“Over forty. Each with resources to spare,” she said. “You will have a seat at the head of the newly formed leadership.”
President Basher glanced at Lark again, as if the human’s presence was making him uncomfortable. “I will think about it.”
“Don’t think too long. The offer expires at dusk.”
The president left them alone, and Prophet went first. Lark was frozen in place, staring at the tapestry, feeling like he was watching the aliens invade. Life in the Concord was about to change forever. He’d been promised a good life, one with power and riches for himself, but most importantly, a life with Seda and Luci.
Could he trade his own happiness for the lives of everyone else? A year ago, he would have said yes, but now he wasn’t so sure.
____________
Cassandra’s eyes darted nervously, and Treena gave her a slight smile, hoping to ease her mind. “Thank you for coming to speak with us.”
The woman suddenly looked ten years younger, like a kid in trouble. She had to be at least twenty-five or thirty, but Treena guessed life hadn’t been easy alone at this empty workplace. The manufacturing station didn’t seem to have the most comfortable living arrangements. “Who are you?” Cassandra’s voice was small.
“I’m Captain Treena Starling, and this is Commander Pol Teller,” she said. “You already met Executive Lieutenant Ven Ittix, and Lieutenant Commander Brax Daak.” Reeve wasn’t present. She’d opted to head to the station to see what kind of operation the humans had going on near Saturn.
“Where are the buggers?” Teller asked abruptly. His aide Missy passed him a glass of water, and he muttered something about wanting a stiffer drink.
“Excuse me?” Cassandra asked.
Treena took over. “Ven said you recognized him. Called him an Invader. Are there Ugna around? Or on Earth?”
The woman nodded. “They’ve been here for a long time. I hear rumors of life before them, but it was long before my time, or my parents and grandparents.”
Treena was shocked. They’d expected something on Earth—maybe an abandoned world with secrets of humanity’s past—but not this. Not humans still living under the rule of Ugna. Someone had known they were coming and had sent them to Planet X to see proof of the ancient Ugna village. It was to warn them and perhaps prepare them for what they were about to find.
Treena wanted to know everything, but she decided to tell the woman about them first, to gain her confidence. “We’re from the Concord. Far away.”
“But you’re human. At least you two are, right?” Cassandra asked.
“That’s right, Cassandra. Humans live on a planet named Earon, and are one of the four Founders of the Concord. We have over forty partners within the group.”
“What are the Founders?” she asked. “And you can call me Cass.”
“Four races joined to start the Concord. Callalay, Humans, Zilph’i, and the Tekol. Ven is technically Zilph’i, so I assume the Invaders are descendants of them as well. Brax is Tekol. Together, they formed a government and invited partners to trade goods. We have a fleet created to defend our worlds and Border, as well as to explore new opportunities outside of Concord space. We recently heard of Sol and Earth, and were sent to investigate.”
Cass took a drink of water. “This is astonishing. The Invaders told us we were alone. That they’ve explored the known universe, and Earth was it. That’s why they came. To help advance us. To partner with us. But since they’ve arrived, they’ve slowly taken over. My grandfather once told me it wasn’t always this way. That at one time, we were free.
“There are a few lucky ones like me. Most are working the fields at home, sweating in the plants, slaving on their stations at the moon. I have an aptitude for robotics, and when my teacher died out here a year ago, I didn’t tell them.”
“They don’t know you’re alone?” Brax asked her.
Cass shook her head. “They don’t care. This place practically runs itself. It’s mostly automated. I only ensure the bots are up to code, but they do the rest.”
“Do you have access to the buggers’ network?” Teller asked, and Treena really wished he’d stop calling them that.
“Some. I don’t have entry to everything, but if you’d like to learn about Earth, you’d be able to find a lot of information, if that’s what you’re after,” Cass said.
“Good.” Treena noticed a red light blinking on her tablet, and she slid it over, checking the message. It was Reeve. She tapped it, the projection of the chief engineer shooting from the tablet’s center.
