He was a short man, even by Alliance standards. Dark haired with concerned, chestnut eyes.
“My stomach,” she panted, doubling over in pain. “Please help.”
The crewman hit a panel on the nearest wall. “Medical emergency on deck two, corridor twelve.”
The last thing she remembered was him kneeling down to help. Then she blacked out.
* * *
Chase arrived in the med-bay shortly after. He talked with the doctor currently on duty who gave him a detailed report on the tests they had performed on her and showed him some scans before leaving to tend to other things.
Hesitant to wake her, Chase cautiously approached the bed where Ryonna was sleeping, smiling when she opened her eyes. “Hello, sleepy head.”
“Chase...? Where am I?”
“Medical Bay.”
She looked around in alarm. “On Earth?”
“Soon,” he said calmingly. “We're less than an hour away from jumping out of hyperspace. You’re still on the Iron Fire.”
“Ronan?” she asked automatically.
“He’s fine. I passed by his quarters and he was still sleeping so I let him rest. I’m sure you’ll agree he’s had enough excitement for a while.”
She chuckled weakly. “Indeed. Thank you, Chase.”
The smile faded from Chase’s eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“About that thing you have in your stomach. I ran into Tar’Lock and he explained that you had a nanite factory installed inside your stomach. He said something about the fact you needed to reverse the procedure quickly…?”
She sighed. “I thought I had a few more days. It didn’t seem that important at the time.”
“Well, the doc here is worried. It seems your body is rejecting the implant and he thinks you need to be operated on as soon as possible. He prefers doing it on Earth. Some of our best physicians are there, and there’s better operating equipment as well as full operating staff.”
She nodded but then stared up at him anxiously. “There’s something else, Chase.”
“What is it?
“I can’t seem to be able to foresee the moment of passing of the people I meet anymore. When I arrived on Hellstar it was still working, but shortly after—I don’t really know how or when exactly—or why—it’s just gone.”
Chase considered his response. “Does it bother you?”
“No, on the contrary. I’d rather this be gone forever.”
“So why worry?”
“Well…” She paused thoughtfully. “Maybe it was a tactical advantage you could have found useful in the future. As such, it’s a shame to have lost it.”
He frowned. “Why does it matter what is of any tactical advantage to me, Ryonna?”
“Because I owe you a life debt now.”
He shook his head quickly and took a step away. “Oh no you don’t! You saved our asses with that quadrinium. Without it, Earth and the Alliance would have fallen. So if there’s anyone owing anybody anything here, it’s the rest of us owing you, do you understand me?”
She gazed up solemnly. “That’s not how things work, Chase. You saved my hide from that desolate planet and helped me locate Ronan—that’s why I gave you the quadrinium. You coming to Hellstar to save us is another debt, a much more important one for me to repay.”
“Look, I understand Droxians are very proud people with a strong sense of honor. I’m sure you feel you have to do this, but—”
“I need to, and I will.”
“Will you let me finish?”
“Sorry. Please continue.”
“Alright, so as it happens, it’s Sarah who asked me to come to Hellstar. I don’t know how. I don’t know if this is one of my powers, but I heard her telepathically calling to me. So technically, I didn’t come to save you.”
Ryonna smiled. She knew what he was trying to do.
“The fact of the matter is, even if you came to find Sarah, once you arrived, do you honestly expect me to believe that you wouldn’t have tried to locate me and Ronan?”
Chase stalled nervously. “Alright maybe, but not if it had jeopardized my own mission.”
“Very well...” She grinned. “Well, now that my people and yours are allies, I guess there’s no issue with us to being friends.”
“Of course!” he said quickly. “I would expect that even if our people weren’t allies.”
She had him cornered and went in for the kill. “Then as your friend, I’m sorry I lost this advantage, and I hope you’ll let me be part of your entourage.”
He faltered at her logic. “What about Ronan?”
“What about him?”
“Isn’t he too young to be mixed up with what the new Alliance is trying to do? Wouldn’t you rather take him some place safe to look over and protect him?”
She sighed. “I don’t think there is any safe place anymore, Chase. This is an all-out war now, otherwise my people wouldn’t even have considered joining you. I know how stubborn we can be.”
“You can say that again,” he mumbled and they both laughed.
“Furthermore you need to understand that I want Ronan to become a great warrior, and shielding him from danger isn’t really going to help accomplish that.”
Chase nodded practically, but rushed suddenly forward when Ryonna doubled over with a groan. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Chase, don’t worry.”
Her fierce bravery even amidst all the pain made him smile. “Look, I’m perfectly happy to have you on our side. You’ve been an invaluable ally and I would love to get to know you better as a friend.”
“Then it’s settled, Chase,” she said happily. “We’ll stay with you, and I think as long as I’m around, I can take care of Ronan.”
“Good.” Chase gave her a comical handshake and she laughed. “Now you should probably get some rest. We’ll soon reach Earth and then you’ll be transferred to a bigger medical center. They’ll operate as soon as possible to remove that contraption in your guts and flush the nanites from your body.”
Ryonna nodded in agreement.
