When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (96 page)

             
“Thanks
,”
he said wryly.

             
She smacked the back of his head
.“
You know what I mean. Yo
u’
re stronger than you realize. Stronger than anyone
I’
ve ever met. W
e’
re going to get through this, together
.
”

             
That got him smiling, weakly but still better than nothing. She kissed him, soft at first but then harder. She was driven by an ache in her chest, the fear at having come so close to never holding him again. They pulled at each other, like teenagers, eager. Cameron suddenly held off.

             
“
I’
m supposed to lead a patrol
.
”

             
Kaileen grinned mischievously. She pulled her top off over her head
.“
Like yo
u’
ve never been late before
.
”

              -                           
VI                            -

              Staring out at the sea of broken vessels, Ray could
n’
t help but feel lost. He had been working on the Luna mission for so long that h
e’
d forgotten the war would continue in his absence. How many lives had been lost in the last year? Millions? Billions? At that number, his brain simply could
n’
t process the staggering cost. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew h
e’
d lost friends. His cousin was a banker on New Eden, in the capital city. Some of his friends from university served with the military at various outposts or aboard cruisers. But no matter how hard he tried, he could
n’
t face the reality. It always seemed too horrific to actually be real.

             
Blake appeared beside him, skimming through the pilo
t’
s report. H
e’
d sent in the most important information, namely the survival and suspected whereabouts of the High Chancellor. Still, there was a lot he had left to do in the system before he could leave. As far as Ray could tell, the agent was responsible for documenting the strategic mindset of the alien races. H
e’
d asked some pointed questions when the
y’
d first met, namely Ra
y’
s sexual preferences and if they involved members of the Gray persuasion. The scientist had been insulted, though he blushed a terribly guilty shade of red. He could
n’
t pretend the thought had never crossed his mind. But what was more shocking was Blak
e’
s insistence that the Nangolani intended to use seduction as a means to an end. All in all, the man was a bit crazy.

             
“Do you want a ride back
?
”

             
Ray did
n’
t turn away from the vista
.“
Does
n’
t matter. Ther
e’
s a war going on back there too
.”
Minutes after they sent their findings, General Titus of the Federal Army base in Newark announced his intention to stage a coup against the terrorist leader Jonah Blightman. The Hammer denied any responsibility for the High Chancello
r’
s disappearance, but immediately went into lockdown at the Galactic News Building. Now, all across the planet, the military had begun an open war against the so-calle
d“
New Eart
h”
security forces. Red Hammer never took to the field. They fought inside cities and buildings, using citizens as human shields. It was the beginning of a long and bloody conflict, of that Ray was sure.

             
Blake pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket, pressing a button on the side to light it. He took a long, satisfying drag, letting the smoke drift out through his nostrils.

“
A rock and a hard place
.”
The agent laughed. The sound was so foreign that Ray almost fainted
.“
You have to wonder if this is it. The end of the world
.
”

             
“The end of one, at least
.
”

             
The FAI
D“
ghos
t”
shook his head
.“
No. I mean THE end. As in no more humanity. Wiped off the history books
.”
He took another drag
.“
Could happen.
I’
ve done the math. W
e’
re outnumbered, far outgunned, and we lack the will to keep fighting forever. Eventually, no matter what the outcome, w
e’
ll just stop defending ourselves
.
”

             
Ray was disgusted by the idea. He looked at the fed, struggling to find the words
.“
Tha
t’
s ridiculous. Mankind wo
n’
t just roll over and die
.
”

             
“We barely lasted a week against their forces on the ground. Things are a little less one-sided in orbit, but not by much
.”
As he spoke, the blue light in the distance grew exponentially, flooding the hall with a sapphire glow
.“
And, of course, there is that
.
”

             
The analyst could
n’
t help but stare. He was drawn to the aura like a moth to flame. All down the corridor, people stopped in place to witness the largest vortex into Blue Space in recorded history. It had begun hours before, and held steady ever since.

             
“What do they think it is
?”
Ray asked.              

             
Blake gave a half shrug
.“
An asteroid, hopefully. Come to crash headlong into New Eden and turn it into New Hell. But no one is betting on hope anymore. I
t’
s one of theirs, something w
e’
ve never seen before. Maybe the last thing we ever will
.”
He finished his cigarette, putting it out on the metal sill
.“
Listen, Mr. Lee. Do yourself a favor. Head to the recreation deck and find yourself a young cadet who just passed her flight exam. Get her drun
k—
wo
n’
t be har
d—
and have some fun. We do
n’
t know what tomorro
w’
s going to bring, but I can almost guarantee it wo
n’
t be as nice as that
.
”

             
He did
n’
t wait for an answer. Grabbing his briefcase from the floor, Agent Blake walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner. Ray stayed at the window, watching the ethereal funnel finally reach its zenith. At the center of the swirling mass, a singularity formed, opening the gate between opposite ends of the galaxy. The lights in the station flickered as a massive pulse of electrons flooded the area. Ray shook his head, his scientific mind still working despite the horrific beauty of the spectacle. There was still so much they did
n’
t know about that place, that world in between reality.

