by Edward Lake
Taft waved a hand over him. “Look, I say we use this battle to escape. It will be our best chance.”
“No. Too risky. Just as I told Zena. We need to learn more about their operation before we do something like that.”
Ada found us and pointed at me. “Jax wishes to see you.”
“What now?”
She stepped closer and glared at me. “I won’t say it again.”
Finally, I rolled my eyes and walked past her. She spun around and pushed me along.
I looked back at her, grumbling. “This is ridiculous.”
“Hush, Zena.” She chuckled. “You’re adorable when you’re angry.”
I ignored her crudeness and moved ahead. “What’s this about? Can’t you at least tell me that?”
“Commander Jax will explain everything.” She took me to a tunnel and into another cave.
He was there waiting for me, his arms folded, staring at me. After a long silence, he came forward and wrapped his arm around me. “So, what do you think, Zena? Are you ready to embrace our culture—and do all that is necessary to destroy the Holy Empire?”
I stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Ada. The grin on her face made me think she and Jax were playing mind games with me. Still, I was powerless against them—trapped in their twisted army. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Jax smiled. “Good.” He gently pushed me away and paced the cave. “The name Ezra is all over the communication devices these days. Did you know that?”
I squinted at him. “No.”
Ada wagged a teasing finger at me. “Oh, don’t be modest. You’re the famous Zena Ezra. The slave woman who infiltrated the Holy Army and wooed the pastor’s daughter.” She laughed. “Saying it aloud, it almost seems like a make-believe story.”
I shrugged. “Is there a point to any of this?”
Jax nodded. “You were pretending to be Declan Ezra, your older brother, yes?” He smirked. “Oh, and how could I forget Grandma Petra and little Turk and Lydia.” He laughed. “You see, Zena, I know everything about you.”
My eyes wide and glossy, I ran to Jax and pushed him up against the wall. I jammed my elbow into his throat, but all he did was laugh and look down at me, his face red.
“That’s it, Zena. Let me see the fire in you,” he wheezed.
Ada raised her gun and aimed at my head. “Get your hands off of him!” She targeted me with a red, flashing laser beam.
“How do you know about my family!” I screamed and applied more pressure, pushing my elbow down as hard as I could.
Jax coughed up spit, and his eyes popped out of his head. “All it took was a little research. And…if you let me go, I’ll tell you my plan to save them.”
Save them? I carefully lowered my elbow and slowly backed away.
He waved his hand over at Ada. “Put your gun down.”
She lowered her weapon and placed it back in its holster. She quickly stepped towards me. “Such a shame. I was just starting to like you.” She held a firm finger in my face. “Jax is the only family I have. If you ever think about harming him again…next time I will shoot you.”
I clenched my lips and got nose to nose with her. “I’ve heard enough threats in my life. Yet here I stand.” I looked her up and down. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Shut your mouth! You’re not even a real soldier. I’ve seen more action on the battlefield than you could ever imagine. I’ve slaughtered countless holys and traveled to places more dangerous than anything you’ve seen on the North Star.”
“You don’t know anything about who I am or what I’ve seen in my life!” I shoved her and made fists, ready to fight. “You’re just a tyrant with a face full of scars.”
Jax jumped between us before she could hit me. “Enough! We don’t have time for this nonsense.”
She calmed down and stepped back. “You can deal with this one.” She spun around and marched to the tunnel.
I wanted to beat her down, hoping she would learn to show me some respect. But there were more important things going on. I turned my attention to Jax and locked eyes with him. “Are you serious about saving my family?”
“Yes. Very serious. But before we can save them, I need you to do something for me.”
3
Zena
Jax motioned with his hands as he talked, pacing back and forth. “The GGC has developed a fondness for you, Zena. They want to cash in on your fame.”
A fondness for me? Cash in on my fame? He had already lost me. “Wait, stop. What are you talking about?”
He gave me a look that suggested my so-called fame was obvious. “Seriously? You kiss the pastor’s daughter—the most recognizable woman in the galaxy, and expose her and yourself as savages—and you think no one would notice?”
