Earthfall

by Rhett C. Bruno

  “Sorry,” he said. “What was that?”

  “Are you sure you want to stay with them?” Yara said, gesturing to Larana, the Vergent captain of the Monarch, standing at his side. “I have need for men like you in my ranks, willing to do whatever it takes.”

  Talon lifted his hand and rotated it in front of his eyes, studying the radiant lines of the Blue Death tracing his veins. “As much as I’d love that, I don’t have much time left to be of use to you.”

  Her solemn expression hadn’t shifted much since the battle of Eureka. The sight of his affliction barely affected her. “Time enough to do something else insane that kills more Tribunals.”

  “I have a feeling I’m out of any more moves like that.”

  “A shame.” She sighed. “You saved a lot of my people today. If you ever change your mind, come find me.”

  “Will do.” She extended her hand for Talon to shake. Then she nodded approvingly at Larana before turning to enter a hangar crammed with at least a thousand of her exhausted soldiers. There were too many wounded to count. She stopped before she disappeared into the crowd and glanced back as if she’d had a sudden epiphany. “Talon Rayne. You were one of Zargo’s boys back in the day weren’t you?”

  “A long time ago,” Talon answered.

  She nodded, but there was something strange about the gesture. A distinct measure of pity which was noticeably different than the grimness she’d been carrying with her since the battle. Before Talon could continue the conversation, she was gone.

  “That was one fine offer to decline,” Larana said. “The girl inside wasn’t undercover, was she?”

  Talon’s thoughts were immediately drawn back to Sage and the offer she made after escaping Eureka to help rescue Elisha. “No,” he admitted. “At least not for us.”

  “Who is she?”

  “I’ll tell you after I’m sure myself. For now, she needs to stay on your ship. Yara was too preoccupied to question her presence further, but if Zaimur Morastus sees her it’ll be trouble.”

  “More trouble.”

  “I’m sorry. I swear I—”

  Larana placed a hand on his arm. “It’s fine. She can stay for now. You trust her?”

  “No.” Talon thought back to that moment when Elisha was first placed in his arms; that moment when everything changed. “But I might need her.”

  CHAPTER TWO—CASSIUS

  Moving Forward

  Cassius watched through a viewport in Zaimur Morastus’ private hangar as dozens of transport ships flooded onto the Hound’s Paw. It wasn’t all of them, but most had made it back in fairly good shape as they fled the Battle of Eureka at full burn.

  “Creator, the Ascendant has reversed course and is heading back toward Eureka,” ADIM’s voice came through the com-link in his ear. “The entirety of its accompanying fleet is doing the same.”

  Cassius released a sigh of relief upon hearing ADIM’s voice. After using the White Hand’s rail-gun to break open the docks of the asteroid, ADIM had been tasked with keeping the Ascendant occupied so that it couldn’t focus entirely on the transports. There was no ship in the Circuit faster than his, but Cassius still worried. It was the first time he’d left it completely in the hands of his proudest creation without being there.

  “As I expected,” Cassius replied. “Just wait until Benjar realizes how useless the asteroid is now. Excellent work, ADIM. Did the White Hand suffer any damage?”

  “It remains in optimal condition, Creator. This unit has taken this opportunity to synchronize with Gaia and update all systems. Overall ship ordnance precision and maneuverability has been improved by 47 percent.”

  “Update?”

  “Yes, Creator. We are now one.”

  Cassius wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but if ADIM’s estimations about the system improvements were correct then he couldn’t complain. The android had just taken on a New Earth Cruiser without sustaining any damage. He had little doubt that even he couldn’t accomplish that.

  “I look forward to reviewing your upgrades,” he replied. “You pilot that ship as it was meant to be piloted.”

  “As the creator intended,” ADIM corrected.

  “Yes, well…I await you on the Hound’s Paw.”

  “This unit will engage stealth measures to avoid detection, and will arrive shortly.”

  “Excellent. Goodbye, ADIM.”

  “Goodbye, Creator.”

