Warriors at the Gates- Trojan Wars

by Rick Royster

Sateria landed up ahead and slid behind the northwest wall, avoiding Goliath's line of fire. Tressa engaged her as well, providing cover for Goliath.

  "C'mon!" Tressa screamed at Goliath.

  The big fella fired a few more rounds then jumped onto the bus through the open side doors.

  Tressa followed behind him and hopped on board. They had to get moving. Tressa wondered if the Orca could survive a blast from one of Sateria's rockets and she had no desire to find out.

  A shot slammed into the top of the vehicle, another into the base of the bus, then shattered glass.

  "Get us out of here," Tressa screamed.

  Nero was fast approaching from the rear.

  Still in the open doorway of the Orca's hull, Tressa saw the hulking shadow swallow her, then a large hand grabbed her wrist and snatched her off her feet. She was equally jarred when she was stopped midair. Goliath’s large arms wrapped around her waist, instantly halting her momentum, but simultaneously almost snapping her wrist.

  Goliath held her waist while Nero ran along the side of the airbus squeezing Tressa's wrist.

  She leapt in the air and pulled her knees to her chest and kicked out. Both feet smacked Nero in the face. His head snapped back and slowed his stride. When he brought his eyes to bear on Tressa again, Goliath’s handgun was planted in his face.

  He let go of her wrist and rolled away as the gun erupted, the blast eating into his shoulder and green electric sparks ripping across his upper armor.

  Nero fell awkwardly and barrel-rolled sideways, then he got to one knee and pulled out his gun. His balance and form were perfect, robotic.

  Goliath held her and they fell back inside, and the doors sealed shut. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

  But now they were moments away from exiting the alley and getting onto the main road, Tressa’s stomach churned. Entering into a high-speed chase inside a Global Union stronghold wasn't the best way to stay hidden.

  Cayden strode the sidewalk, boots not even making a whisper as they moved along the asphalt. Hoverbikes and hover-cars churned above him in an orderly stream, hyper-loop trains whipping by overhead. Everything seemed connected. The mass transit system moved like veins through the body of Region One. Super-catwalks, public lifts, malls and gigantic condos covered the entire surface of the city.

  In ancient history through the modern era, Region One had been known for its beginnings in religion. Many wars fought, many lives lost for the control of the one-time Holy Land. This now was a different Region One, and while it was still held in high esteem, it was not because the land was the home of God’s chosen people; now, the city belonged to the world’s super-wealthy. Decadence and luxury were the gods they worshiped.

  Cayden tried to suppress his memories. He and Sateria had come to this place more times than he cared to count. He remembered a mission in which they needed to capture GU security camera intel and were met by hostiles upon escaping.

  A Centurion, shooting at them, hit a sky-car, sending it crashing to the ground. Sateria turned back, risking her life and the mission to save the passengers, a mother and her son.

  Sateria pulled them both from the flaming heap before Cayden had a chance to double back. Then, with sirens blazing and Global Union forces swarming the area, she stopped, asked him to hold her, and then kissed him passionately for ten seconds.

  She told him if she were to die that night, the kiss was worth it. She would die with the memory of him on her lips.

  Evading the thought of her was like trying to lose one's shadow.

  As his relationship with Winter grew, he wondered if his mind was trying to self-sabotage his happiness.

  Besides, he'd never see Sateria again; she was gone. It was ok to mourn what was, but for everyone's sake, he needed to leave it in the past.

  Now they needed to find Matrix; he might have information that could lead them to Tressa. While no longer an ally, Cayden hoped he could convince him to help.

  "Commander," Rhys called out from behind him as Cayden maintained his stride.

  "Are you sure you're up to this? I know they were your team. They hurt people very close to me, and if they don't come quietly, I won't hesitate," Rhys said.

  "It won't come to that, Lieutenant," Cayden said. "But trust me, if it does, I'll do what they sent me here to do. I'll do my duty."

  Winter glanced at him curiously.

