The Heroes Return

by Monica Tesler

  Marco gives a thumbs-up and nods at Minjae. The three of us open ports.

  I hit the frozen ground behind the middle gunner, the same ship my sister fights from the front. I flash my gloves at its thrusters. The ship jerks back. I grab the straps of my blast pack and shoot up in the air, barely avoiding getting run over. Addy darts to the side to target another ship.

  “Good one!” Marco calls, copying my move on the thrusters of another ship. We’re disrupting their attack plan and causing confusion. Some of the ships try to turn around; others stop firing. If we can keep up the disruption for a few more minutes, hopefully Eames will stop the advance.

  I shift my focus to the ship advancing on Addy. She disarms one of the guns, but the ship still edges forward. Her arms bend inward. She collapses to her knees.

  “No!” I grab the ship by its right wing and fling it with all my might. It spins in a circle and comes to rest facing me.

  Lasers blast from its remaining gun. I bank right in my blast pack then zoom low to the ground out of firing range. I touch down and turn, raising my palms.

  This is it. Give me all you’ve got.

  I brace for the impact of the lasers, hoping my new gloves and my wavering strength are enough to shield myself. Otherwise, I’ll end up fried on the ground like Regis.

  But the shots don’t come.

  The ship drops its rocket vents and lifts off. It slowly rises above the frozen ground until it’s high enough to shift its engine and blast through the Gulagan atmosphere.

  The other Earth Force vessels follow, departing the surface.

  Oh my God. It must have worked. Eames must have agreed to a cease-fire.

  Soon, all of the Earth Force ships are gone, and only the slim line of Bounders remain.

  I run across the tundra and sweep up Addy in a huge hug. Marco collides with us from behind, and we fall to the ground in a giant pig pile.

  I’m freezing and crying and so tired I might never get back up.

  But we’re alive.

  We’re wonderfully, blissfully, gratefully alive.

  For now.

  What comes next is up to the Bounders.

  • • •

  It’s all set. Denver talked Admiral Eames into a cease-fire, and she agreed to send Lucy and Cole to negotiate, as long as they’re allowed to talk with her before reaching an agreement. Waters isn’t too happy with the plan, but he’s going along with it. After all, what choice does he have (other than to be soundly beaten by Earth Force in a costly battle)?

  Funny how it turns out that Waters is the one with no choice, although nothing about today is really funny.

  Was it only this morning that I climbed into a crate with Regis? That we battled Alks and chirpers side by side? And now his body lies on the tarmac, frozen, covered in a tarp and awaiting a final trip home to Earth. He’ll be traveling in a different kind of box this time.

  I won’t ever forget the way Regis treated me at the Academy, the way he treated Mira. But I do forgive him. He acknowledged his wrongs, and he did right in the end.

  Twenty Tunnelers lost their lives in the space fight. Only two Resistance ships made it home. I feel guilty being happy that Neeka was spared, but I am. She piloted her hunk-of-junk craft to the surface on the other side of Gulaga once her first engine was hit, saving her from the brunt of the battle. A ground crew is crossing the tundra now to bring her home.

  Other than Regis, the Bounders all survived, but a lot of them sustained injuries. I’m one of the lucky ones. My only battle scars are the patches of skin on both of my forearms that were exposed to the Gulagan air. They’re covered in salve and wrapped in gauze. The painkillers they gave me in the infirmary seem to be working.

  I can’t afford to dwell on the day’s losses. I need to focus on the negotiation. The meet is set to convene at Bounding Base 32, the place our pod went on our first bounding trip. The base is evacuating right now. Addy’s never been there, but the Resistance has a BPS, so she can scan the coordinates pre-bound.

  Since I’m going to serve as an impartial facilitator, I left Addy and Marco to talk strategy with Waters and Barrick. Denver and I are sitting in the cantina. I didn’t even bother getting food. He filled a plate with forage and fungi, and has spent most of the time pushing it around his tray with a spork.

  Shortly before I’m supposed to join Addy and Marco in the Parliamentary Chamber, Waters walks into the cantina.

  “I need to speak with you privately, Jasper.”

