When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars)

by Korenman, Adam

  Now a new alarm sounded. This time, Edward smiled. He let his body float upward as a cool metallic voice spoke.

  “All pods released. Fusion core overload in progress. Clear the immediate area.”

  His arms was shattered, bent and dangling loose in his sleeve. Blood filled his mouth no matter how often he spat it back out. But there was still a mission. Summoning a final reserve of strength, Lieutenant Lautner set out on one last task.

  * * * * *

  Cameron and George finished towing the overstuffed ExoPod to Midway and released their lines, allowing a recovery ship to grab the shuttle and carry it the rest of the way. They turned back into the fight to see Savanna’s engines suddenly fire out, pushing the heavy frigate toward the enemy carrier. Whittled down by overwhelming fire, every cruiser, frigate and destroyer from the black fleet burned in a floating sea of melted metal and shattered hulls. As Savanna approached, the last remaining fighters launched a desperate counterattack.

  The bolts and bombs tore into the damaged hull, but momentum carried Savanna past the field of broken ships. With a stomach-wrenching crunch, the missile frigate drove deep into the belly of the carrier, fire spewing from the collision. The impact fused the two crafts, sending them on a wild spin. Debris spiraled around the derelicts as they tumbled together.

  From every direction, enemy ships converged on the human warship.

  * * * * *

  The impact hadn’t killed him. That in itself was a surprise, but Edward was used to his bad luck lingering. Alarms continued to warn that dangerous gasses were already being released around the overloaded core. He’d thought that the impact would set off the incredibly volatile chemicals, maybe even take out the carrier in the process. He hadn’t counted on the quality of the hull’s construction.

  With his one good arm, he pulled himself forward into the left missile array. Munitions floated around the room, some spilling propellant in a bubbling orange stream. The tubes emanated heat, glowing an alluring red. Every few feet he would stop, tapping a command into nearby panels. Alongside the grated path, standing thirty-feet from the deck, the Ten Plagues came to life.

  One good round, Edward thought. All I need is one good round. He went from rack to rack, trying to locate a single missile that still looked remotely held together. Toward tube 5, a single missile still clung to the magnetic ready storage. Had there not already been so many broken cases, Edward might have noticed the acrid scent of accelerant. In another circumstance, what happened next would have been tragedy. For Edward Lautner, it would be a sudden and fortunate turn of luck.

  Sucking in his breath, Edward pulled the missile loose and pushed it into the glowing hot tube. He had just begun to close the door when the explosive detonated.

  * * * * *

  Savannaerupted into a glowing blue star, completely engulfing the ships around it. Floating wreckages dissolved under the intense heatwave and the incoming fighters disintegrated. A trio of alien bombers ran straight into the inferno, disappearing in smaller puffs of orange and white. The ball of light and fire expanded rapidly, stopping only a few kilometers from the Terran front lines. A massive concussion wave rippled through space, knocking hundreds of satellites out of orbit and causing a rolling blackout across Luna. Dust kicked up from the blast swirled into a thick cloud that moved slowly across the moon’s face.

  Without any oxygen, the fire put itself out. As quickly as it started, the violence ended. Squadrons of Terran fighters searched the area, but all of the alien ships were destroyed. Huge undulating balls of slag floated in space, drawn slowly but imminently back toward Earth, along with the derelicts and debris. Lieutenant Young and the rest of Helios squadron began escorting rescue shuttles to pick up escape pods or ejected pilots. Lumbering Dodos and nimble Valkyries wove through the cluttered field in search of life. The remaining Fleet forces, including newcomers from CBG Sol and Venus SP, took up a blocking position between Earth and the silver navy. There hadn’t been a single shot exchanged between the humans and the other group, but the blood was in the water.

  Valley Forgerotated toward the largest vessel, opening up every weapon port as it fired a salvo of flares into no man’s land. It was a posturing move, meant to intimidate. If that didn’t work, the twenty battle-scarred destroyers and frigates alongside the cruiser did the trick. As the carrier groups arrived toward the rear, pilots began taking bets about which side would strike first. No one wanted to be right.

