Once the ship was running parallel to the ocean surface and well on its way toward the Terran mainland, Pelasi pressed on the throttle. Plasma infused flames leapt from the back of the ship’s engine, cutting a channel through the waves behind it as the superheated exhaust evaporated the ocean swells. As it hurtled toward the shore, sea mists erupted from around the Cair Thewlis.
Satisfied that Pelasi could handle the approach, Yen unbuckled from the copilot’s chair and opened the hatch leading into the crew compartment. Throughout the compartment, boxes that had become unhooked during the warp were strewn around the open area between the seated team. Though knocked around, the team still seemed in high spirits, something Yen hoped they maintained as they finally touched down on Earth.
“Alright, gentlemen,” Yen began as the stern faces turned toward him. “We’re through the worst of it and are on our way to the capital. We’re estimating a short five to ten minute flight until we reach the near shore and only a couple more minutes until we touch down on ground. Make sure you have everything you’re going to need to for this mission on hand. Once we touch down, we’re going to hit the ground running. There won’t be any time to sort through your gear when bullets are flying over your head.”
Yen took a step into the room and reached up, using an overhead metal beam for support. “Get your heads on straight. Those of you who are too distracted or afraid probably won’t be coming back alive. That’s not cruel, that’s honest.”
Pausing, Yen caught Buren’s angry look from the corner of his eye. Though he didn’t justify his anger by even sparing the Uligart a glance in his direction, Yen felt infuriated that Buren would still judge him for what happened with the Seques. In the near future, he and Buren would have to reevaluate their relationship.
“Check your weapons and ammo. Cross level if you’re short on any supplies. We’ll be reaching their radar range…”
Before Yen could finish his sentence, a roaring explosion rocked the Cair Thewlis. Yen was tossed from his feet, his hand slipping from the metal bar he was using for support. Collapsing to the ground, Yen wound up unceremoniously intermingled amidst a pile of assault packs. Growling, he tossed the bags aside and climbed to his feet. No sooner had he spun on the doorway leading to the cockpit than a second explosion rocked the ship, dropping him back down into the packs.
Staggering forward, using the walls for support, Yen opened the door and stepped into the forward cabin. With the open viewports, he could now hear even more distant explosions, as though the entire stormy sky was filled with exploding ordinance.
“What the hell is going on?” Yen yelled, as he slid into the copilot’s chair.
Warrant Pelasi’s arms were taunt as he struggled to maintain control of the ship. “I don’t know, sir. They just started opening up on us!”
Yen grimaced as the ship was rocked by another explosion. The right side of the window was filled with angry red flames as the round exploded nearby. As far as he could tell, though, the ship had yet to sustain any serious damage.
“Who?”
“Coastal guns, maybe?” Pelasi said, unsure. “They’re packing some pretty serious explosives, whoever they are.”
The force from another explosion drove the Cair Thewlis downward in a rapid descent. Yen could feel his last meal creeping higher into his throat and he suddenly felt very nauseas. As Yen braced himself against the forward console, Pelasi managed to regain control and pull the ship skyward moments before they would have crashed into the churning ocean below.
“Are you intentionally flying into every round they fire at us?” Yen yelled angrily, his heightened emotions overwhelming his sense of queasiness.
“Not intentionally, sir,” Pelasi retorted.
“Then do you think it’s even remotely possible for you to avoid one of the explosions?”
“I’m trying!” the Uligart yelled back. “If you’re so concerned, you might call one of the other pilots and get some Duun support down here. You have them blast those guns to hell and maybe they won’t do the same to us!”
Yen frowned at his pilot, knowing that though he was frustrated with Pelasi, the Uligart was also correct. Reaching to his throat, Yen activated the Squadron channel.
“Alpha Leader, this is Commander Xiao. If you’re not too busy up there, we could really use some of that air superiority we’ve heard so much about!”
