The engineers had made a breakthrough. They were saying it could send the signal to every corner of the known universe. They wouldn’t just be changing humankind, they’d bring harmony to the entire galaxy.
“I can’t believe it’s almost finished,” Coraolis said. “Are you sure it’ll work without harming anyone?”
“We’re very sure,” Byrd said. “All you need to do is channel those same good vibes into the device, and it’ll send it into the universe. I wouldn’t mind another hit of it myself.”
“And one more time – are we certain that this is the right thing to do? We’re making a decision for a whole lot of people, here,” Coraolis pointed out. They’d discussed this before, and they’d all agreed, but he needed to hear it again. The look Julia sent his way said she understood.
“Think of it like this. Despite how advanced we are as a species, people still murder each other every day. We do terrible things for the sake of hate, or because they’re twisted enough to think that it’s fun to see another person’s pain. And sometimes, these things happen because people are too selfish to do the right thing. Their convenience comes before anyone else’s best interest.”
Julia paused and looked at him. Her eyes had gone dark with sorrow, and he felt the same. The dragons had taken their compassion and magnified it a thousand fold. He knew that those people who did the damage often hurt themselves as much as their victims.
“And if we do this, we put an end to all the ways people hurt each other. There’ll be no more bullying, no more murder, no more harming ourselves or anyone else. It would be selfish not to do this,” Byrd added.
Coraolis nodded. It still made sense to him. Geneva shouldn’t be the only world at peace with itself. The rest of the galaxy deserved the same.
“How long before you’re ready to test it?” Julia asked.
“A couple of days, maybe. We’ve got an extensive checklist to go through before I’ll sign off on a trial run, then we’ll need to get it to the dragon’s nest.”
Coraolis agreed. They were about to forcibly evolve the souls of innumerable intelligent beings. Caution was the word of the day. He was sure the dragons wouldn’t harm anyone, but once their power channeled into the device, the dragons might not be able to control the outcome.
“I need to look at your brainwaves again,” Byrd said. “We’ve based a lot of the calibrations on Ronasuli. We want to make sure it’ll work for a born Mystic too.”
“I’m free now,” Coraolis said. “Julia, you’re not in a rush to get home, are you?”
“Not at all,” she said. “This is incredible, Frank. You’ve really done something wonderful here.”
“Ah, don’t inflate my head too much or it won’t fit in my EVA suit,” he said.
Captain McNuggen was as interested in the device as Coraolis, judging by her eager expression. She’d been quiet while they watched the tech work. Coraolis had almost forgotten Barbara was there and was startled when the captain spoke.
“Taylor, what’s this blip on my screen?”
“Sir?” The man on comm had been equally entranced by the procedure on the viewscreen. He spun his chair around to face his station. After a moment, the EVA’s transmission was replaced by a tactical map of the solar system. A red dot flickered at the very edge of the screen. “I’m picking up E.F. transmissions.”
Blood drained from Coraolis’s face. He’d hoped for more time. They’d established themselves on Geneva, but they needed more time. He needed more time.
“They found us,” Julia said. She squared her shoulders and went to look over Taylor’s shoulder. “That’s a scout ship. It won’t be out here on its own.”
“What do we do, Captain McNuggen?” Coraolis asked.
“Jam their signal for as long as you can.” McNuggen went to the captain’s chair and started doing something with a tactical map. “We don’t have time to evacuate the planet. We’ll load everyone onto the shuttles and move them away from Geneva City until the threat has passed. If they avoid using power sources, they should be able to hide.”
“We need to finish the device. It’s the only way to guarantee no one gets hurt again,” Julia said. “How much time do you need for that, Frank?”
“Six hours maybe. If we skip the safety checks.”
“I don’t like it, but it’s better than having Doomslayer throw missiles at our problems,” Julia said. “Can you bring it on board Doomslayer and finish it? We might need to fight our way back to Ian’s World. I’d like a head start.”
