Once Upon a Star

by Anthea Sharp

  Blow Your Planet Down - Shawntelle Madison

  Chapter 1

  Cressida Van Der Snout

  * * *

  Our plan is flawless, if I do say so myself.

  Infiltrate the enemy Wolverine base and commandeer their mighty weapon. As much as our enemies boasted their power over bonfires while my people cooked on their spits, the defensive measures at their space dock had atom-like gaps all over the damn place. We waltzed onto their base, skipped through their straw-thin shields, hacked their poorly encrypted access panels, and ambled past their snoring guards. They might as well have invited us inside for tea and biscuits.

  Now we sat on the bridge of the Wolverine Horde’s greatest achievement: their Doomsday One vessel. Their leader had plastered images of the shiny ship, painted in bold crimson and black colors, in every corner of the Swine Federation. Bend to our will and live, every poster said.

  When my people relented, we paid the price. Now my two brothers and I had control over the Oscillating Ultrasonic Combative Hunter. The OUCH weapon.

  “Doomsday One,” an operator chirped brightly, “you’re not cleared to leave Base Alpha Twenty. Supply the clearance code please.”

  My brothers glanced at me. One with alarm, and the other with an annoying chirp.

  “Spence, run a passcode search, brute-force style, on the birthdays of the captain’s children,” I said calmly. I tapped the console in front of me while Spence, my younger brother, ran through the data. The blush-colored pool his brain swam within began to bubble. Emerald-green and azure lights flashed along the thick glass. The rest of his body, which my older brother Banks and I constructed ourselves from wires and metal, gave him mobility and protected his nervous system.

  “Brute-force style?” Banks asked, his huge shoulders shaking with amusement. “Just how many kids does he have?”

  “Forty-five over ten years,” Spence supplied. He lacked a voice synthesizer. If we didn’t observe his speech through the colors and lights, we missed his responses. “01483048.”

  “Jeez. Reproduce much?” Banks chuckled and crossed his thick arms. A flood of data swam across the console and viewport above our heads. Zeros, ones, a bunch symbols. The data climbed to dizzying levels. The propulsion system, life support, and the like. I turned away.

  “All systems optimal,” Banks reported.

  Eight seconds. A new record. All Van Der Snouts entered flight training school at a young age. My brothers passed every spacecraft-engineering course with ease. I, on the other hand, barely passed most classes with the exception of my cryptography courses. There wasn’t a security feature I couldn’t cut through with determination and time.

  “Van Der Snouts are scientists. Explorers seeking fortune,” my parents had touted when we were piglets. “You either get to the trough first, or fall behind like the runts.”

  I activated the comm and sent the access code.

  Cleared to depart, we sailed away from Base Alpha Twenty into the cold darkness of space.

  “Well done, Spence,” I said.

  His lights flashed twice. Thanks.

  I smiled at him. A long time ago, he made the cutest piglet. He’d had chubby cheeks and a rosy blush as he grinned with mischief. Spence had grown into a pig far taller than me and his curiosity spanned the length of the known universe. Through his endeavors, he helped others conducting interstellar research. All that ended when the wolverines attacked our home world with Doomsday One.

  My brother barely survived and now his new body stood at my shorter height. His gray matter floated in fluid. I managed to save him, but the wolverines succeeded in killing too many others. Over eight million innocent souls lost with the press of a button on this very ship.

  Heat gathered in my chest, and I pushed away the rising anger. That feeling nourished me over the years, guided me through the training I needed for this day. I’d sacrificed everything—love, my family, my happiness—to steal Doomsday One.

  Now I could show those wolverines a runt’s fury.

  Banks glanced up from the console. “We’ll reach our next target in six hours.”

  I nodded. “We’ll be ready for the beginning of the end.”

  Banks cocked his head to the far end of the bridge. “What do we do about him?”