  Aboard Midway, Hiro sat in his chair and waited. He had survived the first part of the battle. Perhaps he could make it through the next.

  At the center of the room, at a large computer station, Ensign Nari Suffra received an alert. As the communications officer for Midway, she handled all incoming and outgoing signal traffic. What caught her eye wasn’t the message. The source stopped her heart mid-beat.

  “Commodore,”she began, her voice wavering.

  Hiro’s smile dissolved. He recognized the tone of the young officer’s words and his own pulse quickened.“What is it?”

  Nari pointed to her screen, ashamed at how badly her hand shook.“It’s a message. No encoding.”She swiped away images so only the words remained.

  Hiro walked over and leaned down, staring dumbfounded at the message. His mouth dried up. Fighting to swallow, he typed a rapid reply and sent it out. Standing back up, Hiro moved quickly to the wall and grabbed the communication handset. He tapped his free hand against his hip, agitated.

  “Valley Forgeactual.”

  “Sam,”Hiro said.“Tell the Fleet to hold fire. No matter what they see, no one shoots at the silver ships.”

  Commander DeHart’s voice came back low and angry.“What the hell are you doing, Commodore? We should push them out of the system before they decide to bomb a city or blow up a goddamn planet.”

  “They haven’t so much as grazed one of our scouts. If they wanted to attack, there was plenty of opportunity before. This is an order, Commander.”

  Sam was silent for a long time. Then, simply,“Understood.”

  Hiro cleared the line and activated the PA.“Attention, Midway. This is Commodore Osaka. All soldiers stationed on this ship are to report to Alpha Hangar immediately. I repeat, all soldiers are to report to combat stations in Alpha Hangar.”

  Ensign Suffra turned in her chair as Hiro ran toward the door.“Sir?”

  Hiro turned, his hand on the frame of the door. He looked at his second-in-command.“Earl, you have the bridge. They’re on their way here.”

  - VII -

  Cameron stared deadpan across his wing toward George. Between them, gliding on a flat stream of blue energy, a silver vessel unlike any they’d ever seen followed a human escort toward Midway. Aside from a shimmering green bar across the front of the craft, Cameron couldn’t find a seam in the iridescent hull. Along with a full squadron of Phoenix fighters, silver saucers wove in and out of the formation. Their acrobatics came across as playful, but also demonstrated unbelievable maneuverability. Cameron could just make out the glowing outline of a kinetic barrier every time a bit of dust or debris flew into the shuttle’s path.

  The hangar floor was bare, save enough space for the craft to land and a good fifty soldiers on all three levels. Cameron and George looped around, docking on the top tier while the silver vessel hovered in place at the bottom. The dull thrum of the engines reverberated through the entire section of the ship, vibrating deep within the soldiers’chests. As three spindly legs descended from the bottom of the shuttle, it seemed as though the only sound in the world was that churning and grinding bass note.

  Hiro jogged down the steps, an attachment of security guards and aides rushing to keep pace. For an older man, he was surprisingly spry. He jumped the last step, landing in front of the humming spacecraft. Easing between the growing crowd, the officer inched his way to the front.

  There was no way to describe the ship without calling it alien. No metal known to man reflected light the same way, nor did there exist an engineer wit
h such incredible skill. It was seamless, and the curves and angles were too perfect to be something off an assembly line. Around the room, a single thought passed through the minds of all present. Who, or what, was about to emerge?

  A line of light bisected the pristine hull, soon joined by other beams that crisscrossed the ethereal metal until a doorway formed. Steps emerged from the inside, dropping down until they touched the floor. Thirty seconds passed without a single sound, save the hiss of steam and the ebbing whir of the engine. From within the unknown vessel, footsteps approached.

