by J. J. Green
“They are to remain here. The rest of you are to come with me at once.” He laid a hand on his weapon, as if anticipating her resistance. Stefan must have warned him she might cause trouble. He was right, only not about the kind of trouble she would cause.
“We’re coming,” she said. “There’s no need to threaten us.”
Parthenia, Ferne, Oriana, and Darius were already waiting. Castiel and Nahla watched on.
“Let’s go,” she said to her mage sisters and brothers. Three more guards awaited them in the corridor, along with the two who would remain outside the living quarters. Already, Carina was calculating how she would tackle them and the many other obstacles that would soon stand in her way. Neither Bryce nor Mandeville had reappeared. Even one guard that was on her side would have been extremely useful, but it looked like she would have to do without.
One guard leading them, another following, and one on each side, the party was guided to the bridge. When Carina realized where they were going, she grew troubled. For her purposes, the bridge was the last place she wanted to be. Too much scrutiny. Too many people. Too many possibilities for something to go wrong.
When she stepped inside, a whirl of light and movement greeted her. The battle was underway, playing out in streaks of color on the holo that occupied the center of the room. Tucked away in the heart of the massive ship, Carina hadn’t even been aware of it. The shipyard hung in the middle of the room, Dirksen ships surrounding it, dwarfed by its massive size. Sherrerr ships were advancing upon them. Pulses flashed out from both sides as the starships drew closer.
The activity was reflected in the behavior of the crew. They were intent at their consoles, hastily swiping and pressing their screens or holding one hand to their ear comms, concentrating on the information being fed to them.
Tremoille occupied the central console just in front of the holo, gazing into its depths, following the progress of the battle. She barely glanced at Carina and the children, only flicking her hand to one side to indicate where they should sit.
Carina saw a low table and five stools had been set up on one side of the space.
“That’s no good,” she said.
“What?” exclaimed Tremoille, whirling around to glare at her.
“We can’t possibly Cast in here. It’s too noisy, too distracting. I said we needed somewhere private. You have to put us somewhere quiet or we won’t be able to help you.”
“What’s that?” a familiar voice barked from behind her. Stefan had arrived.
“We have to go someplace else,” said Carina. “Somewhere peaceful, or we won’t be able to Cast. You know that.”
“Is that right, Stefan?” Tremoille asked.
“Of course it’s right,” Carina said. “Why would I lie about it? You all agreed to it at the dummy run. Did you forget?”
“Stefan?” Tremoille repeated.
The admiral’s question to Stefan remained hanging in the air. Carina stared at him, boldly daring him to contradict her over the issue. He needed this victory, this example of what he had to offer the Sherrerr clan, and she knew it.
“It would be better for the children to be somewhere quiet, Admiral,” Stefan said.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” the woman said testily. “Find them somewhere. Fast. We’ll be within range in five minutes.”
Stefan ordered Carina and the children to pick up the tables, chairs, and elixir and follow him. They went through the corridors quickly as he urged them on.
Carina’s feet lifted from the floor momentarily before sinking down again. The children let out gasps and cries of shock. Parthenia snapped down the lid of the jug of elixir she was carrying.
“What was that?” Oriana asked.
“The anti-grav went out for a second,” Carina replied. “We must have taken a hit. If it happens again, use the bars to pull yourself along.” On each side of the corridor, narrow bars were set into the walls, as was standard for military vessels, but the children couldn’t have been expected to know.
“Are we going to be blown up?” Darius asked nervously.
“No,” Carina replied. “We’re the ones who are going to be doing the blowing up, right?”
“Right,” he replied, a determined expression settling on his young face.
“Will we be in trouble if we can’t do it?” Ferne asked.
Carina was about to answer, when Stefan interrupted. “Yes. If you don’t do as you’re supposed to, you will all be severely punished. Do you understand?”
The children immediately looked down and murmured, “Yes, Father.”
