Drowned by Fire (Tales of a Dying Star Book 4)

by David Kristoph

  "You're leaving?" asked the station officer.

  "We'll refuel and return. With the city patrol, I hope." He turned his ship back around.

  The station officer was panicked, then. "You're going to let them have free rein against us? We can hold back the civilians on the ground but not half-a-hundred star-damned aircraft!"

  Jayce soared over the wall, over the pilot Academy and toward the palace. The sound of curses over the radio followed them into the city.

  Chapter 3

  The four-sided pyramid of the Emperor's palace shone in the midday sun, bright metal along the frame but made entirely of glass on the surface, black and glistening. Walls framed the compound with heavy turrets and laser batteries scattered along its length. The compound held several smaller buildings, including the cylinder-shaped barracks and hangar. Jayce led his Wing there.

  Jayce pulled up on the controls and fired the underside jets to negate his horizontal speed, then used the jets to make a controlled vertical descent. The ship vibrated as the three landing wheels emerged. The compound had four round landing pads; he chose the one closest to the barracks, kissing the ground with a soft bounce.

  The lights on his control wheel dimmed as the ground computers took over, automatically wheeling his ship away from the pad and over to a row of parking lanes. Thirty ships, mostly Widowrens and Faerywrens, were already there, uselessly sitting on the pavement. The hangar held dozens more, he knew. Why aren't they in the star-cursed air?

  "Gold Wing, stay with your ships while they refuel," he commanded over the radio. "I want everyone ready to jump back into the air when I return. Pilot Brynn, come with me."

  He unbuckled his suit from the seat and used a lever to manually open the cockpit carriage. He twisted open his helmet and discarded it on the floor by his feet. The humid Melisao air hit him in the face. Without waiting he leaped from the Riverhawk and onto the pavement. Drysane unhooked her own suit and looked down at him, but only watched as the ship continued toward the parking lane.

  The rest of the Wing began landing behind him as he jogged toward the barracks. The ships would automatically be refueled and recharged, but that would take at least ten minutes, and he wanted to get the other aircraft in the air as soon as possible. He'd only been flying a few hours, but it was enough to make his knees feel stiff as he moved. Stars, has it only been a few hours? he wondered, looking up at Saria in the sky. It would be the midday eclipse soon, when the sun passed behind Latea. It felt like days had passed since the ceremony on the Olitau.

  Brynn caught up to him. She was one of the older pilots of the Gold, thin and wiry, with a windblown, leathery face. "Sir?" she asked as they continued toward the barracks.

  "The Gold Wing is yours. For now tell no one, but you need to know ahead of time so the transition can be seamless."

  She skidded to a halt, confused. "Sir?"

  Jayce grabbed her arm and pulled her back into motion toward the barracks. "It will make sense later. Now, you saw what aircraft the Children have. The Widowrens and Faerywrens will try to keep the Wing occupied, but you can't let them distract you. Focus on the Seahawk gunships. Once those are eliminated the rest will go easier with ground support."

  "Sir, Jayce, I don't think I can--"

  "Be aggressive if you have to. Reckless, even. If you don't take out the Seahawks they'll be able to pound the ground uninhibited."

  They stopped in front of the barracks door. He held her shoulder and with a stern look said, "Do as you're commanded."

  A noise drifted through the thick barracks walls, indiscernible. He held his palm up to the computer scanner, and out of habit began stepping forward, but the barracks door did not open. The scanner made two soft horn-like sounds, indicating that his access was denied. He tried again--same result.

  The sounds inside grew louder. Is that... screaming? He pressed his ear against the cold metal wall. It definitely sounded like someone crying for help.

  Drysane appeared next to him, breathing heavily from the effort of running across the landing area. She and Brynn shared a long, strange look. I'll have to ask Drysane about that another time. Ignoring her yelp of protest, Jayce grabbed Drysane's hand and held it up to the scanner. Nothing happened, just the same muted sound of denial.

  That made Drysane bristle. "I have access to every room on the planet, save His Luminance's private quarters." Her face softened at mentioning their dead Emperor, but she pushed on. "Something is very wrong."

