Three Square Meals Ch. 124

The orbital barrage was ferocious, explosions lighting up the sky as batteries of Quantum Flux Cannons pounded the surface of Arcadia. John and the girls could feel the vibrations through their feet, each massive blast sending tremors rippling outwards that reached the Invictus dozens of kilometres away.

“Holy fuck...” Dana muttered leaning against the window and watching the terrifying demonstration of a dreadnought’s phenomenal firepower.

Calara turned to look at John and said in a hushed voice, “If Larn’kelnar had decided to just kill us instead of taking you prisoner, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

He nodded, his expression grim as he watched the relentless barrage, certain that Rahn’hagon’s wrecked ship was on the receiving end. “We’re going to have to take steps to make sure we never allow ourselves to be ambushed like that again.”

“It’s pretty convincing proof that the black ships can’t detect each other,” Alyssa said, staring at the Progenitor’s onslaught. “If that bastard could see us, I’m sure we’d know all about it.”

Rachel touched Sakura’s arm and said softly, “Thank god you came up with that idea to hide the Invictus.”

John glanced at the Asian girl and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “She’s absolutely right. We’d be dead now if it wasn’t for you.”

Sakura blushed at their heartfelt praise and gave him a self-conscious smile. “I’m just glad I was able to help. Considering how much the rest of the team contributes, I sometimes feel like a bit of a fifth wheel around here.”

“You should never feel that way,” John said firmly, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve proved yourself time and again in combat, and all the time I’ve spent training with you has been invaluable. Besides, whenever you do offer suggestions or advice, it’s always insightful.”

She smiled at him gratefully, then glanced out the window at the staccato purple flashes lighting up the horizon. “In that case, do you want to hear another idea?”

He nodded, looking at her with interest. “Of course... always.”

Sakura stared at the roiling clouds high above Arcadia’s lush jungle. “While that Progenitor is focused on your father’s ship, we should strike!”

John blinked in surprise. “What?!”

Turning to face him, her dark-brown eyes glinted with fierce intensity. “The Progenitor shuttle is stealth capable; we could send an infiltration team to board that dreadnought. This time we’d be geared up and ready for combat... he’d never see it coming. We could take them all out in a devastating surprise assault.”

“That’s inspired!” Irillith gasped, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement. “John... we could slaughter the crew, kill another Progenitor, and seize his ship!”

Tashana smiled with anticipation, tendrils of fire flickering around her fingertips. “I’m ready... just say the word.”

“Whoa, hold on!” John exclaimed, holding up his hands. “We can’t just rush off half-cocked into battle. We were only able to get into Larn’kelnar’s ship last time because he opened up a hangar to capture me.” He turned to look at Irillith. “If we were actually able to reach the dreadnought undetected, are you confident you could hack through a Progenitor’s network defences?”

The Maliri faltered, her expression wavering with sudden doubt. “I’m not sure.... I haven’t had a chance to practice against the sentinels yet.”

“Which means we’d probably have to break in by force. There’s a few ways we could tear a hole through the hull, but we’d instantly lose the element of surprise if we tried any of them.” He looked around at the girls who were watching him intently. “Geared up thralls will pose a threat, although I’m sure we can handle them, but an alert and combat-ready Progenitor is something else entirely.”

“I’m much better at collapsing hex-shields now,” Alyssa reminded him. “It wouldn’t be a drawn-out battle of attrition like last time.”

John nodded, his gaze sweeping over the girls. “I know... and we all learned a hell of a lot during the battle with Larn’kelnar, but we’re still overlooking something important. I hate my guide, but I can’t ignore how much he helped us in that fight; without him, I never would’ve been able to maintain my shields against all those psychic attacks.” He grimaced as he continued, “Until I confront my guide and get rid of him permanently, my psychic strength is only a fraction of what it could be.”

“It was a bad idea,” Sakura said, giving him a rueful frown. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise. Irillith was right, it was an inspired suggestion,” he said, looking into her eyes. “With just a few more weeks to prepare, I wouldn’t hesitate to launch that kind of surprise boarding action. We’re definitely going to need that kind of bold, decisive thinking in the future... but not quite yet, okay?”

She smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

“John?” Jade murmured quietly, stroking his arm to get his attention. “The explosions have stopped...”

He looked out across the sea of foliage covering Arcadia’s surface and saw that the Nymph was right; the orbital bombardment appeared to have ended. The flashes of light and vibrations through the deck had all ceased, but far in the distance, he could see thick clouds of black smoke rising into the sky.

“Ah, shit!” Dana cursed, scowling with anger. “We had to leave behind the Progenitor Shield Generators and that bastard just nuked them!”

“We stripped everything else of value though,” Calara reminded her. “And what we did take was priceless.”

Alyssa turned away from the window, her cerulean eyes drawn inexorably to John. “What are we going to do now?”

He stood silently for a long moment, staring at the billowing smoke. “This doesn’t really change much; our highest priority is still to repair the Invictus. We also need to look for the missing maintenance bots... but I think we should keep our heads down and postpone the search until we’re sure it’s safe.”

“Do you think Xar’aziuth sent this Progenitor here to hunt down whoever killed Larn’kelnar?” Tashana asked, staring at the horizon.

“I think that’s exactly what happened,” John agreed, mulling over the possibilities. “When the Progenitor didn’t find any sign of a hostile ship, he probably ordered a surface scan of Arcadia and found Rahn’hagon’s crash site. Considering what these Progenitors are like, I’m sure he blasted the wreck in fit of anger at not finding Larn’kelnar’s killer.”

“How long do you think he’ll stay in orbit?” the Maliri asked, her brow furrowing with concern as she glanced skyward.

John turned to face Dana. “It takes 12 hours to recharge the Wormhole Generator?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

John thought about that for a second, then said decisively, “I expect he’ll be long gone by tomorrow. I doubt it’s even occurred to him that there might be another ship hiding down here on Arcadia’s surface. I just can’t see a Progenitor lurking around a deserted planet in the middle of nowhere on the off-chance that someone will turn up.”

“Larn’kelnar did,” the redhead reminded him.

“True, but he also spent the last eight months sneaking around this part of space, refusing to return to the Larathyran Empire. I don’t think it was a coincidence that we ran into Larn’kelnar. He seemed to be expecting me to arrive here and ambushed me because he was tired of playing games.”

“I think you’re right,” Tashana said, facing John again. “The last three Progenitors that were sent to this part of space have all gone missing; it would make sense to keep this one on a very short leash.”

“Especially as he knows you’re around and causing trouble,” Calara said, nodding her agreement. “A quick reconnaissance would be a sensible course of action. I’m sure Xar’aziuth is curious to find out what happened to Larn’kelnar.”

“How did this guy know to come to Arcadia anyway?” Dana asked in confusion. “I thought the Shroud was supposed to hide everything?”

John shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know... but Rahn’hagon was convinced that staying around here was dangerous.”

“We created a hell of a lot of psychic noise in the battle with Larn’kelnar,” Alyssa said, her expression grim. “Don’t forget that he drained the life out of every thrall he had... and if Xar’aziuth fed off that massacre, it might have led him straight to us.”

“That makes sense, but we’ve got no real way of verifying it for now,” John said, after considering her suggestion for a moment. He glanced at the plume of black smoke, then looked around at the girls. “It looks like the excitement is over with for now, so let’s get started on the repairs. I think this attack proves that we need to get away from here and back to Genthalas as quickly as possible.”

Rachel caught his eye and when John nodded, she picked up the remote from the dining table and pressed a couple of buttons. A holographic projection appeared above the table, showing an exhaustive list of all the tasks they needed to complete to get the Invictus spaceworthy again.

“There’s so much to do...” Calara murmured, her eyes widening as she glanced through the list.

“It’s actually far less complex than the refit where we lengthened the Invictus,” Rachel explained, pressing another button and adding a bright palette of colours to the tasks. “Reconnecting power couplings across the severed section will be relatively quick and simple, it’s checking the hull integrity and internal systems for impact damage that’ll be time consuming.”

Jade smiled and put her arms around Marika and Neysa. “Well, we’ve got lots of eager new engineering assistants ready to help out.”

“Excellent,” the brunette said, giving them a grateful smile. “We could really use their help.”

“I’ll contact Little One and ask her to join us,” Irillith said, striding towards the door. “The maintenance bots will be invaluable for this kind of work.”

The door slid open before she arrived and Little One rolled into the room on metallic tracks. “The Invictus_Node_Collective will be glad to assist.”

Irillith smiled at the cleaning robot. “Were you eavesdropping?”

“I was following the conventions established by Meta_Faye,” the automation replied, looking at the Maliri quizzically. “Is constant monitoring of all activity aboard the Invictus unacceptable?”

Before Irillith could reply, John squatted down beside the small robot. “No, that’s alright; I’m sure you’re just as worried about fixing the ship as we are. I’m sorry we didn’t ask you to join us before we started the briefing... this is your home as much as it is ours.”

The robot studied him for a long moment, then reached out to touch his hand. “Please accept the Collective’s gratitude for that acknowledgement.”

He gave her a warm smile. “You’re welcome.” Pivoting, he glanced up at the task list. “Rachel put together a plan with everything we need to get done. We could definitely use your help.”

“We are fully aware of what is required to repair the Invictus,” Little One replied, tilting her head as she looked at the holographic plan. “The Collective reviewed Rachel’s plan yesterday and commenced operations last night while you were asleep.”

The three-dimensional image then expanded and task after task were struck through, indicating that they were completed. The maintenance bots had already conducted a thorough inspection of the entire data network, having reconnected the fibre cabling that had been severed in Larn’kelnar’s ambush. It appeared that they were currently in the process of examining the many kilometres of power cabling to check for any damage in the crash.

“Damn...” Dana murmured in admiration. “You guys are kicking ass!”

Rachel looked delighted and beamed at John. “They’ve already saved us at least a day’s work!”

“Thank you,” John said gratefully to the diminutive robot.

“The Invictus is our home,” Little One replied. “It is... distressing... to see it in this condition.”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” he agreed, surprised by the sense of camaraderie he felt towards the synthetic creature.

***

The assembled members of High Command sat in stunned silence, staring in horror at the Brimorian border highlighted on the Empire Map.

“They could be here in two days!” Admiral Caldwell exclaimed, clutching the armrests of his chair in a death grip.

“Vice Admiral Dacres reported that the Brimorians were holding position in the Callopean Shoals when he retreated from the border at 3:09 am this morning,” Fleet Admiral Devereux replied, her

expression bleak. “In a worst case scenario, if the Enclave forces launched their invasion immediately after his departure, they’ll reach Olympus in 36 hours.”

“36 hours...” Connor Malone muttered, sharing a pensive glance with his wife. “Most of our fleets are still severely damaged after the Kintark invasion. If the Brimorians attack in strength, we’re finished.”

Aeri Malone clasped his hand, then turned to look towards the Fleet Admiral standing behind a lectern. “What about defensive preparations? We could use minefields and hyper-warp inhibitors to wear them down and slow their advance.”

Lynette raised her hands in a calming manner and replied, “I issued orders for minelayer squadrons to move into position, but I don’t want to mine the hyper-lanes into the Core Worlds until an invasion has been confirmed and we have an idea which direction they’ll be approaching from. The Advanced fleet is considerably faster than the Brimorians and Dacres is currently holding position at the closest Comms Beacon to the border. If he sees any sign of an Enclave invasion force, he’ll notify us immediately. Meanwhile, all operational ships are being assembled into fleets to defend Olympus.”

“We’re going to let the Brimorians fly unopposed to the Core Worlds?” Caldwell asked in surprise.

“We don’t have a choice,” Lynette said, her mouth set in a grim frown of resignation. “With Morgan’s fleet annihilated and Kester’s fleet missing, we need to preserve every ship we’ve got. Our best chance is to engage the Brimorians from a fortified defensive position.”

The comms interface chimed from the lectern, the sharp sound signifying a high-priority communication. Lynette answered the call, then smiled with relief as a familiar face appeared on the holo-screen. “Thank god you’re alive! What happened?!”

