Devon bit on the end of the pen, looking away as he remembered his predictions. “I painted Comet Vega coming so close to Matrona and Eos, and I made a good depiction of everyone’s panicked reactions.” He gave a short laugh. “I created that painting to let people know they’d be fine, the comet would miss us.” He shook his head. “But before Vega passed, the media played it out like it would hit us and everyone would perish.”
Koda tapped his head, pulling up another prediction. “There's the kidnapped woman one. You painted exactly where the kidnappers hid her, and that's where the authorities found her alive.”
“There’s more,” said Devon. “Such as a recent one where people die from a toxin released all over Matrona.”
“Is there any way we can change that prophecy?”
Devon shrugged.
Sphere One’s stations came into view. Koda stood, not remembering passing Sphere Nine’s last hovertrain stop. Regardless, he hoped his need to be a good politician and uncover the truth wouldn’t get Devon killed.
Devon walked toward the car’s exit as the hovertrain slowed. “Almost time to get off.”
Koda looked at his hands. “Maybe we’ll stop the toxin.”
Devon shook his head. “It’s a big hope, but I’m rarely wrong.”
The train stopped, and the doors opened. Koda took a step onto the platform, impatient to get to the airlocks. “But you have been wrong, and that’s what we can hope for.”
17
Shae
Starbase Matrona
Shae sat in his parked Starjumper, the ship still warm from landing in Sphere One’s bay only moments ago.
“Where am I meeting you?” he asked Louise over the commlink.
“We’re in pursuit of Payson and have just entered Sphere Eight, soon to be in Sphere Nine where we think he’s heading.”
“Good.” Shae leaned into the mic. “Do you have my gear?”
“Yes, Marine helmet and rifle. We don’t have your fatigues.”
Shae glanced at his jumper suit, his sidearms at his hip. “That’s fine. I’m heading out. Exact location?”
“Head to Sphere Nine, Cornell Park. We’ll be there soon.”
“Got it.” He turned off the comm and stepped out of the Starjumper. He stopped and bent over, his hands on his knees. He shook his head as a memory jostled loose from the back of his mind.
He was standing in front of his wife. She wore a beautiful white gown and headdress, tears welling in her eyes. He smiled gently and sweetly. “I do.”
“You may kiss the bride,” said a minister.
He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. They were soft, young, and they tasted like a fragrant rose. He slowly pulled away and stared into her eyes, mouthing, “I love you.” She wiped a tear and spoke the same words back.
Shae lurched away, wrapping his fingers on a handhold on the exterior of the craft. He kept his balance and looked around. His eyes swept over Sphere One’s docking bay, feeling Helen’s touch still on his lips, her hands lightly pressing against his face, the love he felt for her opening wide in his heart.
He shook his head, blinking several times to bring himself back to his senses. “I better get going. No time for memories.” Regardless, he smiled, feeling Helen’s presence over him like a soft pillow he could snuggle with for the rest of his life.
He ran toward Sphere One’s hovertrain station. He’d take a private train and tell the conductor to take the train as fast as it could go. He’d reach Sphere Nine in no time.
He gave a wave and a nod to the train conductor, and hopped onto Sphere Nine’s hoverstation platform, exiting the hovertrain. His boots echoed across the lobby as he ran toward the exit, the hoverstation like a ghost town. Across the street he spotted Louise, her blonde hair in a bun and dressed in Brigantia Guard gray and blue mesh Marine fatigues.
He rushed to her, his breath coming fast. Louise eyed him, nodding. Manning stood by her side, his gun pointing outward, his eye peering through the scope, looking for Payson and his men.
Several Guards littered the area, moving slowly, some crouching behind benches, statues, and large cement trash cans that were scattered throughout the park. Others waited behind large trees, or lines of bushes, ready to pick off Payson if he showed himself.
Shae reached Louise and gave Manning a nod. “What’s the status?”
Louise flicked her head to the side. A soldier hurried to Shae, a combat helmet in hand, along with a rifle. Shae shoved the helmet over his head and shouldered the weapon.
