Another impact shook the cabin, slighter this time but not any less frightening. He yanked the control stick back toward Red Dust’s Asterfighter, hoping it provided some protection.
Red Dust got the idea. He slowed, slid across the Iron Chunk’s aft, and fired countless sonic bullets at the MSA fighter, sending it spiraling toward Jupiter.
Parker let out a sigh. Breathing room had never meant so much to him. He accelerated the Iron Chunk, pulling power from the plasma shields, and streaked toward the rally point.
The MSA fighters, worrying about the freighter once again, fled back to Callista.
With some effort, Parker relaxed his death grip on the controls and checked his radar. Quartz and Olympus had survived, too. They were already several kilometers ahead of their location.
"Squad engage quickdrives," he radioed to them. "We’ll meet back at Alliance Alpha. Radio silence activated."
"Alliance Alpha?" Grove said.
"It is in the computer." He flicked his finger at Atalo in annoyance. "I sent the destination to the Asterfighters."
"I know, sir," Atalo said somberly. "I just don’t understand—"
"How I knew they were coming?"
"Yes—"
"They used that same trick with their spy scouts when the Alliance controlled Lunara. I didn’t recognize it until it was too late."
"It was many battles ago."
"Even still, Atalo. Grey Cloud and Devastator don’t want an excuse."
"You ordered them to come back. It was their fault."
"Tell that to the rest of the squadron."
"They understand now. I guarantee it."
"I’m not so sure." Parker shrugged his shoulders as the looming emptiness of space between him and the asteroid belt irked his nerves. "I’ll be in my quarters."
"When should I wake you, sir?"
"Fifteen days."
Chapter 2
Stealthily, stepping in silence, fugitive Captain Eamonn Dalton crept along the corridors of Lunara Mining Colony amid the darkness of the Earth’s evening shadow.
The gray-clouded sphere, looming depressingly over the colony, a subtle reminder of what had been, drifted silently through the center of the solar system between the planets of Venus and humanity’s home, Mars.
Kneeling along the corridor beside one of many bay windows within Lunara colony, Eamonn forced his gaze to the Earth in the distance. Caught by his eye, and showing in the limited reflection of the window, the toll of the last two years weighed on his face. The long lines around his eyes deepened, and the spirit within sagged, dropping further than it had before it began, before Lunara was invaded and before he killed Chancellor Damon Arwell.
The new supreme chancellor, Gwen Arwell, had been unrelenting in her pursuit. He had been from Mars to Jupiter to Saturn station, and now he was on Lunara, his final hope for safety from the MSA predators and bounty hunters.
He was tired of running. Now he wanted to leave the Martian Supremacy Authority alone and no longer fight for the Martian Alliance. His single desire was to retire to an algae farm and live his days without politics and the death sentence.
But the MSA hunting showed no signs of giving up. Rather, members of the MSA had been increasing their pressure on him. He had no choice but to run for his freedom and his life. No matter how scared and exhausted he was.
He lowered his hand along his side and felt the cool smooth metal of his sonic pistol. This had been a permanent accessory to his attire since his standoff with Balo Smythe on Saturn station, which had ended in another death at his hands, something that over the last two years had become too commonplace, a forced-upon regret he wanted to put behind him. He needed time to forgive himself for his crimes against his fellow man, but how could he with so much to regret?
"Pssst," Shannon Buckley whispered toward him.
He looked toward her. He hated her. He had spent the better part of the Alliance/MSA war inside a detention center because of her. Unfortunately, his duty called out to him, and he had to let her follow him. She was involved in the chancellor’s assassination, and he had an obligation to keep everyone from that mission safe from Gwen’s vengeance. He blamed Jan for his overwhelming sense of honor. The memory of her sacrifice would ravage his body with guilt if he left Shannon to fend for herself.
He felt another tug.
"What?" he snapped at her.
She pressed herself against the wall. "Someone is coming."
He spun his head around. The tramping boots of two MSA officers resounded down the corridor.
"MSA boots on Lunara," he muttered. "The blasphemy."