Admiral Kester gave her a weary smile. “The sharks were circling last night... fortunately I had a bigger boat.”

Caldwell looked at him in frustration. “This isn’t the time to be a smartass, Kester.”

Lynette shook her head reprovingly at the surly admiral. “Edwin... he’s obviously been up all night.” She turned to look at Kester again, a look of sympathy on her face. “Just tell us what happened, Anthony.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “Pretty much what I just said. At approximately 1:30 am this morning, we spotted a Brimorian fleet inside Terran territory. They were obviously waiting to spring a trap, so I set course for Enclave Space.”

“You invaded Brimorian territory?” Lynette asked in surprise.

“To get them riled up... and it worked,” he replied with a shrug. “They chased after us, avoiding what must have been a minefield they’d prepared. When they got close, I let them think we were turning back and making a run for the Terran border, so they charged after us and intercepted my fleet. We were ready for them and started picking off their cruisers as soon as they dropped out of hyper-warp... then I ordered all my biggest capital ships to ram theirs.”

“You rammed them?!” Caldwell blurted out, gaping at Kester incredulously.

“Sure. The Brimorians might have powerful shields, but they’re useless against collision damage. Whoever was in command of that fleet must’ve looked a lot like you do right now, Caldwell; they never saw it coming. We smashed all their battleships, then shot up the rest of the fleet. After we captured the survivors, we headed back to T-Fed territory... but the Comms Beacons were compromised and I couldn’t send a warning. We’ve been sailing Coreward all night so that I could get through to you.”

“Outstanding work, Admiral,” Lynette said with a warm smile of admiration. “What’s the current status of your fleet?”

“Casualties were relatively light. Six of my cruisers were crippled in the initial firefight, so we scuttled them to prevent them falling into Brimorian hands. The Heimdall and all my battleships took moderate hull damage from the rams, but weapon systems are still fully operational.”

Lynette stopped to think how to proceed for a moment. “I want you to return to Olympus for repairs.”

“Are you sure?” he asked in surprise. “That would leave the Taxarran Straits undefended.”

“The Brimorians hit the Callopean Shoals in strength last night,” she explained sombrely. “Admiral Morgan was killed in action and his fleet wiped out to a ship.”

Kester stared at her in shock. “Morgan’s dead? Damn...”

She nodded slowly. “The Brimorians fired on escape pods... we only recovered one survivor.”

“Those vindictive bastards...” he said, shaking his head in disgust. “Looks like I had a very lucky escape.”

“Luck didn’t have anything to do with it, Admiral,” she replied, looking at him with respect. “Bring your fleet home... we’re massing our forces at Olympus in case the Brimorians do invade.”

Kester saluted her. “Will do, Fleet Admiral.”

Lynette ended the call, then let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for that. I was worried we’d lost Kester and his fleet as well.”

“Are you sure it’s wise recalling him to Olympus?” Admiral Zelig asked, sounding pensive. “Leaving the border undefended could expose the closest colonies to Brimorian raids.”

She shook her head. “Local system defences should be able to handle anything up to a cruiser squadron. As long as the Brimorians don’t reconnaissance in force, they should be safe enough.”

Caldwell looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You’re taking this disaster very calmly, Lynette.”

“Would you prefer it if I fell to pieces and started panicking like Buckingham?” she asked, meeting his suspicious gaze.

“Of course not... but you heard Kester; the Comms Beacons have been compromised. Dacres reported the same thing, which evidently means the Sensor Grid security has been violated too. It seems painfully obvious that we’re dealing with another traitor.”

“I agree... it definitely looks that way, but I don’t want to start a witch hunt until we’ve gathered more evidence of what actually happened in the Callopean Shoals,” Lynette said, her tone reasonable. “I certainly don’t suspect anyone here in High Command of conspiring with the Brimorians.”

The tension eased in the auditorium, the assembled admirals relaxing and looking visibly relieved.

She gave them a reassuring smile. “From everything we’ve seen so far, I suspect this is just a limited skirmish. The fact that the Brimorian fleets are holding position makes me think this was simply the Enclave reclaiming lost territory. They could have invaded... but they didn’t. They could have attacked Dacres fleet while he searched for survivors... but they stayed within the boundaries of the Callopean Shoals.”

“Surely we’re not going to just let the Enclave get away with what they’ve done?” Caldwell asked, looking at her incredulously.

“Whatever gave you that impression?” Lynette asked, her eyes turning cold and hard. “We’re going to repair and upgrade our fleets, then the Enclave will rue the day they slaughtered our people.”

“What does the Lion have to say about all this?” Lina Van Den Broeck asked, her green eyes showing a flicker of worry. “Is the Invictus still on the Kirrix border, or is he returning to the Core Worlds?”

“Admiral Blake will be indisposed for the foreseeable future,” Lynette quietly replied. “This isn’t to leave the room, but it’s unlikely he’ll be returning to Terran Space for at least a month.”

She could hear the anxious mutterings at that announcement, as the admirals realised that they really were on their own should the Brimorians escalate the conflict.

Taking a deep breath, Lynette said, “That’s all the information I have for you at the moment, but I promise I’ll keep High Command informed of any further developments. For now, I’m going to

prepare a public statement and inform the citizenry that we came under attack last night from the Brimorians, but that the fighting was confined to the Callopean Shoals.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Caldwell asked, looking at her with concern. “An announcement like that could start a wave of panic across the border worlds.”

“I want to continue my policy of honesty and transparency,” Lynette replied, her tone firm and uncompromising. “Keeping civilian traffic away from any potential invasion corridor would be a prudent move regardless, but I’ll do my best to reassure the colonies that they’re not in any immediate danger.”

From his terse expression, Caldwell obviously disagreed, but he decided not to press the matter.

Lynette glanced around the room. “Unless anyone has anything else that they wish to discuss, I suggest we reconvene later today to review the state of our forces. In the meeting yesterday, I requested that you verify the status of the fleets stationed at Olympus... please have that information ready for this afternoon.”

Her request was met with nods, then Charles cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ve accelerated the conversion of the shipyard’s civilian hangars into those assigned to the military, primarily focusing on expanding the drydock. With the number of privately contracted engineers now stationed on Olympus, we should be able to restore a significant number of lightly-damaged vessels to full combat readiness in the next 36 hours.”

Admiral Cartwright snorted and shook his head. “I imagine Henry Voss will be rubbing his hands together with glee. How much is he gouging us for that privilege?”

“Actually, the Voss Corporation has been offering their assistance with repairs at cost,” Charles replied with a wry smile. “It seems Mr. Voss has developed a remarkable sense of civic duty of late.”

The older admiral gave him a shrewd look, but chose not to comment further.

Lynette stepped away from the lectern. “Alright everyone, you’re dismissed. We’ll continue this meeting at 1400 hours.”

As the admirals rose from their seats and began to leave the room, Lina walked over to Admiral Harris, an uncharacteristic tension to her attractive features. “Have you had breakfast yet, Charles? I wondered if you wanted to meet for brunch instead?”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t, Lina. I have a prior engagement. Before you start teasing me... I’m not referring to another woman; one fiancée is quite enough!”

She frowned and looked unsettled, not reacting to his light-hearted joke. “Can you postpone it?”

“I’m afraid not. I need to discuss defensive upgrades for Olympus with Vice Admiral Ming, and considering the circumstances, postponing it wouldn’t be wise.” He paused, surprised by the startling difference in her demeanour. “Are you alright, Lina?”

“I’m fine,” she said quietly. “I’ll see you at twelve... in the Galleria?”

“I’ll be there,” he agreed, finding her complete lack of flirtation quite disconcerting. Charles watched her leave, the confident strut also curiously absent as she walked away.

Lynette strode over to join him, appearing equally distracted. “I’m meeting with Jehanna now to discuss the public broadcast, but I’m also expecting a very important call. I probably won’t see you until this afternoon.”

“I hope it goes well,” Charles said, restricting himself to giving her a reassuring pat on the arm, to avoid disrupting his fiancée’s holo-disguise. He hesitated, then leaned closer to add in a hushed voice, “Are you sure about... being honest with Lina?”

She checked there was no one nearby, then caressed his cheek, her fingers incredibly soft and smooth despite their aged appearance.“I trust your judgement, Charles. I’ll leave that decision in your very capable hands.”

“Okay,” he murmured, feeling a little daunted at the prospect.

Lynette waved goodbye, then turned on her heel and strode out of the auditorium, leaving him alone in the oval room. Charles activated the holo-interface on his watch, then scrolled through the morning’s messages. There were four more from Henry Voss, which he’d missed due to the late High Command meeting the previous evening. Swiping his finger across the interface to return the call, he watched the Voss logo appear, the image of Terra slowly rotating as he waited.

Just as he was about to give up, the call went through and a beautiful young woman answered, her long raven hair looking dishevelled. “Yes?!” she panted, before blushing. “I-I mean... This is Henry Voss’ personal assistant; how may I help you?”

“Good morning,” Charles replied, watching with amusement as she shifted position and accidentally revealed that she was wrapped in a bed sheet. “My name’s Admiral Charles Harris... I believe Henry Voss has been trying to reach me?”

“Let me speak to him, Abigail!” Henry called out from behind the black-haired beauty. His pensive face suddenly loomed in front of the holo-camera. “Why did you take so long to call me back, Charles? We need to talk!”

“I did leave a message,” Charles replied, his moustache twitching indignantly. “What’s so important?”

“Not over an open comms channel,” Henry said, shaking his head. “Can you meet me in my office... in 30 minutes?”

Charles raised an eyebrow at the cloak and dagger theatrics. “Alright, Henry... I’ll see you there.”

***

Jehanna was waiting outside Lynette’s quarters and greeted her with a strained smile. “I heard what happened.”

Lynette darted a furtive glance at the security guards standing on duty further down the corridor, then acknowledged her friend with a grim nod. The DNA reader flashed green and she removed her hand from the scanner as the door opened, then gestured for TFNN’s star reporter to enter her quarters.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Lynette deactivated her disguise and took off her hat. “Informing High Command went smoother than I was expecting, but trying to find just the right balance between quiet confidence and being blasé about the risk was a nightmare. Caldwell even picked up on the fact that I seemed unnaturally calm, but I think I managed to deflect him.”

“Are you sure an alliance with Edraele will stop all further Brimorian attacks?” Jehanna asked with concern as they walked through to the lounge.

Letting out a quiet laugh, Lynette flopped down on the sofa. “Well I know I’d never dream of antagonising the Maliri. The Brimorians might be evasive and treacherous, but they aren’t stupid.”

The reporter nodded thoughtfully. “Have you considered delaying the announcement about the Brimorian attack until an alliance with the Maliri has been ratified? If you do, we’ll be able to put a far more positive spin on the disaster in the Callopean Shoals. We could shift the focus to your extensive diplomacy efforts in the aftermath of the Battle of Terra; that lessons were learned and you sought new allies, thereby peacefully preventing another alien invasion just in the nick of time.”

“That’s very clever,” Lynette murmured, impressed by the astute young woman’s intuitive grasp of public relations. Her expression shadowed with regret, as she continued, “But it makes me seem far more pro-active than I actually have been for the last couple of weeks. I never even thought about the possibility of establishing an alliance with the Maliri.”

Jehanna reached out to give her hand a sympathetic squeeze. “You’re much too hard on yourself, Lynette. Don’t forget that for the first week, you were recovering from a gunshot wound, then you’ve been adjusting to going through the Change. Despite all that, you managed to get rid of the bad apples from the Admiralty, reformed Federation policy, and accelerated preparations for a Progenitor war.”

*She’s right,* Alyssa said quietly. *And you mustn’t blame yourself for not reaching out to the Maliri. They’ve had a long history of reclusiveness and a formal alliance was something we should have suggested to you while we were on Olympus. Unfortunately, we’ve all had a lot on our plates too.*

“You’re doing an incredible job, Lynette,” Jehanna said, with a supportive smile. “I’m sure John’s very proud of you.”