Iana’s voice called back over the radio, though the background noise was filled with the sound of alerts and sirens sounding from within her cockpit. “This is Alpha Leader. No, sir, of course we have nothing important going on up here. Just relaxing and having the time of our lives. Hell, when you boys get done down there, feel free to come join us. We’re getting ready to fire up the blender and make some cocktails.”
“Can the chatter, Alpha Leader, and get me some air support!”
“Roger, sir,” Iana called back. “I’m breaking away two Duun fighters to your position now.”
Yen closed the channel and turned back to his pilot. “Buy us time. Dodge, weave, do whatever you have to do. Just keep us in the air long enough for the Duun pilots to get here.”
Warrant Pelasi turned on the internal ship’s communications. “Everyone hold tight. This is about to be a bumpy ride.”
The Cair Thewlis dropped nearly to the ocean’s surface before climbing steeply toward the overhead cloud cover. Pelasi continued a random flight pattern as they moved ever forward toward the Earth shoreline. As they grew closer to the shore, the rain began to lessen. In the far distance, Yen could see the faint silhouette of mighty skyscrapers, the tops of which were lost in the clouds above. Closer, however, the flash of fire alerted him that while the lightening rain allowed him to see the shore, it also allowed the large caliber coastal guns to see him as well.
“Incoming!” he yelled before another barrage of explosions rocked the ship. Gritting his teeth, Yen hoped that the Duun ships would reach them before they were blown out of the sky.
In response to his prayers, two small ships streaked overhead, rocketing toward the coast. The small Duun fighters were nearly impossible to track by the massive guns that jutted out over the water. Firing in a defensive pattern, the coastal guns tried to keep the two darting fighters at bay, but to no avail. From the cockpit of the Cair Thewlis, Yen watched as smoky trails leapt from the missile racks under the wings of the Duun fighters. The plasma rockets streaked toward the shore, the missiles separating until they were each targeted on one of the large caliber cannons. The guns continued to fire, but Yen knew that their fate was sealed as soon as the missiles were launched. Onboard the missiles, the computer system tracked the inbound rounds from the coastal guns and easily avoided the barrages. They drew close to the large cannons before launching skyward, flying over a hundred feet above the massive cannons before turning in midair. Hurtling downward, the plasma rockets slammed into the coastal guns one after another.
When the plasma missiles struck the cannons, the gloomy sky between Yen and the rest of the Terran capital city lit up in a solid wall of burning plasma. The purples and blues of the plasma danced through the center of the flames as subsequent explosions erupted. Fuel cells, ammunition depots, and coastal guns exploded in steady progression, wreaking more and more havoc to the nearby Terran communities.
The Duun fighters disappeared through the flames, oblivious to the potential hazard as another series of explosion erupted from around the gun ports. Beyond the closest set of flames, Yen could see further explosions from within the city as the Duun fighters launched volley after volley into the city itself. Though hardly carrying the destructive capacity of the plasma bombs on board the Cruisers, the rockets bore enough explosives to bring down some of the heavenly skyscrapers, which collapsed into the city below.
By the time the Cair Thewlis broke through the wall of flames along the coast, the Terran capital city lay in ruins. Metal and stone lay twisted around one another in a macabre dance. Terran civilians nearby the multiple rocket
strikes were lucky, having been instantly obliterated by the explosions. Others on the outskirts of the blasts, however, were now buried beneath tons of rubble and, in many cases, burning debris.
Staring out the window, Yen struggled to fathom the depth of destruction and loss of life caused by a single pass of the Duun fighters. Suppressing a sadistic smile, Yen imagined the sheer volume of destruction that would be waged once the rest of the Fleet finally arrived at Earth.
“Sir,” Pelasi said, the Uligart angling the Cair Thewlis further into the heart of the capital city, “I’ve got something on radar.”
Yen broke his attention away from the rain-streaked window and examined the radar. Overlaid on the radar, a satellite image showed the terrain of the city. Ahead, blinking red on the overlay, a section of the city was illuminated. Tracking his gaze outside the window toward the area marked on the map, Yen noticed a sudden downturn in the height of the buildings, as though the closer they got to the heart of the city, the more the buildings bowed in solemn reverence to the area contained within.
