The Heights of Perdition (The Divine Space Pirates Book 1)

by C. S. Johnson

  “I studied warfare,” Aerie reminded him. “Not a lot of specific air battle maneuvers, but I like to think it wouldn’t be that hard to fight in the air and space.”

  “Everyone likes to think it would be easy.” Exton shrugged before Aerie recalled he’d battled it out against her father’s forces several times over the last six years.

  “You don’t use these on your missions when you go down to Earth?” Aerie asked.

  “No. We don’t use these fighters, or at least we haven’t used them for battle. Sometimes we take them out to use for scouting missions.” He grinned. “Or military feints. We don’t do it too often, because the URS can use those as propaganda.”

  “I have seen some of the news reels,” Aerie admitted. “These do look like the same ships.” She tried to recall the footage.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “And these are all you have?” Aerie frowned as she looked down at the smaller hangar located in the rear of the Perdition. “Just the twelve?”

  “Yes. The Perdition had a hard enough time taking off with these in it,” Exton assured her. She watched as he visibly winced. “It was one of the many reasons I thought our attempt to recapture the ship from the URS would fail.”

  “You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.” Aerie laughed. “I’d love to hear how you managed to defeat my father.”

  The instant the words were out of her mouth, she blanched. “Sorry,” she muttered, avoiding Exton’s suddenly suspicious eyes, “I mean, the URS.”

  Her nerves screamed at her as she hurried over to the nearest ship. “Right now, I’d really love to see what it feels like to sit in one of these.”

  Exton hesitated for just a moment—long enough for Aerie to fear being caught, and therefore forced to prepare for their battle rematch—before he seemed to push past his doubt. But once he came over and unlatched the hatch, Aerie felt a small rush of relief.

  “I’m curious about something,” Exton said, making Aerie’s stress reignite.

  “What?” Aerie asked, avoiding his gaze as she scooted into the cockpit of the one-man star fighter.

  Not now, she thought. Not now that they had made a deal not to lie to each other. Please, please, please don’t ask about my family.

  She glanced around and frowned. “Hang on,” she interrupted. “There’s something wrong here.”

  Exton glanced over at her. “What is it?”

  “This is … I wonder … ”Aerie ignored his question as she pushed in a code for ignition.

  “Hey, come on, Aerie,” Exton called over the roar of the engine and the whir of power the small fighter emitted. “It’s one thing to see it, it’s another to try to turn it on and take it for a test drive.”

  She pushed his voice out of her head while she glanced at the monitors. Familiar patterns, signals, and symbols blazed throughout the small cockpit.

  “Aerie!”

  “Huh?” Aerie glanced back at him, just as he began to reach for her. “Oh, sorry.” She turned off the engine.

  “What was that about?” Exton asked. “I mean, I know you’re curious, but—”

  Aerie was surprised to find that her hands were shaking. “This is a URS ship,” she said, her voice full of incredulous shock. “The console, the codes, everything. It’s all the same tech.”

  She glanced down at the starboard and port consoles, further surprised to see what looked like an early version of NETech implanted into the pilot controls. “This is … ”

  “It was confusing for me at first, too,” Exton remarked, clearly aware of her discomfort, “if that helps you some.”

  “I don’t understand,” Aerie whispered. “What would MENACE be doing with all this tech? I mean, they’ve been largely disbanded since … ” She swiveled around to face Exton.

  She thought about the General’s memoirs of battles with MENACE, about all the documentation and history lectures she had endured at her school.

  “Was MENACE forming an alliance with the URS, right before you stole the ship?” Aerie asked.

  “No.” He shook his head.

  “But then how did they get all this military tech from the URS?”

  “There are only a couple of situations that would explain it,” Exton said. “I can assure you, it’s the one you least want to be true.”

  When she just frowned, Exton shrugged. “Didn’t you think it would be strange for me to take off with a bunch of so-called enemy ships inside of it?”

  Aerie frowned. “I didn’t think of it,” she muttered apologetically. I was too worried about my earlier slip up about the General. “But now that you’ve said it, you’re right.”

  “Taking over a starship is not an easy business,” Exton told her, as he pulled her down out of the cockpit. “I can fully assure you that smuggling a dozen enemy fighter ships onboard would have made it impossible.” He looked past her, toward the rest of the collection.

  Aerie slumped over. “The URS was setting up to go to war with MENACE when you stole the ship, weren’t they? But the URS wouldn’t capture a bunch of enemy ships just to put them into space, would they?”

  “Not quite,” Exton said. “But close. MENACE has been an empty and largely imaginary threat for the last two decades.” He scowled. “Grant Osgood is no saint, but when he took over, he did manage to swiftly destroy most of what remained of them.”

  Aerie fought against the idea. “That’s impossible!”

  “Is it?”

  The gentle question angered her more than any derision.

  “That’s not easy to accept,” Aerie said. “I mean, you’re more or less telling me that MENACE is not real. Not anymore.”

  “There will always be people who long for war,” Exton replied. “But since the times of the Old Republic, and the execution of the capitalists, there hasn’t been a lot of resources.”