  It wore a simple suit of black and silver. The pattern on the fabric swirled as though made of gas. The lithe gray creature wore no breathing apparatus; either their species used oxygen or simply didn’t require air. Its small, dark eyes darted back and forth, and its long slender hands gripped a bulbous silver weapon tight. From a distance, once could almost confuse it for a human, the shape was so familiar. The head was slightly large, and the eyes even more so. It stood around five foot nine and was well muscled. The hand had only four fingers instead of five, but the structure was the same as anyone on Midway. Its features were flat, with a small triangular nose and almost nonexistent lips. Within that face Hiro could see intelligence and, strangely, fear. There was something else, something incredibly familiar: discipline. This was a soldier.

  My God, Hiro thought. They could have walked off a movie set.

  Two more of the black-and-silver-suited creatures emerged, each sporting alien rifles. They looked similar, but at the same time were easily distinguishable. One had dark gray spots running from its brow down the right side of its face. Another had squinty eyes and breathed heavily, its teeth a single ridge-line with valleys and crests. They took position as a fourth creature stepped down from the ship, its multicolored robe extending down to the ground. Standing between the three soldiers, it called out to the interior of the ship. The language sounded like wind rushing through pipes; a melodic, pleasant sound. Finishing the call, the robed alien turned and bowed down toward Hiro. It spoke, but the noises meant nothing to the human. The commander felt his anxiety growing quickly. What exactly was he supposed to do next?

  Hiro watched in awe as the last creature approached from the interior of the shimmering craft. Dressed in gold, green and black robes that dragged in a train behind its feet, the elder alien conjured an image of a wizened monarch. Its emerald eyes locked onto Hiro’s, and those watching swore it smiled. Its ashen skin was wrinkled and leathery, but it walked with energy and poise.

  “Fa’hnaki Lan, Earthborne,”the creature spoke. Its voice came out soft but weathered.“I am honored by your welcome.”His words were slightly accented and easy to understand. When no one replied, he asked,“You do speak English, don’t you?”

  Hiro could barely move as the alien approached, entourage in tow. He stammered a few words out before taking the time to compose himself.“My name is Hiro Osaka, commodore in the Terran Fleet and Commander of the TFC Midway.”He paused, unsure if it was enough of an introduction.“It’s...I am honored to have you aboard.”

  “That we could have met under kinder circumstance, Commodore Hiro Osaka.”The pronunciation was impeccable.“I am—we are—forever in your debt for assisting in this battle.”

  Hiro couldn’t help but notice the sea of eyes watching his every move. The gravity of the situation dawned on him slowly, which was a blessing. If he’d had full presence of mind, he probably would have fainted. A thought gnawed at him, that he should call an admiral or a councillor. But there was no time.

  The creature turned to face the crowd.“I am called Anduin na’Lanus. I am the leader of my people, the Nangolani.”Anduin turned to face Hiro.“You have made a lifelong ally by coming to our aid, but you have also found a ferocious enemy in the Boxti.”

  “I’m sorry,”Hiro said.“The who?”

  Anduin’s voice lowered.“It would take too long to explain here, but rest assured I will answer your questions. For now, all I ask is your trust, temporarily placed upon my people and I, until we can earn it fully. That and an agreement not to attack my weary flotilla. We have seen your might and know we would not last against you.”The alien extended his hand—Hiro was surprised that he thought of the creature as a he, but the voice sounded decidedly masculine.“Commodore, I know that a handshake is only a custom and not a contract, but I hope you will accept my plea for help.”

  Here it is, Hiro thought. It almost doesn’t feel real, being here at this moment. He had made life-or-death decisions without thought, relying on gut instinct alone. He had charged into battle with faith that his crew’s skill would carry them through. But this was wholly different, and the fear he felt gnawed at him. Seconds passed, feeling like hours, before Hiro took the offered hand.

  Anduin’s grip was strong, far stronger than expected. Hiro smiled and the alien returned the expression. The dam burst and every Terran in the room cried out, cheering and hollering. Crewmen jumped up and down, hugging and crying. Hiro shook hands with each of the aliens, acting as a diplomat more than a commander. Then the lithe soldiers took turns greeting the throng of pilots and crew eager to be a part of history. What had moments before been a tense standoff became an ad hoc victory party.

