They were kilometres away, but Amber still saw the detonation flash when Darien's improvised bomb exploded. A moment later she felt the shockwave as it slammed into the ship. Her aching arms gave out and her grip slipped from the steering column, sending her flying across the bridge until she hit one of the consoles. She wasn't the only one either, as anyone not anchored in place went careering around the room under the force.

The ancient vessel's armour held firm against the onslaught, absorbing the brunt of the impact. The superstructure creaked and groaned and one console overloaded, scattering fragments of thick glass all over the bridge. After a few long, frightening seconds, however, the shock dissipated. With a moan of effort Amber levered herself into a sitting position against the console she'd smashed into. Another bruise to add to her impressive collection.

She couldn't find the energy to move any further. She just sat there gazing dimly at her surroundings. The others picked themselves up. Vass shouted out for injury reports; none came. Tundra's squad leader flopped back into the chair of the gunner station, his feet dangling comically from the oversized seat.

The clattering of several pairs of booted feet broke into their stunned silence as Idas and his comrades from the weapon deck arrived on the bridge. She looked over to the hulking operative. His uniform was singed and several thin grazes ran down his left cheek, but he was very much alive. He looked around wide-eyed.

"Did we do it?" he asked, his voice subdued. "Is it dead?"

"It's still out there," Brannigan said, sounding stunned. "But it's not moving anymore. It's starting to sink. I...I think it worked!"

"What about Darien?"

No-one had an answer for him. They had no way to home in on his trauma beacon with the alien ship's equipment – they would simply have to wait for the call from the Manitta-Vanna. For what felt like minutes they sat with nothing but the humming of the engines to fill the void. Worry gnawed at Amber's mind. She knew it shouldn't have taken this long for the others to pick up Darien's beacon. Blink travel was instantaneous – there should have been no delay.

Eventually the waiting became too much for Vass and the impetuous squad leader made the call first to their companions. Although it was heartening to hear Niamh's voice on the other end of the comm her news wasn't good. They still didn't have a reading on Darien. If he hadn't managed to Blink away in time he would simply have been vaporized in the blast and there would be nothing to find.

More time ticked away and she felt a lead weight settle in the base of her stomach. The operatives on the bridge exchanged worried looks as the vessel drifted listlessly without her steering it. Little by little the ocean began to slide by and Amber's heart juddered as the impossible scenario started to become a reality. Despite everything, she'd never really allowed herself to consider the possibility that Darien might actually die...

"We've got a reading!" Niamh suddenly burst over the comm, her voice shrill with relief. "The trauma beacon's active. He's alive!"

Amber felt like she'd been hit by a lightning bolt and she straightened up in her sitting position. Electricity crackled in the air and the change in atmosphere on the bridge was almost palpable. Faces lit up, eyes widened and she could feel the energy flood through the room.

Then cheers exploded over the bridge as the young operatives finally let loose their emotions. The Leviathan was dead – they had won. Some went flying into each other's arms – Vass hugged the shell-shocked Chayze; Idas ruffled Brannigan's hair affectionately. Amber didn't move an inch, just letting the relief seep through her body.

"He's well clear – fifteen kilometres north of the research platform," Niamh continued breathlessly. "We're en route to pick him up now."

"Copy that," Amber breathed, a weak smile crossing her face. "We'll follow your lead." She looked around at the other operatives. "Can someone else drive this thing for a bit?"

"Gotcha covered," Brannigan replied. The girl came over and crouched by her side, taking her hand for a moment. "You're one hell of a driver."

"Yes I am," she laughed. "But I think you'll do just fine."

"You look like hell," Idas chuckled, dropping to one knee on her opposite side. "What say we let Hekket have a look at you?"

"Sounds great, but you're carrying me down there."

Idas grinned. "I suppose I can manage that."

A moment later she was clinging to her burly companion's shoulders as he carried her in a piggy-back down the ramp from the bridge towards the improvised medical bay. In all the activity she'd almost forgotten about Mina and the operatives from ill-fated Vandal Squad. Her elation began to trickle away the closer they came to the room. They hadn't heard anything from Hekket since their assault on the Leviathan began.

Her fears were confirmed when Cath, Tundra's medic, came storming past them with her hand clamped over her mouth. Idas got as far as opening his mouth before the girl was gone, turning down another corridor out of sight.

"Put me down," Amber said. Idas crouched down wordlessly, letting her stand unsteadily on her own two feet. She walked on with what energy she had left, the dread becoming almost palpable in the air. They turned the last corner in the hive of corridors to find the remaining members of Vandal Squad slumped dejectedly. The one she recognised as Taggs stood up. He tried to speak but clamped his mouth shut again, as though he didn't trust his own voice.

"Where's Hekket?" Amber asked quietly.

Taggs took a shuddering breath before replying. "He beat down that passage," he said, gesturing over his shoulder with a jerk of his thumb. "That last hit..." He broke off, fighting to keep control of his emotions. Eventually he grafted out the words Amber knew were coming. "Mina's dead. Hekket...he's blamin' himself."