“Captain, something’s happening,” Reeve told them.
“What is it?” Treena asked.
“I don’t know.” Reeve glanced around. “The machines started moving, and a notification keeps chiming.”
Treena turned her attention to Cass. “Tell us.”
“Looks like new orders came in. Can you patch the details in?” Cass went on to explain to Reeve how to access them, and a few minutes later, Cass was reading the newly-sent instruction out loud to their group. “I don’t understand. They’re bringing twenty more ships. Protectors.”
“What are Protectors?” Brax frowned while he asked.
“They’re the Invaders’ main vessels. They can each house over five hundred crew and have enough armaments to destroy a moon within minutes. The instructions are strange, though,” Cass said.
Treena scooted her chair closer to the woman. “What makes them odd?”
“The engines. There are some modifications I’m to prepare for. Something about Nek mods.”
Brax stood, bumping into the table; he knocked over a water glass. “Nek? How in the Vastness did they gain access to that?”
Treena thought about it, and the answer was clear. “Someone stole a Nek shuttle and brought the plans. And if I have to guess, it was the Ugna.”
Brax cracked his knuckles. “We have to stop this.”
Treena smiled. “We will. With Cass’s assistance.”
Brax crossed his arms. “I say we destroy the facility.”
Teller chuckled. “You have a lot to learn, son. Warfare is more than just blowing things up. You need to be cunning, prepared, and always a step ahead.”
“What do you propose?” Treena asked the old man. He was proving to be useful, despite her earlier reservations.
“We let them arrive, dock, and begin the manufacturing. But we tweak things a little bit. If they’re heading for the Concord, wouldn’t it be helpful if they were short twenty of these Protectors?” Teller’s eyes shone.
“Who said anything about them coming for the Concord?” Brax asked.
Treena had been thinking the same thing, but it was Ven who answered. “I fear he is correct. I have watched my people, felt their moods, and have seen the actions of the High Elder. He wished to befriend me, but I could never betray my people, and I don’t mean the Ugna. I think the Ugna are making their move, and we need to stop them before it’s too late.”
His words solidified Treena’s decision. “Cass, how long before the fleet arrives?”
“Less than a day,” Cass replied.
“Can you make the changes to the programming without anyone noticing?” Treena was anxious to start their plan.
“I can, but…”
“But what?” Brax asked, perhaps a little too forcefully.
“If I do this, I want help.”
“We’ll take you with us,” Treena promised her.
Cass shook her head. “My family. They’re on the moon. We have to rescue them.”
Treena glanced at Brax, and the Tekol puffed his cheeks out. “If we time this right, we may be able to do that.”
He had a big heart and a soft spot for saving people. Treena went to the exit, stopping to face the room’s occupants. “Then it’s settled. We’ll set the trap, rescue your family, and return to the Concord to warn them of what’s happening. Everyone get to work; we have a long day ahead of us.”
____________
; The moon was different than Brandon remembered it. The nearby space station was twice the size it had been, and the gray surface of the moon held a real city, not just a ragtag spattering of structures. There were buildings over ten stories in height, and he noticed a huge greenspace within the giant crater centering the cityscape.
“Brandon, it looks like there’s even an artificial atmosphere. They’ve stepped up their game,” Carl said with awe in his voice.
“Any issues on clearance?” he asked Kristen.
“None at all. This rover is one of their vessels. The Invaders don’t expect a group of Mars runaways to be returning on it. They haven’t even reached out.” Kristen stayed in her seat, slowing their craft.
“Are you sure we need to stop here first? Why not go straight to Earth?” Jun asked.
