by Sarah Noffke
“The guy is obviously deaf,” Julianna said, nodding her thanks in the direction of the shot of whiskey.
“Up next, we have a classic Beatles song,” the DJ said, squinting down at the screen in front of him. “Please welcome to the stage, Chester!”
Everyone at the table whipped around to find their Chester jumping onto the stage, holding up his hands to excited applause.
“Yeah, baby!” Chester yelled, eating up the attention.
Eddie leaned over and said, “When do you think that poor guy is going to come out of his shell?”
Julianna took a sip of her whiskey. “All we can do is keep coercing him.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Chester boomed, taking the microphone. “I want to dedicate this song to someone.”
Julianna and Eddie looked at each other, the same hesitation in their eyes.
“You see, there’s this girl,” Chester continued. “And she’s mad at me because I won’t say what she deserves to hear.”
The crowd let out a chorus of “awes” and “ohs.”
Chester nodded, shrugging. He had both hands locked around the microphone, and his gaze was aimed down at the floor. “It’s true, but sometimes we don’t want to tell someone how we feel because we fear their rejection.”
“Yay!” the crowd cheered.
“This is either going to go over great, or we’re going to have issues,” Eddie whispered in Julianna’s ear.
“But I think when two people feel something, and neither is willing to admit it…well, there’s stress,” Chester said, now sounding like he was lecturing.
“It hurts so good!” someone in the crowd yelled.
Chester pointed at his new fan. “Exactly, brother. Anyway, this song is my way of telling someone special that she’s, well, special.”
Chester lifted the microphone and looked directly at their table.
The piano began. Chester cleared his throat. “Hey, Marilla,” he sang, changing the words for “Hey Jude.”
To no one’s surprise, Marilla covered her reddened face with her hands. Julianna probably would have clocked Chester for such a thing, but she suspected that Marilla liked it. And now she recognized why the comms officer had appeared so melancholy lately.
Love makes you crazy.
How would you know?
I’ve been in love before.
With who?
It’s better if I confess this in a song.
Ugh. Don’t.
Pip coughed, like clearing his throat. He started to sing, doing the worst impression ever of Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.
I’m about to throw up.
Pip continued to sing.
Julianna downed the rest of her whiskey, which earned her a curious look from Eddie. He’d been watching Chester’s impressive rendition of the Beatles classic.
“What’s Pip saying?” he asked.
“He’s trying to murder my soul,” Julianna explained.
Eddie shoved his unfinished drink in Julianna’s direction. “Then you need this more than I do.”
The crowd had now fully joined in with Chester, clapping in the air over their heads.
Chester sang, his hand directed at Marilla who now had her fingers pressed to her chest and an elated smile on her face.
“They are going to be unbearable now,” Julianna said in a hush.
Eddie leaned back, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. “I think they’ll be better all around. Love makes us stronger.”
Julianna studied Eddie. “I never took you for a romantic.”
He tilted his head to the side. “I’m absolutely not. But I’ve seen enough to know what a good relationship can do for someone. My parents, for instance.”
And there they were; the demons returned in a flash, dancing behind Eddie’s eyes. They would surface at the mere mention of his parents. This time, though, the expression on his face was a mix of pain and fondness—like thinking of them simultaneously haunted him and brought him comfort.
“Sounds like they had a good thing,” Julianna ventured.
“They did,” Eddie said simply. “Something rare that you hardly ever see.”
She didn’t know what else to say, but thankfully the crowd erupted, joining in with Chester for the end of the song.
“Hey Marilla.”
Chester busted out the last note, sliding down to his knees and singing passionately for all the bar to see.
Marilla bolted out of her seat, leaping around crowded tables on her way to the stage.
Julianna turned her attention fully to Eddie, who also didn’t look keen on watching the display of affection that was about to ensue. “So, you and Chester think you can pull off a rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?”
“Yes and fuck yes!” Eddie said, smiling wide.
Chapter Twelve
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Nexus, Tangki System
Fletcher scratched his chin and turned his attention to Lars. The pilot was strictly focused on staying in formation behind the captain and the commander’s ship.
“Nexus is a beautiful planet,” Fletcher said, hoping his voice sounded natural.
“Incredibly so,” Lars agreed.
“The area we explored last time was to the east.” Fletcher pointed in the direction of Area 126.
“Yes. I heard that the facility you searched had many oddities,” Lars said, making their descent to the lush land below.
Fletcher laughed. “ ‘Odd’ is the right word for it. There was a family tree that I found. It…well, never mind. You’re probably not interested.”
Lars darted his beady, lizard-like eyes at Fletcher, interest obviously written in them. “It what?”
Fletcher hoped he was playing this right. As the new XO for the ship, he had access to all the crew’s files, and therefore knew that Lars had lost both his parents at a young age. “Well, this family tree allows the person in front of it to talk to any of their ancestors who have passed over.”
“No way,” Lars stated.
“It’s true,” Fletcher said. “I talked to my grandmother.”
“How do you know it was her?” Lars asked.
Fletcher laughed easily. “Only one woman could taunt me the way that old lady did.”
