Raven's Sphere

by Melissa Koberlein

  “Nevar One, shields are down. You’re free to move about the galaxy,” Cole says, triumphantly.

  My hands grip the yoke. “Yeah, well, I’ve got a problem. The jolt from the shields being taken out knocked me into permanent power failure. I have one minute to land and a relentless Cadmarian fighter on my ass. Heading to Garrick’s hangar. Some cover would be nice.”

  “Copy that. I see him,” Cole says.

  He drops in behind the fighter just as the sphere comes barreling toward me. He’s got it, I think to the sphere. I need you with me. I open the evacuation tube, and the sphere flies inside.

  An explosion behind me vibrates my ship. “He was a stubborn one. You’re clear for landing. I’ll follow you in and give you a lift,” Cole says. “Teagan, your team can handle things topside?”

  “Copy that,” Teagan says. “Raven, be careful. Garrick is on that ship. Cole, you know what to do.”

  “Copy. Aware. Right now, the only priority is landing this thing.” My ship stutters as I make my approach to land in the hangar. I’m losing power fast. I tap on the panel for info on my power core—it’s at ten percent. I should have just enough to make it through the force field in the hangar. I punch it, giving her the remaining juice left as I break the blue glowing barrier into the ship.

  My cruiser shuts down, and I crash in the docking bay, my body flying forward in my harness. I skid across the floor, slamming into another unoccupied fighter and then another until finally coming to a halt at the back of the hangar.

  Ouch. I lift my head up and release my harness off my sore chest. The sphere. I release the evacuation tube, and the sphere whirls into my hand.

  “Nice work out there,” I say.

  The sphere skips up and down in my hand uneasily.

  “I know, this isn’t ideal. We’re on the biggest enemy ship.”

  As if on cue, we’re surrounded by Cadmarian soldiers. Before I can release the sphere, Cole’s fighter enters the hangar and blasts the soldiers closest to me. I release the cockpit cover and jump out of the mangled fighter as Cole lands. He takes out the remaining soldiers in the hangar.

  I rush toward Cole’s ship with the sphere firmly in my hand. I’m twenty yards away when I’m blown off my feet by an explosion on the right side of his fighter. I cough and sputter on the floor, trying to see my way through the smoke now billowing from all sides and spreading through the hangar.

  My heart stops. Cole’s ship is on fire. “Cole!”

  I can’t see my way forward or backward, and where is the sphere?

  Then, out of the smoggy mist like a ghost, an arm grabs mine.

  The arm belongs to Garrick, looking as egotistical as ever. “Well, look what we have here.” He squeezes my human arm tightly. “Raven Nevar.”

  “Let go of me, you power-crazed lunatic!” I lean back and drive my head straight at his face.

  He howls, releasing me as he drops to the floor. Blood from his nose gushes down the front of his suit. “You bitch! Grab her.”

  Before I can move, guards on either side grab me. I struggle to get my arms free, but it’s no use.

  Garrick stands, spits some blood on the floor, and grabs me by the chin. His eyes are wild and intent on mine. “You are going to pay for that.”

  “Fuck you, Garrick.”

  He releases me and steps back, sneering. “Not today.” To the guards holding me, he says, “Cut off her remaining arm.”

  “Yes, sir,” a guard replies. He pulls a sharp-looking knife from his belt. To me, he adds, “Don’t worry. I’ll cauterize the wound so you won’t bleed out.”

  “No!” I struggle under their grip, sweat and tears mingling on my face as adrenaline kicks into high gear. I’d sooner die than live through this again.

  As if knowing my thoughts, a savior comes to my aid—the sphere, whirling in mid-air just behind Garrick.

  Help me. I blink back tears, looking side to side at my captors.

  The sphere goes to work fast, pummeling the two guards holding me, tearing through their flesh like a falling star burying into the ground. Their screams echo in the hangar even after their bodies are gone. Only a large cloud of dust remains.

  And I’m free.

  Quickly, Garrick puts his hands in the air. “I surrender!”

  I rub my arm and hold my palm out for the sphere to land. Once I have it, I glare at Garrick. The once confident, beautiful man I met on Cadmar is now reduced to this spineless pile of space shit.

  Garrick’s lip slowly turn up into a smile, his hands still raised.

  Realization dawns on me as the sphere calmly settles in my palm—Garrick is no longer a threat. The sphere won’t attack. I narrow my eyes at him. Touché, you son-of-a-bitch.

