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

by David Kristoph

  It was over quickly. The Children poured forth, the few dozen with rifles first and then those with smaller weapons. Katy hardly had time to think before the soldiers were cheering, the ragged cries of victory.

  She stepped outside, into their Mother's light. The top of the Wall ran away from her, the edges to her left and right, perhaps a hundred feet apart. The nearest battlement was a smoking ruin, with the bodies of peacekeepers strewn about. One still moved, surrounded by Children taunting and crying out with savage malice.

  Onero was climbing to the top of the ruined battlement, carefully avoiding the half that smoldered. A flag still flew from an undamaged pole, six red-and-white horizontal stripes filled with tiny stars, the flag of the Empire. Onero ripped it down with a knife, dipped it into the flaming rubble, and tossed it to the air. The wind caught it, carrying the flag out over the old city as it flapped and burned.

  From his pack he pulled a new flag. A simple white background, with one large eight-pointed star in the center in red. He attached it to the pole with clips, pulling it high above the Wall.

  The Children screamed their victory.

  Chapter 15

  The naked man screamed and thrashed as the mob dragged him toward the edge of the Wall.

  "Please," he begged, "I've surrendered! I'm not fighting anymore!"

  The crowd of Children ignored him, or didn't hear him in the sound of their own emotion. Or they didn't care. Prayer had just been observed, Saria returning from the noon eclipse behind Latea, and the Children were invigorated in their piety. They pulled him by his arms without slowing.

  "I have a family!"

  Katy watched quietly from a short distance away. It was a confusing feeling, watching a defenseless man near death, begging for his life. Not a man. A steadfast. A Peacekeeper. Katy spent most of her life avoiding the thickly-armored guards, fearing their booming voices in the inner city and at searchpoints. How many civilians had this man tormented? How many innocents had he killed?

  This peacekeeper seemed scrawny without his armor, and his voice commanded no fear then.

  "I'll renounce His Luminance! I'll worship your star!"

  Referring to the false god as His Luminance won't help your cause, Katy thought with a shake of her head. Not that it mattered. She couldn't think of anything that would stay the Children's hands at that moment, drunk on victory atop the structure that had symbolized their oppression for so long.

  At the edge of the Wall the man stuck out his legs like stilts, holding himself back. He screamed as someone kicked his knee, bending it backward unnaturally. With a final heave the Children lifted him up and over the edge. He fell, disappearing into the inner city. Katy cocked her head but his screams were already out of earshot. The mob's roar announced when he hit the ground.

  Katy grimaced.

  The mob returned to the small group of prisoners, bound with wire in the middle of the Wall platform, next to the ruined battlement. The next Peacekeeper received a length of rope around his neck. He would be hanged, it appeared.

  Spider stepped up next to her, smiling widely. He jerked his head toward the mob and then looked a question at Katy.

  She shrugged. "There's enough of them doing the deed. I prefer to watch."

  Spider drew a circle in the air with his thumb, a rude gesture.

  "Coward?" she asked, frowning. "I'm not a coward, spider. I was one of the first charging the Wall."

  She flinched as he extended a hand, but he was only reaching over her shoulder. He gripped her slung rifle, twisting it to look at something. He grunted, then tapped at it with a long fingernail.

  Katy turned her head to look: the energy indicator, still full. You didn't fire a single shot, Spider's face said, eyes full of scorn.

  "I never had a chance," she said, more defensively than she intended. "I had the grenades. Onero held me back. You held me back, there at the end."

  Spider only shook his head. He walked away, making a clicking noise with his tongue.

  Katy turned back to the mob, annoyed. How could he call her a coward? She'd killed dozens with her Academy bomb that week, a mission she'd carried out alone. And her grenades had surely killed defenders in the Wall. What more could she do?

  The crowd pushed the Peacekeeper toward the edge, rope dangling down his back.

  She didn't feel sorry for them. The captured prisoners or the active defenders in battle or the Academy students killed. The steadfasts were her enemy. She knew it logically, and carried out her duties unflinchingly.

