Galmex ST-14, a pistol based on Barral tech. It's a bit heavier than regular energy guns since the miniaturization process didn't translate well to current tech and it only has two firing modes but it was essentially modeled after the PDF23, albeit a more powerful variant.

"What about you?" Franny opened her locker and took out an axe. It was no ordinary axe, it looked like something out of fantasy novel.

"What. the. hell."

Was the only thing I could say. It was a large, wide-bladed hand axe. The scarlet-painted head has a forty-five centimeter retractable spike on top and a crow's beak at the back. It looked like somebody took a halberd and cut the shaft to fit it as a single-handed weapon. I could also see energy running on the plasteel shaft. The grip was molded and I could see that it fits Franny's hand perfectly.

"Don't worry about me, I have an extra." Franny clipped the axe on her right thigh and drew another energy pistol from her pack. She also attached it on her weapon slot on her left thigh.

Franny had to instruct me on how to slot my weapon on my armor. We haven't gotten to that part yet. She also gave me three extra power cells that were good for five hundred regular shots each or one hundred overcharged ones. Overcharging shots allow the laser to punch through anything less than power exosuits. I was taught not to get too comfortable using pumped shots. You'll not last long in a gun fight.

Armed and ready. I stashed my power cells on the belt pouch. I rehearsed grabbing them to check if anything catches when I dig in it and was satisfied that I could reload cleanly. I noticed that my hands were slightly shaking. I knew that there was always the possibility of me having to pick a gun and fight but it still doesn't remove the fact I don't react well to it. I tried opening and closing my hands to stop the tremors but it was still there. A large paw landing gently on my shoulder made me look up from staring at my shaking hands. A pair of bright green eyes greeted me.

"Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, the absence of fear in a person is more concerning. Do not think of it as ending the life of others but continuing your own. Take slow and deep breaths. Focus at the task at hand. Empty your mind of thoughts of fighting and go over your equipment checklist. Are you fully equipped? Did you check your seals? have you checked on your teammate's suit?" Musaka's voice slowly help me bleed out the anxiety that I didn't know was building up. I followed his instructions and took deep breaths, ignoring my gun for the moment and focused on my job and wouldn't you know it, I forgot something. I looked back at the placid Inugorian and felt myself calming.

"Thank you." I was very sincere too.

"Nothing to thank for, friend." reassured that I was not panicking, he went back to his seat and relaxed. I looked over to see that Franny was following the exchange and gave me bright smile and a thumbs up. I replied in kind then went back to stuff my pack with the few things I forgot.

When I went back to my seat, Franny approached me.

"Okay, I know we could potentially be in a fight. When a call comes in and we have to move out, T and I will be walking point. Stick by Musaka and keep your right hand free. We're a damage response crew, we're not expected to fight. Still, we need to be able to protect ourselves, hence the weapons. We would try to circumnavigate any firefights but we still need to get to our calls fast. If we do get into a fight, remember your training. Don't jab with the gun. Keep behind cover and let us deal with it. You'll be acting as our support so if I tell you to fire on something or someone, don't hesitate, clear?"

"Crystal."

"Great. We'll get you your red stripe yet."

"Red stripe?"

"A red stripe on your ship jacket. It marks you as a fighter."

"Oh. Okay then. Honestly though, I'd be fine if I didn't get the opportunity to earn one."

Franny just laughed and went back to her seat. She toggled her comms and was busy listening in to control. The rest of just tried to get as much rest as we can. I opened a small pocket and took out a food bar. I unwrapped it and took a big bite. It was a mistake.

"God, this thing is horrible!" I wanted to spit it out but it was a waste of food and there is no greater sin for a cook than to waste food. I could hear T and Musaka laughing.

"You don't have to tell us, brother. That bar is notorious for its taste. I think the company that makes them didn't care enough to make it taste good. It's really nutritious, though."

"T, I don't care that it's healthy. It still sucks. When I get the time, I'll introduce you guys to something called a granola bar. They're old school trail food. Pre-space recipe nutritionally improved for the modern man."

"Hey, if you can make ration bars better, the ground pounders will kiss your feet."

"I don't think it would take much to make this edible." I waved the bar at him.

The three of us continued bantering, waiting for the next emergency. Franny would make a comment here or there but she was mostly focused on listening in to control. I understand that they were doing this for my benefit. I'm not used to the idea of getting shot. Now, there is a distinct possibility that I would be dodging lasers before the end of the day. I knew that they were trying hard to get my mind off it and I appreciate it.

It didn't take long before Franny cut in during our conversation about the benefits of flash toasting bread.

"Alright boys, we're on. Check your map. We're going to be plugging some holes. Keep your eyes open, ShipSec is still fighting off some raiders on Deck E-4. I've plotted a route to bypass them but there might be some stragglers."

I just finished resealing my helmet when the map blinked on. Deck E was not far from our station and it makes sense since it is within our area of responsibility. I stood up and put on my bulging backpack. I double-checked that the energy gun's safety was engaged then powered it on.

