by KG Stutts
"I know." Ember's purple eyes danced gleefully. "What an adventure!"
The group separated to prepare to leave the station. Liam and Ember went back to their room to get their gear. She stopped suddenly in the doorway, causing Liam to collide into her.
"Ember, what the hell?"
"Why are you here?" Ember asked, ignoring Liam.
He peeked around her shoulder to see a blonde wearing a white sundress sitting on Ember's bed. Ember stepped to the center of the room, glaring at the young woman. The lady in white seemed to be unfazed by Ember's anger. She smoothed out her skirt, gracefully standing up and flashed a perfect smile.
"Well, hello to you, my dear sister," the other woman greeted, her voice sounding rich in a Southern accent.
"Sister?" Liam questioned.
"Laura, what are you doing here?" Ember inquired.
"I'm just gonna ... leave you two alone." Liam slowly backed out of the door.
"Who is this?" Laura asked, her baby blue eyes scanning him.
"It's fine." Ember motioned for him to stand next to her. "Major Liam Ross, this is Laura Blanchard."
Laura smiled again, showing off a row of perfect white teeth. "You're handsome."
"He's mine," Ember snarled. "Answer my question."
"Fine." Laura squared her shoulders back. "Daddy brought me on the station to protect me. He says you're getting ready to take on a dangerous mission."
"All my missions are dangerous, princess."
"Okay ..." the younger woman began fidgeting. "I just wanted to see you."
"We haven't seen each other in years. Why now?"
"Ember, you're my sister. I love you."
Ember snorted. "You want something, don't you?"
Laura's shoulders slumped as she chewed on her bottom lip.
"This isn't how I wanted our reunion to go."
"What did you expect, Laura? For me to cry and embrace you?"
"I don't know, Ember. Just wanted to say I love you and good luck."
With a heavy sigh, Laura turned to leave. Liam nudged Ember, nodding emphatically toward her sister. She sighed and gave his hand a squeeze.
"Laura, wait."
Laura paused at the door, slowly turning around. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, obviously preparing for a fight.
"What?"
"You ... you're right. You're the only sister I have. Thank you for coming."
Ember struggled with her words. The two women stared at each other for several moments, not saying anything, until Laura smiled. She crossed the room quickly, throwing her arms around her older sister. Ember hesitated before returning the embrace. Laura sobbed into Ember's shoulder, clutching the other woman tightly.
"I love you, Ember. Always know that."
"I ... I know. I do, too."
Laura cried harder at her sister's admission. Ember couldn't handle the display of emotion, pushing the blonde gently away.
"Be safe, okay?" Laura wiped her tears away.
"Always." Ember managed a small smile.
"Call me when you get back. We'll do lunch."
Ember looked over at Liam who nodded at her.
"Okay."
Laura hugged her again before heading toward the door. She paused, tossing her long blonde hair behind her as she looked over her shoulder.
"I don't know what you've done to my sister, Major Ross, but thank you."
After Laura left, the couple fell silent. Ember was still uncomfortable by the emotional exchange with her sister, but ultimately was glad it happened.
"So," Liam broke the quiet. "I'm yours?"
"Yes. It's too bad if you have a problem with it."
Liam grinned, wrapping his arms around her. "I think I can handle it."
"Good. Lock the door and prove it to me."
#
The rest of the team looked at the couple crossly as they scurried into the equipment locker an hour later.
"We were getting ready to send out a search party," Lewis stated.
"No need." Ember ignored his curious gaze. "We only have a little time, so listen up. I won't be repeating myself."
She pulled four metal bands from the wall of weapons and handed two to Liam.
"These look like a normal comm cuff but are more enhanced than our usual ones. This will enable the ship to lock onto us and it can keep an eye on our vitals as well."
"So we'll be able to beam back if we run into trouble."
"Exactly, Lassiter. I want everyone to grab a pair."
She pulled two blasters from the wall. Unlike the standard weapon, these two had longer, skinner barrels and were lighter.
"Designed to work under water. The energy shots are more concentrated and less likely to dissipate. Plus we can fire faster."
"Nice," Liam whistled, holding up the gun for a closer inspection.
"Lewis, I want you to monitor my signal from the ship once we get in the water. I'll let you know if we need an evac."
"You got it."
"Nova, get the ship ready."
"Aye."
#
The team gathered their weapons and supplies. As they sat down together for a quick meal, Ember excused herself.
"You okay?" Liam asked, grabbing her arm as she passed.
"Something I need to take care of."
She didn't knock before entering General Blanchard's office. He looked at her for several moments before speaking. "Is your team ready?"
"They are in the mess now. We'll be heading out within the hour."
"Excellent."
The air became tense as the two stared at each other.
"Your sister was here."
"I know. I saw her."
He raised an eyebrow, trying his best to suppress his surprise over this news.
"Do you regret it?"
"I regret a great many things, Ember. You need to be more specific."
"Me. Do you regret me?"
"I do."
Her heart sank at her father's admission. She felt like kicking herself for opening herself up for the pain and disappointment only he could administer.