“I can. I’ll get a team together.” Byrd turned to McNuggen. “With your permission, Captain?”
“Go,” McNuggen said, and Byrd jogged out of the room. “You Evolved are the only effective non-lethal weapons we have. Can you do anything to slow them down?”
“We can,” Coraolis said. “I’ll have Jack and Dante come up.”
“Have them bring a full crew for Doomslayer while you’re at it,” McNuggen said. “I’ll get you the roster.”
“I’ll try to come up with a battle plan,” Julia said. “No one has tried to use Mystic abilities against Earth Fleet before, but I think we have a few tricks we can use.”
The captain nodded, her expression grave. This wouldn’t be her first battle. She seemed more resigned to the combat than eager, but that wasn’t surprising. The thought of taking a life was painful to Coraolis, and he’d never done it.
Coraolis summoned their friends as he and Julia hurried off the bridge, heading for the commune chamber. He could only hope the dragons would be the answer to their call.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Captain Elliott McKinley gripped the arms of his chair as his ship sped toward the planet. The Juno was one of the swiftest in Earth Fleet, with maneuverability to match. Juno resembled an oversized scout ship; in fact, it was an updated version of Doomslayer. Nothing in the fleet could match it.
Which meant it could outpace its escorts, getting into trouble that much faster and without backup.
“Report, Ensign Cody,” McKinley said.
“Scans picked up one ship in-system, but it’s sendng a jamming signal.” Cody’s hands flew over the controls. “They know we’re here.”
Finally. After months of hunting, his prey was in reach. The rogue Mystics would face justice. He’d confront them as traitors to the human race. He didn’t care why they’d done it. The fact was that they’d taken sides against Earth. He didn’t take betrayal lightly, especially from a former E.F. officer.
“It doesn’t matter. They won’t have time to do anything about it,” he said. “Anything else?”
“Just this, sir,” Cody said.
The ensign sent data to McKinley’s terminal. The scan showed the renegades were using strange technology. Even Juno’s tech didn’t know what to make of it. It had to be a weapon.
“Lieutenant Gurira, get me the rest of the squadron,” he ordered.
“You’re patched in now, sir,” she said.
“This is McKinley,” he said.
His voice was beamed to Juno’s four companion ships, effectively cloaked by electromagnetic energy. Its mass concealed them physically, and the interference kept most sensors from detecting them. The enemy would never see them coming.
One by one, the other captains checked in. They were as eager to go as McKinley. Juno joined the formation as Cody rattled off orders. His team acknowledged his plan, making suggestions here or there, but there was no question of who was in charge. It was McKinley’s show. It was going to run his way.
“They know we’re coming, but they don’t know when. We’ll wait for them to lower their guard, then swing around and take them out. They have some kind of device in orbit by Doomslayer. Could be a weapon. Destroy or capture it if you can. The Mystics are your highest priority for capture. Anyone else is expendable.”
His team answered with a chorus of ayes. They sounded grimly determined.
Months ago, the world had been worried about the missing ships. The most popu
lar theory was that the dragons had destroyed them. Others ascribed their disappearance to some other phenomena, but eventually they figured out the truth. The Mystics had stolen vast sums’ worth in equipment, resources, and staff. They’d played Earth Fleet for fools.
Humanity wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“On my mark, set the countdown at sixty minutes.”
Silence fell over the bridge. He watched his crew, proud of their ability to stay professional under pressure. He’d added each individual as a raw recruit, then forged them into the capable officers they were today. It was easier if he got them when they were young. Now their efficiency was a pleasure to behold, like watching the interior of a clock ticking away.
“Mark,” he said.
The countdown began.
***
Julia gave Coraolis a subdued smile. The four Mystics were gathered in Doomslayer’s commune chamber. They sat cross-legged on the floor, forming a circle through linked hands. Each had a bottle of electrolyte drink close to hand. Jack still wore muddy overalls, his well-used work gloves set aside. He looked like he’d come directly from the farm.