He slid close to Shannon and embraced her, moving his lips close to hers. As he kissed her with a forced passion, he repressed the urge to pull away.
The boots shuffled past him, the officers whispering words he couldn’t distinguish. A few heartbeats later, they passed down the corridor and out of sight. Eamonn moved away from her. Her lips searched for more. He pushed her against the wall, holding her shoulders.
"Ty is a few corridors down," he said. "He can help us."
He hurried toward Ty’s apartment, with Shannon just behind him.
Several minutes later, he reached Ty’s door and paused. He wondered if he could trust his old commander anymore. Even though Lunara was under MSA control, Ty was still chief of operations for the colony. Why had Ty become a lackey for the MSA?
He shook his head.
It was only his paranoia talking. Although he had had some interesting conversations with his paranoia over the last two years, it was rarely right. His gut and experiences told him to seek Ty. He always sought Ty’s guidance in the most desperate times. He was beyond desperate now.
He pressed the ringer and waited.
After a few heart-pounding moments, the door snapped open. Ty stood there without saying a word. A mixture of surprise and happiness painted his face, his mouth agape and his eyes softening as if relief had caught his breath.
"Are you alone?" Eamonn said.
"Yes," Ty replied. "Come right in. Were you followed?"
Eamonn led Shannon in. "Someone will catch up with us eventually. But nothing immediate."
The apartment was the same as two years ago, aside from the clean touch of a woman. Jan’s death had no doubt taken a portion of Ty’s will. Heartache withered his face, and for the first time since Eamonn had known him, he carried himself like a man in his midfifties. The formerly spry body of the colony’s chief had gone to fat around his waist.
Eamonn sat down on the couch and threw his worn boots on the table. His body was too exhausted to be a courteous guest.
Ty must have noticed. "Yes, sit down. You are safe for now." He directed Shannon to the smaller couch.
"How have you been?" Eamonn mumbled. His eyes closed.
"I’ve been keeping busy," Ty said. "It is the only way I know how to survive anymore. I lost everything."
"Lunara remains." Eamonn’s voice was a whisper. "I don’t even have a home anymore."
There was silence for some time.
Unsure if he had dozed off, Eamonn opened his eyes.
Ty smirked at him.
He smiled back. An unspoken happiness connected them; they had both been able to survive the MSA. Sure, Ty’s sandy-brown, graying hair was a little more tattered and his command suit not quite as crisp as it once had been. But how could Eamonn blame him? His wife had died, and the people who had driven her to her death controlled his colony.
"Do you need water?" Ty rose to his feet and motioned to the kitchen.
Eamonn nodded. He tongued his dry lips. He had grown so used to the dehydration in his nomadic life, he had forgotten the needless pleasures of a home. "Have you spoken with the crew? Any of them?"
Ty left the room and oddly let the question dangle for a long minute.
"Parker contacts me every few months," Ty called out from the kitchen area. "He keeps apologizing for Jan. He feels responsible for her death." He moved into the living a
rea, carrying a tray of tomato cakes and two large cups of water. "Help yourself."
"Thanks," Eamonn said. He took a long draught and savored the freshness. "Do you blame him for her death?"
"No, we were at war. The only thing I never understood was why she left for Mars. Seth and Chloe couldn’t have convinced her to go unless she already wanted to go. They were just an excuse."
"Jan was always a protector of those two," Eamonn said. "I doubt she needed any more of an excuse than that."
"Maybe so," Ty said, letting the words hang for a moment. "Chloe has talked to me regularly. She is doing well in Aethpis colony. She found contentment there."
"When I left her, she was angry."
"The illness has jaded her. Little hope for Mars remains in her any more, and she longs for Seth’s return."
"The last time I saw her, she wanted little to do with him, convinced he had betrayed her." Eamonn fingered his chin. "Although the last time, maybe a year and half ago, she was hiding from the MSA. They wanted her."
"The treaty stopped the hunt for her," he replied. "When Seth joined the MSA, he arranged for her safety. They left her alone."