*We all are,* Alyssa quickly agreed, sending a soothing telepathic caress through the Fleet Admiral’s mind. *You’ve made a huge difference to the Terran Federation already; no one could’ve done better.*

Jehanna opened her arms to Lynette, who gratefully accepted her affectionate embrace.

“I’m so glad you’re here...” Lynette murmured. “Both of you.”

*You’re not alone now, Lynette,* Alyssa whispered. *We’re all here to support you however we can.*

The dusky-hued reporter gave her older companion a kiss on the cheek. “Speaking of which, how did everything go with Charles this morning? Alyssa said you two had a fight.”

Lynette sighed and relaxed in the comforting hug. “We discussed things and he seems a lot happier now. I think he finally believes me that I’d never betray him. There is a part of me that still wants to be completely open and honest about everything, but I know that’s a really bad idea. The Change might have happened before I started dating Charles, but I can’t imagine him reacting well to finding out that I was stuffed to the brim with John’s cum for several days.” Jehanna let out a forlorn sigh. “God, I miss that...”

Pulling back, Lynette gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so insensitive. I know you’re missing him.”

“I am... but I really miss the others too,” she murmured, looking wistful. “That feeling of total inclusiveness and acceptance from him and the girls was intoxicating. For the first time in my life, I truly felt free to be whoever I want.”

Putting her arm around Jehanna, Lynette gazed away into the distance. “It was the sense of belonging that moved me the most. I knew I was among friends and family who genuinely cared for me. For years I thought I’d never experience that again, not after I lost my parents.”

“Aren’t we a fine pair of wounded little birds?” Jehanna said with a self-deprecating laugh. Her smile faded as she continued, “I still can’t believe how much some of those girls have suffered... and they’re all so stoic about it. Then here I am, whining about missing John... I must sound like such a spoilt little princess.”

“Don’t... I’m even worse. I’ve got no excuse for being down when I’ve been given everything I ever wanted. Oh, woe is me... I’m the most powerful woman in the Terran Federation. John restored my youth and now I look stunningly beautiful... and I’m engaged to a handsome, loving fiancé who adores me and can’t wait to start a family.” She shook her head and flushed with embarrassment. “If you’re a spoilt princess, I dread to think what that makes me.”

*Stop it, both of you,* Alyssa said firmly. *None of us thinks that about either of you. John found the rest of us when we’d hit rock-bottom and it’s easy to just cast aside your old life when it’s filled with misery and pain. Neither of you had the luxury of just being able to say: ‘fuck it’ and run away with us. Trying to manage your old lives, while dealing with the complications of being a Lioness isn’t easy; you should feel proud of yourselves!*

Jehanna and Lynette shared a smile, feeling Alyssa’s genuine admiration for them both.

The comms interface suddenly chimed before they could say another word and Lynette quickly reactivated her holo-disguise as she accepted the call.

The winged sword icon of the Terran Federation faded away as a shocked communications officer appeared. “Fleet Admiral, we just received a high-priority call over the diplomatic channel from the Maliri Regency! They wish to speak to you personally.”

“Put them through please,” Lynette replied, feeling a nervous thrill of excitement.

If everything went as planned, she was about to make Terran history... and she knew this call would be pored over by diplomats, xeno-biologists, and historians for centuries to come. The Terran Federation icon had been replaced by the crossed blades of House Valaden and they faded away as a golden-armoured figure appeared on the holo-screen. There was no mistaking the regal bearing of the Maliri woman, even while clad from head-to-toe in form-fitting body armour.

“Ah, we meet at last, Fleet Admiral Devereux,” Edraele said, inclining her head politely. “I’ve heard so much about your illustrious career; congratulations on your recent promotion.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the kind words,” Lynette replied, gazing at the alien noblewoman’s opaque faceplate. She tried to picture the blue-skinned lady hidden behind that helmet, wondering if she was as beautiful and elegant as her twin daughters. “It appears you have me at a disadvantage... I assume you are a Matriarch of one of the Regency’s Noble Houses? House Valaden if I’m not mistaken, judging by your sigil.”

“You seem to be well informed about the intricacies of Maliri politics, Fleet Admiral,” Edraele replied, a playful lilt to her voice. “While it is true that I am Matriarch of House Valaden, the Regency has undergone something of a reformation in recent months. I am now Queen Edraele Valaden, ruler of the Maliri Protectorate.”

With a respectful bow, Lynette said, “It’s an honour to speak with you, Queen Edraele. Let me also congratulate you on your recent promotion.”

“Thank you... although I’m sure you understand all too well the burden of ruling an Empire. Perhaps I should be accepting your commiserations instead, Fleet Admiral.”

Lynette gave her a knowing smile. “In that case, you have my deepest sympathies, Queen Edraele.”

Edraele laughed, the carefree sound echoing melodically around the room.

Leaning forward, Lynette said earnestly, “As leader of the Maliri, you must have been behind the decision to assist us during the Kintark invasion. Please accept my sincere gratitude for your intervention... billions of Terran lives hung in the balance, as did the very existence of the Federation. We will not forget the way the Maliri came to our aid when we needed it the most.”

The Maliri Queen was quiet for a long moment as she considered her reply. “The Maliri feel an... affinity... towards your people. Even if John Blake had not made such an impassioned plea for our assistance, we could not sit idly by and watch as a cruel tyrant extinguished your light from the galaxy.” Her voice turned playful as she added, “Besides, my daughters are eagerly awaiting a sequel to the ‘Alien Menace’ series; they’re curious to find out how the valiant Terrans will triumph over the malevolent Maliri once again...”

Lynette couldn’t help blushing at that, even though she knew Edraele was only teasing her. “I can only apologise for the lurid imaginations behind our holo-movie industry.”

“No apologies are necessary... your entertainment industry provides a fascinating insight into the nature of your people.”

“Oh God...” Lynette groaned, wincing at the thought.

The smile behind Edraele’s words was clear as she said quietly, “At the heart of many of those stories is a fervent desire for good to triumph over evil. It is reassuring to know that there are other people in the galaxy who share that same instinctive sense of hope.”

Lynette nodded her agreement. “The galaxy is a vast place, filled with many hostile foes. Finding kindred spirits amongst the stars is something that should be celebrated.”

“I agree wholeheartedly, which is why I contacted you today,” Edraele said, the playfulness gone from her voice. “I would like to propose a formal alliance between the Terran Federation and the Maliri Protectorate. If our people are threatened by aggressive enemies, it would be a great comfort to know that we do not stand alone.”

With a broad smile on her face, Lynette said, “On behalf of the Terran Federation, I would be delighted to discuss terms of an alliance with you, Queen Edraele. I sincerely hope that we can forge a friendship that will last for millennia to come.”

“As do I,” Edraele said with genuine warmth. “Working together, I believe we can make that happen, Fleet Admiral.”

“Please, call me Lynette,” she replied, before darting a triumphant glance at Jehanna.

The TFNN reporter looked thrilled, a dazzling smile lighting up her face as she recorded the historic moment on a holo-cam.

***

Charles arrived outside Henry Voss’ office suite and stepped through the glass doorway into the plush reception area. He spotted the beautiful dark-haired girl he’d spoken to earlier that morning, sitting behind the sweeping desk by the door to the Henry’s office. The expensive mahogany furniture was like a set of battlements, protecting the CEO of the Voss Corporation’s inner sanctum.

“Hello again, Admiral Harris,” the bright-eyed assistant said, greeting him with a lovely smile.

He crossed the room to stand by her desk. “Good morning... Abigail, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right,” she replied, her smile widening. “I must apologise for my appearance earlier. I don’t normally answer calls dressed as if I’m going to a toga party.”

He chuckled, then glanced down at his uniform. “You did leave me wondering if I might be overdressed for the meeting with Henry. Is he in his office?”

She nodded and gestured to the door. “He’s waiting for you inside, Admiral. Please go through.”

Charles thanked her and strode over to the door, entering the office to find Henry Voss completely absorbed by the holo-screens floating above his desk. Closing the door behind him, Charles cleared his throat. “You wanted to see me, Henry?”

Blinking in surprise, Henry looked up, then frowned in irritation. “Finally! It took you long enough.”

“Can we forego the indignation and skip to whatever’s bothering you?” Charles said with an exasperated sigh. “There’s a lot going on at the moment.”

“Yes... I heard about the Brimorian attack last night,” Henry said, rising from his seat.

Charles gaped at him, unable to conceal his surprise. “How on Terra did you manage to find out about that?! The Brimorian attack was ultra-classified intel; we haven’t even disclosed it to the Admiralty yet!”

Henry snorted and folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the desk. “Come on, Charles, don’t be naive. I didn’t get to where I am today without greasing a few wheels.”

“I don’t know whether I should be appalled or impressed,” Charles snorted, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you managed to bribe someone in High Command. Who was it? Caldwell?”

“That’s not important,” Henry said dismissively. “What is important is that I think someone is moving against you.”

“What?!” Charles balked, staring at the businessman in shock.

Henry began to pace, his expression pensive. “I don’t have definite proof, but there’s been a lot of suspicious activity recently that has my contacts worried. Communication within the intelligence community was on the increase then suddenly dropped off, which is always an ominous sign... and along with the suspicious troop movements to Olympus-”

“Suspicious troop movements?” Charles interrupted, his eyes widening. “What do you mean?”

“Last night, three special forces dropships delivered nearly a hundred combat-ready troops to the shipyard,” Henry replied, stopping his pacing and looking at Charles intently. “Then they just... disappeared. My people have been trying to track them down this morning, but they can’t find them anywhere.”

“So that’s all you’ve got to go on? Quieter comms traffic and the transfer of a hundred special forces troops?” Charles frowned and gave him a sceptical look. “Henry, the garrison now holds over ten-thousand marines... you’d need an army to launch a coup against Olympus.”

“There’s something going on,” Henry muttered, his jaw set obstinately. “I pay for the best and my people are raising red flags.”

Charles ran his fingers over his moustache. “Alright, leave it with me and I’ll look into it.”

***

Dana studied the broad cylinder that was partially embedded in the wall and rapped her knuckles on the glistening white metal. “Okay, knock a hole through here.”

John pushed aside the ferns at the edge of the Lagoon and walked through the tropical foliage to join her. “We just need a regular doorway, right?”

The redhead nodded and stepped aside. “Maybe make it wide enough for two people to jump in at the same time.”

He gestured towards the cylinder, focusing on a rectangular section of the Crystal Alyssium tube. The metal began to liquefy, then streamed away, leaving behind a perfectly-shaped doorway that gave them access to the grav-tube. There was a red glow coming from the anti-gravity field behind, which would drop them down to the Combat Bridge on Deck Four.

“Nice job,” Dana said with a grin, nodding her approval. She glanced across the back wall of the lagoon. “Let’s do the same to the other one.”

John followed her out of the jungle and crossed the path that led towards the bridge. “How are you feeling this morning?”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

“I’m okay. I guess I feel a bit... hollow,” he quietly admitted. When John saw her look of concern, he quickly continued, “Talking to you last night helped, it really did. It’s just that for as long as I can remember, I’ve had all these questions about my parents... and now I don’t.”

Dana stopped and waited for him, then slipped her arms around his waist. “Don’t have any questions? Or don’t have any parents?”

His bitter expression spoke volumes. “I gave them both a chance... you saw how that worked out.”

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” she asked sympathetically, running her slender fingers over his chest.

John drew her into a close hug and whispered in her ear, “Just keep being you... that’s more than enough.”

She pulled back and smiled. “Well, I’m not planning on being anyone else... unless you want me to find my schoolgirl outfit?”

He laughed and playfully smacked her wonderfully perky ass. “Maybe some other time.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, giving him a flirtatious grin. “I’m sure we could rustle up some more outfits if you feel like administrating some discipline to the entire class...”

