Ember in Space The Collection

by Rebecca Rode

  “Finally,” Stefan muttered. There was a shadow across his face today, a cross between irritation and disbelief, almost as if he didn’t believe they were actually doing this.

  “Everyone check your shields,” Brennan said. Ember had already tightened hers in its usual nut shape, but she checked it again for good measure. Everyone, from the pilots to the janitor, had received mental defense training for this mission.

  It took twenty minutes for them to approach the traveling formation. The pilots guided the ship into a crevice near the point at the back of the diamond and positioned their ship between a beat-up shuttle that had apparently been modified for long-distance travel and a cargo carrier. Ember didn’t envy the pilots their job. They only had fifty meters of empty space on either side of the ship. This seemed like a maneuvering nightmare.

  “We’re in position, Captain,” the sharp-faced pilot finally said. She looked strangely calm. Her husband sat next to her, his fidgeting the only indication hijacking giant convoys wasn’t something the couple did every day.

  “You may locate your targets now, Lady Flare,” Captain Terrance said. “But be subtle. We don’t want them suspicious. You’ll take control in about ten minutes, when tensions have eased somewhat.”

  The captain made it sound like such an easy thing. Ember felt Stefan’s eyes on her and took a deep breath. Her turn now.

  Minutes later, she felt an edge of panic. She’d found the target ships easily and was poised to take them, but the red dot on their diagram wasn’t the lead ship at all. She couldn’t find a headmaster anywhere. Security escort fighters lined the edges as expected, but they didn’t seem to be in contact with any particular individual. It was impossible. A formation this massive had to be overseen by someone.

  She had just begun a third scan when something brushed her shield.

  “Something’s happening,” the pilot said.

  “They’re changing formation,” her husband added quickly.

  It was true. The ships on either side of them remained where they were, but those just above and below were slowing, positioning themselves behind them and easing them forward. They were surrounded now. It was as if the diamond was swallowing them up, forcing them toward the middle.

  Captain Terrance went pale. “Perhaps the shipmaster wishes us to have more protection than we paid for. Hold position.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Reina said behind Ember. “Those escort guards seem awfully well shielded.”

  But Ember wasn’t paying attention. Eyes closed, she sifted through the ships again. Either the shipmaster was well hidden or not present at all. Perhaps Captain Terrance had negotiated with a manager who handled the escort company’s transactions from afar. A deep-rooted panic rose within her, the sense that something was very wrong.

  Release me and all will be well. The shadow was back already. She’d only used a trickle of her powers, yet the voice seemed louder than usual. Ember placed a mental wall in her mind, muting the inner voice to a buzz.

  Mar swore. “I think I know why those guards are acting weird. Pilots, can you zoom in on those escort fighters near the middle?

  Ember closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. The tiny flickering lights of thousands of living beings blinked in the darkness. Two hundred ninety-one of them were guards. She chose one of the brighter ones and plunged in, easily breaking through the shield. She leaped out immediately. Stars.

  The pilots had already complied, bringing up an outside view on the fighters they’d assumed were escort guards. But from this angle Ember could see the familiar curve of their hulls, the patches of gray paint covering where a flag should have been. These weren’t simple escort fighters.

  These were Empire fighters in disguise.

  Chapter 12

  Reina released a torrent of swear words as Mar groaned. The men just looked grim. It was clear from this angle what kind of trouble they were in.

  Like a spider waiting for its prey to enter the web, the Empire had known they were coming and taken control of the convoy. The moment Ember’s team tried to escape, they would snap the web closed.

  The revolutionaries had just placed themselves right into Ruben’s hands.

  “Brennan, tell the soldiers to prepare for battle,” Captain Terrance snapped. “Everyone else, secure yourselves on the bench. Pilots, get ready to blast our way out of here.”

