by Celeste Raye
He could hear noise, screaming, and fighting from below, and he knew that those whose bars had been released were now fleeing. There was only one place for them to go, which was onto the ship. He looked over to see Jessica staring at him with a question in her eyes. Talon looked down at the men and asked them, “Would you want to see what lies beyond these walls?”
Jessica hissed in a breath. “We can’t trust them. We should kill them!”
Two of the men bowed their heads and said that they did not want to leave. The man who spoke in a squeaky voice exhorted them to do so, saying that the Federation would kill them anyway now that they had betrayed their owners so seriously. Talon could tell from Jessica’s face that she wanted, badly, to either shoot them or incapacitate them to a point where they could make their getaway, but he couldn’t see that happening to them.
He said, “If you want to come with me, then come with me.”
He started backing up toward the door. Jessica walked face forward with her gun up, guarding his back as he was guarding hers. There was something so amazing about the fact that she was a woman who was capable and willing to always have his back in battle.
They made the ship. Talon race to the controls and jerked the ship away from the prisons docking station, angling it upward and toward space. Jessica shouted, “What are you doing? We can’t leave Old Earth right now! We have to go back and fight for and with them!”
Talon said, “We are. But first, we need a better ship.”
Her mouth hung open. “What are you talking about?”
Talon said, “I’m talking about the fact that there is a Federation warship not far from here. And I intend to take it.”
Jessica looked from him to the resistance prisoners and the men who had left the control room to join up with this raggedy band of misfits and miscreants. The crew stared at him as if he had grown two heads and he gave them all his most charming smile.
“We need a warship.”
Jessica sputtered, “How in the name of all that is holy do you expect us to be able to take a Federation warship?”
One of the men from the control room spoke up. “If you could disable its flight controls momentarily, that would buy you time to get on the ship and to take it over as well.”
Talon gave the man a measuring glance. “Interesting idea.”
Jessica said, “No! It is not an interesting idea, dammit! It’s crazy! We have a ship, and we have to get down there right now! You caused the populace to rise up, and they’re down there in the streets fighting and dying while we’re floating around in space! That’s not fair! We can’t just leave them to die because of the consequences of your actions!”
One of the women who had been held prisoner for her part in the resistance got up off the floor and stood. Her filthy hands pushed her tangled hair away from her face as she peered at Jessica. “It is you. I almost didn’t recognize you because your hair is darker now. But it is you.”
Jessica said, “It is me! And there’s a revolution below.”
Cheers broke out of the mouths of those who had been imprisoned for being a part of the resistance. Talon let them have that moment, but only a moment because they had far more pressing issues than whether or not those who lived below were revolting against those who lived above. “I hate to tell you this. That is the least of your worries. The Gorlites are on their way, and the Federation has given them your planet.”
The entire deck went silent. Then one of the men they had rescued from the control room stood. He said, “Why? Why would they do such a thing?”
“Because there are those who would like to overthrow the Federation.”
A man stood. He looked at Jessica. “Is he telling the truth?”
“Yes, John, he is.” Jessica drew a deep breath. “It comes down to we fight on the side of the people now, and the Federation later—maybe—in order to keep that from happening, or we lose the planet forever.”
John turned to the woman next to him. “What do you say, Helen?”
Helen regarded Talon. The grime on her face and the bruises there too showed the ordeal she had been through. Her eyes went to the men they had taken from the control room. “They are Federation pawns. How do you know we are not being watched right now?”
“Then the Federation just discovered that they have an enemy within them,” Talon said.
One of the men stood. His voice was weak but grew in strength. “I don’t have any reason to fight for the planet or the Federation, in truth. My name is Five because I am the fifth born to my mother, by the way. But—but I have always wanted to do anything but stay in the control room of the prison and the bunks beyond. I want to be out of there, and if I fight just to end up there again, I don’t see any reason to fight.”
Talon felt for the man, and he knew an opportunity when he saw it. “If you fight and live, I will swear to you that you will never go back to the control room ever again.”
Five looked at the other man. “Seven?”
Brothers. Talon’s stomach churned as he finally saw the resemblance on their faces. That was why they had left together. They were brothers. Seven said, “If you swear we will never have to be there again, I will fight with you.”
“I swear.” Talon nodded at the two. “Maybe you can help us. What do you know about controls for ships?”
Five gave him a wide smile that exposed teeth that were too small and revealed the lack of nutrition in what diet he had been fed during his lifetime. “Oh, sir, we know everything about every control panel ever made for ships. They are made at the prison, you know.”
Talon hadn’t known that. His mouth sagged open. Helen sucked in a large breath. John put his hand out, and the two of them looked at the other resistance fighters.
John said, “You mean to take that warship, then.”
Talon looked at Jessica. Her face wore an expression of both hope and anger. His heart ached. He knew she would be angry before he ever pulled that trigger up on that rooftop, but he had done what he had needed to do, and now he had an asset he had never planned on having—an invaluable one at that.