John paused at that intriguing thought, then reluctantly shook his head. “Very tempting, but let’s save that for when everyone’s feeling a bit more upbeat. Besides, we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us and I want to get back to Genthalas as quickly as possible.”

“Just say the word if you change your mind,” Dana said with a smile, holding his hand as they walked to the second grav-tube. Giving it a quick glance, she pointed at the white wall. “That’s a good spot.”

He gestured towards the metallic cylinder and started to fashion a doorway in the curved surface. Flicking a glance at the redhead, he asked, “Were you trying to avoid telling me how you’re feeling, or did you just get distracted?”

“A bit of both,” she admitted, her smile fading. “I’m really missing Faye; the Invictus just feels so empty without her. She was everywhere around the ship... and now she’s gone.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” John finished his modifications to the grav-tube, then wrapped her up in a supportive hug. “Is this the first time you’ve lost anyone you were close to?”

The redhead sighed and nodded, resting her head against his chest. “People I knew were always getting killed on Karron, but none of them I really cared about. Alyssa was my only real friend and I’d have been devastated if anything had ever happened to her. I missed her so much when she escaped from Karron on your ship, but at least I knew she had a chance at a better life.” Dana tilted her head up and studied his face. “How about you?”

“I’ve lost a lot of friends in combat over the years. In the end that’s one of the reasons why I retired from the military because I just couldn’t take it anymore.” He sighed and held her closer, feeling her soft warmth pressed against his body. “But Faye’s the first person I’ve lost who I really loved...”

They stood quietly for a long moment, united in grief for their friend and drawing comfort from each other in that intimate embrace.

*Sorry about that,* Alyssa apologised, her voice tinged with concern. *Helene went out of range at about 50 metres. She’s getting anxious, so we’re heading back now.*

A moment later, John felt a wonderful sense of serenity sweep over him, gently muting the ache of loss he felt at Faye’s passing. Likewise, the hurt from his parent’s betrayal faded away, the bitterness dissolving in the face of Helene’s overwhelming positivity.

Dana shivered in his arms, her long eyelashes fluttering. “Helene should bottle that shit... she’d make a fortune!”

“You too?” he asked with sympathy.

The redhead nodded, giving him a final squeeze before letting him go. “I worked closely with Faye during the refits... everything’s reminding me of her at the moment.” She glanced across the bridge spanning the placid waters of the Lagoon and changed the painful subject. “We’re done in here, let’s head to the Observatory.”

John turned to look at the spheres of Crystal Alyssium he’d left by the grav-tubes. “Shall I bring the metal with me?”

“Sure,” Dana replied, looking thoughtful. “We can use it to plan out the dimensions for the en suite.”

“Maybe we could also put in a walk-in-wardrobe opposite?” John suggested as they started slowly meandering across the bridge, the orbs of white metal merging together as they floated behind him. “Then in an emergency, we could quickly get dressed and head straight to the Armoury.”

“That’s a great idea!” she enthused, bouncing along with an extra spring in her step. “We’ve definitely got plenty of room for it. We could keep all our fun outfits in there too!”

“Hey, wait for me!” Helene called out from behind them as she entered the Lagoon.

They stopped on the crest of the bridge, watching the aquatic girl hurry to catch up.

“Hi, honey,” John said, greeting her with a kiss when she ran into his arms.

“I’m sorry I left you suffering!” the teal-hued beauty apologised, looking at him anxiously. “I tried to keep the connection going, but it got so hard the further away we went. I got so worried about leaving you alone, then suddenly I was back in your mind again.”

*You should be proud of her, John,* Alyssa said, her voice glowing with admiration. *Helene really pushed herself; she doubled her previous maximum range when she re-established contact with your mind.*

“Don’t apologise, you were amazing!” John exclaimed, twirling Helene around in an exuberant hug. “Well done!”

She blushed when he set her down again, looking up at him with her baby-blue eyes. “I felt terrible for letting you down when we lost contact, but Alyssa kept encouraging me until I managed to reach out to you again.”

“Thanks for helping me too,” Dana said, hugging Helene from behind. “I was so sad, I could hardly think straight.” Helene smiled at her in sympathy. “I know... I can feel how difficult this has been for you.”

The redhead gave her a grateful kiss on the cheek, then the three of them separated and walked across the bridge towards the Observatory.

“Aside from a few uprooted trees, the Lagoon seems to have survived the crash without any damage,” John noted, glancing down at the crystal-clear aquamarine water. “The Nymphs were very lucky all the water didn’t drain out when the Invictus was cut in half.”

Dana shook her head and smiled. “I designed it to be completely self-contained. We got rid of the old swimming pool when we built the brig, so I set up the new pump system and reserve tanks below the Lagoon.”

“How come we didn’t lose atmospheric pressure either?” John asked, glancing behind him and picturing the point beyond the doorway where the ship had been severed. “The walk-in-wardrobe upstairs was a mess, but I was expecting all our clothes to have been sucked out into space.”

She skipped ahead to open the Observatory door. “As soon as hull breaches were detected, Faye activated the emergency safety overrides, shutting all the pressure doors. If we’d lost power first, before the ship was chopped in half, we would’ve been really screwed.”

He remembered those chaotic moments after the ambush and sighed, wishing he could thank the purple sprite for saving them all. Helene squeezed his hand and he felt her gentle presence in his mind, wrapping him up in loving thoughts to ease his grief. John gave her an affectionate smile, then they followed Dana through the door into the Observatory.

The transparent crystalline ceiling was badly cracked, with fractures spiralling out from the huge dent in the roof. Above the battered dome, white armour plating had buckled and sheared off, crushed by the weight from the aft section of the Invictus when the stacked halves crashed into Arcadia.

Dana shook her head as she gazed up at the ceiling. “If Little One had made any miscalculations, the Nymphs would have been squashed when she caught the back-end of the ship during freefall. It was one hell of a ballsy move.”

“We really owe her and the bots,” John agreed, before raising a hand and gesturing at the clear Crystal Alyssium roof.

He melted the psychically responsive metal, then reshaped the floating orb several times to strengthen and harden it. When it started to get sluggish to respond, John shaped the liquid sphere into a flawless curved oval, which he held aloft as he studied the surrounding superstructure.

Dana pointed at the buckled white plating. “Just bend the rim for now to support the dome. When we’re up on the topdeck, you and Alyssa can rebuild it all properly.”

John did as she asked, carefully lowering the transparent disc onto the supporting struts, then melting them to create a watertight seal around the circumference. “That should be fine for tonight, even if there’s a tropical storm.”

The redhead nodded distractedly, gazing up at the impressive view of the sky that the Observatory provided.

“Everything okay?” John asked when he saw her frown.

She continued to stare skyward and quietly replied, “It’s just freaking me out... knowing another one of those Progenitor assholes is up there wanting to kill us.”

“Do you think I made a mistake not following Sakura’s suggestion to attack him?”

Dana turned to look at John and shook her head. “No, I agree with you; it was a great idea, but way too risky at the moment. There’s no point rushing to fight one of them now, not while the Invictus is all fucked up and we’re outgunned. With a few more weeks of research, I might be able to develop some more tech and then we can really kick some ass.”

John nodded, relieved she thought the same way as him. “I didn’t want to take any chances, not while we’re so vulnerable down here.” He glanced at Helene to check if she was equally unsettled by the Progenitor lurking above them, but she seemed quite calm. “What do you think, honey?”

Helene gave him a self-conscious smile. “I don’t know anything about fighting, so I’m not really sure what we should do. You’re both so sad about Faye though... maybe you should give yourselves a chance to grieve for her properly, before you try fighting someone as scary as Larn’kelnar?”

He gently cupped her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “That is good advice, thank you.”

She turned to kiss his hand, looking pleased that he’d found her kind words helpful. “You’re welcome.”

John pulled her closer, then glanced up at the crystalline ceiling. “The only problem is knowing he’s up there waiting for us. I hope that’s not too frightening?”

“No, I’m okay. It’s just like being back home,” Helene said quietly.

Dana frowned and hugged the aquatic girl from behind. “Shit... that must’ve been a nightmare. I thought I had it bad with the Diablos, but it’s not like any of them were just going to try to kill me for a laugh.”

John looked down into Helene’s expressive eyes. “I haven’t forgotten my promise to free the Abandoned. I’m not going to stand by and let them suffer any more.”

“I know,” she murmured, looking up at him with nothing but trust and love. “You’re Baen’thelas... the righter of wrongs.”

***

Edraele Valaden pressed the button on her vambrace to lock her golden breastplate, the seals closing with a quiet hum. She rose to her feet, then glanced down at the form-fitting armour, unused to the strange, slightly claustrophobic sensation of pressure all over her body. It had been a long time since she’d worn a full suit, having little reason to have this level of interaction with anyone outside the Maliri Regency for over a century. Satisfied that her ornate body armour was fitted correctly, she reached for her bejewelled golden helmet, only to pause when she heard the chime from her office door.

“Come in,” she called out, turning to greet her guest.

“Do you have a moment to talk, Edraele?” Valani Naestina asked as she hurried inside, a pensive frown on her beautiful face. Her expression shifted to surprise when she saw the Maliri Queen in her ornate armour. “Oh, are you contacting the Brimorians?”

“I will be shortly, but you’re always my highest priority, Valani,” Edraele said with a kind smile. “Now, please tell me what’s bothering you.”

The concern was back in Valani’s teal eyes, her troubled gaze like a storm in a tropical sea. “We’re worried about Kali... she’s been spending more time alone, despite our best attempts to lift her spirits.”

“Calm yourself, my dear,” Edraele said, her tone soothing. She lowered her hand to gently stroke the young Maliri’s toned stomach. “Kali is simply upset at herself for delaying her pregnancy with Baen’thelas. She sees that the rest of you are blissfully happy... and yearns for his return so that she can share in that happiness.”

The House Naestina Matriarch sighed with contentment at that loving caress. “The last few weeks have been wonderful... but I let myself get distracted by Nyrelle when I should have been looking out for Kali. Tsarra and Leena both feel the same way; we’re worried that we’ve all been so besotted with each other that we might have made Kali feel excluded, but I promise that was never our intent.”

Edraele gave her a look of understanding. “It’s not your fault, please don’t take this to heart. John’s delighted that you’ve grown closer to Nyrelle; he felt guilty that he couldn’t be here for you, so he was relieved to hear that you’ve been... supporting... each other.”

“Nyrelle’s so passionate and full of life... I never imagined I’d meet anyone like her,” Valani said with a shy smile, a dark indigo blooming in her cheeks. “However, all of us feel like we’ve neglected Kali and want to make it up to her.”

“You’re all such sweet girls. I’m very proud of the way you’ve risen above House prejudices to become such close friends,” Edraele murmured, her gaze softening as she pulled the young woman into a tender embrace. “The five of you embody the spirit of unification that will be John’s legacy to the Maliri people. I couldn’t have chosen finer women to become the mothers of his children.”

Valani warmly returned the Maliri Queen’s hug. “You’ve been so kind to all of us, Edraele. We have so much to thank you for.” They held each other for a long moment, then she pulled back to study the older woman’s expression. “How is John faring after everything that happened on Arcadia?”

Edraele paused as she decided how best to answer. “In his formative years, he desperately longed to be reunited with his parents... a wish that continued into adulthood. Now he’s finally met his mother and father, and was bitterly disappointed to discover that neither of them thought twice about abandoning him on Terra. The loving reunion that he’d always envisaged has been cruelly rebuffed and he’s reeling from having his dreams shattered.”

“That’s awful, Edraele... I hate to think of him in so much pain,” Valani whispered in a hushed voice. “I wish he were here so that I could comfort him.”

“As do I, with all my heart,” Edraele murmured, her voice full of sorrow. “When he returns to us, we’ll have to do whatever we can to bolster his spirits. Now that he’s started a loving family with each of you, he’ll be starkly reminded of the absence of parents in his own childhood.”

“I must confess that the idea of him being so actively involved in raising our child was surprising at first, but now I love the thought of us being parents together,” Valani admitted, her hand drifting down to idly stroke her stomach. “Do you think John was so insistent on that because of his own upbringing?”