  "Besides, Goliath likes me. We've had our share of differences, but there’s mutual respect there." Cayden understood the question and it was a fair one. Would he hesitate to take down people he was once close with, by extension putting both Rhys and Winter in peril?

  "I know they were your team and you had a bond with them, but from what I saw on that video, they are playing for keeps, and so am I," Rhys said.

  "Just follow my commands and everything will be ok. Only engage when I tell you to," Cayden responded.

  "You're the boss," Rhys said.

  There was a huge video screen up high and to the left, and display ads were running commercials for GU citizens to go to safe locations to receive updates for the Potentate's chip. This section of town bordered on the gallows. The sidewalk had several cracks, and closed down Mom and Pop stores had electric bars instead of chains and iron gates signaling they were closed. Gentrification was on its way.

  The rain began to fall a bit harder, pelting the row of sky-cars that lined the curb one after the next.

  BANG!

  Flashes of light flared, and shots were fired.

  Cayden froze. He half-raised his fist, signaling for Rhys and Winter to stop.

  A woman dressed in white ducked from the corner up ahead of him, a Centurion trailing right behind her.

  "Eyes up," Cayden said, snatching the gun out of his thigh holster and aiming it at the Centurion.

  Another explosion, then an airbus rounded the corner, taking tremendous damage to its rear from laser fire.

  Cayden eyed the air bus as it flew by, and he saw the stunned look on Tressa's face – as if she'd seen a man rise from the grave. Goliath was next to her, gesturing with his hands, pointing a finger up.

  It was his middle finger.

  Cayden turned his attention back to the lady in white and lowered his weapon.

  "Can't be. Impossible," Cayden said.

  "What?" Winter asked.

  Cayden ignored the question. He shook his head in disbelief, then looked down and back up several times as if upon another review, the image would change.

  "Sateria?" Cayden asked, even though he heard the words he still didn't believe.

  Sateria, eyes wide and jaw slack, shook her head and frowned, then threw a small circular disk at him. It skipped on the ground twice and bounced off a building, ricocheting and attaching itself to a parked sky-car. It glowed with red spots and began to beep.

  Winter rushed him and dove, tackling him to the ground while Rhys launched himself in the opposite direction.

  Then the earth erupted around him with shaking explosions of fire and whistling metals.

  Cayden's ears rang, and Winter was atop of him, panting; the smoke from the burning smart cars caused his eyes to water and made him cough.

  Parts of the building and sidewalk were on fire.

  He glanced up to see two hover bikes whipping by him in pursuit of the airbus Sateria and a Centurion were riding. A moment later, two more hover bikes piloted by Centurions followed.

  The streets were illuminated by the lights of the airbus which rumbled like an out of control killer whale diving through a school of coy fish. The four GU hover bikes were hot on their heels. Gold laser fire cut through the air from the bikes, causing fire and dark smoke to rise from the bus’s rear.

  Tressa stumbled and fell forward, crashing into the back of Matrix’ chair. She lifted her head up. "We can't outrun them."

  Matrix peeked back at her. "Thanks for telling me, sweetcakes." He downshifted the gears and thrust the bus to maximum speeds while the crew held fast to their seats and weapons
.

  Tressa glanced behind them; she could see Sateria and the three Centurions, the hoverbikes whipping through traffic and closing fast. Sateria took aim and fired a missile from her wrist launcher.

  "Incoming," Tressa screamed.

  She saw wild eyes and heard the cacophony of curse words as if a group of pirates’ pants were on fire. Matrix punched in a few keys that released smoke gas and smart bombs from the Orca's rear.

  On the street, terrified civilians scattered like startled sheep fleeing a hungry lion. White smoke, an angry cloud that swallowed the sky and buildings alike, rose rapidly.

  The smart bombs, hundreds as small as bumblebees, attached themselves to Sateria's rocket and slowed it down.

  Tressa gritted her teeth and braced for impact.