Franny and T were already moving out. I hurried to follow and Musaka drew level with me. We worked our way towards our marker, fast but cautious. Franny and T were jogging ahead, a couple of meters separating us. We were climbing up a deck when I started hearing the faint sounds of fighting. There were no explosions, more of the high, keening sounds of energy discharge. Gauss weapons are rarely used when fighting within the confines of a ship. The weapons are too destructive to be used around sensitive equipment. Most boarders aim to capture ships with as little damage as possible. The less holes they blow, the more profits they make.

"I just got an update, ShipSec said that our uninvited guests are almost done in. Just a few small groups trying to evade security. They're not exactly sure where all of them are so, you know, keep an eye out." Franny said.

"Great. Now every corner is a possible surprise." I intoned.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Musaka did sound excited.

"No, no it's not."

"You'll get used to it. We'll help you. We'll even let you take the first shot, won't we, Franny?" T added.

"Of course. 'Experience breeds proficiency' as the saying goes." Franny slowed down and took a quick peek at the next corner. She gave an all clear and waved us on.

"No, it doesn't say that. You made that up."

"Still true, though."

We were almost to our marker when Murphy's law made itself known. We came upon a T-junction, the left route was towards officer's country while taking the right route will bring you to one of the ship's small armories.

T checked the corner going right when he suddenly jerked back. He almost lost his footing after throwing himself away from the blade now sticking out from the corner.

I knew that my team was made up of experienced fighters but I haven't imaged them outside the confines of the galley. Imagine my surprise when as soon as T secured his footing, his right hand flashed to his gun and shot the emerging augment three times in quick succession. To me, the entire sequence happened like something went missing in the middle. I just know I saw T evading then the next thing I saw is the human augment crumpling to the ground. Three scorch marks were visible on the boarder's chest.

"Back! move back!" T kept firing down the right passage while the rest of us flattened ourselves to the wall. T dropped and rolled towards us, counter fire peppering the deck.

Franny took a knee and fired back with her weapon, giving T the opportunity to clear the wide corridor. He was scrambling on the deck, trying to keep from getting himself shot.

I grabbed his collar and pulled him in as soon a lull in the shooting from the boarders came.

"You okay, man?" I asked. I couldn't see any injuries but I might have missed something.

"Yeah, I'm good. They almost got the drop on me, shit."

"I don't even know how you avoided that. You're damn fast."

"Natural gift and training. If either one was missing, I would have been dead."

"T, Stop yapping and shoot back! Musaka, get on the line and sic ShipSec on these assholes."

T stood up and fired from a standing position. We didn't have any heavy weaponry but so did the boarders. I just crouched beside Musaka with my own energy pistol in my hand. We were trading shots with the enemy but it seems like we were at a stalemate.

"I've relayed our position to the nearest unit. They have informed me that they will arrive momentarily." T shared to the team.

"Momentarily!? that is not what I want to hear. Listen, get back to them and-"

Franny had to break off talking when a storm of laser fire forced her to draw back from her firing position. T flinched when a laser almost shot off his arm. It went on for about a couple of seconds then nothing. Franny and T were about to fire back but when they peeked out of the corner, what they found was five boarders charging our position.

"Shit!"

We didn't have time to move to another position. The boarders were already halfway towards us when the shooting stopped. Instead of running towards a fallback position, I saw Franny draw her axe. A soul-wrenching scream exploded from her throat then she burst from her hiding position, axe raised high. T backpedaled, shooting from the hip like one of those ancient gunslingers. Musaka slotted his gun and got into all fours. He started loping after Franny, moving at great speed. He gave me one instruction as he and Franny closed in with the boarders.

"Kill the shooter!"

I gather that there was probably one or two guys that will be trying to take pot shots at us while the other boarders get up close and personal. I sidled to the corner and tried to not look at the melee Franny and Musaka were currently embroiled in. Franny greeted the lead boarder with an axe to the gut. The boarder tried to bisect the red-haired head cook with a diagonal slash with her cutlass but Franny sidestepped and slammed her axe deep in her opponent's stomach. Musaka took a short leap and delivered a powerful kick to the head of one of the boarders trying to take advantage of the opening the dying swordswoman made. There was a lot of snap in the kick, rattling the man's brain. He dropped unconscious on the deck.

I wrenched my sight from the fight and looked for the shooter in the background. Sure enough, A raider with a rifle popped out of a doorway. That was stupid. It was one of the first things T had drilled in me. Do not expose yourself when there is cover to be had. He hasn't fired yet, probably trying not to hit one of his people when I took my shot. He was perfectly outlined and stationary, a clear sightline from my pistol.

And I missed.

Missed probably is too gracious to describe my pathetic shot. I shot the bulkhead almost three meters behind him. He didn't even realize that he was under fire. He was moving now, trying to get a better angle. I cursed then quickly went over mentally what T had taught me. I toggled the burst fire mode and tried again.

