"But—"
"But nothing!" Eamonn screamed, so loud that Seth took a step backward. "You betrayed me. Get the hell out of my sight."
"Shannon," Seth said, stepping between her and Eamonn. The tears in her eyes welled, her chin trembled, and her hands shook. "Go upstairs and find out from Bareson when the transport is due to arrive."
Boom! An explosion shook the detention center. Seth braced himself and listened intently for any clues beyond the rumbling. Faintly, he could hear the high-pitched whine of attack fighters.
"The attack fleet has arrived over our airspace. We should get out of here before this place caves in on us," Shannon shouted toward him.
"Attack fleet?" Seth said as he cocked his eyebrows toward Shannon. "What fleet?"
"We weren’t a rogue military team. The minister personally asked us to secure the northern defense perimeter for a surprise attack on the MSA."
"I should have known." Seth rolled his eyes. "So Eamonn was a convenience to you? A happenstance that you turned into a heroic effort."
"Absolutely not," she said. "I was rescuing Eamonn no matter what. The control room was a convenience to me. The minister wanted all of our political prisoners returned during this attack. It was my mission."
"What about Bareson?"
"Bareson is responsible for bringing down the MSA northern defenses. I cooked up a story for him to tell you so he wouldn’t have to kill you. The minister ordered us to, you know. She found out you were on Mars. I begged Bareson to spare you, and that’s the only reason you are alive. I knew you would be an asset to us."
Seth smirked. "Don’t think I owe you anything—"
"MSA!" She raised her gun and fired several shots down the passageway to her side.
Chapter 43
"We have to launch the megacruiser right away. The Alliance could use its shielding and sonic turret defense in the orbital attack. The MSA have nothing that can penetrate the shielding," Vivian said. "We can have it out of the hangar in thirty minutes."
"The turrets are only designed to shoot meteor fragments," Conway said from beside her. "They can’t use it to destroy enemy fighters."
"How would you know?" Vivian said, wishing Conway were some place other than the conference room or at a minimum, away from her side. "You’ve never designed anything but interior decorations."
"Vivian," Jarvis said, firmly. "We have to think this through. Parker, what advantages does the megacruiser have in this battle?"
Parker rubbed his chin. "With the strength of the metalor hull, it would make a great lead ship for the orbital attack, and the sonic cannons would be highly effective versus the heavy fighters or cruisers. It wouldn’t do much against the light fighters, but the Alliance has plenty of other weapons to harass them."
"But we know little about fighting battles, and I don’t want anyone on the megacruiser who wasn’t here to build it."
"All you would need to do is get the ship into orbit and fire randomly toward the MSA. You would effectively draw two or three MSA cruisers away from the Aethpisian forces."
"And that is good," Conway said. "Two or three?"
Parker nodded. "They only have about six up there. The megacruiser would occupy half of their cruisers. That is a huge advantage for the Alliance."
"Why don’t you want Parker or any of us on the megacruiser?" Chloe said. "He is the minister’s wife."
"I don’t want to put him in jeopardy. If the MSA win this battle, I’ll destroy it. We have worked together for ten years, and all agree to die for our megacruiser. Outside attempts will not stop us from fulfilling our promise to mankind and to the former minister’s mission statement. He wanted this built for peace, and I’m damn sure going to make sure the MSA won’t use it."
"We’re willing to lay our lives on the line," Parker said. "We know the risks involved."
"We’re hesitant to do that," Vivian said. "You can return to Aethpis with your skimmer."
"You have to let us help you," Jan said. "Chloe and I are two of the best pilots in the fleet. You need someone to fly the megacruiser."
"We have a few capable transport pilots."
"Do they fly in the atmosphere or in space?"
"Atmosphere only," Jarvis said. "But Earon assures me he can fly the megacruiser."
"Either they fly in orbit regularly, or they don’t fly at all. Space flight has this tricky habit of confusing pilots. Up, down, level, backward doesn’t matter in space, and if your pilot suffers from space vertigo, then the megacruiser will twirl hopelessly around in space."