He said, “Then let’s talk about that warship. It’s not far. Twelve hours from here.”
“We don’t have that much time,” Jessica said in a strained voice “The Gorlites—”
“We will have two ships and two crews which will be better to fight them with. I am hoping that when the Federation troops on the warship realize an entire planet is about to be taken and their precious Federation toppled, they will join with us.”
The deck went silent again. Talon said, “I know that for many of you, my crew, this is not your fight. If you want out, then I will have Caleb send you out on the pods to the nearest planet where you can enjoy your credits and lives. Or at least you will be able to until the Federation falls and the tyrannical despot who wants to take it over takes full control of the universe. What will happen then is anyone’s guess.”
Caleb said, “Well, you’re right about it not being my fight, boss, but I have to tell you something. The Federation is a shit thing that should die, but not if it means something worse comes in its place.”
Agreement rang out. Heads nodded. People voiced their support, as he had known they would. What else could they do? The enemy of their enemy was not their friend—not this time anyway.
Talon said, “Then we agree. Caleb, head us toward that Federation ship. Seven and Five, I need to talk to you, but not yet. Right now, I need to see you in my chambers, Jessica.”
Mutiny showed in her eyes, but she gave him a curt nod.
He turned and headed off the deck, wondering just what the hell he was thinking.
Taking a Federation warship was not at all like taking a small Federation supply ship.
And Jessica was angry as hell at him right then.
They stepped into his chamber in the same silence that had stalked them as they walked down the hallways to his chamber.
The door slid shut. He asked, “Is it becau
se you fear Yori will be killed that you are so angry?”
Her eyes flashed. “Of course, but it is not just him. I have family down there, Talon, and people I hold dear. That is my planet and those people below have suffered for so long—I know it had to happen. I just always thought we were going to be able to effect change by doing something else, something besides bloody civil war.”
“That civil war won’t last long, and you know it. They will unite once the Gorlites hit the atmosphere.”
“Or the above grounders will simply kill off all the below grounders they can in an effort to save their sorry asses,” she retorted bitterly.
“Then nothing will have changed except that they had a chance to save themselves they might not have had otherwise.”
Jessica stared at him. He was right, and she knew it, but that anger within her was not just made up of rage at the system or the fact that he had fired those shots. It was complicated by her own complicity in so many atrocities that the above grounders had committed. She had done so much to help those below, but she had also done so much to keep them down there and starving and oppressed.
Tears spilled down her face. “You will never understand.”
“That you feel guilt over being a Capo? That you wish you had done less of what you did that was harmful?”
Surprise hit. “Are you reading my mind?”
“No, I am reading your face.” He came closer. His eyes bored into hers. “Jessica, I want more than just this. I want a life beyond this fight and whatever other fight we have to fight. I won’t lie to you; I am sick of war and blood and fear and despair. I want more. I want children and a life. I want you. If your heart belongs elsewhere, then please tell me that and—”
“I love you.” The words came from her mouth in a rush. “I do. Oh my God, you have no idea. I want peace and happiness and a life that isn’t torn by war too.”
She did. She wanted it desperately. Her chin quivered as she told him the rest of it. “I just don’t know if I deserve it.”
Talon said, “Jessica, I have far more blood on my hands than you do. I had good intentions when I started this whole thing. I had a real reason to need revenge, and I still do, but…but I am tired of it now. This: all of it. I still love to fly, but I don’t love the rest of it. Not anymore.”
His arms came up and around her. Her body sagged against his, her breasts flattening against his chest. Their mouths met. There was a promise in that kiss and heat too.
Jessica whispered, “We don’t have time…”
They didn’t. The entire universe was falling apart all around them, and they had to get out there and fight that fight or watch it all fall.
Talon’s fingers stripped her clothes away. “We will make the time. Right here and now because there might not be time later.” She knew that. They might die taking that ship, and they might die fighting the Gorlite fleet, and they could even possibly die down on the planet now in the first grip of a civil war, a war that Talon had started.
His teeth caught her bottom lip and tugged at it, sending more heat into her body. Her toes curled inside her boots, and her nipples stiffened under her tunic. His fingers found those peaks and stroked them. She kicked her trousers down and off one leg but her boots were still on her feet when he picked her up and laid her down on the bed.
Her fingers found the buttons on his trousers, and he filled her palm with his insistent and thick flesh. Her fingers curled around that staff and her hips arched. Her body arched higher, her heels digging into the mattress.
He entered her in one long and unapologetic thrust that sent her toppling into a loss of everything but her basest senses. His body was warm and heavy, his organ long and thick and rigid as it plunged in and out of her wet folds. His fingers found her clit and stroked across it, building a stronger sensation that culminated in a mingling of friction and tension that broke into a throbbing and aching orgasm that left her gasping and panting out his name as he strained forward again, hips bucking and pumping hard. He came inside her, his seed spilling along her inner walls and then he collapsed on top of her, breathing hard.
