As soon as all eight ships reached Khamasa’s appointed location, Pala opened the com to the captains. Harlen’s creamy, round face appeared on the silver screen beside Makel. Khamasa’s smooth Korean features had a startled expression and she called for Stastny.
Pala glanced at each face of the seven other captains as she spoke. “What’s happened to us and Colossus goes beyond tragedy. But, we fought to survive, and we have found a cure. There is, however, nothing known about the long-term effects of this virus. Many of us, including Dr. Denten, suspect it will mutate again once it reaches Earth's atmosphere. If that happens, we’ll be looking at casualties in the same percentages as what we experienced here, or worse. Consider what you do. Think of the outlying countries that will have to wait longer for the cure. It will destroy them entirely. Think of the children. We don’t know how the virus will behave in them. This virus was created to be a global killer.”
She paused, noting Stastny’s sour expression. He was so like Cabot: corporate to the bitter end. It sent a shiver down her spine. There was no way Stastny was going to give up bringing the Firone fungus home. And she was sure the Civilian Chief had somehow managed to harvest some before she found it.
She continued. “I know that originally, after we completed the mission here, we expected to join the rescue mission on Firone and then move on to Perimeter Post 3. That, by necessity, isn’t going to happen, at least not yet. But, this is still a military mission. It is our duty to protect this planet and Earth from any who wish to harm either one. That includes from those of Earth, itself. It's only been two weeks and this planet is still healing. Until then, we are quarantined here. Anyone who tries to leave Colossus endangers not only Earth, but all life if it should travel in a host to another planet. We can’t allow even a remote possibility that this virus will get loose. Make no mistake, we will not allow anyone to break quarantine until we've all done our part to ensure it is safe. It is not an idle threat.”
She shifted her attention to each screen. One by one, each of the five captains nodded. They were with her. Harlen flicked off his screen, showing only black. His ship moved alongside Khamasa’s, drawing lines. Pala opened the com to the battleship. “Riyst, I insist you don’t take on any ships that have had contact with the planet or any of the peoples assigned to this mission. Nor will you make any attempt yourself to land on the planet below. Do you comply, IPC Marshal Riyst?”
Stastny cut in from Khamasa’s ship, his dark face purpled with fury and his voice loud. “Pala, this is no longer your mission. I’ll destroy you for this.”
Reaching up, Pala cut Stastny off the connection. He’d made his intentions clear enough. “Riyst, I know your part in this whole scheme. I know about the connection between Firone and the planet below. And it is true that I’ve officially been relieved of my command. The quarantine, however, still remains. Do you comply?”
Khamasa’s Decider spun around, facing The Hawk. She fired. Riyst’s image shifted in its seat, reaching for the controls. The Sultesque fired. Harlen’s StarGazer fired.
Veering sharply to the left, Pala avoided Khamasa’s shot, but those from the Sultesque and Harlen grazed The Hawk’s upper hull. The ship shuddered and lurched harshly to the side. The silver sheen that was the com screen flashed, turning bright red. Pala checked her controls. Her ship’s hull was ruptured amidships, hemorrhaging oxygen. She hollered over her shoulder, “Physe!”
“On it!” His voice echoed from the back.
Khamasa hadn’t waited to see the outcome of the assault; the Decider zoomed to meet Riyst’s big cruiser, Harlen's ship close behind. Two ships loyal to Pala swung into their path, their hulls gleaming in the light from the sun. When Khamasa tried to fly below, another shining StarGazer appeared in their way. As she and Harlen lifted above, the blockade raised up, keeping an even line.
A shot of light burst out of the Sultesque’s starboard guns at the StarGazer directly center of the line. Slinging to the side, the smaller ship worked to evade the shot, but wasn’t quick enough. The shot slammed into the underfuselage and the StarGazer exploded into a sudden ball of bright orange as the oxygen burned.
Pala clenched her jaw.
Quade’s face was also grim, his voice quiet. “You know Stastny and Riyst aren’t gonna give up. They don’t care about any consequences to Earth. And we don’t have the firepower to take out that battalion cruiser.”
“No, we don’t. But we can capture the StarGazers and keep her crew locked up for the rest of eternity. Harlen is a follower; we’ll take Khamasa first. Move in and target her aft stabilizers.” Even as she said it and Quade’s hand moved to adjust the controls, the capture beam from Riyst’s Sultesque locked onto the Decider and Harlen’s ship behind. The Sultesque was powerful enough to drag both ships into its bays without assistance. Knocking Khamasa’s controls off line wouldn’t matter, now. The outcome would still be the same: Stastny and his clan would go back to Earth, the virus would most likely mutate again. Most of the population would sicken and die.
Pala rubbed her eyes. She’d never wanted this. No soldier should ever have to face a battle against their own. Especially a seventeeen-year-old cadet. “Target Sultesque's bay door.”
“Targeted,” said Quade with a quiet voice.
