by Nick Braker
“What can we possibly ask him that the Kron would not know?”
“Listen,” Magnus said, “I get it. You have a job and you need to be sure. So, let me try... Jules you bought an expensive bottle of wine for me for our first night together.”
“Kron would know that,” Mira said.
Shit, I need to come up with something. Maybe further back before WSO would convince them.
“Zara is in love with Brock and when she first met him at the sorority, she had designs for him already planned out.”
“Kron would know that,” Mira repeated.
Okay, further back when I first met Seph. Shit, I need something better.
“Seph, you still sort of hate me for my bitches comment outside of DOM and, for the thousandth time, I wasn’t even referring to you.”
“The Kron would know that, too,” Mira said.
Shit, I really need to convince Mira. She’s not going to abort this mission unless I can prove it to her.
“Damn it, Mira. Humanity and Kron are...”
Mira’s demons.
“...wait, I got proof,” Magnus said, “this is personal and I’m sorry. Mira, you are the hardest because we never really spent much time together but you are secretly in love with me and have been since the day you saw me at your sorority. You have suppressed your feelings and have never told me because you are deathly afraid of the person you would become if I spurned your love. You have demons in your past from the Aliri augmentation. They once consumed you and you fight to keep them in check every day.”
The communication went silent. Was he wrong about Mira? Had he seen something in her that was not real? If he was wrong, his life ended here and Katerra would destroy them.
“Power down,” Mira said through her tears. “Abort the mission.”
“Jules, cut power,” Mira ordered.
“It’s not responding,” Jules yelled.
“My queen,” one of the Kron women said, “A wormhole portal just opened in front of their ship.”
“Mira, Jules,” Magnus yelled, “what are you doing? Shit. Someone shut that bomb down.”
“My queen, their ship is inside Kron’s atmosphere.”
“Jules,” Seph said, screaming over the alarms. “Why did you cut the intercom? I tried to tell you, I automated the launch sequence. You’ll have control as soon as the PB is launched. What the hell is going on?”
“Dear god,” Magnus said. “Katerra, I’m sorry.”
Katerra’s grip on him didn’t waver. Magnus swallowed knowing he was an instant from death. If he tried to break her grip, she would sever both his carotid arteries. No Aliri augmentation would save his life. He couldn’t attack and he couldn’t try to break free. She had him in her control. Katerra’s face was above him, her forearm still pressing him into the console. A drop of warm water splashed his cheek. The pressure from her forearm eased. He slowly turned his neck a few inches, craning to get a glimpse at her face. Tears had welled up in her eyes.
“I... cannot,” she whispered to him, looking into his eyes.
“My queen!” the same Kron woman said, “There was an explosion detected below the surface on Kron’s defense grid shield generator. Planetary shields are down and there is another energy surge from Epsilon fleet’s command ship. It is aimed at our—”
A flash of white light filled the room and something struck Katerra from behind with a loud, meaty thunk. Her face grimaced in pain. Katerra slumped over, falling to the floor. Time slowed down for Magnus as he watched Katerra fall, a knife buried to the hilt, in her back.
“I am Ckilra,” a Kron woman said as she stood triumphantly over Katerra.
Magnus spun around to face Ckilra, his back to the communication console. How did she get here? Did she teleport? Manushri had mentioned a woman named Ckilra.
“Help me kill them,” Ckilra said to Magnus.
Katerra’s guards rushed the intruder. She brought a blaster up with her left hand and fired two quick shots into each of them. The two blasts knocked them down, leaving large, smoking black holes in their chests. Several other guards had already launched themselves at her. She shifted her head left and fired two more shots while pulling another blaster out with her right. Her left arm snapped farther left and she fired again while her head turned right aiming at another set of guards. She fired in rapid succession. Katerra’s guards dropped like dominoes as each blast opened a hole in their chests. The door to the corridor opened and more guards rushed in. The woman moved like Brock, shifting her blasters left and right without appearing to aim.
