The Ninth: Invasion

by Benjamin Schramm

  The captains at the table shifted their glances from Brent to Alden, unable to believe what they’d heard. It made sense, but to evacuate an entire planet was no small matter. To think Alden could have undertaken such a thing on several worlds without anyone suspecting was borderline insanity.

  “Is there any truth behind the boy’s . . . guess?” Shen asked.

  Janet cast a glance at Alden that answered the admiral’s question. Brent had hit the nail firmly on the head.

  “We are going to have to buy you a leash, young man,” Alden said with a grin.

  “Or at least a muzzle.” Janet did not share Alden’s grin.

  “Why didn’t you warn us?” Shen jumped to his feet shouting.

  “Would you have listened?” Alden asked calmly. “If the untrustworthy CI came to your front door with a gift basket and a warning about the ITU, would you have paid any attention?”

  “Of course I would!”

  “Really?” Alden asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. “Can you say in all honesty you’d believe us completely?

  “. . . I might have suspected the gift basket was a bomb.” Shen slowly sat down and let out a sigh. “You’re right. We never would have believed you. If you had tried to warn us you would have tipped your hand to the ITU for no reason.”

  “That’s a very mature position, Admiral. I see you deserve the rank.”

  “Don’t stroke my ego. Just tell us what you’ve got planned.”

  “Sorry, I’m used to dealing with politicians who would die without their daily ego stroke. Basically put, we plan on chopping off the Union’s head.”

  Shen’s hand started fiddling with his unkempt beard; he was obviously deep in thought. The rest of the table watched silently, waiting for the admiral’s reaction.

  “It’s madness,” Shen said reluctantly, “but then again so is this entire war. You do realize they’ll just promote someone off world as the new corporate head?”

  “No doubt, but losing their homeworld and their current leadership would be a crushing blow to their morale if nothing else.” Alden sounded like he was pitching a business deal more than a war plan. “Plus, it would take them some time to recover, and infighting over who gets that promotion could divide their ranks.”

  “Do you have the ships or the ground forces for something like this?”

  “It’ll be tight, but we can do it. With your ships and troopers, we shouldn’t have any problems.”

  “I’d imagine not, especially if you have the support of the troopers at our table.” A long smile pulled at Shen’s lip. “Leashed or not.”

  “So, we are agreed then.”

  “I’d rather meet my end in the jaws of a beast than living with it in fear.” Shen turned to face one of the captains. “How long until we can depart?”

  “We should be ready shortly, Admiral. We ordered the men to restock and refuel while we were away,” the captain said.

  “One small problem,” Rufas said.

  “What’s wrong now?” Janet asked, wrapping her arms around him.

  “The ship I went down in won’t be able to do much heavy lifting. It will be a miracle if we can get it back into space at all.”

  “The navy doesn’t depend on miracles, Mr. Linwood, we make them,” Shen said, standing.

  Shen and the captains nodded to Alden respectfully but did not salute. Rufas turned to Janet after the last captain had left the room.

  “They can have their miracles,” Rufas said. “I’m not going up in that rust bucket again.”

  “Probably better if you stay here anyway.” Janet played with his hair, winding it into little twirls. “I don’t think we’ll have much need for diplomats where we are going.”

  “You just make sure you get yourself back here in one piece.”

  “And you make sure I don’t come back to any rumors about you having fun on the side.”

  “You might as well ask him to stop breathing,” Kindra said under her breath.

  The troopers chuckled as Rufas made a face at his sister. Together, they all finished the meal, each heading off after they were done. After finishing his meal, Brent rose and bowed like the tripod to Alden.

  “Go and save the Commonwealth,” Alden said, without looking at him. “Just know the two of us are going to have a little chat when you get back.”

  Brent nodded and hobbled off to collect his personal belongings. As he got to the room, he found the rest of the squad already assembled, with Cassandra holding his bag. She quickly moved to his side and helped him keep off his bad leg.

  “And here I was just getting used to the idea of sleeping in a real bed,” Sanderson said.

  “No rest for the weary.” Kindra smiled.

  “You seem pretty happy about leaving.” Tyra nudged her.

  “Are you kidding? I’m not happy. I’m ecstatic! Now that I know where my bother is hiding out, I can properly avoid the playboy. No woman is safe while he is mobile.”

  “I don’t know about that. That Janet woman seems to have him wrapped pretty tightly around her little finger,” Penny said with a smirk.

  “I’m definitely not going to miss this,” Doug said with a warm smile.

  “Miss what, Dougie?” Marie asked.

  “All this talk. For the first time we have an assignment and can act like honest troopers for once.”

  “All you are is an honest pain that can’t hold his drinks,” Marie said with a sigh.

  The troopers burst into laugher as they left for the docking hub. The mass transit system on the planet was well developed and reasonably quick, but compared to the container network it was dreadfully slow. Of course, they weren’t thrown around like produce when they reached their destination, so it did have some advantages. As they made their way to the docking hub, they spotted a large gathering ahead of them. Troopers of the Commonwealth were loading crates onto the landed warships while local security forces were holding back a large crowd. Brent noticed Philip assisting the security forces. As they got closer, Philip spotted him. Together with a few other Protectorates, he bowed like the tripod to Tyra’s squad. The gathered crowd seemed to grow more intense after Philip’s bow. A single trooper left the others loading the ships and headed straight for Tyra’s squad.