  But she felt no joy, no sadistic pleasure. Only satisfaction at their successful attack, at being one step closer to revealing the false god for what he was. And running across the battlefield had certainly warmed her chest, giving her an excitement she'd only known from a man's touch. She had no feelings for the individual deaths along the way, however.

  Killing in our Mother's service is the sweetest thing.

  Onero meant the words, she saw it in his eyes. So why didn't she feel the same? She was far away from the Academy when her bomb detonated. Her grenades exploded while she was behind cover. Was it sweeter when you witnessed the deed? Did you need to watch the life drain from a man's eyes, see all hope extinguished?

  The prisoner was at the edge of the Wall now. He stood calmly, giving no resistance as the crowd tied the other end of rope to a latch in the platform. When it was secure the closest soldier pushed, eager to be the one to shove the peacekeeper over the edge. The rope jerked taut. It began shaking back and forth as the unseen man thrashed.

  Again the crowd roared, firing lasers into the air in celebration.

  Katy turned away.

  This section of the Wall was theirs, a foothold into the inner city. Half the army was moving north along the top, destroying the remaining battlements along the way, sporadically aided by the fleet of aircraft above. Two Riverhawks remained behind, ferrying the large laser batteries from the ground to the top of the Wall, tied beneath the ship chassis by three ropes. One group unloaded a battery at that moment, untying the knots while the Riverhawk hovered over the edge. With a tug the final rope loosened, dropping the gun onto the platform. The men wheeled it to the edge, facing the inner city.

  Katy walked to the other side of the Wall, where a bunker faced the outer city. It was sunken into the surface, with five steps leading down. Two guards stood at the top of the steps but made no move to stop her as she descended.

  The bunker was a twenty foot square, cramped with a low ceiling. The wall directly ahead had windows facing down into the outer city. The other two were filled with computer screens and equipment. Onero sat in front of one, speaking softly. He held a finger up to Katy without looking away from the screen. Spider and three others--officers Onero held in high esteem--stood at the windows, looking out over the old city.

  Katy stood by the door and waited. She recognized the words Onero spoke; one of the many speeches they'd written. He was recording a message to play to the city, telling all the steadfast inhabitants of the inner city to surrender peacefully, to renounce the false god and declare their love for Mother Saria. Hopefully none of them saw their peacekeepers thrown from the Wall.

  When the speech was complete Onero rose from his chair.

  "Well?" asked one of the men, turning away from the window. His short, curly hair was covered in dust, his burly shoulder grimy. Jarl is his name, I think. "Did it work?"

  Milana, one of the soldiers directly under Onero, nodded in agreement. Spider watched them quietly.

  "The Ancillary did its job," Onero said. "The Chain was struck and dislodged from Latea."

  "Fuck the Chain," Jarl spat. "You know what I ask."

  "Incapacitating the Chain is critical to our long-term plans," Onero lectured. He held the man's gaze a moment longer before breaking into a wide grin. "But the false god was aboard one of the Chain cars at the time. He was struck down by our Mother's power."

  Jarl pumped a fist, and Spider smiled widely. Milana closed her eyes and
leaned her head back as if savoring Saria's warmth.

  "It is a great victory," Onero said, "but it is meaningless if we cannot reach the heir in the palace. His falseness must be revealed. We cannot allow ourselves to be slowed by celebrating one victory.

  "The Olitau was captured successfully, as well. The Admiral is dead, the other high-ranking officers held prisoner. Their knowledge will be valuable. The Olitau is cleaning up most of the moon base. The electroids from Praetar performed admirably, thanks to my father." He gave Katy a pointed look before continuing. "Seven of the Tortoise transport ships were destroyed. One escaped. We had Children aboard, so they may still be able to scuttle the ship. If not--it doesn't matter.

  "Our efforts here on Melis go smoothly. Kozare, Gereida, and Tabora are ours. Panarat and Luza will fall soon; their city defenses flee as we speak, presumably to reinforce Luccar. A waste, as our own forces will reinforce us here when the other cities fall." He chuckled. "The false god's heir knows his doom. He abandons all else in desperation to protect himself."