  Cassius reached up and switched off the com-link. He scanned the hangar. It was completely empty. Even the Morastus henchmen who’d been posted outside the entire time he was there were absent. The arrival of so many transports and injured Lakura fighters kept everyone busy. It was the perfect opportunity to check how his other creations were faring back on Ennomos.

  He switched on a second com-link connected to the androids there and said: “My creations, I need an update on the construction process.”

  “The Gravitum stores aboard the Solar-Ark have been completely emptied for our use, Creator,” a voice all too similar to ADIM’s replied. “Development has initiated on the weapons indicated. Constructing six of them identical to the one utilized on Kalliope will take approximately 1,547 hours. Is that adequate, Creator?”

  “That long? I’d hoped it would go quicker after the years of research put forth by ADIM and myself.” He took no care to mask his displeasure.

  “We can divert a unit from the study of the Solar-Ark, Amerigo if you desire. That would save approximately—”

  “No,” Cassius interrupted. “Proceed at the current pace on both projects. There is no room for error. I will find a way to buy us some time before Benjar swallows Ceres whole.”

  “Yes, Creator.”

  “Cassius Vale, you damned genius!” Zaimur Morastus proclaimed. “The Tribune will never forget this!” His hound came trotting into the hangar first, its beady eyes fixed on Cassius. A cohort of his most loyal henchmen strode on either side of Zaimur, along with a harem of young women wearing skimpy leotards and carrying pitchers of drink.

  Cassius switched off his com-link to end the conversation. He couldn’t risk Zaimur overhearing anything. He put on his best smile, and opened his arms wide to receive his new ally. “And neither will Yara Lakura,” he said. And neither will you.

  Zaimur surprised him when he, too, extended his arms and tapped Cassius on the shoulders. It wasn’t a hug, but it was closer than Cassius ever imagined he’d be getting to a Ceresian who wasn’t about to die.

  “Benjar isn’t giving chase,” Zaimur said. “We should arrive back at Ceres safely and victoriously!”

  “I would hardly consider this a victory.”

  “For Yara, perhaps not, but for us? Of course it is! I just met with her and all I had to do was look into her eyes to see how she feels. Trust me, I know women. She’ll give me all of the support I need.”

  “Then let us call it a victory,” Cassius ceded.

  “How can I thank my new adviser?” He turned around and snapped in the direction of the girls. Four of them immediately rushed to Cassius’ side and hung on his arms, holding up cups for him. The pungent aroma of genuine alcohol invaded his nostrils. “Some of the finest women in Ceres. They’ll do whatever you’d like for a night if you want.” He smirked. “Just don’t hurt them.”

  Cassius brushed the women off of him and shook his head. “I’m far too old for that.”

  “Nonsense! My father said the same and I swear he didn’t smile for the last year of his life.”

  “Your offer is appreciated, but I must graciously decline.”

  Zaimur frowned. He summoned the girls back to him and whispered something in one of their ears as he brushed her hair. She giggled and kissed his cheek. “Then a meal is in order!” he exclaimed.

  “I have enough ration bars.” Cassius’ lips drew into a straight line. “Zaimur, we can’t waste any time. The Tribune won’t forget this, and that is both a blessing and a curse. We must discuss what comes next.”

  “Schem
ing, scheming, scheming, is that all you think about?” Zaimur mused. “You should take some time to enjoy the simpler things in life after wasting so much of your life under the chains of the Tribune.”

  “I’ll happily leave that in your hands.”

  Zaimur sighed. “One day I’ll break you, and for once a smile of yours won’t be forced.”

  “Celebrating after a draw and you wonder why your people lost the last war. Listen to me, Zaimur. If what you said about Yara is true, then you must convince her of the proper course before her sentiments change. Trust me when I say that the Tribune will not hesitate.”

  Zaimur’s cheerful expression was uprooted by a mixture of anger and embarrassment. “And what is the proper course of action?” he bristled, leaning in close. “Today we’ve proven that we can stand against them.”

  “I know you’re not foolish enough to truly believe that.”

  “Careful, Vale. You may have had a hand in what happened here today, but don’t presume you can speak to me like that. Not on my ship.”

