As the figures settled to the ground and the pattern started all over again, Roe moved to stand behind Cardiff’s chair. “What can you tell me about their attack methods?”
Cardiff shook her head. “No idea. We’re registering an intense increase in heat readings from the targets, but there’s no sign of weaponry of any kind. The only explanation that’s remotely plausible is that this is a biological attack.”
“Even though you and Mya didn’t find any traces in the samples?”
“We may have missed something. Or, we may be dealing with a new threat.” Cardiff’s expression revealed an understanding born of experience. “Never underestimate the humanoid ability to create methods of rampant destruction the universe never intended.”
Kire grimaced. Sad but true.
“So we need more information.” Roe crossed her arms and stared at the bridgescreen. “We’ll monitor the rest of the attack and see if we can track the targets back to wherever they’re hiding. But tomorrow night, we’re going down to Gaia for a closer look.”
20
“She’s going to do what?”
Cade stared at Reanne. He must have heard incorrectly.
Her expression remained neutral, but she looked pointedly at his hands.
He glanced down. He was gripping the edge of his desk so hard his knuckles had turned white. He pried his fingers open and sat back in his chair, his spine rigid. “How could the Admiral approve that? My team is much better suited to this than hers.” He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice, but his strong overreaction had already indicated that his concern was not just a matter of professional pride.
Reanne’s expression bordered on pity. “Her crew successfully identified those responsible for the destruction.”
“So she gets to put herself in danger just because she has dibs?” He winced at his choice of words.
Reanne’s voice took on a hard edge. “It’s not your call. If the Admiral believes Aurora and her crew are the best people for the job, then you and I have to support that decision.” Her tone gentled. “And remember that these are highly trained former Fleet officers. Aurora’s intelligent and conscientious. She won’t needlessly endanger herself or her crew.”
Several swear words sprang to mind, but he kept them locked down. Reanne was right. But dammit, now that they knew their enemy was humanoid, he didn’t want Aurora placing herself in harm’s way, especially since this was exactly the kind of thing his team was trained for. Not that he had a say in the matter. The Admiral had already given her the go ahead.
Taking a breath, he focused on damage control. “But with Kelly on the ship, that leaves only five people for the surface team. You said that there are more than two hundred targets. They’ll be greatly outnumbered if anything goes wrong.”
Reanne shook her head. “This is a surveillance mission. They won’t be engaging.”
Cade ground his molars together. “A surveillance mission can turn into an active mission very quickly, particularly when the enemy is unknown.”
“That’s why you’re here. The Admiral asked me to arrange for your team to establish a base of operations in a cabin located in the mountain region north of the valley. You can monitor the situation from there, and take any other defensive positions you deem necessary to protect Aurora and her crew.”
That got his attention. “How close is the cabin to where they’ll be?”
“A few kilometers. They’ll land their shuttle on the far side of the ridge and use personal transports to reach their surveillance points. After they’ve taken up their positions, you should be able to move in closer. However, Kelly will be scanning the area, so you’ll have to be careful. The Admiral provided the frequency they’ll be using for communications, so you can monitor them that way.”
She handed him a data pad with four locations marked in red.
“This is the cabin.” She indicated a spot in the mountain range to the north. “Cardiff and Clarek will be here.” She tapped a point to the east. “Emoto will be to the south, and Aurora and Mya to the west. You can set up surveillance, however, the Admiral emphasized that he doesn’t want Aurora or her crew alerted to your presence unless they’re in danger.”
His chest tightened. He already thought she was in danger. Then something else occurred to him. “Why didn’t the Admiral send the orders directly to me, instead of going through you?”
The sympathetic look she gave him grated on his nerves. “His message to you is on the pad. He knew you’d have…questions, and thought you might be more amenable after we’d discussed the matter.”
He stared at her. The Admiral was right.
She stood. “Unless there’s anything else, I’ll leave you to it.” She gave him a brief smile as she headed out of the office. “Good luck.”
He gazed at the closed door for a full minute before picking up the tablet. He quickly reviewed the Admiral’s message. It was short and to the point. Monitor the Starhawke crew, but do not interfere unless absolutely necessary. The Admiral’s final words showed just how well he understood Cade’s state of mind. Stop worrying.
Turning off the pad, he rested his elbows on the desk and stared at the worn wood surface. Aurora, why are you doing this? He knew the answer, of course—he just didn’t like it. But he had his orders. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he stood and walked out the door.
21
Aurora crouched at the edge of the shadowed orchard, listening to the sigh of the wind through the trees and the contented chirp of nighttime insects. The stars winked in and out as clouds drifted by, the subtle on and off switch of the moonlight the only marker of passing time. If she hadn’t been on a surveillance mission against a hostile force, the scene would have been peaceful.
She’d been waiting for nearly four hours, and her muscles were starting to complain. Thankfully the headache that had plagued her since Kire had woken her the previous night had faded when they’d reached Gaia.