  My gaze flicked to the tall, hairy creature crouching in the corner. Handcuffs bound the Wolverine captain’s hands behind him. “He’s our prisoner now. It’s only fair for him to watch while we blow the Wolverine planets to smithereens.”

  Chapter 2

  Graham

  * * *

  Should I tell them I wasn’t a crewmember? Nah, I wanted to see the look on their faces when they figured out who I really was.

  I flexed against the bindings on my wrists and tried to get comfortable. The bridge floor was all metal, and the designers never considered that some unlucky soul might sit and stew on the deathly cold surface.

  At least it was clean.

  Since the pigs showed up with their laser guns blazing, I’d had my hairy paws in the air. They didn’t bother to immediately tie me up so I got my calisthenics for the day following them through the ship while they secured it.

  And damn it all to the Goddess Namara’s flea-laden Hell, I was a few days close to freedom, too. My current employer, or should I say creditor—either way he’d all but owned me for the past few years, had contracted me to clean Doomsday One before the crew arrived for a tour of Wolverine Horde’s outer systems.

  The pigs had ambushed me outside the personnel quarters, which were sparkling clean, thanks to yours truly. Yep, those pirating pigs imprisoned the janitor. I liked to call myself a cleaning specialist first class, but the Wolverine Horde never gave the indentured help fancy titles.

  Anyway, I was in the middle of sorting the captain’s trousers when a pig in heeled boots pointed a laser rifle at me. The weapon seemed far too large for her to wield, but she leveled her sharp blue eyes at me and snorted. “Look what we have here, boys. A new friend.”

  Her height barely met my shoulders, but the blonde female’s stance was assured. Hell, I might even say cocky. She was all belts and boots, her royal blue uniform riding along feminine curves. Her snout and ears twitched with irritation as I gawked at her.

  The thought came to mind to tackle her and see if I could wrestle the gun away, but that idea collapsed with fusion-like speed the moment a massive boar clamped his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t even think about it, Wolverine,” he grumbled.

  The dark-haired boar towered over my head. Of course, he had a tiny gun, which looked like a toy compared to his meaty fist. A single silver ring dangled from his snout. More silver covered the tips of his tusks. He jerked his head to the right. “Let’s go. We need to keep moving, Cressida.”

  The blonde pig nodded and the boar drew me away from the captain’s quarters. At first, I was baffled. There was little cargo on the ship. So what was worth stealing?

  And what in Namara’s Hell was following us down the hallway? Another member of the pigs’ party was a cybernetic humanoid, the same height as Cressida, with strange lights along its sleek, metal body. The creature’s brain, which was connected to the torso via fleshy, gray tubes, floated in a pinkish fluid. It scuttled along without a sound—except when the others asked it a question. Were those annoying beeps and flashing lights a language?

  We checked most of the major spaces, finding no one as I expected. After securing the ship, they led me to the bridge, tied me up, and left me where I was currently reclining now. I could’ve sat there with my head down, ears up with defiance, but I had yet to rest for over thirty hours. If that boar didn’t stare me down once in while like he wanted to jettison me into space, I would’ve gotten a much-needed nap.

  Cressida, who appeared to be their leader, said to the boar, “Any data on how to activate OUCH?”

  The one they called Spence beeped three times and they turned to the boar.

  His massive mouth opened and closed, jaw cracki
ng. Then he scratched the back of his head while glaring at me. “I don’t know how these fools managed to destroy anything. There is no manual or electronic documentation in case of emergencies. Has the Horde ever heard of contingency plans?”

  I fought back laughter—I mean, the pigs did have weapons. “I don’t know how the weapons subsystem works.”

  “How convenient, captain,” she said, still unaware I wasn’t who she believed me to be.

  “What about the fusion reactor?” the boar asked. “How do we scale up the reactions to make the ship fully operational?”

  The gobbledygook coming out his mouth never ended. Fusion reactions. Particle accelerants. Blah blah blah. I was a jack of all trades kind of wolverine. Matter of fact, I was pretty handy with heating and ventilation systems, but the science-heavy stuff was over my head. What he should be asking me was how a bed should be made. You know, the important stuff like how to fold the corners to keep the sheet nice and taut.