  Cassius lowered his head, half to please Zaimur and half to hide his sneer. “My apologies.”

  “So what is the plan you’re so desperate to tell me? Or are you just making this up as you go along?” Cassius glanced at the entourage of soldiers and servants. Zaimur shook his head. “They are loyal to me,” he assured.

  “It is patience,” Cassius answered. “Patience. Man for man, ship for ship, this war is as good as over, no matter what happened here. You know that. Colony for colony, however, we have the upper hand. ADIM would have the exact numbers, but there are at least four times the number of Ceresian settlements as there are Tribunal. They may have moons and planets, but the Ignescent Cell is rife with occupied asteroids.”

  Zaimur rolled his eyes. “We’ve always known that. But most of them are mines, not defensible positions.”

  “No, but now that we’ve sparked Benjar’s disdain he will seek to completely wipe all Ceresian influence from the Circuit. Ceres is in the heart of the belt, and he will take every single settlement you have before he surrounds it and demands your people’s surrender to the Tribune, and to the Spirit of the Earth. He will be relentless. On the imagery we saw of their fleet, Tribune Cordo Yashan’s fleet at the Earth’s moon was merely gathering, but it will now mobilize. Two New Earth Cruisers will ravage the asteroid belt from either side.”

  “How do you know that? I thought you were cut off from the Vale Protocol?”

  “I served beneath and beside both of them. I know their minds like I do my own. They wouldn’t dare leave New Terrene undefended. Earth may be the Tribune’s spiritual center, but Mars is its beating heart, and it is positioned between us and Earth. While Cordo provides reinforcements, it will remain so. They’ll chip away at our defenses, until there is nothing left. They would’ve hoped to starve you of resources by gaining total control over the Arks, but I’ve already eliminated that by stealing one.”

  Zaimur’s eyes lit up. He stepped forward so that his followers wouldn’t hear and whispered: “So we’re going to use the Ark?”

  Cassius chuckled. “No, it’s already accomplished its purpose. We’re going to allow the Tribunal invasion to proceed. One by one, they will take your settlements and leave behind a fraction of their own forces. Now that you hold sway over all of the clans, you will recall as many of your ships and people as possible to Ceres. Benjar thinks he knows how to win a war, but he is a fool. He will extend his and Cordo’s forces too far and that is when we will strike.”

  Zaimur didn’t appear as enthused as Cassius expected. He waved at his men to back away. “This is some sort of trick. All of this and you’re still on their side, aren’t you? Do you know how many will die?”

  “Less than the amount that will die should you choose to defend every settlement you have. In order to ensure your way of life, sacrifices must be made.”

  Zaimur’s hands tightened into fists. He got as close to Cassius as he could without bumping into him. “What do you know of our way of life?” he snarled.

  “Everything,” Cassius replied calmly. “I foolishly once almost destroyed it. I fought in that war because I craved action, but the Tribune started it because they no longer wanted to share the occupation of Earth. How long before they deny even the Keepers their shipments and keep all the Gravitum they want for themselves? If they can’t own them, then surely that’s the next option even if you somehow did manage to defend your settlements.”

  “So what? You want us to take all of the Keepers’ shipments for ourselves?”

  “The Keepers are irrelevant. A relic of an age without certainty.”

  “Then what? I’m growing tired of your games.”

  “Once the Tribune is spread throughout the asteroid belt, we take everything we have, and we head for Earth. I’ve already calculated the anticipated period when we will set off, and the orbit of Mars will take it too far out of our path for Tribune Joran to stand in our way. We beat them to Earth, and hold it hostage by threatening to destroy the Gravitum pits with the very weapon they used on Kalliope. Then we draw the terms of a new treaty.”

  Zaimur gazed over Cassius’ shoulder in awe, as if imagining a bright future beyond it. “Take Earth?” he mouthed.