He wiped a hand over his face and murmured, “We should get back out there.”
“We should.” Her body was sated, but she wanted more. She took a breath as his weight left her body and she felt an immediate and urgent pang of absence. She got up, and they dressed quickly then headed back to the deck.
She found herself standing near the windows again, and she frowned. That odd sensation that something was horribly wrong came back. It was déjà vu, that feeling. She had felt that same feeling not so long ago standing at the same windows, and right after she had talked Talon into going after a federation ship.
What was it?
What was wrong?
The ripple came again, just a brief disturbance in the space near the ship. It was so slight that she thought, for a moment, that she was mistaken. That she could not possibly have seen that.
Only she had and, as she watched, she saw another ripple further out.
Her heart leaped into her throat.
“Talon! Talon! Forget taking the Federation ship!”
Her head turned. Tears ran down her face as her hands reached for her weapons. Talon looked up from the controls, and then he saw what she saw. His face registered resignation and bravery at the same time.
He called out, “Ready all weapons. The war begins here!”
The war was there and real. The Gorlites had been there all along, cloaking themselves just outside of Old Earth’s airspace and waiting for the signal that would allow them to descend onto the planet and take it over.
Jessica’s laser shone brightly. Her back met Talon’s as the Gorlites, seeing that the weapons were up and on and aimed at them by the ship streaking along beside them, dropped their cloaking devices.
The first shot rocked the ship. Talon’s back held her steady.
They’d fight until they died or until they could get back to Old Earth and get reinforcements so they could fight some more.
They had no other choice.
The war had begun.
Chapter 14
The ship took fire. Jessica was jolted forward, away from Talon just as a wave of Gorlites spilled into the ship. Her weapons fired. Her eyes tracked the movements of the ones closest to her, and she came in low and fast, her weapons blasting and smoking.
She dropped an overheated blaster just as the grip began to smolder after a lucky shot from a Gorlite weapon hit that blaster, and nearly took her hand too.
Angry, and more than just a little frightened, she fought harder, snatching up a weapon someone else had dropped from their hand to the floor. Talon came into her line of vision as he used the butt of a weapon to crack open the skull of a Gorlite.
Jessica could not breathe. The enemy just kept coming, disgorging themselves from the ships surrounding Talon’s. Enemy fire kept rattling the ship, and she knew it was just a matter of time before the ship blew apart, killing them all.
Talon knew it too because he shouted, “We have to take this fight to the ground. We are one ship against way too many.”
Jessica called back, “I will cover you!”
She laid down a heavy burst of cover fire as Talon headed toward the controls. His body went taut with tension as he took over control of the ship, which was failing badly, and began to fly it back toward Old Earth.
The parasitic and repulsive race that they were fighting seemed intent on stopping them from making it to their destination. Talon managed to dodge out of the way of heavy fire from several ships that were firing upon them, but there were just too many ships and too many large bore weapons pointed in their direction.
Fire shot up along one side of their ship, and then hunks of metal blew away into outer space. Jessica, caught in a warp pull, had to grab onto the first thing she saw in an effort to keep from being sucked out of the ship.
The ship dipped and spun dangerously close to an enemy ship. One of the win
gs of Talon’s ship caught the side of one of those enemy ships, leaving a long tear along its side from which spilled that slimy ooze that presaged the presence of Gorlites.
The ones who had boarded the ship were mostly dead or dying and Jessica dispatched another with a brutal blast from the weapon that she had picked up to replace her destroyed one. She spotted Caleb on the floor writhing in pain, and she dashed towards him.
She went to her knees beside him, and her fingers probed at the bloody wound and his side. “I think you are going to live.”
Caleb, ever the joker, groaned out, “Maybe I’d be better off dying now. It doesn’t look like we are doing so well against them.”
Jessica said, “We are not. But when has that ever stopped us?”
Caleb said, “Never. I can stand up; can you help me to the med bay?”
Jessica helped him to his feet and then down the hallway. Quite a few of theirs had been wounded, some seriously. A few were dead. She marked their deaths with a silent nod toward their bodies and a growing rage in her heart.
This whole thing was unbearable. There had to be a way to stop this, but looking at the damage already done and weighing up the odds just made her heart go heavy, and her knees go weak and loose. Jessica was no coward, but that hard, practical streak within her could absolutely do the math on the chances of their survival and come up with about a zero-percent chance.
Once Caleb was at the med bay and being scanned, she ran back down the hallway toward the bridge. It was worse than she had feared. Talon was still flying, still headed for Old Earth, but it was clear that if they were going to land at all, it would be because they crashed.
Terror spiked along Jessica’s nerve endings as the ship began to spiral in a loose and looping pattern. She did not dare go to Talon’s side for fear of distracting him. Instead, she raced to a fallen crew member and helped them to their feet. The crew officer was merely dazed and a little confused but not injured, and Jessica strapped him into a nearby chair, hoping that would be enough to save his life when they crashed.