  A feather-light touch brushed Ember’s shield. Across the room, Stefan jerked, meeting her gaze with a stunned expression. He’d felt it too. Enemy flickers were trying to identify them. Mental defense training or not, the Empire flickers would find a weak shield somewhere on the ship and break through, confirming their identity. They’d have the base’s location within minutes without the host even knowing what had happened.

  Ember had to make her move now.

  She closed her eyes. Thousands of flickering lights leaped back into view. She targeted the ships around them first, rendering all aboard them unconscious. One by one the vessels around them slowed in their course, allowing Ember’s pilots a little freedom to maneuver and creating a domino effect at the rear of the formation. A set of Empire fighters eased their way toward them. She reached into both ships at once, intending to do the same to them, but the soldiers inside were all heavily shielded. She downed a pilot first, but a second took his place. Another two soldiers, followed by a second pilot. This was taking too long.

  “Incoming!” the female pilot shrieked.

  Time seemed to slow. Reina’s curses intensified as she sprinted toward the safety of the rear bench and its overhead rack of harnesses. Brennan was already there, shouting for his sister. A click sounded as the pilot’s husband released his harness and threw himself over his wife. Stefan was shouting now too, his words too jumbled in the chaos to understand except for her name. He reached for her hand, his pale eyes round in horror. She began to reach for his, still not comprehending, when the room exploded.

  She was on her back, her side. Her head. She pushed to her knees, unsure for a second whether she was on the ceiling or floor. A heavy ringing sounded in her ears.

  Mar lay on the floor in front of her, eyes half open. There were shards of glass in her braided black hair. Confusion gripped Ember’s mind as she struggled to make sense of all this.

  She turned to find Reina and Brennan crawling back onto the bench. Stefan struggled to his feet and stumbled over to the pilot, who was slumped in her chair. He looked up at Ember, stricken.

  Her gaze dropped beside the chair, and her stomach clenched. The husband copilot lay in a pool of blood on the floor. He’d jumped from his seat to shield his wife from the explosion. By the look on Stefan’s face, it hadn’t done any good.

  The Empire fighters had aimed for the bridge. The safety window took most of the damage, thankfully, but the screen was a mess of colorful shards. They were completely blind. It was clear now that their attackers knew exactly who Ember’s team was. They wanted to cripple the ship so Ember couldn’t escape. And with both pilots out of commission, they had probably done exactly that. Panic raced through Ember’s mind, taking her breath with it. It was so hot in here. Had the shot done more damage than she thought?

  Her ears were beginning to adjust when an alarm sounded somewhere in the distance, right in time with the red light blinking on the dented control panel in front of the female pilot’s body.

  Release me, a voice said. Ember jumped at the sound and had to stop herself from looking around for its source. It sounded just like another person speaking in her ear. That was the consequence of using so much of her power, then. The shadow’s voice became clearer and stronger.

  You have no place here, Ember shot back. If I truly carry the stars’ power, I have no need of you.

  She felt the shadow bristle. I could solve this problem in less than a minute. Then again, your pride is more important than your friends’ lives, so what do I know?

  She ignored the voice and scanned the room for Captain Terrance. He sat agains
t the wall near the back, blood dripping from a gash in his forehead. His eyes were open, and he was looking around with a dazed expression.

  Ember stumbled over and knelt by his side. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.” His hands trembled as he said it. The man was in shock. She hoped he didn’t have a concussion too.

  Ember examined his wound. There was a lot of blood, but thankfully the cut itself didn’t look too serious. Their situation, however, was. Flicker simulator training had been limited to fighters, which compacted the controls onto a single panel. Ember couldn’t hope to guide such a large, complex ship out of here. By the look on Stefan’s face as he examined the controls, he was thinking the same thing.

  “We have to get out of here,” Ember told the captain. “Do you have flight experience?”

  Terrance tried to get up but fell back again. “A little. I’ll take a look.”

  Ember placed his arm over her shoulder and struggled to help him up. It felt like ages before they reached Stefan, who was brushing glass off the controls with his bloody fingers. Now that she was close, she saw the dozens of tiny gashes in his face. Her stomach lurched.

