“They will be left behind. If we don’t leave now, we all perish,” replied Sever.
“What, no. You can’t do—”
“I can and I will.”
32
Tunnel Downs, Mars
The door opened and the bay was empty except for a large S-5 Pyke, four winged ship; two boomerang wings near the front, two boomerang wings near the back.
The craft was massive and filled the width and length of the bay. This ship could hold hundreds of people, if not more.
Jozi grabbed Lily and picked her up. “We have to get going.”
Gragas hurried forward and ran up the ship’s ramp. “Let’s go,” he shouted. “The lazy take no chances and haste not. Today, we aren’t lazy, nor any day.”
Ozzy followed Quad, Lyra, and Jozi up the ramp and into Pyke’s storage bay. They took their seats by the starboard wall, and Ozzy rushed down a corridor, rounding into the cockpit and plopped onto the captain’s seat. He slapped the restraints on.
He closed the ship’s ramp and spoke into the com line. “Ready for departure.” He made a fist and hit the side of the wall closest to him. A compartment opened up. He set the gun that the General gave him in the compartment, and closed it.
Nautilus’s bay door opened and the big ship shook, telling Ozzy the Nautilus was readying for take off herself.
Boots clattered in the cockpit and Ozzy glanced away from the cockpit window. “Where is Lily?”
Jozi thumbed over her shoulder. “With Gragas. He’s keeping her calm.” She sat in the co-pilot’s chair.
“Alright. Here goes nothing.” He activated engines and the craft rattled alive. Perspiration dotted his forehead as he swiped his hands over the holodisplay before him. “Into a hover and landing skids up.” He pushed the throttle forward and slammed into his seat, switching antigravity units on.
The gravity eased up and he pulled back on the control stick, pushing Pyke toward the sky. Coordinates popped onto the holodisplay, sent to him from Nautilus. He punched the coordinates into the navigation console, and took his hands off the control stick, pressing autopilot.
“We’re not killing Jonas if he’s there,” said Jozi.
Ozzy shot her a look, a sudden fire erupting from his belly. “What?”
“We are Galactic Knights. We’re not in the murdering business.”
Ozzy eyed the cockpit window, staring at the red landscape before him and blue sunset. He pursed his lips and talked in a low growl. “You convinced me not to kill the Dunrakee with the Ark, and so I didn’t, and here they are, trying a second shot at genocide.” He scowled. “Now you want me to keep Jonas alive? Even you mentioned he was a cancer to society.”
“Again, we’re Galactic Knights, and under a different code,” said Jozi. “We’re not cold blooded killers. If you would have committed genocide on an entire race, you would have created something worse within our race.”
Ozzy gripped the control stick. “Because what I’ve created here is fine and dandy with our race. How many humans will die because of my mistake?”
“You kill the Dunrakee in genocide, and you kill humans in genocide like Gragas has mentioned before. Another race would show up and end us. That’s how it works, Ozzy. Violence begets violence. It may not happen our life time, but it would happen. It has throughout history. When one nation destroys another nation, the destroyer eventually becomes the destroyed. It’s an open loop that we need to close.”
“You’ve let the Galactic Knights mumbo jumbo get to your head. I’m killing Jonas by orders of a four-star general.”
“Our thoughts need to start changing to defending humanity and the greater good, not on revenge or creating a coup of some sort. You do that, you keep this loop going on in our own race.” She put her hands out, her emotions pushing through her cybernetic build. “Don’t you see it?”
“We’d be stopping the previous coup, Jozi.”
Mountains now filled the horizon and thin, swirling wafts of smoke were curling up from behind a large, jutting rock.
Ozzy checked the coordinates and their path trajectory, and nodded. The smoke had to be coming from the downed craft he was supposed to save.
“Murdering him isn’t the answer. Throwing him behind bars is,” came Jozi.
Ozzy could almost hear Gragas saying, “Murder begets more murder, and does not cure violence.”
Quad would disagree.
“Ozzy, this is General Sever. We’re heading for the exosphere, and setting our sights to Europa. Rendezvous at these coordinates after you rescue the politicians. Out.”
Coordinates displayed on the screen. Ozzy dragged them to the lower left for future use.