Dante displayed a grim expression the moment he came on board. He hadn’t said much, but they had all been preoccupied. Julia squeezed his hand, and Dante nodded. Coraolis winked at her from the other side of the circle.
“When the enemy attacks, they’ll lead with their Mystics,” she said. “They have the longest reach.”
“How long do we have?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know enough to say,” Julia replied. “It depends on their mission. They could come back in hours. It could be days or even years.”
“Either way, we can’t risk waiting,” Coraolis added. “Our friends on Geneva will wait out the threat. They can survive without us if we don’t make it back.”
“Hey! Let’s not jinx ourselves,” Jack said.
Something hit Doomslayer hard enough to rock the ship. This was it. Time to fight, even though she hated the idea. There were people to defend. She had a responsibility to them. That was far more important than any of her old ties.
“See?” Jack said. “Jinxed.”
Julia’s communicator chirped. She dropped Jack’s hand to answer it. “Captain? What’s going on?”
“Five unknown E.F. vessels are moving in fast. Are you ready to deploy?”
“We’re ready,” Julia said. She looked to the others, and they nodded. Coraolis gave her his crooked little smile, but he couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes. She smiled back and projected confidence.
“Good luck, Mystics,” McNuggen said.
“Same to you, captain.” Julia wasn’t optimistic about the near future.
She signed off and rejoined the circle. Jack gripped her hand hard. She squeezed back, jaws clenched as she tried to strengthen her resolve. Dante was outwardly calm. His cheek twitched once when he took her hand, but that was all. Coraolis winked at her.
Julia gathered up the tension in her body and released it on the exhale. Her spirit rode her breath out, emerging in the Astral Plane. Despite the dire situation, she smiled. She was home, and so was the dragon, her partner. It was reason enough to be happy.
Her friends were there when she arrived, but they had turned away from the circle to look at the incoming threat. The four attacking ships were represented by crystal-like objects with harsh angles and edges sharp as blades. Each ship had five Mystics flying with it, their hands linked. They glowed with power.
“Five-to-one, eh? It’s nice to be taken seriously,” Jack remarked.
No one laughed.
“Dante, what do you recommend?” Coraolis asked.
“I can see they expect us to be dangerous, but they don’t know how right they are, or they would have sent more than twenty,” Dante said. “We need to separate them and keep them from supporting each other.”
“Are we splitting up then?” Julia asked. She didn’t love that idea. Her bond made her stronger, but she was a long way from invincible. She’d rather watch Coraolis’s back.
“Yes, but don’t worry.” Dante gave her a smile. “I’ve got a plan.”
***
Captain McNuggen ended the call with Ronasuli then hit the alarm for General Quarters. Everyone should have already been at their battle stations; if they weren’t, the alarm would be the kick in the ass they needed. At her command, Ensign Navarro put a tactical map on the front screen.
Those bastards were fast. Since they’d emerged from the protection of the Geneva’s star, they’d cut the distance between their ships and Doomslayer in half. At least they were on the small side, so they wouldn’t be as well armed as her ship. That was one point in her favor.
“Navarro, set a course for the wormhole. Halsted, give us covering fire. Make it very uncomfortable for them to get close. Shoot to disable only,” she ordered.
“Sir, we can’t go through the wormhole,” Navarro said. “We don’t have a mothership.”
A hush fell over the ship; McNuggen had always run a disciplined ship. Orders were to be obeyed, not discussed. That breach of discipline would have been dealt with harshly not that long ago, but Barbara’s worldview had changed. Navarro had set the course, and Doomslayer was moving as ordered. In a sense, she was just asking a question, and Barbara saw no reason not to answer.
“I know that, ensign,” she said. “But we can’t outrun them, and we’re not going to kill them. We’ll fool them into thinking we went through, then use the star’s magnetic field to hide our presence. We’re going to hide from them.”