"But not in the way you think," the General continued, his voice cracking slightly. "I regret not listening to you when you tried to tell me about Rudo. I regret the way I handled you joining the Genesis Project. Our relationship as it currently stands eats at me. The fact you don't call me your father keeps me awake at night. Yes, I have many regrets. You being my daughter isn't one of them."
It was the first time he had looked into her purple eyes for any length of time since she joined Amethyst. He was opening himself up to her, and for the first time in years, Ember didn't feel like attacking him. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she was taken aback by his sincerity.
"Say something, please," he implored.
She couldn't. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, she would burst into tears. Instead, she shoved him, causing him to fall into his desk. She spun around, forcing herself to regroup.
"I know you must be filled with hatred. I deserve your resentment. But, Ember, I am so proud of the woman you've become. I am proud to call myself your father. I love you. I always have."
Ember held her breath, trying to slow down her racing heart.
"Ember ..."
She shocked both herself and him when she whirled around and hugged him. It took him a moment to comprehend before returning her embrace. Tears flowed freely from her as she buried her face into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, Ember," Blanchard gripped her tighter. "I'm the fool here, not you."
It wasn't complete forgiveness, but it was a start. He didn't stop her when she pulled away.
"I've got to go."
"Yes. You have a planet to save."
"Goodbye ... Dad."
The five-star General in Earth's only military cried like a baby the moment his daughter closed his office door behind her.
Chapter Seven
"Once we get clos
e to Earth's orbit, everyone needs to be prepared for combat," Ember stated as the team left the space station.
Lassiter and Johnston flew in two small fighters flanking the empirical-class ship.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Liam murmured.
“Just strap in and hang on. This could get bumpy,” Ember said.
"We've got incoming," Nova announced as they approached the planet.
"Shields!"
“Evasive maneuvers,” Lewis ordered.
“You think?” Nova snapped.
The sound of Nova popping his gum rang in her ear as the ship lurched. It shuddered and groaned when Nova rolled the ship to avoid blaster fire. Morris and Lewis unbuckled their belts and ran to the turrets on the ship.
"Don't be fancy. Just get us to the surface," Ember ordered.
Green blaster fire shot back at the red targeting them. The vessel creaked and shook, but the shields held. Tiny explosions lit up the blackness of space. The ship lurched as Nova maneuvered them through the fray. A loud bang hit the side of the ship. Ember gasped, holding on to the straps of her harness. The lights dimmed in the cockpit momentarily before going out completely.
“Hang on!” Sounds of Nova pounding on the console and his annoying gum popping echoed. A moment later, the electronic panel lit up and the seating area was bathed in a red light.
“Nova, what was that?”
"Sorry, Wilson. Seems we lost someone," Nova announced. "And the shields are gone."
"Get us to the rendezvous point while we're still in one piece!"
"Working on it."
Ember unfastened her belt, ignoring Liam as he reached out for her in protest. She stood behind Nova, listening to the sound of the ship under attack. Nova’s brow was furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line as he concentrated.
"Break there." Ember pointed to the left.
The ploy to break through the blockade would've worked if one of the enemy fighters hadn't flown into the hull of the vessel. Sparks flew around them before plunging them into darkness. A moment later, a soft glow emitted from lights on the floor.
“Emergency power activated,” a computer voice rang out. “Hull integrity has been compromised. Estimated time before breach is three minutes.”
“That’s our cue,” Nova said, unbuckling his straps.
“Lewis, do you read?’
“We’re already heading to the pods, Wilson.”
The temperature started to rise as the trio ran to the shuttle bay. The alarm started blaring. A countdown started over the speakers. Each member managed to climb in the small escape pod before the shuttle bay started tearing apart. Ember watched helplessly from the small port hole in her pod. High above Earth’s orbit, the ship broke apart before exploding. Bright light filled the area. Pieces of metal flew past her and broke up in Earth’s atmosphere. She leaned back in her chair as the pod began to accelerate. A parachute deployed, slowing down her descent. The pods landed near each other, splashing down off the coast of Scotland. A tidal wave was created due to the force, causing them to float further away from land. Ember opened the hatch and crawled to sit on the opening. She watched as Liam pulled himself on top of his pod and immediately started throwing up. Around her, Lewis, Nova, and Morris sat on top of their pods. A cool ocean breeze blew in her face, the scent filling her nose. It felt great to breathe real air and not the sterilized oxygen created by Lunis Two.
Parts of her destroyed ship floated around the five pods. She saw one of their fighters land on a nearby aircraft carrier.
"Is everyone okay?" Lewis asked.
"Okay is a relative term." Liam touched the open gash on his cheek.
"We're okay, Wilson." Morris rolled his eyes at Liam.
A small boat from the carrier rescued them from the water and brought them to shore. Henry Lassiter joined them to regroup.
"I'm sorry. I tried to help Corey out ..."
"I know. We were overrun." Liam patted him on the shoulder.
A medic healed Lassiter's injured hand and Liam's cuts. A local fisherman named Duncan Mackenize persuaded them to join his family for dinner. Ember wanted to protest as they really should be making their way to the island, but decided to use the opportunity to see if he might have any useful information. Besides, everyone could use a little rest and food before proceeding to Rudo's hideaway.
