Nobody dared answer back. These were dangerous times, and operational leader Sam was walking a very dangerous line, a line that there would be no coming back from.
All he could do was hope that on the other end of the line, there was freedom for his family and his co-workers. He was tired of being threatened. Tired of being forced to do things that he didn’t want to do. So maybe it wasn’t so bad that the rebels might win. But then again, who’s to say that a rebel alliance government wouldn’t subject its people to the same harsh reality that Pilgrim Tech reigns down on them each and every day?
Sometimes a person’s worst enemy is themselves. The grass is never greener on the other side. But then again – green grass is overrated.
***
I couldn’t quite believe it, but we had arrived. The rebel planet stood right in front of us, floating in the distance, both gorgeous and glorious at the very same time. I knew that we had arrived because the prisoner had told me to slow down. He’d also told me to punch in a code into my computer’s communication system. He informed me that the code I was punching in was an access code to the planet, and it was supposed to reveal the planet, in turn uncloaking it.
The code I had put in worked. And the planet was now fully visible – before resembling a rippling sphere of water, but now bright and solid with color. I was transfixed by its beauty, and at the same time, nervous to know that on it, on its surface, was danger. Clear and complete danger. A danger aimed at my planet, and my people. But it was a danger I was planning to overcome. Let’s not forget, I was the one in the driver’s seat, both figuratively and metaphorically. I was the one that had the President of Pilgrim Tech onboard my vessel. So in my opinion, I was the one that held the cards in this game of poker we were playing.
My cards were high and suited and booted. To be honest, it could be aces and eights, or a Royal flush. It didn’t really matter, because I had the King. And the king was forever mine, until I got what I wanted from the rebels. So I wasn’t as worried as I probably should have been. In fact, I was more or less excited. Excited to be part of history. Because I knew that these rebels, these Annex Rebel Fleet chaps, they were serious. And I was just as serious as they were in my collective hate toward Pilgrim Tech and everything it stood for.
So I figured that we would have a good relationship from now on. And even though I didn’t plan on joining their contingent, I knew deep down that I was firmly a member in spirit. I was hoping that further in the future, maybe our paths would cross again, and if they did, then maybe great things would occur. But I was living in reality, and right now, right at that very moment, the only thing I cared about, was holding up my end of the bargain. I just hoped that they too would hold up theirs.
“Approaching fast, everybody make sure that they are strapped in,” I said, steering the ship gently toward the planet.
To my surprise, as we got closer, and the planet expanded in front of us, I could now see thousands of warships. My heart began to flutter in my chest. At first, I thought that the ships belonged to Earth, and this was a trap, and somehow they had gotten ahead of us, and found out our true intentions.
But then, as my ship neared, I recognized the vessels in front of me. They were rebel ships. Large and hulking in their presence, I was absolutely mystified by the sheer numbers that surrounded me. I knew that these rebels were serious, and they had some impressive firepower, but I didn’t know that they themselves were basically a planetary force, a force that no doubt could stand strong and tough against our own fleet back home.
Suddenly, I felt nervous. Was I the proverbial chicken house, and they the proverbial Fox? Was this a trap concocted by the dastardly Commander that I had spoken to earlier? Had I fallen for something here, thinking that the actual danger we faced was from Pilgrim Tech and not from the rebels? Whatever the case may be, it was far too late to have second thoughts. This was done, and I had done it. And now, the Alpha Ship One was approaching their planet, so technically, our fate was very much in their hands.
“What have you done? Can you not see the danger you have put our people in?” The President of Pilgrim Tech said.
I immediately turned around in my chair, and saw that he had managed to spit out his gag. I told Dale to shut him up. Dale did exactly as I said, and stuffed the gag deep into his gob. I turned back around to face my controls, and sighed. I didn’t have the patience or fortitude to listen to the ramblings of the President. He was biased. This was very much about him, and I expected him to be defensive. But I couldn’t help but think that maybe he was right. Maybe I’d made a mistake here. Maybe Earth would suffer for my split-second decision. A decision that would affect our planet for generations to come. This was a serious situation. And I had a bad feeling about this. But it wasn’t like I could just turn back around, and get the hell out of dodge now, was it?
The thousands of warships that had greeted us were making sure that I didn’t run. They were an insurance policy. And I’d be stupid to think that they were anything less than that. Why else would there be so many of them? Unless they figured that we had been followed. Maybe they thought that Earth was on our tail? But I hadn’t picked up any anomalies on the radar. But then again, cloaking technology wasn’t exclusive to rebel planets or hundred-year-old rust buckets like the Alpha Ship One.
So maybe I’d been a little naive.
“Alpha Ship One, this is Annex Rebel Fleet control, please slow down, and follow our fleet, they’ll take you to your landing spot on our planet, and then our Commander will meet up with you. We hope you had a pleasant journey,” a voice on my radio said.
I burst out laughing, I didn’t mean to, and thankfully I wasn’t on radio chatter, so the so-called Annex Rebel Fleet control didn’t hear me cackling. But I couldn’t help it. How absurd! Why on earth would they have hoped that I had a pleasant journey? Do they not know who I have onboard? Or what I had to do to get that man onboard? There was nothing pleasant about what I had done. And if they thought that they could convince me otherwise, they were surely mistaken.
