Dani exhaled into the hug and slipped her arms around him. She nestled her head under his chin and listened to his heartbeat and breathing. For the briefest moments, nothing else seemed to matter.
“Oh goodness, look at you two!” Cassia squealed.
Dani perked up and smiled at her friend. Cruz pushed her in a wheelchair toward them. Zadria continued past into Osirion while Dani slipped out of Jag’s arms and ran to hug Cassia gingerly. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m alright.” Cassia smiled and nudged Dani with her elbow, nodding toward Jag. “How are you feeling?”
“I… uh, well, there’s been a lot going on,” Dani stammered. “You know, with my dad and stuff.”
Cassia looked between Dani and Jag once more as Jag tried to busy himself inspecting the loading ramp. She seemed almost disappointed. “I understand. Cruz is keeping me up to date. Crazy stuff.”
Zadria reappeared with Carl in her arms. He meowed loudly until he spotted Cassia. Then he wriggled and scratched his way out of Zadria’s arms and sprinted for her, leaping and landing gracefully in Cassia’s lap.
Zadria examined her scratches and glared at Carl before stepping back inside.
“Oh, my little buddy, I’ve missed you so much.” Carl nuzzled Cassia’s face, purring contentedly before settling down in a ball on her lap.
Dani smiled at the pair. “You’re really doing okay?” she asked once more.
“Yeah.” Cassia hesitated then smiled softly. “You know, it’s kind of been nice to get out of the action. I mean, sure, we had to relocate. But you’ve got to admit, we don’t have the best luck out there.”
“You are definitely not wrong,” Dani answered with a laugh. The silence grew slightly uncomfortable as Dani pondered what Cassia’s words could mean for the future. “So… I’m guessing you’re going to hang back while we go on this mission?”
“Yes, she’s not going anywhere,” Cruz signed.
“Oh stop,” Cassia took one of his hands. “He’s just worried. But… yeah, my doctor doesn’t want me heading off on adventures quite yet. I guess that shot did some pretty serious damage. Sorry about the mess on the ship.”
“Please, don’t be sorry. I’m just glad you’re okay. We all are.” Dani reached down to pat Carl on the head. He lazily slapped her hand with his paw as he rolled onto his back and went to sleep. She smiled at Cruz, finding it sweet that he didn’t want Cassia in the line of danger.
“I’ll be doing what I can from here, though,” Cassia reassured her. “It’s actually pretty exciting. I’m going to update their systems with Sylvine’s language. They also have a small group of people from another planetary system that don’t speak Common, so I’ll get to teach them and log their language too.”
“Well, they’re lucky to have you and I’m sure going to miss you.” Dani smiled at Cassia’s enthusiasm and hugged her again, careful to avoid her injured leg and Carl.
A sharp whistle from the platform stole Dani’s attention. Roni was waving at them.
“Looks like it’s time to figure out exactly what we’re in for. Come on, guys.” Dani waved for them to follow her.
Dani led the way toward the group that was gathering around. There were more here than there were in the meeting hall, but not by many. Dani ran some mental calculations as she eyed the crowd and winced slightly at how few there actually were. Taking on the GC fleet to get to the Houston wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Is everyone here?” Roni squinted as she looked out across the crowd. “Good.”
With no formal introduction this time, Bob Devereaux stepped up onto the platform, nodding to Roni as she hopped down. He cleared his throat. “Let’s get right to it. We lost the alpha site, but we’re safe here. There will be no lingering on what we can’t change. Instead, we will focus that energy on what we can control. And, today, that means liberating the Houston.”
A cheer rose throughout the crowd. Bob held up a hand to quiet the noise.
“This is not a battle for the faint-hearted. We will be vastly outnumbered. Our strength will come from the fact that they’ll never expect us to make such a brazen move—that, and our secret weapon.” His gaze landed squarely on Dani and lingered before sweeping over the rest of the rebel crowd.
