Well, let’s hope you’re right, Jade thought.
Ten
A Creaji woman with a body like a goddess danced on a platform in front of Ryze Starlo. His helmet was off, sitting on the chair next to him, and in his hand was a mug with enough dredka to put an elanty to sleep. This was his third mug of the night. He was a champ at holding his liquor, but even he would admit that he was pushing his limit.
Still, he’d just been paid a handsome sum, and he thought that merited a good enough reason to celebrate. He’d been on Capras a day longer than he intended, sleeping most of the time away in the Starblazer. Mercenary work in planets all over the galaxy, with different rotations, did a number on one’s sleep schedule. He would catch glimpses of rest here and there while flying through a QJ highway, yes, but never enough to feel fully rested. So when he laid his head down the night he’d been paid the bounty for Felia, he fell into the deepest sleep he’d had since before the First War.
He slept all the following day and into the night. Coliseum, however, was a city that never slept, and when Ryze woke up, he remembered what he had seen on the viewscreen in his quarters: the ongoing and senseless destruction of Xovia, his home world.
A sense of duty had overtaken him, but he reminded himself that he owed the planet nothing. He was no longer a soldier, no longer a patriot. The First War brought him nothing but pain, heartbreak, and the loss of friends he considered family.
Naturally, Ryze did what most did when they wanted to forget something.
He drank, and he intended to drink a lot.
In front of him, the Creaji twirled her tail between her legs and cast it out like a fishing rod onto Ryze’s chest. He stared at it with watery eyes and then took a sip from his mug.
Ryze felt nothing. No attraction. No urge.
But the dancer was a working woman, just as he was a working man. One way or another, you had to make ends meet.
Ryze downed the last of his dredka, stood up, and set a stack of frags on the platform. The Creaji looked at it, and her mouth dropped open. It was quite a lot of frags. Ryze tipped her a wink and left.
Outside, the sour smell of garbage and sweat enveloped him. He put his helmet back on and tuned the filters to their maximum capacity.
“Finally!” a voice said in his ear, startling him.
“Spex, I told you not to do that when I’m drinking.”
“I know, I know, but this is important, Ryze.”
Ryze. It must’ve been important, he thought, if Spex was calling him by name instead of the usual sir.
“What is it?”
“A message. I couldn’t believe it myself.”
“From who?” Ryze asked. He had stopped walking, a feeling of dread settling upon his chest. “If it’s another Draki prince claiming I’ve inherited a massive amount of frags and all I gotta do to claim it is give him my bank account number, ID, and my mother’s maiden name so help me, Spex…”
“Xovia, sir. Your home world.”
This quickly sobered him up.
“I’ll be back soon,” Ryze said, his mind spinning.
He walked the streets with a purpose and got to the ship in record time. As soon as he was inside, he took his helmet off and headed to the main hold. He sat in front of one of the computer terminals. On the screen, he selected the message and read it.
Someone was asking for help. Someone had asked him for help. This was no accident.
“Spex, thoughts?” he asked.
“Firstly, I must say for a man whose blood alcohol content level is so high, you are quite level-headed, sir.”
“You know I can handle my liquor better than any other human in the galaxy. Remember that drinking contest I had with the Grays?” Ryze waited a moment, and Spex said nothing. “Exactly. Now give me details on this message.”
“It came through a quarter of an hour or so ago, sir, which would put it at a Xovian time near sunset.”
“Can you pinpoint the location of where it came from?”
“Working,” Spex said. “It’s encrypted. However, I may be able to override— Ah, here we go, sir.”
The bad feeling settled in Ryze’s stomach again.
“Your sender’s location is on the screen now, sir.”
Ryze looked, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The Xovian coordinates were familiar to him. Very familiar.
“Sir? Are you okay? Shall I retrieve a bucket for you to vomit in?” Spex asked, his voice distant and faded, because Ryze was in a different time and place.
He was back on his home world, fighting off Dominion forces in the forests, defending one of the last communication centers still standing. The trees lit up with blaster fire. Bodies littered the ground, both human and robotic. Him and his troops made it to the center and—
“I’m okay,” Ryze answered.
“Does this location mean something to you? There is quite a blind spot in my knowledge of your past.”
“Well, you can’t really expect me to divulge my history to an AI, can you?”
“Like it or not, sir, I am your best friend.”
Ryze said nothing, but it was the truth.
“Judging by your facial expressions, this is no mere prank, is it?”
“No, it’s not,” Ryze answered. “I was hoping it was, but very few on Xovia know of this comm center. I would bet good money that whoever sent this message is the former king’s kin.”
“Perhaps they were forced to send it, sir?”
“For what reason? The God-King doesn’t want me. In fact, I doubt he even knows who I am. I’m all but invisible to the Celestial Dominion, and I like it that way.”
“So I shouldn’t set our course for Xovia?”
What do I owe that planet? It’s brought me nothing but tragedy… Ryze thought, and then answered with: “No.”
“Very well, sir,” Spex said.
“Let’s go somewhere else. I need to get my mind off of all this. What’s that planet with the big casino, the one where you gamble with your own blood?”