Khamasa’s ship was rapidly being pulled toward the Sultesque while Harlen's followed under its own power. Speaking to the remainder of the ships, Pala said, “Let the Decider pass. Move to a distance.” Obediently, they moved out of position, taking triangulated points in a distant ring around the battalion cruiser.
Pala spoke into the com. “Khamasa, we will not let you board that ship. Do you understand? Stand down or we will be forced to take action.”
There was no answering flicker on the silver screen that should have been the Decider’s.
“Pala.” Quade’s hand was poised above the firing commands.
“Not yet.” Khamasa’s ship approached The Sultesque. Pala had to make sure. What she did here would put her at war with the whole of the Interplanetary Peace Coalition. She could well imagine Stastny’s gloating face, thinking he’d won. “Khamasa, this is your last warning. Stand down!”
Harlen's StarGazer slowed. And there was still no answer from the Decider.
Quade glanced at her, his eyebrows raised.
Pala moved her hand to hover over the firing controls. This was her command, her shot. Her court martial. She squared her shoulders. “Be prepared to fire on either ship if they interfere.”
“Ready.”
It felt like time stretched itself. Pala’s hands grew slick with sweat and her stomach flip-flopped. She wiped her right hand on her pants and returned it to above the controls. Just as the StarGazer positioned to enter the bay, she stabbed her finger on the firing pad.
On the com screen, a bright light hurled through space. It slammed into the Sultesque, causing it to lurch. The stern of the batallion cruiser split apart in the center like an egg, letting loose a bright white light that flared outward in sudden release from the ship. Even as the explosion sucked back in on itself, debris was flung wide. The capture beam disengaged.
The side of the Sultesque closest to the blast was a crumple of metal. Shards pointed inward to the opening like teeth. No ship could board there. That ought to send a clear enough message to those in charge back home.
Decider nosed hard against the lip of what had been the bay. A tremor passed through it. It ceased propulsion and began to drift. She was dead in the water.
Pala turned her attention back to Harlen’s ship. His weapons were still online. Opening a com link, she said, “Commander Harlen, you can see our intentions are no idle threat. We will enforce this quarantine. Please stand down.”
The screen remained silver, but the StarGazer made no move. It floated silently in space. Shaking his head, Quade said, “What are they thinkin’?” He charged The Hawk’s forward weapons.
Pala shook her dark head bleakly. Firing on another of her own ships. How many
more in the future? “Target to disable.”
“Done.”
She reached for the firing controls. She felt as if she'd vomit. What if some accident happened and she destroyed the ship with everyone in it?
The com screen from Harlen’s StarGazer flickered from a silver sheen to color to silver again.
Pala lifted her hand and watched the screen.
Captain DeLoach, the ship’s Second, appeared on the com screen and the ship’s weapons disarmed. “Hold fire! Hold fire! We are now under your command. I repeat, we are standing down.” His face was bloody from a cut that ran down his cheek. His expression was tense as were the faces of the visible crewmen. In the background, Makel and an angry Harlen were being led away by a group of armed rangers.
Beside Pala, Quade puffed out his pale cheeks in a sigh of relief. “Captain, do you require assistance? I can send Physe and a couple of cadets over in a shuttle.”
DeLoach grinned. One of his crewmen handed him a towel and he dabbed at the cut on his cheek. “We have them under control.”
Riyst’s Sultesque slowly moved away, swinging in a large arc to head to the IPC station that orbited Earth. He opened the com, his face twisted with malice. “Don’t get too comfortable. The IPC won’t let go. Neither will the Miners’ Union. I’ll be back with more ships.”
“We’ll be ready. It won’t be as easy as you think.”
“We’ll see.” Then the com screen went silver and the Sultesque spun away. For a moment, Pala thought of going after Riyst. She could use a Battalion Cruiser to help enforce the quarantine. But she wasn’t trying to start a war with the IPC. And, she’d lost enough men. She wasn’t willing to risk another life. She turned to Quade, "Coordinate a couple of ships to tow Decider back to Base."
"Aye, Captain." He saluted, a big grin on his face.
She should be as happy as him. After all, they'd contained the errant ship and kept the virus from traveling to Earth. But, she just couldn't muster a return smile. A war could be coming.
She turned The Hawk toward Colossus and the six ships holding what remained of her men. The planet expanded in the viewscreen, a monster filling the vastness of space. From this distance, the dead vegetation around the camps couldn’t be seen. The ice caps were crystal white and green continents spanned almost three-quarters of the globe, soothing her. For now, Colossus was living, vital, barring the places the virus had hit. And so was Earth. She intended to keep them both that way, no matter the cost.
ALSO FROM
LANDS ATLANTIC
PUBLISHING
For centuries, the Petrescu family has been protecting society from a danger that moves among the population undetected. Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate a seventeen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.
Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel.
But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone
she knows.
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