  A war within me ensues as my Zetian side has an incredible desire to put the sphere away and demolish him with my bare hands. But my newly acquired Mythosian side has something else in mind.

  Emery appears before me as he did on Mythos, his silver eyes intense.

  My chest clenches.

  Show him what a real leader looks like, Emery says.

  I think about all the pain and suffering that’s transpired between our two worlds. It’s time to end it for good.

  Emery disappears just as quickly as he appeared.

  I groan, focusing back on Garrick. Emery and my degrees of oneness have won out. “It’s over, Garrick. I’m the wielder of the sphere now. Take your ships and get the hell out of our system before I destroy you.”

  For probably the first time in Garrick’s life, he’s failed. His expression tells me that he doesn’t like the taste, but he’s also smart enough to know he doesn’t have a choice. “Until we meet again.” He yells to the rest of his soldiers, who are more visible as the smoke dissipates, “Fall back!”

  I hold firm and watch as they recede out of the hangar. When I’m certain they are gone, I deposit the sphere in its bag and turn to find Cole.

  I sprint to his fighter, which is still smoking. “Cole!”

  The cockpit is empty. Where could he be? I stumble around in the foggy hangar, searching for him. Did the Cadmarian guards get him? “Cole, answer me.”

  Hands encircle my waist from behind, making me jump.

  I whirl around. “Starfire! You scared me.” I check him for injuries. “Are you okay?” I touch his face. There are some cuts on his forehead.

  His eyes light up, a smile playing at his supple lips. “I am now.”

  I swat his chest lightly and lean into him. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  Cole looks at the back of the hangar and stiffens. “Time to move, sweetheart,” he says, his eyes serious. He grabs my waist with one arm and spins me around behind him as shots fire, resounding in the hangar.

  He drops to the ground, pistol in his hand. I turn around to see Garrick has returned. He’s gripping his pistol as he drops to the floor, a dark singeing mark from plasma fire in the middle of his forehead. His shocked eyes roll back in his head as he slumps to floor.

  Behind him are a dozen Cadmarian soldiers. Their weapons are drawn, but the shock of watching their leader die before their eyes gives me the exact amount of time I need to pull out the sphere. The unknowing soldiers don’t have a chance as they aim their weapons at us.

  It’s over in an instant. First their screams then puddles of uniforms with swirling clouds of dust. My Zetian instinct was right on this one after all. That sneaky bastard couldn’t accept failure, and now he’s paid for his hubris with his life.

  “Cole,” I say, reaching for him.

  He turns over on his back, and I exhale. Garrick shot him in the leg.

  “Did I get him?” Cole asks.

  I smile and smooth some damp hair off his forehead. “Yes, you got him.”

  “I know I told you that I’d give you a lift, but I think I’m going to have to ride shotgun on this one.” He makes his best pouty face. “Will you take care of me, Raven?”

  “Come on, you space nugget. You’re going to be fine.
” I lift him with my good hand and put his arm around my shoulders. “Time to blow this joint.”

  28

  A Fresh Start

  The allies, or rather the survivors of the allied troops, make their way back to the rendezvous on the outskirts of the Zeta system. Cole and I head back in another Cadmarian fighter to Casik’s battlecruiser. As soon as we dock, medics whisk Cole away to the med-bay. I want to go with him, but General Casik wants a briefing.

  On my way to see her, I meet up with my uncle. “Teagan!”

  He picks me up in a bear hug and swings me around. “You did it, kid.” He sets me back down and points to my left arm. “It looks like we’ve got some repairs to do.”

  “Yeah, I had an accident again.”

  Teagan laughs. “What else is new?”

  Then Stass is in my arms, or rather, the futugraphic Stass. “I’m so glad you’re all right. Where’s Cole?”

  “They took him to the med-bay. He’s got some cuts and bruises, but his leg will probably require surgery. Garrick shot him.”

  “I hope Cole returned the favor?”

  I smirk, a sense of pride filling my heart. “Yep, right between the eyes.”

  “So why are you here and not with him?”

  “I have to debrief General Casik. Say, could you do me a favor? Go to the med-bay and check on Cole?”

  Stass smiles slyly. “Sure, I’ll keep him warm for you.”

  “Stass!”

  “I’m just kidding. I’m on it.”

  “Howz’ about you hand over that arm so I can start on the repairs?” Teagan asks.

  “You sure you’re up to it? Maybe you should get checked out. You were out there for a while—”

  “Raven, I’m solid,” Teagan says. “Now, let’s have that arm.” As he unhinges my artificial arm from my shoulder, he can’t stop smiling, tears prickling at his eyes.