“He’s always been very concerned about making sure he will be there for his children,” Edraele confirmed with a nod, before letting out a forlorn sigh. “I dearly hope you and the rest of the Young Matriarchs can reassure him that he will make a fine father... his confidence has been badly shaken after the way his parents rejected him.”

A steely look of determination appeared in Valani’s eyes. “You can leave that with me, Edraele. I’ll discuss it with the others and we’ll make sure he knows just how much we treasure him being in our lives.”

Cupping her cheek, Edraele gave the earnest young woman a loving smile. “I’m so glad that we became friends, Valani... especially considering the terrible circumstances in which we met.”

“Another kindness I’ll be eternally grateful for,” the azure beauty murmured, leaning close for a tender kiss. Her lips were soft and warm where they lightly brushed against Edraele’s. “It was only a matter of time before one of my sisters would have had me murdered, but you saved me from that fate. I’ll always be there for you in any way I can.”

Edraele held her close. “I feel the same way, darling girl. As for Kali, I was already planning to speak with her after calling the Brimorians, but please continue with your own efforts to make her feel loved and appreciated.”

“Of course,” Valani agreed, as the two Maliri noblewomen parted. “We all adore Kali and it’s horrible seeing her upset like this. I’ll speak to the rest of the Young Matriarchs and let them know everything we discussed.”

United in purpose, they shared a smile, then Edraele picked up her helmet and followed the young woman from her study.

***

Deep Lord Athgiloi stared at the holographic map of the Brimorian Enclave and bared his teeth in a feral grin as the Callopean Shoals shifted from green to blue. That the Terran Federation had been able to annex such a valuable piece of Brimorian territory for so long was shameful, but now the Enclave’s honour had been restored... and the Terrans dealt a crippling blow for their effrontery.

A slender hand brushed over his broad shoulders, making a delicious slithering noise as scaly fingers caressed his powerful muscles. “Congratulations on your glorious victory, Master,” Celphna purred, her sultry voice sending delicious shivers down his spine. “This one never doubted you would be triumphant.”

He basked in her adulation, knowing that he deserved nothing less. “Everything is going just as I planned, my beautiful temptress. Soon the Enclave will be the undisputed power in the galaxy!”

Celphna gave him a gorgeous smile, but Athgiloi was shocked to notice what looked like a brief flicker of doubt in her shimmering black eyes.

“Truly you are courageous, wise, and powerful, Master!” his concubine gushed, with all her usual fervour. She wrinkled her blunt snout, giving him a coy glance. “Would you like to celebrate your victory?”

Athgiloi studied her carefully, his brow furrowing with concern. Celphna still seemed besotted with him, just as she had been ever since Emperor Baledranax gave him the Nymph, but this wasn’t the first time her behaviour had caused him to question her devotion. Memories of Celphna on her knees, looking up at Larn’kelnar in rapt fascination sprang unbidden into the Deep Lord’s mind.

A warbling chime suddenly echoed around his quarters, the high-pitched notes signifying a priority call.

Tearing his eyes away from the Nymph, Athgiloi strode over to the comms interface and grunted as he saw who was calling. “Lord Rilosash... do you have an update on Shoal Commander Coholich’s border fleet?”

The Brimorian Lord’s fins vibrated in an uncharacteristic display of anxiety. “There is still no word, Deep Lord; the reserve fleet won’t arrive at the border to begin their search until later tonight.” Leaning forward he quickly added, “But that is not the purpose of this call. I have been contacted by Ambassador Circhoi about an urgent matter regarding the Maliri.”

Athgiloi couldn’t help lashing his tail with apprehension. “We submitted to their demands and granted their warfleet right of passage through Enclave territory. What do the Maliri want now?”

“I do not know; Queen Edraele insisted that she would only discuss the matter with you personally, Deep Lord.”

“You’re making the Maliri Queen wait?!” Athgiloi balked incredulously. “Route the call through, you imbecile!”

Rilosash bristled at the insult, his fins flaring with suppressed anger. With a curt bow, his image disappeared to be replaced by a pair of crossed blades... which quickly coalesced into Athgiloi’s first glimpse of the undisputed leader of the Maliri Protectorate.

Queen Edraele was seated on a resplendent golden throne, her regal bearing radiating power and confidence. Athgiloi could not make out her face, concealed as it was behind an opaque faceplate, the helmet part of a jewel-encrusted suit of battle armour. Behind her was a huge window, providing a spectacular view of an enormous space station, dominated by gleaming spires and sparkling crystal domes. Floating motionless in space above that breathtaking vista were vast fleets of golden-hulled Maliri warships, their sleek angular profile that of a ferocious interstellar predator.

As shocking as that display of raw power was, something else drew Athgiloi’s attention... a sight that sent a shiver of fear down his spine. Arrayed behind Edraele were an honour guard of Maliri soldiers standing at attention, which in and of itself would not have been so shocking. However, at the Maliri Queen’s right hand side was a female figure wearing a distinctive suit of pristine white battle armour... the signature uniform of Admiral John Blake’s Lionesses.

“Ah, Deep Lord Athgiloi, so good of you to speak with me... at last,” Edraele said, her voice taut with barely-concealed irritation.

“My sincerest apologies, Queen Edraele,” Athgiloi replied, bowing in contrition. “Unfortunately, I am surrounded by half-witted fools. Heads will roll for the indignity of making you wait... but I swear to you that no insult was intended.”

The Maliri sat straight-backed, her hands resting lightly on the armrests of her throne. She made no verbal acknowledgement of his apology, only making a slight inclination of her head.

Athgiloi’s black eyes flicked nervously to the Lioness, before focusing on the golden-armoured Queen again. “I was recently informed of your ascendancy amongst your people... and that the Maliri Regency was to be renamed the Maliri Protectorate.” He hesitated for a second, then continued nervously, “Perhaps the name has a different meaning in your tongue, but doesn’t that term usually imply a state is under the protection of another power?”

“That it does...” Queen Edraele replied, refusing to be drawn out on the subject.

Beside her, the Lioness folded her arms across her ample chest, her features similarly concealed behind an opaque faceplate.

Before Athgiloi could continue, Edraele abruptly changed the subject. “I am aware of your... adventures... along the border with the Terran Federation, Deep Lord. This recent episode of Enclave aggression is... troubling.”

“We were simply reclaiming Brimorian territory stolen from us decades ago,” Athgiloi said defiantly. “The Callopean Shoals was part of the Enclave for centuries before the Terran Federation began their unprovoked encroachment and annexation!”

“So you have no intention of further capitalising on your initial gains?” Edraele asked, the innocuous question carrying an ominous undertone that implied that was a very bad idea.

Tired of being on the back fin, Athgiloi paused to collect his thoughts. “I fail to see why a border dispute between the Enclave and the Federation is of any interest to the Maliri. The Regency has always remained aloof from any conflicts between your neighbours... why has this now become your concern?”

Edraele sat back in her throne, affecting an air of nonchalance. “Because as of this morning, the Maliri Protectorate signed a mutual protection pact with the Terran Federation.”

“What?!” Athgiloi blurted out, gaping at her in shock. “That’s impossible!”

“Hardly impossible, Deep Lord,” Edraele noted with dry amusement. “Feel free to make enquiries with Fleet Admiral Devereux if you require further confirmation.”

“But the Maliri have never made alliances before!” he protested, his scaly claws twitching nervously. “Why would you start now?!”

“Does it matter?” she asked, idly tapping her fingers on the armrest. “The only really important question is whether you intend to make further attacks against our ally? It would be beneath me to make crude threats, but I’m sure you understand that continued aggression against the Terran Federation would now provoke... repercussions.”

Athgiloi swallowed, making a gulping noise deep in his throat. “Rest assured that the Enclave was simply reclaiming territory previously stolen from us. Now that the Callopean Shoals is back under Brimorian control and the occupying force eliminated, as far as the Enclave is concerned, our historic grievance with the Federation is settled.”

“That’s very reassuring to hear,” Edraele said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

He nodded, still reeling from her shocking announcement. “Thank you for updating me on the changes to Maliri relations with the Terrans, Queen Edraele.”

“You’re quite welcome,” she replied, with airy politeness. “Please accept my best wishes for your continued good health, Deep Lord Athgiloi.”

As he was trying to decide if the Maliri Queen had just made a veiled threat, Edraele ended the call, leaving a pair of crossed blades on the holo-screen.

Athgiloi stared at the image in stunned silence for a long moment, then his clawed hands flicked over the shell-like glyphs on the holo-interface. He searched through archives of the Terran broadcasts featuring the Lion of the Federation until he found the one he was looking for... a bombastic propaganda piece focused on a Terran award ceremony. Fast forwarding through the preliminary commentary, he finally paused the recording on an image of John Blake standing alongside his crew of Lionesses. Sure enough, just as Athgiloi remembered, two of the women were wearing white armour with their features obscured behind shadowy faceplates. If those Lionesses were Terran, there would be no reason for them to hide their faces.

“They’re Maliri!” the Brimorian hissed under his breath, appalled that he hadn’t made the connection before.

He staggered backwards and leaned heavily against his desk, the ramifications of Blake having Maliri crewwomen becoming distressingly obvious. No wonder the Maliri Protectorate was now openly allying with the Terran Federation... Blake was obviously the diplomatic bridge between the two empires. Athgiloi could only pray that Larn’kelnar had dealt with his rival as he had confidently predicted.

Taking a deep breath to calm his pounding heart, Athgiloi glanced at his nubile companion. For only the second time in all the months he’d known Celphna, his concubine wasn’t watching him for any sign of sexual interest. Instead, the Nymph was staring intently at the holo-screen, captivated by the sight of the Lion of the Federation.

***

The House Valaden comms specialist closed the communications channel, then looked up from the holographic panel on her vambrace. “The connection has been terminated, Matriarch.”

Raising from her throne, Edraele removed her helmet, then gave the Maliri woman a warm smile. “Thank you for your assistance, Shaerra.”

Returning the smile, the comms specialist followed the honour guard as they left the throne room.

There was a quiet hiss as Edraele’s armoured companion removed her Paragon helmet. “That went perfectly, my Queen,” Luna said, fluffing out her luxurious mane of white hair.

Edraele turned to face the yellow-eyed assassin, her full lips pursed in an anxious frown. “I hope I managed to intimidate Athgiloi enough to deter any further attacks. There’s no way that John can intervene at the moment, so I don’t want him worrying about an imminent Brimorian invasion.”

Luna laughed and patted her lover on the shoulder. “Don’t worry... you were suitably sinister. I’ve always wondered how you managed to make a quiet word in a glacial tone sound far more terrifying than screaming at someone in rage.”

“It stimulates the imagination,” Edraele murmured, turning to glance out of the window at the rows of House Naestina warships. “By being quiet and menacing, it makes the other person think about all the dreadful things I could do to them.”

“What has you so distracted, my love?” the assassin whispered, standing closer and following her matriarch’s gaze to the fleets awaiting refit at Genthalas.

“I was just wondering if a show of force along the Brimorian border might be called for,” Edraele said, before clasping her lover’s hand. “I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise.”

“You’re forgiven. Now, I need to remove this armour... would you care to join me?” Luna asked, giving her a coy smile.

“I do need to change, but I must speak to Kali as a matter of urgency,” the Maliri Queen said, reluctantly shaking her head. “Perhaps you and I could meet this evening when we can savour our time together?”

Luna’s eyes twinkled as she nodded. “I live to serve, Matriarch.”

It was such a simple phrase that effortlessly rolled off the assassin’s tongue, having been repeated hundreds of times over the years. Luna was only teasing her lover about the dramatic change in their relationship over the last several months... but it still made Edraele pause. The Maliri Queen frowned and began to protest, only to be silenced with a gentle kiss.

