Planet Eaters (Galaxy Mavericks Book 8)

by Michael La Ronn

  Devika looked back.

  Clark was advancing.

  They weren’t going to make it.

  Dr. Jonesworth stood in front of the alien and raised her hand.

  “Please stop!” she cried.

  And then Clark devoured her. No blood. No bones crunching. He just swallowed her whole.

  Devika looked away.

  “Oh my God!” Michiko cried.

  Beauregard and Will fired at Clark, but the bullets went right through him.

  “Jesus, how is that even possible?” Will asked.

  “Your guns won’t work,” Devika said.

  She passed by a fire extinguisher and snatched it off the wall.

  “Don’t hurt him,” Michiko said.

  “Stop being a baby,” Devika said.

  Clark came closer, chomping his large jaws.

  Devika waited.

  Closer…

  Closer…

  She pulled the pin on the fire extinguisher and shot, blanketing Clark in foam. The alien screamed and recoiled. Devika advanced, covering it with white foam. Then she threw the fire extinguisher aside and ran.

  “I just bought us some time,” she said.

  They made it to the elevator and shut the door. The car rocketed upward.

  Keltie panted.

  “I’m officially sick of Planet Eaters,” she said.

  “Amen, sister,” Will said.

  The elevator door opened, and they ran into the rotunda of the medical facility.

  Devika stopped at a fire alarm and pulled it. An alarm sounded and lights flashed. She motioned to a secretary behind a tall granite counter.

  “Everybody out!” she cried.

  All across the rotunda, doctors and civilians stopped, looking at them curiously. Then they began to point and scream.

  A deafening, crushing sound came from the elevator.

  Clark had climbed up the elevator shaft and devoured the elevator car. Then he burst into the rotunda, chomping his jaws and roaring.

  “To the ship!” Beauregard said.

  They dashed out of the facility, across the manicured grass and toward the launchpad in the distance where the GGC Horizon waited for them.

  Beauregard spoke into a wrist communicator.

  “This is Beauregard to base,” he said. “We’ve got an active alien attacker on Gargantua. It’s eating the medical facility, and there has been at least one casualty. I need help, NOW!”

  30

  Smoke threw the police officers out of the airlock, and they crashed into the sands below.

  “Stop!” one of them cried.

  But Smoke shut the doors. All four of the officers ran below, chasing after the ship, but it was too high up for them to catch.

  Easy job. He hadn't even needed the knife.

  Smoke walked back into the bridge, checking for anyone else on the bridge.

  No one.

  He entered the bridge and settled into the pilot’s seat.

  The starry sands stretched ahead, the sky full of crisscrossing spotlights.

  It was time to get out of this hellhole.

  He grabbed the steering joystick.

  It had been a long time since he commanded a ship.

  His head hurt as he tried to remember a memory.

  Was it of the last time he'd touched a joystick?

  His head hurt too much for him to remember.

  Focusing on flying, he pulled back on the joystick and steered upward.

  Ahead, the navy blue sky was dark, with patches of black.

  He squinted.

  Sandstorm?

  Didn't look like one.

  Sandstorms happened at night, but they didn't look like this.

  In the distance, an explosion ripped through the night, and a brilliant cloud of smoke and embers lit up the sky.

  A police ship had crashed into a settlement and was blazing.

  Smoke cursed.

  Time to get out of here.

  He continued his trajectory upward as the sky continued to darken.

  A swatch of black appeared nearby, spreading across the sky like ink.

  He kept his eyes on the stars.

  Glanced at the fuel tank from the corner of his eye.

  Full.

  Enough to get the hell out of here.

  And then glimmers of red caught his eye.

  The black clouds spreading across the sky…

  They were filled with eyes.

  And giant mouths.

  And arms.

  “Bloody f—”

  A giant arm reached for the ship.

  Smoke jerked the ship away and it missed.

  A tremendous roar filled the sky.

  MAWHRG….

  MAWHRG…

  Smoke accelerated and flew away from a giant wall of Planet Eaters that gathered behind him. The wall was swarming, roaring, ripping across the sands, pulling the dunes up like old carpet, devouring everything in sight.

  Smoke’s eyes widened as he saw the aliens in the ship’s rearview mirror.

  He looked around the dashboard for an auto-exit button.

  None.

  Damn!

  These ships didn't have the most basic technology!

  He steered ever upward, toward a clear patch of navy blue.

  The Planet Eaters swept over the sands, and he could see nothing below except darkness and red eyes. A column of aliens extended upward, chasing him, snapping their jawless mouths and roaring.

  Smoke grabbed the artillery joystick, aimed at the aliens in his crosshairs and fired.

  Three large missiles struck the aliens and exploded on contact.

  The aliens swallowed the explosions and blooming flames as if they were nothing.

  The ship rattled and shook as it climbed.

  The stars were more numerous now.

  He was in the upper atmosphere. He struggled to keep he ship steady.

  The aliens gained on him.

  He pushed the ship to max speed.

  Just a little while longer…

  MAWRGH…

  MAWRGH…

  Smoke went weightless as the ship escaped into space. The navy blue sky fell away into darkness.