  Denver raises his eyebrows. He’ll stay if I want him to. I shake my head, letting him know I’m okay. He leaves the table and heads to the other side of the cantina, clutching his side as he walks. He’s pretty banged up from the Tunneler beating.

  Waters pulls back a chair and sits. He waits until Denver is out of earshot, then leans his arms on the table. “We’ve been contacted by the Youli. We know they monitor most of our communications, and apparently today was no exception.”

  I nod for him to go on.

  “They intercepted the call between Denver and Admiral Eames. The Youli know about the meet, Jasper, and they want to send a representative.”

  Include the Youli in our negotiations? Eames would never agree to that. Plus, it doesn’t fit the spirit of the meet: young leaders taking their planet in a new direction.

  “No way,” I tell Waters. “My pod knows one another, and they know Addy. They may not all trust one another now, but the seeds of trust are still there. Injecting a Youli into this would erode all that.”

  Waters pushes Denver’s tray away. He sits up straight and looks me in the eye. The silence is heavy, because I know he has more to say.

  “It’s Mira.”

  My breath catches in my throat so badly I almost gag. “Mira? How?”

  “Easy. She’ll bound there, just like you.”

  “Yes, but how did this come about?” I swallow hard. “And how is she?”

  Waters leans back in the chair. “I haven’t spoken to her, but I have no reason to suspect she’s been harmed. The Youli likely suggested they send Mira because they know it’s the only way we’d agree.”

  “So it wasn’t her idea?” This probably has nothing to do with Mira wanting to see me. The Youli are probably making her do this.

  “I really don’t know any more than what I’ve already told you, Jasper.”

  What if she doesn’t even want to go? She may not care if she ever sees me again.

  I know I should tell Waters that Mira can’t come. She’ll make me jittery, and it’s not like she’s going to persuade the others of anything—at least, not with words. On the other hand, Mira’s a keen judge of a situation. Maybe having her there will be helpful.

  Who am I kidding? Would I ever turn down a chance to see Mira again? Of course not.

  “Tell the Youli she can come.”

  I expect Waters to leave, but he sits there staring at me.

  “Can I ask you a question?” he finally asks.

  I shrug. The last thing I want is to keep talking to Waters, but I know he’s going to ask no matter what I say.

  “Do the brain patches actually work?”

  After everything that happened today, that’s what he wants to know? I can’t think of a good reason to lie anymore. “Yeah, they work, although they have a range. It’s not like I can talk to her right now.”

  “Hmmm.” Waters runs his hand through his hair. “You know, Jasper, I never wanted things to go the way they did. I messed up. I guess I keep messing up. But I’m trying to do the right thing. People are counting on me.”

  I shake my head. What is he expecting me to say? “Is that an apology?”

  “Not a good one. How’s this: I’m sorry.”

  Too little, too late. His words don’t even touch me. I sit back in my chair and cross my arms. “How’s this: There’s nothing you could say that would make me fully trust you again. You used me. You used my friends.”

  Waters nods. “That’s fair.”

  Fair? W
ho cares about fair? I grab the table and lean forward. “What part of this war is fair, particularly to the Bounders?”

  “Look, Jasper,” Waters says, pushing away, “I said I was sorry, and I meant it. But let’s get one thing straight between us: I don’t regret what I’m fighting for.”

  I lower my voice and narrow my eyes. “Neither do I.”

  We lock eyes, and I know he’s expecting me to turn away first. The Jasper who showed up at the EarthBound Academy for his first tour of duty would have. Not anymore.

  Eventually Waters drops his gaze. A tiny part of me feels victorious, but there’s too much at stake today to care for long.

  “I need to respond to the Youli,” he says.

  I nod.

  He stands and places a hand on my shoulder before leaving the cantina. That used to be comforting. Now it just feels like another weight on my back.

  31

  “YOU READY?” I ASK ADDY.

  “I’ve used the BPS before,” she says. “Stop big-brothering me. I’m the older sibling now, remember?”

  “Very funny,” I say.

  “We need to go,” Marco says.

