Free Archaea 3: Red by Dain White

Bastard... two-five, just like you. Staff Sergeant Yak Onebull, retired. You know the drill, stop calling me sir!”
    “OORAH Staff Sergeant!” they hollered back on comms.
    “Shorty, what's going on down there?” the captain asked in a concerned voice.
    “I think we’re going to live, sir, these jarheads are just being dumb.” I said on open comms, laughing.
    “Typical. Tell Yak it’s time to get back to work.”
    “Amen sir. We have the lock secu re, and Yak and I are rolling up, the Marines are holding this beach.”
    “ Very well, that’s good to hear. Gene, what's the word?”
    “We are just packing up and coming down out of h ere Dak.”
    “Excellent. Okay folks, load up and get to your stations. We are hauling mass.”
    Yak and I moved up to the Archaea and hel ped Gene shift his toolbox aboard while the squad of Marines below extended a solemn one-finger salute to their long-lost brother in arms. Yak replied in kind, and as the ramp lifted, so did we.
     
    *****
     
    “Captain Hartley, Thanks for loaning us a few of your men, we were in a tight spot there for a moment.” I sat back in my chair and checked the boards for each section, with another eye on the course track Janis had for our launch to orbit.
    “Certainly , Captain Smith, I am glad to be able to help. My men reported the area was secure, and have taken the dock engineers under their protection.”
    “That's good to hear. Well, mister, I know you have a blockade going right now, but I have a tight schedule to keep. Mind if I sneak on out of here?”
    Of course, I was being polite. We could leave any time that I liked, and he knew it. Still, it can't hurt to make friends.
    “Captain Smith, I am afraid that is impossible. This area is locked down.”
    “Well, you know... in my day, using my name in the same sentence as the word 'impossible' meant at best, a keel-hauling. What if I told you I really, desperately needed to launch, and then asked nicely, and said please?”
    “Captain, you are going to launch anyway, aren't you?”
    “I am on a pretty tight schedule, Captain.”
    As I spoke, I was raising us up on lifters, towa rds the top of the crater rim. There was a moment of silence as he processed the fact we were already raising ship. 
    “Permission granted, Captain Sm ith of the Independent Archaea… safe travels, damn you.”
    I chuckled across comms. “Same to you, Captain Hartley – good luck down here, hopefully they won't put up too much of a fight.”
    “Nah, this is nothing to worry about. Thugs and gangsters have nothing on Marines. I am sure we’ll take care of business. Barracuda out.”
    “Very good, Archaea out.” I replied , smiling.
    “Okay folks, al l boards are green, and we are cleared to orbit.” The cliffs of Le Monnier crater fell below us and the lunar expanse beyond opened up to the far distance.
    “Secure for orbital burn in 3... 2... 1...”
    On the mark, I punched the drives… but nothing happened. I sighed loud enough to be heard in engineering.
    “Gene? Where are my engines, mister?”
    A moment of silence passed us by.
    “Gene? Are you awake back there?”
    Another pause ensued, broken only by the sound of Pauli sipping a slow, loud slurp of my precious coffee.
    “Captain... one moment, sir” he finally called back breathlessly on comms.
    “I will give you exactly one moment.” I said, and waited, for one moment.
    “Gene?”
    “Sorry sir, we're good to go. The fail-safe on the ion gun was tripped. We're ready to light the fires, sir.”
    “Very well, Gene. Once again folks, please secure for orbital burn in 3... 2... 1…”
    A mighty shove shook through the ship as she hurtled into space.
    “Woah Nelly!” I gasped back to Gene on comms.
    That was much better. A crushing shove into the cushions, feeling them inflate, that's more like it. No question about it, our engines are working now.
    “I'll say!” he grunted in reply, right as I dropped our burn and watched the cratered