Katson nodded. She lowered her head. "I too lost someone dear. I lost . . ." She cleared her throat and looked up. "What did you want, General? I'm needed on the cargo ships among the survivors."
Petty stared out the porthole. Several cargo ships floated nearby, as large as the warships. The survivors of Mars were crammed inside. To make room, they had emptied the vessels, loading the warships with ammunition to the brim. But inside those cargo hulls there was still plenty of food, oxygen, and water. Enough for several months, even with the survivors aboard.
"Yes," Petty said. "That's what I wanted to tell you. That you should be there. Among them. That you should lead them—out of the solar system, out of the marauders' empire. Lead them to a new world, Maria. Somewhere the marauders can't reach." He turned toward her. "But I'm staying. I will not abandon Earth. I will fight on."
President Katson inhaled sharply. A line appeared on her brow. "Liberating Mars was one thing, General. But Earth . . . There are so many ravagers there. Even with a thousand warships you could not defeat them." She gripped his arm. "You promised, General. I need you with me."
"You will have the HDFS Sphinx," he said. "She never fought on Mars. I ordered her to remain in the darkness, backup in case we all fell. I'll give you her coordinates, and she knows to wait for you and the cargo ships. I'll send a hundred Firebirds with you too. And the Chimera and Medusa as well; they will defend you." He smiled thinly and placed his hand on the bulkhead. "But this old girl . . . the Minotaur . . . she will remain. She will never abandon her home. She was built for war, and this war she will continue to fight. If Earth goes down, we will go down with her."
Katson exhaled in disbelief, but then her eyes hardened. "And what of your soldiers? You will doom them too to go down with Earth?"
"I will force no man or woman to remain," Petty said. "Every soldier will be given a choice—to fly under your command into the distance, to seek a new home thousands of light-years away, or to remain and fight for Earth, even if it means their death. I have a feeling that I'll have more volunteers than I can fit on this ship."
Katson let out something halfway between laugh and scoff. "You soldiers." She shook her head. "Why are you so eager to die?"
He looked away. He looked at the portrait of his daughter. "No, Maria." He spoke softly. "You misjudge us. Soldiers do not wish for death. We hate killing. We hate dying. We hate war. We hate the roar of guns and the shrieks of jets and the rumble of tanks charging forth. We love green hills, blue waters, clear skies. We love freedom and our families. We love peace. And that is why we fight—because we love these things. Because we wish to protect them. Because we are willing to suffer horrors so that others may live lives of joy. Die? No. We do not wish to die."
She clutched his arms. "James. If you stay here, you will die."
He gazed into her eyes, and he saw something there—true concern. Maybe a hint of admiration.
"Maybe, Maria. But I believe in something. Soldiers always do. We believe in miracles, or the human spirit, or our courage or luck."
"And what do you believe in?" Her eyes softened.
"In heroes," he said softly. "In Captain Einav Ben-Ari. In her soldiers. In a small group of people who, against impossible odds, will find help. Who will return here with an alien fleet ready for battle. And when they return, Maria, I will be here waiting for them. And I will charge with them to battle! To victory! To glory and the days of peace that follow."
Katson caressed his cheek.
"Goodbye, James," she whispered.
He saluted. "Goodbye, Madam President."
She returned his salute, eyes damp.
Petty stood on the Minotaur's bridge, watching the rest of his fleet fly out. The HDFS Medusa and HDFS Chimera. The cargo ships full of survivors. A hundred Firebirds flew around them, defending the larger ships. With bursts of light, they blasted into warp speed—traveling into the unexplored depths of the galaxy, seeking a new home.
Petty smiled thinly and patted one of his control boards.
"Are you ready, old girl?" he said softly. "Our time together is not yet over."
Osiris turned toward him from her controls. "The rest of the fleet made a successful jump to warp space," the android said. "Where to, sir? Shall I set a course to Earth?"
"Not yet," Petty said, gazing into space, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "But I hope that soon."
Osiris nodded. "Yes, sir. While we wait, we have many repairs to make. We'll be in prime condition for the next battle."
For one last battle, Petty thought.
