That was it. The screen went black.
“Heartwarming,” Riot said as General Armon turned off the screen and raised the lights in the room. “I just feel so wanted and loved right now.”
If General Armon were capable of cracking a smile, Riot imagined he would. Instead of a grin, all she got were a few nods from her commanding officers around the table. A few of the other military officers and scientists smirked at her comment and mumbled agreements. It was as though the Grovothe had run out of options for the school dance and Earth was the last option.
“Unlike the Trilords, the Grovothe seem to be a fairly advanced race,” Deborah said, speaking up. “They may be either at the same level of technology as the Syndicate, or perhaps even ahead.”
“They’ll be powerful allies when war returns to our planet,” General Armon said, nodding to a major who had his hand in the air. “Major Noe?”
“Sir.” A muscular officer sitting on the opposite side of the table cleared his throat. “Are you hinting that you are aware of an impending attack?”
The room was silent as a tomb, every eye awaited the General’s response.
“War is always on the horizon, major.” General Armon took the opportunity to sweep the room. “It’s not a matter of if, but when. The sky will fall.”
3
“Your team is to leave tomorrow,” General Armon said, sitting in his high-backed leather chair.
Riot stood at ease in the small office that had once been occupied by her friend, Warrant Officer Harlan. The room was just like she remembered, with an old flag mounted on the wall to her right, splattered with dark crimson spots. In front of her, the general sat behind a desk, and behind him, an empty bookcase.
“Admiral Tricon sent us the location of where the meeting is to take place. Our navigation team tells us it’s above a planet called Raydon.” The general paused, steel brown eyes looking past Riot’s shoulder as he thought hard.
“But we’re wondering why there,” Riot said. “It’s clear we’re not their first choice when it comes to allies. They want something from us. Or could it be a trap?”
General Armon’s dark eyes shifted to Riot’s. “I don’t think so, but you’re to use all caution when dealing with the Grovothe. We have no reason to think they are luring us into a trap, but neither do we have anything but the Syndicate’s words saying we can trust them.”
“Understood.”
“You and your team are to gear up and leave in the morning.”
“By my team, you’re talking about Wang, Rizzo, Vet, Doctor Miller, and Ketrick?” Riot asked. She had never directly addressed the inclusion of Ketrick into her unit, but there was no assuming in the Marines.
“The Trilord Ketrick is an ambassador between his planet and ours. I’m not eager to put him in harm’s way, even if he is.” General Armon leaned back in his chair as if he were anticipating a rebuttal from Riot.
For the first time, the real possibility of Ketrick not being by her side confronted Riot. The feeling of loss and disappointment she felt surprised her.
Hold it together. You’re not a teenager, Riot chided herself. He’ll be here when you get back.
“Would you be willing to hear what he has to say?” Riot asked as a light bulb exploded in her head. “I’d hate to disappoint the newest member of our intergalactic alliance if he had other ideas than the ones planned for him.”
General Armon gave Riot a sideways glance like he had when he ran into her and her unit after they’d returned from the bar. Instead of answering Riot, he pressed a finger to a comm key on his uniform collar. “Lieutenant Mahaffey, will you see if Ketrick is still awake, and if so, escort him to my office? Thank you.”
“I appreciate it, sir,” Riot said, nodding her thanks.
“It’s the least I can do,” General Armon said. “Doctor Miller’s very, very, very long and extremely detailed report of the goings-on during your fist mission with SPEAR makes you look like a hero. That, with your track record and the shining recommendation by Captain Harlen, makes your request an easy one to accommodate. So does my decision to promote you to Warrant Officer.”
Riot’s jaw dropped. Not only was she unaware of her consideration for a promotion, but jumping from the rank of Master Sergeant to Warrant Officer felt unprecedented.
“Sir, it’s not … it’s not that I’m not grateful, but is that even possible? I mean—”
“You’re really going to ask me if a change in your rank is possible?” General Armon shook his head and took a long breath. “We have a dragon in an underground bunker where we are decoding alien technology that allows us to travel the universe. Point is, we need more officers and, if you’re going to be basically in charge of a ship, you need the promotion and that’s the most I can justify. It’s more than that, too. The soldiers need leaders, and I see you as leadership potential.”
“Point taken, sir,” Riot said, understanding the irony in her previous statement. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You made the choice an easy one. I’m willing to give credit where credit is earned.” General Armon tilted his head as he listened to a report that came through tiny earpiece in his left ear. “Ketrick is on the way.”
Riot nodded along with the words. Rising to the rank of Warrant Officer was something she had never dreamed of, but to the general’s point, neither had she dreamed of traveling past their solar system or meeting a dragon in real life.
“I’ll have all the information we have on the Grovothe sent to your quarters,” General Armon said, giving Riot a glance that actually looked like something past his normal hard stares. A look that showed he might actually care for her past her being a Marine. “Be careful, out there. You took excellent care of your team during the last mission despite overwhelming odds. I trust you will do the same on your second outing.”
“I will, sir.” Riot was going to say more, but heavy steps from outside stopped her next words.
A hard knock came at the door.