  “Remember, we’ll be available via com link the whole time,” Waters says, “and you need to return and confer before reaching a deal. Jasper, per the terms Captain Reddy negotiated, you need to bound in first.”

  I give Addy a quick hug then tap in and build my port. I pull up a clear image of Bounding Base 32 and bam!

  My knees buckle as I hit the flight deck. Another botched landing.

  As we agreed, the bounding base is deserted. It’s downright creepy to be standing alone on an empty building in space. Beyond the flight deck, the endless blackness is dotted by stars light-years away.

  A shimmer next to me announces the next arrival.

  Bam! Lucy bounds in.

  As soon as she gets her bearings, she charges at me, fists raised. “I can’t believe you, Jasper Adams! After all I did for you! I made you a star! You were breaking hearts across the planet. And then you betray me? I’ll tell you what, Jasper, you broke my heart! You—”

  “Lucy! Stop!” I grab her wrists to stop her pounding on my chest. “I didn’t know what the Resistance had planned until right before it happened.” That’s not entirely true, but it’s not wildly far off, either. “Please understand, Lucy. I had to see my sister.”

  Addy bounds in.

  Lucy takes a step back. She adjusts her uniform and wipes a makeup-filled tear from her cheek.

  “Hello, Lucy,” Addy says.

  Lucy smiles the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. “Adeline.” She looks Addy up and down, taking in her bright, Tunneler-inspired clothes. Her lip turns up in disgust. “What are you wearing?”

  Addy glares at Lucy. “Why? Does my outfit offend the new face of Earth Force?”

  Geez. Things aren’t going well. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I was wrong to assume we could move past everything that happened while I was in the rift. I don’t even know all that went down. I should have made Addy give me the gritty details before this meet.

  Cole bounds in next. He stands rod straight in his perfectly pressed Earth Force uniform. He commands an authority I never could have imagined when I first met Cole. He nods at me and Addy.

  When Marco arrives, Lucy raises her clenched fists again. Fortunately, this time she doesn’t charge.

  “Hey, Wiki, DQ!” Marco says.

  “Don’t you dare.” Lucy’s voice is a grumbled whisper filled with menace.

  I have to keep things under control. I kick Marco’s foot. “No nicknames.”

  “Whatever you say, Ace.”

  “I see you haven’t changed, Marco,” Lucy says.

  Before Marco can respond, I step forward. “See, that’s one of the reasons I pushed for this meet. We know one another really well. If there’s anyone capable of hashing out a truce, it’s us.” I take a deep breath, hoping one of them will jump in and at least agree with the idea that this meet could work.

  Silence.

  Eventually Cole nods. “Let’s get started, then.”

  “In a second,” I say. “We’re waiting on one more person.”

  “What do you mean?” Lucy says. “We agreed to a specific attendance list! If you’re already breaking the negotiated rules, we’re going to leave. In fact—”

  The air between us shimmers, and a second later, Mira is standing on the deck.

  Her blond hair hangs loose around her shoulders and glistens like real gold. She’s wearing a long white dress that catches the light with a faint iridescence. Her bare hands glow.

  I try to keep my expression blank. Inside, my heart hops against my ribs.

  “Oh my God!” Lucy shouts. She runs across the flight deck and throws her arms around Mira. “How is this possible? We all thought you were dead!”

  I almost remind Lucy that she made up the story about Mira being dead, but I decide it probably won’t advance our talks. “The Youli intercepted the communication between Captain Reddy and Admiral Eames,” I explain. “They insisted that Mira come to the meet.”

  “We should have been informed,” Cole says.

  “Actually, you were.” I try to keep my voice from shaking. “We said we wanted the pod here. Mira’s been staying with the Youli, but she’s every bit a member of this pod.” I swallow hard. I can’t believe Mira is standing a few meters away.

  I steal a glance at her. She turns. As soon as our eyes meet, a whole world opens in my mind. Love, joy, and comfort pour in, but a layer of sadness and longing hangs at the edges.

  Mira smiles. Hello, Jasper.

  I take a deep breath. “Hi, Mira.”

  “I’m okay with Mira being present,” Cole says, “but I must insist that there be no brain-talk. That’s not fair to the rest of us.”