Something touched his foot. Katerra’s hand laid on it. She had reached for him, hoping for help as she bled out on the floor. Her words came to him again. I cannot. Katerra could not kill him even for her own people. Why? Was the alliance real? Was it love? In the medical bay, she had asked him to be her life mate. Did she ask to cement the alliance between their people or was it because she had fallen for him?
The battle around Magnus continued in slow motion as his thoughts raced to process what was happening.
The planet buster bomb was minutes from destroying Kron.
Ckilra was killing the guards and crew on the bridge of their mightiest warship, moving like Brock who had been augmented by the Aliri.
Mira and her crew were plummeting to their death with no engines and he had no way to save them.
Katerra was dying on the floor in a pool of her own blood.
The Aliri were behind all of it. They brought death and destruction with them. His people on Earth were used like puppets to fight a war against an enemy light years away.
Ckilra shifted left again, firing several more shots. The guards tried to fire back as others rushed Ckilra. Three more guards were blasted backward while another two tried to tackle her. Ckilra shifted to face them, putting her back to Magnus.
“Help me kill them,” Ckilra ordered. “Even I cannot kill them all.”
Magnus had to choose. Ckilra offered him a chance to destroy a possible enemy. Was it Kron or was it the Aliri? Magnus stepped forward and, in a flash of movement, slipped his arms around Ckilra’s neck and twisted. The move spun her head completely around to face Magnus. Her mouth opened, staring at him as she collapsed to the floor.
“Katerra needs medical help,” Magnus ordered. “Now.”
Kron - Citron
Wednesday, December 9, 1987 - 12:50am
Magnus
Seven Kron women wearing light blue clothing entered the bridge with medical gear in tow. Four of them rushed to Katerra while the other three examined each of the guards splayed along the floor. Magnus climbed the short stairs and sat in her command chair. They placed Katerra on a floating gurney and took her away to medical.
“Back to your stations, now,” Magnus barked. “Patch me through to the entire fleet. We don’t have much time. Do it now.”
Several technicians and operators returned to their posts, taking seats at their stations. Others hesitated but they eventually obeyed his order, returning to their seats.
“My... Magnus,” a Kron woman said, stumbling over his title, “you are connected to fleet broadcast.”
“Your queen, Katerra, is hurt. This is Magnus of Earth, I’m in temporary command. Can any of you stop that bomb from hitting Kron?”
“My king,” Deira said, “The planet’s shields are down and the bomb will strike Kron in 24 seconds. There is nothing we can do to stop it.”
“Evacuation status?” Magnus demanded.
“Successful,” Deira reported. “Only one ship failed to launch.”
“Is the Mammon far enough outside Kron’s gravitational well?”
“Yes, my king,” Deira said.
“Keep the shields down,” he ordered. “Prepare to divert all power to rear shields and engines. Hold position here.”
Several of the Kron women turned and glared at Magnus. They did not trust him. The bomb couldn’t be stopped which meant their home world would be destroyed, taking everything nearb
y with it, including the Mammon.
“I’m going to get us out of this,” Magnus said, looking directly at the ones that were glaring at him.
“My king,” Deira said, interrupting, “the blast radius will destroy us—”
“I won’t let it. Hold your position,” Magnus ordered. “I’m getting everyone out of here.” Magnus tapped his EP. “Connect me to Mira’s team.”
Beep. Blip.
“Jules,” Magnus said, “answer me.”
“Jules here.”
Magnus could barely hear her over the din of sounds in the background. The tiny ship was fighting to break free of Kron’s atmosphere and get away from the blast radius. They wouldn’t make it alone but, with the Mammon, they could if he could get them on board first.
“Engines working?” Magnus asked.
“Yes, repaired moments ago.”
“Jules, full speed. We’re taking you on board,” Magnus said. “Change course and land anywhere on this ship.”
“Aye, captain. Changing course,” Jules said. “I have control again.”
“ETA?” Magnus asked.
“Twelve seconds,” Jules responded.