  “I don’t know,” I replied.

  The boar snorted. “Cressida, he needs a reminder of how dire his circumstances will become if he doesn’t comply.”

  “I really don’t know anything,” I said.

  He got up. I immediately stood as he stormed my way, his footfalls heavy. There was no way I could take him on with my hands behind my back.

  “Stop,” she ordered, though her voice was soft.

  The boar halted mere inches from me. His breath was hot and foul.

  “Banks, think before you rearrange his internal organs. He won’t be as useful to us if you turn his spleen into pudding,” she said between clenched teeth.

  Banks snorted. “Useless, smelly wolverine.”

  Smelly? Bah! I sniffed myself. I smelled like the dark spice oil I rubbed through my fur. What did he know?

  With a grunt, Banks returned to one of the bridge consoles. His thick fingers danced over the buttons. Was he a security officer or perhaps an engineer? Wolverines didn’t intermingle with pigs. The Horde claimed the pigs were ignorant and lived in perpetual filth. These three didn’t smell, but sure as the goddess’s hairy chin, they were obstinate. Banks stabbed at a few buttons. His brow wrinkled as numbers and graphs lit up the main viewport screen above us.

  “Spence, we need to feed our hungry, little piglet,” Cressida said to the robot with a sly grin.

  Banks flicked a scowl at them, but his typing didn’t miss a beat.

  A few minutes later, my jailors tugged me to the mess hall. The food synthesizers had yet to be used much so there was plenty of food—and, boy, did the boar push the machines to their limit. He whistled while balancing plates filled with grilled ground squirrel, stuffed sepia-hued pheasants, and pickled pears. The sentient natliss nuts tried to make a run for it, but he gobbled them up, too.

  The food’s heavenly scents filled the air and my stomach growled as I took in the sizzling meal. None of them asked me if I was hungry.

  “What’s your strategy for getting past Valencia’s defense grid?” Banks asked Cressida between bites.

  Her chewing slowed as her face became pensive. Compared to most of my previous creditors, this pirate seemed to never speak without considering her response.

  “Compared to Base Alpha Twenty, Valencia is covered in woodland and hill-bound farms. That kind of terrain isn’t conducive for missile turrets.”

  Banks nodded as if they discussed trivial matters instead of mass murder. “Whether they have gamma or omega grade turrets is the problem. The force field on this bucket of bolts won’t withstand a full barrage.”

  My stomach grumbled again, and I grimaced. The robot rose from his spot next to Banks. While the others chatted, the robot fetched a plate of food and placed the meal before me.

  I mumbled my thanks, ignoring Cressida’s frown.

  I had to crouch down and eat the drumsticks without the use of my hands, but at least I could eat. I filled my belly until Spence flashed orange to green lights, followed by five beeps.

  “Yes, we need to activate OUCH before then,” Cressida replied.

  The coarse hairs on the back of my neck rose. Horrific images coursed through me. Fiery lights plunging through pink cloud cover to assault the farms and small cities. Mile after mile of woods would burn, killing off every creature roaming within.

  These pirates are nothing more than cold-blooded killers.

  I shook my head with disgust. “Did you consider there might be a good reason this ship doesn’t have manuals?”

  Cressida folded her arms. “Captain, the Horde isn’t that crafty.” She leaned forward. “The only thing they’re good at is killing pigs. I will activate OUCH.” Her blue-eyed gaze sharpened. “You’ll see.”

  “So that’s what this is all about…” I stifled a laugh. “An eye for an eye? A tooth for a tooth?”

  Her cheeks reddened, and the resolve in her gaze briefly faltered. “How about a life for a life?”