  So close. Stefan could have been taken in that blast, and there was absolutely nothing she could have done.

  Stars. This was a trap. What if Ruben was here?

  Let me go. It was so much louder than before.

  Stay back, she ordered the voice. Then she reached out and skimmed the ships again, quickly, looking for Ruben. He wasn’t here.

  The relief struck her like a wave. Stefan wouldn’t die until they faced Ruben, and Ember would make sure that didn’t happen today. They’d lost their pilots, but there were still plenty of souls on this ship she could save, Stefan included. She just had to hold it together and get them out safely.

  “Everyone get buckled in,” Ember said, relieved to see Mar had reached the bench. Brennan pulled a harness down over her head. “Flickers, target those Empire soldiers and try to break past their mental defenses. Update Stefan if you see any intention to fire again. I’ll get us clear.”

  The other flickers murmured their agreement. Reina had stopped her torrent of curses and sat rigidly in her seat now, her eyes focused in concentration.

  Ember closed her eyes and began to hum.

  So many souls. Thousands of them, all bright with alarm and concern as they watched the Empire fighters close in.

  The ship in front of Ember’s went first. It was as if a wave of air swept through, dimming each light. She took a second to ensure her blow hadn’t hit them too hard, but they were indeed unconscious. Forty sleeping souls. She leaped to the next. Fifty-two. These people hadn’t been happy about the Empire’s takeover, either. Some were even rooting for Ember. She couldn’t take innocent lives, even now, when every second meant life or death. Two ships at once. Four.

  “Ember.”

  She finished the song and turned to singing. Tree climber, tree climber . . . It was like stoking a flame, fanning it until it raged hot and terrible. Fire burned through her veins. It was all so wonderful.

  Eight ships. Twelve. Such power. She’d never been so free. The shadow stretched as if awakening from a long sleep. Finally.

  Two hundred people asleep. Six hundred.

  “Ember.”

  She felt a silly smile on her face, but she didn’t care what the others thought. She was meant for this. The stars had intended for her to be here at this moment, cleansing the universe of those too weak to take a stand against an Empire determined to enslave them.

  She choked on the words to her song as the thought registered. Halting the heat coursing through her felt like lifting a fighter over her head. The shadow cried out at her betrayal.

  Strong hands gripped her shoulders. “Ember, say you can hear me.”

  Ember broke the connection with the shadow and wrenched her eyes open.

  The other flickers tore their gazes away, but Mar gaped openly. Ember ignored them and tried to pretend nothing had happened. She turned toward the navigation screen Captain Terrance had pulled up on the control panel and studied the image. She’d done it. They were free of the formation. But they also weren’t moving anymore. Why weren’t they moving?

  “Fighters closing in,” Captain Terrance said as if reading her mind. “They’re cutting off our retreat.”

  “Did you lose yourself again?” Stefan asked, pulling her attention back to him. His shirt smelled so good, like arriving home. “One minute you were singing your song, and the next . . . .” He shuddered. “It almost sounded like a chant. Something about death and darkness.”

  Death? Ember tried to recall such a thing, but she only remembered her childhood lullaby. “I—” she began, but words failed her. Her veins had pulsed with an unspeakable elation, her entire body trembling with the utter joy of it. She’d nearly allowed the shadow to take control of her again.

  Two beings, one body. She had to find a way to use her power without releasing the shadow as well. She could feel it still writhing inside, eager for more.

  Then the voice returned, clearer than ever. You can’t save your friends. Only I can.

  “I can, and I will,” Ember snapped.

  It was silent for a long moment. Ember felt her cheeks flush as she realized how crazy she must sound.

  “She’s gone completely bonkers,” Reina muttered from the bench.

  “Ember,” Stefan began, looking uncertain. “Maybe you should sit down for awhile. We’ll find a way to get past these fighters.”