“Chronometer, sir,” said the soldier, handing him a wrist band.
Shae nodded. “Thank you.” He slipped it over his wrist and tightened it.
Louise glared through binoculars, surveying the area. “We’ve not seen Payson, but we have Brigantia, Taranis, and Matrona Guards in every Sphere searching for the lousy piece of ebb-trash. We’ve—” She thrust her finger to her ear, listening intently to someone speaking. She nodded. “Admiral, I think you should hear this.”
“What channel?” asked Shae.
“The ISA, channel zero-one-one.”
“All right.” Shae tapped on his helmet, and his visor lowered. “Comm channels,” he said. A holographic image of a radio dial appeared, highlighting his face green. “Channel zero-one-one.” The dial adjusted, and the visor rose. He rested his hand on his rifle and crouched next to a wide lamp post at the park’s edge, a tree’s branches casting a shadow over him. “This is Fleet Admiral Shae Lutz. Who do I have on the comm?”
“Blythe Parker, Internal Security, ISA agent.”
“Great. What do you have for me?”
“I have Payson and his men on a holovid. They bypassed a security system and broke into a grocery complex on the Sphere Nine and Sphere One junction. They are eating mushrooms from the fresh food section.”
Shae’s eyebrows squished together. Did he just hear that correctly? “They're eating…mushrooms?”
“Yes, and Payson seems injured. He’s limping. Someone is stitching his side, and it looks like one of his men performed minor surgery on him, but I can’t confirm that.”
“Interesting.” Maybe someone shot Payson, but it wouldn’t surprise him if these elite warriors healed incredibly fast.
Shae glanced over his shoulder. Dozens of Brigantia guards were behind him, scanning the area, taking slow steps, some passing him by, all looking for Payson. Apparently, this woman from ISA had found the bastard.
“And, sir,” said the agent, “they don't seem to know or care that you’re on the way.”
“Understood.” That didn’t surprise Shae. Payson and his elite soldiers didn’t seem to have a care in the world if they lived or died.
Shae rubbed his eyes and yawned. He needed sleep, probably like the rest of the surrounding soldiers. He took a few steps forward and crouched next to a stone statue of old Prime Director, Vlamus Shims, someone he never met. The eight-foot Prime Director ruled Starbase Matrona years before the Anunnaki stole Shae from Earth. He eyed the street sign across the way. “Blythe, are you still with me?”
“Yes, sir,” came the woman. “I’m here until the operation is over.”
“We’re near Columbia Street. Where's Payson’s exact location?”
“Sphere One Junction Grocery, 117 Exeter Way.”
“How far is that from here?”
“Exactly nine blocks south, sir.”
“Patch that into my chronometer.”
“Done.”
Shae tapped on his wristband, and a holographic image of a map pulled up. He noted the streets, the back alleys, and faster routes to the store. Grabbing all the information he needed and storing it in the back of his brain, he deactivated the map. He motioned to his men, pointing to the south. With his rifle forward, he moved quickly through the park, his men and women picking up speed and spreading out around him.
He switched comm channels to Louise. “Louise, did you hear Payson’s location?”
“Affirmative,�
� she said. “I’ve already sent the information to the Marines in the other Spheres. They’re on their way.”
They moved quickly through Sphere Nine. Passing through the tunnel into Sphere One, he noticed the military station that granted access in and out of this Military Sphere smoldering and in shreds. A few guards lay on their stomachs or sides, smoke streaming off of them, dead. Bullet holes dotted the military station and charred steel hung from the structure, burnt to hell.
They hurried quickly past the station and out of the tunnel to a building marked Military Complex for Starfighter Design, Aerospace Corp. He leaned his back against its ebb wall. The lamp mounted on the building near him was flickering.
The ISA agent clicked on the line. “Incoming, sir.”
Shae dove, yelling, “Down, down.” His shoulder hit the ebb floor first, and he rolled, keeping his rifle off the ground. He looked up to see everyone hitting the ground, some rolling away, others lying face down, covering their heads.
He waited.
There was nothing. No explosion. No bullets. Only silence.