"I’m surprised Hans or Gwen agreed."
"I don’t think Hans had much of a choice. Gwen is loyal to Seth. He promised to come back for her. His friendship was apparently enough to get her to stop."
"That makes little sense," Eamonn said. "The MSA’s guiding principle is the genetically superior society. Chloe is the most powerful mind in the solar system. How does the MSA expect to create that society without her?"
"Gwen isn’t like her father," Ty replied. "She is loyal, even if it goes against her vision."
"Gwen is a lot worse," Shannon said. "She hasn’t stopped her hunt for us. It is as bad now as it has ever been. The bounty on our head was doubled again only last week."
"You killed her father," Ty said. "In her place, I would be pretty upset, too."
"Our lives were ruined because of her," Shannon replied. "If I get the chance, I’ll kill her, too."
Ty shook his head. "And then you would arouse the rage of someone who cared for Gwen—Vice Chancellor Samantha Burns, perhaps."
Eamonn let out a long rumbling hum. "I suspect Samantha is the root of the wickedness Gwen has shown as chancellor. No forgiveness to her, but I think Samantha’s death is the best medicine for peace. She is pure evil."
Shannon growled under her breath. "If they were gone, Mars would be back to normal."
"Maybe for you," Ty said. "But under the new regime, Mars has never been more prosperous. I doubt the people would welcome another assassination attempt. Through fear and bribery, the MSA has been successful in getting everyone behind it. The MSA’s planetary rhetoric is seductive, and frankly, I find myself believing some of it. It scares me to think this is how humanity was ultimately supposed to be."
"I haven’t found any benefit in it," Eamonn said dryly. "I suppose it is my entire fault though. I should have listened to …" He swallowed and turned away from them. "I should have listened to Shannon."
"What did I say?" she said softly.
"Back in the minister’s office…you remember when she was on Lunara…you told us not to go through with it."
"The minister presented you with an opportunity to help the Alliance," she said. "My warning doesn’t guarantee Mars’s freedom. At least we aren’t at war anymore."
"No, we have peace without freedom, and the Principles of Man are no more," Eamonn said. "Our Alliance is reduced to fragmented cells of terrorism. I’m cynical. I don’t think our leader leads anymore."
Her face tightened. "Minister McCloud is still our voice."
"She is the voice without power. Not after she lost the entire planet with her foolish foray into the MSA trap. The Battle of Mars was an embarrassment for the Alliance. We are a joke to the people."
"Don’t talk about Sarah that way. She fights for freedom," Shannon said, her voice rising.
"She is only worried about Aethpis colony. She hasn’t driven the Alliance with any purpose in a long time."
Shannon stood and said loudly, "She is our leader."
"Lower your voices," Ty demanded. "You’ll trip the voice sweepers."
Shannon shot her glowing green eyes toward Ty. "I’ve been a fugitive for two years. I know what I am doing."
"You wouldn’t be so confident if you knew Samantha Burns was on Lunara," Ty said, his jaw hardening. "By coming here, you are putting me in danger. Show a little respect."
"Samantha Burns is here?" she said, swallowing the last of her words.
"She has come to inspect our progress. She is meeting with Commander Morothe as we speak."
"Morothe?" Eamonn said, cocking one eye.
"The real commander of Lunara colony. My power is limited. The only reason they let me stay was because I know how to run the meteor detection system better than anyone."
"Doesn’t mean you have to work for them," Eamonn replied. Too quick for his liking, his remark showed his disdain for the fact that Ty was working for the MSA. Something he was trying to hide from his friend.
"I protect the Earth."
"Sorry," Eamonn said. "It isn’t my place to question your choices. I expect you to be in no other place. Who is captaining the Protector now?"
Ty grumbled away his distain. "Jarret Jolitt. He is a decent man. A little arrogant for my taste, but his crew gets the job done."
Eamonn’s face drooped. An old memory of his crew aboard the Protector flashed into his mind. That joy was two years removed; now, joy was a secluded algae farm on the outskirts of nowhere on Mars. "Not sure if you remember, but he was in line for the captainship when the Protector was open for a captain last time."