Carina didn’t reply. Just a little while longer. Just another ten or fifteen minutes, Stefan Sherrerr, before you say goodbye to us forever.
He thumped a door access button. They were at the briefing auditorium where they’d been tested before. As they went inside, Stefan started up the holo display. The image of the battle blinked into life above their heads. The shipyard was larger, and the Dirksen ships nearer. It seemed to Carina that the number of starships on both sides had decreased, thousands of lives sacrificed to the battle between the warring clans.
Stefan ordered them to set up the tables and stools, elixir and beakers, ready for Casting. He was listening to information arriving via his ear comm. “Sit down and get ready,” he ordered. “You have two minutes. You’d better make this happen, all of you. Believe me, if you fail, you’ll regret it.” He glared at Carina.
Just a little while longer.
Chapter Fifty
The Dirksen shipyard had drawn so close it nearly filled the entire holo image, though in reality it was still distant and beyond Carina’s range for Casting. She guessed that Darius might have been able to reach it. But the distance was closing rapidly. Carina estimated they had another thirty seconds or so.
The plan was that the Sherrerr flagship would halt when they were just within range. Remaining stationary would make it vulnerable to attack, but Carina had emphasized that to Cast while the distance was constantly decreasing might be too hard for the children.
They were all sitting in position, full beakers of elixir on the table in front of them. The four guards stood close by, their rifles trained on them as always. Stefan was too smart to take any chances, but Carina clung to the hope that their success in destroying the shipyard would provide that little bit of distraction that she needed. Taking out four guards and Stefan was a tall order, but she didn’t think it was impossible. Stefan wasn’t armed, so that was a bonus, and the guards seemed young and poorly trained. No doubt the best troops had been reserved for the ship invasions that would take place later.
As the final few seconds counted down, Carina’s heart threatened to burst from her chest. She might never have a better chance than this to escape her stepfather’s dreadful yoke. She had to make it work. She had to succeed. If she didn’t, she would be condemning her sisters and brothers to slavery and herself to a life like the one her mother had endured for so many years.
“Nearly there,” Stefan said. “Get ready.”
“You’ve got this, kids,” Carina said. “You can do it.” She went to pour out the elixir, but the anti-grav failed again. Her stomach lurched and she floated from her seat before sinking down again with a bump.
The ship lurched, sloshing the elixir in its lidded jug. They must have taken another big hit. The shielding had to be failing. Darius was watching her, a worried expression on his face. She smiled confidently and poured out a couple of mouthfuls of the precious liquid each before carefully replacing the lid on the jug. It was all they needed for the Fire Cast. She wanted to use as little as possible. They would need all the elixir they could get later.
“Now,” Stefan barked.
“Right,” she said to the children. “Go ahead.” She took a sip of elixir and closed her eyes, shutting out the kaleidoscope of colors playing out over her head. She steadied her breathing and her heart rate, shutting out her fears and worries, and sank deep into the inner darkness
of her mind. The pre-prepared coordinates were carved into her memory. She quickly but carefully wrote the Fire Cast, Split it, and sent the two Casts speeding away from her, across the abyss of space. They would hit. She was confident of it. It was what was supposed to happen next that worried her.
Carina opened her eyes and focused on the shipyard. Her targets were out of sight, hidden somewhere within the colossal structure. Long seconds passed. One by one the children also opened their eyes and gazed at the heart of the holo where the shipyard hung, defiantly intact. What if the intel had been wrong? What if it had been deliberately planted to mislead them?
Nightfall was now at the center of the battle and being mercilessly pummeled by the Dirksen forces. What if it had all been a trick to lure them in? Stefan’s expression was shifting to fury, his hands balled into fists.
Then the first fuel tank blew.
The flash was blinding. It filled the image with an impossibly bright glare, searing Carina’s retinas for a split second before it was gone. Through the after image, she caught a glimpse of the shipyard, now distorted as it began to break apart. A second blaze of light erupted. “Close your eyes,” Carina shouted.