“The corrupt side of the GC does not know about Osirion. The Houston was President Lloyd’s pet project. Penn couldn’t care less about research and development.” A sly smile crept across Bob’s face. “This is why we’re going to win. President Lloyd was a fan of the people. He disagreed with many of the Galactic Conglomerate’s decisions. But you know as well as I do that it’s difficult for one man to change an entire empire, and his execution marked a sad day in rebel history. Thankfully, we are many.”
The crowd cheered again; this time Bob let them.
“Our numbers are far greater than those you see here. Many lie in wait. They’re the mothers, the teachers, the guards, the students… they’re the mechanics who work on GC ships.” Bob’s eyes bounced around over specific individuals as he mentioned the various occupations. “They are anyone who recognizes that the GC has gone too far. That their power is too great. They’ve destroyed planets and left entire populations to starve. They’ve exploited workers and resources, mining and harvesting beyond sustainable limits. They are a plague that needs to be cured and we are the antidote.”
Dani leaned forward in her seat, the smile on her own face as evident as the ones on those around her.
“We will revive the old ways of government and trade. Officials will no longer select their replacements but be chosen by the people. When this war began, we ceded our sectional governments in favor of the Galactic Conglomerate because we believed a unified front was our only hope against the Vaerians. We were wrong. The only thing the GC has done is made themselves stronger and protected those who they deemed worthy. Are we not all deserving of protection? Are we not all deserving of life? Unified, our burning passion to revive the old ways will be successful. Planets and populations will thrive once more. Penn and his corrupt secret army will fall, and Operation Ardent Redux will be victorious!”
The audience jumped to their feet in a fit of applause, including Dani and her crew. Bob had inspired them all.
Jag leaned over toward Dani and whispered, “Oh, he’s good. I see where you get it from.”
Dani locked eyes with her father, suddenly feeling foolish that she hadn’t realized the corruption earlier in her career. She knew some worlds, like Draku, where they picked up Jag, were left far worse than they were found, but she hadn’t taken a step back from her control panel to notice how widespread the damage really was. Her attention had been focused on fighting the Vaerians rather than what was happening on the planets she fought to protect. She silently vowed to herself at that moment to pay more attention to the things that happened on a smaller scale. She wanted to help the people, and right now that meant freeing them from a corrupt, overzealous government.
The applause and shouts of approval eventually died down and Bob took a deep breath, looking over the crowd once more. His voice, though much quieter now, still carried over the group. “We’ll hit them with everything we’ve got. Every ship is called to action. David will lead our fleet of fighters against the ships guarding the Houston, carried there by our fully armed battleships. And, with us, Osirion will fly… but they will not fight.”
A mumble ran through the crowd and Dani furrowed her brow, confused.
“Osirion’s job is to board the Houston and eliminate the threat from within. While our ships distract the GC fleet, Osirion will cloak and enter the docking bay. We’ll signal our operatives on board to open the hangar, and Osirion will dock and come to the aid of those in need under Roni’s command. As soon as the ship is no longer under GC control, we will cut ties with GC systems and recalibrate the hyperdrive to jump and rendezvous at a predetermined location. I’ll address the fleet leaders, Roni, David, and the crew of Osirion privately to go over their individual missions. If
you have any questions, please feel free to ask once meetings have adjourned.”
Bob stepped off the platform and gave a quick wave to Dani and her crew, then pointed to Roni and David and two other men. Dani and the rest of them followed Bob into a nearby building, a schoolhouse. Once inside, Bob led them to a classroom, where he half-sat on the teacher’s desk and gestured for everyone else to have a seat.
The setting was sobering for Dani. The rebels had always been an abstract thing to her. A rogue group of idealists who were a thorn in the GC’s side. It hadn’t occurred to her that they were actually normal people with families and children, trying to stand up for what they believed to be right. She slipped into a seat in the second row next to the rest of her crew and looked up at her father expectantly. Throughout her life, he had been her teacher in so many ways, and now he was here teaching her once more.