“Hush...” Luna whispered, when they finally parted. “I know you consider us equals, but you will always be my Matriarch and I am content to be your humble bodyguard... at least in public. I have no desire to ever change that dynamic; protecting you from danger is a privilege... and it would become considerably harder if I was the focus of attention.”

“I’m so lucky to have you,” Edraele said softly, looking at the assassin under long lashes as they walked from the throne room. “I intend to show you the full extent of my appreciation this evening...”

They exchanged flirtatious glances as they returned to Edraele’s quarters, then headed through the lounge and past the bedroom to reach the armoury. Luna was able to step into the armour-equipping frame to remove her Paragon suit, a process that took only a few seconds. As soon as she was freed from its confines, she joined Edraele in carefully dismantling her resplendent golden armour.

“We should have asked John for another Paragon suit for you,” Luna said with a frown, lifting away the ornate breastplate. “If there is an attack on Genthalas, you should be wearing the best protection we have available. In an emergency I want you to take-”

This time it was Edraele who silenced her lover with a kiss. “Hush...” the Maliri Queen said with an affectionate smile. “You can’t deny that wearing a Paragon suit would make you far more deadly in combat... which is exactly where I would expect you to be, eliminating anyone who threatened us.”

Luna frowned, then sighed as she reluctantly nodded. “You’re right. Being able to forgo the need for cover would allow me to be much more aggressive.”

“You reminded me of John being overprotective...” Edraele said with a wistful smile. She gave the assassin a grateful kiss, then stretched, glad to be out of her armour. “Just give me a few minutes to shower and change, then I need to speak with Kali.”

They parted company and Edraele retired to her bedroom, eager to enjoy her new shower facilities. Unlike the quick and efficient Maliri version that submerged the user in a cleansing liquid, she had insisted on having a Terran-style shower installed. Jets of water sprayed over her statuesque body from the nozzles concealed in the wall, the sensation making her skin tingle.

She felt soft fingers gliding over her back and smiled warmly at Luna over her shoulder. “Are you sure that’s appropriate behaviour for my bodyguard?”

“I’m guarding your body very closely,” the assassin whispered, pressing her luscious breasts against her lover’s back.

After soaping each other down and making sure their limber azure bodies were exceptionally clean, they dried off and returned to the bedroom. Edraele slipped into one of her elegant dresses, then watched Luna put on a black bodysuit, holstering pistols and hiding blades in convenient to reach places.

“I look forward to a time when you can put this life of violence behind you, my love.”

“I’ll always be there to protect you,” Luna said, walking over to join her.

“No, not always,” Edraele murmured, reaching out to brush the backs of her fingers across the assassin’s belly. “When John retires, you’ll have a new job... one that will finally make us true equals.”

The former-assassin’s calm composure shifted, her eyes taking on a doe-eyed softness. “It’s hard to imagine... but I want that future so much.”

They enjoyed an intimate embrace, then separated to leave the quarters. Edraele could hear Kali’s troubled thoughts, so knew exactly where to find the young House Loraleth Matriarch. The Maliri Queen glided along the corridors as they headed towards one of Genthalas’ largest arboretums, Luna padding silently at her side.

*You seem much happier today,* the assassin observed, as they walked past Maliri personnel who nodded to Edraele respectfully. *I was concerned after last night.*

Edraele flushed as she remembered breaking down in her lover’s arms, consumed with fear for her people in the advent of an apocalyptic Progenitor war.

*Truthfully, nothing has changed... but I can’t allow myself to be paralysed by fear for the future.* She intertwined her fingers with Luna’s and squeezed her hand. *I greatly appreciate you being there for me last night; being able to vent those emotions was such a relief. I can’t afford to burden John with any more worries and I need to stay strong for him.*

Luna looked at her with admiration. *I don’t know how you cope with the stress of command. Standing in for you as Matriarch was such a terrible burden of responsibility, I can’t even imagine what it must be like being Queen.*

*I ruled House Valaden for over a century before John arrived and elevated me to Queen. The old version of me hungered for power, delighting in every opportunity to exert her dominance over others. When you care nothing for the welfare of your people, there is no burden to leadership.*

*But that was the old version of Edraele,* Luna said, catching her eye. *I know how much you care about all of us.*

Edraele nodded, then looked thoughtful. *I suppose all those years of experience have given me broad shoulders. When I think about the callous way my predecessor would have handled the problems we face, I feel eternally grateful that I’m here to make those decisions and not her.*

*I’m eternally grateful you’re here as well...*

They shared a smile then reluctantly released each other’s hand as they reached the arboretum. The verdant park was busiest in the evenings, when most of the Maliri personnel stationed at Genthalas had finished their day’s work aboard the colossal space station. By contrast it was practically deserted in the morning, making it very easy to spot the solitary noblewoman sitting on a bench, her two bodyguards keeping a respectful distance. Luna followed suit, peeling away from Edraele to begin her vigilant watch for any potential threats to the Maliri Queen.

Edraele smiled at the two House Loraleth assassins as she passed them, the white-haired Maliri returning her friendly greeting in a similar fashion. She then swept around the bench to pause beside Kali and brushed her fingertips across the young woman’s bare shoulder. “Kali, would I be intruding if I sat with you?”

Kali Loraleth had been lost in thought and she looked up at her in surprise. “Edraele! I-I didn’t see you arrive!”

Edraele glanced at the space on the bench beside her, then raised an eyebrow. “I’m happy to leave you in peace if you prefer...”

Kali quickly shook her head. “No, I’d like for you to stay. Please feel free to join me.”

Edraele sat demurely beside her, hands clasped in her lap. She looked out across the park, watching brightly-coloured song birds flitting around as they gathered twigs for their nests. “It’s beautiful here... I should visit more often.”

With a shy smile, Kali said, “It reminds me of the palace gardens on Loraleth... I spent a lot of time hiding from my sisters there. I’ve always enjoyed watching the birds, they lead such a simple and carefree existence.”

Turning to face the young woman, Edraele asked quietly, “Is that why you’ve been coming here? To seek respite from the responsibilities of being a Matriarch?” She brushed her fingers through Kali’s long white hair. “You’re so young to have assumed the mantle of leadership, but I think you’ve been doing remarkably well. You rule the second largest House in the Protectorate, yet you’ve been leading your people with wisdom, compassion, and integrity.”

Kali blushed at the effusive praise. “I’m so glad you think so. I try my best to remember everything you’ve taught me and imagine how you would make each decision.”

Edraele smiled and slipped an arm around her. “I’m very proud of you, Kali. I hope you know that.”

“Thank you, that’s lovely to hear.” The youthful leader of House Loraleth let out a quiet sigh and snuggled into her regal mentor. “You’ve helped make my transition to Matriarch as smooth as possible. I’m just really missing John...”

“I know... I think about him constantly too,” the Maliri queen murmured, stroking the young woman’s back. “But why are you spending time alone and keeping your distance from the Young Matriarchs?”

Kali was quiet for a long moment, then replied, “Valani and Nyrelle became a couple, then Tsarra got together with Leena; they’ve all grown very close and I didn’t want them to feel like I was in their way.”

Edraele laughed, the musical sound echoing around the arboretum. “Oh, Kali... they’re all frantically worried about you! They think they’ve driven you off by being too affectionate with each other and are desperate to atone for making you feel unwelcome.”

“Oh no!” she gasped, her rich blue eyes widening in alarm. “I never meant for them to feel like that!”

Leaning down to kiss the distraught young woman on top of her head, Edraele said, “Don’t worry, my darling girl. I’ll speak to them and explain what happened; they’ll be tremendously relieved to hear that you aren’t feeling rejected.”

Kali’s shoulders slumped and she said quietly, “That’s the second foolish decision I’ve made recently... please tell them I’m very sorry.”

“It wasn’t foolish, you were being considerate... it was all just a simple miscommunication between close friends,” Edraele said, giving her a supportive hug. “Now... will you tell me about this other decision you regret?”

There was a long moment of silence, then the Maliri girl began to tremble. “I should never have told John I wasn’t ready to have a family... What was I thinking? What if he changes his mind and doesn’t want to be with me again?! Oh, Edraele... I’ve made the worst mistake of my life!”

Edraele smiled at her sympathetically, trying to remember what it was like to be so overwhelmed by the passionate emotions of youth. “Kali... can I let you in on a little secret?”

Kali tilted her head up and brushed away the tears running down her cheek. “What is it?” she asked in a tremulous voice.

“I’m very grateful to you for making that decision,” the Maliri Queen said gently.

Blinking at her in astonishment, Kali stuttered, “B-but why?!”

Edraele slid off the bench, then knelt in front of it so that she could look up into her eyes. “Do you remember how happy John was after being with the Young Matriarchs? That look of wonder at the thought of becoming a father?”

Nodding forlornly, Kali replied, “I’ll never forget it. Even then I was having second thoughts and wishing that he was looking at me that way too. Now that might never happen...”

Shaking her head, Edraele placed her hand on Kali’s slender stomach. “When John returns to us, conceiving a child with you will be the absolute highlight of his visit. You have no idea how difficult it was for him to resist the urge to make you pregnant last time... and after all the terrible things that have just happened to him, I desperately want him to have that to look forward to.”

“Really?” Kali asked in astonishment.

The Maliri Queen smiled as she nodded. “Alyssa and I spent quite some time deciding which of the Terran girls to pair each of the Young Matriarchs with. We decided that you and Dana would be a good match, because you have that same charming youthful exuberance. John loves all the women aboard the Invictus very much, but he’s particularly fond of that lovely girl. They both long to start a family together, but John still needs Dana to fight at his side and he won’t put an unborn child at risk in combat.”

Kali gaped at her in shock. “So I’m a... proxy... for Dana?”

“John cares deeply for you in your own right, but you do remind him of her, which makes your connection to him so much more powerful.”

“Dana’s so kind and wonderful; I’ve seen with my own eyes just how much he adores her!” Kali exclaimed, swooning at the thought.

“Now, do you still have doubts about John wanting to get you pregnant?” Edraele asked with a coy smile, gently stroking the young woman’s tummy.

Kali giggled and shook her head. “No, not now!”

“Good, because I’m going to need to ask you for a special favour,” the Maliri Queen said earnestly.

Startled by her sombre tone, Kali gazed into Edraele’s purple eyes and nodded. “I’ll do anything in my power to help you.”

Edraele gave her a grateful smile, then continued, “John’s confidence has been badly shaken by the meeting with his parents. When the two of you make love, I know he’s going to put his heart and soul into making it the most incredible experience of your life. As hard as it’s going to be, floating on a cloud of ecstasy, I want you to try your best to make it very special for him too. I don’t want John to be worrying about the kind of father he might be and the best way of making him forget all that is to get him to lose himself in you completely. He really needs this, Kali... do you think you can do that for me?”

Kali was holding her breath, her bright eyes flaring with arousal. “Oh, I will, Edraele!” she gushed, looking absolutely thrilled. “I’ll do whatever I can to make everything perfect for John!”

“You’re such a good girl, I knew I could count on you,” Edraele said, sitting back on her haunches and sighing with relief.

Giggling with glee Kali threw herself into her matriarch’s arms, sending them both tumbling to the soft grass. “I love you so much, Edraele! Thank you!”

Smiling with satisfaction to see her so happy, Edraele held the joyful young woman close. “I love you too, Kali.”

***

It was another glorious day on the Gaia-class world, rays of sunlight beaming through openings in the fluffy white cloudbanks and bathing the lush fields in their gentle warmth. Far away in the distance, a broad range of mountain tops were swathed in pristine snow, as if a dazzling white blanket had been draped over the horizon. The contrast between the lovely summer scene and the wintery background was quite striking, all adding to the exceptional natural beauty of the planet Jericho.

Major Vihaan Khatri was oblivious to the vista outside, sitting with his hand-picked squad in the back of an Internal Security Division APC. The hover-vehicle was one of a pair, the sturdy black transports held aloft by whirring anti-gravity cyclics as they raced along the skylane, leaving the starport behind. His eyes were locked on the holo-screen before him, rereading the unsanctioned mission briefing from his uncle.

