by Sarah Noffke
“As I was saying, you’ve been relieved of your orders. Your commander is now in our custody, and all of you are under our protection.” Lars cleared his throat, a strange new buzzing taking over his chest. “You are free from your duty to the Brotherhood, and free to return to Kezza.”
No one cheered or even moved, but the change of expression on everyone’s faces was palpable. It was like a great weight had fallen off the shoulders of every male in the general vicinity.
This is going to work, thought Lars. They just needed the last step in the plan to fall into place. Commander Lytes had to be marched into custody.
The Q-Ship Eddie had cloaked and parked next to the Command Center lifted into the air, a solid form. It hovered there for a moment before landing on the open patch of tarmac that had been occupied by hundreds of Brotherhood soldiers earlier.
The soldiers held at gunpoint by Lars and the Black Eagles turned to watch the Q-Ship. They were waiting for someone to come out of it, not realizing it had been steered by an AI. No one would exit the ship, its sole purpose being to take Commander Lytes away.
Omega-line Q-Ship, Nexus, Tangki System
Julianna watched from the air as the Q-Ship rose above the Brotherhood base, then dropped again. Everything was now in place.
Yes, the Brotherhood forces were gaining on the Sunex people, but there weren’t many of them, and soon they’d be called back. The Stingrays were far out to sea chasing the Black Eagles.
Once they had Commander Lytes in custody they’d learn everything they needed to about Felix Castile. Best of all, he’d have lost his footing with the Brotherhood and relinquished his claim to Nexus. Felix would be in an incredibly compromised position.
Next on their list was to find the armory of weapons Felix stole from the Defiance Trading Company. That would all happen, though, in good time.
Chapter Twenty-One
Brotherhood Command Center, Nexus, Tangki System
“Ground forces have been overrun by bombs. We’re pulling back!” yelled a voice over the radio.
Commander Lytes’ eyes narrowed in disdain and he ground his fist into the top of the console.
“This is Flight Control Center. It appears that Brotherhood forces from Base Center have been detained,” said a robotic voice over the radio.
Commander Lytes’ gaze shifted back and forth as the different voices spilled over the radio, all of them frantic.
“Air forces taking enemy fire over the water. About to submerge to reconvene and throw off their attacks,” said a different voice.
Eddie smiled inwardly. They’d planned on the Stingrays using their swim technology, which was exactly why they had been led out over the water. The Stingrays had all sped in that direction, thinking they had the advantage and not realizing they were being led away from the Sunex people. By the time they’d pulled off their fancy underwater synchronization act it would all be over. The Brotherhood would have fully surrendered.
“It’s too late, like I said before.” Eddie held the tri-rifle up, making sure that Commander Lytes didn’t forget that this weapon was still in play in the negotiation.
“What do you want from me?” asked the commander, his voice stressed.
“First I want you to pick up the radio on my command and inform all units that this is finished. Pull back ground and air forces, recalling them to the base. Tell them your command has been overthrown,” said Eddie.
“And then what?” growled Lytes.
Eddie smiled, feeling the adrenaline start to wane as the imminent success became reality. “And then we’re going to take a little walk, just the two of us.” He motioned with the gun to the exit. “You’re going to march out in front of your army in handcuffs and board my ship. You won’t be harmed, but from now until your trial you will be a prisoner of the Federation.”
The commander ground his sharp teeth, a screeching noise coming from his mouth with the movement. “Felix won’t let you get away with this.”
“Felix isn’t here,” said Eddie with a deep laugh. “Your great and powerful master has left you all alone. He told you to take this planet, but where is he when someone tries to stop you? He wanted you to do his dirty work, then he’d swoop in when everything was safe. Well, imagine his surprise when he learns you’ve failed and you’re our little prisoner! I can just see the look in his eyes.”
“You underestimate Mr. Castile,” said the commander.
Eddie tilted his head to the side. “Do I? You’re the one taking orders from me, so I don’t think I do. Now, pick up the radio and announce your defeat. If you try anything funny I’ll shoot you, and then you’ll be dragged out of here in a very undignified manner. And let’s be honest, Lytes—all you have left is your dignity, am I right?”
The commander snatched up the radio, his eyes two tiny slits, then took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
Brotherhood Base, Nexus, Tangki System
Static filled the speakers around the base and then a voice Lars recognized immediately came through. Lytes.
Everyone tensed as they listened to the message.
“This is Commander Lytes of the Brotherhood. Our base has been overrun by the enemy. Our ground forces are down, and our ships are in compromised territory. I have…” there was a pause, and the commander cleared his throat. “It is with regret that I must inform you we have surrendered to enemy forces. I ask that you all stand down. Return to base, and relinquish control to Ghost Squadron. I repeat: ground forces, return to the base. Air forces, do not submerge, return to base. We have been overrun by the enemy.”
Lars’ hands tightened on his gun as the Brotherhood soldiers before him turned to each other in astonishment. Oh, they’d believed him when the Black Eagles had hovered, reinforcing him, but now reality was setting in. Most had anxious faces, but underneath that Lars thought he recognized another emotion: relief. Every single one of these soldiers knew that this was now someone else’s war, that it was over for them. That the Brotherhood was being disbanded meant something of great value: They would be free to return home.
