Serina didn’t think the woman’s plan was that terrible after all. “What happened to her?”
“She was killed by the Raiders. It was so random. In the early days, when they had more vessels, they liked to survey the system randomly. At least, that’s how it appeared. They stumbled on her ship while she traveled between our two main stations. They caught her off-guard, boarded the ship from what we can tell, and killed the crew. They took the ship. I was only twenty when I got the news. I’d been running the second station. Somehow the veterans all heeded my advice, and looked to me as a leader. The day we found out she was dead, they named me Shadow, and I’ve played the role ever since.” Beck found water from the middle of the table and poured a glass, drinking deeply.
“It’s not easy being in a position of power at such a young age. That I understand. When Mom died…” Serina stopped, seeing his eyes go wide.
“When I heard Helina Trone died, I remember hearing the news and thinking, ‘Good, maybe it’s time for a change.’ Now I can’t believe those were my thoughts. I didn’t know she was my mother, but I still have a hard time with the memory,” Beck said.
“She was a noble woman. Not cut out for the role she was handed.” Serina hated to admit it, but her mom had been too cautious, too worried about the lives of the Fleet. In those early years, they should have given it all they had, and things might have worked out differently. “How did you find out who you were?”
Beck leaned forward, elbows on his thighs as he came within two feet of her. “I was digging around in some old files last year when I stumbled upon something. It was encrypted, so I hired someone to break into the data files. It turned out it was a log of every child ever brought to the organization. It had our real names listed. I’d always gone by Beck but never knew my last name. When I saw it was Trone, I freaked out. I checked the Interface and found the thousand articles talking about Dad and me going missing when I was five. It showed pictures of us as a family. You remember the one where we wore matching Fleet uniforms and I had a cowlick to the moon?”
Serina teared up now, her walls finally crumbling. “I do. I remember it. Why didn’t you reach out to me?”
“I thought about it, but what was I going to do? Claim to be the Grand Admiral’s brother? I have a family to protect now, and they need me in this time of war,” Beck said, his eyes betraying his firm statement.
“I would have met with you, Beck. I would have dropped everything for you,” she said, and their foreheads came to touch. It was such an intimate gesture, and they laughed nervously together at finally making contact, at the fact that they’d been through so much and now had a piece of their past resolved, and then they laughed as they kept talking long into the afternoon.
After a while, the conversation came back to the task at hand, and the reason they were meeting in the first place. “We can’t change the past, Beck, but maybe we can change the future. Together.”
“What do you propose?” he asked, sounding like a resilient leader again.
“We hit them hard, we hit them together, and we finish them off once and for all. Then we take our people back home, and we create a real civilization again. We rebuild the colonies, and we become stronger and more resolute than ever, as a Fleet and as a people.” Serina’s arms tingled as she said the words, her dreams of winning finally coursing through her veins.
“Together?” he asked.
“The Trones are reunited. We can do anything we set our minds to,” she said, using her dad’s old adage. If Beck remembered it, he didn’t say, but she could tell he was sold on the plan.
“We’re in. Our group is ready for the attack.” He smiled at her, and she laughed.
“You were going to join us all along?” she asked.
“How could I not? I’m sick of hiding. It’s time to get our freedom back.”
Flint
Flint sat in the sterile white room for hours before the woman returned. At first, he’d been too worried to fall asleep, but after a while, his body shut down, and not even his racing mind could keep him from dozing off.
He came to as the female Watcher in the white robe entered the confining interrogation room. There was a dull brown stain on the white floor, directly under his seat. He didn’t want to know what part of the body it came from, but he was sure another person had sat in this same hot seat and had been terrified. He could almost taste the stress and fear within the four walls.
“Flint Lancaster. Did you have a good rest?” she asked, her tone flat and emotionless.
“Sure, best sleep I’ve had in years,” Flint lied. “Can we get on with this? I don’t want to miss dinner. I’ve grown accustomed to getting muddy water every day, so please don’t take that away from me.” He knew he’d be pressing his luck, but sarcasm and insults were the first things he went to when under the gun.
She ignored his comment, holding a tablet in her thick digits. He saw the suction cups on her long arms wiggling, like an octopus under the water. He stared, mesmerized by the sight. Flint hadn’t had the chance to spend much time looking directly at the enemy and preferred it that way. A faceless enemy was the kind he liked best.
“Flint, you are a member of the Earth Fleet, correct?” she asked, and once again, he was amazed at her level of speech. It was a far cry from their own guttural growls.
“Not exactly. I prefer to think of myself as a freelancer,” he said, keeping his tone light.
“Were you once a member of Earth Fleet?” she asked.
“Sure, but I’m almost positive most everyone you’re ‘interviewing’ is part of the Fleet. It’s Earth’s biggest organization, and is one of the only places someone can make a living. What else did Tag tell you?” he asked, guessing where they got his name and information from.
She didn’t answer his question. “So you were a pilot, and a well-decorated one, before you went off on your own?”
“I wouldn’t say I was that well-decorated. I did dress nicely at times, and I love my boots. Have you ever had a piece of clothing that you couldn’t do without?” He grinned until her long arm stretched over the table and her two strong digits wrapped around his neck, tightening like a boa constrictor.
