Les Mousquetaires – Chapter 8 (Droit Du Seigneur) Part 1

Artwork by: Joaquin Allen

Les Mousquetaires – Chapter 8 (Droit Du Seigneur) Part 1
 
 
 
     “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”  Ernest Hemingway
 
 
 
 
“There’s a problem with Sorel’s suit.”
 
“We don’t have time for problems.”
 
“He’s got no air.”
 
“Tell him to launch anyway.”
 
“Pardon me?”
 
“Look, this ship’s gonna explode in three minutes.  So, he’s got exactly that long to either learn how to hold his breath, or sort out his suit.  One minute to get clear of the blast,” General Alexander Northman told his second in command.
 
“He’ll die…” his second said, as she watched her leader jump from the falling airship.
 
“Tell everyone to jump now,” she said then, into her radio, in a steadier voice than she ever thought possible.
 
“What about Sorel?” a female member of the crew asked.
 
“Everyone jumps now.  That’s an order,” the short redhead told her crew – just before she too launched through the opening the hostile landing party had made.
 
“Sorel,” she said, as she fell, “point your suit at my beacon.  I’ve got just what you need.”
 
Sorel, a man that was twice her size and yet not nearly as confident, did as he was commanded, and launched from his spot on the crippled research vessel.
 
“Everyone’s in the air,” another voice said, just as Lynnette spotted the large Sorel racing towards her.
 
“Good,” she said with a small satisfied smile, as she continued to slow her descent until the man who had entrusted his life to her caught up with her.
 
When he reached her, he was red in the face and his eyes were severely bloodshot.
 
“Hold on, one more second,” the small woman said, as she reached around and unhooked her air-tank from her own suit.  “I’ve got ya.  I’ve got just what ya need,” she cooed at the man, who had gone limp in her arms, as together they spiraled down towards the ground.
 
Then, with a whoosh, as the air pumped back into his suit, the man suddenly came back alive, as he gulped greedily at the incoming air.
 
“You remember how this goes?” the small woman asked, her facemask pressed tightly to her subordinate's.
 
“When you get to eight-thousand-feet your chute will open.  If it doesn’t, pull this.  You got that?” Lynnette asked, as she demonstrated just where on the man’s suit he could find his altimeter and parachute cord.
 
With a sharp nod, the man took a hard look at the woman who had just handed over her oxygen.
 
“Don’t worry,” she said, after seeing the look on his face, and just before she pushed off from him and made a mad dive with full thrusters straight at the ground, “this is what I was born to do.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© Raena Exe 2021
 
 
*Inspired by life.
*All characters, places, and events are completely fictional.
*All rights reserved.