“Pull up radar and satellite images.”
Jozi did so, then tapped her helmet. “Something is wrong. Radar is up, but satellites are offline.”
Dozens of red dots due north blinked on the radar holoscreen. “They’re coming in fast.” Ozzy narrowed his eyes. “We have to be fast.”
He took autopilot off and pushed the throttle forward, pushing it at full speed. He pulled back on the control stick and rose Pyke above the mountain peaks.
The ship was smooth. “Damn, I’d take this ship as my own any day.”
He pushed the control stick forward, setting Pyke into a dive and heading for a wrecked craft laying on its side. Politicians with EVA’s were standing outside, waving their hands.
A beep sounded on the radar. Ozzy tilted his head. “What the hell is that?” He pointed at a dozen more dots, these closer, and heading toward the downed ship, though the dots were positioned on the ground.
“Those are Dunrakee weaponized mechs,” said Jozi.
Ozzy lowered the skids and went in for a landing, noticing silver dots gleaming from the sun’s rays in the distance.
Those were indeed Dunrakee mechs.
“How much time do we have?” Ozzy landed, and the ship bounced a few times before setting down properly.
“Five minutes, at most.”
“Crap,” said Ozzy. He stood, checking his EVA for any leaks or rips before he ran out onto the open Martian desert. Seeing none, he opened the compartment, and grabbed Sever’s pistol. “Let’s get in and out, quickly.”
“Don’t use that on him, Ozzy.”
Ozzy ignored her and ran out of the cockpit and down several corridors into the storage bay where the Galactic Knights were.
Quad stood. “I’m ready.” He slapped his chest armor, and it clanged loudly. He rushed to the ramp, and pressed the button. “Kat, Gragas, let’s go.”
Gragas sat next to Lily, patting her shoulder. “I must stay with Lily.” He eyed Ozzy. “I’ll protect her with my life if it comes to that.” He shifted his eyes back to Quad. “If there is any trouble, Quad, give them hell.”
“That’s a given.” Quad ran down the ramp and Ozzy gave Lily a quick nod, his best attempt at telling her everything was going to be alright, something he wasn’t too sure of himself.
Jozi rushed down the ramp, Lyra right behind her.
Men and women were sitting on the ground, mending their wounds, and some walked hastily toward Pyke. A few soldiers were in hefty battlesuits, keeping guard.
Were these super soldiers?
Ozzy motioned toward the horizon. “We have Dunrakee weaponized mechs on their way right now. They’ll be here in about four minutes.”
A supersoldier perked up. “Where, Sir?” He glanced down at Ozzy’s sidearm, and pointed a weapon at him. “Sir, put your weapon down. If you don’t, I will shoot.”
Ozzy slowed and looked the guy up and down. “Lou?”
“That is my name, Sir. Are you here to rescue my owners or are you going to be hostile?”
His owners? What the hell was Lou talking about? “Uh, yes. I was sent by General Sever.”
Lou stood down and at attention.
Ozzy walked over to his brother and touched Lou’s shoulder.
Lou batted his hand away. “I suggest you get my owners, Sir. I’ll t
ake care of the mechs.” He pressed a button on his wrist band. “Alpha Team, follow me.”
“Wait, Lou.”
Lou didn’t give a second look and bounded off toward the oncoming mechs.
Jozi and Quad walked past Ozzy and toward Pyke. They were carrying an injured politician.
Lyra came out of the craft next, helping a politician hobble toward the rescue craft. Ozzy took several steps toward the politicians ship, his foot bumping into something; a politician hurt on the ground and holding a bandage over her leg.
Ozzy bent down. “You need to get into my ship ASAP.”
The woman shook her head. “I can’t risk moving. I’ll need to be carried.” She gestured toward the downed craft. “Help others first. I’ll be fine.”
“So be it.” She was a politician. Who cared if she lived or not. He walked forward and then stopped. He turned, and crouched again. “Fine,” he told himself.
He went to pick her up. She hit his hands. “Go, get to the rescue.”
“I can help you.”
“I know, but you can help them first. More are in worse condition than I am. Hurry.”