One last chance to give his life meaning, to fly with the Ghost Fleet, and to win this war.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tomiko, Marco thought, staring at her.
But of course, Tomiko wasn't this alien's name. It was merely the name Marco had given the character in Le Kill, inspired by this mysterious figure in the kabuki mask—the figure who used to haunt him in the underground of Haven. Here before him, on an alien vessel across the galaxy, she stood.
"I saw you!" Marco said. "I saw you in Haven!"
The alien stepped closer to him. Through the mask, he saw her eyes for the first time. Blue eyes, shimmering, speckled with white dots like stars. She stood only five feet tall, slender, yet those claws looked powerful, and she had the aura of ancient strength like the roots of an old oak.
"We have never met, child of man, and none of my kind have ever visited your worlds." The alien bowed her head, her long black hair dipping to the floor, then looked at him again. "We are those of the forest. We are the spirits who remember. We are of light in darkness and consciousness in the void. We are the whispers among the living and the memories among the dead. That is only part of our name. You may call our kind yurei, for you speak in single words. I am Eldest. That is what you may call me. To my sisters, I am known by names you will not understand. To my sisters, I am many things, and my meaning is deep. To you, I will be Eldest of the yurei."
Marco glanced at the others. Lailani, Kemi, and Ben-Ari stood beside him, a mixture of confusion, fear, and awe on their faces.
"You've met her before?" Ben-Ari whispered to him.
Marco bit his lip, then turned back toward the alien.
"Perhaps I mistook you," he said. "Perhaps it was one of your sisters that I met. I lived in a city called Haven on a planet called New Earth. There, I met one of your kind. A yurei. She . . . helped me. On a dark night."
Marco lowered his head to remember that night, perhaps the worst night of his life. The night he had walked onto the roof of a tall building, had approached the edge, had wanted to jump. That night he had come within seconds of taking his life. The sight of the stars, after so long in the storm, had eased his pain, had pulled him back from the edge. It was then that a yurei had emerged. Had spoken to him. Had given him a gift.
"She gave me this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the conch. "A gift from the cosmic ocean, she called it."
Eldest's eyes shone bright blue. She reached out and caressed the conch with one of her claws.
"This is a soulcatcher," the yurei whispered. "It is a precious gift, given only to those most deeply grieving. Your soul must have been greatly hurt."
Marco glanced at the others, a little embarrassed by this revelation. Kemi gazed at him softly, Ben-Ari was still staring at the alien with narrow eyes, while Lailani was staring at the floor, lips tight.
Marco turned back to Eldest.
"I've come here to ask for help again," he said. "We are in danger, and—"
"Was it you?" Lailani suddenly shouted. She stepped forward, fists clenched. "You who tortured us on the planet?"
"De la Rosa—" Ben-Ari began, voice strained.
"Tell me, ghost!" Lailani said, ignoring her captain. She thrust out her chest at Eldest, chin raised, fists ready to fly. "Down on that planet below. Somebody was fucking with us. Sending werewolves and monsters and shit our way. Forcing us to play games. To kill people." Her eyes were red. "T
o play games with lives. Forcing Marco to sacrifice himself to save me." Now her tears flowed. "That was fucked up, lady. Fucked up! Tell me. Was it you? Because I'm ready to shatter your goddamn—"
"Sergeant de la Rosa!" Ben-Ari boomed, grabbed the little soldier, and pulled her back. "Calm yourself! That is an order." But the captain too stared at Eldest with angry eyes. "I apologize for my soldier. She will be disciplined for her outburst. We come here in peace, not to fight you, Eldest. Yet I too pose the same question to you. Were you controlling the environment on the planet? Was it all a show, a simulation?"
Eldest gazed at them, one by one. From the forest behind her, more aliens emerged. They all had the same animal legs, the same wispy dresses, the same clawed fingers. But their kabuki masks were all different, some with round eyes, others with square eyes, some painted with red lines, others pure white, some formed of raw wood, some peaceful, some demonic. They stood among the glowing leaves and twisting black trunks, staring.
