Earth Fire (Earthrise Book 4)

by Daniel Arenson

  An instant later, Kemi followed, flying the larger, bulkier Anansi.

  The two vessels—a human stealth ship and an alien fighter—flew into a sky full of ravagers.

  There were hundreds. Marco didn't know which one Addy was in, if it even still flew here. His hands trembled at the controls.

  Addy . . . Oh God, Addy . . . Hang in there. I'm coming for you.

  Plasma blasted their way. Ben-Ari soared higher, dodging the flames. Marco wanted to fire more missiles, but he couldn't. He didn't know which ship Addy was on. Ben-Ari increased their speed, tugged back the joystick, and soon the Saint Brendan was soaring skyward in a straight line. Kemi followed in the Anansi.

  Within moments, they breached the atmosphere, and the stars spread out above them. No more human warships flew here, only the endless vessels of the enemy.

  "There must be a way to find what ship she's on," Marco said, trying to stop his voice from shaking. "Captain, can we run a scan for human lifeforms?"

  Ben-Ari was clicking buttons. Engines deep in the ship began to hum and rattle, and a blue glow filled the viewport. Marco knew that glow. They were priming up the warp engine.

  "We have no such capability on the Brendan, soldier," Ben-Ari said. "Addy is lost for now."

  "She's not lost!" Marco leaped to his feet. "She's out there. Right now!" He pointed out the viewport at the thousands of ravagers. "She's in one of those ships, and if we have to board them one by one to find her, we—"

  "Get back into your seat and man the cannons!" Ben-Ari said. "That is an order, soldier. Now!"

  Ahead, the ravagers fired plasma their way. Ben-Ari yanked the controls, and they swerved sideways. A blast hit their side, and they careened.

  "Captain, our azoth engine is fully primed!" Lailani said, turning from a control panel.

  "Emery, fire those cannons, dammit!" Ben-Ari said.

  Marco sat back down. He fired. He sent shells into space, purposefully missing. He would not fire on any ship Addy might be in.

  "Captain, we cannot leave without Addy," he said. "She wouldn't leave without us. You cannot—"

  "Engaging azoth engine . . . now!" Ben-Ari said. "Hold on!"

  "Captain, no!" Marco cried. But his voice sounded hollow, echoing, coming from outside the ship.

  He floated over his body.

  The starship curved inward, and the stars streamed as spacetime warped.

  With a boom, they blasted into the distance, zooming through streams of starlight at many times the speed of light. The Anansi followed, only meters away, sucked into their warp.

  Marco rose from his seat. His wounds ached. A stray bullet had sliced his leg, and he could barely stand. Yet he came to face Ben-Ari.

  "You left her." His voice shook. "You left Addy. We must turn back now."

  Ben-Ari hit a few buttons, then rose from her seat. She glared at him. "Soldier, Addy is gone. She was gone the instant they closed the hatch on their ship. The only way to save Addy now is to find the Ghost Fleet and win this war."

  "By then Addy might be dead!" Marco's eyes burned. His fists trembled. "You left her behind!"

  "And I would leave you behind!" said Ben-Ari. "And I would leave my lieutenant behind. And if I were trapped, I would expect you to leave me behind." The captain's cheeks flushed with rage. "Those are the choices soldiers must make. And I made this choice, and I do not regret it. If we had pursued Addy, just two ships against hundreds, we'd have died. All of us."

  "You don't know that. We saved Kemi. We could have—"

  "Noodles saved Kemi, and Noodles died." Ben-Ari glared at him, and her voice shook the slightest, though he couldn't tell if it shook from fury, grief, or fear. "I lost two soldiers down there, Emery. I would not lose more. Not when we're the last people in the galaxy who can find hope." Her voice softened. "Sometimes we must leave soldiers behind."

  "Captain!" Lailani said from her control panel. "My scanners are showing ravagers hot in pursuit. Fifty of them, maybe more. They're far behind us, but they're moving fast." She shook her head sadly. "Our stealth cloak took a beating on Haven. It's blasted. The fuckers can see us. We stick out in space like a stripper in a nunnery."

  Ben-Ari nodded. She turned back toward Marco. "Sergeant Emery, are you fit to man the cannons? If not, relieve yourself from duty right now."

  Marco fumed. How dared Ben-Ari do this? How dared she issue commands? She was no longer an officer! She had been demoted to private, stripped of her rank and commission, and he didn't have to listen to her. He was still a staff sergeant in the reserves, outranking her, and—

  He forced himself to take a deep, shaky breath.

  No, he thought. The Human Defense Force is gone now. It fell to the marauders. What remains now is us. The Dragons.

  If he sat down now, if he manned those cannons, he would be accepting Ben-Ari's command. He would be acknowledging her as the commander of this ship, as the leader of their crew. And there would be no turning back.