  And in a single moment, he was between darkness—the darkness of the Planet Eaters ravaging Defestus below, and the darkness of space.

  He looked around for a hyperspace button.

  He found it and pressed it.

  Nothing.

  He pressed it again.

  The ship’s computer spoke.

  “This ship's hyper core has been disabled. Because you did not enter your authority code prior, we will assume you are a fugitive. The ship will now be powering down so that authorities may apprehend you. Goodbye.”

  Smoke banged the dashboard.

  The lights went out and the ship’s engine cut off.

  Smoke caught a final glimpse of the Planet Eaters in the rearview camera before it too powered down.

  The ship drifted over Defestus, and for a moment, Smoke realized how peaceful it was in space.

  He glanced out across the stars, at the distant, twinkling planets. He wondered about his past.

  And then, he closed his eyes and braced himself as the ship was rocked, swayed, and sucked into the Planet Eaters’ jaws.

  31

  The emperor watched the Planet Eaters transform Defestus into a black, swarming ball.

  “Yes,” he said, crazed. “Yes! They are truly the power of the empire personified!”

  His eyes burned with passion as the Planet Eaters gorged themselves on the prison planet. Patches of atmosphere shone through the dark shadow, but slowly they began to disappear.

  Florian wriggled in his chains to get the emperor’s attention.

  “So do we have a deal or what?” he asked.

  The emperor held up his hand.

  “I am not done watching this ceremonious activity.”

  “We had a deal,” Florian said. “It's time to let me go. What do you say, M
r. Emperor?”

  A voice crackled on the communication radio.

  “This is Macalestern Twelve,” a skipper said. “Please proceed with transferring Florian, Tatiana and Huxley. We will link the ships’ airlocks in three minutes.”

  His men.

  Thank god! They came back for him!

  The plan was working…

  The emperor took another look at the Planet Eaters, grinned evilly, and waved to Florian.

  The soldiers unshackled the chains.

  Florian rubbed his wrists.

  “Fantastic,” he said. “We’ll be seeing you.”

  “Not so fast,” the emperor said.

  “Stop right there,” Florian said. “We had a deal. If you're going to go back on it, then heaven fucking help you.”

  “I never agreed to let you go,” the emperor said, grinning.

  Soldiers surrounded them and aimed their rifles.

  Florian pursed his lips.

  “That would be a very stupid move, Mr. Emperor.”

  The ship shook.

  “Your Majesty, the Macalestern ship has connected to our airlock,” Jax said.

  “I'm done with this boyish clown,” the emperor said, clasping his hands behind his back. “I wish to watch him die.”

  Florian balled his fists.

  Then something rocked again, and the ship and the lights went out. Outside, a wave of artillery spread across the ship’s hull, rattling it.

  The emperor jumped back.

  “We’re under attack!” Jax cried.

  32

  Eddie swung the corsair away as Grayson unloaded a volley of shots into the Macalestern and Zachary ships.

  “Nice shooting!” Eddie said. “Looks like you hit their generators.”

  “All intentional,” Grayson said. He adjusted his tactical sight and aimed as Eddie turned the ship around to sweep in for another round.

  “Nice driving, amigo,” Grayson said. “Get in close and give me a good quarter turn, will you?”

  Eddie increased his speed, nearing the two ships.

  The Macalestern ship was connected to the Zachary ship. Small explosions erupted on the sides of both ships.

  Grayson fired another round, peppering the ships with more gunfire.

  “Sweet!” Eddie said. “That'll send a message.”

  Grayson opened up the radio.

  “Florian, your time’s up. The army’s on their way. You can surrender or you can do this the hard way.”

  Grayson shut off the radio.

  “Swing out wide,” Grayson said. “They're going to counterattack.”

  Eddie turned the ship and rocketed away from Defestus.

  In the rearview camera, the two ships disconnected. Their bay doors were on fire—critical hits.

  And then the gunfire began.

  Eddie saw the shots coming, and he flipped the ship on its side.

  A few shots rattled the side of the ship.

  “It's okay,” Grayson said. “Good defensive manuever. Let ‘em chase us for a minute. Then we’ll swing back, hit ‘em again and blast into hyperspace.”

  The two ships pursued them, and Eddie flew ahead at full speed.

  Grayson swung the guns behind the ship and fired a couple of warning shots.

  “Let's go, let's go!” Grayson cried.

  Eddie turned around and Grayson unloaded his ammunition, striking the front of the Zachary ship, riddling it with bullets.

  The Macalestern ship hung back, not firing.

  Then the radio beeped.

  “I would think twice about continued attacks,” a feeble voice said. “For the glory shall not be yours, and we are within our rights to kill.”

  Eddie gulped and flushed.

  “My god,” he said, “it can't be—”

  “What?” Grayson said. “Focus on flying, man!”

  “It's—”

  “What?”

  “It's the—”

  “Eddie, lookout!”

  Eddie turned into a barrage of bullets. The ship’s computer beeped.

  “Critical hit,” the computer said.

  “Hyperspace, hyperspace, hyperspace!” Grayson cried.

  Eddie froze.

