CassaStorm (16 page)

We’re returning to medical sometime today, she thought. At least I won’t have to pull you from your classes.

Byron had cancelled all classes this morning before he departed. She would’ve preferred the children were kept busy but understood her mate’s reasoning. If forced to evacuate, they needed everyone available.

The blast of a siren caused Athee to drop her spoon. On the heels of the loud air horn, her mate’s thoughts rang in her head.

Attack from the Vindicarn and Narcons. I need you here now!

Athee shoved aside her food.
I just have to drop off Bassan and I’ll be there.

Her son straightened his back, his eyes wide.

“Bassan, get your tablet. We’re leaving now,” she said, running for the bedroom.

Athee grabbed her flight gloves and returned to the main room. Bassan waited by the door, his computer tablet in hand. She snatched her computer from the counter and raced to the door.

“What is it?” Bassan asked as she ushered him outside.

“We’re under attack,” she said, seizing his hand.

“By the probe?”

The sound of fighters overhead caused them to duck. Athee looked up and recognized the streamline ship of the Vindicarn, a Cosbolt in pursuit. She glanced at Bassan and tugged on his hand. His eyes reflected terror, amplified by the bruising around his nose.

Come on,
she thought, pulling her son behind her.

Scrapping her original plans for her son, Athee led him to Mevine’s home. She pressed the door panel and called out to the occupants. A moment later, the door slid aside.

“Oh, thank you!” said Athee, pushing Bassan forward. “Can you please watch him?”

Andra nodded and stepped aside for Bassan to enter. Drent stood behind her, still dressed in his sleepwear. Bassan glanced back at Athee as he entered their home.

You’ll be safe here,
Athee thought.
I’ll let you know the moment we return.
Turning to Mevine’s mate, she reached for the woman’s hand.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll be back for him as soon as I can.”

“Don’t worry about Bassan,” said Andra, her dark locks bobbing across her broad forehead. “Safe flying.”

Without another glance at her son, Athee released the woman’s hand and ran down the path. More fighters flew overhead, their engines screaming. She tried to follow their flight pattern while keeping an eye on where she ran. They disappeared into the low cloud cover, swallowed by the billowing haze. The sky rumbled from laser fire. Her arms pumped harder, propelling her legs the final steps to the nearest door. As she hit the entry panel, an explosion near the medical facility caused her to jump. She didn’t bother to look and darted inside the moment the door slid open.

The hallways were crowded as personnel ran to their stations. Athee dodged bodies left and right, her breath ragged. She reached the hangar and ran to the flight room.

She’d just finished dressing when Byron appeared in the open door. A loud explosion punctuated his appearance.

“We have to go!” he said, urging her forward.

Her suit secure, Athee ran after her mate. The hangar was in total chaos. Pilots and navigators were scrambling to reach their fighters. Athee almost collided with another pilot as she struggled to keep up with Byron. He bounded up the steps and she followed, sliding into the cockpit with haste.

Systems check!

Athee ran through each system with care. Years of training and experience had taught her not to skip any part of the process. A malfunction could cost them their lives.

All clear?

Confirming every step of the preflight, Athee answered.
Clear!

Their Cosbolt moved forward. Athee navigated it into the launch tube, inching the craft into position. The door closed, plunging them into darkness.

Do we have help?
she thought, terrified they were on their own.

All three flagships are in orbit
.

His quick reply was cause for suspicion.
And the enemy battleships?

Four are orbiting Tgren,
Byron thought.

Athee grasped her knees even tighter. This was an all-out attack on her planet! And only Ktren boasted ground support.

Their Cosbolt shot out of the launch tube. Byron veered to the right, avoiding a collision with one of their own. Athee brought up her navigation screen and suppressed a gasp. Hundreds of ships hovered over Ktren; far more than she’d ever witnessed.

We can do this
, Byron thought.
Give me a target.