"Yes, he beat you out, but Martian politics being what they were, you got the job. He’s still bitter about that."
"He can be bitter. Life is sometimes about being the best at one thing. There is a lot more to a captain than skill. You have to play the crew correctly, as well as the upper brass. I think I do that well. At least, I did at the time."
"You did…do," Ty said. "Mars Central and the Aethpisian government demanded it of you."
Shannon leaned toward Ty. "Let’s get back to Samantha Burns. She must know we are here. It can’t be a coincidence."
"She’s been here for over a week and is scheduled to leave tomorrow."
"Interesting," Eamonn said. "Isn’t that when the freighter Solarspot is leaving?"
"She is supposed to be around it, couriering ten million tons of metalor, too. The first shipment from the meteor cluster since the war began."
"Jinx." Eamonn’s arms flailed in disgust. "That was our ticket back to Mars. Now we have no way back."
"It is a perfect opportunity for us," Shannon replied. "Where better to hide than on the same ship Samantha Burns is on? She will never believe our courage is great enough to be so close to her."
Turning toward her, he pinched his thumb and forefinger into a ring. "I don’t have the courage. I’m scared of her."
"But—"
"No," he said, quick and short. He paused until she was quiet and then turned to Ty. "This is the first shipment of metalor for two years. How can that be?"
"Since much of Lunara was damaged during the war, and with the lessening of the meteor cluster entering our solar system, it has taken us this long to restore the facilities, especially when Tower Three’s destruction caused a quake along the surface, ruining the metalor processing plant. It took forever to rebuild. This is our first shipment. Six months of processing."
"The MSA must be clamoring for more metalor," Shannon said.
Eamonn let out a long sigh. "And security will blanket it."
"Jinx." Shannon sat down, let out an exact mimic of his sigh and drooped low in the seat, deflated.
"I came here to help find a home to hide on Mars…and someone I can trust," Eamonn said. "We’ll need to look for another way out of here."
"I don’t have contacts anymore. They
withered away when the MSA took control," Ty said. "But I do have a job for you. Once you complete it, the right people will be appreciative."
Eamonn waved his hand in disgust. "I’m done with jobs. I don’t want to be involved in this war against the MSA. I’ve been defeated. Don’t request something I can’t provide."
"You must. The Alliance needs ten million tons of metalor. I know where they’ll route it on Mars. The minister needs to know, and I can’t trust anyone but you."
The door chimed.
Eamonn flinched. Instantly, his survival senses honed to the ready state. He reached for his sonic pistol. Swiftly, decisively, he unclipped it from its holster, ready for a fight. He scanned with his senses. There wasn’t a sound in the room—
"Put that away," Ty said.
Eamonn didn’t move.
"Take Shannon into my room," Ty said. "An escape hatch underneath the bed will take you to the lower levels if trouble comes. But don’t use it unless you have to. You’ll trip the emergency alarms in the security towers."
Eamonn didn’t hesitate. He had learned never to hesitate. Hesitation meant capture. He and Shannon dashed up the spiral staircase and along the short gangway into the bedroom.
After a long, nerve-tensing, muffled exchange downstairs, Ty allowed his guests to enter the apartment.
Eamonn pressed his ear against the cracked door.
Shannon was already at the bed. Carefully, with stealthy quietness, she lifted the mattress off its frame and found the escape hatch. She went to grab the handle when Eamonn grabbed her wrist. He shook his head. Setting off the alert would only bring more security personnel to the area. They didn’t even know what the visit was about.
His eyes sharpened, warning her to keep away from the hatch until they both agreed.
She nodded back.
Eamonn went to the door. His ear focused on the crack.
"Our meeting isn’t until four," Ty said. "I don’t see how this can’t wait."
"Because," Samantha Burns said.
Jinx on everything in this galaxy. Samantha Burns is ten meters from me. He reached for his sonic pistol. He could end the root of everything evil about the MSA.
Lunara: The Original Trilogy Page 67