  Thunder boomed from a cloudless sky to the west, echoing across the city, bouncing off the buildings that bordered the palace compound. Drysane spun in that direction, but Jayce had been expecting it. The attack had begun. "We need to get to the Emperor's quarters. His Luminance's son may not be safe." And then I can step down and search for Karrana. He hoped the Wall held long enough for him to find her at the Academy.

  They left the barracks and sprinted across the courtyard to the base of the pyramid, the ground shaking with every distant explosion. Jayce held his hand up to the scanner when they reached the door. He didn't expect a result, but to his surprise the door opened.

  Down the hallways they ran, the distant sound of explosions growing more frequent.

  They rounded a corner. The doors to the Emperor's private quarters lay ahead, flanked by two guards wearing gold and silver uniforms. Each held a rifle across his chest. They flinched to attention when Jayce appeared at the end of the hallway, looking as if they wanted to raise their weapons.

  He slowed his pace to a fast walk, holding up both hands as he approached them. "I am Commander Jayce of the Gold Wing," he said. "This is Drysane, Vice Admiral of the Exodus Fleet. We need to speak with His Luminance's heir at once."

  To Jayce's relief one of them nodded, turned, and held up his palm to open the door. "You two may enter," he said, flicking his eyes uncomfortably at Brynn.

  "It's fine," Jayce said to Brynn. "This should only take a moment, pilot." She nodded and stood against the wall at attention, eyes lingering on Drysane. Jayce and the Vice Admiral went inside.

  They were in an internal courtyard, housed entirely within the pyramid but against one of the external walls so light could shine inside. The space felt like a greenhouse, incredibly bright and airy. The ancient wood floor, lacquered and smooth, rang with Jayce's footsteps. Three square rugs of woven cloth adorned the floor, each at least eighty feet to a side. Wide, cushioned chairs that could seat several people were arranged in a circle in the middle of the center rug. Jayce had visited this room once before, when he was assigned command of the Gold Wing long ago.

  Two Flameguards, the Emperor's tattooed luxury guards, shared one chair. Jayce frowned at them, despising their uselessness. A dozen servants lined the far wall, standing patiently with hands held behind their backs. Jayce frowned at them too. Why were so many of them in here? Why weren't they attending the Emperor's son and heir?

  Another man stood near the window. He would have been instantly recognizable even without his massive height; he wore armor of interlocking blue plates, resplendent in the sunlight.

  The Shieldwarden turned away from the window. He dipped his head before speaking. "Commander Jayce, Vice Admiral Drysane. I am Charion, Shieldwarden assigned to the defense of His Luminance's heir." His voice echoed in the room. "What has happened? We saw the Ancillary's transfer laser cause an explosion at the Chain. Was it an accident? Nobody knows what to believe."

  Jayce strode to him. "We radioed ahead that the city patrol needed to be scrambled. Why is the hangar locked to us?"

  Charion licked his lips. "Commander, nobody would doubt the loyalty of you or the good Vice Admiral. But... the pilots who came with you cannot be trusted. Everyone must be detained immediately."

  Jayce stared. "Have there been traitors here? Is His Luminance's heir safe?"

  "At sunrise one of the pilots began behaving... erratically," Charion said. "He procured a weapon and attacked his fellow pilots inside the hangar. Others joined him, so we quickly lo
cked-down the building. They have been fighting since then. It's a battle, Commander, with no way to tell who is loyal to the Emperor."

  Drysane's eyes were wide. "You mean... you're just letting them slaughter one-another? You watch from a computer screen without doing anything?"

  Charion stood tall. "We tried. A few men at the door begged to be released, and when we did they attacked us. My job is to protect... His Luminance, and the heir." He hesitated. "Where is the Emperor? We've no word from Latea. The Flameguards are concerned."

  Jayce looked to the two tattooed men, sitting cross-legged on one of the chairs. They stared across the room at Jayce, waiting.

