As it was, he had probably killed more people trying to take down the one man than he cared to admit to himself. On his motion anticipation monitor, he watched as the man’s signal went dead in the checkpoint that had erupted around him.
“Well, Sergeant?” his commander asked.
“Target eliminated, sir. No movement.”
Chapter 13
Better Left Unsaid
Eight thousand light years away from where the battles raged on the streets of Earth, Marlena Mercer and her son Alex Pereira were watching through a one-way glass window at the interrogation of Captain Balvoon of the UEDF Battle Frigate Cortez. The man had been uncooperative, despite the decent treatment he had been receiving at the hands of his captors.
The interrogator had been gently prodding until now, asking forceful questions about the intent and targets of the attack on Aeris VII. The captain of the Cortez did not give one piece of valuable information. Frustrated, the interrogator left the room.
“Mom, let me go in there, I can break this guy,” Alex said, not taking his eyes off of Captain Balvoon.
“Is that right? Does your OMBI have some mind-reading function that I don’t know about?” Marlena asked, forcing a smile.
Alex had been in a bad mood ever since she told him about Connor’s condition at the OMBIcademy. She had to physically stop him from boarding Skoll and leaving for Earth. They knew they needed a plan if they were ever going to get anywhere near the OMBIcademy and the argument about it was getting old fast.
“No, but it does have this.” Alex manifested a black dagger in his hand.
“You know that he is a captain and has been trained to resist torture. Do you really think you have to stomach to do what it takes, Alex?” she asked seriously. She was afraid that his answer would be yes.
“I guess not. I’m tired of waiting while Connor is hurt in a bed somewhere and the people of Earth are rebelling. Here we are, standing around in an air-conditioned room while others are out there fighting!”
The passion was evident in his voice, and at that moment Marlena was extremely proud of her son.
“You’re right. I’m going to go talk to Balvoon.” Rising, she exited the room.
She passed the interrogator in the hallway and waved him off when he tried to follow her into the holding cell.
“Well, you’re a pretty thing; did they send you in there to tempt information out of me?” Balvoon said with a lascivious smile on his face.
Her fist connected with his face before he knew it was coming. The man’s head whipped back, blood streaming from his nose. He looked back at her, stunned that she had struck him.
“Now that we understand each other, Captain Balvoon,” she said quietly.
“How dare you strike a prisoner? I am an officer in the—”
He was silenced by her fist as it plunged into his nose again.
“I can do this all day,” she said, smiling.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to tell me why you attacked us.”
“Go to hell. You can hit me all you want; I am not a traitor like you.”
Marlena crossed her arms. “Let’s talk about that. Do you know who I am?”
“Should I?” He looked closer at her face, genuine confusion apparent in his voice.
“Yes. I am Captain Marlena Mercer. Call sign: Phoenix.”
“I don’t believe you. Captain Mercer died in the incident of 2115!”
“Fighting the Gortha, I know. How many Gortha have you battled, Captain? How many enemy ships have you defeated protecting the colonies?”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“You came out here to subjugate colonists and destroy a rebel faction, you must have known that much. But how many Gortha have you seen, or even heard of firsthand?”
The man sat and thought for a long time, before he finally understood what this woman was saying.
“So you’re saying that there are no Gortha, that they were invented by the EMC?” Balvoon asked, the edge of skepticism in his voice.
“I’m telling you to trust your own eyes, Captain. Do we look like a hostile enemy force to you? Or do we look like a peaceful colony that doesn’t want to be oppressed by an overreaching militaristic government?”
The logic was hard for Captain Balvoon to ignore. He had always been the kind of man who accepted his orders without asking questions. But now that the information was apparent, he had trouble closing his mind to it.
“Listen, my job was to strike this colony while it was unprepared to disable the military targets and identify the leaders of the rebel faction. If we were successful, we were intended to occupy this planet until supply ships could come and acquire resources. If we failed, the plan was to send a much larger force to attack Aeris to eliminate the resistance to UEDF rule.”
Marlena nodded along the entire time, listening to this man tell her the details of his mission.
“So you’re saying that a larger force is on its way?”
“Not yet. We were supposed to broadcast a message before we retreated, however your … fighter, or whatever it was, had begun disabling us so quickly that we didn’t have the chance. The ships currently in slip stream will be carrying that message.”
“Thank you, Captain. I will be sure to see to it that you continue to receive fair treatment while you’re our guest here.”
She got up to leave, pausing at the door when the man began to speak.
“Are you really, Phoenix?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious.
“Yes,” she replied as she as she shut the door behind her, leaving a stunned Captain Balvoon alone to question everything he believed in.
~ ~ ~
Lyria Shepherd was closing up the Cerulean Sky Café, getting ready to head home to change for her date with Alex. Butterflies were in her stomach as she thought about the boy’s striking green eyes and the way he looked at her. She was so entranced that she almost didn’t see the man walking up behind her.
“Excuse me,” he muttered.
Startled, she jumped slightly.
“You scared me!” she yelled as she put her back against the door of her café.
