by Jason Kent
Merrick stepped to stand beside Kate and nodded at Sparrow.
"Thank you," Sparrow said. She did not dare lower her arms to wipe the tears which had formed in the corner of her eyes. She took a deep breath and focused on the orb and the Ater wreckage. "Let's see what I can pull out of my hat..."
You are the conduit, Sparrow reminded herself. She knew she should believe this, but in truth, she had no idea if what she was about to try would succeed. If she failed, she'd kill everyone within hundreds of kilometers.
So don't fail.
Sparrow grinned at her inner self's encouragement.
Right.
There was no time to fully think the plan through. Sparrow knew everyone was depending on her to do the right thing, right now. Just make it happen...
Sparrow opened her mind to the orb, willing the energies within it to come to her. She dared not let her mind dive inside to try to pull the power of the Aether out with her. She dared not become lost.
Become the conduit...
The orb was not meant to be used in this way...Sparrow made a note to be sure to update the instructions stored in the tablet if they made it safely back to the Archives.
With a thought, cold power surged across the short distance from the orb to her hand.
As before, the incredible chill of deep space seeped into her bones, even as the tumult of fire and lightning engulfed her body.
Every cell felt as if it was about to explode. Only one thought ran through Sparrow's mind.
It was her turn to protect Kate...her turn to show Ross what she was willing to do to keep him safe...
...her chance to shield...everyone...
Sparrow grinned at the sight of the downed Ater ship. She'd already done things beyond her wildest imagination. She murmured, "Time for a little more fun."
Sparrow became the conduit...
Kate jumped as lightning leapt from the orb to Sparrow's outstretched arm. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out as Sparrow grunted with the effort of channeling the energy.
"Now!" Sparrow shouted, her voice shaking. She opened her other palm wide toward the Ater wreckage.
Kate gasped as a force shield shimmered to life, covering the entire ship. Her eyes slid sideways to Sparrow. The Link Sprite's mouth was curled in a grim smile even as the alien vessel was enveloped by a ball of flames. They whipped around her as if she were caught at the center of a violent whirlwind. Kate clenched her gloved hands into a tight fist and held her ground. The flames were terrifying to be this close to, but she and Ross refused to leave Sparrow's side. A flash of brilliant light sent shadows leaping across the landing field.
"Cover your eyes!" Merrick shouted. Taking his own advice he threw an arm over his faceplate and squeezed his eyes closed.
Kate's suit helmet darkened instantaneously. Even with the tinting at its highest setting, Kate was forced to screw her eyes shut against the brightness. The ground bucked and she was thrown against Merrick.
The landing field finally stopped trying to toss Kate into orbit. She managed to find her footing once more just as her eyes adjusted. The first thing she saw was Sparrow laying on the ground. The orb, still sputtering weak bolts of lightning, lay nearby. Kate rushed over and joined Ross at Sparrow's side.
She hesitated for a moment, afraid to touch Sparrow as a few sparks of residual electricity scurried over her clothing. Finally, Kate could wait no longer and reached down. She got a slight jolt as she turned Sparrow over so she could see her face. Kate ignored the pain that the shock had sent up her arm and bent her face close to Sparrow's.
"Will she be alright?" Ross asked. He held his hands out, ready to scoop Sparrow into his arms.
Kate glanced up at the ruined skeleton of the Ater ship. The failed engine core had disintegrated most of the superstructure. She looked up and down Sparrow's body, seeking any signs of injury or suit damage. She found none, despite the massive amounts of energy the woman had channeled. Although her gloves were steaming, they seemed undamaged. Otherwise, Sparrow looked to have suffered no harm from her spectacular experience.
"She's got to be okay..." Ross said, his voice catching in his throat.
Sparrow's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the marine's voice. Kate couldn't contain the tears of relief which sprung to her eyes.
"Sparrow!" Kate gathered the Link Sprite up in a hug then had to relinquish her to Ross' strong arms.
Sparrow turned her head to look at the remains of the Ater ship. She asked weakly, "Did I do that?"
An SUMC assault shuttle banked around Blade and settled onto the landing pad before Kate could respond. Through the windshield, Kate could make out Dagger and Garrett's grinning faces.
Blade's airlock hatch opened and Tivon hurried over to join Kate and the others.
Sparrow's eyes moved slowly from face to face, as if she were trying to memorize every detail. Finally, she settled her gaze on Ross. Sparrow only had one question left to ask.
"Can we go home now?"
Epilogue
"They will come back, right?" Kate asked. She followed the contrail left by Blade as the starship soared through the clear blue sky above the Archives.