Ozzy nodded and dashed toward the ship, pushing through a side cargo hatch.
Inside the ship, equipment was on its side, broken off from the walls and stands they were sitting upon. Wires were strewn everywhere and electricity was sparking off of them.
He turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. A big man lay on his back, his stomach heaving up and down.
He lifted his hand. “I need help.” His voice was weak and cracked.
Ozzy stepped forward, squeezing his gun’s hand grip. “Jonas?”
Jonas turned his head. “I’m fine, and no injuries that I can feel, but when I fell, I seemed to have gotten something on the back of my EVA stuck in the grate. I can’t get up.”
Images of setting the craft on fire and leaving came to Ozzy’s mind. Hell, that’s what Jonas would do to him and without a second thought.
Ozzy was frozen and his mind raced. Upon General Sever’s orders, he was supposed to assassinate this Mars-hole. Yet, the Galactic Knights wouldn’t approve of such a thing. And like Jozi had pointed out a half a dozen times, he was a Galactic Knight.
“Are you brain dead?” hollered Jonas. “I said, I’m stuck. Get me unstuck and out of here.”
Ozzy let out a loud breath and looked down the corridor. Lyra was back for a second time, picking up another injured politician.
He glanced down another corridor. Several politicians were laying face down, clearly dead. One had his helmet half blown off, his eyes crystalized and his skin ash. Another had a steel chunk, shaped like a spike, through his neck with blood pooled around him.
Jonas could be another one the dead found on the craft.
But Ozzy wasn’t a killer and he needed to be one. He needed to get the guts that someone like Quad had, and be a man, and do the right thing.
“I’m the High Judge, you Mars-nitwit? Get me out of here or I’ll have you thrown in jail.”
Ozzy raised his gun, and aimed it at Jonas. “Hi, Jonas. It’s Ozzy. Remember me?”
33
Crash Site, Mars
“Well, isn’t this my lucky day,” growled Jonas. He dropped his head back, his helmet banging the floor. “Don’t do it, Ozzy.” Jonas mumbled something else, but it was too soft for Ozzy to hear.
Ozzy narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Did you just give an order to one of your soldiers?”
Jonas didn’t respond.
“Answer me.” He felt the trigger against his index finger and aimed for the big guy’s gut. It would be a slow death, and one Jonas deserved.
“One thing before you do it, Ozzy.” Jonas lifted his head. “I liked you. I really did. In fact, you were family to me. I couldn’t, however, let you get away with going against my orders and stealing my money. Only a fool would let anyone do that, especially one in such a public forum. If I did, everyone would take advantage of me.”
Baroom!
The ship quaked, and sand flew against the ship’s exterior. Ozzy glanced out a port window. Dunrakee mechs had arrived. They stood at least twenty feet high with cannons positioned on their shoulders. The mechs glimmered metallic silver and marched forward, pounding each mechanized foot onto the crimson sand.
Baroom!
The ship trembled again as a blast expelled from a mech’s cannon, nearly missing a handful of soldiers.
A super soldier leaped onto a mech’s leg and climbed up it faster than a monkey climbing a tree, and unholstered a gun. He aimed it at the back of the mech’s head.
The mech’s arms came up, slashing for the soldier. Flash after flash from the gun’s muzzle, and mech’s arms dropped to its sides and the mech hunched over, clearly now offline.
Ozzy caught movement out of the corner of his eye and spun, facing Jonas. He was attempting to get up, but was still restrained by something caught on the back of his EVA suit.
Jonas stopped struggling and let his arms and legs fall to the ground. “You know, I can put you in high places, Ozzy.”
Ozzy stepped forward, his gun pointed outward, readying to end Jonas once and for all. Ozzy leaned down, pressing the muzzle into Jonas’s gut.
“Don’t do it,” said Jonas in a whisper.
“Get out of there, Ozzy. We don’t have much time.” It was Jozi’s voice coming through his helmet’s com line.
“Where are you?” asked Ozzy.
“Looking for you.”
“I’m fine. Get back to Pyke,” ordered Ozzy.
“If you’re fine, then I’m going to take out some of those mechs.”
“You’re what?”
The com line went dead.