Louise lay face down across from him, her hands out, mouthing, “What the Guild?”
Shae touched his earpiece. “What did you see, agent?”
“Eight hovercars en route to your location.”
Shae rolled his eyes. Maybe the sleep got to this woman too. “Next time say that. Incoming is a Guild damn bomb thrown our way, gunfire, or any other projectile. You got me looking like a fool in front of my men and women.”
“My apologies, sir. They’re almost to your location.”
Shae wanted to squeeze the ISA’s agent's throat. “Copy.”
A humming sound of approaching hover vehicles echoed in the distance. He tapped his ear. “Are these friendlies?”
“The cars are unmarked.”
Great.
Shae stood and raced across the street to a thick, concrete garbage can on a sidewalk. “Everyone find cover. We have unknowns in hovercars heading our way.”
His troops spread out, crouching behind trees, lampposts, and smaller buildings lining the street, their guns aimed at the incoming vehicles.
“Shae,” said Louise, approaching his position, “got word that the Matrona Guard are on their way, and the rest of the Taranis and Brigantia Guard are coming.” She went to her stomach, one eye looking through her rifle scope.
“Good.” Shae eyed the hover vehicles. They slowed as they came closer.
“Sir,” said the ISA agent. “Payson is back on the move.”
“Where is he headed?”
“Looks like he’s headed your way. He may have detected you.”
“ETA?”
“Ten minutes at most, sir.”
“Copy.” He glared at Louise. “Did you get all of that?”
Louise held her position, her eyes trained on the vehicles. “Affirmative.”
The hovercars stopped and descended at the far side of another park across from Shae. He and his team advanced forward, taking cover behind hovercars parked on the side of the street, some troops moving to shrubs and trees on the park’s edge, one crouching alongside the park’s sign, Menlow Park.
Shae eyed the potential targets, now only a stone’s throw away. Some were four-seaters, and others hovervans, and all were black with tinted windows. The lead car’s back door opened. A man wearing fatigues that seemed to meld into the surrounding environment stepped out, his hands up. “We mean you no harm. We are the Space Templars, here to stop Payson.” He kept his hands up as he waited for a response.
“Manning, bring Team Ten with you, and follow me,” ordered Louise. She slowly rose from her position, her weapon pointed at the man. He cautiously approached, moving toward the middle of the park. Louise slowed. “Keep your hands up.”
Shae crept closer, finding another ebb statue of an old Prime Director as cover. He wanted to kick it over for principle’s sake. He aimed his rifle at the vehicles just in case someone got a little fancy.
“Yes, ma'am,” said the man, making his way to her. “My name is CJ.”
“Get on the ground, face down, CJ,” Louise instructed.
CJ got on one knee, then the other, and laid on his stomach and chest. Louise patted him down. “Slowly roll to your back, hands still in the air.” He did. Louise patted him more. “Who else is in the vehicles?”
“Sabra and the Space Templars.”
“Executive Officer Louise Stripe of Starship Brigantia,” said a woman emerging from one of the hovercars, her hands up. “Greetings, my friends. My name is Sabra.” She stood behind her car, her shoulders and head just above the roof, her arms still in the air.
Shae's eyes went wide, and he imagined the rest of the squad’s eyes did as well. The woman was a giant. She wore a white outfit, tight like a jumpsuit. She smiled, her face calm, and her features were gorgeous like a beautiful flower inviting Shae to take a sniff.
“May I walk your way safely?” Sabra asked.
Louise stood, her foot on CJ’s chest, her rifle pointed at the guy’s head. “You may, but any wrong move, and you’ll have fifty bullets in you before you can blink.”
“Understood.” Sabra moved around the car. She carried herself like a queen, her strides nimble and fluid, almost taking Shae’s breath away. She stopped several meters from Louise and gave her a nod. “I’m Sabra of the Space Templars. We’re here to help you.” She eyed the entire squad, landing on Shae last, and dipped her head his way. Sabra continued, “Payson is closing in on this location. We have parked our hovercars in between you and his approaching team to act as a shield from his fire.”