  The missile hit the back of the air bus, launching it skyward like a killer whale breaching the ocean, then leveled itself momentarily before spiraling out of control, smashing into the apartment building.

  The impact was jarring, sending the bus tumbling end over end, while Tressa bounced from dashboard to roof to floor, her ears ringing so loudly she couldn't hear a thing.

  She had no clue if she was up or down, or even alive for that matter. She just saw the jumbled shapes of teammates crawling here and there.

  The front glass got kicked out, and she began to feel the effects. Her shoulder throbbed, and a nasty welt was starting to swell on her forehead. The pain in her back would make walking - forget running - a Herculean task. Tressa’s lungs were on fire and her nostrils filled with smoke. She coughed, the jolt sending a wave of pain from her neck to her knees. Everything hurt.

  A large hand reached down and grabbed her under her arm and lifted her in the air.

  It was Goliath. He placed her on one of his large shoulders. "I got you," Goliath said.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  How happy had it been for me had I been slain in the battle. It had been far more noble to have died the victim of the enemy than fall a sacrifice to the rage of my friends.

  — Alexander the Great

  Like a gray gust, Cayden streaked through the back streets and alleyways. There was no need to use his Desani powers to track Tressa; all he had to do was follow the sirens and smoke. This area was the lawless underbelly of Tel Aviv. The GU police avoided this area of town. It was left to the gangs, low-level criminals and prostitutes. They'd eat an easy mark for breakfast.

  But Cayden was anything but an easy mark, the armed robbers and gang bangers recognizing danger when they saw it.

  A man walking in this area of town with gray armor, three blasters and a katana wasn't to be trifled with. Whether he was a mercenary or just a local loon, no one seemed to want to chance being decapitated trying to find out.

  Cayden came upon the street and looked down at the intersection of the crash, finding it even more chaotic than he imagined. But since there was no ongoing shootout, either Tressa's crew was dead, or they had escaped. He knew them being taken into custody wasn't an option under any circumstances.

  Winter and Rhys took the high ground. He ordered that they return to the area of their shuttle just in case they needed to make a quick exit. To be sure, the area would be swarming with Global Union law and authority officers.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Victorious warriors win first and then they go to war, while the defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

  — Sun Tzu

  Complete darkness and whispered voices.

  Tressa awoke to a splitting headache and had no doubt she was concussed.

  As she looked around, she was covered in dirt and sneezed from an abundance of dust; they were in an old subway tunnel, now just sewers and oasis systems. Matrix, Hoss and Rabbit were concentrating on a holo-scan of the city, trying to find the best route out.

  She gazed at Goliath, who was looking through a vent shaft, surveying the ruin.

  The shell of the orca smoked and burned in spots. Bits of blackened metal were scattered across the roadway. Street signs and the edges of some buildings had been reduced to piles of torched rubble. Cracks streamed across the pavement and sidewalks. It started to rain again, as if the sky wanted to wash away this gross mishap. There were bodies, unfortunate citizens who had fallen into harm’s way, and a few Global Union law authority officers – who’d unfortunately arrived on the scene before Goliath could get everyone into the sewers - lying strewn about amid the carnage.

  The bounty hunter stood in the midst of it all, her eyes moving across the destruction. She must have sensed eyes on her, because she turned immediately and stared in the direction of Goliath.

  Tressa took a step back, as if the bounty hunter could somehow see them through the vent and asphalt.

  Matrix approached her. "You took a nasty spill. Are you alright?"

  She nodded. "Let's get out of here."

  Matrix looked up at the black roof and heard the emergency crews and hover-vehicles.

  "Matrix, get in position where you can make a visual confirmation that our ride out of here hasn't been compromised," Tressa said before turning away from the vent and staring at the holo-scan. "Goliath and Hoss, find a sky-car that can get us out of the city if Matrix’ shuttle is no longer an option."

  Goliath looked back at her and gave a thumbs-up.