“Come in.” General Armon stood from his seat. He pulled down his uniform jacket to smooth out any wrinkles.
Ketrick moved into the room, his massive frame making the small room seem even tinier. His red eyes glanced over to Riot for direction.
Good luck, kid, Riot thought. You’re going to have to convince him on your own.
“Ketrick, thank you for coming. I know it’s late,” General Armon said, filling the silence. “I’ll get right to it. Riot and her team are leaving on a mission tomorrow and she expressed concern that you may want to accompany them.”
“She would be correct in assuming so.” Ketrick moved his inquiring eyes from Riot to the General. “I understand I am an emissary between your people of Earth and my own, but I am also a warrior. I don’t intend to stay at the Bulwark if there is work that needs to be done.”
“I would caution you that the mission she is going on is dangerous. If something were to happen to you…” General Armon paused, trying to think of the correct words.
“You’re concerned that if I fall, my people will hold you responsible.” Ketrick nodded along, understanding everything the general wasn’t saying. “General Armon, my people understand how much a debt we owe Earth, and especially Master Sergeant Riot, for saving my life. If I were to fall in combat, my people would only hold stronger to their word. My mother is a wise and stubborn woman. Oh, and if I may, Vikta would like to stretch her wings under the cover of night.”
“Who—” Realization hit the general. His eyebrows rose as he considered the fallout. “I’m willing to allow you certain privileges in light of our new alliance. If you want to take your dragon out, you take her out high over the ocean at night. The last thing we need is reports from terrified citizens of a giant dragon soaring over the California coast.”
“Thank you, General,” Ketrick said with a wide smile.
“Well, I can’t keep you or your dragon against your will,” the general said as if he had always known the conversation wou
ld go this way. “You’re free to go out tonight, and with Warrant Officer Riot on her next mission.”
Riot stood in the lowest level of the Bulwark next to Ketrick and Vikta. The underground hangar was a massive room filled with varying sizes of ships the Syndicate had left them. There were fighter crafts meant to hold a single person, midsize cruisers like her own, The Valkyrie built for long distance travel and a dozen or more Marines, and finally, the battleships that looked like flying cruise liners.
Riot admired the crew of mechanics and technicians who worked around the clock to maintain and build even more of these crafts. Once the Syndicate had given them the technology to build spaceships of their own, it was game on. The far end of the hangar was reserved for new crafts in varying states of repair.
These ships were all primarily dark grey. A few of the cruisers had deep purple undertones, and the smaller fighter crafts were etched with bright blue around their hard corners and sleek surfaces.
“Easy, easy, fierce one,” Ketrick said, stroking the snout of his dragon. “We will be away in a moment. First we have to convince Riot to come.”
“Say what?” Riot grabbed her flat stomach as she feigned laughter. “No, no, no, I’m here to make sure you and Vikta get out and have a good time. This Marine is fine right where she is.”
Ketrick looked over to Vikta, who snorted.
The dragon was capable of altering her size from the height and bulk of a compact car to an entire building. Vikta changed now. Her whitish-grey scales elongated as she made the transition from kind of scary to truly horrifying.
Riot took a few steps back to allow room for the dragon to change. The hammering and white noise of voices and machines in the hangar quieted as every worker took a moment to pee their pants.
Vikta was a true wonder. From a mouth that could swallow Riot in one bite to her swishing tail and folded wings, she was a perfect combination of beauty and horror, rolled into one large package.
“She says you’re afraid,” Ketrick laughed, approaching Vikta. He patted her on the side of her massive left forearm.
Riot reminded herself to close her jaw. The walls of her mouth were dry. “Yeah, I’m not even going to try to lie to you on that one. I’m standing in front of a dozen tons of muscle and teeth. You bet your red alien eyes I’m a little hesitant.”
“Hmmm, you think?” Ketrick looked from Vikta to Riot and back again. He ignored Riot for the time being and carried on a conversation with Vikta. “I don’t know if she’s ready. She’s tougher than she looks, though. Maybe I’ll ask her.”
“Would you and Vikta like to share with the rest of the class what you two are talking about?” Riot asked, folding her arms over her chest. She had the sinking suspicion that she was about to be peer pressured into something she didn’t want to do.
“Vikta, thinks you should ride with us tonight.” Ketrick shrugged and raised both his hands in sign of surrender. “Not my idea. She’s the one who likes you.”
“Oh, and you don’t?”
“You know I do.”
Riot’s cheeks flushed. She was suddenly painfully aware they were still the center of attention in the hangar. She turned on her heels, scowling at a mechanic with a steel rivet in one hand and a gigantic metal tool in the other. He was gawking at the trio, his mouth wide open.
“Come on, back to work, people,” Riot said, clapping her hands together. “There’s nothing to see here. Chop-freaking-chop.”
At once, the noise of work in the hangar picked up again. Hammering sounded, and the sound of steel being cut filled the air.
What are you going to do? Riot asked herself as she turned back to an inquiring Ketrick and Vikta. It’s not every day you get invited to mount a dragon with a muscled warrior that rivals Conan. It could be your only chance.