“How—”
“Eight seconds until detonation,” a Kron woman said, interrupting him.
“We’re getting everyone out of here,” he yelled. “No one dies, damn it. Seph—”
The bomb exploded in a flash of blinding light. The Mammon’s main view screen filtered the light to acceptable levels but they were all in danger. The radiation would hit first and then the concussive force seconds after.
“Almost there,” Jules said. “Our shields are still up but—”
A screech replaced Jules’ words, the same sound he heard when Brock had died. Magnus’ EP went silent.
“My king,” Deira yelled, “we go now or—”
“Full speed,” Magnus ordered. “Shields up. Jules, answer me. Jules!”
The Mammon jumped forward, preparing to slip into phased space. The concussive force slammed into the massive ship’s rear shields. Magnus held on as the Mammon’s gravity well tried to compensate for the inertia change as well as the force the blast exerted on the ship’s internal systems. Several technicians were thrown from their chairs as electrical discharges arced across the consoles, frying some of their stations. He managed to hold himself in place as the blast shook the ship.
“Jules!” Magnus yelled.
The Mammon jumped to light speed.
“I need a report on that ship, now,” Magnus ordered.
“Sensors are overloaded,” a Kron woman reported. “The blast’s radiation has blinded us.”
Magnus wanted to scream. Their EPs had cutout like Brock’s did during the explosion in Managua. Magnus squeezed the command chair with a white knuckled grip. His eyes burned. “Jules! Report!” His EP remained silent. He had lost four more friends. Magnus’ heart broke knowing what the news would mean to Grep. Grep would never forgive him. Magnus had nobody. Even Katerra was likely dead or would be soon.
Mira, Jules, Zara, and Seph were gone. Katerra’s entire planet was gone. He could not stop it. He couldn’t stop anything. People always died when they got near him.
“Sir, sensors are coming back on line,” the Kron woman said.
“My king,” another said, “incoming communication.”
Magnus’ heart froze. Was it Jules? Were they okay?
“Put them through,” he ordered, leaning forward in his chair.
“This is Commander Kada. Mammon, report your status.”
Magnus’ head dropped forward. It wasn’t them. His crew was gone.
“Report,” Kada prompted.
Magnus leaned back, trying to control his emotions. Over five million people needed him now and he once again had to bury his feelings for another day. He had to push the loss away. Push it down into the hole that he filled with his pain. The hole that needed to be deeper.
“This is the Mammon,” Magnus said. “Katerra is hurt and is currently receiving medical assistance.” He couldn’t risk telling Kada that Katerra was mortally wounded for fear the rest of her people were listening to the transmission. He didn’t know protocol for the Kron. “Commander Kada, return to the Mammon as soon as you can. Bring all remaining ships with you.”
“Where are we going?” Kada asked.
Kada knew the truth.
“Home,” Magnus said.
Kron - Citron
Wednesday, December 9, 1987 - 02:05am
Magnus
Magnus transferred command of the fleet to Kada as soon as she entered the bridge. The faces of the crew showed mixed emotions. He knew some of them hated him. He didn’t care. Magnus couldn’t feel anything good inside. Those he loved were gone and he felt the helplessness again. Nothing he seemed to do could stop the deaths of the people closest to him. He had saved Earth and he had saved the people of Kron. It seemed like an unfair trade. Magnus wandered the Mammon’s corridors deep in thought. No one stopped him and everyone stepped aside as he passed by. Did they want to kill him or treat him as their king? Katerra was their leader and, if she didn’t make it, what would happen then? A lump formed in his throat at the thought of Katerra’s death.
She was right. Both groups needed the alliance. They needed to come together and fight the Aliri; Kron’s technology with Earth’s resources. Separately, he felt both worlds would never succeed but together they had a chance.