  "Me and Rabbit are going to create the mother of all distractions that will allow us to walk right on out of here, if the worst comes to worst," Tressa said.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  In the city that the wolf enters, enemies will be close by. An alien force will sack a great country. Allies will cross the mountains and the borders.

  ― Nostradamus

  Cayden knew all the stories and prophecies. Actually, he felt it too. He was the most powerful Desani alive, possibly of all time. Speed. Agility. Mental fortitude. He checked all the boxes. Whether it be with the blade, hand-to-hand combat or in a fighter jet, he had no equal.

  He had the it factor. An unbreakable will, the indomitable spirit.

  His mentors and the soldiers he commanded in battle knew him to be fearless.

  But he had a secret. An enemy too vast to overcome.

  Guilt. He stank of it but did well to hide its hideous odor. It lived inside him, dominated his thoughts whenever he was alone. It was like a black mamba that snaked through his stomach, threatening to eat his heart.

  The shame he felt was worse than physical pain; injury and death were the way of the warrior, and those things, he could control.

  Cayden felt the raging battle within, a battle against demons. Not the demons of legends or bedtime stories told to keep children in line, nor the fallen Desani he was destined to do battle with. His inner demons were different, a lot more elusive. They were in his bloodstream, controlled his consciousness. Hidden in a part of his brain that he couldn't locate, he couldn't eviscerate it with the finest scalpel.

  These demons were rooted in deep in his human spirit; shaman and priest could make a fortune claiming to be able to root them out. These were the types that scientists said didn't exist - or if they had, were long dead.

  But for Cayden, they weren't nearly dead enough.

  Shortly after becoming a Coalition military commander, it was stressed to him that he'd have to make choices benefiting the overall team. He'd have to sacrifice men for the common good of the ultimate objective. It was his sworn oath and sacred duty. It required a different type of strength, one that he struggled with from day one.

  A few years earlier on a seemingly routine mission in Global Union territory, Cayden was on assignment with Sateria. Aboard a Global Union vessel at sea, they planted viruses in the ship’s database that would prevent the ship from detecting the Coalition’s underwater headquarters. It was during this mission that Coalition intel discovered Sateria was a double agent. Supposedly, she would lead the Federation right into the heart of the Coalition, Air Station Alpha. While they were separated and she was deep in the core of the ship doing her job, he was
given his orders.

  He should evacuate the team and - if time permitted - eliminate the spy. He had two major problems. He was in love with said spy and the previous night, she had told him she was pregnant with his child and this would be her last mission.

  The unexpected happened; orders were changed, and charges were set and went off early. While the ship was being ripped to shreds, Cayden had an impossible choice to make but it was still a choice. Save Sateria, trust her, bring her back to Air Station Alpha, or get his crew to safety. He did what a soldier and military commander was supposed to do. He left the woman he loved - who was carrying his child - on a burning ship, sinking to the bottom of the ocean to die.

  He was honored and praised for his bravery and decision-making under pressure, putting the collective group ahead of personal interest. Both Tao-Tzu and General Dak told him he'd made the right decision, the only one he could make.

  But the demons knew better. They saw him for what he was and constantly told him so. A coward, unworthy of love, worthy only of death. Not a night would go by that he wouldn't be reminded.

  Once more, he replayed the fateful night in his head.

  He received the message on his wrist comm at the same time as the rest of his strike team. It was sent urgently over open channels. Sateria was not to be allowed back on the Intrepid-3. She was to be put down immediately.

  With the surrounding chaos, he wouldn't be able to talk his team down in time to avoid a bloodbath. They hated nothing more than a traitor, and each member of the Coalition put his life in the hands of the man next to him. Nothing he could say would stop one of them from killing her, and in his current state of deep infatuation with her, he couldn't promise himself not to retaliate against a marine doing his duty. On top of that, he was their leader and pilot. If he stayed behind, not only would he have been banned from the Coalition, but also he wasn't certain she wouldn't have turned him over and had him imprisoned or executed. He didn't have much of a choice. He had to leave her; considering the situation, that was the best he could do for her.