During the early evening, she and Mya had worked on placing sensors in the wooded areas within a seven-kilometer radius of their current location. Kire had done the same to the south, and Celia and Jonarel had tagged the tree line at the base of the mountain before heading up into the ravines in search of the enemy ship.
Regardless of the path the targets took from the mountains, they’d have to pass at least one of the sensors, giving Aurora and her crew a good look at exactly who they were dealing with.
Her earpiece hummed. “Jon and Cardiff are approaching the anticipated location of the transport,” Kire said.
“Acknowledged.”
After the previous night’s attack, they’d successfully tracked the targets as they’d flown back to the woods, but as the creatures had entered the mountain range, the rocks and thick vegetation had wreaked havoc with sensor readings, making it impossible to pinpoint their final destination. With Star’s help, Jonarel and Celia had plotted the most likely location for hiding a large transport. With luck, they’d find something soon.
Aurora gazed across the shadowed fields to where the mountain rose from the valley floor, the tall trees at its summit bathed in the soft glow of the waning moon. The targets had avoided the densely populated and wooded areas of the valley during the attack, which made sense given their aerial transportation and stealth movements. Besides, trees would likely be harder to destroy, and not worth the effort when they had so much open ground available. Last night, in the space of a few hours, they’d decimated roughly five square kilometers of land, mostly farms and grasslands. Only the structures had remained, standing out in stark relief in the resulting barrenness.
Tonight, she and Mya were stationed about a dozen kilometers southwest of the mountains, in a large orchard that climbed a series of hills to the west. Thick grasses covered the ground to the east, meeting up with the sprawling greenery and agricultural fields that filled most of the valley.
Kire had set up a command center in a wooded glen to the south that sat on a promontory and
provided a nearly perfect view of the valley. Aurora had balked at the idea when he’d first proposed it. She didn’t want him working alone. But he’d pointed out that three surveillance locations provided much better coverage than two.
They’d used Kraed gliders to reach their destinations. Designed for navigating the jungle-like forests of Drakar, the device resembled a narrow surfboard and required the same agility to maneuver, as it remained airborne when activated. Balance and speed were controlled by retractable handgrips that lifted out of the base, allowing the glider to carry up to three passengers.
Jonarel had grown up riding a glider, so he could navigate over any terrain, including the woods and ravines where he and Celia were currently searching.
Kire had taken to the glider immediately, having spent a fair amount of time surfing as a teenager. His comfort with the device had further calmed Aurora’s fears about sending him out alone.
Aurora and Mya didn’t have Jonarel’s experience or Kire’s skill in handling the device. They’d decided to stow theirs on the far side of the orchard near the main road after they’d realized the combination of hills and trees greatly increased the risk that they’d smack into something or go tumbling off. Aurora had made a mental note to ask Jonarel to give her a few lessons after they completed this mission.
The comm channel hummed again and Kire’s voice came over the line. “Jon and Cardiff have located the transport and are continuing on foot.”
Her heartbeat kicked up a notch. This was it.
From somewhere in the orchard, a night bird called, the elaborate series of trills and warbles reminiscent of a mockingbird. A breeze brushed through the trees, carrying the scent of blooming buds in the warm night air. A small rodent scuttled across the path, then disappeared into the underbrush.
Jonarel’s deep voice rumbled over the comm. “The targets are leaving the transport and heading south toward the valley.”
Aurora slid her surveillance visor into place and magnified the patch of sky in front of the mountain range where the creatures were most likely to appear. Time ticked by, but eventually a mass of dark shapes passed like a shadow over the paler clouds in the distance. Even at maximum magnification, the image resembled a swarm of bees. The sensors Celia and Jonarel had placed would be transmitting better visuals to Star and Kire, but Aurora hoped to get a closer look in person.
As if in response to her thought, the swarm arced toward the west, moving more or less in her direction.
“Looks like we’re in luck,” she said under her breath as she crouched next to Mya.
“Mm-hmm,” Mya replied.
Aurora opened a channel to Kire. “Targets heading our way. Three kilometers and closing.”
“Acknowledged.”
She focused on the dark cloud as the images in her visual panel grew more distinct. She pressed against the rough bark of the tree and moved into the shadows. The sensor suits she and Mya were wearing should make them virtually invisible to visual and infrared scanners, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
The targets continued their approach, their silhouettes slowly resolving into grotesque caricatures of winged angels. The pack broke up, the individual figures moving into the now familiar grid pattern. Like vultures descending on a carcass, they dropped out of the sky, their movements soundless, with nary a whisper on the wind.
As soon as their wings folded onto their backs, the hunched forms practically disappeared beneath the plants that surrounded them, making them seem smaller than they really were. They were definitely humanoid, with bodies as dark as the night sky above, but horribly misshapen, as if they had been molded from potter’s clay crafted by a child.
The guards were a different story. The three closest to her looked completely humanoid. However, their backs were to her and the mesh cloth covering their bodies concealed their features.
A firm hand gripped her arm.
“What are you doing?” Mya asked in a harsh whisper.
Aurora glanced back in surprise. She’d taken several steps away from the tree toward the targets without even realizing it.