  “Yes. They think you only care about the Gravitum and will focus on the Keepers. Benjar won’t expect it.” Cassius grabbed Zaimur by the shoulders. His voice was inundated with vigor as finally he was able to speak his plan aloud. “They’ll send everything they have at us, putting their invasion on hold. But they’ll fear us damaging Earth any further, which will give us the advantage we need. In the shadows of our fallen homeworld the fight for the soul of the Circuit will take place, and we’ll either ravage their disjointed fleet, or force them into peace.”

  Out of the corner of his eye Cassius saw that Zaimur’s hound was crouched right beside him, baring its teeth and ready to pounce. He released Zaimur and backed away before taking a moment to straighten the collar of Zaimur’s tunic.

  “We’ll call the very essence of their ‘Spirit’ into question,” Cassius continued. “Only when their people doubt their faith and their Tribune will we ever be able to cripple them.”

  “It’s a lot to ask, Vale,” Zaimur said. “Where would we even get the weapon they used on Kalliope?”

  “ADIM has been busy attempting to locate one. After he does, he’ll steal it for me and I’ll carry it straight to our rotting homeworld.” Of course that wasn’t true, but Cassius knew that Zaimur had seen enough of the android not to doubt him. He’d likely have to think up a lie about where they found the weapon, but it was trivial. Cassius knew he had Zaimur as soon as he mentioned taking Earth. It was making him continue to believe he was actually in charge that remained crucial.

  “Of course you will have many clan leaders to convince that this is the proper course should you decide to accept my council,” Cassius added.

  “Of course.”

  “Fight today and lose, or lose today and win tomorrow. It’s up to you.”

  Zaimur’s features brightened. “If this does work, I’ll have your name written above the entrance to my home.” He grabbed Cassius' forearm and shook. “I’ll think on this, and speak with the other Clans. Now, at least for the ride back, enjoy yourself. I’ll have a fine salad and the best whiskey we own sent here in thanks for this victory. Will you continue to remain aboard your ship when it returns?”

  “It is the safest place for me. For both of us. I’m dead, remember?”

  Zaimur laughed. “Sometimes I forget. I suppose by now you’ve realized that if I invite Yara into my confidence that she will be wary of everything I’m up to. She’s a difficult one to lie to. The others might blindly follow if they figured out about you, but not her. She’ll never forget Lutetia.”

  “Neither of us can risk her knowing I’m alive and at your side. I trust you’ll tell her whatever you have to in order to keep her in line,” Cassius said. “Lie if you must, I don’t care. Just don�
��t take your time with this. Our enemies certainly won’t.”

  “There’s always time for the simpler things.” Zaimur grinned and glanced back at the women. “But you’re right. We’ll talk very soon.” He turned and began to head out of the room. His entourage immediately fell in to surround him, two of the women taking his arms as if he were too weak to walk himself.

  As Cassius watched him go he had to restrain himself from laughing out loud.

  “Cassius…Cassius, are you there?” a faint, female voice asked behind him. “Are you alive?”

  Hearing it made Cassius reach for his pistol and whip around. There was nobody there. The voice was coming from his belt, in the pouch where he kept the HOLO-Recorder with the last images in existence of his son. It was a highly encrypted device, only able to instantaneously communicated with by its twin, and only if they were in close enough range.

  Sage, Cassius thought, remembering that he had given it to her.

  “Who is that?” Zaimur looked back over his shoulder.

  “It’s ADIM trying to make contact,” he lied. “I asked him to mask his voice in case he had to.”

  “I see. Tell him his work in the battle was extraordinary. You’ll have to make another model like him for me sometime, Vale. The hangar will be prepared for his arrival.”

  Cassius nodded and turned away. He reached down, wrapped his hand around the spherical device, but waited to pull it out. His heart was racing in a way it rarely did. It had been many, many years since the device had made a sound on its own.

  CHAPTER THREE—SAGE

  Strangers from the Verge

  Sage looked at a dozen strange faces around the rusty galley of the Vergent ship known as the Monarch. They were paler than Ceresians, and lankier, with curious eyes that never missed a thing and mouths which rarely spoke. It was a rare occasion that she’d ever crossed the path of anyone from the Vergent Cell in her service to the Tribune. They didn’t often travel as far inward in the Circuit as Mars.