  “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “War is not just a military concern. It’s often a political, economic, and personal one.” Exton leaned against the hatch. “Either way, people like that—people with political, economic, or personal agendas—will go to war once the resources to do so are available. When capitalism was outlawed, the governments were able to take control of that.”

  “Wouldn’t that make people stop going to war, then?” Aerie asked, thinking of the long wait times at the medical centers and the long wait times for certain resources. It was hard to go to war when basic living took up so much time and required so much waiting.

  “It’s easy to plan smaller, guerilla warfare tactics. One person is only so capable,” he explained. “And it is hard to get a hold of weapons to fight an entire nation. But once a larger body of people come together, such as the URS, it becomes a means to control its people and its resources.”

  “I thought you said that UNA worked with MENACE once.”

  “It did. MENACE was real, once. They were an unreliable ally of UNA. They tried to work together, but it turned ugly quick. MENACE destroyed the energy grids across North America in the last wars of the Old Republic, but they forgot that in killing off a large population of the world, they lost their markets. They collapsed economically, and civil war devastated them, ruining their access to resources.”

  “Their markets?”

  “Economic markets. The world will be run as a business from here on out, till the end of the world, including societies. That means war, in the traditional sense, has to be profitable. And the ‘business,’ which in the case of the URS has to be the government, is the one who decides if it is or not.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest as she stared at him. “Think about it. Essentialism is at the core of many businesses who want profit. Focusing on survival, obedience, and placement—it makes sense, both in business and in social engineering. They can’t exactly ‘fire’ you when you live under their control. So they have to sell ideas; mainly obedience to the State, above all else. If you don’t conform, you die or you cease to live free.”

&nbs
p; “I don’t know if I believe you.” Aerie shook her head. “This is too much.”

  “The proof is right here, Aerie,” he told her. “You said it yourself. This is URS tech. They were setting the nation up for a new war.”

  “But you just said MENACE had been defeated by Osgood when he took over.”

  “It was. The URS has just been using their name as a scapegoat. It’s a false enemy now.”

  Aerie felt her mouth drop open. She’d suspected—no, she knew on some level that they had lied before. But …

  Exton continued. “That’s part of the reason that Captain Chainsword’s ghost has no qualms about working with MENACE. It makes a good story, doesn’t it?” He grimaced.

  “So does the one where it turns out you’re just a rebel against a nation of only death, disaster, and dictatorship,” Aerie pointed out.

  “I know it’s hard to accept,” Exton said. “I was surprised to find them here, too. But once I examined them, I wasn’t that surprised anymore.”

  “Congratulations,” Aerie grumbled angrily. “I suppose you saw the NETech, too?”

  “NETech?” Exton frowned. “No, my father worked on some of the ship’s design. They were modified for weaponry, but I’d recognize his work anywhere.”

  Her anger disappeared as surprise replaced it. “Your dad designed these ships?”

  You have to be careful here. Aerie knew that she couldn’t completely rely on Exton. But …

  But I’m more than tempted to.

  She felt her palms begin to sweat.

  “I don’t think he knew they were being used for a power play,” Exton said, interrupting her internal rebuke. “But he was a master engineer, Aerie. He designed the Perdition. You know he was talented.”

  “Did he have a hand in designing the NET, too?” Aerie asked. “They just started adding it into the Air Force.”

  “What’s NET?”

  “NET, or NETech, is the name for Neuro-Enzyme Transmission Technology.” Aerie pointed to the small panels along the pilot seat. “It’s similar to the way that plants communicate with their synapses. A transmission device connects with the engine and feeds into the right enzymes to create a certain response. In this case, a pilot would be able to skip hearing his instructions while flying; it would feel as though his instincts had taken over.”

  “Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

  “No; enzymes and chemicals and synapses are all natural forms of communication inside the body. Injecting it directly from an outside source is only a matter of translation. It wouldn’t be hard to rewire someone’s mind with that kind of interference.”

  Aerie glanced down at the system and its connections. For the first time, she felt a little afraid of it. If that was possible for the battlefield, it could also work in other places. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  “Even in battle?” Exton asked, drawing her out of her inner speculation as she climbed out of the ship.

  She nodded. “Especially if they were briefed on an objective beforehand,” Aerie informed him. “Since the satellites are being watched, this program is not very well known outside the military. It is, actually, classified information.”

  “How do you know about it?”

  Aerie hesitated. “I heard about it from General St. Cloud,” she answered carefully. “I wasn’t supposed to. He mentioned it after my PAR.”

  She watched as his fists clenched and his frowned deepened. “I suppose if anyone would know about it, he would,” Exton growled.

  Inside of her, worry started to stir. She knew her father was a sore point with Exton. Aerie cleared her throat. “So, the URS was going to send out a fleet of MENACE ships to down the space program?”

  “I’m not sure of all the specifics,” Exton admitted. “But when I communicate with Osgood or St. Cloud, I know I messed up their plans to go to war once more.”

  “And as long as you remain out here,” Aerie mused, “you are further delaying their plans. Because they can’t control you.”