As the buildings grew ever shorter, they eventually leveled out at a series of two and three story structures. Beyond the low buildings, however, the structures stopped altogether in an architectural cliff face. In the valley created by the lack of buildings, lush green grass spread over multiple city blocks. There, towering over the green grass and flowering trees, Yen could see the large tower, jutting toward the sky. The odd, square-sided structure reached over a hundred feet high before ending in an elongated point. As to the purpose of the building, Yen couldn’t fathom, nor could he understand the rectangular lake that sat at the base of the tower and stretched away like a long, reflective shadow.
Breaking his attention away from the grassy park, Yen gestured toward an open square a few city blocks away. “Put us down over there.” As Pelasi complied, Yen continued. “Once we hit ground and download the equipment, I want you airborne again.”
“Sir?” Pelasi asked, confused.
“You’re our way out of this hellhole. If you stay on the ground and this ship gets damaged, then we’ve not only walked right into the lair of the enemy, but we took away our only way out. I’ve been in that situation before and I have no intention of repeating a bad mistake. Land, download us, then get the hell out of here. Understand?”
Pelasi nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The Cair Thewlis set down heavily on the paved Terran square, its heavy alloy body crushing the flimsy vehicles beneath it. Before Yen could climb out of his chair, he could hear the back door to the ship dropping and a scurry of booted feet. He opened the door and was proud to see that most of his men had already hurried off the ship.
“I’ll be manning the radio, sir,” Warrant Pelasi called from behind him. “The second you all get into trouble, call me and I’ll be back here.”
“I know you will,” Yen replied as he hurried to catch up to his men.
Stepping outside, Yen wrinkled his nose in displeasure. The city smelled at though far too many Terran bodies had been living on top of one another for far too many years. It permeated the buildings and floated along the air like wisps of smoke.
Looking around, Yen smiled at his men. They had already moved into defensive positions around the square, ensuring that no counterattacking Terran forces could gain an upper hand while approaching down any of the main thoroughfares. Catching Buren’s eye, Yen motioned for the officer to join him.
Approaching, the Uligart looked eternally unhappy. “Sir?”
“Take your men and sweep around the outskirts of the park,” Yen ordered. “I’ll take my team and make a more direct approach. Our forces should be able to meet near the eastern side of the park, which was the last known location of the doctor we’ve been sent to retrieve.”
Yen could see the obvious disagreement cast on Buren’s face. Both the men knew that the outskirts mission was one that relegated the subordinate commander to little more than a supporting role while the primary commander, in this case Yen, claimed all the honors for the victory after making his direct attack. Though Yen had little time for the rivalry that Buren perceived, he couldn’t resist a small barbed attack to the man’s ego.
Buren sneered as he replied. “Yes, sir.”
“And Buren,” Yen said, his voice sickly sweet with false concern, “do be careful.”
“Like you care,” Buren snarled as he turned and walked away.
Yes, Yen realized, they would have to reevaluate their relationship very soon indeed. That, however, would have to wait for the time being. Motioning toward his team, Yen’s men took up positions on both sides of the road as they began their approach on the park.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The street was cast in harsh shadows as the brilliant red sun began setting on the distant horizon. Half the town was swallowed by the darkness; the edges of buildings and darkened alleyways disappeared into nondescript lines that defined the separation between the structure and the ground on which it sat. A hot breeze blew across Pteraxis, carrying clouds of sand through the streets of the small mining town. The fine particles of sand settled over Keryn as she and Adam stepped into the street.
In the failing light, the town took on an eerie look. Shadows lengthened as they watched, giving them the impression of constant movement out of the corners of their eyes. They glanced from side to side, but they found only longer shadows and darkened corners. Where before the mining community looked like a ghost town, now it appeared as though the dead had awoken and sought revenge on the living. Just the thought of it made the hairs on Keryn’s neck stand on edge.