“Understood, captain,” Navarro said. There was no hiding the relief in his voice.
“Enemy ships are entering long range, captain,” Halsted reported.
“Fire at will.”
***
The four Evolved Mystics linked hands to form a circle. Energy poured into Julia, flooding her with her friends’ emotional energy and power. An aura sprang up around her body. It was a maelstrom of vibrant greens and blues fed by their love and hope. Combined, it gave her strength beyond anything she’d ever felt.
When she couldn’t hold any more, she let go and began to weave. She drew handfuls of ether out of thin air and spun them into luminescent threads. Julia twisted the threads together, creating a net large enough to capture a small moon.
“Are we sure this will work?” Coraolis asked. He put his hands on her shoulders, keeping her steady as she began to weave her reserves into the trap. There was no true up or down in the Astral Plane, but he gave her a center.
“Sure enough,” Dante said. “This was the best risk to take. If Doomslayer is defeated, it won’t matter if we take down the Mystics.”
“Speaking of,” Coraolis interrupted, “here they come.”
“I don’t have much left,” Julia said. “I’m counting on you, Cor. Jack.”
“We won’t let you down,” Coraolis promised.
He squeezed her shoulders, then darted away with Jack. They moved too quickly for the human eye to follow, and even that wasn’t their top gear. Moving in the Astral Plane had become as natural to them as it was for the dragons, and it showed in their swiftness and gut understanding of the Planet itself.
The enemy Mystics hesitated. They were startled by the Evolved’s speed, and Julia could only guess what they made of the draconic features. Coraolis and Jack split up, flanking the enemy. The other Mystics broke out of their trance and turned.
Some moved to follow Jack, others Coraolis, but their movements were unplanned and chaotic. Some flung themselves into each other. Some hesitated further and were caught between more decisive allies. A few were able to break free. They threw lances of power at their targets, shouting challenges.
Tongues of silver flame burst from Cor’s palms, covering his hand and flickering up his arms. He snatched the first bolt that came at him and melted it like an icicle in his burning hands. The next met the same fate, and the next. The movement of his hands drew fiery lines that lingered in the air, twist
ed into a complex knot that grew larger with every sweep. A bolt struck and shattered in a shower of sparks.
Another bolt struck the same place, then another. The Mystics attempting to create a weak point in his shield. Coraolis let them concentrate on that one spot; he simply built up new layers to reinforce the damage. Julia thought she saw him smiling. Of course he was; he was in his element. They all were.
Lances flew by Jack like thunderbolts as he twisted and dodged, always half a second ahead. Then three bolts came at him in concert. He avoided the first two with the ease of a dancer, only to land in the path of the third.
The white energy pierced his chest, knocking his head back. Julia froze, her hands trembling rather than continuing with the net. Her friend lay with a vacant look in his eyes. If he was hurt badly enough, he should have returned to his body. The only reason not to was the utter destruction of his mind or losing the connection to his body.
Even his attackers paused, horrified at what they’d done. When Jack’s form cracked then broke apart, one of them screamed and vanished from the Astral Plane. The others looked nearly as shaken, and the ones attacking Coraolis stopped to stare.
“Keep going,” Dante said. “He’s distracting them.”
“What kind of heartless person,” Julia began angrily, but Dante took her head and pointed it at a point several hundred meters above the fighting. Jack hovered there, hands outstretched. Ghostly dragon wings were spread above him, and she understood. It was all an illusion. The relief was almost enough to shatter the concentration she had left.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Dante ruffled her hair. “Don’t be sorry. He’ll be glad to know you care. Hurry. They won’t be fooled forever.”
Meanwhile, Coraolis was doing an excellent imitation of grieving his friend. He released his control of the shield. It exploded into a torrent of flame that sent the enemy in every direction. They were shouting, panicked, and when Coraolis threw more fire at them, they didn’t notice he was missing on purpose.
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