“My apologies, miss. I did not mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay. Was there something you needed? We’re closed for the day.”
“Oh no, it’s just that I am new in Sapphire City. I arrived from the Carina Nebula Colony a few days before that attack.” The man’s plain features formed a smile.
“It’s normally not like that. Just bad timing, Mr…”
“Gasper, Earnest Gasper. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, Mr. Gasper; I’m Lyria, owner of the Cerulean Sky Café.”
“Yes, I have heard that you have a first-rate establishment. The reason I stopped you is because I came to Aeris VII because of the wide array of metals discovered here. I am a jeweler by trade, and wanted to open up a shop in downtown Sapphire City.”
“It’s a busy location. If your product is good, you should do very well here,” she said, smiling at her fellow entrepreneur.
“Well yes, I believe so. I wanted to ask if you would be willing to wear a pendant I fashioned, that I may develop my clientele through word of mouth, if it pleases you.”
While the man spoke, he produced a blue sapphire pendent from his coat. The silver chain glittered in the waning daylight as the man twirled the gemstone.
“It’s beautiful; I would be honored to wear it!” Lyria said excitedly.
“That makes me happy! Thank you!” he said as he clasped the necklace around her neck. “It suits you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gasper. I look forward to seeing the rest of your work when you open your shop! But if you’ll excuse me, I am running late!” With a quick wave, she turned and walked down the street toward her apartment.
“It’s really my pleasure,” the man called out, watching her go. It had been an expensive gift, but he knew it would be paying dividends before the n
ight was through.
~ ~ ~
Alex arrived at 7 PM sharp to pick Lyria up for their dinner date. He was wearing a blue collared shirt and black slacks. He hadn’t dressed up for anything in years, more accustomed to wearing a flight suit or uniform than civilian clothes.
Adjusting his collar, he rang the bell and, after a moment, Lyria came down the stairs to open the door. Alex was stunned by how beautiful she looked. Her hair was in curls, bouncing as she walked. The blue pendant complemented her eyes and the yellow dress she wore made her look like a princess to Alex. He was glad that he wore something nice at that moment.
“You look beautiful,” Alex stammered as she opened the door.
“Thank you. You look very handsome as well!” she said, beaming.
The two walked hand in hand toward the docks, saying nothing and blushing each time they looked at each other. Alex could feel her soft fingers in his hand as he led her to his boat. They both had butterflies in their stomachs as he helped her aboard.
She watched him as he expertly piloted the boat out into the open water. Standing next him, arms linked together at the elbow, it all felt like a dream, the way the boat glided across the water that evening as the two moons of Aeris VII rose above the horizon. She moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Alex could smell the scent of strawberries in her hair, making him feel weak in the knees.
When they arrived at the island’s small dock, Alex took Lyria by the hand and steadied her as she stepped off the boat. They walked slowly to the house, enjoying each other’s company.
They proceeded through the side door, past the study, and into the kitchen where Marlena was preparing dinner. By the smell of it, Alex could tell that dinner would not disappoint.
“Mom, this is Lyria Shepherd,” he said, unsure of exactly how to introduce her.
“Hi! I’m Marlena, Alex’s mom. It’s nice to meet you, Lyria; I’ve heard a lot of nice things about you.” She was sincere, but the edge of frustration still lingered in her voice from the news they had received that day.
Alex had pleaded with her to put aside leading the Independent Colonies for one night so he could introduce his girlfriend to her. Marlena agreed tentatively, wanting to her son to be happy. She had told him that it wasn’t a good time for romance with the way things had been heating up with the UEDF, but also conceded that there might never be a good time, so he should enjoy it while he could.
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Marlena. Alex has told me a lot about you too. Thank you for saving my life,” Lyria replied, matching Marlena’s sincerity.
“What do you mean?”
“I was only eleven when my aunt and I signed up to be a part of the Andromeda expedition to colonize this planet. After we landed and came out of stasis, I heard that you had saved us all. I had always hoped I would meet you, so I could thank you. You are an icon to women all over the planet; it really is an honor to have dinner with two heroes.” She looked from Marlena to Alex.
“She sounds like a keeper, Alex,” Marlena said with a grin. “It was my pleasure, Lyria.”
As they ate the dinner Marlena had made, the three talked about life on Earth before the colonization of Aeris. Some of the stories were about her deceased parents or William, which they told sadly. Alex even talked about Connor a little bit, and expressed his frustration and desire to retrieve his little brother.
As the night went on the conversation evolved to the plan they had been cooking up since before Alex left to pick the girl up. They had agreed to not discuss it at dinner, but once they started talking about Connor and Earth, it was unavoidable.
“If we use Skoll’s slipstream, we should be able to get ahead of the convoy!” Alex said excitedly. “If we’re waiting for them when they arrive, we could stop them from requesting reinforcements.”
“At least until we get better orbital defenses around Aeris,” Marlena agreed.
“It sounds risky. Are you sure that just two ships can defeat half a battle group?” Lyria asked as she ate. She wasn’t versed in military strategy, but she knew that battle groups tended to be powerful.