But I had to keep on keeping on, and that’s exactly what I did – I kept close to the warships in front of me as they guided me into the planet’s atmosphere. This was officially the fifteenth planet that I had visited in my career as a captain onboard the Alpha Ship One. And this was also officially the second planet I had visited because of Pilgrim Tech.
The first planet I had visited because of them was the Ursine planet, and it was by force. But this planet, this planet was different. It was also because of Pilgrim Tech, but nobody had forced me to go here. I had chosen to. And at least I had that going for me. At least I had my dignity and my integrity. I was no longer being pushed about by a government forcing me to do their dirty work.
This was all me. And I was proud of that, if not a little rattled and shaken. Because deep down, I feared the worst. Deep down, I was frightened; frightened that I had fallen for the same trick twice. Frightened that they had made me do their bidding, and I was now in effect the Annex Rebel Fleet’s go to paperboy.
“Dale, I suggest you stay frosty, I have a bad feeling about this,” I said, turning in my chair to face my trusted gunner. I then looked at Philip and Teresa, who also looked worried.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Flynn,” an unfamiliar voice said, that voice was coming from the man that had brought the President on board my ship. I’d almost forgotten about him, seeing that he hadn’t said a single word since stepping on the ship. But now he was smiling at me. And he was no longer looking at the floor. I could now see his eyes clearly, and they were filled with hate.
I suddenly knew the gravity of what I had just done.
“It will be just fine, Capt. Flynn. You did your people proud. And now the world will know the true ferocity of the Annex Rebel Fleet,” the man said.
I tried to ignore the feeling of impending doom bubbling in the pit of my stomach. But it was useless. I could feel the dread washing over me, as we entered the atmosphere of the
rebel planet. Before I knew it, we were no longer in space, but were now hovering over alien rocks and soil. The warships guided me toward a mass of ships on the ground. From here, inside the Alpha Ship One, the massive ships looked like Lego toys. They were tiny and minuscule, but as we got closer, the true size of the rebel army became apparent.
“Holy shit, what have I done?” I said, seeing the Army of rebels below. I couldn’t quite make them out, but then the ships beside me started to land, and I also proceeded to do the same.
As the Alpha Ship One touched the rebel planet’s soil, I was left shocked at the sheer number of ships and troops around us. I couldn’t make them out, but some of them didn’t look human. And just as I was about to try to get a better look, I heard an air raid siren sounding off in the distance.
“What the hell is going on? How have you got this many troops?” I said, standing up and walking toward the mysterious man in the suit. He was now back looking at the floor, and I was just about to grab him by the scruff of the neck when the Alpha Ship One’s side doors opened, and seven troops walked in.
“What’s going on here? Where’s the Commander?” I said, noticing that Dale had sidled up beside me, as if he was ready to protect me from the rebel troops.
But then I heard footsteps on the deck, heavy footsteps. The troops stepped aside, allowing the Commander to walk up toward me. He was a big man. A really big man, and he was holding a handgun. But he wasn’t aiming it at me, he was aiming it at the President of Pilgrim Tech. The President was squirming in his chair, trying to scream, but the gag in his mouth didn’t allow the screams to escape.
“What are you doing? We didn’t bring him all this way just so you could…”
I was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot.
The large Commander had just shot the President of Pilgrim Tech in the head. Blood and brains soaked the chair in which he was sitting in, brain matter falling into his lap, his limp neck not able to hold the weight of his half split open skull.
“Jesus Christ!” I said, by now, I had my hands balled into fists.
But the Commander just smiled at me. He didn’t say a single word, he just smiled while he held his gun, and pointed it at me.
And then he finally spoke.
“You did well, and that’s the only reason I’m not going to kill you or your crew. Your mission was a success. And we thank you for it. Because without you, this couldn’t have happened,” the Commander said, the sound of the siren still wailing outside.
I was confused. I stood there staring at the Commander, and then frowned.
“You didn’t need me to bring him all this way just so you could kill him. If you had someone working on the inside, surely you could have just done it yourself. So please, explain to me, why the hell did you want us to do this for you?” I said.
The Commander holstered his weapon. He then put his hands out to the sides, like he was gesturing at me to look around.
“Don’t you hear the siren? Your job wasn’t to bring the President of Pilgrim Tech here just so I could shoot him. Your job was to bring the Army of Earth to my planet so we could finally end this once and for all,” the Commander said, turning around, quickly making his way toward the double doors. His entourage of troops followed.
“What are you on about? I didn’t bring anyone here? It’s just us,” I said, and then the Commander turned back around, and smiled.
“They’ve been watching you, Capt. Flynn. They have a tracker on your ship. A tracker they have been following. And now that tracker has led them here. Shouldn’t be too long now. And the best thing about it? You’ll have a front-row seat to the end of the world,” the Commander said, leaving through the double doors, and walking down on to the rebel planet’s soil.