"With Dagger, I would say the percentages are fifty-fifty," Sparrow laughed.
"Where are they headed anyway?" Ross asked as he walked down the wide entrance steps to join the others. "I asked Garrett but he had no clue. Acted like he really didn't care as long as he was going with Dagger."
"Ah, love," Kate said.
"Oh, that's what it was?" Ross said. He widened his eyes comically. "I thought they just liked arguing all the time!"
"Dagger will be back," Sparrow said. "She told me she needed to 'make a run to stay sharp'. She was unwilling to share any more details."
"In that case, I hope the colonists in this sector keep an eye on their credit chits," Ross said.
Georges' shuttle followed Blade a few moments later.
"There goes the old man," Sparrow said. She reached out and took Ross' hand. "I'm feeling a bit conflicted..."
"The Colonel's just going on a little mission with Tivon," Ross remarked.
"Without me...again," Sparrow said. "How's he supposed to find the Yazim Statue without help?"
Ross patted Sparrow on the shoulder. "Sometimes you just have to let go," he said. Ross managed to look serious for all of five seconds before a grin spread across his face.
"Don't worry," Kate added. "They can't get into too much trouble. Tarun went with them. I think he believed Colonel Georges needed a chaperone."
"Not likely," Sparrow said. "But it's a nice, old-fashioned thought."
"It's cute," Kate continued. "Like a first date!"
Sparrow shook her head at the memory of Georges proposing the mission to locate and recover the Yazim artifact. From what they could tell from the records in the Archives and Nemus, the statue seemed dormant at the moment. But, every twenty three years or so, there seemed to be a cluster of rather gruesome deaths associated with previous owners. Tarun had agreed it was probably wise to secure the artifact before a new cycle began. When Sparrow offered to accompany Georges, he'd blushed and told her it wouldn't be necessary to take the entire team. It wasn't until Georges' eyes had moved to Tivon that Sparrow had caught on.
"I think Georges deserves a little break after convincing his superiors in Fleet to start building their new ships," Sparrow said. "The Admirals have been looking for an excuse to build their super-dreadnaughts...and now they have one."
"Yeah," Ross said. "Having an alien warship explode over one of the largest cities on Mars will do wonders to speed up the acquisition process."
"It helps that EMTEC just happened to have the designs for a new power source Fleet needed," Kate added. "I wonder if Georges would have been successful if nine foot aliens hadn't invaded Huygens City. I also think the brush with the Ater finally got Georges thinking about making the best use of the time we have. I'm happy he finally decided to spend a little time with Tivon."
"At least she can stop pining for him down in the stacks!" Ross added.
"Speaking of the Stacks," Kate said, "how's our delivery doing?"
"The archivists," Merrick began and tilted his head toward Sparrow, "and our Link Sprite, assure me the orb, key, and tablet are all adequately shielded. The Ater will not be able to locate them or the Archives."
"We set up a jamming rig which actively cancels out any signal emitted by the orb," Sparrow said. "I wired it so the Aether Source provides the power needed for the system." She raised her eyebrows. "Not bad if I say so myself."
"I'd feel a lot better if we had a few more guys around who haven't vowed to not use a weapon," Ross grumbled.
"Consider your words carefully," Sparrow said and squeezed Ross' arm. "There are some females here who are capable of effectively using a weapon."
"I hope you aren't counting me!" Kate said, "Remember, I'm the medic because of my complete lack of shooting skills!"
"You know what I mean," Ross said. He rolled his eyes and gestured back at the Archives. He made a gesture like he wanted to choke someone. "The archivists...they're driving me nuts!"
"Georges plans to pick up the new members after they find their artifact," Merrick said. "You'll have your hands full soon, Gunny."
"Ah, Master Gunnery Sergeant, it'll be a pleasure to break 'em in!" Ross said and rubbed his hands together greedily. "Fresh recruits to the 707th DRU! I can hardly wait!"
"Your training should not involve degrading the new members of our team," Sparrow insisted. "You won't be mean to them, will you?"
"Mean?" Ross said, seriously considering the question. "Nah. But they will need some 'special instruction', I'm sure!" She punched him in the arm. Ross protested. "Hey! It's my job!"
"And you approve?" Sparrow tilted her head toward Merrick.
"Never argue with the Gunny," Merrick said with a straight face.
"Marines," Sparrow muttered with a shake of her head.
"Hey, we are what we shape our fresh troops to be," Ross said. He gathered Sparrow into his arms. "You have to be able to function as a unit. Plus, the new guys always need to be trained up in a little warrior ethos."