  There was no point in delaying. If I must be the bearer of the news then so be it. "The shipyard on Latea was attacked. The Emperor perished."

  One of the servants gasped and crumpled to the floor, fainting. Two other servants immediately fled the room. Jayce did not see them rise but the Flameguards were now on their feet, legs spread wide in defensive stances, as if Jayce were an enemy they were ready to fight.

  Charion kept his face a mask. "How?"

  Jayce explained the events quickly: the explosions inside the Olitau, the Emperor's flight to the Chain and the Wing's desperate attempt to defend him. The sword of blue that cut him and the Chain down.

  "Where is the heir?" Jayce finished. "Obviously you will need to perform whatever ceremony it is you do, but we need someone to begin giving orders. In the meantime pilot Brynn will lead the remains of the Gold Wing back west to see what they can do. I will be stepping down as--"

  "There is no heir."

  The words cut Jayce off like a knife. "What do you mean, there's no heir?"

  "There is no heir," Charion repeated. He sighed and sat in one of the chairs, head slumped. "His Luminance is the last. A thousand generations will end with him."

  Some of the servants began sniffling, and the Flameguards looked like they wanted to throw themselves off a tall building. Jayce had a hundred questions he wanted to ask, but the sound of bombs across the city kept him focused. "Who is in charge then? What is the line of succession?"

  "There is no one."

  Jayce found himself more angry than shocked. No chain of command at all? "Why are you here then, if there is no heir?"

  "To keep up appearances," he said. "His Luminance has been unable to produce an heir for some time now. A problem with his genetics. If the common people discovered the truth, that their God's life has truly ended without rebirth..."

  The city will fall, and with it the Empire, Jayce realized. There would be no saving it, even if they held off the attack by the Children. His desire to reach Karrana grew.

  Charion looked defeated. "What do we do?"

  "I am not in charge here," Jayce replied. "Where are the Emperor's military advisors? Or the city Governor?"

  "The Governor was removed weeks ago, and all advisors were sent away before that. His Luminance has been... paranoid, recently. All city functions were administered directly by him."

  Jayce looked around the room at the chaos that was already spreading. The servants were panicked, emerging from doorways carrying whatever belongings they could. Some of the items surely did not belong to them. And if the palace servants were already looting, those trusted enough to remain close to the Emperor at all times, then order was truly lost. The bombs continued to fall in the distance, a gentle reminder in the soles of his feet.

  Karrana. I need to get to Karrana.

  "Do what you can here," Jayce said to Charion. "As a Shieldwarden you'll command more respect than most."

  "I am just a glorified bodyguard," he said, "not a military leader. What can I--"

  Jayce had already turned away. "Drysane, since you don't want the command, you'll assist Charion in the defense of the city. The first thing you should do is sort out the pilots in the hangar, we need those men and women to take flight as soon as..."

  He trailed off. Drysane was staring intently at a servant who'd returned from the bedroom with an armful of gold jewelry. Pieces fell to the floor as he ran across the room, unable to carry it all.

  Drysane stepped forward, drew her sidearm, and shot him.

  The servant fell forward, sending jewelry sliding across the floor, the sound muffled by the rug. He lay face down, unmoving. Everyone in the room froze in place, watching the Vice Admiral while the rug drank the servant's spreading blood.

  "Looters will be shot on sight," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. A servant in the corner, a portly man with a bald head, quickly dropped what was in his arms, sending silver cups and plates clattering to the floor. "Nothing has changed. You will resume your normal duties."

  Charion said, "But without an heir, who..."

  "Jayce is in command of the Empire," she declared. "He is your acting Emperor now. You will follow his orders in everything that is required until the safety of the city is assured."

  Jayce gaped at Drysane. He began to argue, but Charion went to his knee, head bowed in deference. The Flameguards eyed him a moment longer before following suit. Slowly, one by one, the servants went to the floor, many of them bowing completely prostrate.

  The new Emperor groaned.

  Chapter 4

  Jayce strode away without a word.

  Drysane caught up to him at the door, pulling him to a stop. "Where the stars are you going?"