"You came into the World Beyond," said Eldest. "Into the Deep Sky. We have retreated into this void to seek peace, to build new worlds of imagination. For many eras, others sought us, seeking our strength in battle, our wisdom, our healing. For many eras, we hid away, for the concerns of the Old Sky are no longer ours. You are the first to have entered the Deep Sky. We sought to determine your worth. To reveal your souls."
Marco understood.
"With tests," he said. "With ethical dilemmas. In a simulation of Earth."
Eldest nodded. "Yes. We can only judge a soul's strength in the forge of hardship. We needed to see. To see if you would crash your starship in a farm or a city. To see if you would slay children of your kind if they took monstrous form. If you would kill the few to save the many." She looked into Marco's eyes. "If you would sacrifice yourself for your friends."
"Why?" Marco said. "Why test us?"
"Because you come seeking aid in war," said Eldest. "We know this. And we are beings who fight only for righteousness. Only to slay the few to save the many. We had to see if you shared our values. Most in the Old Sky do not."
Kemi stepped forward. She spoke for the first time, voice hesitant. "Why Medieval Europe, then? Why not a world more familiar to us?"
Eldest regarded her, head tilted. "Perhaps we made a mistake. When we last observed your world, it was nine hundred years ago. If your world has changed since then, we have not seen those changes."
"But you did see modern humanity," Marco said. "You saw Haven, at least. One of you did. The one who gave me this conch. This soulcatcher."
"No." Eldest shook her head. "Not yet. Time is fluid. That has not yet occurred."
Marco frowned, not sure how to take that.
Ben-Ari stepped forward, placed a hand on his shoulder, and gently guided him back to the group. The captain faced Eldest and her sisters.
"Have we performed to your satisfaction?" she said, just the hint of harshness to her voice. "Did we pass your tests?"
Eldest tilted her head. She turned back toward her sisters. The yurei huddled together, whispering, touching their claws together, a witches' mass in the forest of haunted souls. Finally Eldest turned back toward the group.
"Inconclusive," she said.
"Inconclusive!" Lailani blurted out. "Fucking hell! Marco gave his life for us! And he did whatever he could to save the people on the train tracks. He told me all about that. And—"
"And you slew children," Eldest said, gazing at her.
"Werewolves!" Lailani said.
"Children nonetheless," said Eldest. "Marco sacrificed himself to save you and Kemi, women he loves. Yet his compassion did not extend to children afflicted with a disease that turned them monstrous. You all slew many children to save only the few." The alien looked at Marco. "A curious being. Willing to shove a man onto the train tracks, to take a life, to save many lives. Yet perhaps too eager to kill. Perhaps too quick to shoot the unicorn when only a few moments away, he would have found carts of apples. Curious indeed. Your kind can display great nobility, great sacrifice. Yet so much pettiness. So much impatience. So much aggression."
"I'll show you goddamn aggress—" Lailani began, fists raised, then yelped and stumbled back.
The yurei leaned forward. And they changed. Their kabuki masks split open at the mouths, the jaws dislocating, dropping like the jaws of snakes. The yurei's mouths opened wider, wider, their chins soon reaching their knees, revealing chasms lined with teeth. Each being became a predator, a creature of snapping jaws and fangs and burning red eyes, hair wild, claws extended. Shrieking, ghostly, demonic.
The aliens spoke together, a chorus of high-pitched screeches and rumbling bellows.
"You will not threaten the yurei! We are the ancients. We are the dwellers of the deep. We are the devourers of souls."
Lailani gulped, raised her hands, and gave a nervous laugh. "Nice ghosts, nice ghosts . . . No need to devour my soul." She cringed and shoved Marco ahead of her. "Here, Poet, you talk to them."
Marco faced the yurei. The ghostly aliens hissed, drooling from their massive jaws, eyes blazing, demons of claws and fangs and wild hair. But Marco stared at them, refusing to back down.
I've faced worse demons, he thought. And my soul already shattered too many times. I will not fear them.
"Yes," he said. "We are an aggressive species. We are petty. We are hateful. For most of our history, we butchered one another. We shared a single small world, a mere blue dot lost in the emptiness. And we raised empires to slaughter our fellow inhabitants of that speck. We tortured, burned, destroyed, hurt countless innocent lives. We rose, bloodthirsty apes, from the sea of life on our world. Not with wisdom. Not with kindness. But with cruelty. Thus did we conquer our planet, and thus did we raise our first vessels into space."