His explanation was insulting. I didn’t want to be anybody’s entertainment, especially the GGC’s. However, I was willing to do anything to save my family, and I sensed my time may be running out. “Okay, sure. But what exactly do they want me to do?”
He put his fist up and sent a few pretend jabs at me. “They want you to fight, Zena.” He stepped closer and hit me with a soft punch. “They want you to compete in the first ever man vs. woman death match—and everyone will be betting against you.”
Man vs. woman? Only those disgusting fools would be interested in something so absurd. The GGC took my father, Valter. They nearly took my brother, Declan. Now they were coming for me. I was exposed, my name floating from planet to planet and ship to ship. This was exactly what I had feared. With all this attention on me, my family was more at risk then ever before. For all I knew, they may already be dead.
Heartless fiends! I wanted to kill every member of the corrupt organization. I wanted their blood on my hands. It wouldn’t take me long. All I needed was my gun and a plan to trap them in an enclosed area.
If Declan and the rest of my family were still alive, this death match, and Jax, might be my only chance to save them. “Before I fight for that despicable organization, I need confirmation that my family is alive and safe.”
“Done! I’ll get confirmation.” An overzealous grin stretched across his face. “You won’t regret this. The kind of money the Rebel Army will get from this will send us right over the top.” He exhaled. “I give you my word. When this is over, I’ll help you save your family.”
I gazed into the distance for a moment and envisioned my loved ones. I saw Declan’s teasing smile. I saw Grandma’s wise, aged eyes. I saw the innocence of Turk and Lydia. I wanted more than anything to be with them, far away from that horrid prison. “Fine. Show me real evidence that they’re safe and alive, and I’ll do it.”
Jax walked to me and set his hand on my shoulder. “Give me some time. I’ll get the evidence. And when I do, you’re going to win this fight.”
I stared deep into his eyes. It seemed as if he really believed in me. But I didn’t need any extra motivation. “I know.”
Seconds later, an urgent message buzzed over the radio transmitter attached to his vest. “Commander Jax, we’ve got incoming.”
He quickly replied, “All right, men, take your positions. Our Serpent friends will be joining us to welcome the holys.” He turned his head and focused on me. “The time has come. I hope Evander trained you well.”
I undid the straps on my holster and pulled my gun out. “Let’s go.” I held it in an upright position and marched past him. I dashed down the tunnel and ran into the camp.
The rebel troops had already begun to leave the cave. I couldn’t see Evander or Taft anywhere, so I hurried down the next tunnel. When I left the cave, I looked up and saw hundreds of rebel ships flying over the mountains. Seeing all this activity reminded me of my time as a draftee, overwhelmed and excited, eager to do battle.
A second later, thousands of Serpent ships swooped down from the black clouds and whizzed past our heads. From behind, someone grabbed my arm. I spun around and realized it was Ada.
She let go and looked me over. “Li
sten, after that little stunt you pulled with Jax, you’re not my favorite person in the galaxy either. But I have a duty to do. Commander Jax gave me specific orders to help you. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
I shrugged. “Sure. Whatever.” I waved my hand over the ground. “Lead the way.”
She smirked and walked forward. “Follow me.” She dashed into the frenzy of marching soldiers and Serpents and headed to a ship that was parked a few yards from us.
I ran after her, holding my gun close to my chest.
She hurried inside and went straight to the cockpit. She sat down and prepared the ship for takeoff. “Pay close attention, Zena. Hopefully you’ll learn a thing or two about operating a ship.”
“Okay.” I watched carefully as she pressed buttons and turned switches on. It was rather impressive to see her hands move so fast from place to place on the control panel. She had memorized the functions well.
She took off and flew up and into the clouds. She blasted away into space, joining the other rebel ships and our Serpent allies. It finally dawned on me that this would be my first battle in space, on a fighter ship. When I was a little girl, I had only dreamed about ray guns and fighting on battlefields. I never considered the idea of fighting in space.