“Ptain,” Spex said. “Shall I set a course for there?” The AI’s voice was flat.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“C’mon, Spex, I’ve known you for how long? Like you said, you’re my best friend. I can tell when something is wrong by your voice alone, and that’s pretty odd for an AI. Just saying…”
“Nothing is wrong, sir.”
“Spex, I will pull your plug. Don’t tempt me, man.”
The AI released a sigh through the speakers. Ryze still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that a computer could sound more human than most real humans. “I believe, sir, we should go to Xovia. They need help, and Xovia is your home.”
“Was my home.”
“Ryze, pardon me, but don’t be stupid. You are not a stupid man.”
Ryze jerked his head back in surprise. Still, he was smiling. “What if it is a trap? You’re right. So I’m not being stupid, I’m being cautious.”
“What if it’s not a trap? What if a young queen dies because we didn’t help when we could’ve?”
“Not my problem.”
“It is your problem. She contacted you, and you know why she contacted you,” Spex said. “This isn’t caution. This is fear.”
Ryze remained quiet. The AI was right, per usual.
“She contacted you because you were a hero.”
“Am a hero. C’mon, Spex, I deserve more credit than that.”
The AI continued. “What kind of life is the one you lead now, Ryze? You hunt bad people down and profit from their crimes. You even sometimes stoop to their level. That is no life at all, sir.”
Gods, was this some sort of dredka-induced hallucination?
Ryze remained quiet, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. Damn it, the AI was making too much sense.
“You have a capable ship,” Spex said.
“The best in the galaxy,” Ryze mumbled. He could’ve
really used another drink. I shouldn’t have left the bar. I should’ve stayed right in front of the dancer’s platform and let her hit me with her tail until the sun came up.
“Yes, the best in the galaxy, sir. The Starblazer compares to no other craft, I know, and it is yours. You are a hell of a pilot. You know the layout of Xovia, you can fight if you have to, and you're kinder than you give yourself credit for. Beneath that armor, I believe you are as soft as grunther fur.”
“Shut up, Spex.”
“Sir, I don’t mean to speak out of turn.”
“Well, you are. You’re supposed to listen to me. You’re not supposed to make me feel guilty.”
“Incorrect, sir. I am programmed to operate in the most logical way possible. What I’m telling you is only that—logical.”
“It doesn’t seem logical. I mean, I could die. And even if we go to Xovia, we’re going to have a hell of a time getting past a Dominion fleet. They’ll be surrounding the planet, and their sensors will pick us up before we even come out of QJ.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s Ryze Starlo.”
Ryze closed his eyes and shook his head.
“There is still some honor left in you, sir. I can sense it, and more than that, I have seen it firsthand.”
Ryze stood. They did have the means to help, and the message came to him for a reason, didn’t it?
Maybe it was fate.
“Sir?” Spex said.
Ryze let out a sigh, then took another deep breath. This was crazy, so crazy. He couldn’t believe the words that were about to leave his mouth.
“Damn it, Spex, set a course for Xovia.”
With unmistakable cheer in his voice, the AI said, “Right away, sir!”
Eleven
Akyra scanned the surrounding trees. She found nothing at the crash site besides a dead pilot. No other bodies. The queen and her accomplice had gotten away, somehow surviving the destruction.
It was nearly impossible, Akyra thought. Nearly. She had underestimated her target.
Her and the cybersoldiers split up, searching in all directions for a lead. The sun was heading down, and soon the dark would take over. Akyra was told of the dangers in the forest at night, the types of creatures that came out and scavenged for warm flesh, but she wasn’t scared. Few things ever scared her. Besides, for the amount of frags she was offered, she’d do just about anything—braving wyrmwolves included. The chances of them bothering her were slim, anyway. The cybersoldiers would be a strong deterrent.
With her hololens, Akyra switched to night vision, and on a slope of land, she found what she was looking for. A bloody handprint on the trunk of a crooked tree.
In the binary language, Akyra called the soldiers back to her. They arrived within seconds, their large metallic bodies slicing through brush and bramble like it was nothing more than mist.
“This way,” she told them. They obeyed without argument—the only good thing, Akyra thought, about such soldiers.
She scanned up the slope, but still found nothing. Along the way, more vestiges of the survivors presented themselves. Footprints, scraps of clothing, the lingering scent of their fear.
Part of her thought she would come upon their bodies sooner rather than later. Akyra wasn’t usually one to question jobs, but why did the God-King want the queen so badly? Xovia was a dinky planet that offered nothing to the Dominion besides being a blip on their map of conquered star systems.
Whatever it was the God-King wanted, it was vastly important, and Akyra found herself thinking she may be able to squeeze a few more frags out of the situation.
At the top of the hill, Akyra stopped near a boulder. She found many bootprints here, and then climbed the rock and looked out and over the dark trees. Legions of them swaying in the gentle breeze, as if they were lungs taking in and expelling breath. With her hololens, she swept her eyes in every direction, and—
A jolt of excitement suddenly took hold.
Maybe a quarter to a half-mile away stood an old, abandoned structure.
Inside of it were two heat signatures.
She hopped down from the boulder, landing with a solid thunk, and pointed in the direction of the building. “Move out!”