  “Maybe.” He sighed. “There are other reasons we stayed, too. After my father’s death, my aunt started a new colony down in the southern ocean isles, far enough away from the URS and its influence. That’s the other part of the reason for the harvest, too. We celebrate with them, provide for them, watch out for them. We want to make sure the refugees down there and their families are safe.”

  “You should have seen some of the hatred Captain Chainsword inspired at my graduation ceremony. They hate you. And they’ve managed to turn the whole generation against you,” Aerie said. “But you’re still here, likely saving them from pointless death.”

  “I never set out to save anyone.” He shrugged. “I might just be making it worse for them in the end, anyway.”

  “You were just going to take the ship, but you have been up here in order to keep the world at peace.”

  “The world’s not at peace, Aerie,” he retorted.

  “But it’s not in pieces, either,” she argued. “As long as you’re here, you’re keeping the world in a stasis of sorts.”

  When he said nothing, she took hold of his arm. “Why did you tell me these things?”

  “The world’s not the only thing that has been in stasis,” Exton told her. “Do you know how hard and painful it is to bring a heart back to life?”

  “No, I don’t,” Aerie told him quietly. “But I will do everything I can to make it better.”

  He drew her closer, embracing her. “You already have.”

  “You just said you had pain because of me.”

  “Not all pain is bad, Aerie. Sometimes pain just means that there is something greater worth suffering for.”

  She smiled. “Are you going to kiss me again?”

  “Man is a fallen creature, Aerie; the first man was said to have fallen into sin, away from all that was bright and beautiful and good, just so he could stay at the side of his true love,” Exton said, leaning his forehead against hers. “But I won’t kiss you if you don’t want me to.”

  “I want you to,” Aerie murmured. Her eyes fluttered shut as he smiled and drew even closer to her.

  The first touch of his lips on hers sent a deep yearning through her soul, waking the warmth all through her body. She was surprised at the fervency she felt, the sudden desperation to respond to him.

  Was this what Serena spent her life chasing after? Aerie wondered. To feel this beautiful and treasured, to know that someone knew her and still wanted to be with her?

  A soft moan escaped her unexpectedly. “Exton,” she muttered. “I want you.” She flushed red, her face full of heat.

  He stopped kissing her and moved back from her. “I’ve wanted you since I first saw you.”

  “Really?” Aerie laughed. “When I attacked you?”

  “Before that.” He ran his hands through her hair, fiddling with her braid. “I was the one who found you in the tree, remember? You were just like a fairy or sprite, sleeping in the hollow of your home. In hindsight, I should have known you would have had some fight in you, after I killed the Memory Tree.”

  He looked into her eyes intently. “Can you forgive me for that, Aerie? For destroying your tree?”

  Aerie shifted in his arms, suddenly uncomfortable. “I think I can forgive you for that,” she said. “I was always different from the URS, you know.”

  “I know. That’s why I want you to stay.”

  “You want me to stay?” Aerie asked, hope and excitement bubbling up inside of her.

  “Yes.”

  She giggled happily. “I think I want to, too.” She sighed, before frowning.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I always thought I had to change to be accepted. But I guess there are some things you just can’t change.”

  “People can change, Aerie. But more often than not, people change us. If we want them to, or if we allow them to.” He smiled at her. “So I guess you didn’t really want to change, then.”

  “Not until recently,” she
admitted.

  “I’m glad.” Exton grinned. “Especially since you’ll forgive me for ruining your tree?”

  Aerie sighed. “I’m not happy about it, but I can forgive you.”

  Exton grinned, then grabbed her arms and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you.”

  She felt an indignant spark of anger at his response, like he’d just been trying to placate a small child. “I’m not weak for agreeing to forgive you,” Aerie insisted.

  “I know.” He took her hands in his and squeezed them. “Of all people, Aerie, I know how hard it is to forgive someone. I know it very well—so well I have still refused to do it. But I had a feeling you would. You were right, you know. That day in the med ward. You are braver than most.”

  She blushed at his words. “There are still some things I’m scared of,” she admitted quietly. Such as telling you who my real father is.

  “Bravery doesn’t mean you’re not scared.” He pulled her close again. “There are some things I’m scared of, too.”

  Then he kissed her again, softly and lightly. Aerie smiled, recalling their first kiss. She had to smother a chuckle at the memory.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “It’s nothing. It’s just, well, my first kiss was supposed to be at the military ball.” She wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. “I thought it had to be with at the right time and place to be magical and memorable. I never thought that it only needed the right person.”

  “Aerie.”

  Her name was barely above a whisper as he bent down to kiss her again, but Aerie could hear the longing in his voice.

  His lips were an inch away from hers when the alarm started going off.

  ♦22♦

  It took Exton several more seconds than he would have liked to admit for him to make sense of the sudden flashing lights and blaring alarm.

  Aerie recoiled at the noise, grimacing as she covered her ears. “What is that?!” she yelled.

  He tucked his hands over his own ears. “Come this way.” He motioned as he turned and started toward the elevator.