  “Damn it,” Grayson said, unclicking his seatbelt. He reached over and slammed the hyperspace button.

  The ship jumped into hyperspace just before another round of bullets struck them.

  The ship blazed forward, tunneling through bright purple light.

  Grayson grabbed Eddie.

  “What happened back there?” he asked.

  Eddie sputtered. “That was…I can't believe that was…him.”

  “Who?” Grayson asked. “Florian?”

  “No,” Eddie said, putting his head in his hands. “That was the—”

  “Eddie, you gotta talk, man. You're not making any sense and you just about got us killed.”

  “It was the emperor!” Eddie blurted.

  Grayson shrank back.

  “You sure?”

  “How could I ever forget that way of speaking?” Eddie asked.

  And then he thought of his family.

  Were they in the emperor’s hands now? What if he killed them? What if—

  God, it was too much!

  He wiped away tears.

  “That was the emperor of the Zachary Empire,” he said sadly.

  33

  As the GGC Horizon lifted off from the ground, and the team watched Clark devour the entire medical facility, growing ten times his size, Devika saw that she had missed calls on her phone.

  From Grayson.

  “Hey, if there was ever a time to pick up your phone, now is the time!” his voicemail said.

  “Is that Grayson?” Keltie asked. “Is he okay?”

  Devika dialed Grayson.

  No answer.

  She dialed again.

  No answer.

  “Sounded like he might have been in trouble,” Devika said.

  “Hello,” Michiko said. “So are we!”

  “What do we do?” Keltie asked.

  They watched Clark terrorize the medical facility. Soon, the entire complex was gone, and Clark went on to eat the grounds. He covered the lawns and the parking lot with shadow, devouring them.

  “We get the hell away, that's what we do!” Will cried.

  “He's going to eat everything in sight, and there's nothing we can do,” Keltie said.

  Michiko fell to her knees and wiped away a tear.

  “This is all my fault,” she said. “Guys, I'm so, so sorry.”

  Keltie rubbed Michiko’s shoulders.

  “It's okay,” she said.

  “No, it's not!” Michiko cried. “I'm responsible for all those people dying! I'm guilty! I was so selfish. I—”

  Devika slapped her across the cheek.

  Michiko fell to the floor, crying.

  “Shut up, and sit down,” Devika said.

  Michiko sobbed and grabbed her cheek. It was red.

  “You talk too much and you cry too much,” Devika said. “And this is not your fault. It's nobody’s fault.”

  Michiko blubbered.

  “Guys, look,” Will said.

  Clark stopped eating.

  He stopped, swirling in the middle of where the medical facility had been, and he looked at the sky.

  Then he roared long and loud.

  The sound was deafening, and everyone covered their ears.

  Then Clark stopped chomping, shrunk down to his original size, and he was still. He closed his eye.

  “What the hell?” Will asked.

  “The aliens reverted back to the way they were before,” Devika said. “That's strange.”

  “I wonder what happened to all the stuff the aliens just ate,” Keltie said. “Where did it go?”

  Keltie turned to Michiko and asked “Don't you know that?”

  But Michiko was gone.

  “Michiko?” Keltie asked.

  Will’s dashboard beeped.

  �
��Uh oh,” he said. “Guys, we got a problem.”

  Below, an escape pod flew down toward Clark. The silver pod sprouted long wings, and it listed on the wind, down toward the ground.

  Michiko was inside.

  34

  Florian struggled against two soldiers who held him back.

  “Get the lights back on!” the emperor cried.

  “The corsair is gone, Your Majesty,” Jax said. “We lost them.”

  Florian growled.

  Whoever the hell that was, they saved him from a sure death. But he wasn't so sure he wasn't going to die.

  The emperor cursed.

  Outside, the Planet Eaters had completely covered Defestus now. Their red eyes glowed in sync all across the planet, and in an instant, they swallowed the entire thing. The shadows seemed to collapse upon themselves.

  And in a massive flash, Defestus was gone.

  The emperor laughed maniacally.

  “It is done!” he said, raising his hands to the ceiling. “The glory of the empire be done. Bring back the Planet Eaters. We will use them again very soon.”

  Jax activated the silver containment unit, and several lights at the top glowed green.

  Florian chuckled.

  The emperor glanced at him angrily.

  “What’s so funny, brat?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Florian said. “It’s just funny how clueless you are.”

  “Kill this brat,” the emperor said. “He is a plague on my time.”

  Something shook the ship.

  The emperor stumbled backward.

  “Thanks for the memories,” Florian said.

  “You fool!” the emperor cried.

  The soldiers aimed at Florian. But then they lowered their guns, their faces full of horror.

  Planet Eaters gathered across the ship’s windshield, their red eyes blinking.

  “What are they doing?” the emperor asked. “Didn’t you order them back in the containment unit?”

  “It’s not working,” Jax said. “They’re not going inside. They’re flowing toward us!”

  “Well damn,” Florian said, “isn’t that a bitch?”

  Florian uppercut a soldier and Hux punched the man in the face, knocking him out.

  Florian caught the soldier’s rifle in mid-air. He shot the two other soldiers, and he, Tatiana and Hux stood back-to-back.