“We’ve been through this. I’m not going anywhere without my brother. Plus, he’s the only one that can lead us into the president’s palace,” Brandon said, hoping Clark was still alive. They’d had a lengthy fight the day before Brandon had departed for Mars. The moment Clark had told him he wouldn’t be joining their group was the hardest day of Brandon’s life. He’d met someone on the moon, and she wasn’t willing to risk it. Most humans weren’t. They were subservient to the Invaders and powers that be, most losing any hope of ever breaking the shackles that bound them to the aliens.
“If he wouldn’t help us a decade ago, why would he now?” Carl spat.
“Because he’s my brother, and he’ll do the right thing.” Brandon’s words were sharp as a knife, and Carl backed away, hopefully sensing that was the end of it.
Brandon returned his attention to the city and directed Kristen to dock at the station, as they’d previously decided. The radar blinked, and Brandon ran to the pilot’s side, checking what could have set off the ship’s sensors like that.
“I don’t like this,” Kristen said softly.
Brandon didn’t either. A giant envoy of Protectors moved away from Earth, heading past the moon and beyond. “There have to be twenty of them.”
“Do you think they’re going to Mars? Is this about us?” Carl asked, but Brandon didn’t have a good answer.
“How could they know? That’s far too much artillery for a small group of dissenters. Twenty Protectors! That’s almost their entire fleet,” Jun exclaimed.
That wasn’t true. Brandon knew for a fact that they had at least twice that number of Invader vessels. They were huge, each capable of carrying hundreds of the Invaders. The assumption was that they were manned by humans these days, the ones who’d bent knees and proclaimed their services to the alien beings. From what Brandon had seen before they’d escaped, most people were happier working for them than against them. It wasn’t something he could live with.
“What do we do? Should we run?” Kristen asked.
“Stay here.” They were almost docked, and their ship slowed, coming to a stop near the station. He peered out the viewscreen, and one of the immense vessels thrust past them, close enough to see through the screen. “Something big is happening. They’ve never had so many together. Not since the day of the invasion.”
Brandon had seen the old footage, the recorded newsfeeds that had survived the invasion in subsequent years. The original leaders had fought them off without success. Years later, President Gordon Basher was all in with the enemy, and Brandon had to wonder how they’d brainwashed him. The president was charming and loved by many. The people of Earth seemed to think he was their savior, solely responsible for keeping them alive when the Invaders could have ended their lives at any time. Basher was another in a long line of presidents since the Invasion, but to Brandon, they were all the same. Cowards.
Carl shook his head slowly. “I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to. With everyone’s eyes on the Protectors, this is the perfect time,” Brandon said. “Kristen, dock the craft. Carl, you’re coming with me. Grab the gun and wear the mask.”
Brandon slipped into a uniform, the same brown jumpsuit the other human workers would be donning. He placed a black filtered mask over his face and wore a skull cap that kept dust from covering his hair on the moon’s surface. Carl did the same, and they moved for the exit.
“Wait!” Kristen shouted, jogging to meet Brandon. She pulled his mask aside and kissed him firmly before placing something in his hand. “Don’t forget these.”
He glanced down, seeing the stolen ID tags they’d stowed before leaving to Mars. He’d almost walked onto the moon without identification. That was a quick way to wind up dead. “Thanks.”
Brandon tossed one to Carl, and they clipped the tags to their chests, exiting the ship. It was time to find his brother and take this on the offensive.
Sixteen
Tom checked the time. They had an hour before the attack. He sat in his quarters on Shu, anticipating the pending battle. He used to hate waiting, but the older he became, the more he appreciated it. So many things could go wrong during times of war, and decisions were often made in the heat of the moment. The time before could be used for contemplation, planning, and recharging.
He was only too aware of how little time there was for any of those things during the altercations. Tom was oddly calm about the entire thing. Elder Fayle had escaped, and they’d found the two shuttle guards within Aruto’s system, bringing them home unscathed. Fayle had gone out of her way to keep them unharmed, and despite President Bertol’s assumptions, Tom did guess Fayle might be on their side.