"Fresh seafood! I haven't seen this in a long time." Nova plopped down in a chair.
"Mind your manners." Ember scolded.
"It's all right, dear." Duncan’s wife, Arabella, smiled as she placed corn on the cob on the table. "He's a growing boy."
"He's no boy. He's thirty-four." Ember slapped Nova's wrist as he reached for a third piece of bread.
Nova stuck his tongue out at her as Mrs. Mackenzie gave him more bread.
"Are you going after the island?" Duncan asked.
"How did you know?" Liam questioned.
"A ship manages to break through the blockade and land with barely a scratch on its crew? Call it a lucky guess."
"How come your eyes are strange?" Duncan's daughter, Davina, inquired.
"Davina!" Arabella admonished.
"It's okay." Ember waved her hands. "I know we're unusual looking." She leaned in, keeping her eyes locked on Davina's. "Want to know a secret?" Davina's eyes widened as she nodded. "You can't tell anyone."
"I promise," Davina breathlessly said.
"All right." Ember motioned for the young girl to lean in and she complied. "We're actually superheroes."
Davina's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Ember nodded. "Have you heard about the man controlling the weather?"
She nodded. "He froze parts of America."
"That's right. We're the ones who are going to stop him."
Davina whistled. "You must really be a superhero."
"Except for Ross." Morris playfully ruffled Liam's hair.
Davina looked at Liam and back to Ember, raising an eyebrow and not looking too impressed with the Major.
"He's close," Ember assured her.
"You are vouching for me?"
"I suppose so." Ember winked.
The team enjoyed the meal, talking noisily amongst the Mackenzie family. Duncan motioned for Ember to join him outside as the others enjoyed dessert.
"So you're really going after the island."
"What do you know?"
"It appeared overnight. I took my boat over there."
His eyes looked grave as his voice dropped to a whisper.
"It's no ordinary island, lass. Don't trust your senses. Believe nothing you see."
"What happened?"
"There was no noise, yet birds flew at me. I got close to the cabin and was chased off by trees."
"Trees." Ember arched an eyebrow.
"Don't mock me or think of me as a fool, lassie. It's dangerous."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude."
"You better hope you truly are a superhero, lass, if you plan to make it out alive."
#
Duncan drove them into town and helped find the scuba equipment they needed. Since their ship was gone, they rented two boats and gear to pass themselves off as fishermen. Liam and Ember got into their wet suits as they prepared to leave.
"Good luck," Duncan said, handing her an oxygen helmet.
"Thank you for your kindness." Ember smiled as she shook his hand.
Liam grabbed her arm as the team loaded their equipment.
"I need to talk to you."
"Can it wait?"
"Please?"
She studied his pleading brown eyes for a moment and sighed.
"Fine, but this better be good."
They walked around a small shack for privacy.
"What is so important it couldn't wait until we got back?"
"We may not make it off the island -"
"Don't think like that."
"There's a possibility, Ember. Don't be dismissive."
“All right." She placed
her hands on her hips. "Go on.”
"I just wanted to say ... " His brow furrowed as he struggled for his next words. "You've been the biggest pain in my ass since the moment we met. You're abrasive, controlling, and probably the most difficult woman I've ever met. You've fought me every inch of the way and have challenged me in every possible way. God help me, woman, I love you." Liam wrapped his arms around her. "With all my heart, Ember. Every fiber of my being belongs to you."
Ember smiled and stroked his cheek. "I know."
Before Liam could respond, Ember kissed him and walked back to the boat.
"All right, gentlemen. This is what we've trained for. Lassiter and Lewis are with me in this boat. Nova and Morris will be with Ross. Morris, stay two klicks away. I don't want to arouse suspicion."
"You got it," Morris acknowledged.
"Everyone still good with the new plan? Any questions?"
"I got one." Nova raised his hand. "What do we do if we catch a fish?"
#
The cool breeze coming off the water felt inviting on her face as they stopped at the assigned coordinates. Ember tucked her jet black braid under her wetsuit and readied her air tank.
"Watch your back," Lewis told her as he handed her an oxygen helmet.
"You, too."
Lewis connected her tank and she looked over at Liam. He gave her a thumbs up and dove into the water. Once they had swum out several yards, Ember activated a feature on the bracelets to illuminate their surroundings.
Ember scanned the area and found a massive energy signature under the island. To her immense surprise, the only resistance they met while swimming to the spot was several schools of fish. On a coral reef sat the source of the energy. A bronze metallic machine with tons of buttons and lights of several colors lit up. On the lower right corner was a lever.
“What do you think this is?” Liam questioned, his voice rang through the communicator in the helmet.
“No clue. It’s emitting a high energy signature. Maybe this is the shield?”
"I don’t know, Ember. I've got a weird feeling about this.”
"I do, too. Be on guard."
She pulled the lever down, but nothing happened. Even the hum from the machine stayed the same. She searched for a simple way to turn the machine off but there was no change regardless of how many buttons she pressed.