“I’ve also let the doc know they need to bring Ronan to you when we reach Earth. There’s a guard in front of your quarters with orders to bring him to you in case he wakes up before then.”
She smiled at him. And to think, at their first meeting she had been reluctant to trust him. He was, after all, the first non-Droxian she had met who didn’t provide a vision regarding his future death. That alone had destabilized her. She was grateful now that she had let Sarah change her mind.
“Thank you, Chase.”
“You’re very welcome. Now try to rest a bit. You deserve it.”
* * *
The Iron Fire exited hyperspace and was soon orbiting Earth. Chase was on the bridge, sitting in the captain’s chair when it happened.
The view was both magnificent and terrorizing. On the one hand, it felt good to see the number of starships now orbiting Earth, especially ships like the Cronos which were so massive they provided a shade of their own. However, Chase couldn’t help but notice some huge, dark, grey spots in Earth’s atmosphere where Argos’ abomination of a battleship had launched its deadly, mass-driver weaponry. Chase knew full well Sarah would want to know as soon as possible what cities had been hit, but after their intimate moment in their quarters, she had fallen asleep and he hadn’t felt like waking her up after that. She had been through so much lately, she deserved whatever sleep she could get.
Another few minutes or hours wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway, he thought. And somehow he was glad she wasn’t there to see the damage with her own eyes, just as he could see it right now from orbit.
C H A P T E R
XIV
Time on the planet passed quickly, and it was just a week later that Chase and Sarah entered a room in the newly constructed headquarters of the Earth Alliance. Commodore Saroudis was there waiting for them in front of a huge conference
table. When the pair walked inside, Saroudis took a few steps forward and shook Chase’s hand.
“It’s good to see you again. Sorry I missed your debrief upon your return from Hellstar. It’s been busy.”
“Thank you, Commodore. Congratulations on the promotion. And no worries. Under the circumstances it’s just normal.”
“Thanks, Chase,” he said warmly. “Sarah, it’s good to see you as well.”
She flashed a smile. “Thank you, Commodore, it is good to be back.”
“Please, sit.” He gestured to the table. “I wish we had time to chitchat but there are lots of things we must talk about.”
Chase nodded seriously as they all pulled up a chair. “I’ve seen the damage from orbit. I’m afraid to ask the number of casualties.”
“I don’t even have a figure myself, Chase.” Saroudis shook his head sadly. “But we estimate a few million people died during the attack on Earth.”
Sarah’s face paled. “Dear god!”
“Yes, I know this must be quite a shock for you,” the commodore sympathized. “I am deeply sorry we weren’t able to do more for your planet.”
She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. The Alliance risked everything to save Earth; without your help, we simply wouldn’t be here discussing this.”
“I am somewhat relieved you see it that way. I’m not sure all the people of Earth will.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Which cities took the brunt of the damage?”
“Many capital cities, in fact.” He listed them off: “Los Angeles, Boston, Vancouver, Paris, London, Rome, New York—to a lesser degree—but the list goes on. While the damage has been substantial and the loss of life unthinkable, we have dispatched all the help we could to these cities to relocate survivors and start the process of rebuilding. Some of them were quite literally leveled during the assault.”
She stared at her hands in her lap. “I can’t imagine what people must be feeling right now.”
“Neither can I, Commander. But unfortunately, we can’t delve into this too much right now. There is a good chance Obsidian will continue attacking in the coming weeks. With the help of the Droxians, however, we should have a more defensible position, and with the Fifth Fleet’s arrival, our numbers are strengthening.”
“That’s a lot to take in,” Chase murmured. “When we arrived on Earth, we knew things would be bad, but I had hoped we could have repelled this assault with far fewer casualties.”
“We all did, Chase...” said the commodore gravely.
“Where is Daniel?” Chase looked suddenly around. “I expected him to be here for this.”
“I wanted him to captain the Destiny while I came down to Earth. While I don’t expect an imminent attack, I’d rather the ship was in good hands.”
“Understood. What’s next, then?”
“Many things, actually. With quadrinium now in abundant supply, we have quadrupled the construction of bots that are working relentlessly, some in damage control and some in churning out new battleships and defenses. We should have a larger network of orbital satellites in place within two weeks, and a brand new Prometheus-class battleship in the next few days.”
“Prometheus class?” Chase raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. Admiral Thassos was kind enough to provide the full specs she carried with her. The Prometheus class is another top-secret battleship design that was being built for testing when Obsidian attacked. Yanis has added a few things to improve upon the specs further.”
“Of course he did.” Chase grinned. “What’s so different about it?”
“I think it’s best I let him explain it himself. I know he wants to. But suffice it to say, it’s a smaller battleship, about thirty percent smaller in size than the Destiny, but packs new and improved engines that are up to twenty-five percent more efficient, with double and triple redundancies on critical systems. It also comes with prototype shields and is armed to the teeth. Yanis will brief you further. It could be a very important ship for reconnaissance missions, as it can handle its own with faster, sub-light engines, more maneuverability, and stronger shields. It’s the perfect ship to start exploring what was once Alliance space to look for more survivors while we try to find new allies.”