Louise flicked a glance at Shae. He nodded, something deep down telling him to trust this woman. He didn’t know what overcame him, perchance the glow that came off of her, or the fact that good exuded from her like aroma from a freshly baked pie.
Shae lifted his chin high. “Place your men and women where you need them. We'll take up positions and wait.”
Sabra put her hands together in a prayer position and bowed. “Thank you for trusting us. We'll take action now.”
The doors to the vehicles opened, and Space Templars poured out. They wore fatigues like Shae had never seen, changing colors into whatever they were near. They held weapons thicker and shorter than Shae’s and raced toward buildings on each side of the park.
Shae’s jaw dropped when they climbed the walls, their gloves suctioning to the buildings like spiders. Their clothes turned dark gray, mirroring the walls as they climbed. Some made it halfway up, where they clung to the walls, waiting, their guns aimed at the ground while their other hand on the building seemed to glue them in place. Others scaled higher, crawling onto the top of the buildings, and taking up positions.
Sabra walked to Louise and stood next to her. Shae hurried their way as he searched for any sign of Payson coming down one of the many streets.
“Can I get up?” said a man's voice.
Shae glanced down. Louise’s foot remained planted like a tree on CJ’s chest. She stepped back.
“Thank you.” CJ stood and bowed, then ran across the street at incredible speed. Reaching the building, he scrambled to the top in a matter of minutes.
Sabra folded her hands in front of her. “Payson will be here soon. Understand that he and his team have a highly developed intuition factor, something we Space Templars call the Sight. They already know we’re here, and since they haven't changed their course, we can assume they intend to fight.”
“Good,” replied Louise. “I owe him a bullet to his head.”
Sabra bowed again. “Perhaps you do.” She smiled. “Until then.” She turned and ran toward the building CJ scaled and climbed up and over the top edge.
“Shae, I’ve never read about Space Templars climbing like that. Never in any fairy tales or myths.”
“As long as they’re on our side, they can flap their arms and fly for all I care.”
“Ditto.” Louise touched her comm device on her shoulder, sliding her fing
er across it to broadcast to all Marines. “Everyone listen up. We have Payson on his way, and he means to fight. Make sure your shots are true. Find cover and shoot to kill.”
“The Matrona Guard will most likely arrive behind Payson.” Shae backed up toward a tree. “We’ll surround him. I don’t think he’ll be able to get out of this one.”
Louise frowned as she moved behind a statue. “Don’t be so sure.”
“We have two men heading toward the airlocks. Potential danger, maybe players in Payson’s crew,” said the ISA agent over Shae's com.
Shae jerked back, almost forgetting about her. “Could they be civilians?”
“I don't know. One looks familiar, but the other one doesn't. My guess is they’re from Payson's crew. No one else would be up at this hour, and they look alert. They seem to be looking for something.”
Shae eyed a dozen Marines and called them over. “Head to the airlocks, we have possible targets and—”
The ISA agent interrupted. “They are opening an airlock room now.”
Shit. “Which airlock room?”
“Eighteen.”
Shae pointed to the Marines he chose. “Go now. Airlock eighteen. I’m going with you.”
Louise nodded. “Admiral, stay in communication.”
“You bet.”
Shae and his team raced down the block opposite the coming fight. A shot rang across the Sphere, then another. Shae and his team rounded a building as another shot pierced the air behind them.
Payson’s team had arrived.
18
Ali
Dirn Garum, Eos
Thun and Chan stood by Ali’s side in front of Starship Tranquil, the same place she nearly died hours ago.
Chan cupped his hands in front of him. “I heard you had some difficulty the last time you were here?” He turned his attention toward her. “Is that why it was hard for us to convince you to come?”
After the incident with Harak, Ali and Daf made their way up top to Dirn Garum, and into Daf’s hut. There, Ali hid out with Sol by her side, waiting for Harak to locate them and attack. He never came. Thun and Chan arrived instead, pleading for Ali to take her first steps inside Tranquil. “You’re one of the Chosen Ones,” Chan said. “You’re supposed to lead these people.”
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