He’d sent the message to Aimie Gaad nearly a day prior, and finally, an hour ago, a reply had arrived. He sat at his desk, awaiting her call, and it came right on time. She was always punctual, if anything.
Tom smiled as her face projected over his desk, but she didn’t return it. “Aimie, what’s wrong?”
“Ridele’s going crazy. People are starting to protest, and it’s getting dangerous. Are the rumors true?” she asked.
“Which ones?”
“That the Concord is attacking its own?” Her voice was quiet, her face nervous.
“No.” He straightened, intertwining his fingers on his lap. “Aimie, everything will be okay. I can’t tell you much, but it’s not us. We’re being attacked from the inside, and they’re trying to pin it on our government.”
“But it’s not? Are you certain?”
“One hundred percent,” he assured her. “I wanted to talk to you…” He didn’t know if this was the last time he’d speak to her, considering the battle he was charging into. The president had suggested he hide in a bunker far below Aruto’s surface, with her and the other representatives, but he’d refused. Bouchard had seemed thrilled about having him aboard.
“I need to speak with you too,” Aimie said, her face long.
“You first,” he urged, his stomach tying in knots in preparation. This wasn’t the first time he’d had this conversation, but he’d hoped that part of his life was over. That he might be able to finally settle down, but from the look on her face, that wasn’t his path.
“I can’t keep doing this. R-Emergence has been vandalized again, and there are over a hundred incoming ships heading for Nolix as we speak,” Aimie said.
“The Prime is working on explaining the situation, but it’s a delicate matter,” Tom said, wishing he could tell her the truth.
“Tom, I’m leaving.” The words came out quickly, and Aimie averted her gaze, staring at her hands.
“Good. Go somewhere safe and ride it out. I’m hoping to be home within a week,” he said.
“No. That’s not what I mean. I’m going to retire, like I’d suggested before. I might start my own small business, maybe do research on a planet far from the Founders’ reach.” She met his stare again. “I hate what the Concord has become.”
It hurt: not just because he was the poster boy for the damned Concord, but because he actually believed in what it stood for and wanted it to thrive like he’d dreamed it could. “Aimie, you’re not seeing the entire picture…”
&
nbsp; “I’ve seen enough of it. I feel terrible about the bad things R-Emergence has done in an effort to gain a stronger foothold, and I see the same thing happening with the Concord, only on a larger scale. And you’re part of it. I can’t…”
“Are you saying this is over?” he asked, his voice a whisper.
She nodded. “It’s over, Tom. I’m sorry. It was fun, though.”
“Fun.” His finger tapped the desk. “Take care of yourself. I wish it didn’t have to end like this, but it’s obvious you’ve made your mind up.”
She was about to speak again when he tapped the projection closed. He instantly regretted the rash decision, but he had to clear his mind for the impending Ugna attack.
He slammed a palm onto the desk. “Damn it!”
The door opened to reveal Rene Bouchard in uniform, her head tilting to the side as she appraised him. “Are you okay, Baldwin?”
Tom stood, crossing the room. “Don’t you ever knock?”
She raised her hands in front of her chest. “It’s my ship, Admiral. I thought you’d want to hear that the fleet’s been spotted. We’re set to intercept them in twenty minutes.”
He stared at her, trying to calm himself after the difficult discussion he’d just had with Aimie. It wasn’t like he was going to marry her and have kids right away, but they’d mentioned moving in together. It was going to be a big step for him. Instead, he was on someone else’s starship, waiting to encounter the damned Ugna. How could they have been so blind?
“Tell me something, Rene.”
She smiled, her expression easing some of the tension in his shoulders. She could always do that to him. “Anything, Baldwin.”
“Did we do something wrong? Was there ever a solution to this without the Ugna’s assistance?” he asked.
“We were in shambles. Our fleet was broken up, spread far too thin under poor leadership. We had to glue ourselves back together, and the only way to stop the Assembly and return to fight the Statu was with their help,” Rene assured him, and Tom nodded along.
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