“This is our target, gentlemen,” he declared, touching a button on the interface to upload the image to his team. “I want visual confirmation that she’s been eliminated.”

The twelve men accompanying him were silent as they gazed at the HUD displayed in their smartwired goggles. They studied the olive-skinned brunette, committing her attractive face to memory. An icon at the edge of the HUD flashed, indicating the upload of additional images. The ISD

troops then cycled through the floor plans of a sprawling ranch-house, making note of stairways and all possible escape routes.

“Strike team Alpha will hit the property from the rear, while strike team Beta will approach via the street. I’ve marked the points of entry and want a synchronised assault from both sides.”

Vihaan remembered the shame in his uncle’s eyes when Arjun announced his retirement to the family. No reason had been given despite the unspoken question on everybody’s lips, but nobody left the Admiralty by choice, not in their late-forties. Arjun had been the golden boy of the Khatri clan, rising to the pinnacle of power within the Terran Federation, that glory then reflected on all his family members by their community. Fleet Admiral Devereux forcing Arjun Khatri to retire from the admiralty had been a bitter blow against his family’s honour, one that Vihaan was determined to help his uncle see avenged.

“Local law enforcement has been lured away by a bomb threat to a school, so we have at least four minutes before we can expect a response. If they attempt to interfere, standard rules of engagement apply.”

The grim-faced operatives checked their assault rifles, loading magazines and holding the weapons at the ready. The major glanced around at his team, receiving nods of confirmation from each of them. Turning away, he ducked under the snaking magazine feeds for the roof cupola and approached the driver.

“How long?” Vihaan asked, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the suburban sprawl of luxury houses ahead.

The driver took the off lane, the APC cruising between the rows of floating markers as they left the main skyway. He glanced at the nav system and grunted, “Seven minutes.”

***

Admiral Charles Harris strode down one of Olympus’ broad corridors, leaving the central hub behind as he followed glowing signs pointing to the Galleria. Located in Arm Five of the octopus-like shipyard, the commercial district housed an elaborate shopping complex, as well as a multitude of different restaurants catering to all Terran tastes. On the advice of the woman he was about to meet, a couple of new restaurants offering alien cuisine had been added to the mix, with the Ashanath eatery proving surprisingly popular.

He passed tables full of chattering young women and slightly-less enthusiastic young men, who were eating the fungi-based dishes at “Shades of Grey”. Charles’ moustache twitched with amusement at the lengths those men would go to, just to impress a pretty girl. The thought of eating those bland mushrooms turned his stomach, but the fare there was perfect for the latest health-fad extolling the virtues of a meat-free diet. His condescending smile wavered when he realised that if Lynette asked him to, he would undoubtedly end up joining them in dejectedly munching on lichen.

In the boulevard outside the restaurant was a glowing holographic map and he glanced at it to check the route to his destination. Charles noticed the time built into the floating holo-display and cursed when he saw that it was 11:53 am, realising that he had to hurry or he’d be late. The morning had been back-to-back with meetings and the last one with Vice Admiral Ming to review defensive upgrades for Olympus had overrun. Hurrying onwards at a brisk pace, he weaved past merchants and military personnel who were out looking for an appetising place to eat lunch.

As he rode up in a glass-panelled elevator to the upper level, Charles looked out over the busy plaza at the centre of the commercial district. He spotted squads of marines wearing bulky combat armour making their way through the crowds and inwardly thanked Colonel Fiske for taking the initiative to expand the new security arrangements they’d discussed earlier that morning. After speaking with Henry Voss, Charles had scheduled an emergency meeting with the Chief of Security to discuss those concerns. Fiske had readily agreed to increase the number of personnel assigned to protect Lynette and the Admiralty, but was deeply sceptical about the reports of a mysterious special forces team, finding no record of their arrival.

Stepping out onto the upper gallery, Charles spotted Lina Van Den Broeck already waiting for him outside “El Pecado”. Meeting at the Mexican restaurant had been her idea, the name suitably appropriate for the kind of flirtatious conversations the striking redhead typically teased him with. She spotted Charles as he approached, but instead of being greeted with one of her beaming smiles, Lina gave him a subdued wave.

“I reserved a table,” she said without preamble, turning on her heel and entering the restaurant.

Startled by her brusque manner, Charles followed her inside the stucco-walled bistro, the preponderance of wooden furniture reminding him of a moody western saloon. An attentive waiter guided them to their table in a secluded corner at the back, his eyes lingering over Lina’s curves that her uniform was incapable of concealing. When the server realised Charles had caught him ogling the redhead, he at least had the courtesy to give the admiral an apologetic shrug as he left them with their menus.

Sliding into the seat opposite Lina, Charles finally made eye contact with her, and there was no escaping the uncomfortable tension in the air. He was suddenly reminded of the reason behind their meeting, and his heart began to pound in his chest as he wondered what the hell he was going to say to the attractive woman. Lynette had put the ball firmly in his court as to how he chose to explain their engagement, giving him the option of telling Lina the truth about his fiancée’s status as a secret Lioness.

He couldn’t even imagine using that as a prelude to some kind of elaborate seduction, especially now that the redhead had seemingly lost all interest in flirting with him. With that option firmly removed from the table, he was left with no choice but to fabricate some plausible explanation for his sudden engagement... one which he’d had no time to prepare. Lina herself seemed distracted and nervous, a tension in her alluring green eyes. Charles could only imagine that she’d come to her senses and was going to tell him that she wanted to maintain a professional distance from now on.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Lina, I know you wanted to talk about my engagement to Lynette, but I can see that something’s troubling you.”

She nodded, nibbling pensively at her lower lip. “You’re right... there is.”

Charles gave her an understanding look. “I’ve really enjoyed your company recently, but I-”

“I’m scared!” Lina blurted out, interrupting him.

“What?” he replied, shocked by her unexpected outburst. “I never meant to scare you...”

She was about to respond when the floor lurched beneath their feet, the shaking violent enough to knock the pitcher of water off the table where it smashed on the floor. The tremors didn’t stop and were followed a split-second later by a dull boom... then another... and finally a third.

“What in the damn hell was that?!” Charles exclaimed in alarm, clinging onto the table to avoid being thrown from his seat.

“The Brimorians are attacking!” Lina gasped, her face stricken with terror.

***

The attractive brunette swallowed, then let out a blissful sigh.

“You were right, Maria. That farm shop is amazing!” Faith marvelled, looking down at the apple in her hand with a big bite taken out of its rosy red skin. “I’ve never tasted fruit this fresh before.”

Maria took the turn, guiding the red hovercar into her street. She smiled affectionately at her younger companion. “When we get home, I’ll show you how to bake an apple and cinnamon pie that’s to die for. Jack swears he married me for my body, but I’m sure it was my cooking that got him down on one knee.”

Faith laughed and shook her head. “I’d love to meet him sometime. When’s he back home next?” she asked, before taking another bite of the apple.

“That wasn’t in your briefing?” the Latina teased her, following the wide boulevard past rows of large well-kept houses.

The protection officer frowned and looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Maria. It must be awful having me intrude in your life like this. I didn’t mean to pry, I was just enjoying the conversation.”

Maria slowed the car as she pulled into her driveway and tapped the button on the steering wheel to open the garage doors. “I honestly didn’t intend for that to sound resentful; I’ve really been enjoying your company,” she said, reaching over to squeeze the young woman’s hand. “Jack won’t be home for another three months... it gets so lonely here without him.”

Faith returned the squeeze in a gesture of sympathy, then glanced over the neat hedgerow to the house next door. Her fake husband was standing at the window drinking a cup of coffee and Joel greeted his pretend wife with a warm smile and a friendly wave. She returned his smile and waved back just using her fingertips, the pre-arranged signal that no one had followed them.

Driving into the garage, Maria parked the car and turned off the engine, the cyclics powering down as the hover-vehicle lowered gently to the ground. She climbed out, then gathered the bags full of fresh meat and vegetables from the back seat. “It’s wonderful to see a young couple in love. I remember when Jack and I were in our honeymoon phase.”

Rolling her eyes at the teasing, Faith waited for the garage doors to close, not wanting to be overheard by anyone outside. “Alright... alright... I know we did a terrible job trying to fool you with our undercover roles, you don’t have to rub it in.”

“I wasn’t rubbing anything in,” Maria said archly, a twinkle in her brown eyes. “I was just curious how long you’ve been in love with Commander Sharp?”

“Maria!” Faith hissed, a look of pure panic on her face.

“Relax,” the Latina replied, sashaying towards the side door that led into the house. “You told me yourself you didn’t put any surveillance in the garage, which means Joel can’t hear us in here. So I take it he doesn’t know you have feelings for him?”

Faith groaned and rubbed a hand across her face. “God... I can’t keep anything secret from you.” She let out a weary sigh of resignation. “No... he hasn’t got a clue.”

Maria paused by the door and gave the brunette a look of sympathy. “Men can be a bit oblivious at times... but then again, so can women.”

The undercover operative suddenly froze, her eyes going wide. “Wait... you actually think he likes me?!”

“He’s got quite the soft spot for you, dear. It’s lovely seeing him giving you those lingering glances when he thinks you aren’t looking.”

“Really?” Faith asked, her face lighting up with joy. Just as quickly, a shadow passed over her features and her shoulders slumped. “Oh, this is a disaster! It’s going to be torture working with him now.”

Maria gave her a conspiratorial smile. “Only if you don’t do something about it. Now, could you grab the bag of fruit from the back seat please? I’ve got my hands full here.”

“But he’s my commanding officer,” Faith protested gloomily, retrieving the bag. “Sexual harassment regulations forbid him from starting a relationship with me.”

“That just means you’ll have to seduce him instead,” Maria said with a naughty twinkle in her eyes. “Jack outranked me, but that didn’t stop me from enticing him into bed. It actually made it even more exciting knowing we were flaunting regulations. Getting together was such a thrill!”

Faith couldn’t help giggling as she walked over to join her friend. “You’re so bad, Maria.”

“How about we go out for coffee this afternoon?” the Latina suggested enthusiastically. “We’ll be away from the cameras and we can have a nice long talk about you and Joel.”

The young woman gave her a wistful smile. “I’m so glad I took this assignment. I didn’t realise how much I’ve missed having a girlfriend to chat with.”

“It must be hard working undercover for months at a time,” Maria said, opening the door and entering her kitchen.

Faith put her bag on the counter and considered that for a moment. “I suppose I just got used to it. Once you’ve broken those initial ties with friends and family, it becomes easier to immerse yourself in your assignment.”

Maria placed her bags next to Faith’s, then turned to her friend. “It might make it easier, but that sounds like a very lonely life to me.”

The brunette was about to protest, but she was disarmed by the look of gentle compassion in the Latina’s eyes. “It can be...” she ruefully admitted, her voice quiet and sad.

Wrapping her up in a maternal embrace, Maria stroked her back, feeling Faith tremble as she struggled with long-suppressed emotions.

Behind them, one of the over-packed bags slowly toppled over, spilling apples across the counter. They rolled along the granite worktops then tumbled to the kitchen floor.

“Maria! The bags!” Faith exclaimed, brushing at her eyes.

The two women parted and ducked down to pick up the wayward fruit. There was a sharp crack, followed by a couple of dull thuds, the crouching pair sprayed by plaster from the bullet holes in the wall above their heads. They exchanged a shocked glance as glass tinkled down into the sink from the shattered window. Faith opened her mouth to blurt out a warning, but whatever she said was drowned out by a deafening boom that seemed to shake the foundations of the house.

***

Jehanna steadied herself against the back of the sofa, feeling tremors under her feet from the aftershocks of blasts that had rocked the orbital shipyard. She stared wide-eyed at her companion,

who was already springing into action. Lynette made a hurried call via the comms interface, but the winged sword icon glitched into a burst of pixels, the call not getting through.

“Looks like comms are down,” Lynette said, darting a worried look at the reporter.