  He stood for only a second, staring at Ben-Ari, a second that seemed to last an eternity. A young woman, only a couple years older than him, still wearing a bloody prison jumpsuit. Broken handcuffs still dangled from her wrist. The woman who had left Addy behind. The woman Marco had written to. The woman who had fought all her life for Earth. The woman who had led Marco through the darkness of Corpus and the searing heat of Abaddon. The woman who had met a scared boy, the son of a librarian, and turned him into a soldier. The woman who, more than any other person in Marco's life, had shaped him. Had saved him. No, not an escaped prisoner. Not a mere private. She was his captain.

  He tightened his lips, and he gave a salute. "I'm sorry, Captain. Reporting for duty."

  He took his post.

  Ben-Ari stared at him. The ghost of a smile touched her lips, and when she nodded, he saw the pride in her eyes.

  They flew on. In the Saint Brendan: Captain Einav Ben-Ari at the helm, Staff Sergeant Marco Emery at the guns, Staff Sergeant Lailani de la Rosa at the scanners. In the Anansi nearby: Lieutenant Kemi Abasi, piloting the alien vessel with a rig of shower curtain rings.

  Once more, they were together. Once more, they were soldiers.

  And Marco realized that despite the fear, despite the agony of losing Addy . . . he felt like his old self. For the first time in two years, his mind was clear. The storm of Haven was gone, no longer lashing his body, no longer clouding his thoughts.

  The starlight streamed at their sides.

  After several moments, Lailani broke the silence. "The ravagers are still following us. They're faster than we are. But we leaped into warped space a few seconds ahead of them. That gives us several hours, maybe even several days, until they catch us. I just hope they give up by then."

  "Not likely," Ben-Ari said. "But we have a breather. I'm putting the Brendan into autopilot. De la Rosa, rig an alarm to sound if those ravagers come within a million kilometers. Emery, you're hurt. Report to the medical bay. Meanwhile I'll see what I can do about fixing that stealth engine; we'll need it before the enemy catches up to us." The captain's voice dropped. "In one hour, meet me in the airlock, both of you. We're going to have a funeral for Noodles. He'll receive a promotion and full military honors before we send him back into the cosmos."

  Marco limped off the bridge. In the medical bay, he found antiseptics, painkillers, and bandages, and he treated his wounds. The ugliest one was a gash on his thigh, a gift from a stray bullet.

  When his wounds were bandaged, he sat down. He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.

  For years now, whenever he had closed his eyes, Marco had seen his old battles, seen terrors, seen death. But now he saw Addy smile. Tears gathered under his eyelids.

  I'm sorry, Addy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  The cosmos spread out like a dark ocean, eternal, ancient, all that was, all that had ever been, all that would ever be. In the darkness and light, in the vast arena of emptiness, they sailed alone. Two ships. Both small. Fas
ter than most. Scarred with memories of war and hardship and heartbreak. One ship was named after an ancient goddess. The other was named after an old patron saint of travelers who had navigated a different ocean on a faraway world. Today, these ships—the Anansi and the Saint Brendan—sailed this infinitely vaster black sea. Fleeing despair. Seeking hope.

  Aboard the ships—four souls from a new species, one that had just woken from a long sleep, blinking, gazing around with curious eyes at the cosmos. Finding it beautiful. Finding it good to explore and bountiful with life. Yet also finding it fraught with many dangers, many challenges, many other species that would challenge them in a galactic Darwinian struggle.

  Still, like curious toddlers rising from a fall, they reached into the unknown. To explore. To see what their species was capable of. Even as they suffered, even as their world burned, these four souls sailed the cosmic ocean.

  Captain Einav Ben-Ari. Lieutenant Kemi Abasi. Staff Sergeant Lailani de la Rosa. Staff Sergeant Marco Emery. They had named themselves the Dragons, seeking courage in that mythological monster as they fled monsters of flesh and blood. Aboard the Saint Brendan and the Anansi, they streamed across the interstellar sea, out of humanity's shallow waters and into the unknown.

  Marco stood in the Brendan's hold, staring out a porthole at the streaming stars.

  "We set out to save the world," he said softly. "We set out to save humanity. But you mean more to me, Addy. You mean more than anyone else, more than anything in this cosmos. Stay strong. Strong like I know that you are. You didn't forget me when I was lost. I will find you." His voice choked. "We'll live together again, and it will be better this time. I promise. We'll roast hot dogs on a rake. And we'll laugh. And we'll tell old stories and hold each other when the nightmares rise. I miss you. I will never stop fighting for you. I will bring you home."

  He tried to see the ravagers who still pursued them in the distance, but they were still too far, detectable only with their scanners, not the naked eye. But Marco knew they were following. Fifty enemy ships. Within them—those bastards that had grabbed Addy, that had killed Noodles, that had destroyed the world.

  We must find the Ghost Fleet before they catch us, he thought. And then we'll kill every last one of them.

  He lowered his head, because he recognized that thought, that feeling. Hatred. Bloodlust. A side of himself that he hated. He had sought peace; he had failed to find it. Perhaps war was all that remained for him now. And perhaps that was more terrifying than the war itself.

  Footsteps padded behind him, and he turned to see Lailani. Her uniform, a spare found on the Brendan, was too large, hanging off her small frame. Her hair was tied behind her head in a ponytail, and her eyes were soft. She hesitated, then stepped closer to him and touched his arm.