"I can’t allow you to risk your lives."
"I’ll go alone," Jan said. "Chloe and Parker will return to Aethpis. If it makes you feel more comfortable, I’m even willing to have a gun to my head. But you can’t fly the megacruiser without an experienced space pilot. Who do you have besides me?"
"Kyle Cortez was supposed to bring us a pilot when he arrived," Jarvis said, searching his mind for an excuse. None came. "You have to understand I’m serious about destroying the megacruiser if the Alliance can’t have it."
"I understand," Jan said. She turned to Parker and Chloe. "Remember to tell Ty that I love him. In case something happens—"
A beep came from in front of Jarvis. A technician’s voice came out of the communications speaker: "Sir, a ship is hovering around Ganges Planitia. It’s searching for something."
"Atalo!" Parker said. "He came looking for us. If he is in the Protector, we can help you guys fight the battle."
"You signaled someone from within this facility? That is dangerous and goes against our principles," Conway said. "We should—"
"Shut your mouth," Parker said sharply. "I signaled him before we took off. We were having engine problems on the skimmer."
"Here," Jarvis said, handing his datapad to Parker. "Is this your ship? Do you recognize it?"
"That’s the Protector. The fastest ship in the solar system."
"Second fastest," Vivian said, smirking.
Parker begrudgingly smirked. "Yes, right. Signal him to the hangar doorway. We will leave the skimmer here, and Chloe and I will join him. We can handle those light fighters."
"Prepare the megacruiser," Jarvis said. "Time is thirty minutes until liftoff."
"Lady Arwell, the ships are positioned over Zephyria space," the technician read off the radar reports. "Shall I alert Admiral Juncon to hold them in position?"
"Yes," Gwen said from her command chair in the center of the battle room under the heart of Zephyria. She turned toward Samantha. "The time has arrived for our victory. Is everything ready on your end?"
"Naturally," Samantha said, grinning. "All you need to do is give the word."
Gwen put her hand up for Samantha to wait. She took in the battle reports coming in from over the communications wire. The moment to strike with the defense weapon had not come yet. It was close. Not a single Alliance ship could escape. That was the plan.
Her father had been working on the defensive weapon for years. Samantha had searched hours through Thomas Cross’s data and retrieved the command codes and schematics to run the device. The weapon he had constructed, Samantha had explained, was a ground-to-space ion cannon designed to immobilize any ship entering Zephyrian space. And by using metalor in the reactor, they could charge enough power in the reactor coils to obliterate the target ship in a matter of seconds.
The battle was bittersweet for Gwen. This was the part of her job she dreaded the most—the decision to kill people, but they left her with no choice. The MSA needed control of Mars, and she was only seconds from attaining this goal. She ran her finger over her lips and pondered her next move. The Aethpisians had provoked them. The people knew it to be true.
"Fire the weapon when ready. Do not stop until you destroy every ship within range. Obliterate them."
Chapter 44
Seth’s hand darted for his holster and he drew his sonic pistol. Shannon cut down two of the MSA, slowing their descent into the detention area. The f
irefight, between the Alliance soldiers in the far end of the tunnel and the MSA, prevented them from entering. Seth, Eamonn, and Shannon were trapped in the dark tunnel.
Seth whipped his head around but could not find any vents, ducts, or doors to escape from, only the two cells. Nothing. They had no way of escaping.
"Is there any way out of here?" Shannon said as she continued to fire randomly toward the doorway. "I can’t hold them forever."
"Stop shooting unless you see one of them," Eamonn said.
He turned to Seth. "Our ammo is limited. Give me a gun, too." The conflict within Seth must have shown on his face because Eamonn didn’t hesitate to reassure him. "I’m not going to shoot her. Give me the weapon so I can help us escape."
Reactively, Seth had to question Eamonn’s motives for wanting the gun, but logically, he knew he wouldn’t shoot Shannon. He slid his hand behind his back and handed Eamonn his smaller sonic pistol. The same one Gwen had given him the last time he escaped the MSA.