Lars looked halfway between wanting to believe and not thinking he should. “No. There’s really such an object?”
“I swear it,” Fletcher promised.
“Man, it would be amazing to have five minutes with this family tree.” Lars lowered the Q-Ship, landing it smoothly.
“I still have the access badge to get into the facility,” Fletcher said matter-of-factly. He knew that, as XO, he could order Lars to take him, but motivation was key here.
“Yeah, but how are we going to get away? We have a mission,” Lars said, sounding defeated.
“True,” Fletcher agreed. “But we do have to sleep at some point. Unless you think you can give up a few hours of shut-eye for a rogue mission…”
“I do sleep less than most,” Lars admitted.
“Then it’s settled,” Fletcher said at once. “You fly, and I’ll get us into Area 126.”
“But what about the captain and commander?” Lars asked.
“What about them?”
“Do you think they’ll mind?”
Fletcher shrugged. “I don’t see why they would. It’s not like we’re doing anything to undermine the current mission. What we do on our own time is our business.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Lars allowed.
Fletcher celebrated a silent victory. He’d secured what he needed for the next phase of his plan: a pilot to get him to the island where Area 126 was located.
If he was honest with himself, the whole endeavor was reckless. He knew that diverting his attention from the current mission was a risk. But how could he not take this opportunity to try and speak to his father? He’d had that chance stolen the last time he was in Area 126. It was time he had closure. It was time he got to say goodby
e.
Nona leaned forward from the second row of the Q-Ship’s seats. Lately she’d spotted the restlessness in Fletcher’s eyes. She’d asked her lieutenant many times if something was bothering him; a question most couldn’t get away with. However, Fletcher didn’t seem to mind her questions. But he never answered them honestly.
The team’s spirited chatter made it hard for Nona to discern Fletcher and Lars’s conversation in the front of the Q-Ship. She was sure she’d heard them mention ‘family tree’.
She leaned in further, about to fall out of her seat.
If I can just get a little closer… Nona picked up her canteen, wedged it into her pack, and pretended to take a sip. When she screwed the lid back into place, she dropped the container, allowing it to roll to the front of the ship.
“Oops,” she said, but no one was paying her any attention, anyway.
Nona hurried after the water canteen, grabbing it when she was just behind the lieutenant’s seat. She stayed down low, listening intently to the conversation between Fletcher and the pilot. She navigated back to her seat just as the ship landed.
“What’s that, to the west?” Julianna asked over the comm.
Eddie squinted over the rolling green hills, the setting sun partially obscuring his vision. On the plains that bordered the forests, dust clouds hung over a great commotion.
“I’m going back up for a closer look,” Eddie stated, pulling back on the controls, lifting the Q-Ship into the air.
He cloaked the ship—something they hadn’t done when arriving on Sunex. He’d figured that since it was considered the safest place on Nexus back when Knox had been transported there, cloaking wouldn’t be necessary. Maybe it had been a mistake to think that the land would still be safe.
Eddie zoomed the Q-Ship closer to the action, and immediately saw what was responsible for the disturbance. Sunex might have been considered a place of peace a decade ago, but something was seeking to destroy that now.
“The Petigren are attacking the natives,” Eddie said over the comm.
Julianna shot a sideways look at Knox in the copilot seat. His face automatically turned a shade of green.
“Looks like the Saverus are one step ahead of us,” Julianna stated, cloaking her ship.
“Fucking slippery snakes,” Eddie said with a sigh. “However, they haven’t breached the camp’s borders yet.”
Julianna released the hatch door of her Q-Ship, turning to face the Special Forces unit seated in the rear. “Take out all Petigren. Be cautious, though; the Saverus could be out there, looking like anyone.”
The soldiers saluted before filing out the back.
“Carnivore, what’s your status?” Julianna asked Lars over the comm.
“Ground forces have been dispersed,” he reported.
“Good,” Julianna said. “I want you to fly overhead and provide cover. Focus on keeping these rat-fuckers away from the perimeter of the camp.”
“Copy that, Strong Arm,” Lars confirmed.
“Black Beard,” Julianna said. “I’m taking Mohawk to the village center.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Eddie said.
Fletcher sent teams one and two to take the battle to the perimeter. “Team three, hit them straight on,” he said, throwing two fingers at the fight.
The soldiers took off at a sprint, weapons in hand. Once on the ground, Fletcher could tell that the natives were losing the fight. He wasn’t surprised. Inhabitants of Sunex were not equipped for war, which is why Ghost Squadron had already saved them from the Brotherhood once.
These people can’t catch a break, Fletcher thought, taking off.
The Petigren, as he knew from experience, didn’t fight fair. He watched as two rat-men attacked one of the natives from behind, one taking out his legs, and the other sinking his sharp teeth into the back of the man’s neck.
Fletcher picked up speed, launching his foot forward when he was only a couple feet away. The Petigren looked up in time to see the bottom of Fletcher’s boot connect with his hairy face. Pulling the butt of his rifle around, Fletcher clubbed the second Petigren over the head.