She looked away from the scene, seeing the reflection of the brilliant flashes on the briefing room’s walls. She couldn’t afford to close her own eyes. The moment the explosions were over, she had to act, fast. The sixth and final fuel tank blew. Carina returned her attention to the guards, who had kept their focus downward on her and the children. Damn. Stefan must have warned them.
Like snow in a heavy blizzard, the holo showed the debris of the shipyard spinning around them. The flagship was in full reverse in the aftermath of the explosion.
“We did it,” Darius exclaimed, leaping up.
“Yay,” cried Ferne, waving his arms in the air.
The guards’ holds on their weapons began to relax, and they smiled, also enjoying the Sherrerr victory. Now Carina had her chance. A split second before she made her move, however, Stefan barked, “Guards. Watch your charges.”
The men and women resumed their focus, training their muzzles on Carina and the children once more. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn you, Stefan Sherrerr.
He had robbed her of that small moment of distraction she needed. Her stepfather seemed to read her mind. The corner of his lip lifted in a triumphant half smile. “Good. You all did as you were—” The door chime sounded, drowning out his words. Irritated, he went to the door. When he opened it, Carina’s heart leaped. It was Bryce. She couldn’t hear what her friend was saying, only Stefan’s side of the conversation.
“Calvaley? Why didn’t he comm me himself? Hmpf. I see. Where?” He stepped out into the corridor and turned to say, “You’re all to remain here until I return. Guards, keep them covered at all times, do you understand?” He went out and the door slid shut.
Carina didn’t waste a second. One of the guards was watching the shipyard debris expanding across the holo and speeding toward them. Immediately, Carina was on her, driving her elbow upward into the woman’s chin. She knocked her out cold. Before the guard hit the floor Carina had torn her weapon from her hands and shot another guard in the face. There was no point in aiming at any armored part of their bodies. A single shot probably wouldn’t penetrate, but luckily they had their visors up inside the ship. She spun to aim at a third guard, betting on the moment of confusion caused by her actions. But her luck had run out. Before she could take aim, the other guard fired.
Something exploded in her chest. She was out.
***
When Carina came to, she was still in the auditorium. Only a few short moments seemed to have passed. She thanked the stars that the guard’s weapon had only been set on a light stun. Stefan clearly valued them more highly than he made out.
She was looking at the wrong end of a pulse rifle. The guard she’d knocked out remained sprawled, unmoving, on the floor. The guard she’d shot was sitting up and rubbing his face. The one who wasn’t aiming at her was speaking into her mic.
The situation looked hopeless. Stefan and the rest of the ship would soon hear what had happened. Within minutes, they would be hurried back to their quarters and locked inside for who knew how long while Stefan meted out his punishments.
But Carina was determined not to give up. Her mind whirred as she tried to figure out how to turn the tables on the three remaining guards. Search as she might, however, she couldn’t come up with an answer. Desperation was beginning to take hold.
Then Parthenia made her move.
None of the guards were watching the children. The one Carina had shot was distracted by the stinging, burning after-effects of being stunned, which Carina could also feel. One was focused with a laser-like intensity on her. The other was looking down as she murmured in her mic, half-turned away from Carina’s brothers and sisters.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Parthenia take a sip of elixir. She could hardly believe it. What was her sister doing? She struggled to show no evidence on her face of her sister’s behavior. Whatever it was she was planning, Carina had to take the opening her sister was giving her. They were all out of second chances.
She saw it. The unconscious guard’s gun had fallen to one side of her body. It lifted, hovered, and began to slowly float toward Carina. Parthenia had Cast Transport and was sending her the weapon. Yet it would be of little use to her if she was looking down a muzzle.