“I’m in,” Riot said, pushing away any fear she was feeling, and took a step toward Vikta. “How do we mount up? Is there a roll-out stairwell or something?”
Ketrick shared a shocked glance with Vikta. The dragon narrowed her eyes. Riot swore the corner of the dragon’s mouth turned up in a grin. The beast brought its head down and nudged Riot with the heavy tip of her snout.
“Vikta approves of your courage,” Ketrick said, about to put his hands on Riot’s waist to give her a boost onto the dragon’s back. He paused for a moment. “May I?”
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Riot said with a nod. “Are there seat belts or something to strap in to up there?”
4
“Maybe I was too hasty in my decision-making process.” Riot sat behind Ketrick on Vikta’s back. The massive dragon rose to all fours and unfurled its wings.
Vikta’s left wing clipped a small blue-and-grey fighter craft that looked like a Corvette with two small blasters fixed on each wing.
The tiny craft skidded on its wheel into a much larger destroyer. A dozen mechanics’ heads rose from their work and eyed Riot with scowls.
“That’s our bad,” Riot yelled lifting her hands up to calm the dirty looks. “That one’s on us. Back—uh … as you were. As you were.”
“Ready?” Ketrick asked Riot.
“As ready as I’m ever going to be.” Riot felt sturdy on Vikta’s hard back. The dragon’s scales were as solid as stone but at no point did they point up. Spikes ran down the dragon’s spine. Riot grabbed the one in front of her.
Without further warning, Vikta launched upwards. The sound of the dragon’s gigantic wings beating the air on either side of Riot was like listening to the sounds of a gathering storm as the wind picked up speed.
All around them, the mechanics in the hangar ducked their heads. Workers widened their stances so as to not be blown over.
Ketrick said something Riot couldn’t understand, before Vikta shot forward. The jerk was so sudden, Riot grabbed on to Ketrick’s firm torso in front of her.
Riot’s adrenaline spiked as Vikta aimed for the circular tunnel built into the side of one of the hangar walls. The tunnel curled up, sending them out into the night sky.
The feeling of riding without a harness as the wind rushed past Riot’s short, brown hair was nothing like she had ever experienced. The closest thing she could relate the feeling to was riding on her Harley down the Pacific Coast Highway.
One moment, they were in the hangar; the next, they were engulfed by the dark steel that made up the underground tunnel. Lucky for Vikta, the diameter of the tunnel was made large enough for the destroyers to pass through.
Bright, white lights set into the walls of the tunnel clicked on as they progressed upward. Riot leaned to the right to see past Ketrick’s wide shoulder. The tunnel exit was already open, providing a view of thousands of sparkling stars that made up the Milky Way galaxy.
Cold air caressed her face as Riot experienced a surge of happiness and something she hadn’t felt in a very long time: Freedom. The unlikely trio soared higher and higher until the shoreline below them was nearly invisible through the darkness.
Vikta finally evened out. She beat her wings slowly in time, like a metronome, as they flew farther and farther away from land. White-capped waves grew and diminished below them. Tiny lights on the dark ocean signified ships.
Riot could only imagine the looks on the sailors’ faces if they happened to look up and see Vikta pass.
“What do you think?” Ketrick leaned back and shouted into Riot’s ear.
“Perfect,” Riot shouted back. A jittery feeling of contentment climbed up her spine as she cracked a huge grin no one could see.
When they finally came to a stop on the side of a mountain, she leaned back and stared into the sky, and just felt like laughing.
“It wasn’t always like this, here,” she told him. “When the Syndicate was still in charge, you wouldn’t believe the trash heap Earth was. It felt like living in a cockroach infested toilet, if you know what I mean.”
“Cockroach?” he shook his head.
“They’re these little bugs that can’t be killed. I mean, it
’s like—”
“Like you,” he replied with a wide smile.
“Excuse me?”
“You and the War Wolves. I’m quite certain there’s nothing that could kill you. You’re cockroaches.”
For a moment Riot couldn’t decide whether she should be flattered or offended, but then she just started laughing and laughing. Soon Ketrick joined in, though he didn’t seem to know why. When they were done, they stayed up half the night sharing stories about their worlds and the old days. It was a perfect night, with the warm breeze of the dragon’s breaths at their back as it slept—or pretended to sleep to give them privacy—and Ketrick’s smile reminded her why she was fighting here. For all of these moments. So that they would never stop.
That night was a memory Riot knew she would always keep close. It was a memory she would need to get her through her next mission.
“Are you sure we have to go today?” Corporal Chen Wang said, brushing lint off the shoulders of his uniform. SPEAR had provided them with special uniforms when traveling in space. Wang wore his dark-blue-lined grey uniform, signifying his class.
He was the first to arrive at the hangar the morning after Riot had received the news. Riot was still on an emotional high from her outing with Vikta and Ketrick the night before. She felt rested and ready to dominate whatever task stood in her way next.
Her own uniform was dark grey, but lined with red where Wang’s was blue. Her uniform was plain except for the circular SPEAR patch on her right shoulder and her captain’s rank on the left side of her chest.
Click Click Boom (War Wolves Book 2) Page 3