“Enough!” she shouted, and he nodded slowly. Her grip loosened, and Flint ran a hand to his throat, coughing as he inhaled air. “Answer my questions.” She didn’t give him an “or else.” She meant business.
“Fine, what did you ask?” He remembered but wanted to take any victory he could get.
“You were a pilot?” she asked again, leaving out the rest.
“Yes.”
“Have you been here before?” she asked.
“This room? No.” Her hand flexed, and he kept talking. “You mean the base on Europa? Yes. I’ve been here before.”
“Good. Tell me about the other bases. Start with Mercury, the moon, and then Earth.”
Sweat dripped down Flint’s sides. His mouth was sticky, and he desperately wanted water. “Listen, I’ve been gone for a long time. Things have changed.”
“You will talk.” She pulled a container from under the table, setting it on the surface. She opened it, and Flint tried not to examine the contents. His curiosity got the better of him, and he saw an odd-looking device. She picked it up, activating it with the push of a button. It was a cross between a knife and an Old World taser. A red blade shot from two contact points and, as quick as a snake once again, she grabbed his right hand with her left, bringing the tool closer toward him. “You will talk, or you lose your fingers first.”
15
Serina
Earth. The carrier Shifted outside the moon, followed closely by the Eureka. Serina had mixed feelings coming back home. Truth be told, she didn’t feel like she had a home. Not on Earth. Not on any of the colonies, or even on her carrier, which remained unnamed because she didn’t want to become attached to it. No, she was homeless, and until two days ago, she’d had no family. That had all changed with Beck appearing back in her life.
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Beck’s corvette flashed on her screen, and the rest of his fleet arrived moments later, heading for the moon base station, where he’d ordered them to wait. He’d told her his accounting of vessels, and she hadn’t believed it possible. He had over two hundred ships, most of them timeworn freighters or transport vessels, but he did have his share of warships and corvettes, even a few rusty carriers fully equipped with fighters. Most of his ships had the modified Shift drives, which also impressed her.
He’d managed to do a lot while under the guise of Shadow, and now that they were working together, Serina believed they could make a serious dent in the Invaders’ lines. They were going to bring the fight to Europa and Titan. They were going to win or die trying.
“Adams, let the Fleet know we meet in New London in six hours. I want every admiral, captain, and commander within contact distance there for this one,” Serina told the officer, and he nodded as he started working on the message. Serina stared at the viewscreen, where Earth sat centered in focus. It was a majestic sight, and one she never grew tired of. There were nights when she was far away, wondering what it was all for, and she’d look at images stored on her holotablet, reminders of the planet in all its glory.
It wasn’t only for the people, but for the animals, the plants, the entire world’s ecosystem that was so precious when life out here was so hard to sustain. She’d been to every colony, and after seeing the lifeless rocks, Earth became that much more special.
“Anything else?” Adams asked, and Serina noticed that she’d walked up to the viewscreen, her hand outstretched as if she could touch the planet from there.
“No. I’ll be in my quarters. Alert me if anything comes up,” she said, and left the bridge, working her tired legs toward her room.
She found a surprise waiting for her outside in the hallway. Ace sat on the floor beside her door, staring at the wall across from him.
“Ace?” Serina asked.
He seemed surprised to see her. “Serina. I… I heard the news and wanted to talk.”
She hadn’t even known he’d boarded, or she would have invited him to the bridge long before. “Sure, come in.” The lights flickered on as they entered her quarters, and Ace moved to her, wrapping his arms around her.
“I heard about your brother. I wanted to say how happy I am for you,” he said.
“That’s sweet, Ace. It was a surprise, that’s for sure.” Serina motioned for Ace to have a seat, and he did. She pulled her hair from its tight ponytail, letting it loose with a shake.
“I don’t know how to say this, but I have to,” Ace said. “Are you sure it’s him?”
“Why would you say that?” she asked.
“Serina, it’s been a long time. They know about your brother going missing. Maybe they wanted a connection to the Grand Admiral so they could gain the Fleet’s trust and make a move for Earth,” Ace said.
Her pulse quickened, and Serina bit her tongue, not wanting to lose her cool. “Ace, listen to me. I know my brother, okay? That is Beck.”
“But what if it isn’t? What if Shadow’s still alive, and they sent one of their people in to trick you? You have to admit, it would be brilliant.” Ace was standing again, waving his arms as he spoke.
Serina knew he made a good point, but there was a real bond there. She could see her little brother in the man’s eyes. Had they fixed that too? He could have used a picture and modified his eyes using contacts. Was Ace right? Could this all be a sham? She wanted to warn someone, but no… it was her brother. It had to be. She’d just gotten him back, she couldn’t lose him already.
“It’s him, Ace.” She turned cold and pointed to the door. “If you don’t mind, I have to prepare for New London, and I could use some sleep. Thank you for your concern, but it’s not warranted.”
Ace’s eyes found hers and he squinted, as if searching for something that wasn’t there. “Fine. But for everyone’s sake, be logical about this. There’s more at stake than your past.” He left the room, the door sliding shut behind him, leaving Serina alone once again.