His thoughts drifted to Katerra again. Her wellbeing gnawed at him. He finally gave in and searched for their medical bay. After asking several people for directions, he found it and entered. The semi-hard floor of the ship’s corridors transitioned to a smooth marble-like surface. The antechamber leading to Katerra’s room contained several monitoring stations and each of them were dark and silent. Antiseptic smells assaulted his nostrils. He cringed at the memories of his time in Kron’s medical bay.
Yaren looked up from her workstation. “Hello, Magnus. I’m sure you’re here to see our queen. She is returning from surgery as we speak. You can wait in the queen’s recovery room,” she said, pointing into the next area.
He nodded, stepping into the next room. Within minutes, Katerra’s bed glided over the medical bay’s floor as they brought her in. Several minutes passed as her attendants connected her to their monitoring systems. Once they finished, they left. Magnus held Katerra’s hand as she lay unconscious. Most of the alien equipment meant nothing to him but her heart monitor beeped normally. Katerra lived and that mattered to him. She had to live because he needed her to. The thought of her dying made his heart ache. Had he fallen for her? He lost track of time as he waited by her side. There was nowhere else he wanted to be. Being here felt right to him.
Manushri had warned Magnus about Ckilra but he was in no shape to deal with her after the ritual. Who was she? Ckilra had teleported to the bridge ready to kill Katerra. It was planned, it had to be. Ckilra had known what she was doing. The blade had pierced Katerra’s back between her ribs and went straight through to her heart. Katerra’s life hung by a thread. He pushed several strands of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Kron didn’t have the technology to teleport in that manner. Kron’s process took about thirty seconds. Ckilra had appeared instantly, with no warning. She had been a killing machine. At the rate she was killing... killing machine... wait, just like Brock had been. Was she augmented? If so, the Aliri had done it. Katerra had mentioned the Aliri could teleport. They had to be behind the attack. Someone entered the medical bay.
“My king,” Kada said, as Magnus looked up.
“I’m not your—”
“Yes, you are regardless of whether you like it or not,” she said. “You are the queen’s warrior and until she recovers—” Magnus started to respond and tell her to go to hell. Kada grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall. “We do not play games on Kron. We do not mope. We focus on survival... for all of us. Your feelings are irrelevant.” She released him, stepping back. “Kill m
e if you must, my king, but you will lead us.” She bowed her head. “I came here to tell you that one of your people has survived.”
“What? What did you..., one of my people?” he asked.
“We found your ship,” Kada said. “The one called Mira is alive. I am no doctor... she is hurt but conscious. She will live.”
“Take me to her,” Magnus ordered.
Kada escorted Magnus to another part of the Mammon. They traveled in one of their shuttle tubes. Mira was alive? Did that mean the other three could be out there? If Mira had made it, it had to be a possibility. He was barely aware of where Kada was taking him. They exited the shuttle. He followed Kada as she turned a corner and nodded to several Kron women guarding a door. It opened. Mira looked up at him from her bed. She was in another of their medical bays.
“Magnus? Oh my. You’re okay,” Mira said.
Magnus rushed into the room and hugged her.
“I’m sorry, Mira,” Magnus said.
Kada signaled for everyone to leave. The doors closed and they were alone.
“Mira, did anyone else make—”
Mira shook her head. The dam finally broke and tears flowed down Magnus’ cheeks. He took a deep breath, willing himself to stop. His throat caught as a rush of air threatened to choke him. Mira reached out to hold him, drawing him closer to her. They both cried for their friends. Seph and Zara were gone. Jules was gone. The thought of Jules’ death brought more tears and he sobbed, unable to hold back. The hole he had dug to bury his feelings, the one he kept stuffing his pain into... finally erupted.
Chapter 33
EARTH
Kron - Citron
Wednesday, December 9, 1987 - 08:00am
Magnus
Magnus had fallen asleep in Mira’s arms. They had spent the night mourning their friend’s deaths and exhaustion had taken hold.
“Magnus,” Mira said, shaking him.
Magnus stirred and sat up on the side of her bed. He wiped his eyes.
“We’re heading home, Mira,” Magnus said.
“Earth?” She asked.