Bob cleared his throat once everyone was seated. “David and Dani will head the fighter squadron. Dani—you did some incredible flying against that Vaerian ship, and I’m going to need you to do that again on this mission.”
“But, Osirion,” she protested, not liking the idea of her ship and crew going without her.
“Osirion will be in Roni’s very capable hands. She has excellent hand-to-hand combat skills and we’re going to need her on that ship. Cruz, I trust you’re good to join her? I want two groups to clear out Houston as fast as possible.”
Cruz gave a nod while Roni eyed Dani with a smirk.
“Zadria, you’ll stay with Cassia. I made a promise to your father the last time I saw him that I’d take care of you, and that isn’t going to stop now.”
“Yes, sir,” Zadria answered, seeming slightly disappointed.
Jag raised his hand, grabbing the room’s attention. “If at all possible, I’d like to accompany Dani.”
Bob’s gaze lingered on Jag for what felt like several minutes. “Very well. David, see to it he gets a fighter.”
“Roni, take Cruz and pick your teams,” Bob ordered.
“You got it.” Roni nodded toward the door, and she and Cruz left.
“Sinclair and Robb, you guys have been with me the longest. You know what to do. Go prep your ships.”
The two men grunted and left the classroom.
“Howard, my friend.” Bob smiled at him.
“Let me guess, Osirion?” Howard stood and stretched.
“Yup. I need you to make sure the Houston is ready to go when Cruz and Roni have done their jobs. I’ve got a small detail standing by to make sure nothing happens to you while you’re in there.”
“Much appreciated. I’ll go check my tools. I trust you have some spare parts around here?”
“I’ll arrange for someone to take you to the warehouse.”
“Sounds good.” Howard grunted as he left the room.
“Cassia, I need you here to help organize supplies and prepare for an influx of folks. The crew of the Houston will need accommodations once they arrive. You have some time since we can’t risk sending them directly to this location until we’re certain there are no GC spies remaining on board.”
“I understand,” Cassia said as she rubbed Carl’s ear between her fingers.
“Now…” Bob leaned forward as he spoke. “As for you three…”
Dani’s eyes shifted between her father, David, and Jag, and she took a deep breath.
“You’ll fly from my ship. We’ll arrive first. I’ve hand-selected the best pilots to do everything they can to take out the GC’s weapons before the rest of the fleet gets there. It’s not hard to see that we’re outmanned, but if we do this right then we stand a chance. It’s extremely difficult to lock onto our new fighters, but with their shields up, you won’t be able to do a whole lot of damage. You’ll need to use the same strategy Dani took with the Vaerian ship, if possible. Fly within their shields. The first priority is to disable their primary weapons. Second would be to limit the amount of GC fighters we’ll have to face. And you…” Bob pointed at Jag.
“Me?” He shrank back with wide eyes.
“Yes, I need you to call in a favor.”
“A favor?” He looked to Dani.
“I know the life story of everyone that my daughter interacts with.”
Dani felt somewhat uncomfortable with her father’s statement. It seemed odd to her that he’d have such intimate knowledge about her life without playing an active role for so many years.
“So, Talon, then,” Jag said flatly.
Bob nodded slowly. “Yes. Talon. I know there are pirate operatives on the Houston as well, so they have a stake in this too. And, if he’s like every other pirate I’ve worked with, he’d like to see the GC fall just as much as we would.”
“I’m sure you’re not wrong there,” Jag said with a chuckle. “But I don’t know how I’d reach him from here.”
“Cassia will help you. Our communications systems are a bit different than what you’re familiar with at the GC, but I’m sure she’ll pick it up quickly. Reaching him shouldn’t be a problem. Joining our cause, on the other hand…”
Jag nodded. “I’ll get him.”
“Great.” Bob clapped his hands together. “Let’s get going then.”
As everyone filed out of the room, Jag pushing Cassia and Carl, followed by Howard, Zadria, and David, Dani lingered behind. It wasn’t long before she was alone in the room with her father.
“Can I ask you something?” she asked, unsure why she was nervous when it came to talking to her own flesh and blood.