This time, I did better. I didn't hit him but it forced him back to the doorway, my laser fire burning the deck around him. He jumped back, hiding in the room. I took a couple more shots to keep him from shooting back then quickly ducked back around my corner. The fight was now in the middle of the junction. Two of the five attackers were already down and out but the other three were fighting with desperate vigor. Musaka was fighting off two boarders and was slowly backing the embattled Inugorian off. Musaka was throwing kicks and punches at an astonishing speed. The one on his left tried to tackle him to the deck but was greeted by a powerful punch, staggering him back. His partner had to work double time, using his cutlass to keep Musaka at sword-length.

For a race known as healers, the Inugorians probably have the most aggressive fighting style. They built their fighting style with the principle of overwhelming power. They attack fast, hard, and multiple times. There were some expert martial artists that criticized the form for its lack of defensive maneuvers, the powerful strikes leaving a lot of openings. The Inugorian simply asked them to spar with them. It was said that the experts that participated in the sparring changed their opinions afterward. An interviewer asked why and they just said, 'you don't have to defend when your opponent is too busy trying to defend himself.'

Once the mouth-bleeding boarder cleared his head, he raised his sword to get at Musaka while his partner was keeping the Inugorian's attention. He took at step forward then dropped to the deck.

T was watching the fight, trying to get a shot in when Musaka's punch forced the boarder to an open space. T didn't hesitate and shot him in the head, burning a hole through his temple. The boarder dropped like a puppet whose string were suddenly cut. Musaka was now free to focus his attention on the lone swordsman. He was dodging and weaving around the sword strokes while keeping the other boarder within sight. With the other boarder gone, Musaka was able to go on an offensive. Timing the strike of the cutlass-wielding opponent, Musaka dove inside the man's space then stopped the strike mid-swing. Rather than blocking the blade, Musaka blocked the swing near the grip, bleeding off the power of the strike and jarring the sword arm. Musaka's right arm punched forward in an open palm. He wrapped his long finger on the man's neck then twisted, breaking it with a loud crack. It happened so fast the man probably didn't see the attack coming.

The shooter tried to work his way around the corner of the doorway but I kept him from making any aimed shots. He was spraying with his rifle, hoping for a lucky shot. There were multiple chances that I could have taken him down but like him, I suck.

While I was trading fire with the rifleman, Franny faced off with the last boarder and he was a big bastard. He was more than two meters tall and unlike the other boarders, he was fit and looked competent.

Unlike the others that were using cutlasses, this one drew a long knife. He moved at speed, belying his size. He was using his knife to make fast, precise cuts. Franny had to use the shaft of her axe to block those she couldn't dodge but it was a losing proposition. The man was putting a lot of power in his strikes and it was pushing Franny around. Musaka tried to help but had to drop down flat when the rifleman sprayed his area with laser fire. I was trying to keep him pinned down since I couldn't hit him but he wasn't taking aimed shots. He was just sticking the rifle out and pulling the trigger. It was a miracle he hasn't killed the big one yet.

Franny was not happy being pushed around. Another scream tore out of her throat then she stepped back. The big guy was surprised too. Normally, screaming would mean working yourself forward so he was totally unprepared when a gap opened between them. The knifeman tried to rush in again but Franny had swinging space. Her axe pulsed blue when the knifeman blocked the overhead strike. The man suddenly shouted then dropped on his knee, electrocuted by Franny's axe. Franny drew back then cut off the now-stationary man's arm. The axe cleaved through the shoulder, severing the arm with an explosion of blood and gore. The man dropped on his back, flailing around in pain. Franny straddled the man then gripped her axe in an underhand grip. With a last shout of rage, Franny stabbed down with the spike of the axe through the man's heart. The man only had time to gasp before he died.

I was still trying to tag the rifleman but I still couldn't hit him. I took a knee to better steady my shots but still I missed. I already worked through one power cell. That's a whole lot of ammo for nothing.

I was reloading when the man stepped out of the room. Franny and Musaka had just finished their fight and were still out in the open. There was nobody else the shooter had to worry about now. I was still pulling out a spare power cell but there wasn't enough time to reload my pistol. I was not thinking when I threw the power cell as hard as I can at the rifleman. The power cell smashed on the man's ear, making him drop the rifle and grab his bleeding ear. Before he could recover, T shot him in the chest, burning three holes in a nice, close grouping.

It was like time stopped. We were all just standing around, breathing heavily. I couldn't believe I was still alive. I participated in a firefight! I wanted to throw up but I was still trying to register what happened. I think I would have stayed there, looking at the dead shooter if not for Franny's voice coming in clear in my helmet speaker.

"C'mon, we still have a job to do."

Right. We're damage control. That is what we do.

If our enemies just try to remember that, everything will do just fine.

but they won't, will they...