Brotherhood Command Center, Nexus, Tangki System
Eddie waited until Commander Lytes had finished his address and placed the radio transmitter on the console before nodding his approval.
“Nicely done,” he said. “You know, for a despicable male who abuses his power, you still have some honor left in you.”
“Your idea of honor and mine are very different,” hissed Lytes.
Eddie shrugged, enjoying the Kezzin’s display of anger more than he should have.
“You say ‘pot-ay-to,’ I say ‘pot-ah-to,’” said Eddie with a laugh.
“Now you expect me to follow you out of here?” asked Commander Lytes, a taunting grin on his face.
“That’s right,” said Eddie. “Your people will be returning soon and I want them to see you formally surrender to us, not just hear it over the radio.”
Commander Lytes’ hand was still holding tight to the radio, but Eddie didn’t care. The message had already been communicated, and he could tell from the red light that it wasn’t broadcasting anymore. The commander was just holding onto anything he could, since it was all slipping away. People did the strangest things when they were about to be defeated.
“Remember before when you said that all I had left was my dignity?” asked Lytes.
“I believe I do,” said Eddie, eying the Kezzin in front of him.
“Well, you were right. Soldiers like you and me have only our dignity.” Commander Lytes lifted his chin with a new glint in eyes. “And we are truly nothing, and I mean nothing, without it!”
Eddie watched as Lytes’ hands shot for something underneath the console, and he sprang forward when he saw the detonation box. It was clear, and inside was a large red button.
A failsafe, thought Eddie, halting and then jumping backward. He aimed the tri-rifle at the commander, but the gun shook in his hands as he kept falling backward to distance himself from whatever wou
ld explode from the console—a last-ditch suicidal effort to take everything out, mainframe included.
The commander pulled open the clear box and slammed his hand down on the button seconds before Eddie could steady the tri-rifle to fire.
But it was too late.
Too late to think, to stop the blast, to take cover, to breathe.
The explosion engulfed the room and took everything with it.
Omega-line Q-Ship, Nexus, Tangki System
Julianna watched from the air as the ground forces froze almost as one. They turned, looking toward the base.
Had they been called back? she mused.
But then she didn’t have to wonder any longer. The Brotherhood soldiers turned and marched back, although their retreat formation was not as neat as the advance had been.
Over the distant waters of the ocean, the Stingrays swerved upward before turning their noses down in unison and barreling toward the rampant waters.
“Black Eagles, retreat to the shoreline. We know what’s coming next, so do not engage,” ordered Julianna over the comm.
Her squadron of Black Eagles headed back in her direction, but before they’d made it to land the Stingrays halted in mid-dive and leveled out. They slowed their speed, still a good distance from the Black Eagles.
“Woohoo!” yelled Julianna. “They’ve surrendered! The Captain did it! We’ve done it.”
The land of Sunex was now covered with people whose faces were turned to the sky, but Julianna realized it had never come to that. The Black Eagles had lured the threat away, Lars had been successful in the ruse, and now Eddie had made the commander of the Brotherhood surrender. They’d defeated them with a fraction of the forces.
She looked at the base before racing the Q-Ship in that direction. Soon Eddie would be escorting Commander Lytes out of the Command Center to board his ship.
She was almost there when it happened. An explosion of orange and white and red rocketed into the sky and sent a wave of heat over Julianna’s ship, buffeting her backward. The blast hurled debris into the air, and it landed all over the base. Chaos ensued and the Brotherhood fled as the Black Eagles swooped in. Julianna’s head was muddled with confusion, but she flew straight into the smoke and realized exactly what had blown up. It had been the Command Center, and it was currently engulfed in flames.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Unsurpassed, Nexus, Tangki System
On the bridge of his ship, Felix Castile watched the footage over and over again. Commander Lytes had blown up his post, which meant only one thing—his position had been compromised and he had been forced to surrender. Commander Lytes was not a likable male, but he had been a person of his word. He’d promised Felix that he’d die rather than be taken prisoner, to die with his secrets rather than be forced to spill them during interrogation.
A booming laugh erupted from Felix’s mouth. Yes, the Federation had stopped him from taking over the planet of Nexus. Yes, he’d lost the commander of the Brotherhood army, and the army itself. However, they’d all been played. It would have been too good for this all to go according to plan. Felix knew it wouldn’t, so he’d secretly been working on something else—something that would actually be the death of the Federation.
The Brotherhood army had been large and easy to track, of course, and would have caught the eyes of the Federation. He even suspected that the crafty hackers the Federation somehow had access to would spot their invasion of Nexus. That had almost been the point. While Ghost Squadron was busy stopping the takeover of an innocent planet, Felix had been securing the one thing he needed to finish his plan.
He knew that what General Lance Reynolds enjoyed most was his power. He flaunted it, telling the less powerful what they could or couldn’t do, where they could or couldn’t go. General Reynolds was the reason Felix was on this ship in space rather than on Earth where he belonged, but that was all going to change once the last part of the puzzle was in place.