  “I’m guessing you’re the reinforcements the admiral promised us,” the trooper shouted over the clamor of the crowd.

  “What’s the situation?” Tyra shouted back.

  “Word leaked we were off to fight the ITU, and a crowd started to form. No idea what they are thinking.”

  “Maybe they want to sign up and fight?” Ronald asked.

  “Doubt it. They seem like they are here to see us off, not join us.”

  “How long until we depart?” Tyra asked.

  “As soon as we get these last supplies loaded, we are off. You’ve all been assigned to the Harbinger.”

  “The what?”

  The trooper gestured toward the sky overhead. A massive ship too large to have docked at the lower platforms was secured to one of the tallest towers. It was an incredibly long ship with dozens of blocky extrusions covering its surface. From their vantage point, it looked like a long, flat moon in the night sky. The trooper silently guided them to a large cargo lift as the crowd grew louder and louder. As the lift started to take them higher, they could see the entirety of the gathered crowd. An impossible number of people were gathered around the line formed by the security forces and Protectorates. A strange undulation flowed through the crowd. Cassandra grabbed Brent’s hand and pulled him close.

  “Please tell me I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing,” she whispered.

  “What do you think you’re seeing?” he whispered back.

  “Would you look at that!” Owen shouted. “They are doing that funny bow Brent does.”

  He heard a long sigh escape from Cassandra as the rest of the squad studied the crowd below. As Owen had said, most of the mass of civilians was bowing like the tripod.

  “Whe
n do you think they picked that up?” Erin asked.

  “Brent, you didn’t happen to show it to anyone, did you?” Tyra asked.

  “I didn’t have time! You’ve all been with me except . . .” his voice faded as he remembered.

  “You just had to bow on that broadcast, didn’t you?” Cassandra said, shaking her head.

  Cain burst into laughter.

  “Now I feel left out! You’ve got to teach me how to do that,” Cain said with a grin.

  “He can teach all of us later,” Ronald said flatly. “Right now we have more important things to think about.”

  “Ronald is right,” Rhea said straightening. “We are about to be surrounded by troopers of the Commonwealth. Ones who’ve actually graduated. Let’s try not to embarrass ourselves.”

  The rest of the squad tried to stand at attention and look professional as the lift came to a rest at the top of the tower. A handful of troopers rushed past Tyra’s squad, grabbing the last few crates on the lift. They didn’t even seem to notice the squad as they lugged the crates back to the ship. With a shrug, Tyra followed after them.

  “Get a move on! We don’t have all day,” a short, stout trooper shouted.

  While the man was far shorter than anyone in Tyra’s squad, he had a tough look about him. He was very wide for his height. Although, the bulges in his uniform were clearly muscles, not fat. Brent doubted they could beat the short man even if the entire squad jumped him together. On his shoulder was a menacing insignia. Instead of a colored patch like the one worn by Tyra’s squad, his featured a bleached white skull with a sickle behind it. The short man stopped bellowing orders when he noticed Tyra and the rest.

  “So, these must be the sorry scraps I’m supposed to accept into my ranks.” The short man eyed each trooper one by one. “A sorry lot, I must say. We’ve got training dummies that look more fierce than all of you combined.”

  The troopers tried to remain firm, but most wavered under the short man’s intense stare.

  “Pathetic! How are you supposed to be of any use against the Union when you can’t even stand in front of me without quaking? I’ve got the notion to have my troopers here escort you recruits back down and tell the admiral the lot of you never showed up.”

  “So, you’re saying we have to fight to prove we are worthy of entering the ship?” Tyra asked.

  “Now there’s an idea! Although, we don’t have time for us to beat the snot out of each and every one of you . . . I’ll tell you what. You pick your best recruit to face me. If he wins, I let you onboard. If he loses, you turn right around and leave this to the professionals.”

  “Agreed. Just remember, you brought this upon yourself,” Tyra said with a smirk. “Owen! Front and center!”

  The short man burst into laughter as Owen stepped forward, white as a sheet.

  “Is this some kind of joke?” The short man started laughing hysterically. “The boy is about to soil himself!”

  Tyra reached into her bag and pulled out a scarf. The short man eyed her uncertainly as he continued to laugh. The short man’s laughter grew twice as intense when Tyra started wrapping the scarf around Owen’s eyes. Hiroko folded her arms with a large content smile on her face.

  “Looks like the boy is about to face a firing squad,” the short man said between bursts of laughter.

  “Can we just get this over with?” Owen asked, trembling.

  “Fine by me. I’ll try to make it quick and painful.”

  The short man charged the blind Owen with all his might. Shifting his weight at the last moment, the short man balled his fist and launched a powerful punch. Owen’s hand instantly caught the mighty punch and sent the short man crashing into the ground. Unfazed, the short man lashed out a leg at Owen. Owen nimbly jumped back from the attack and grabbed the short man’s leg. With a single graceful motion, Owen swung the man along on the ground and sent him flying back toward the ship.