             
An alarm sounded. The
y’
d be scrambling fighters to intercept whatever came out. If they were lucky, it was just an asteroid the size of a small moon. That, at least, could be dealt with. If they were
n’
t lucky, well Ray did
n’
t think about that at the moment. He stuck his hands in his pockets and pointed his feet in the direction of the elevator. It was just about nine
o’
clock, Primus time, and he was pretty sure he knew where the best bars would be located.

-                           
VII                            -

              As he descended below the clouds, Camero
n’
s heart nearly stopped. It had only been a week since h
e’
d left for
Imperion
, but New Eden had transformed into a whole new planet. The once-green grass was nearly all burnt away. Forests had been cleared by constant bombardment from bombers and artillery. The flight passed low over the ruins of three cities, each more desolate than the last. It was horrible.

             
“Torch four
,”
Cameron said
.“
Keep an eye on our flank.
I’
ve got gremlins
.”
He looked down at his radar, eyeing the flickering red dots with some alarm. He was used to fighting in zero gravity, where the bulky Phoenix excelled. Down here was a whole different ballgame. Planetary physics made piloting heavy ships a more difficult challenge, and all reports put the advantage clearly with the Boxti.

             
His flight was much larger than h
e’
d expected: a full fifteen Phoenix IIIs. The pilots were young but capable, and handled their ships with great skill. They had run the last hundred kilometers at treetop level without incident. Still, he had no idea how they would handle themselves once they got into the shit. About five minutes behind, and gaining fast, Kaileen and her Seed bombers prepared for contact.

             
Captain Donovan had been explicit in his orders. Cameron and Torch flight were to provide air support for the bombers near the remains of Fort Metts. They needed to buy time for the civilian evacuations, which were still floundering under a heavy Boxti blockade. If alien air showed up in any great number, he was to bug out immediately. Flee
t’
s attempts at starting a war of attrition had backfired, and now the risk of losing another good pilot and ship outweighed the possible reward. Cameron hated the thought of leaving men to die on the ground, but what could he do? As far as he was concerned, h
e’
d used up his nine lives in record time.

             
The fighter bucked and shook as it soared through over flaming buildings, catching the thermal like a surfer finding a wave. It had been a while since Cameron had dealt with updrafts. He remembered quickly why he hated them.              

             
“Flight leader,
I’
ve got a visual on enemy ground forces
.
”

             
Cameron scanned the bleak landscape for movement. He found it right away. There, near a thicket of sun-oaks, a thundering tank battle was underway. The enemy Scorpions had already decimated the assembled humans, but one company fought on. As the flight drew closer, Cameron could see fleeing tank crews gunned down by waiting Pills and alien rifle squads. It made his blood boil.

             
“Eagle one, this is Torch one
.
”

             
“Send it, Torch
.”
The leader of the bomber group was some captain Cameron had never met. Kaileen hated her, but that was to be expected. Kaileen did
n’
t like many people.

             
“Clear skies
,”
Cameron said
.“
Eager is free to saunter up and engage
.
”

             
“Roger, Torch. Eagle is en route
.
”

             
Cameron switched to his fligh
t’
s frequency, his finger snapping toggles and switches as he searched for any signs of hostile aircraft. So far, thankfully, the Boxti had been absent. He knew it would
n’
t last
.“
Torch, this is one. Bandits are sure to crash this party, so stay frosty
.”
He switched his missiles from safe to armed, hearing the alarm come to life. A small green diamond appeared on his HUD, tracking his eye movement.

             
As his Phoenix banked away from the flight path, Cameron saw a single Seed charge in ahead. The black seven on its side made him smile. He could imagine Kaileen at the stick, her copilot gripping the walls with white knuckles. The almond-shaped Seed turned hard, and Cameron could just make out the small black bombs falling toward the earth.

             
The ground rumbled as the first strike hit. Three Scorpions erupted in geysers of flame and metal, spraying red-hot debris down onto the muddy field. Seconds later, a dozen screaming missiles found homes inside other alien vehicles. Explosions rocked the human tanks as more and more Boxti went up in flames. Dozens of fighters and bombers crisscrossed the sky, reaping vengeance on the invaders. Payback had arrived.