"Honor. Courage. Commitment," Merrick said solemnly.
Sparrow rolled her eyes. "Of course. I've been around Georges long enough to pick up a few of the catch phrases."
"How are you feeling?" Kate asked softly. She laid a hand on Sparrow's shoulder. "You okay after...everything that's happened?"
Sparrow looked out across the sloping meadow to where Nemus stood, his branches waving in the breeze. She looked at Kate, Merrick, and finally let her eyes rest on Ross. She laid a palm, its embedded machinery pulsing gently, against the big man's cheek.
Smiling, Sparrow replied, "I think I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. I'm ready for this new season in my life."
Ross laid a hand over Sparrow's and grinned.
Kate snaked her hand into Merrick's grasp. Merrick squeezed. The four of them stood enjoying the peace of the now-silent afternoon sky.
Kate smiled as Sparrow broke the quiet a minute later.
"I hope they return soon. I'm not sure how much of this peace and quiet I can stand!"
Tallinn Dictionary:
Eskadrill — Squad
Seiklus — Adventure
Parim — Best
Vormis Olema — "Be at one's best!"
Voti — Key
About the Author
Jason Kent is an Amazon Best Selling science fiction/steampunk author and military space expert living the dream in Colorado.
Growing up on a steady diet of land-mark sci-fi movies, awesome Saturday morning cartoons, and just about every book from the local library, Jason nurtured his passion to write his own brand of science fiction. Engineering school, military intelligence training, and launching billion-dollar national security satellites for the USAF helped Jason bring sci-fi technologies to the world today. Jason is a licensed professional engineer and has authored several articles about the space elevator, particularly as it relates to future military space activities and human expansion into the solar system. Jason recently completed his tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his years in the Air Force, Jason was blessed to work in jobs spanning diverse mission areas including reconnaissance, systems engineering, space and launch vehicle operations, space system acquisition, and missile defense. Each of his assignments helped to broaden his experience in real-world space technology and space business ventures.
Jason's books, including Kindle #1 Best Seller, New Sky: Eyes of the Watcher, New Season: Sparrow's Quest, and Far Space are available from Amazon and on Kindle.
Visit Jason on the web at:
www.FarSpaceRecon.com
[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Sky/685800718156969
Twitter
@JasonRKent
Recommended Reading
Mud, Sweat, and Tears by Bear Grylls
ISBN 978-0-06-212413-5
What Should I do with the Rest of my Life by Po Bronson
ISBN 978-0-375-75898-0
The Ghost Brigades by John Salzi
ISBN 978-0-765-35406-8
Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt
ISBN 978-0-441-01955-7
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
ISBN 978-0-345-41688-9
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
ISBN 0-618-15397-7
The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare by John Keegan
ISBN 978-0140096507
The Rocket Company by Patrick J. G. Steinnon
ISBN 978-1563476969
More From Jason Kent
Far Space
New Sky: Eyes of the Watcher
If you liked
New Season
Sparrow's Quest
Please leave a review on
Amazon.com
Dedicated to my wonderful wife,
Melissa.
You have my heart!
Table of Contents
Prologue
Part 1 — Torque
Chapter 1 — Sparrow
Chapter 2 — Arensburg Bazaar
Chapter 3 — Olympus Chronometer
Chapter 4 — Off the Rails
Chapter 5 — Chronometer Chaos
Chapter 6 — The Mainspring Archives
Chapter 7 — Into the Stacks
Chapter 8 — Coffee with Dagger
Chapter 9 — Course of Action
Chapter 10 — No Man's Land
Chapter 11 — Progress
Chapter 12 — Reticort Museum
Chapter 13 — Museum Tour
Chapter 14 — Sparrow's Revenge
Chapter 15 — Vault 77
Chapter 16 — Escape from Ardennes
Part 2—Momentum
Chapter 17 — Plans
Chapter 18 — Ironclad Seiklus
Chapter 19 — Mechs in the Dark
Chapter 20 — In Sparrow's Hands
Chapter 21 — Seiklus' Past
Chapter 22 — Sparrow Suits Up
Chapter 23 — Homecoming
Chapter 24 — Greetings from Mars
Chapter 25 — Resonance
Chapter 26 — Change of Plans
Chapter 27 — Aether Source
Chapter 28 — Plausible Deniability
Chapter 29 — Sparrow Ascending
Chapter 30 — Full Potential
Epilogue
About the Author
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2015 by Jason Kent
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing from the publisher. ISBN: 1530489881
Cover Design: Ravven
www.Ravven.com
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Jason Kent, New Season: Sparrow's Quest (New Sky Book 2)