  Across the room, Cameron watched with sober appreciation. Next to him, George bounced around, trading high fives and clapping soldiers on the back. He stopped when he noticed Cameron’s posture.

  “Jesus, buddy. What’s wrong?”

  Cameron tried to shake it off.“Sorry. I just don’t know. I mean, this is great, but—”

  “No,”George said.“No‘buts.’This is huge. This is the biggest thing we’ve ever been a part of.”George stared at the alien craft, an enormous grin on his face.“This is just the beginning.”

  George pushed through the crowd, leaving Cameron standing in the middle of the celebration. As he watched his friend go, Cameron shook his head.

  “That’s what I’m scared of,”he said to no one.“This is just the beginning.”

  Chapter Two

  Shadow of Tallus

  “And on that day, for the sins of their fathers and the pride of their leader, the Lord rained fire from the sky onto the fields and homes of the Egyptian people. And so it was then, so it is now.”

  Alexander Blightman

  Red Hammer Union

  Founder

  March 14, 2220

  - I -

  October 14, 2236

  Amber sunlight filtered in through the tall windows of the briefing room. On the fiftieth floor of Vienna’s tallest building, the Presidential Tower, the view of humanity’s capital was breathtaking. Across a bustling plaza, Saint Stephen’s Cathedral caught the morning rays just right. The looming limestone walls seemed amber as the day began for the European continent.

  A crowd of reporters watched the door by the side of a polished podium with unguarded interest. For any journalist, the last twenty-four hours had been a mad hunt for details, trying to be the first to break the story of the millennium. Numerous agencies already found their foots planted clearly in their mouths after rushing out unchecked information regarding the attack in the skies over Luna. Now, in the press room of the High Chancellor himself, each person read over their sets of questions, looking for the biggest stone to upend.

  The room had been decorated quickly to prepare for the conference. Three banners—one gold, one gray, and one crimson—hung from the ceiling, representing the Three Pillars of the government: Executor, Centurial, and Colonial. Each flowing standard had the symbol of the Terran Colonial Federate emblazoned in the center.

  Drums began to play and the crowd, already on its feet, straightened even higher. Trumpets sounded, playing Our Sky will Never Fall, the anthem of the Federate government. Secret Service agents dissolved into the crowded room, securing every vantage point. Next, a pair of aides walked in, ensuring the podium had the proper speech and a glass of clear iced water already in place. The anthem finished with a flourish, leading into Chancellor�
��s Call. The scrawny press secretary entered wearing an ill-fitted suit. He coughed into his hand and leaned toward the mic.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, High Chancellor Alexander Burton.”

  With a sudden explosion of flashes off the 30 cameras in the room, Alexander walked in. Standing six-three with the build of a linebacker, the Chief Galactic Executive posed an intimidating figure. It was easy to see why the common joke in the Council was that Alexander’s security used himfor protection. Wearing a charcoal gray Kalsin suit that accented his ebony skin, Alexander looked the part of politician in outward appearance. He took the podium, gripping the cherry oak with his hands as he gazed over the crowd. His head of security—a gray-haired and stern-looking agent—stood off to the side, his eyes on the line of reporters.

  “Please,”he said in a deep and slightly British baritone.“Have a seat.”The assembled crowd took their assigned chairs and waited for the speech to begin.“Hello, citizens of the Colonial Federate. Earthlings, Martians, Plutonians and all who call Sol their home. Good morning to our friends and loved ones on Tallus, as well as the scientists watching from the various observatories. To our loyal men and women of the Colorum Belt, good hunting. And of course, good evening to the lucky ones living in Eros. As all of you by now are aware, yesterday became a date marked in our history. Not just of the Federate, nor for the people of the Sol System but for all of humanity. For thousands of years, since mankind first looked into the sky with wonder, we have asked if we were alone in the universe. On October 13, 2236, we received a definitive answer. As Earth rose in the Lunar sky, two alien races met over our home planet to wage war. Though the motivation of each race is unknown to us at this time, their actions spoke to their true intentions.