  "If the Empire has reinforcements coming," Jarl said, "then why don't we attack the palace directly? Before they arrive?"

  "They want us to do that," Onero explained. "Right now we have air superiority and a larger army. The palace is heavily fortified. Rushing ahead, engaging the remaining Gold Wing above those battlements, would be foolish."

  "Have we no one inside the compound?" another asked.

  Onero pursed his lips. "I've heard nothing from our men among the city patrol. We must assume the palace compound defenses are fully operational."

  "Will the Olitau be aiding us?"

  "It's an orbital flagship, built for low gravity. It can descend to a planet's surface in an emergency, but its size is too cumbersome. If it entered Melis's atmosphere it would never be able to escape again."

  "So what?" growled Jarl. "Bring that bitch down here and make a statement!"

  "Don't be so short-sighted. There are other plans for the Olitau, better uses for it. Besides, we don't need her. We can take the city ourselves, with no one else to steal our glory."

  "Then what's next?" Katy asked. Beyond attempting to take the Wall, Onero had kept the details of his plan close to his chest.

  Onero smiled. "In addition to our four heavy laser batteries, we can salvage fourteen more from the Wall's battlements. That's eighteen. We will use Riverhawks to advance them east, deploying in a line across the inner city rooftops. The roof gardens will provide cover for the guns. We will move into the city like that, cautiously expanding our power.

  "Our ground forces will move in conjunction, searching out the steadfasts in their homes. Those who accept our Mother's glory will be allowed to live. The rest will become examples for the others.

  "By the time we reach the palace compound and expose the heir's falsehood the city will be ours. The planet will be ours, and the Empire will be no more. The foundation will be in place to begin anew, to create a civilization in our Mother's glory."

  He paused to let the words sink in.

  "We leave in an hour, after the ships have refueled. Prepare your groups."

  Jarl, Spider, and Milana shuffled out of the bunker, but Onero stopped Katy with a smile. He closed the door behind the others before crossing the bunker, tilting his head to glance at the rifle over her shoulder. "Spider told me you never used your rifle."

  Mother, not this again. "I didn't get a chance. At the base of the Wall I never had a target because my grenades did the job. Same for the searchpoint. And when we stormed the roof platform I was too late to do anything."

  "That may be so, but your rifle power is a detail others noticed."

  "I can fire some random shots into the air like an idiot," she said sarcastically, "but that doesn't help our cause very much, now does it?"

  "You should do something like that," he said, completely serious. "Anything to convince the others of your resolve. It sounds ridiculous, but they see you at the front with me and wonder why you're here. They don't trust you."

  "Me?" she blurted, incredulous. "I've been with the Children longer than any of them! I've proved my worth over and over again." She thought for a moment. "Do they question Milana, why you've elevated her above the others? Or is it only me?"

  He seemed amused at her anger, putting his hand on her shoulder. She could smell him, a musky scent mixed with dirt. "Jealousy is a strange emotion on you, Katy." His smile faded. "You don't need to convince me. Convince them. I need to rely on you, and I can't do that if the others watch your every move with suspicion, wondering why you're here."

  "Why am I here?" she asked, barely a whisper.

  He finally kissed her. One of his arms wrapped around to pull her close while the other fumbled at her belt, yanking it loose. She hopped on one leg to shake off the pants. His tongue tasted sweet and warm like rainwater. Then he pushed her back against the wall of computers, his own trousers hastily coming off.

  They fell to the ground together, hands grabbing and clutching. The metal floor was cold on her backside, but Onero was warm, the heat of his body melting on top of her thighs. Her lips found his again and she lost herself in the lust. Somehow being on top of the Wall made it all the more exciting.

  Onero dressed quickly when they were through, returning to the computer screen on the other side of the bunker. His desire was always strong after something dangerous, but it usually subsided just as quickly. Katy lay on the floor, one leg crossed over the other, letting the metal cool her body.