“That sounds good.” Chase nodded approvingly. “What about the Droxians? How serious are they about joining the Earth Alliance?”
“Almost a done deal. There are a few details being ironed out, but for now it looks like we may have just scored the biggest ally we could hope for under the circumstances.”
“Maybe it will push other worlds to join in as well.”
The commodore nodded. “We can only hope so. We still have no idea of how strong the Zarlack forces are. We might just have seen the tip of the spear here.”
Chase shuddered. “That’s a scary thought.”
“Yes, it is. But at least now with the shipyard churning out vessels and the Droxians in the fold, we can actually start planning search and rescue missions.”
Chase sat up quickly. “I would really like to be part of the first mission that goes to Alpha Prime.”
“So would I,” added Sarah.
Saroudis smiled. “I predicted that, so in a few days, when the Hope is ready, you can take her on her maiden voyage.”
“What about you, Commodore?” Chase frowned. “Wouldn’t you want the honors?”
“I would, Chase, but I need to keep supervising things here. You might have to get the admiral’s permission and probably take an escort as well, but I’d rather send you and Sarah on this. You two demonstrated great resilience whilst finding reinforcements and quadrinium. Maybe the gods are smiling on you two.”
Chase almost wanted to explain that Olympians weren’t really gods, just a more advanced species, but he also knew Commodore Saroudis was a believer, so for the time being, he simply smiled and nodded in agreement. After all, who was he to belittle someone’s beliefs? If it helped Saroudis and others to think of Olympians as gods, then so be it.
Sarah got up and went to the nearest window. They were in a tall building and the view should have been breathtaking. It still was—only in all the wrong ways. Houses were flattened, trees were scorched. It was a planet on the mend. A planet still licking its wounds.
Sarah pondered the extent of the scars left on humanity’s psyche. Yes, the arrival of the fleet had brought about an end to global famine, disease, and war. But still, looking around now raised a hell of a lot of questions.
Could this have been avoided had the Alliance never jumped near Earth?
The two men watched her for a moment, until Chase made a discreet hand gesture, asking for a moment. The commodore got up graciously, announcing he’d return with coffee.
Once the sliding doors to the conference room had closed, Chase got up and put his arms gently around Sarah’s trembling body, kissing her warmly on the cheek. She jumped a little, as if just realizing that he was there, but then leaned back into him.
“You’re alright, sweetie?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re thinking about Uncle Peter?”
Upon their arrival on Earth, Sarah had immediately gotten a message letting her know that her uncle had been killed in the attack.
“Yeah. I still can’t believe he is gone. I can’t believe how many are gone.” She pulled herself together and straightened her shoulders. “But now is not the time.”
Chase hung his head. “I’m really sorry. I feel… responsible for all of this, you know.”
“Well you shouldn’t.” She took a deep breath. “If it wasn’t for you, there’s a good chance we would all be dead right now.”
“Nevertheless, I can’t help it.”
Sarah stayed silent.
“When is your uncle’s funeral?”
“The day after tomorrow. I’d like you to come with me...” Her voice trailed off.
“Of course I’ll come.”
He tightened his embrace and kissed her on the head, feeling
a little frustrated that the only thing he could do to help her in this situation was provide emotional support.
There was just too much going on these last few weeks. Hell, these last few days. He needed a moment to pause, a moment to plot out his next move without being worried that he was accidently going to rip the fabric of the universe in two with his mind…
Little things like that.
Both Sarah and Chase turned when the doors slid open. Instead of the commodore, it was Yanis holding a tray with three cups on it.
“Coffee delivery anyone?” he said cheerfully. “Looks like this is the right place… May I?”
“Sure, come in. Where’s the commodore?” inquired Chase, clearly surprised to see Yanis come back instead of him.
“He had an errand to run, I think. Not that anyone tells me anything, as per usual. Basically I ended up with a tray in my hands and was told to come here and debrief you on my latest genius advancements.”
“Sounds good to me. Sit down, my friend,” said Chase, gesturing Yanis to where the commodore was sitting a few minutes ago.
“Thanks.” He sank down and grabbed himself a cup before spotting Sarah still standing in the corner. “Oh, um… hello, Sarah,” he said tentatively, sensing she wasn’t feeling very well.
“Hey, Yanis, it’s good to see you.” She joined them at the table.
“It’s good to see you too! We were really worried after the battle. I’m so glad we got you back.”
At his words, Sarah felt a sharp prickle in her heart. Good intentioned as they were, any reminder of her time spent with Argos was enough to send her into a tailspin. She tried to push these thoughts out of her mind as much as she could, but it wasn’t easy. This particular wound was still quite fresh. That being said, she was a soldier first and foremost. Time to toughen up.
“Thank you. It’s good to be back,” she said, only a slight waver in her tone.
Yanis remained cheerfully oblivious. “Interesting drink this coffee.” He took a sip and smiled. “I’ve never had anything like it.”
Sarah nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know if I could live without it.”
Fury to the Stars (Universe in Flames Book 2) Page 10