"So you confess the crimes of humanity!" shrieked Eldest, jaw still extended.
"I confess them!" Marco shouted. "I myself have seen the cruelty of humanity. I saw the cruelty of an admiral who led millions to die, sacrificing their lives to save a single soul. I saw the unbearable isolation of humanity in the storm of Haven, the madness and loneliness that twists our souls, that breaks us down. I myself, mad in a cage, hurt others. I loved a girl. I loved one called Anisha. And I hurt her, and I betrayed her, and now she lies dead on a distant world." His eyes dampened. "And I hurt others like her. I hurt Addy, my best friend. I hurt the people I love."
"Then why should we fly with you, human?" rasped Eldest, her jaw distending all the way to the ground. "You confess your guilt!"
He stared into her eyes. "Because I saw nobility too. In the cruelty of humanity, I saw a light shine. I saw sons and daughters leave their homes, fly to war, and sacrifice their lives to defend their families at home. I saw Sergeant Singh, a mentor, a leader, give his life to save his comrades. I saw Beast, among my dearest friends, sacrifice himself to save me." Now his tears flowed. "I saw Lailani, a woman I love, rise from the most unimaginable darkness, claw her way up from poverty and despair, to become strong, become decent, to dedicate her life to helping others. I saw Kemi, a woman I love just as much, survive horror in the mines of the scum but emerge stronger, kinder than before, and still she fights for her friends. And I saw Einav Ben-Ari—my leader, my lodestar, my captain—devote her life to defending her soldiers, her species, her world. There is kindness and honor and empathy in their hearts. We humans are risen apes, not fallen angels. But we reach toward divinity. We still climb. We still reach to the stars, though they harbor much darkness, with curiosity, unending courage, and our hand outstretched in peace. Take that hand, yurei. Shine your light with ours."
The yurei's mouths closed. Their wooden masks snapped back into place. Once more they were as young girls, hair and dresses flowing, eyes curiously gazing through the holes of their masks.
"You speak nobly," said Eldest. "You speak as the yurei do. Of many things. Of many meanings. You are creatures of darkness and light. Very confusing."
"The marauders are not confusing," Be
n-Ari said, stepping up to stand beside Marco. "They are beings of pure cruelty, pure conquest, pure evil. All they do is destroy. We need help fighting them. If the marauders destroy humanity, their cruelty will spread through the galaxy—the old home that you still love." She nodded. "Yes, you still care about your old universe. That's why you remain so close to the portal. Why you still watch. Because you are guardians. And now the galaxy is threatened. We humans do indeed stretch out our hand in peace, but our other hand holds a sword. Now is the time to raise our swords together."
Eldest regarded the captain. "Interesting. You are complex beings who speak of symbols and emotions. Such confused creatures! Some species know only hunger, others only logic. You are beings of pictures, stories, feelings, myths, beings of many facets like crystals that shine. Deep. Yes, deep paintings of many colors and songs of many notes, forests of many growing things."
Marco looked at Eldest. And he thought back to that night on the rooftop.
It is her, he thought. The same mask. Same voice. It had to be her. Not another yurei, but Eldest herself. The one who had inspired Tomiko, the heroine of Le Kill. Who had given him the conch.
Marco reached into his pocket and felt it there. Cool, smooth, comforting.
And he thought he understood.
"You never visited Haven," he said. "But you will. In the future, you will go back in time. Time is fluid, you said."
Eldest gazed at him. "For us yurei, time is a forest, every tree an era. For you it is a path you cannot stray from."
Marco nodded. Yes. He understood.
"Eldest, hear me," he said. "You can't judge my soul with games. With simulated tests. The world you created below was magnificent, but it was false. To truly understand me, you need to see my real life. All the ugliness inside me. All those I hurt. But also my strength. My courage. How I stepped back from darkness. You can only judge a soul's strength in the forge of hardship. You need to visit me on Haven." He held out his conch. "And you need to give me this. It will save my life. It will bring me here."
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