  "Me?" he asked, rounding on her. "What the hell was that in there? If anyone should be taking command it's you."

  "A thousand Emperors," she insisted, "a continuous male line spanning eons. Those people in there know nothing else. You think they would accept the leadership of a woman so easily? No, it had to be you."

  "I put Charion in charge. He could have done it, with you assisting, since that's all you'll apparently do."

  Drysane sneered. "That man has lost already. No, it needs to be someone strong. Someone already known, already a hero."

  When did she come up with this plan? "I cannot replace the Emperor. Stars, I've been trying to give away command of my Wing!"

  Drysane gave him a patient look. "Well now you've no choice. It's done. If you leave now there will be no hope of restoring stability to the palace. The looting will begin again and the palace will fall, and without leadership the city proper will follow." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "But with you in command, the famous Jayce of the Gold Wing, there is a chance. Order will remain, the defense of the city will continue."

  The cold, calculated logic infuriated him. "Have you ever loved someone, Drysane? Truly loved them?"

  Her stare grew distant, as if she were looking at something far away. "Yes." She shook away her daze. "That's a poor excuse for you. Karrana has a better chance of surviving if the city is stable."

  She was right. Deep down he knew it, even though his emotion fought his acceptance. He pointed a finger. "Only until the battle is over. Then I step down."

  "Of course."

  "Is this what you do? Latch onto strong men and force them into positions of power?"

  She smiled. "So you admit you're a strong man."

  Jayce made a low, growling noise in his throat before striding back into the sunlit courtyard.

  The servant Drysane shot had already been removed along with the stolen jewelry, though the blood remained on the carpet. Stars, do the servants work fast. Charion stood in the middle of the room, looking confused.

  That one would have made a terrible leader. "Take me to the command room," Jayce said. "And send for pilot Brynn. She's waiting in the hall."

  Charion led them deeper into the palace, down winding corridors and through secured barriers. There was no glass to allow sunlight here. By the time they reached the command room Jayce was certain he wouldn't be able to find his way out by himself.

  Four operators tapped at computers and examined screens spread along the walls of the room. They stood and saluted at his entrance. Two mumbled, "Your Luminance."

  Word travels fast. "Don't call me that." He went to the
operator sitting in front of a three-dimensional, electronic map of the city. "Give me all the information you have. What do we know of Latea?"

  "We lost most communication with Latea when the fighting began," said the operator, a petite girl with a tiny voice. "All radio broadcasts have since been blocked, and the Olitau does not respond to our hails. We still have data on the Chain itself--three cars remain on the tracks, but there is no response from them."

  Jayce thought of the Emperor's car, destroyed when the Chain base exploded on Latea. If only he were here instead of me.

  "Your Luminance, now that it's no longer anchored into the moon the Chain is drifting. Normally it would take days for it to move much, but it's swinging away much faster than that. We think it's momentum from the explosion itself."

  Jayce considered that a moment. "Is it going to fall in the next hour?" When the operator shook her head he continued, "Then it's not our main concern. What of our planetary defenses? The other cities?"

  Another operator, a bald man across the room, answered. "Kozare will fall within the hour. Panarat is holding but requests immediate assistance. Juhale and Forssa hold steady." A pause. "Those are the only ones."

  Jayce gave a start. "Those are the only ones that what?"

  "Those are the only cities answering communications. We suspect the rest have fallen."

  How could they fall so quickly? That must be a mistake. "I was in Lesothe a few months past, and the city was a fortress. They retained a Wing of thirty aircraft for use over the Pyhaja Ocean."

  The operators looked at one-another, hesitating. "His Luminance felt it necessary to... increase the defense of Luccar in the past month. Bolstering the capital's defense was accomplished at the expense of others."

  Stars save us. That was bad news indeed. Jayce had heard the Emperor was more cautious in recent years, and at that moment it was obvious the feeling was justified. But if several cities had fallen then this was more than just a small attack. This is a damned revolution. "There's little we can do for Panarat. Let's focus on Luccar. How do we look?"