The guard who she’d shot in the face uttered an expletive. He’d seen the floating rifle. The one who was watching Carina shifted his gaze for a split second to see what was happening. It was enough. Carina grabbed the muzzle of his gun and leapt up, wresting it from his grip. At the same moment, the weapon Parthenia had Transported arrived. Carina let it slide under her lifted arm and quickly fired off two pulse rounds. The previously stunned guard fell, unconscious once more. The one who had been speaking into her mic also hit the ground, face first.
As the third guard made a grab for his weapon, Carina squeezed the trigger a third time and sent a round into his stomach. He staggered backward. She lifted her weapon and aimed better. The fourth round hit him in his forehead. His eyes rolled upward as he toppled.
“Thanks,” Carina said to Parthenia. “Grab the elixir. Come on, everyone.”
“Where are we going?” Darius asked.
“I think we’re going to escape,” said Ferne.
“Not just yet,” Carina said. “We have to collect Ma.”
Chapter Fifty-One
In the corridor outside the briefing room the lighting slowly flashed and an acrid stink hung in the air. Nightfall was on high alert. Somewhere on the ship, a fire was raging and the air filters were struggling to clear the smoke. The place was in chaos. Crew rushed through the corridors, only taking enough notice of Carina and the children to avoid colliding with them.
They also ran.
Each time Carina had moved through the ship, she’d taken mental notes on its layout. On such a large ship, signs were necessary, and she’d taken care to read those too. She knew exactly how to return to their living quarters and how to get from there to the shuttle bay. The only question was, could they do it without being recaptured? She didn’t know who the guard in the briefing room had been speaking to over her mic or what she’d said, but they had only minutes of freedom at the very most.
The running children drew plenty of curious glances, but everyone appeared too busy or distracted to challenge them, even though Carina carried two weapons loosely hanging down by her sides. She guessed that the crew identified them as Sherrerrs, and the aura of the family was their protection. It would be a very temporary reprieve, she was sure.
They reached the corridor that led to their living quarters. The short dead-end was empty save for the two sentry guards. Carina had turned her weapons up to full stun. She quickly dispatched both the guards. They would be out for around half an hour.
She burst into the living quarters. Castiel and Nahla were in the living area, and they looked
up, their eyes wide and their mouths gaping. Ignoring them, Carina ran into her mother’s bedroom and over to her bed. The woman’s heavy eyelids lifted.
“Are the children free?” she whispered. “Did you do it?”
“Not yet,” Carina replied, “but I’m going to.”
She threw her weapons’ straps over her shoulders in order to lift up her mother, but then she had a better idea. “Ferne, Oriana,” she called. The twins, along with the rest of the children, were already peering through the doorway. Carina said, “Do you think you can handle these?” She held out the two pulse rifles.
“You bet,” Oriana said excitedly as she came over and grabbed them. She handed one to Ferne, who gazed wonderingly at the weapon.
“Just don’t point it at anyone you don’t want to kill,” Carina said.
Castiel marched over too. “What are you doing?” he asked angrily.
“We’re leaving,” Carina replied. She pulled back her mother’s blanket. The woman’s body was wasted to little more than skin and bones. Gently, she lifted her into her arms. She was pitifully light to carry.
“You can’t leave,” Castiel said, outraged. “I’m going to tell Father.”
“You do, and I’ll shoot you,” said Ferne. He aimed at Castiel.
“Are Castiel and Nahla coming too?” Darius asked.
Carina hesitated. No hung on the edge of her lips.
Her mother spoke. “Yes. You must all go with Carina.”
Castiel’s eyes hooded over. “Yes,” he echoed. “We’re coming too.”
Foreboding tingling, Carina said, “Okay. Let’s move then.”
They flew through the ship. The twins ran in front, their weapons at the ready. Darius, Castiel, and Nahla came next, followed by Carina, carrying their mother. Parthenia brought up the rear, clutching the jug of elixir to her chest.
Carina expected Castiel to try something at any moment. He had some plan in mind, it was obvious. What it was and when he would make his move wasn’t clear, but he seemed to be biding his time.