Twelve
The Starblazer left QJ out of range of any scanners. Ryze made sure of it.
“Spex, zoom in.”
The viewscreen now showed three warships hovering around Xovia. These were the types of ships with enough firepower on board to blow a planet in half, and the God-King wouldn’t hesitate doing just that. Beyond them, was the crisp, blue planet. Looking at it brought on too many memories. He almost had to turn his head.
Get control, he thought. You can do this.
“How many ships are on the surface?” Ryze asked.
“Calculating…” Spex answered. After a moment: “Just one. The war-master’s ship.”
“Calamity,” Ryze said, gritting his teeth. He knew that ship well. It wasn’t the first time the Battler had hung over the capital city, dispatching legions of assault fighters to lay waste on the planet. “And the warships?”
“Armed,” Spex said, “their lasers primed and ready to fire.”
“Why are they here?” Ryze wondered aloud. “It doesn’t make sense. Xovia bent the knee. Why would the God-King even bother?”
“I don’t know, sir,” Spex said. “Perhaps to make an example. Shall we go in closer?”
“Not yet.” The ex-soldier in him said he needed to devise a plan. Sneaking past the warships would be difficult, but not impossible. “You got any ideas on how we’re going to enter Xovia’s atmosphere?”
“Calculating… No, I’m sorry, sir. The odds of making it past undetected are slim, very slim indeed.”
“I don’t need a processor to figure that one out, Spex.”
The Starblazer continued hovering at a distance as Ryze sat in the pilot’s chair, thinking. Stratagem was usually one of his strong suits, but looking on at his home world brought on more than memories; it filled him with an urge to fight, to annihilate the Dominion soldiers.
This newfound bloodlust made Ryze sit up a little straighter in his seat and reach for the ship’s controls. “Spex, turn off autopilot and route all power to the main thrusters.”
The AI didn’t immediately reply, and a long silence fell over the cockpit. On the dashboard, the light indicating that autopilot was still on remained burning.
“Spex?”
“Why, sir? What are you thinking of doing?”
“I’m thinking of saving the queen.”
“Sir…the chances of survival are also slim. I feel we should approach with stealth—”
“Why did I program an AI into my ship if it doesn’t obey me?” Ryze mumbled, shaking his head.
“I’m only looking out for us, sir. If the ship is destroyed, not only will you die, but I will die as well,” Spex explained. “I’m not ready to die yet.”
“Spex, we aren’t going to die. I’m the best damn pilot in the galaxy. Now give me control of my ship or I’m pulling your plug! And if we do die, you won’t even get to go out as a hero.”
The AI sighed, still sounding oddly human, and the autopilot light blinked out. The engine kicked into gear, vibrating as power diverted to the main thrusters. Another press of a button and the rockets dropped, armed. A flick of a switch and the main laser turbines on each wing hummed with power.
It was practically suicide, but Ryze hadn’t felt more alive in a long, long time. “All right, let’s do this!” he shouted. With a hand on each flight stick and fingers hovering over the lasers’ triggers, he pushed forward. And the Starblazer zoomed through open space, straight for the warships.
Thirteen
“We’ve got company already,” Ryze said.
“I see that, sir.”
The radar showed two dozen red dots in attack formation, heading straight for the ship. It had only taken about thirty seconds before the warships picked the Starblazer up on its scanners, and less tha
n thirty seconds later, each ship dropped a battalion of invader drones. These were unmanned crafts about half the size of the Starblazer, but carrying just as much, or maybe even more, firepower. One by itself wasn’t anything to worry about—Ryze could’ve easily blown it to smithereens with the press of a button. But this many? That spelled major trouble.
“Program the location from the queen’s message into the nav. I’d like to not get turned around while I try getting past these bastards,” Ryze told Spex.
“Programmed, sir.”
“Thank you. Now get ready.”
“Oh, stars help us,” Spex howled.
The invaders swarmed toward them like a black cloud of locusts, sonic drives buzzing loudly.
“Hold on, Spex!” Ryze shouted, smiling. His heart raced, his blood pumped a gallon per second, and his skin prickled. Nothing like a little death to remind you that you were alive. Ryze rolled the ship to the right, and about half a dozen invaders zipped below the left wing. Dangerously close. Still rolling, Ryze dropped the left rocket.
An explosion erupted immediately after, white-red light flashing blindingly on the viewscreen. It boosted the ship forward.
Ryze righted the Starblazer and checked the radar. Six of the red dots had vanished.
“How’d you like that, Spex?”
“Impressive, sir, but please don’t ever do it again,” the AI answered in a shaky voice.
“No promises.”
Moaning, Spex continued praying, and Ryze couldn’t help but laugh. He took the ship between two of the Dominion’s monstrosities. Blaster fire ripped toward them, following the Starblazer’s trajectory, but Ryze avoided it with another tight roll. Then, with more pressure on the thruster, he shot out and above the warships.
The invaders continued to chase, and they were small enough to mimic Ryze’s maneuvering. Not good.
“Divert power to right engine, please.”
“Sir? Why?”
“Do it, Spex.”
Spex did, and Ryze performed a quick turn, snapping the Starblazer around to face the invaders head-on.
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