Mya tugged, trying to pull her back, but for some reason her feet didn’t seem to want to go in that direction.
“Sahzade, get down!” Mya gave her arm a good yank that knocked them both off balance, tumbling them together like newborn pups. “Don’t move.” Mya righted herself and placed a hand on Aurora’s shoulder, exerting pressure to keep her from standing up. “There’s something very wrong with those creatures.”
Aurora tried to peer around Mya. “What do you mean?”
Mya’s full attention remained on the figures in the distance. “There’s severe damage in their energy fields, almost like energetic scarring. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She released Aurora’s shoulder and crouched lower. “The targets are moving.”
Aurora sat up, her heart thumping uncomfortably in her chest. The plants around the creatures swayed as an eerie silence descended.
A moment later, a wave of pain slammed into her, pulling at every cell in her body. Her chest heaved as she forced air through her constricted throat. She recognized the sensation as the empathic onslaught she’d anticipated, but that didn’t make processing it much easier. However, this time her energy shield responded to her request with a roar, flaring to vibrant life and yanking her to her feet. The overload on her senses retreated proportionately.
A soft thump to her right made her glance over her shoulder. Mya lay flat on her back on the ground, her arms splayed on either side of her prone body. Her eyes were open, but she was blinking as though she couldn’t focus.
What the hell?
Turning her back on the figures in the valley, Aurora dropped to her knees beside Mya. “What’s wrong?”
Mya’s gaze tracked to the left until it met hers, but the rest of her body remained perfectly still and languid. “I don’t know.” Her eyelids slid to half-mast. “I’m so tired.” The words came out on a weary sigh.
Mya’s energy field was engaged, the rich forest green pulsing around her body. But in contrast to the almost blinding vibrancy of Aurora’s pearlescent field, Mya’s was steadily fading out, like she was plugged into a dimmer switch and someone was turning off the power.
Reacting on instinct, Aurora grasped Mya’s shoulders in both hands. The change was instantaneous. Mya’s eyes snapped open and she drew in a deep breath, her energy field stabilizing.
A wave of anger at her own stupidity swept through Aurora as understanding dawned. What a fool she’d been. She’d agreed that partnering with Mya made sense because if anything went wrong, Mya would be able to help her. Unfortunately, it had never occurred to her that Mya might be affected, too.
Her earpiece hummed. Kire sounded tense. “Something’s happened. The targets have stopped the attack and are breaking out of their grid formation.”
She released her hold on Mya with one hand and tapped her earpiece. “Can you tell what they’re doing?” She kept her gaze on the guards closest to them.
“No, but five of the creatures broke off from the group and are moving in your direction. The armed guard closest to them is following.”
She and Mya exchanged a startled glance. This was definitely not part of the plan.
The creatures were tough to spot, although she could see the swaying of the greenery around them. They did appear to be coming closer.
She closed the comm connection and turned to Mya. “Time to go.” Gripping Mya’s wrists, Aurora pulled them both to their feet.
She had a decision to make, but their options were limited. They couldn’t head east. North and south were a possibility, but that would keep them close to the valley. Their best bet to avoid the creatures was heading west into the orchard toward the glider. Unfortunately, even if they ran, it could take them ten minutes or more to cross the distance over the uneven, uphill terrain.
She released her hold on Mya’s wrists. Mya swayed, her eyelids drooping. Snagging her arm around Mya’s waist,
Aurora made as much body contact as possible and immediately felt Mya right herself. Okay. Apparently they’d have to run together.
“I want you to lean on me. We’re going to run as fast as we can into the orchard. Okay?”
Mya’s entire being radiated misery. “I’m so sorry, Sahzade.”
She gritted her teeth and shook her head. “No sorry. Just movement. We’re going to make it out of here.”
With that thought fixed firmly in her head, she pivoted on her heel and urged Mya forward with pressure on her back. However, her own feet felt a little sluggish, like she was running through calf-high water, even though the ground was fairly level in this section. Their motion as they stumbled along under the sheltering trees reminded her of a game they’d played as kids called the three-legged race. But this could well be a race for their lives.
“Roe! Can you hear me? Where are you?” Kire’s voice held more than a touch of panic.
She tapped her earpiece. “I’m here. We’re heading west into the orchard.”
“The rest of the creatures and guards just lifted off. They’re heading east toward the mountain. The other six are still following you.”
She ducked under a low-hanging branch, grateful for the visor that provided a clear visual of the trees ahead. “Mya’s in trouble, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to outrun the creatures. We need help.”
He replied without hesitation. “I’m on my way.”
She did a quick calculation. He was more than ten kilometers away. Even at full speed, the glider couldn’t cover the distance in less than ten minutes. That might be longer than they had. But she wouldn’t tell him that.
Maybe Star could buy them more time. “I need you to give me a direct link to Star.”
“Done. And I’ll be there soon, Roe. I promise.”
The next voice she heard was Star’s. “Captain?”
“Star, are you locked onto my comm signal?”
The Dark of Light (Starhawke Rising Book 1) Page 12