Wren
Wren wasn’t prepared for the feelings surfacing as they lowered toward Earth. The last time she’d been here was over three years ago, by her technical age, though much more would have changed on the planet. She’d been whisked away from New Dallas in an unmarked ship with four other prisoners: two male, two female. The two other women hadn’t lasted through the first year on Caliban. She couldn’t even recall their names now.
She’d been to New London once, when she was in grad school. She wondered how much different it was now, if at all. Perhaps with all resources being used for the Fleet in space, building new structures or refurbishing the existing ones would have been put on hold.
Wren glanced over at Ace, who sat beside Oliv. They were chatting between themselves, happy in the way only youth could be in a dire situation. She was glad to see the two teenagers creating a connection. She doubted their whole group was going to make it through the upcoming events unscathed, so she silently urged the young couple to enjoy their time together. They might not get more.
Captain Heather Barkley and newly-promoted Commander Harry Tsang were also in the lander, as well as Charles up beside the pilot, rounding out their entourage. Flint not being with them was a blatant hole, one Wren wished wasn’t there, and she’d been missing his presence since he’d been taken.
The sooner this meeting was over with, the sooner they could attempt the rescue, and if it coincided with the attacks, the distraction would be helpful. Captain Barkley was on board, as was Harry. They only needed to keep it a secret from Serina, and Ace swore he wouldn’t tell her.
Wren couldn’t put a finger on the kid’s relationship with Serina. Once he claimed to have been in love with her, but he also admitted it was a schoolboy crush. Now Serina seemed to feed off Ace’s company, like he was a bridge to her real self, one before her spirits were torn apart at the seams. But as long as they both knew what they were to each other, Wren didn’t see the harm in the attachment.
Ace did go to talk to her hours before the lander was scheduled to leave, and Wren was curious about what they could have discussed. Every part of her wanted to prod the boy with questions, but he had a right to his own privacy. As long as he wasn’t telling Serina their plans to rescue Flint, Wren didn’t care what they talked about behind closed doors.
“We’ll touch down in two minutes,” the pilot said, and Wren felt the nervous energy fill the lander. They’d all been gone for a long time. To set foot on Earth again would be a strange experience, one she hadn’t expected to live again.
The ship settled on the landing pad near the Fleet base in New London, and they each exited. Wren waited until the others were off, talking excitedly with one another. She took a deep breath, sighed it out, and found her courage. Her feet planted down on the concrete pad, and for a second, she thought she was going to have vertigo. When it didn’t come, she smiled, looking up at the blue sky. The sun shone down, filtering through thin clouds.
The warm rays bathed her face, and she closed her eyes, feeling its radiance.
“Wren, are you coming?” Oliv asked, but she stayed as she was, absorbing something intangible from the sun. She nodded, unable to keep her lips from forming a smile.
“I’ll be right there,” she replied.
When she felt rejuvenated enough, she opened her eyes again and was surprised at what she saw. Big Ben had been relocated after Old London was ransacked two centuries earlier. Now it stood as a new symbol at the entrance of the Earth Fleet’s main headquarters on Earth. The entire area was beautiful. New London was built from rubble after the war, utilizing entire city blocks of the destroyed Old London to form new buildings and streets.
Wren admired the nation’s tenacity and forward thinking, creating new out of old, and honoring their predecessors in such a way. Even now, as she walked behind her friends and crew, she felt the energy of the city exuding around her. Being on Earth, even for a few m
inutes, reminded Wren of what they’d been doing over the last year in defending humanity. It all came back to her, and she felt stronger for it.
“Wren, are you all right?” Charles had stopped and allowed her to catch up. The sun reflected off his metal head, sending a glare to the concrete.
“I’m better than that, Charles. How about you? This is your first time on Earth,” she said.
“That’s right. I’m in awe of it all. I’ve seen so much on the Interface about it, but being here on the ground is far different. I’m happy to be part of our blended company,” Charles said.
The android was still an enigma to her. Did he truly feel things, or was it a deep-seated programming within him? Did it matter either way? Wren hoped to do some digging on it when the war was over.
She let out a laugh, and Charles noticed. “What is it?”
“I can’t believe it, but I was just thinking about doing something after the war’s over. Can you believe it?” she asked.
“I can. I’ve also been considering what I’ll do with my time when the Watchers are extinguished.”
Wren liked his choice of words. “And what have you come up with?”
“I’ll share that with you when the time comes,” Charles said, adding to his mystery.
“You do that, Charles,” Wren said, and stopped at the wall they’d arrived before. Guards stood protecting the entrance to the Fleet base, and they were each scanned before being allowed permission to enter.
Wren’s guard looked at his readout and his eyes went wide. “This says you’re from the Uranus Mining Prison for Women. Wasn’t that place destroyed by the Invaders?”
Wren gave him a nod. “Then it’s a good thing I escaped before that, isn’t it?”
He didn’t know what to say, apparently, so she walked right by him and into the Fleet courtyard. There were at least one hundred uniformed Fleet members loitering around, and when a bell chimed from a tower on the grounds, they all made for a stone-walled amphitheatre.
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