  "Hi, Poet," she said.

  "Hi, Tiny."

  She looked out the viewport with him. Beyond the curve of spacetime, they could see a smeared view of the Milky Way's spiral arm. They were heading farther than any human ship had ever traveled. What kind of dangers and wonders awaited in this darkness?

  "It's strange," Lailani said. "Sol is too far to see from here." The starlight reflected in her eyes.

  "Do you think it's real?" he said. "The Ghost Fleet?"

  She turned toward him and looked into his eyes. "I believe. I don't know, but I believe." She took his hands in hers. "Addy is strong, Marco. She's the strongest woman I know. If anyone can survive this, it's her. We'll come back with help. We'll save her."

  Marco finally cracked a smile. "She'll never forgive me for it—for saving her ass. She'll somehow twist it around to prove that she saved us."

  Lailani laughed and wiped her eyes. "That sounds like her."

  "Do you remember how Addy stole a can of Spam from boot camp?" he said.

  Lailani nodded. "She carried that thing around for weeks!"

  "For years," Marco said. "She used it as a paperweight. We finally ate it about a year ago. Best damn meal I ever had."

  Lailani laughed again. "Not better than that feast from the vending machine you and Addy found."

  "Did I tell you that Addy once roasted hot dogs on a rake? She did!" He thought for a moment. "Somehow all the funny stories about Addy involve food."

  "The girl can eat," Lailani said. "I saw her scarf down an entire pizza one day. Not a personal pizza or anything. A large family pizza. She said she was full, but an hour later, I saw her digging into a tub of ice cream. Yet she never gained any weight."

  "She burned all the calories by jabbing me with her elbow. My spleen developed a callus over time. I could take a marauder claw there now and be fine. Might yet come in handy."

  Lailani leaned against him. Silently, she slipped her hand into his.

  "We'll make more memories," Lailani said, gazing out at the stars. "With Addy. With all of us." She looked at him. "I'm sorry, Marco. I'm sorry."

  "For what?" he said, throat tight.

  "For leaving you. When you needed me."

  He shook his head. "Don't be sorry. You did what you had to do."

  Lailani nodded and embraced him. "I'm glad you're with me, Marco Emery."

  He held her in his arms. The starlight streamed through the viewport, filling the cabin. Outside, the cosmic ocean spread into the horizons. The Anansi flew nearby, Kemi piloting it onward. The two starships sailed on, seeking a legend, aid for a friend, and hope in darkness.

  The story continues in Earth Shadows (Earthrise, Book 5).

  Click here to read the next book in the series:

  DanielArenson.com/EarthShadows

  AFTERWORD

  Thank you for reading Earth Fire. I hope you enjoyed the novel.

  Want to know when I release the next Earthrise novel? Here are some ways to stay updated:

  * Join my mailing list at (and receive three free ebooks): DanielArenson.com/MailingList

  * Like me on Facebook: Facebook.com/DanielArenson

  * Join our Facebook group: http://tinyurl.com/kg472wy

  * Follow me on Twitter: Twitter.com/DanielArenson

  And if you have a moment, please review Earth Fire on Amazon. Help other science fiction readers and tell them why you enjoyed reading. Please leave your review here.

  Thank you again, dear reader, and I hope we meet again between the pages of another book.

  Daniel

  NOVELS BY DANIEL ARENSON

  EARTHRISE

  Earth Alone

  Earth Lost

  Earth Rising

  Earth Fire

  Earth Shadows

  Earth Valor

  Earth Reborn

  Earth Honor

  Earth Eternal

  THE MOTH SAGA

  Moth

  Empires of Moth

  Secrets of Moth

  Daughter of Moth

  Shadows of Moth

  Legacy of Moth

  REQUIEM

  Dawn of Dragons Requiem's Song

  Requiem's Hope

  Requiem's Prayer

  The Complete Trilogy

  Song of Dragons Blood of Requiem

  Tears of Requiem

  Light of Requiem

  The Complete Trilogy

  Dragonlore A Dawn of Dragonfire

  A Day of Dragon Blood

  A Night of Dragon Wings

  The Complete Trilogy

  The Dragon War A Legacy of Light

  A Birthright of Blood

  A Memory of Fire

  The Complete Trilogy

  Requiem for Dragons Dragons Lost

  Dragons Reborn

  Dragons Rising

  The Complete Trilogy

  Flame of Requiem Forged in Dragonfire

  Crown of Dragonfire

  Pillars of Dragonfire

  The Complete Trilogy

  ALIEN HUNTERS

  Alien Hunter
s

  Alien Sky

  Alien Shadows

  OTHER WORLDS

  Eye of the Wizard

  Wand of the Witch

  Firefly Island

  The Gods of Dream

  Flaming Dove

  KEEP IN TOUCH

  www.DanielArenson.com

  Daniel@DanielArenson.com

  Facebook.com/DanielArenson

  Twitter.com/DanielArenson