Amber nodded, exchanging a worried look with Idas. The big operative motioned her down the passage.

"You better go get him," he told her. "I'm no good with words. I'll end up making it worse."

She laid a hand briefly on Taggs' arm, then trudged down the hallway he'd indicated.

Amber found Hekket not far from the corner in a dark empty passage, sitting down with his chin propped up on crossed arms, leaning on his knees as he stared at the far wall. His face was an unmoving mask, save for the two rivulets of tears running down his cheeks. She stood there for a moment, waiting, but he didn't acknowledge her presence.

"Hekket?" she whispered.

He swallowed hard, not looking at her. "Hi."

She felt her heart wrench seeing him like this; a picture of unjustified guilt. Wincing with the effort, she stepped over and lowered her battered body into a sitting position beside him. They sat in silence for what felt like minutes.

"You know," Hekket said eventually, his voice hoarse and shaking. "There are times when I really hate this job."

"It's not your fault."

"I know that. It's just...I was the one there. It was my responsibility. The last thing Darien told me was to keep her alive, and I couldn't do it."

"You're only human, Hekket. None of us can work miracles." She hesitated, and then shuffled closer to him, hooking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder. He stiffened slightly at her touch at first, but then relaxed, leaning against her. She felt him sigh.

"Thanks for being here."

Amber smiled, shifting to look at him. "I reckon we could both use a hug right now."

That little phrase managed to slip through the cracks in his grief-stricken exterior. He let out a short, coughing laugh through the tears and freed his arm, slinging it around her shoulders and pulling her close. Amber tucked herself up against him, leaning her head gratefully against his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat.

Amber lost track of how much time they spent just sitting, feeling the ship swing and move beneath them as Brannigan regained control. They didn't speak and she fell into a doze, the exhaustion of the whole venture catching up to her with a vengeance. Only when another transmission from Niamh filled her ear-piece did she stir, lifting her head from Hekket's chest and listening intently.

"This is Niamh to all personnel," the second officer declared over the comm. Her voice cracked and Amber could hear something utterly alien in her squad mate's voice. "We've got Darien aboard. This mission is over."

She sounded heartbroken.

*

Darien's eyes flickered open. At first he couldn't see anything – just a glare of white that made him squint. Gradually his vision began to adjust, but as his senses returned he felt the pain start to come alive up and down the right side of his body. His mind went blank as the waves of agony swept over him and for several minutes all he could do was wait for the shock to subside. The pain dulled into a low throbbing ache and he started thinking; remembering.

His Blink from the doomed submarine in the jaws of the Leviathan had been timed to the last fraction of a second. He remembered the instant when he materialised in mid air over the swirling, thundering oceans of Marianas. Just before the rip in space-time closed the bomb had exploded, and the tiniest vestige of the blast followed him through.

His memory went fuzzy after that. While the force that slipped through after him was negligible compared to the full yield of the bomb, it was still enough to propel him through the air and lash him with flames. He remembered the white-hot glare of the fire and then slamming into the sea. Did he activate the trauma beacon? He was still alive, so he must have. So now where was he?

Eventually his vision cleared, more or less. He could barely see out of his left eye, but he had enough sight to make out the long white lighting strip built into the ceiling. With a groan of effort he propped himself up on his right elbow and looked around. The room was an infirmary, he recognised that much, but it wasn't the one at Blink HQ. Only a handful of the lights were functioning and he could see some of the equipment was cracked and damaged. He wasn't home yet.

"Hey stranger," a familiar voice said from somewhere. It took him a moment to pinpoint the source and, wincing with the effort, he turned to look. His heart flooded with relief when he saw Amber lying in a bed a few metres away. She waved, grinning at him; her leg hung in a sling.

"Amber..." he murmured. "Where are we?"

"The research platform infirmary," she replied.

"The platform...but the Leviathan! The last thing I remember-,"

"Don't worry, hero," Amber chuckled. "We're safe. You're crazy, but you pulled it off. That thing is dead."

For a moment he didn't believe it. "Really?"

"Darien, I'm not that mean. Tydnall's already coordinating teams looking over the corpse. You blew its skull apart with that bomb."

Gingerly he lowered himself back into the bed with a gasp of relief. "Thank God for that."

"Tell me about it." She propped herself up in the bed. It didn't look like she'd taken any more injuries than he already knew about, and she seemed in full command of her faculties as she continued "Your little nuke caused a tidal wave. Lucky for us this place is seriously well designed. There's some superficial damage and flooding, but it's mostly operational. Once we confirmed the Leviathan was down everyone transferred back over here."

"And the others...everyone else is okay?"

Amber's mouth opened but the words stuck in her throat. She stuttered and he saw blood rush to her cheeks. "Everyone from Hammerhead," she managed.

Instantly he knew what she meant and he felt a shudder in his chest. "Mina?"