To my surprise, I felt calm and ready, as if I had been here before. You can do this. No fear. I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed to God. I am still with you, Dear Lord. Please, keep me and my family safe, Almighty God.
“Heads up, Zena. We’ve got company.” Ada pressed a button on the control panel that activated the cannons on the ship.
I looked out the window and saw tens of thousands of white dots closing in on us. They looked so small in the black massiveness of space. Yet inch by inch, they got bigger as we jetted into the darkness.
Ada gripped a trigger that was nestled directly under the control panel. She pulled it out and angled it to the left. On the screen above the control panel, a red dot zipped around from place to place, tracking the black dots on the screen.
“Are the black dots the enemy ships?”
“Yes. Grab your trigger and blast them.”
I looked down and saw the trigger on my side. I grabbed it and pulled it out. I carefully aimed at the black dots and fired. Outside the ship, from the cannon on the right side, a laser blast zoomed out and collided with the incoming fire from the Holy Army ships.
“Keep shooting, Zena. Do the best you can.” Ada pressed a button that appeared to put the ship in autopilot mode. To follow, she pressed another button that activated a glowing, transparent forcefield that covered the ship. She then focused all her attention on the screen and blasted the enemy ships. She was good, too. She used her shooting skills to block enemy fire, countering with tremendous accuracy.
Seeing the battle in front of me was one thing. Being in the fight, shooting at the enemy, and listening to the constant hum of explosions was another.
Sweat trickled from my brow to my neck. My eyes twitched and my lips trembled. It was the ultimate adrenaline rush, and utterly terrifying, all at the same time. Nevertheless, I wanted the feeling to last forever. It was better than anything I had ever imagined.
“Come on, Zena. Pick up the pace. You and I will be blown into pieces if you don’t.”
I paused for a second and wiped the sweat off my face. I took a deep breath and checked the screen above the control panel. I watched closely as I guided the red targeting dot. All at once, I locked in on the black spots and blasted them with relentless fury. Over and over, faster and faster, I moved from one dot to the next.
Finally, Ada and I, with help from the others, disabled the deflector shield of one of the enemy ships. I directed all my fire to that ship, pulling the trigger so hard my hand hurt. She concentrated her fire on that ship, too. It took us and several rebel ships to take down that enemy ship.
Over the radio, a few soldiers celebrated. Jax cut in immediately and shut down the chatter. “This is no time for cheering. We’re heavily outnumbered. Maintain your attack and take down as many holys as you can.”
I glanced at the debris from the destroyed ship, floating away in space like dust caught in a gust of wind. I wondered if any slave soldiers were on that ship. I didn’t want to kill them, but now, I had to in order to survive.
Suddenly, a massive blast hit our ship. I felt the pressure of my seatbelt as the ship rocked and swayed. Red lights flashed along the ceiling, and a robotic voice sounded a warning message. “Sustaining critical damage. I repeat, critical damage sustained.”
Ada quickly grabbed the throttle and pushed it down, launching us forward. “We have to get out of here!” She pressed the radio on her jacket and called out to Jax. “Commander Jax! Come in!”
“This is Jax. Ada?”
“Yes, it’s me. My ship is sustaining heavy damage. Zena is with me. I need to get out of here before the holys blast us into pieces.”
“Affirmative, Ada. Get Zena to safety. The GGC will be very displeased if she dies.”
Evander? Taft? I shook my head at her. “I don’t understand. We can’t just leave the others behind in the middle of a battle.”
“You’re too important, Zena. Besides, Jax and the others will be retreating soon.” She pressed a few buttons on the control panel that made the ship speed up. Then, she pushed the throttle down, and we jetted into interstellar speed.
In no time at all, we were free and clear, floating peacefully in space. I exhaled and leaned back in my chair. “That was incredible.”
Ada softly laughed. “You think that was intense? Oh, Zena. You haven’t experienced anything yet.”
I peeked at her and grinned. “Good. I can’t wait to see more action.”