  Escaping wasn’t enough, even if they could manage it. Without those supply ships, there was no point in returning to the base at all. The revolution would never make it to Helden Farr. Thousands of revolutionaries would be stranded when the vanguard came. This would all have been for nothing.

  A loud beeping came from the instrument panel. “We have another problem,” Captain Terrance said, looking up from the controls. “They just sent out a call for backup. They haven’t fired yet, which means they don’t have authorization to kill Lady Flare, but I suspect they won’t hesitate to maim the ship if we budge.”

  It was a standoff. The Empire fighters had them trapped. Flickers were probably probing every soul on this ship, retrieving sensitive information. But only four of the people aboard knew the location of their backup base, and they were all on the bridge right now. If Ember’s team fell, or if they were held until backup arrived, that knowledge would fall into Empire hands as well.

  And if the guards took them to Ruben for questioning. . .

  Panic gripped Ember now. They had to escape before then. Even if that meant tapping freely into her power.

  Stefan still watched her. A silent communication passed between them, and he seemed to realize the plan forming in her mind. “Ember, no. Not again.”

  “What choice do we have?”

  “We’ll fight our way out,” Stefan said firmly.

  “I’m afraid our window of opportunity has closed,” Captain Terrance said. “We’re pinned in pretty well. If Lady Flare has a plan, I’d love to hear it.”

  Brennan spoke up from the back, looking at the floor. “Their backup is on its way. It won’t be long now.”

  The look on Stefan’s face was one of devastation. He hesitated only a moment, then grabbed her and pulled her tightly against him. His arms were so firm, so powerful, so real. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me how bad it was.”

  “I should have,” Ember murmured against his chest.

  He pulled away to look down at her, uncertainty reflected in his eyes. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known. If anyone can pull through, it’s you. Just tell me what you need from me.”

  “Just bring me back,” Ember said, her voice muffled against his chest.

  He nodded quickly, stroking her hair. “I swear. If you leave us, I won’t let you go far.”

  “They’re firing!” Captain Terrance shouted, an edge of panic in his voice.

  What? But he’d just said they wouldn’t s
hoot if it meant risking Ember’s life. Maybe they’d been ordered to disable the ship completely before backup arrived. The thought registered as Stefan grabbed Ember’s hand and pulled her to the bench. He probably would have buckled her in like a child if she’d let him. Instead, she grabbed the harness and shouted for him to secure himself.

  She hadn’t quite gotten the buckle in when the ship jerked upon impact, then lurched to the side. There was the sound of wrenching metal below, a screeching wail that seemed to go on forever.

  The air around Ember’s face seemed to change like the room was holding its breath. And then a second alarm, higher-pitched than the first, began to blare. The workers and soldiers. She sent a quick prayer to the stars that they were all right. For the first time, Ember was glad Bianca wasn’t aboard.

  “We’re hit!” Captain Terrance called from the front.

  “No kidding,” Brennan snapped from the other side of Ember. It sounded strange coming from him.

  Another blow shook the ship. The captain turned to face them, looking grim.

  Stefan grabbed her hand and gave it a hard squeeze. It was time.

  Ember closed her eyes and released the shadow.

  * * *

  A torrent of heat exploded through Ember’s veins, awakening every cell and setting it on fire. Why had she tried so hard to suppress this? Her power was life itself. She breathed in the glorious freedom of using that power. She could do anything now. She had an entire fleet of ships at her command. She would finally bring that fool Ruben and his fledgling Empire to its knees.

  She turned to the net of Empire fighters surrounding them like spiders in a web. With a delighted grin, she plucked the lights out until they went dark and dissolved into the nothingness of space. A gasp went up from the thousands of souls watching behind her, and she turned to face them now. A collective cry went up as she grabbed a large chunk of them. The tiny lights were warm in Ember’s godlike hands. She cradled them for a moment, sifting through them before frowning in disgust. A few were loyal, but none had stood up to the Empire fighters who had taken control just yesterday. She had no use for cowards in her army.