XIII. Icy Item 4

We arrived at Illuves, the ice-snow planet, and as the scanner confirmed there were no hostile threats around. The planet had one galactic outpost but it was decommissioned because the planet got colder for any species to be station here. Now only the wildlife of this planet are the ones that roam here from penguins, seals, and to the most dangerous one polar bears. But lucky for us the temperature is colder than normal which means all the predator is down in their holes hibernating.

I landed the ship about three meters from where Item 4 is supposed to be. I got out of my chair and went to the back to get snow gear, Celestine followed and took her gear. We packed up a few explosives, laser cutters and other essential gears. I took a gun from the shelf and handed it to her.

"I know they're asleep but just in case."

"Thanks" She took and stowed the gun away.

We took a small drilling rover with us, Celestine opened the hatch. I looked at Luther, he was looking at us wishing to go but his leg is still being repaired.

"Luther! Music's on the captain's chair. I hope you like earth music" I told him. He limped near the chair "Be back in five songs"

We stepped outside, we couldn't walk due to the snow giving us low visibility. Celestine operated the rover which has a high intensity light guided us to the site where the scanners show Item 4 is located. As we reach the spot Celestine operated the rover that automatically extruded an extra arm with a laser muzzle. The muzzle fired the laser and the rover moved in a circular formation which created a hole in the icy ground.

The ice fell down in a loud thud and I took a peak and saw that it was a hollow area below. Celestine gave me a rope and we rappelled downwards. As we rappel down the rover gave us lighting, but we still turned on our torches. We dropped down and I looked around and saw thick ice in some portions while others were translucent enough to let me see computers and equipment.

"This was the scientific outpost before it was deep underground." Celestine informed me.

We wasted no time in questions not because we already wasted enough allotted time back on Bliteum but because this planet is freezing cold. We took out our scanners and scanned the room. We swept around for a little while until my scanner picked up something, Celestine heard the alarm. She came to my position and used her laser cutter to slice about 45 inches of ice block.

When she pulled the ice block we saw Item 4. We smiled at each other and loaded it to one of the rapples, Celestine operated the rover to pull up Item 4. We stopped for a while because we heard a loud growl coming from a dark corner nearby. We prepared our guns as we saw a grown polar bear stand up and roared at us.

The bear charged at us. I drew out my gun and shot at it but the bullets did not penetrate. I pushed Celestine aside as we slid away from each other and the bear headbutting the wall cracking it. The bear shakes off the hit and looks towards Celestine who was taking out a concussive grenade from the grenade cluster in her belt.

The bear rushed towards lifting its paw to attack, I dashed to protect Celestine while using my bag as a shield. The bear backhands both of us, we flew a considerable distance, the cluster of grenade was also knocked out. Celestine looked at me, the bear walked towards us. I wasted no time as I dashed to the cluster of grenades and took one and slide it near the bear. I ran away to give distance.

Celestine, on a safe distance saw the grenade detonated it. She ducked down and I curled into a fetal position so to about the blast, as it exploded we didn't feel a strong wind but rather a hot air, I didn't throw a concussive grenade but rather a live one. The shock of the live grenade probably made all his organs solid. The bear growled weakly and collapsed on the floor. Celestine helped me up.

"I thought I told you to use the concussive ones." She barrates.

"Well they don't have labels and they looked the same to me"

"Let's just get out of here and meet back with M'Khari"

We were about to move but we froze as we heard a louder growl in the dark corner from where the bear went out. A silhouette of a bear is slowly revealing itself. I looked at Celestine, she looked back at me worried.

"I'll distract it, you get out of here and find a way to pull me out okay?" I told her.

"We already killed one. It'll be easier to it if there's two us" She replied as she cocked her gun.

I sighed know that she is right and I have no way of winning any arguments with her. The bear kept walking in the shadow, it's figure kept growing, I begin to looked worried. The bear wasn't six foot and some inches like the one earlier, this one was about eight feet tall. It's vision was still blurry as evident of it tumbling and slow pace cant.

"Your offer still on the table?" Celestine asked me.

"No. We do this together remember"

The bear walked towards the dead one. It tried to wake it up by shaking it, the bear tries a few more times, suddenly it growled. I realized that the bigger bear was the mother who just realized her son is dead made all the hair on my back rise up. It sniffed the air around, it looked at to where we currently are. Her eyes might be blurred but her smelling isn't obstructed.

"It's gonna kill us" She nervously informed me.

"I think it's a she"

The bear roared ever so deafening. It charged at us with murderous intent, we spread out. Mama bear hit the wall behind us, it cracked, she shook it off and smelled for her targets. She went after Celestine, Celestine walks back as the bear advance, she aims her gun. The bear raises her paw but I shot her in the back, the bullets did nothing but it was enough for her to run after me. I run and shoot away from her but her skin was thicker than her cub.

We took turns being chased while the other one shoots at the bea, but we know can't keep this us either we get tired or the ammo gets low. I try my best to stay in the walls and let the bear hit it trying to give us a few seconds before it charges back.

While I was running away, Celestine noticed the cluster of concussive bombs near her. She looked up in the icicles and saw a large one. She threw two of those on the icicle and prepared the remote detonator.

"Rover!" She shouted trying to get my attention. "Come over here!"

I did what she instructed, I ran across the room towards her. She saw me run and she saw the bear was near the impact zone of the icicle. Seeing that I was clear and the bear directly below she detonated the bombs that gave a strong shockwave. The icicle fell down hard and fast towards the bear killing it, the blood splattered on our face.

"They're not endangered are they?" I asked her while catching my breath.

"No... Not at the moment no."

"Good, let's get out of here"

We went up and I secured the rover while Celestine secured Item 4. We reached the Swift and I opened the door. Rover was there standing waiting for us.

"You said five songs. It's almost thirteen." He said.

"Down there was un-Bear-able" I replied with a bad pun.Celestine looked at me.

"I'm sorry for the delay." She apologized to Luther.

"It's fine"

"How's earth music?" I asked.

"It is very... dancey" He replied in a polite way.

Celestine took out Item 4 and prepares it to be presentable. She nodded at Luther, Luther limped to the controls and started the engine. I took McGuffin 45 out from the shelf and got close to her.

"Hey, once this mission is over, it might take a few cycles before we meet again. I want you to have this" I handed McGuffin 45 to her.

"What for?"

"A reminder that you know where to find me."

She opened up her holo watch and displayed her contact information. She tosses the display into my holowatch saving her as a contact.

"We have modern technology. And it'll be you who'll need me" She grinned. "Now let us out of here" She ordered.

I smiled and went to assist Luther as we lifted the ship off the planet.