  Owen winced when he heard the metallic thud the short man made. The troopers from the ship had dropped what they were doing and rushed to the short man’s aid. The short man pushed them all away and glared at Owen. There was murder in his cold, hard stare. Again, the short man attacked Owen. And once again Owen slammed the small man into the ground. The short man started panting as he pressed the attack. It didn’t matter what the man tried, Owen immediately countered it perfectly.

  “Are you all right?” Owen asked, clueless to what was happening.

  “Now you plan to taunt me?” the short man wheezed, completely out of breath.

  “You don’t sound too good. Why don’t we stop and let me look you over?”

  The short man answered with his fists. Owen easily thwarted several additional pointless attacks.

  “I think we passed your challenge,” Tyra said. “We’ll be boarding now.”

  “Over my dead body.” The short man spat some blood in Tyra’s direction.

  “Can we at least know your name?” Cain asked.

  “Why do you want to know that?”

  “So we know what to put on your tombstone.” A long wide grin filled Cain’s face.

  “I’ll wipe that grin off your face!” a trooper shouted.

  One of the troopers gathered around the fight leaped at Cain but failed to make contact. The other troopers from the ship all gasped as the helpless trooper thrashed in the air. The look of shock filled trooper’s face as she realized she was hovering in midair. It took her a moment to realize Cassandra was effortlessly holding the woman in the air, having ended her lunge with just a single strong grip.

  “Thanks for the save, but would you put the poor girl down now?” Cain asked.

  Without any obvious effort, Cassandra tossed the helpless trooper aside. The short man sat on the ground, staring at her. With the threat taken care of, she moved back to Brent’s side.

  “Is it over?” Owen asked anxiously.

  “Oh, it’s over,” Marie said with a grin.

  “I thought the blindfolded guy was the strongest you had,” the short man said, stammering just a bit.

  “It’s not nice to play favorites.” Tyra shrugged. “It’s been a while since Owen had some exercise. Thought he’d enjoy it most.”

  The troopers from the ship all backed away from Tyra’s squad. Owen carefully removed his blindfold and handed it gently back to Tyra. He almost jumped when he spotted the short man panting on the ground. Owen quickly kneeled down next to the man and started treating him. The short man protested, but Owen continued to work anyway.

  “So, can we get a name now?” Ronald asked flatly.

  “I suppose as the loser I have no choice.” The short man let out a long sigh as Owen wrapped his arm. “Edward T. Harper, leader of the Harbingers of the Abyss.”

  “Who?” Doug asked, scratching his head.

  “That’s the name of his group,” Marie said, nudging Doug.

  A loud tone rang out from inside the ship.

  “The Harbinger will be lifting off in ten; all hands to your stations.” Admiral Shen’s voice emerged from the P.A.

  “So the ship is called the Harbinger,” Humphrey mumbled, “and the troopers assigned to it call themselves the Harbingers of the Abyss? I suppose I’ve heard worse names.”

  “Gloat later!” Harper shouted as he jumped to his feet. “Unless you want to be left behind.”

  Harper and the rest of his troopers quickly hefted the last remaining creates and rushed onboard. Tyra and the rest of her squad entered the ship, trying to stay out of the way. The walls and floor were the exactly same gleaming white of the academy. The connecting corridors, hidden doorways, and every other detail were exactly like the academy. Brent had to glance behind him to make sure they had entered the ship. Sure enough, the docking platform was still waiting just outside the cargo doors. Apparently, everything built by the Commonwealth military looked the same on the inside. As Harper passed them carrying another large crate, Tyra flagged him down.

  “If you can’t tell, we are a bit busy
right now,” Harper said, obviously miffed about losing.

  “Where are we to report to?” Tyra asked.

  “Deck D, section one twenty-eight, compartment four.”

  As Harper dashed off, Brent could make out a grin on his face. He was obviously under the notion the squad would never be able to find their way around the ship. Tyra shot a glance at Ronald. With a shrug, Ronald started looking around randomly. Brent locked his eyes on the nearest doorway. Just like the academy, there was a small series of subtle bumps and grooves just above the door. With Cassandra’s help, he shuffled down the corridors, checking the indentations as he went. The squad followed closely as they tried to figure out where they were headed. In no time at all, he had guided the squad down two levels and though countless corridors to their destination.

  “Neat trick! How’d he do that?” Penny whispered to Dante.

  “Something to do with the doorways,” Cassandra said, trying to remember. “I think he tried to teach me how once.”

  As the doorway opened, the squad found themselves staring down what looked like an entire division of troopers. Brent noticed a few started cracking their knuckles as they spotted the newcomers.

  “You might want to think about giving Owen back the scarf,” Dante whispered to Tyra.

  Chapter 11: The Harbinger

  “Admiral on deck!” shouted an ensign.

  The Bridge crew briefly saluted before returning to their duties.

  “What’s our status?” Shen asked.

  “All systems read normal,” a thin man said in a high-pitched voice. “We’ve just confirmed the last supplies have been secured. The ship is awaiting your command.”