Alex and Marlena looked at each other and grinned. It was Marlena who answered.
“It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“How long does it take to get the Earth with Skoll?” Lyria asked, looking at Alex.
“A couple weeks there, a couple weeks back. I shouldn’t be gone for that long,” he replied taking her hand.
“Easy for you to say. It won’t feel like any time has passed for you.”
Alex shrugged.
“I am just concerned that we will be very close to Earth when we come out of the slipstream. If we are detected, Harruhama will hit us with everything he has,” Marlena interjected.
“If we can stop them though, the full invasion of Aeris might never happen. It’s worth the risk,” Alex offered. “Also, if we’re that close to Earth, maybe we can get Tons…”
“No!” Marlena said suddenly. “I want to get him just as much as you do Alex, but we cannot risk it. I tried going to Earth once before, in 2115. I didn’t even get close before I was nearly shot down. The orbital defenses are too strong.”
“I know. I’m just worried about him,” Alex said, backing down.
Shortly after, with the night getting late and with a lot to do before the mission, Marlena excused herself and went into her room upstairs to develop a strategy for defending Aeris in her absence.
Alex and Lyria walked around the small island, stopping occasionally to throw rocks into the water.
“What do you think you’ll do when the war is over?” Lyria asked Alex, breaking the silence.
“I don’t know,” he replied, as if he had never thought about it. “My entire life since 2115 has been about avenging my mom. I have never thought about what I would do after that. What about you?”
“Up until a couple weeks ago, there was no war that we were aware of. I just figured I would run my café, until I met you. Now, I don’t know,” she replied thoughtfully.
“When I was a kid, I always wanted to play baseball. I would love to do that. Although…” he trailed off.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s just this,” Alex said, holding up his right arm, manifesting a bat into his hand. “I don’t think there is a league that would take an enhanced player.”
To prove his point, he grabbed a small stone off the ground and shut his eyes as he tossed it into the air. He swung the bat, perfectly connecting with the stone sending it soaring out of sight. They didn’t even hear it hit the water.
“Oh. I see,” Lyria said, sounding sad as Alex let the bat dissipate.
“Maybe we can travel? See the other colonies! Aeris is way different from Hades and Earth, I bet some of the other colonies are amazing too,” Alex said, excitement building in his voice.
“I would love that! I have always wondered what the others were like! Let’s do it!” Lyria exclaimed, matching his excitement.
The two smiled at each other. They were all smiles as the evening moved to playful topics. The moons were high in the sky when Alex took Lyria back to her apartment.
“I had a great time tonight. Your mom is really sweet and so pretty!” Lyria said, smiling at Alex.
“Thank you. I think so too. I had fun; we really should do this again when I get back.”
The reminder that he was going to be away for a while put a sour note on the evening. Even so, Lyria was not about to let it completely spoil her night. She leaned into Alex and snuggled up close. Alex held her in his arms for a long while, breathing in the scent of her hair, letting it take his mind off the impending mission and his time away.
That night the air was cool and the light from the two moons of Aeris VII illuminated the city in a soft, magical glow. Alex smiled at Lyria for a moment before kissing her in the moonlight.
~ ~ ~
Earnest Gasper was sitting in his apartment listening to the young lovers through
the transmitter he had placed in the necklace that he had given to the girl. He rolled his eyes over the romantic rhetoric as he read through the transcript of the plan to ambush the convey returning to Earth. He opened his datapad to type.
To: General Harruhama
Subject: Aeris Invasion Failure
Message: General, the invasion of Aeris is a failure. Launch the fleet with all possible haste, defenses are weak. Captain Mercer and her son are planning an ambush on the returning vessels. Attached are the coordinates, do not underestimate them. –Operative One
—Message Encrypted / Message Sent—
The man leaned back in his chair, looking out the window over the waters of Lake Amsvartnir, a sinister plan forming in his mind.
Chapter 14
Vengeance
Connor had been in the infirmary for six days when the doctor allowed his release. He’d been lying in bed, bored as can be while the synthetic bonding agent strengthened his bones enough for him to proceed with normal training. During that time, he managed to pull up various bits of data using his OMBI regarding the global unrest that was taking place.
Connor even accessed video from some of the Dragoon’s raids. Using the OMBI to access closed networks and security was getting easier for him each time he attempted to dig around for information. He watched the man, alone, raiding a supply depot in the Midwest, shooting his strange shotgun at targets off camera. At first, Connor didn’t know what to make of the man; the media had reported him a murderer and a terrorist, but Connor thought he was brave for standing up alone against the entire UEDF. As he read the man’s exploits against the leadership of the EMC, he came to admire the Dragoon.
Naturally, a student of the UEDF OMBIcademy shouldn’t be a fan of a revolutionary, so Connor decided to keep his opinion about it to himself. With days of waiting, Connor also decided that he needed to pay back the people who had set him up. Using his OMBI, he accessed various mail accounts to find out that Johnny had come up with the idea, which the Head Commander supported. Apparently Vector was mostly innocent in the planning, despite his aggressiveness and actions that nearly killed Connor.
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