  “And it’s not fair to Mira to disallow it,” I say. “We both know Mira doesn’t speak in the customary Earth way.”

  “Then you can’t brain-talk, Jasper,” Marco says to me, “and if Mira does, you have to translate everything she says.” He turns to Cole. “Does that work for you?”

  Cole nods.

  “Everyone else?” I ask.

  Addy and Lucy nod.

  “Mira?”

  Yes. I’ve missed you so much.

  I take another deep breath. Everything in me wants to reach out and touch her, make sure that she’s real. For now, though, I’ll have to settle with letting our minds touch. I take a moment to feel her familiar presence inside my brain. Now I need to stay on track.

  “She says she agrees,” I say. “Should we go inside? I asked the officers at the bounding base to leave some food for us in the cantina.”

  Marco laughs. “Why is it always about food with you?”

  The joke doesn’t reach Cole. “We’ll stay out here.”

  “Fine,” I say. So much for keeping things casual.

  I stand up straight and launch into the remarks I prepared on Gulaga. “So to start, I’ll remind everyone that Cole and Lucy are here on behalf of Earth Force, Marco and Addy are here for the Resistance, Mira is here for the Youli who consider themselves an interested party, and I’m here to act as a neutral facilitator. I’m hoping we can keep our discussions as informal as possible. Who would like to speak first?”

  Glances flicker around our circle. Is no one going to talk? I shoot a glance at my sister. I traveled halfway across the galaxy for her. The least she could do is help me out now.

  Addy steps forward. “I know I’m kind of the outsider, here, so why don’t I start?” She side-eyes Marco, who nods her on. “I’ve always admired your pod. You’re all so different, but you achieved so much together. I know things were difficult after the Battle of the Alkalinian Seat. I know I certainly wasn’t on my best behavior. I said things I regret, things I didn’t mean. I’m sorry for that. But here’s the thing: you guys, your pod, you’re the best thing about Earth. It doesn’t get better than you. I hope you know that, and I hope we can talk together and
get on the same page about moving forward.”

  Lucy puts her hands on her hips. “I don’t know where that speech came from, little sister, but don’t think for a minute that you can excuse your behavior by writing it off as emotional distress. I’m emotionally distressed every day, and it doesn’t stop me from showing up and doing my job for Earth Force. Do you think you were the only ones reeling from Jasper’s death? I was devastated and charged with rolling out Earth Force’s biggest PR campaign since the launch of the Bounder Baby Breeding Program. The two of you went AWOL when I needed you most!”

  “Lucy,” Marco starts—I think it may be the first time I’ve ever heard him use her actual name—“we were all devastated, and we all had different ways of dealing with it. But that’s not where the divisions in the pod began, and it’s not when our views split with the Force. Even in Alkalinia, we didn’t see eye to eye on the Force’s tactics. I don’t expect us to agree on everything today, either, but I do think we can reach a reasonable solution to our immediate problem.”

  “I’d prefer if we kept emotions out of this,” Cole starts.

  Like that has any chance of success.

  “Let me summarize why we’re here,” he continues. “Our fleet is positioned to destroy Gulaga. You have Denver Reddy, and he’s prepared to publicly declare support for the Resistance with Jasper by his side. We’re at a standoff, and we’re here to see if we can stand down.”

  Lucy is dramatic but reasonable, Mira says. She understands the media dynamics. Tell her that the Resistance has no desire to air the broadcast if Earth Force agrees to terms.

  “Mira thinks we can reach a deal,” I say. “The Resistance won’t air the broadcast as long as we can reach an agreement, which obviously includes Earth Force’s immediate exit from Gulagan space.”

  “Any deal must include Denver’s return,” Lucy says. “And you, Jasper.”

  I anticipated this. “Neither Denver nor I are Earth Force prisoners.”

  “No,” Lucy says, “you’re hostages of the Resistance.”

  “Actually, they’re not,” Addy says. “They’ve both decided to stay on Gulaga of their own free will.”

  “Remind me why you’re here again?” Lucy says to Addy. “You were not in our pod. And frankly, you add nothing to this discussion!”