"Thanks," Eamonn said. Their eyes locked. "For everything. Since we are going to die and all."
"Don’t count us out yet or think you need to pay me back."
"Are you two done with your love fest? They’re coming down the passageway," Shannon shouted, reaching her arm around the corner and firing three shots.
"Ahh!" she screamed, scrambling back from the corner and staggering along the ground.
Eamonn reached down and grabbed her about the shoulder. "What is it?"
"My hand," she whimpered.
In the dim light, he saw the injury. The bottom two fingers on her right hand were completely gone from the knuckles upward. The blood gushed, horrifyingly squirting out from the tip, to the floor. Eamonn grabbed her wrist and squeezed.
"Stop it," she groaned. "It’s like a thousand pins are needling into my hand."
Seth didn’t stop to look. He picked up Shannon’s gun in a matter of moments. Grabbing it by the handle and pulling it back, he raised it to chest height, protecting their front guard from the approaching soldiers.
"Don’t come any closer!" he yelled down the passageway. "I’ll shoot anything that comes even remotely close."
The commotion subsided. He heard a faint shuffling as the soldiers aligned themselves for their final foray down the tunnel.
"I want to speak with your commander," he said. "I’m Seth Smith. You want me alive."
"Seth," Eamonn said, gesturing with his finger to his mouth, wanting Seth to be silent.
He begged with his eyes for Eamonn to understand. "Our crewmate is in trouble. I must rescue her as well."
"Gwen is evil now," Eamonn said, bitterness oozing from his words. "She won’t change. She has chosen her father’s path, and you can’t say anything to change her mind."
"She saved Chloe when she needed it the most. I didn’t save her. I couldn’t save her. Above everyone else, I owe Gwen something I can never repay. I promised her I would bring her back to the crew, and I’m going to do it."
"Don’t be a fool. Hans Bauer will only continue his experiments."
"I’m counting on it—"
"Seth Smith," a voice called from the passageway. "How can I be certain you are telling me the truth?"
"Once you see my face, you’ll know for certain."
"Come out so we can see you."
"I need certain assurances first."
"I don’t think you are in any position to make demands. We have you trapped down a dead end."
"My life is my leverage. If your platoon kills me, you’ll answer to Hans Bauer. He won’t be pleased with you," Seth said, then paused for a long moment, allowing the commander time to contemplate what would happen to him were Seth to be harmed. The reputation and the cruelty of Hans Bauer would work in his favor. "I only want one thing. I want my friends to escape on a skimmer. Once I see they are gone, I’ll lower the gun from my temple and surrender."
"How do I know you won’t kill yourself regardless?" the man replied.
"How do you know anything? You’ll have to trust me. I don’t want to die, but I’ll do anything to get my friends to safety."
"Walk slowly, out into the open."
"I’m coming. Don’t shoot."
"Don’t do it," Eamonn said, scrambling to his feet and grabbing Seth’s arm. "I can’t let you fall into the MSA’s hands. You came to rescue me."
"I told you. I made Gwen a promise. You need to help the Alliance rebuild Mars." He pulled his arm from Eamonn’s grip and walked into the passageway with the gun to his temple.
"They are gone," the platoon commander said, holding his rifle to Seth’s back. "Put the gun down and allow me to cuff you."
Seth searched as hard as he could, but the streaks of fizzling shrapnel entering the atmosphere made it difficult to focus on any point of light in the sky. But they were gone and on their way to Aethpis.
He extended his arm sideways and dropped the gun. The man grabbed both of his wrists and cuffed him.
A surge of joy forced a smile on his face. Everyone he cared about was in Aethpis, far away from the Zephyrian battle zone.
Chapter 45
"Minister McCloud, our orbital ships are in position over Zephyria," Commander Korral called over to Sarah.
"Excellent," Sarah said. "Captain Dalton has returned just in time to see our victory."
Eamonn sat at a console to the right of Sarah and Korral. His body was weak, but he demanded to see how the battle was progressing and offer any help that he could. Plus, it was perhaps the one place on Mars where Shannon Buckley would be denied access.