Two Vindicarn flew overhead and she passed the coordinates to Byron. The gravitational forces pulled at her body as their fighter rose to meet the enemy. Athee let her mate take care of the ships while she scanned the area for approaching vessels. The chatter from other navigators was incessant as they informed one another of jumps and maneuvers. She strained to catch every exchange, aware their lives depended on it.

Byron had no sooner disposed of the two fighters when another appeared on their tail. Athee calculated the odds and told Byron to jump. In a flash, they were behind their pursuer and Byron dispatched him with one shot. Her mate sent their Cosbolt into a nosedive.

Keep us below them
, he thought, leveling the ship.
We need to stay below the disrupters.

Athee selected another target, warning the closest Cosbolt of their intentions. The ship veered away as they rose to meet the enemy. Another Vindicarn ship bore down on them as Byron fired. Without waiting for his assistance, Athee jumped them to safety.

Keep track of our jumps,
Byron thought.

She kept close tabs on the number of times they teleported. Sweat poured down her face inside the helmet, plastering her hair to the side of her face. In her haste, she’d not tied her hair back, and the loose strands threatened to obscure her view of the screen. More than once, she raised her gloved hand to brush them aside, only to remember her helmet prohibited such an action.

One jump placed them on the far edge of the battle. Athee performed a quick scan. Several shots had been fired at the mountain housing the alien craft. She relayed the information to her pilot.

We might have to dig them out later, but if they remain inside the vessel, they’ll be safe,
he thought.

She didn’t need to delve deeper into his mind to understand. Mevine was inside. Her strength fueled by concern for their friend, Athee selected their next target.

Byron rose under the Vindicarn fighter, closing the gap quickly. She noted another enemy ship in pursuit of a Cosbolt just below them but otherwise all was clear. Her mate fired upon the Vindicarn vessel, requiring two shots to destroy the target. Athee shared his elation as he dispatched another threat and let the victory seep through her thoughts. She needed a boost of energy.

Dive!
she thought, noting an enemy bearing down on their ship.

Byron obliged, the Cosbolt’s engines roaring at full capacity. Another ship signaled reentry beside them and Athee sent a frantic message to her pilot. He pulled hard to the left to avoid a collision and a flash of light streaked over their canopy.

Jump!

The teleporter engaged as another blast caught the side of the ship. Athee gasped as pain shot down her spine. Tiny bolts of fire raced through her veins and resounded with an eruption in her mind. She closed her eyes and leaned forward.

Athee!

Grasping the throttle for support, she gritted her teeth
. What happened?
she thought, forcing herself to respond.

You were just hit with a disrupter.

I can still hear you, though.
Taking several short breaths, she pushed her body into an upright position.

You didn’t take a direct hit,
thought Byron,
but your mind is on fire and judgment impaired. We’re returning to base.

Her head rolled to one side and she fought to remain conscious. The battle continued in the sky as fighters darted in and out of the clouds. The enemy’s numbers were too great. They couldn’t just abandon the others.

I prefer not to die today. Or lose you.

The view outside the cockpit changed. Athee didn’t even try to help Byron with the jump. Within seconds, a slight bump indicated the Cosbolt runners had touched the ground. Sweat dripped into her eyes and she closed her lids against the sting. Athee’s head pounded although the pain in her spine was now only a tingle. She couldn’t imagine a full disrupter hit.

Before their Cosbolt came to a stop, Athee pried the helmet off her head. The cool air of the cockpit hit her face, erasing some of the salty sting. She removed her gloves and wiped the sweat from her eyes. Every part of her was drenched. Her skin itched, adding to her discomfort. By the time the canopy opened and Byron appeared at her side, she was more than ready to exit the craft.

“Easy,” said Byron, holding her arm as she rose to her feet.

She reached for his shoulder and lifted one foot. The toe of her boot caught on the edge of the cockpit. Her center of balance altered and Athee struggled to regain her balance. Byron shifted his weight and all but lifted her out of the spacecraft. Before she could form a protest, he scooped her in his arms.

“Just hang on to me,” he said, turning to go down the steps backward. “I’ll get you down.”