  My stomach soured, then bile burned the back of my throat. Valencia didn’t have many defenses, but the planet wasn’t barren. I spent a few sweat-laden years at a work camp. Most of the facilities were automated with solar-powered farm equipment, but for every one hundred machines, a Wolverine engineer monitored them. During the harvest season, men and women picked larmen fruit. These wolverines were innocent—no matter what atrocities the Horde leadership committed.

  They were my people.

  And with my hands tied, I couldn’t do a damn thing.

  Suddenly, Spence’s torso lit up in a spectrum of colors in waves.

  “About time,” Cressida said smoothly. “We’ll reach Valencia’s outer orbit soon. I have work to do.”

  Cressida

  * * *

  If we didn’t need that wolverine to uncover more of this ship’s secrets, my foot would be so far down his throat you’d think I was wearing fur boots. How dare he question my motives? He was nothing more than a tool for the evil Wolverine Horde.

  I marched to the bridge, ignoring the red and black propaganda posters on the walls. The Horde Overlord’s hazel eyes were everywhere. I didn’t bother checking to see if Spence or Banks followed. Banks had yet to complete his meal, the glutton that he was, but I caught his heavy footfalls hurrying to catch up. The click-clack of Spence behind him could be heard.

  By the time we reached the bridge, I was ready to execute the second part of my plan. Months of preparation had led to this day. Soon enough, the wolverines would feel the pain I suffered. Now all I had to do was activate OUCH before we got to Valencia—which was easier said than done. The Horde had a maze of subsystems buried within more encrypted subsystems. On the console, I typed furiously to dig for information, but I kept coming up short. I bit my lower lip.

  “Do we have control over the laser cannons and missiles?” I asked.

  “Affirmative,” Banks replied. “By the way, I was still eating.”

  “You could’ve kept eating while Spence’s new best friend chowed down.”

  “Best friend?”

  “Why didn’t you stop Spence from feeding that furball?” The very idea my brother would help any wolverine hurt.

  Banks grumbled.

  The ship jostled.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “The first hit.” Banks sounded impressed. Not good.

  “From what?”

  Data swam across the viewport screen. Banks’s dark eyes raced to keep up. “Ugh! Forty-five of them...”

  “Forty-five what?” I asked. Damn, I wish I could interpret the data.

  “Solar-powered laser turrets. And they’re all pointed in our direction. They know we’re coming.”

  Which meant they received a warning my people never had. There would be evacuations and less casualties. I bet the captain would be pleased.

  But when I looked at him, he sat with his shoulders slumped, but the muscles along his arms were tight as if he’d fought against his cuffs.

  Our gazes connected, but I looked away first. I had too much work to do.r />
  The ship shook again and again.

  I gripped the console. “How many hits can the force field take before it’s compromised?”

  Banks spewed a bunch of numbers at Spence who gave a reply. It wasn’t pretty.

  I cursed.

  “I’m heading to the Missile Bay,” I declared.

  At least I had access to other subsystems on the ship. The Missile Bay was one of them. The room dwarfed the mess hall with laser cannons and launch shafts. Before my space-engineering training this kind of place would’ve overwhelmed me, but my resolve burned bright and led me straight to the launch prep console. All the while, I tried not to think of the destruction I’d cause.

  They had this coming, I reminded myself. The Horde brought this on themselves through their treachery.

  The ship violently lurched to the side.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I yelled into the comm.

  “We’re drawing too much power for the shields,” Banks reported back. “The gravitational drive took a hit.”

  I activated the weapons system and began the process of manually feeding the missiles into the respective bays for launching. A robotic arm could have done this, but while under attack, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. The whole process, with the ship rocking back and forth, was precarious to say the least. Nearly a half hour later I was ready.

  I manned the console again. On the smaller viewport, the bluish rock called Valencia loomed. It was beautiful. In a way, it was much more breathtaking than my home world. Pollution from the pig factories didn’t darken the clouds. Valencia’s pearly white clouds parted as evacuation ships launched into space. Envy caught my breath. My family never had such an opportunity.