  A bang at the door interrupted the silence. Katy leapt to her feet, grabbing her pants and pulling them to her waist in one smooth motion. Her shirt had never come off, so she only needed to shake out her hair a bit before tying it back in a tail. Onero waited until she finished before opening the door.

  Spider stuck his head inside. His eyes met Katy's for a moment but quickly looked away. There was someone behind him.

  "Yeah, let him in," Onero said.

  Spider stepped out of the way, while another man strode inside. He was older, with sandy hair streaked with grey. He didn't even notice Katy. "Onero. I've heard of your plan for the city rooftops."

  "I've already chosen the teams, Haran..."

  "I'm trained as a window repairman," Haran said. "I have climbing experience you can use."

  "We're not climbing," Onero sighed, "we're flying. Our ships will carry us from roof to roof."

  "It's all heights!" Haran insisted. "Are the others unafraid? You won't know until you are there..."

  Katy slipped out the door behind him.

  Chapter 16

  Eighteen teams of five waited along the edge of the Wall, facing the inner city, each next to a tall heavy laser. In addition to the original four, Onero's engineers had worked quickly to refit the additional guns from the Wall's surviving defenses. Those were larger and more powerful, with their own built-in energy sources so they could continue functioning if the Wall lost power. Above it all circled dozens of aircraft, small streaking guardians watching over them all.

  Katy stood next to one of the lasers with the others in Onero's group: Spider, Jarl, and Milana. Onero spoke to the latter, quietly so nobody else could hear.

  Milana laughed, a rich, throaty sound. Onero left her to examine something on the laser.

  "I still think you need to delegate more duties to others," Katy said, frowning.

  Onero lowered his eyes in a grin. "Someone like you, perhaps?"

  "That's not what I mean," she said. "You're in charge of this section of the Wall. It's foolish to risk yourself by pushing forward with the laser batteries."

  Onero focused on whatever he was looking at on the laser chassis. After a moment he said, "The Emperor hid behind the courage of others, as does his heir now. I will not do the same. I want to be where the action is."

  Why is he so stubborn? Katy softened her voice. "I worry about you, Onero. You should be a leader, not a fighter."

  "I will lead from the front," he said, with a tone that left
no room for argument. He turned away from her, looking down into the inner city. Clusters of Children moved down the main boulevard, occasionally branching across smaller streets and alleys. Some kicked open doors and disappeared into buildings. Katy supposed escorting the heavy lasers was less dangerous for Onero than moving on the ground, although remaining behind at the Wall still would have been the safest action.

  "You and Spider will clear the roofs when we land," Onero said. He gave her a pointed stare. "Shoot anything that moves, no exceptions. With only five per group we can't afford to be careful." He tapped the side of her rifle before moving on.

  Spider handed earplugs to everyone, which muffled the noise of the booming aircraft above. It did little to mute the roaring engine of the Riverhawk that descended, though. The craft stopped ten feet above them, hovering at the edge of the Wall. The exhaust from its engines buffeted Katy's face, whipping waves across her shirt.

  Spider climbed the laser. The unnamed man tossed him a length of black cable with a threaded clasp on the end, which Spider reached up and clipped onto the Riverhawk's left wing. He repeated the process on the right wing, and then attached a third cable to a hook at the aircraft's nose. The wing-mounted cables attached to the wide laser base, and the third to the laser's barrel.

  He then attached five more cables to the laser base, though these had no clasps on the end. Onero grabbed one. "You'll hold on like this," he yelled above the engine noise, taking Katy's right hand. She enjoyed the feel of his touch as he wrapped the rope around her fingers twice, then around the top in a quick loop. "Grip it tight, and don't let go."

  Like I would let go of the damn rope. Still, she didn't mind him helping her.

  He went to Milana and showed her too, but Katy distracted herself by examining the lines of cable. The laser would hang underneath the Riverhawk, and the five of them would hang from the laser. Simple. Nothing to be afraid of.