Ada turned and stared at me. “Hmm, so you think this life is all fun and excitement, huh?” She shook her head at me. “When you lose someone you love, it’s not so fun anymore.” She leaned back and looked out the window. “Sooner or later, it will happen to you. It happens to all of us.”
Thoughts of losing my family crept into my mind. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I lost my brother, or Grandma, or one of my younger siblings. I feared such a loss would send me to a dark place, unable to find my way back to the light. I needed their love, and they needed mine. Our family had endured so much. This was my moment to change our fates, forever.
Ada stood up and turned her back to me. “I never saw Evetta die, but I know she’s gone.” She reached up and wiped her eyes. “Sometimes you just know.”
It was sobering to see her grieve. “That’s awful.” I wondered if Evetta was the only person who ever loved her.
She faced me and pointed at the storage compartments over my head. “When we reach our destination, gather yourself a coat and hat. You will need them. Cato is a frozen wasteland.” I could clearly see that she didn’t want to talk about Evetta anymore. On the control panel, she set our destination and prepared the ship for takeoff.
Once more, we blasted into interstellar speed and arrived at the snowy, windy planet. Without warning, Ada flew us down and entered Cato. Devastating winds rocked us as we looped through the heavy snow. I stood up and gazed out the window, my eyes wide. The crisp snowflakes were so pretty, whirling around like a flock of birds. Pastor Saros had mentioned the frozen planet a few times during his sermons. I remember thinking that I’d rather be free on a cold planet like Cato than enslaved on a warm one like the North Star.
Ada landed near a long building that looked like it hadn’t seen a visitor in ages. She undid her seatbelt and stood up. “Okay, when we get out there, move fast. The faster you move, the less it will hurt.”
I quickly found a coat and hat and followed Ada to the ramp. She had gotten dressed for the cold, too. When she opened the ramp, I shivered so hard my knees buckled. Ada hurried into the freezing winds, her head ducked, stepping high as she trekked through the tall snow.
The wind was blowing so fast I couldn’t keep my balance. I could barely see as I followed her, stumbling
from side to side. Even worse, sheets of ice covered every corner of the landscape. Yet Ada stomped through it with ease, like she had done this many times before.
Up ahead, she led me to the long building. The structure looked worn and mangled, like it had seen a few battles. When we finally reached the door, Ada pulled it open and shoved me inside. She came in fast and slammed the door shut.
I stood there for a moment, breathing in the cold air. My teeth were chattering uncontrollably, and my body was shaking so hard it felt like I was going to crumble. Soon after, I couldn’t feel my face.
Ada turned around and walked past me. “Zena, help me stack some firewood.” Her voice sounded as cold as Cato felt. “The sooner we get the fire going, the sooner I won’t have to hear your teeth.”
Stiff as a board, I spun around and dragged my frozen feet to her. By the time I got to the logs, she was already done. She used the laser from her gun to ignite the wood. She grabbed my arm and pulled me close to her. She gently held her hands and mine over the fire.
My hands wobbled as I stood there with her. After a minute or two, I couldn’t tell if the cold was making me shake, or Ada’s touch. Shamefully, I looked at her, and a warm sensation touched my chest. She looked beautiful in the dim light, the scars on her face blending nicely with the shadows.
“Thank you.”
She glanced at me. “For what?”
“For getting me here safely.”
Her eyes shifted, like she didn’t know what to say. “It’s my duty, Zena.”
My teeth stopped chattering, and I showed her a big smile. “Okay.”
She smiled at me, too, and we shared a long, awkward silence.
“So why Cato? Surely Master could have picked a better hideaway than this?”
“Because it’s easy to hide on a planet like this. We’re rebels, Zena. That’s what we do. We run and hide, for as long as it takes.” She gradually moved behind me and wrapped her arms around me. “Body heat.”
I gulped, unsure of what to do. I wanted to warm up, but having her so close to me felt wrong. “Maybe we should separate.” I reached down and gently moved her hands off me. I stepped away and crossed my arms. “Sorry, it’s just—”