Athee clung to him, her face buried against his flight suit. His wonderful musky smell was mixed with a metallic, sweaty odor. She concentrated on his hands, holding fast to her frame, as they descended the ladder. A jolt through his body signified they had reached the ground. When a soft surface touched her backside, Athee opened her eyes.

“You take damned good care of her, understood?” Byron said, glaring at the two men hovering over her.

“Yes, sir!” one answered, adjusting Athee’s legs.

Bending over her, Byron grasped her hand and stroked her damp hair. “Do you need me to come with you?”

“No, you have work to do.” Athee squeezed his fingers. “Please let Bassan know we’re all right. Don’t tell him what happened though.”

“I’ll speak to him.”

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and released her hand. Athee kept her eyes on Byron as the medics whisked her away on the gurney. He didn’t move from his position until an explosion just outside the hangar shook the air. Her mate turned and strode toward the nearest exit, and one of the hangar crew ran after him. Her head ached too bad to listen in on the conversation.

Athee closed her eyes. I hope Bassan is safe, she thought.

“The enemy has retreated to the far edge of the solar system again,” said Commander Ganter. “We’ll monitor their movement. Meanwhile, High Command isn’t pleased with this development.”

Byron scowled at the screen, his fists clenched as he rested them on the desk. “I know they were hoping for a ceasefire, but High Command needs to know exactly what transpired here today.”

Ganter shifted in his seat. “They’ll know when they get my full report. I just sent it. We lost thirty-six men today. The Litheron and Darentor lost just as many. We were damned lucky to fight off four warships today.”

“I only have six squadrons, and right now nineteen Cosbolts are out of action for one reason or another,” Byron said, tapping on his computer tablet. “Including my own.”

“How is your mate?”

“No permanent damage. As soon as I’m finished here, I’m retrieving her from medical.”

“Finally, some good news,” said Ganter, offering an encouraging nod.

A beep from his door announced a visitor. Byron granted entry and Mevine stood in the doorway.

“Commander, let me know if anything changes,” he said, pointing at the chair in front of his desk. Mevine obediently took a seat, his computer tablet grasped in both hands. “I’d like to know High Command’s response to your report. I haven’t heard back yet.”

“Will do.”

The screen went black. Byron leaned back in his chair and released an exasperated sigh. High Command had no idea what was happening here on the edge of Cassan space. His report had highlighted the details though, including images of several Tgren cities in ruins. They were hit hard today.

“Mevine, if you have more bad news for me, you’d be better off leaving now,” said Byron, his gaze still fixed on his computer screen.

The scientist cleared his throat. “No sir,” he said, pausing to cough.

Byron turned to face his friend. “Mevine, are you all right?”

“Just inhaled too much rock dust,” Mevine said, rubbing his chest. “At least the cave didn’t collapse.”

“If it had, I’d be at the site right now, overseeing the excavation to dig you out.”

Mevine appeared surprised before he offered a faint smile. Traces of dirt were still in evidence around his hairline and his uniform was torn at the shoulder. He and his men were alive though, and that was all that mattered to Byron.

Grasping the arms of his chair, Byron leaned forward. “What do you have for me?”

Shifting in his seat, Mevine held up his tablet. “We have a piece of the puzzle. After analyzing the transmission from the probe, we believe it evaluated the status of the ten races. It’s also waiting for a response code.”

“Do we have the code?”

Mevine’s shoulders drooped. “No, sir. But I think I know exactly why the alien ship ordered eradication.”

Byron gestured with his hand. “Go on.”

Dropping his tablet to his lap, Mevine presented a grave face. “It has determined the grand experiment a failure.”

“A failure?”

“Think about it, sir. All ten races were seeded and the alien ships remain on their planets. When the Tgrens joined the war, a message was sent and the probe alerted. Based on the involvement and scope of the war, the aliens concluded all experiments a failure. That code is necessary if we are to convince them our situation has changed and we are worth saving.”

Mevine’s choice of words caught Byron’s attention. “How must it change?”

“The ten races must end this war.”