A rat-like man whipped around from the kill it’d just made, blood dripping down from his chin. A cackle spilled out of its mouth before it launched in Fletcher’s direction. The Petigren didn’t make it another step before a bullet struck it down.
Fletcher dared to turn around, and found Nona standing a few yards behind him, her rifle at the ready. “Thanks,” he told her.
Her eyes darted to something at his back. With reflexes to impress, she moved the rifle an inch and fired. Another approaching Petigren fell.
Fletcher slung his rifle over his back and pulled the knife from his boot. He lunged into the thick of the fighting, where the natives were using their fists to fight the Petigren. Nona could take the perimeter, but someone needed to make a dent in the major artery of the fight before things spun out of control.
Fletcher stabbed a Petigren in the back, keeping him from choking one of the long-haired natives. The beast fell. With a quick breath, Fletcher wrapped his arm around the neck of another Petigren, slicing its throat in a single movement. Bodies were crammed tightly together in this pocket of the battle, which meant that Fletcher had to act fast before the natives were overwhelmed.
Dovon elbowed the face of the rat-creature closest to him. The animal dropped.
Dovon’s people, the Sunexans, might not know how to fight, but they were larger than the aliens and much stronger. He pulled an axe from his belt and launched it through the air, taking down another monster bounding for him.
Around him, he could see his people were losing. They didn’t have the prowess to overtake these enemies; fighting wasn’t in their blood. And there were too many of the creatures.
The lookout had spotted at least a hundred of the giant rats. Alleira had ordered the strongest to cut the enemy off before they got to the border. They’d already been pushed back so far, though.
Dovon whipped a large stick around, slamming it into a Petigren’s face. The beast wasn’t as easily deterred as the others had been, and kept after him, knocking Dovon to the ground. Dovon kicked at the rat, but it chomped at his legs, from its position on all fours. Scrambling back, Dovon took up a rock. He threw it hard, slamming it into the monster’s face. The Petigren rolled to the side.
Dovon glanced at his back as he scrambled to a standing position. The gates to the Sunexans’ land was only a few yards away.
He feared they’d lost this battle. Disappointed Alleira.
Another Petigren charged for him, this one looking more rabid than the others. Dovon frantically searched; he was out of weapons. The monster would be on him in seconds. He was about to turn and run for the border, when a man with a bald head and dressed in a black uniform shot seemingly out of nowhere. He grabbed the rat around the neck, halting him immediately. With his other hand, he stabbed a knife through the enemy’s chest. The Petigren shrieked loudly in its death throes.
The man dropped the giant rat and spun around, as if aware of the attack approaching from behind. Two more of the horrible creatures had snuck up on him. The man reached forward, grabbing one by the hand, and yanking it over his head as he spun around. He flung it to the ground like it weighed nothing at all. The other rat jumped onto the man’s back, but he wasn’t startled. Instead, he yanked his arm holding his knife up over his head, and stabbed the creature straight in the back.
Shrugging off the dead beasts, the man spun to face Dovon. “Get inside your borders. This is our fight; no more from Sunex shall be harmed.”
Dovon nodded, in a daze from the battle, before turning and sprinting for the fence.
Julianna landed her Q-Ship beside Eddie’s. Those from Sunex were already gathered around the main communal area, their tanned faces looking apprehensively at the ship.
The air was crisp and laced with an ocean breeze as Julianna stepped out of the Q-Ship. She hoped that the Sunexans would recognize her and be put a
t ease.
Lars has been successful at pushing the Petigren back from the perimeter, Pip reported.
Good. What about the ground forces? Julianna asked.
They are taking a beating, but thinning the numbers dramatically.
And the Sunexans?
They are being sent back into the protected territory.
Good. I’ll relay that information to Alleira.
Tell her I think she’s pretty.
You never tell me you think I’m pretty.
No, no I don’t.
The leader of Sunex stood in front of her people, her long, almost white blonde hair, braided into four different sections. Her white robes contrasted with her tanned skin and made her bright blue eyes pop. She was no doubt beautiful, as were all from Sunex.
Julianna turned back to find Knox still hanging by the Q-Ship. He blinked around at the people, staring like he was trying to recognize them.
Julianna waved him forward. “Come on. We’re going to get answers.”
Eddie hurried over, Marilla and Chester behind him.
Alleira’s eyes darted to the warfare at Julianna’s back as she stepped forward. Many of the Sunexans’ faces contorted with pain as the sounds of slaughter traveled across the hills.
“Ghost Squadron, do you know about these attacks?” Alleira asked.
“Yes, and we know who is behind them,” Julianna stated. “We will have them under control soon. Your people are being sent back inside the security of the border.”
“Good. We thank you,” Alleira said, her eyes darting to Knox by Julianna’s side.
“We need to speak with you immediately,” Eddie interjected, his tone urgent.
“Of course.” Alleira held up her hand, motioning to a large tent in the distance. “Follow me to my quarters.”
Julianna nodded and joined the leader of the peaceful people. The people parted, many of the children looking at the strangers with amused expressions.
“The Petigren, the ones attacking you, when did this start?” Julianna asked.