  “What?” I ask, smiling.

  “Just…your parents would be so proud of you. Damn it, I’m so proud of you. Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve saved the galaxy.”

  I smile wider, as tears form at the corners of my own eyes. “Better hurry up. The general is waiting.”

  The sphere is in my hand, dancing its own tune, whirling and beaming like it has a proud mind of its own. Something I’m beginning to realize might be true.

  “So as you can see, the sphere is safely in my possession, and both Garrick and Garren Geldian are dead.”

  General Casik sighs in relief. “Well, I guess we actually pulled this off. I’ve contacted our representatives to afford Cadmar the option to make reparations with Zeta. Time will tell how those politics go.”

  “General Casik, I believe that Captain Kedo of the Cadmarian law officials will be helpful in that endeavor. He was a friend of my father’s—a good man.”

  “Thank you, Miss Nevar. I’ll take that into consideration. Now, about your criminal status,” she says firmly.

  My muscles tense. Here it comes. “I’m going to prison, aren’t I?”

  “Well, by all rights, that is where you should be. But…” She smiles, her dark red lips revealing brilliant white teeth. “We’ve decided to pardon those with petty Zetian records who fought with us today. You’re no exception.”

  “And Cole?”

  “Cole too.”

  It feels like a weight has been lifted. I let out a huge breath as the last two years of thieving are absolved. “General Casik, I don’t know how to thank you. I—”

  “You can thank me by staying out of trouble.” She leans closer and adds, “At least on Zeta.”

  I smile. Said like a true Zetian. I salute her.

  She salutes back. “Dismissed!”

  Cole’s skin is pale, no doubt because of the blood loss. His eyes are closed so I sit down in the chair next to his bed, not wanting to wake him. I reach for his hand. He feels cool, not warm like I’m used to from him. His eyes flutter and open.

  “Raven?” he asks, groggily.

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  He turns toward me and shakes his head. “I think I’ve had too many drugs. Your arm’s off.”

  “Teagan’s working on it.”

  “Oh, good. Is the rest of you okay?”

  I stroke his hand with mine. “I’m okay. Nothing to worry about.”

  Cole looks to the door of the med-bay. “What does Casik say? What happens next with the Cadmarians?”

  “Our government is working out a treaty with them as we speak. It will include reparations for past infractions by Cadmar. More importantly, many of the unlawful types that fought for Zeta are being granted pardons, including us.”

  This brings a smile to his face. “Oh, really? I don’t know how I feel about that. I kinda like being wanted.”

  I catch on to his meaning, and it stirs something deep in my belly. If he wasn’t lying in bed, injured… “I bet you do.”

  “Well, let me see it.”

  I reach for the bag at my waist and pull the sphere out. It whirs and glows in my hand. I smile as an image of Emery’s smiling face enters my mind. We did it, Emery.

  Cole smiles. “Raven’s sphere. The most powerful weapon in the galaxy. It suits you.”

  “Yeah, I guess it does.” I place the sphere back inside the bag. Then I lean over him and kiss his forehead, push his hair back and behind his ear, and kiss him gently on his lips. Before I straighten, I whisper in his ear, “I love you too.”

  Cole’s expression is one that I will remember forever—blue eyes wide, lips parted with a hint of a smile. I imagine it’s the same look he might have about the biggest score of his thieving career. But instead of stolen goods, he scored me.

  I stand. “Well, I better let you rest. Besides, once Teagan is finished with my arm, I’m out of here.”

  Cole grasps my arm. “Go? I thought you just said…”

  I smile down at him playfully. “I said I love you, Cole. I didn’t say anything about trusting you. You’re gonna have to work for that.”

  “But where are you going?”

  I tap my silver mind band. “I want my ship back.”

  About the Author

  Melissa Koberlein is a professor of communication and publishing in eastern Pennsylvania where she lives with her husband and their two daughters. She enjoys reading and writing about the spectacular, sci-fi, technology, and romance. Her passion for stories comes from an imaginative childhood where every day ended with a book. You can read her other series, Fireflies and Ashwater, available from Amazon and other retail outlets.

  Also by Melissa Koberlein

  "A mix of Twilight and I am Number Four, the twist at the end was unpredictable, making it a good turn adding spice and intrigue to the plot." -Review from Writer's Digest

  And coming early 2020…

  DEADLOCK

  A Raven’s Sphere novel