Ozzy panicked, and his heart rate picked up and his hands tingled. He had to get out of here to help Jozi or real her back to Pyke so they could take off. Hopefully the latter.
Ozzy squeezed the gun grip tighter. He pursed his lips, and closed his eyes. “Sorry Jonas. I have to get this over with.”
The clang of boots reverberated down the corridor. Those were heavy steps, quite the opposite of Jozi.
A grin creeped on Jonas’s face. “Welcome, Lou.”
Lou stepped around the corner, his rifle tucked against the crook between his shoulder and chest, his finger on the trigger. “I came as soon as I got your call. Orders, sir.”
Ozzy pulled away from Jonas and put his hands up. “Lou, it’s me.” Ozzy took a step back, pressing his back against a wall, not able to move any farther.
“Orders, Sir,” hollered Lou, his eyes trained on Ozzy.
“What do you think, Ozzy?” Jonas let out a chuckle. “Shall I have him kill you?”
“That’s my brother, Jonas. You’re sick.”
“After all, Ozzy,” replied Jonas. “You were going to kill me anyway.”
“Orders, Sir,” said Lou again.
Ozzy slowly bent down to one knee. He cautiously placed his gun on the grated floor. “Lou, please.” He stood, keeping his hands up. “Remember when mom bought us the Galaxy’s Edge action figure? It was your favorite thing in the world, but we fought over it for months.”
Lou’s eye twitched. He lowered his rifle, hesitating for an instant, then thrust it forward. “Orders, Sir.”
An explosion rocked the ship. Ozzy took a quick peak outside. The battle was still raging on.
“Hold on, Lou. This is kind of entertaining,” replied Jonas.
“Lou, our mom’s name was Laura and our dad’s name was Jack. Mom was always the nice one. She was strict, but nice. Dad was true to his name, a total Jack-ass. He treated us like shit, Lou. Absolutely shit, and when he’d come down hard on you, I always tried to be do one worse so he’d come down on me instead. You appreciated that. I know you did, because I’d see it in your eyes when we’d play our action figures with each other.”
Lou pushed out his lips, his brows v’ing.
His eyes twitched again like his brain was computing information deep in the recesses of his mind. He lowered his gun even mor, then brought it up quickly. “Orders, Sir.”
“Mars, why couldn’t I have a couch for this? This is better than holovision.” Jonas tapped his chest with his fingers, his helmet turned in Ozzy’s direction. “Nothing yet, soldier. Keep your rifle trained on your bro.”
Lou nodded his head.
A concussion shook the craft, and sand splattered across the exterior armor.
“Ozzy,” yelled Jozi. “What are you doing? Get out of there.” Her voice was more than perturbed.
“I’m doing something, Jozi,” replied Ozzy. “Keep taking those Mars-hole politicians to safety.”
Jozi’s bootsteps reverberated down the corridor.
Ozzy huffed. “Jozi, turn around.”
“Why Ozzy?” Jozi came in view, her weapon in hand, and her eyes burning holes in Lou’s battlesuit helmet. “When I can put a blast in this guy’s body.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Jozi,” warned Jonas.
“That’s good, because you’re not me.” Jozi continued to train her weapon on Lou, walking in circle around him to Ozzy.
“Jozi, leave. This doesn’t concern you,” said Ozzy.
“Family, Ozzy. Remember? We’re family.”
Lou aimed his weapon at Jozi.
A knot immediately formed in Ozzy’s throat. He didn’t want Jozi to be shot, or worse yet, killed on his behalf.
“You have ten toes, you have one nose, you have two eyes, you have two thighs,” sang Ozzy. “You have two feet, you have—”
Lou cocked his head hard to the side. He lurched back as if something just hit him in the head. “…you have two feet, you have two knees, you have two ears, you have thousands of hairs, you have—” Lou cleared his throat. “I know that song.”
“It’s from our mom. She used to sing it to us.”
Lou nodded and hesitated for a moment, as if thinking. He grunted and turned his weapon on Jonas.
Jonas put his palms up. “No, shoot your brother. That is an Order,” said Jonas.
Mars Colony Chronicles (Books 1 - 5): A Space Opera Box Set Adventure Page 94