“Of course.” His expression softened, and he transformed from military leader back into her kind-eyed father.
“Have you had someone leave me notes over the past year? In prison and on my ship?”
The look in his eyes already answered her question. “No, Dani. I haven’t. What kind of notes?”
Dani bit her lip, even more confused. If it hadn’t been her father or someone working for him that was dropping her notes, who was it? “Uh, just the coordinates to the rebel home system mostly. And one that said ‘take the job’ when I was in prison.”
Bob’s eyes shifted to the side as he pressed his lips together. Slowly, he shook his head. “I really don’t know who would have sent those. Clearly someone who knew we were there but didn’t want us destroyed.”
Dani’s heart sank. She had really hoped to solve the mystery of the notes, thinking that maybe they were her father’s way of reaching out to her. Knowing it wasn’t him who left them just made the entire situation more confusing.
“I’m sorry I’m not more help,” he said, seemingly sensing her disappointment.
“No, it’s fine. I just… it’s weird.”
“I need to go get ready, but if there’s anything else you need, just let me know.”
Dani nodded and watched her father leave the room. She took one last glance around the classroom before sighing and stepping outside. The hallway was dark and quiet. Children’s art hung on the walls and rustled in the wind as her father stepped out the exterior door of the building. One particular drawing caught her eye. It was a child standing on the ground, waving up at a ship where a woman with long, curly hair waved back from the window.
Suddenly the fight for the Houston seemed so much more dangerous than it had before. There were children staying behind that may not ever see their parents again. Her eyes slid down the paper to the name at the bottom, Paris.
“Well don’t you worry, little Paris, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure your mommy comes home safe,” she whispered to the little girl on the artwork.
Chapter 7
Dani took a deep breath and made her way outside. A nearby group of soldiers stopped talking as she did, David running to her from the middle of them.
“Hey, got you a ship,” he beamed. “Come with me.”
Dani smiled to the group of rebel soldiers as they hurried past, and couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever feel welcomed in their group, as they only returned the gesture with cold sta
res.
David took her around a group of buildings to a field where several of the fighters sat like peaceful stones. Two were singled out from the rest, and David bee-lined for the pair. “Here they are, one for me, and one for you, fresh off the line.”
Dani ran her fingertips over the glossy exterior. The shardstone fighters were truly things of beauty.
“I think I’ll name this one Diane, too,” David said as he gave the hull a tap. “What about yours?”
Dani stepped back to take in the fighter once more. The last ship she named herself was Alaska’s Vengeance to honor the loss of her father and his ship. She couldn’t name it after her mother due to the confusion it would cause with Evelynn’s Revenge.
“Anything yet?” David asked from inside Diane’s cockpit, where he programmed the name into the system.
Dani shook her head and bit her lip, then released it with a smile. “How about Paris?”
“Sure, sounds good.” David hopped down from Diane and motioned for Dani to climb up and gave her a quick tutorial on how to change the name in the ship’s system so that the tracking equipment would read her properly.
“Which one’s mine?” Jag called from below.
David slid down from Paris and led Jag to another fighter. Dani hurried and followed once she programmed the name of her ship.
“This here is Gert and she’s all yours.” David slapped the hull.
“Gert?” Jag asked, wrinkling his nose.
“Yeah, like Gertrude,” David said with a shrug. “She’s the one the pilots learn on, but she’ll do ya just fine.”
Jag laughed and bowed to the ship. “It’s an honor, Gert.”
A siren echoed across the settlement and David, Dani, and Jag dropped their conversation instantly. The sound wiped the smiles off their faces, and they exchanged somber looks.
“It’s time,” David announced before running off toward Diane.
“Did you get ahold of Talon?” Dani asked.
“We sent a message. Hopefully he gets it and meets us there. Otherwise…”
Dani nodded. Jag didn’t need to finish what he was saying in order for her to understand. “I’ll meet you up there.”
The Complete First Season - Episodes 1-5 Page 44
