“David, don’t you do something stupid,” Bob warned.
“Don’t worry, sir. Just doing what needs to be done,” David answered.
Dani rushed to the screen and squinted near the weapon. A series of small explosions occurred near the base of the weapon, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. The rebel fighters, no longer cloaked, went for a second pass beneath the ship’s shields while Dani held her breath.
Again, they failed.
Dani’s heart pounded in her chest and echoed in her ears. The two rebel fighters flew together away from the ship, then paused for the briefest moments as they turned in space and barreled down at the weapon once more.
“I love you, Dani,” Jag said through the comm at the exact moment their actions became apparent.
“W-wait,” she stammered, but it was already too late.
The two rebel fighters buried themselves deep into President Penn’s ship, hitting the weapon first, resulting in a blinding flash of white as the weapon’s energy was dispersed into the behemoth of a ship. The shock blast forced Evelynn’s Revenge and the other ships away from the presidential ship as though they were riding a wave. Alarms sounded and lit up the bridge in hues of red as her father’s ship’s shields dipped below critical levels.
“The hyperdrive is working again,” Trevor announced.
“Go!” her father yelled.
“NO!” Dani screamed back, but it was too late. The stars lurched and blurred, and Dani fell to her knees in the bridge.
* * *
By the time they exited hyperspace at the first rendezvous point, Dani had melted into a heap on the floor. Not a single word had been uttered after her scream of protest. Over the course of her career, Dani had witnessed the loss of her crewmembers far more than she’d care to remember. Going out as a hero was all that any of them could have ever wished for. But watching Jag and David crash into that ship was more than Dani was able to handle.
Bob crouched next to Dani and brushed her hair back out of her face, the same way Jag had done earlier, which made her heart ache yet again and sent a fresh tear down her cheek. He lowered himself to sit next to her as they watched the screen for any sign of the rest of the fleet. Time had slowed to a crawl, and the pain in Dani’s heart stretched each second into eternity.
Slowly, the other ships began to arrive. With her father’s help, Dani rose into a standing position and the two of them watched together as each ship dropped out of hyperspace. First were the rebel ships, followed by the Houston, the Sparrow, and the rest of the pirate ships.
Seeing them gathered there in their silent victory around the Houston offered some comfort to Dani, but the pain was still overwhelming.
“All ships accounted for,” Trevor announced.
“Almost,” croaked Dani.
Talon appeared on the display screen following a transmission announcement. He stared at the screen for what felt like minutes before he finally spoke. The playfulness was gone from his eyes as he sat, deflated, in his chair. “Requesting permission to extract our people from the Houston.”
“You have it,” answered Bob, adding, “Your sacrifice for this mission is duly noted. I’d like to offer you a squadron of six shardstone fighters as our way of saying thank you and our deepest condolences.”
“Hardly seems like an even exchange, but I doubt there’s anything you could give me that would feel adequate. Thank you. We’ll be on our way as soon as we collect our own. You know how to reach me when the fighters are ready.”
Talon blipped off the screen, and Dani watched in silence as the Sparrow docked with the Houston. After Talon’s check-in, the remaining ships took turns providing Bob with status updates. The conversations were a blur to Dani, who was unable to force herself to focus on anything at the moment. Each passing minute brought a new twinge of heartache for her.
Finally, it was time for Osirion’s check-in. Roni appeared on the screen, her face somber. Cruz stood next to her, and Howard next to him. Roni rattled off her report half-heartedly while the other two stood idly by.
“I’m sorry,” Cruz signed as Roni proceeded through the details of their excursion into Houston’s belly. All Dani could do was lower her eyes back to the floor. Anything other than that felt like it would require too much effort and that she’d lose what little composure she clung to.
Houston was next, and Patrick appeared on the screen. Even he looked gloomy as he gave his report and offered his condolences when he was done.
All in all, the mission was a success. They had accomplished what they set out to do. And they did it knowing they would likely face casualties. Still, Dani hadn’t ever dreamed it would be one of her own, let alone Jag.
After Talon and the other pirates had gone their way, the rebels and Houston jumped into hyperspace once more, heading back to the beta site. The excitement and cheers that greeted them as they walked off the ships were dulled by Dani’s heartache.
She had been the focus of many such homecomings prior to the events that unfolded in PS683, but never had she felt so low as she did now. The air felt thick and suffocating to the point that breathing even felt like a burden. The rebel families lining the road blurred into a mass of faceless figures for Dani. Even being marched through the hall of reporters on her way to be tried for treason seemed like a walk in the park compared to what she felt now.
When Osirion was safely on the ground, Dani waited outside as the loading ramp opened. Roni and her team walked out, and neither Dani nor Roni made eye contact with the other. Howard and Cruz lingered on the ramp as Dani walked past them silently. She walked down the hall, past Jag’s quarters and into her own. There was still a bit of internal damage from the previous breach, but she paid it no mind and collapsed onto her bed in another round of tears.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Howard came to her room with some water. Dani took a few sips, thanked him, and then pulled the blankets up over her head once more. At some point Cassia, Carl, Cruz, and Zadria also stopped by, but things were a blur for Dani. She lost all track of time. Thirst and hunger no longer meant anything to her.
“Wow, you look like complete shit,” Roni said as she stood next to Dani’s bed, peering down at her.
“Go away,” Dani mumbled.
“No. Get up. I’m teaching you how to fight, and we’re going to go kick some ass.”
“I know how to fight.”
“Not like this you don’t.”
Dani felt something heavy land on the bed. She opened her eyes and sat up. A long blade lay across her blanket with a handle wrapped in black leather. Dani shied away from the reflection of herself in the sword’s glossy shine.
For the first time since before they left on the mission to save the Houston, Dani and Roni’s eyes met. Where Dani’s heart was heavy with grief, Roni’s was ripe with rage and it mirrored in her eyes. Dani caught a glimpse of her father’s determination locked away in Roni’s face and, for the first time, noticed their physical similarities.
“Get up,” Roni said again.
Dani furrowed her brow. “Why?”
A twisted smile slowly formed on Roni’s face. “You haven’t heard, have you?”
“Heard what?” Dani was starting to get annoyed.
“Penn’s alive.”
Dani’s breath caught in her throat. “But, that means—”
“Now you’re getting it. So I’ll say it one more time. Get up, little sister. I’m teaching you how to fight, then we’re going to go kick some ass. And, if David and Jag are still out there, we’re going to find them and bring them home.”
To Be Continued … ?
Dear Reader,
This concludes “Part 1” or “Season 1” of the Ardent Redux Saga. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time in this universe as much as I have.
We know President Penn somehow survived the attack, but what about David and Jag? Do you think they’re still out there somewhere?
And what’s Dani going to do now that she’s no longer under the
GC’s control?
Well, from here, their fate is in your hands.
If it were up to me, I’d write a dozen more books in the Ardent Redux Universe (in fact, I’ve already got a handful planned out). I really love this cast of characters and would love to spend more time with them. But there are only so many hours in a day and I want to make sure I’m writing something you’re going to enjoy.
So, if you enjoyed your time in the Ardent Redux Universe, drop some reviews on Amazon or anywhere else you fancy. Reviews let me know when I’m doing something right. If there’s a demand to keep this series going, I’ll gladly comply.
If you’d like to know what else I’m up to, sign up for my newsletter at www.jlstowers.com for the latest updates.
Thank you so much for your support.
JLS
The Complete First Season - Episodes 1-5 Page 47