Sarah read aloud the ground reports on the northern defense perimeter. No advancement from their position since the last report. The Alliance couldn’t infiltrate the secondary grid.
Eamonn felt a pang of concern that the primary perimeter had been so easy for the Alliance to enter, but now they were facing a massive defense that they couldn’t fly past.
"Start the orbital bombardment of the northern region," Sarah said to the commander. "I want our ground troops ready for when they surrender."
Eamonn felt his forehead and rubbed the sweat along his scar. So many were about to die, and he had a nagging feeling that the Alliance was being drawn into a trap.
Sarah hadn’t listened to his concern five minutes ago, and her drive to reunite Mars bordered on obsession.
"Fire when ready," she said.
"Commander!" an officer shouted. "I lost the Regulator on radar."
"What do you mean lost? How can that be?" Sarah rushed over to him.
Eamonn pulled up the display on his console and couldn’t spot the Regulator on the screen either.
"Captain Dalton, any ideas?"
"I don’t know," he said. Perhaps his tiredness was getting the better of him, but his mind was blank. "The Constable and the Warrant are gone from radar as well."
"Commander Korral," Sarah bellowed. "Get those ships on the radio at once. Confer with the captains, find out why we are being jammed."
"We aren’t jammed," Eamonn said. "If we were jammed, all the ships would be missing. Not just a few. It could be an energy pulse, but we’d see an echo on the screen."
"I have Captain Terry on the radio," Commander Korral replied. "That is odd—it’s an emergency priority."
"Everything is a priority during a battle," Sarah said in a stern voice. "Put him on, put him on."
"I repeat. They are dead. Every single one of them is dead. I barely got out with the Sheriff. Every cruiser in the fleet on the attack mission has been destroyed. This is a priority one message."
"Nathan," Sarah said in a hollow voice, "what do you mean the fleet is destroyed? How can that be?"
Eamonn’s stomach tightened. A panicked array of images caused his heart to pound violently against his chest. His mouth gaped at the screen, and his efforts to say I told you so remained within him.
"I don’t see any ships on radar over Zephyria," the officer from behind her called. "They have vanished."
&
nbsp; "Nathan, please reply!" Sarah screamed into the radio. "Please."
Eamonn swallowed to moisten his tightened throat. "Sarah! The MSA fired a super weapon from the surface. Our foray into their territory was a tragic mistake. They destroyed every ship we had over the colony. No survivors. Pull back the ships you can. The battle is over. We lost."
"I don’t believe it," she said, tears welling in her eyes. She balled her fists. "What did I do to us? Nathan, tell me this isn’t true."
"I’m afraid it is," Terry replied over a crackling radio. "We failed the people of the Alliance. May the MSA have mercy on us."
The operations officer put his hands on his head. "I just received confirmation from ten different ships. Only the Sheriff has survived."
Sarah dropped to a knee. "I have failed my family."
Eamonn mustered enough strength to move over and kneel beside her. "This battle was lost. The MSA control most of Mars, but the war is still only days old. The Alliance will fight forever, until the MSA have toppled."
"We have lost, Captain Dalton. I suggest you hide."
"Hide!" Eamonn thought the idea appalling, but if Sarah was right, Gwen would hunt him to the ends of the solar system. Perhaps it was time to look after himself.
"Minister, Lady Arwell is on the communications channel awaiting our response. What should I tell them?"
She stood, turned toward Korral, and paused. Tears were welling in his eyes.
Eamonn knew there was only one thing was left to do for Aethpis and the Alliance. As he witnessed the utter failure of the Alliance against Gwen Arwell’s MSA, he couldn’t help but remember Shannon’s forewarning of a more vicious and intelligent leader. Gwen had the personality to win the people’s favor, and her cleverness had shown her a capable battle commander. She might be the leader to unify Mars forever and in her father’s vision. He wished he hadn’t assassinated the chancellor so hastily. They might have been able to control him, but Gwen Arwell’s grip over Mars might be too great to overcome.
Lunara: The Original Trilogy Page 64