I looked down the ramp at the Commander as he walked off, and then at Philip and Teresa. The prisoner was still tied in this chair, but he had a smile on his face. Like he was in on this all along. The other man in the suit had slipped away by the looks of it. I just stood there, staring at my crew, wondering what the hell I just did.
“Whoo, here they come!” I heard somebody say outside.
I quickly ran toward the double doors and down the ramp and onto the surface. The ground beneath me was rocky and hard. It was a mixture of red dirt and sand. But it wasn’t the ground beneath me that had caught my eye, but it was the Earth ships above me entering the planet’s atmosphere, and making their way toward the rebels. No one opens fire yet, and I wondered why. Surely as soon as Earth’s Snake Pit Fighters saw the rebels, they’d open up a can of serious whoop-ass on them. But that was not the case. They were distracted by something. And then I heard a roar.
“What the hell? It can’t be…” Was all I could say.
***
The lead Snake Pit Fighter held onto his control sticks tightly. This was the moment that he had been waiting for. He and his men, a collective group of hundreds and thousands of ships of all sizes, had tracked down the rebels to their planet. Seconds ago, they were feeling both brave and strong. But now reality had settled in.
“You seeing this?” Somebody on his radio said.
He didn’t answer back though. He was transfixed by what he was seeing; he didn’t feel it necessary to discuss it with his fellow Snake Pit Fighters. They all had eyes. They all could see just as well as he could.
And what they were seeing was far from what they had expected.
Stretching for over ten miles on the ground were thousands of rebel ships, and they were all locked-on to the Earth’s fleet as it entered the planet’s atmosphere. But the ships weren’t the worst of it. Behind them were hundreds of thousands of soldiers. At first, the lead Snake Pit Fighter thought that he was staring at a collective group of rebel members. But then, as he and his men got closer, he noticed that the soldiers he was staring at were not human.
They towered over some of the smaller ships next to them. They were big and bulky. And above all, they were ferocious. Snarling and biting at the air, the lead Snake Pit Fighter couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. He thought that they had been extinct. He thought that they no longer existed. But they did.
And now they were fighting for the rebels.
“Jesus Christ, are you guys seeing this? They have Ursines! Bloody Ursines!” The lead Snake Pit Fighter said, finally coming to terms with what was surely going to be the end of his existence.
The Ursines below roared as they swatted at the ships coming toward them. The Snake Pit Fighters were the first of Earth’s offensive, but the Ursines was stopping them from striking, and in fact, all they could do was retreat.
Earth’s fleet had gone into this thinking that they outnumbered the rebels. But it had come to their attention that the numbers game was firmly in the rebel’s favor. Not only did the rebels have the numbers, but they now had the ground troops as well. And if Earth was going to survive the rebel onslaught, they’d need to get boots on the ground as soon as possible.
The game had changed. Earth were no longer the dominant force in the Milky Way Galaxy. They had a new foe to deal with. A foe that looked like them, acted like them, and fought like them. But Earth’s new-found foe had something that they themselves did not possess…
…A million strong Ursine army that was ready to rip their former tormentors to shreds.
To Be Continued…
Revenge of the Annex Rebel Fleet, book three in the Alpha Ship One series will be out on Kindle in the new year (2017). Catch the pre-order, exclusively on Kindle, January 1st 2017.
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Sample
I held the plasma railgun tightly in my grip. The troop carrier was shaking violently as we descended toward Tribeca’s foreign soil. My stomach was in knots as I att
empted to hold my dinner in. But it was no use, I was as green as the grass, and green was certainly how I felt. I leaned forward and hurled my guts up. A fountain of vomit escaped my gullet and sprayed all over the steel grated floor beneath me. My boots were covered in a carrot -like substance. The men around me groaned. I’d let them down. We were heading into battle and I’d already puked my guts up like the rookie I was.
“Rookie’s gone chucked up his guts,” one of my fellow Marines said.
But I didn’t feel like a Marine. I felt like a failure. Like I’d jumped the gun and went into this headfirst without thinking. But now I was thinking. And I didn’t know whether the fact that I’d just puked my guts up was playing havoc on my self-confidence, or I was now seeing things clearly; but now I didn’t feel as confident as I did when I’d stepped on the troop carrier earlier on. Now, all my confidence was gone. There wasn’t much left of me. Not much left in my stomach, or my heart. And I sensed that everybody around me felt exactly the same way. In the space of a few seconds, I’d become a shell of a man. The reality of war was crashing down on me much like the waves of bile in my stomach.
“Get a hold of yourself there Marine, puking your guts up isn’t going to accomplish anything. Unless, the only thing you want to accomplish is getting chunks on your shiny shoes. But you seem like a bright young man, the type of young man that doesn’t like to play with strands of vomit or mucus. I don’t say this about many, but you don’t seem half as retarded as some of the men that have graced this troop carrier in the past.”
The men around me started to laugh. I wiped a smidgen of sick off my lips and looked up at who was talking to me. The guy continued his tirade. And I continued to suppress the explosive vomit in my stomach, holding it down to the best of my ability.
Destroyer of Worlds (Alpha Ship One Book 2) Page 17