Amber pressed her lips together and shook her head. Then a third voice rescued her before he could press the point.

"I would think more about yourself right now, Darien. You're lucky to be alive."

Narrowing his eyes, he looked around and found a bearded man in a white lab coat rising from a chair and walking towards him with a furrowed brow. Darien recoiled as far as he was able as the doctor advanced.

"Easy there, kid," he said, extending a placating hand. His voice was coarse – hard. "Don't try to move. Just lie back."

"Who're you?" Darien forced out.

The doctor stopped at his bedside. His frown disappeared, replaced by a gentle smile. "I'm Dr. Ennes, head medical officer. How do you feel?"

"I've been better."

"I don't doubt it. Do you remember what happened?"

Darien cast a glance at his squad-mate in the next bed before replying. "I got out of the submarine and triggered the bomb...I think I was clipped by the blast."

"You were." Ennes nodded. "Frankly I'm amazed you're in one piece."

"That makes two of us. What's the damage?"

"Not as bad as it could have been." Ennes glanced down at the data slate in his right hand. "Your armour and wetsuit took the brunt of the blast. Your left side was badly knocked about; you have a concussion and you suffered second and third degree burns to your arm, leg and the side of your face. You've been unconscious for nine hours."

"My eye," Darien murmured. "My vision's all blurry."

"Don't worry – it will clear up. Between the tissue regenerators and minor nano-surgery we caught the worst of it before any permanent damage could be done. All tolled, you'll come out the other end of this with a few scars but you'll be fully recovered." He placed the data-slate on the bedside table and looked Darien in the eye. "That is, providing you take it easy for the next few weeks. You Operatives are a tough bunch, but you're still human. You'll need a few more courses of regen treatment before the worst of the burns clear up. No dancing with fireballs, understand?"

"No promises," Darien laughed. Pain jolted through his chest and he immediately regretted the joke. Take a steadying breath, he nodded to Amber. "What about her?"

"Me?" Amber answered indignantly. "I'm fine. Doctor Ennes says I have to stay under observation for my leg."

"She's been like this since they brought her in," the doctor said, smiling. "Even though she could barely stand when they did."

Amber pulled a sour face, folding her arms and flopping back against the bed pillows.

Ennes shook his head then turned for the door. "Well, Darien, I guess you'll be keen to see the rest of your squad. It was all we could do to keep them out of here while we patched you up."

The infirmary doors slid open. Ennes stepped aside and the other four operatives of Hammerhead Squad came piling through the gap. He turned his head and felt a surge of energy in his chest at the sight of his friends. His heart flipped when he saw Niamh leading the way. She came to a halt at the bedside and cocked her head to one side, smiling mischievously.

"Is that it?" she teased. "We all thought you'd actually been hurt!"

"Very funny." He glared blearily at her. "I'll be out of here soon. What's our status?"

"He's fine," Idas chuckled as Niamh filled in their situation.

"I've contacted Blink HQ and sent a preliminary report to Smith – there's a ship en route to pick us up," she began. "All personnel are back on board the station."

"What happened to the city?"

"There's enough left for Churchwood and his buddies to get their teeth into. The Leviathan did a lot of damage when it pulled free, but the superstructure stayed intact." She gave him a nod. "Mission accomplished. We've got a goldmine down there."

"It better be worth it," Darien replied as his eyes found Hekket. The medic lowered his gaze; his shoulders sagged slightly lower than everyone else. "Hekket, you okay?"

"I guess so." The other boy shrugged.

"You did your best." Darien took a long breath, knowing there was nothing else he could say to deaden the blow. He'd known Mina for two years – a good operative and a friend – and she would be a big loss to the Blink organisation. On top of that Vandal had lost another long serving operative in Kemper. For a moment the mood in the room dipped as the others exchanged looks, but then something occurred to Darien – a way to salvage something from the worst of the situation.

"Brannigan – Kelsey," he said, beckoning her forward.

Sheepishly, she detached herself from the group and stepped toward him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too, kiddo." He took a moment to collect his thoughts and when he started speaking he made sure to keep his voice calm and measured. "For the record, I stand by my statement regarding your conduct when we took on that thing in the tunnels." Darien saw her brow furrow and her body stiffen, but she kept her silence as he continued. "That being said, it was a stressful situation and I may have jumped the gun."

She looked up sharply at that. "Huh?"

"Your assignment was always temporary," he said. "But when we get back to Blink, I think you deserve another shot. You came through in the end and this was not an easy learning curve. Vandal are down two people and they're going to need good operatives to fill those spaces. What do you think?"

"Yes!" Brannigan blurted out.

He smiled. "Good. I'll put a word in with Smith when we get home."

"Alright everyone," Doctor Ennes chimed in, still standing by the doorway. "I have to insist that Darien gets some rest now. I'll keep you informed."

With a touch of reluctance the group turned for the door, but Niamh lingered for a second. She glanced around to make sure no-one was watching then reached forward and squeezed his hand.

"See you soon," she whispered.

THE END