When a gruff voice suddenly whispered in Keryn’s ear, she nearly screamed in surprise before she realized that it was only her radio.
“Talon Six, this is Talon One,” Rombard called over the radio, his voice more subdued than Keryn remembered ever hearing it.
“This is Talon Six,” Keryn replied, her heart pounding in her chest.
“We’ve reached the corner of the alley and are ready to move in.”
Keryn shook her head, though she knew Rombard wouldn’t see the movement. “Negative, Talon One. Hold your position on the secondary street. Wait for my command.” Without speaking it aloud, she finished her thought: if we need you, you’ll know right away.
Having been inside when Rombard began pursuing Cardax, Keryn could only make assumptions on which alleyway the Oterian was cutting through. She had assumed that they would have plenty of sunlight left to find the smuggler before the red orb disappeared over the horizon, but the rapidly setting sun caught her off guard. At the rate the sun was disappearing, it would only be another twenty minutes or less before they lost the meager light they had remaining.
Motioning ahead, Keryn drew her pistol as she and Adam moved cautiously forward. Cardax was hiding from her, toying with her while they quickly lost their sunlight. In spite of the heat of the Pteraxis afternoon, Keryn felt a chill at the thought of getting stuck on the planet after dark. A knot formed in her stomach, as though her body was reacting to the unseen danger. The planet itself seemed to want them gone, and Keryn was all too willing to oblige once they’d captured the smuggler.
Though there seemed to be movement from every shadow, Keryn was still surprised when one of the shadows detached itself from the side of a building. Still a block away, the towering figure moved slowly and deliberately until he slipped out of the shadows and into the dim, red light. Even from a distance, the Oterian smuggler towered over both the Pilgrim and the Wyndgaart. Standing over eight feet tall, he was swathed in dark fur. His long horns bent forward like spears. Though the Oterian appeared to smile, it came across significantly more like a sneer of displeasure.
“Cardax,” Keryn growled at the smuggler.
“You reek of it, you know?” Cardax yelled across the distance. “You and all the rest of your little group. You all carry the disgusting scent of the Alliance. I smelled you the second you entered this town.”
“Spare me,” Keryn yelled
back, raising her pistol. “One way or another, you’re coming with us!”
“Such dangerous threats from such a little girl,” Cardax said, raising his arms to the side as he started stepping forward. “There’s really no need for all that. In fact, if you were smart, you’d go ahead and put that toy gun down before someone gets hurt.”
“Are you threatening me?” Keryn asked indignantly. “You turn your back on your race and the entire Alliance, and you still have the audacity to threaten me?” The anger built within her and she ground her teeth together while she spoke.
In response, Cardax laughed heartily. “Betray the Alliance? That’s rich. This is the same Alliance that hunted me like a dog from one end of known space to another. I spend just as much time now fleeing bounty hunters as I do conducting my business.”
“You betrayed us!” Keryn screamed. Try as she might, she couldn’t understand how Cardax was so blinded by his own arrogance. Though she kept her eyes on the Oterian, she also scanned the buildings around her. Their conversation was far from quiet; the townsfolk had to have heard them. Yet no faces peered from closed windows to see the disturbance. Keryn longed to have the Voice once again. Its consult would have been useful in a situation like the one she now found herself, and it was always capable of watching the periphery while she focused on the task at hand. Realizing how lost she felt without the Voice, Keryn felt a pit grow in her chest, filled only with a dull ache of loss.
Cardax, blissfully unaware of Keryn’s inner turmoil, continued talking. “I never betrayed them. They betrayed me. I made one of the greatest discoveries in history when I found Deplitoxide. I was a businessman and only wanted to profit from my discovery. And what did I get for my troubles? The High Council sent Alliance Warships after me; chased me all the way into the Demilitarized Zone. I was captured by the Terrans because I was trying to save my own life! You have no idea the tortures I endured at the hands of the Terrans. A weaker man would have died, but I persevered.”
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