Felix narrowed his eyes at the burning Command Center on the screen. Forces were working to put out the fire, but Felix didn’t care. He put his back to the image.
Not only was he in a better position to complete his mission now, he’d managed to take out the Captain of Ghost Squadron while doing it. General Lance Reynolds would be livid. He’d know that Felix was that much closer to finishing him. He could feel the terror building in the General, and it made him giddy. Soon he’d stand face to face with Reynolds and make him pay for his injustices.
Felix hadn’t actually needed an army, and he didn’t need the armory of weapons, although they would come in handy, for sure. All he needed was what he was currently in possession of: the whereabouts of the most despicable man he’d ever met, and the means to bring him down.
Felix ground his teeth, his jaw clicking. General Lance Reynolds’ time would soon be at an end, and Felix’s face would be the last thing the old man ever saw.
Epilogue
QBS ArchAngel, Nexus, Tangki System
The light was too bright.
Wait, it wasn’t bright enough.
He could see nothing. Eddie tried to blink, but it didn’t do much to clear his vision. Blackness. There was glowing blackness everywhere. How could that be? How could black glow? How could he both see and not see?
He pulled in a breath, but it didn’t feel like a breath. It felt like a grenade had gone off in his chest as the pressure erupted. He tried to grab at his heart, but his arms were locked in place.
Was this death? It sure felt like purgatory.
I thought I was going to hell, he thought, and tried to laugh. The sensation was weird. It felt like he was laughing while teetering on the edge of a cliff, or like he was smiling at his own funeral. What was happening? The blackness still blanketed his vision.
Eddie’s tongue felt swollen as he tried to open his mouth, and a strange metallic scum which tasted like gunpowder and soot coated it. That was when he realized the soot was in his nose, as if he’d inhaled the ashes of a camp fire.
Fire! The memory charged back into his mind like a dozen wild horses. The explosion. Commander Lytes. The Command Center. The bomb.
He was dead, and this was hell. It was all over—just an eternity of glowing blackness.
A creaking sound made him realize that his ears worked, or at least his hearing. He couldn’t tell which, not with the new and different sensations all over his body.
“Is he ready?” asked a voice, one he recognized. It felt like it had been a hundred years since he had heard that voice, and it also felt like yesterday.
“Yes, it appears so,” someone else said.
“Then why does he still sleep?” asked the other familiar voice.
“Don’t you remember? You had to wake up on your own. You had to break out of it, kind of like being reborn,” said the other person.
“I don’t remember that, but it’s been a long time,” she said, her voice cool and calm and almost amused.
Eddie longed to push away the glowing darkness and drink something that would wash away the metallic taste in his mouth. To move his body…which… WHICH… His body felt different, brand new. Better than new—enhanced.
His eyes sprang open at once, and the light was so blinding he clapped his hands over his eyes. He’d had no idea that all he had to do was open his eyes. He’d been trapped by his own eyelids.
His hands now covered his eyes, which felt too tender to ever take in light again.
“Well, lookee there. Our baby bird has hatched,” said Julianna with a laugh.
“Each one is different. I never see the same rebirth from the Pod-doc,” the man beside her said in an amused voice.
Eddie peeled his hands away, and the light became a bit easier to take with each passing second. “I-I-I…” he stuttered, trying to find his voice. “I’m alive?”
Julianna peered down at him with a broad smile on her face, and her eyes twinkling. His vision felt brand new too, as if he were seeing her for the first time. “Wel
l, you almost weren’t alive anymore, but now you are. It was touch and go there for a long time, but we brought you back.”
Eddie tried to push up, but found the task a bit difficult. His body was new, and it felt different. Everything seemed to take more effort on his part. “I’m alive?” he repeated.
“Yes, you definitely are,” said Julianna. She offered him a hand and a smile. “Welcome back, Captain. We did what we had to, so they made a few changes to you. Hope you don’t mind. It was that or death, and I wagered you weren’t ready to rest yet.”
FINIS
Author Notes - Sarah Noffke
December 19, 2017
One, two, three! I declare an Author’s Notes war (like thumb war lol)! MA always gets to write his notes last, after reviewing mine. Which means he gets the last quip, however, I’ll just keep writing books and see who is laughing last. Wait…never mind. That’s not how that works.
So let’s discuss what’s on everyone’s mind. It’s not the tension simmering between the Captain and the Commander in this series. It’s not that amazing fight speech that Julianna gives. Man, that’s going to stay with you for hours, am I right? Great job to whoever crafted that Shakespearean gold. And it’s not even the fact that Eddie is now upgraded. It’s that Ricky Bobby scene. Am I right?
Author insight: MA and I, sat down and hammered out that scene because it’s one of the few things that connects this series to the main one. We discussed the parting of ways between RB and Jules (that’s what I call her, because this two name business is just too much. I won’t even call my Michael by his name. I just call him And, which is hella confusing. And I digress. Bringing RB back for a resolution was a really fun time to collaborate and tie things together between the series. I also loved the opportunity to show the layers in Jules. I’m all about character development. I’ll ponder on how a character ties their shoes because I think it’s important and then I gloss over fight scenes.