“Was it an accident or is Olympus under attack?” Jehanna asked, her journalistic curiosity overriding her fear.

“I don’t know, but I’m not willing to take any chances,” the Fleet Admiral replied, reaching for her peaked hat. “I need to check in with security and find out exactly what’s happening.”

They both hurried to the door, doing a quick check to make sure they had all the equipment that Dana had provided them. They each tapped their belt buckle, activating their personal shields and surrounding themselves in a protective bubble. A glance in the mirror confirmed that Lynette’s holo-disguise was active, then she opened the door and left her quarters with Jehanna following right behind. Rushing out into the corridor, they almost ran right into Colonel Fiske who was accompanied by a large squad of security personnel.

“Colonel Fiske!” Lynette exclaimed in surprise. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I was just doing a routine spot-check on the troops,” he replied, skidding to a halt.

The men behind him nervously shifted their grip on the assault rifles they were carrying.

“Give me a sitrep!” she demanded, her eyes flicking over the jittery troops.

The blond security officer grimaced, Fiske’s face taut with stress. “I’m getting lots of conflicting reports, Fleet Admiral. I think at least two of the explosions were in the Barracks, and if that’s true, we’ve got a lot of dead marines on our hands.”

“I thought comms were down?” Lynette asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion. She felt an itching at the back of her skull, her instincts screaming at her that she was in imminent danger, and her hand subconsciously drifted to the laser pistol on her hip. “How do you know what’s happening?”

“Olympus Security has its own communications subnet.” the Colonel explained curtly, darting a glance behind him. “Reinforcements are on the way. Come with me, we need to get you out of here.” He gave Jehanna a dismissive look and added, “You should stay in your room, Miss Elani.”

When Fiske reached for Lynette’s arm to pull her with him, she nimbly avoided his grasp. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Colonel. I have to find Admiral Harris.”

The Colonel glared at her furiously. “Don’t be absurd! Olympus is clearly under some form of organised assault, which means emergency security protocols are in effect! Our highest priority is to evacuate you from Olympus and get you to a safe location.”

Lynette shook her head. “Absolutely not! If Olympus is being attacked, then Charles might be in danger. I have to protect him, he’s John’s best friend!”

Fiske gaped at her incredulously, but before he could reply, the comms interface on his wrist squawked in alarm.

“Colonel!” a frantic voice yelled out, the face of a soldier appearing on the holo-screen that had just popped up. An instant later, they all heard the bark of assault rifles being fired in the background.

Lifting his wrist, Fiske snapped impatiently, “What’s the situation, Sergeant?”

“We’re under attack!” the frightened soldier replied. “Half my squad is dead! There are guys in black armour...” Whatever he was trying to say was drowned out by the noisy chatter of machine guns.

“Colonel...” Lynette interrupted.

He held up a hand and ignored her. “Say again? Troops in black armour?”

The sergeant turned to look away from the camera, “Hey, what’re you-”

An assault rifle barked and blood sprayed all over the holo-cam, the sergeant’s ruined face flashing past the crimson-hued screen before the image went black.

“God damnit!” Fiske growled, his face twisting into a furious scowl.

“Colonel, listen to me!” Lynette said urgently.

Before she could continue, there was another raucous burst from an assault rifle, but this time it was terrifyingly loud. Several soldiers in Fiske’s squad screamed in pain, the men cut down where they stood by a hail of bullets flying down the corridor.

***

“Thanks guys,” Dana said, smiling at the cleaning robots who were sweeping the remnants of the first batch of Eternity Crystals into a big pile.

John crouched down, picking up the partially formed fragment of a shattered crystal. “I guess we’ll just have to start over. We were lucky the cultivation beds didn’t get damaged when we lost artificial gravity.”

She nodded, her eyes flicking to the sealed tubs stacked nearby. “luckily I made loads of that gel solution. We just need to pour out some more, then you and Alyssa can get cracking on the next batch.”

Straightening up, he gestured towards two of the containers and slid the lid back using telekinesis, then carefully tipped them over. The thick liquid oozed onto the two crystal cultivation beds, slowly spreading across their surface.

Helene walked up the steps to the Engineering Podium and peeked over the redhead’s shoulder. “It’s amazing watching you work! How long will it take you to build a new bathroom?”

“Not long,” Dana replied, glancing up at the two holographic displays above the console and making the final touches to her designs. “There, done! Now I’ll just send those to the Mass Fabricators and they should be finished in about an hour or so. We can go outside and start checking the hull while we wait.”

“It’ll be wonderful to all sleep together again tonight,” Helene said with a happy sigh. “Being surrounded by people I love is the best feeling in the world.”

John placed the tubs back on the ground now that the large rectangular trays were completely filled. “I know what you mean, honey. I really missed having you all close by where I knew you were safe.”

Dana gave him an affectionate smile which quickly widened into a cheeky grin. “Yeah, yeah... you just want another big orgy, right?”

John played along and winked at her, then said to Alyssa, *Hey, beautiful. We’re all set up for you to start growing Eternity Crystals again.* There was a long pause with no response from his blonde matriarch, so he added, *Alyssa? Are you alright?*

*Olympus is under attack!* she cried out, her voice taut with fear. *Lynette said there were explosions... some kind of sabotage!*

“Fuck!” John swore, his fists clenched in helpless frustration.

***

Charles shook his head, meeting Lina’s terrified gaze. “No, it’s not the Brimorians! They’re nowhere near Olympus and Dacres would have warned us if they’d invaded.” He tapped his wrist communicator, but he had no comms service. “Come on, we’ve got to find out what’s happening!”

She gave him a hesitant nod and released her death grip on the table.

He glanced at the redhead as she followed him out of the restaurant. “I’m sorry about earlier... I never meant to frighten you.”

“What? I’m not scared of you!” Lina exclaimed in surprise, slipping her hand into his to reinforce the point.

“But you said...” his voice trailed off and he felt completely confused. “I don’t understand.”

“I saw footage of the Kintark fleet bombarding Olympus; the thought of being here when the Brimorians attack is terrifying,” she explained, her hand trembling in his. Flushing with embarrassment, she quietly admitted, “It’s just that... I’ve never been in combat before.”

Charles stopped and looked at her in disbelief. “But you’re an Admiral! You’re telling me you’ve never fought in a single battle?!”

“We can’t all be dashing ship captains,” she said a little defensively. “I’ve spent my entire career in the Core Worlds. After the Academy, I started in logistics, then moved to public relations.”

“Well I’ll be damned,” he said, his moustache twitching in amusement.

“Hey, it’s not funny!” she pouted, giving him a playful punch in the arm as she momentarily forgot her fear.

Outside in the Galleria was a very different story. The crowds were in a panic, with merchants rushing to return to their ships and escape from Olympus. To the right, a couple of traders had fallen over on the slopes that led to the lower levels, and were trying not to get trampled by the stampeding crowd. On the left, a large group of civilians were all clamouring to get into the glass elevators.

Charles’ smile died as he stared at the frenzied mass of people. “We’re going to have a hell of a time getting out of here.” He walked over to the balcony and looked down across the plaza at the frightened mass of humanity running from the commercial district. “This is absolute chaos...”

“Why aren’t the troops trying to maintain order?” Lina asked, tightening her grip on his hand.

He followed her worried gaze to a squad of soldiers trying to barge their way up the ramp through a stream of frightened citizens. When he locked eyes with the officer leading the detachment of fully-armoured troops, the man pointed up at their balcony and barked an order. To Charles’ astonishment, the accompanying soldiers raised their rifles and opened fire.

“What the hell?!” Charles gasped, staggering back from the balcony and yanking Lina with him.

Behind them, the glass panels exploded in a hail of bullets and Charles dived to the floor, pulling the screaming redhead with him.

“They’re shooting at us!” she gasped, staring at him wide-eyed in panic.

“Shit!” Charles cursed as he drew his pistol from the holster on his belt. “Henry was right!”

“What?!” Lina blurted out, cowering on the floor beside him.

“I thought Colonel Fiske had sent that squad to beef up security, but they must be traitors launching a coup!” he blurted out, darting a worried glance back at the entrance ramps. “Henry Voss warned me someone might be planning an attack.”

At the sound of gunfire, the crowds of civilians on the ramp had turned around and were fleeing from the soldiers. Now that the traitors weren’t trying to fight their way past the crowd, Charles knew that those troops would quickly reach the upper level.

“We’ve got to find some cover!” he yelled over the sound of gunfire, crawling away from the edge of the balcony.

When he was far enough away to be out of line of sight, he got up in a crouch and glanced back for Lina. He could see she was absolutely terrified, covering her head as more glass skittered across the floor, shot out of the windows by the bullets strafing the gallery.

“Move! We’re sitting ducks out here!”

Lina crawled over to join him, then grabbed his offered hand. Charles helped her up, then they fled from the ramps, desperate to put more distance between themselves and their mysterious attackers.

***

Maria froze in a crouch on the kitchen floor, staring at her bodyguard in shock as the ground trembled beneath their feet. “Was that a bomb?!”

“Joel triggered the anti-personnel mines we set in the front garden!” Faith replied, drawing a pistol from the holster under her jacket.

“You put mines in my garden?!” Maria balked, looking stunned.

Faith’s eyes darted about frantically for any sign of their assailants storming the house. “They must be attacking from both sides!”

Shaking off her paralysis, Maria bolted towards the lounge.

“Maria!” Faith screamed, shocked that her friend would break cover so recklessly.

The windows along the rear of the house imploded, the glass shattering in a storm of bullets from the squad in the garden. The kitchen wall was hammered by a flurry of impacts, plaster falling off in chunks as it was torn to pieces by the terrifying fusillade. Judging by the sheer weight of fire, Faith knew there must be at least a dozen shooters in the garden and her heart pounded in her chest as she realised the size of the force sent to kill them.

She rushed to chase after her ward, keeping her head down below the countertops as more bullets whizzed overhead. Faith could only watch in disbelief as Maria made a call using the holo-interface built into the armrest of the sofa, a call that was abruptly terminated when the furniture was torn apart in an storm of 10mm rounds.

“Maria!” she screamed again, desperate to get her to listen. “Get over here now!”

The Latina gave the comms system one last anguished look, then crawled back to the kitchen.

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Faith yelled, fear for her friend making her furious. “You could’ve been killed!”

“We need to call for help!” Maria protested, ducking as bullets hit a cantaloupe and blasted fleshy chunks all over the kitchen.

“No, we need to get you out of here!” Glancing up at one of the concealed overhead cameras, Faith made a series of quick hand signals. She then grabbed Maria’s hand and dragged her back towards the garage. “You drive, I’ll shoot!”

They tumbled through the doorway as the kitchen was shot to pieces behind them. Faith sprinted around the hover-car to get in the passenger side, while Maria tugged open the driver’s door and dived into the seat. She powered up the engine, anti-grav cyclics whirring as they began to spin up, then tapped the button on the dashboard to open the garage doors. They began to slowly slide apart, then a burst of bullets came flying through the doors, leaving big holes in the sheet metal.

“Don’t wait, just go!” Faith demanded, reaching up to open the car’s sunroof.

Maria shifted into reverse and stomped on the accelerator, the hover vehicle lurching backwards and slamming into the partially-opened doors. They were ripped from their frames with a shriek of tortured metal, then her car swerved unsteadily down the drive as they picked up speed. The front of the house looked like a warzone, with several big craters where the rose bushes used to be and dismembered corpses strewn across the lawn.

Half-a-dozen black-clad soldiers had been blown to pieces in the blast, instantly ripped apart by the deadly explosions. Several more were severely injured, one of them screaming in pain as he clutched at the remains of his mangled leg, his knee just a bloodied stump. The last two operatives had escaped unscathed, and they turned their rifles towards the reversing hover-car, spraying it with bullets.

Faith popped up through the skylight and returned fire, snapping off a flurry of shots with her pistol, which hit an operative in the chest and knocked him off-balance. A split-second later there was a booming retort and the second soldier’s head exploded, his headless corpse pitching over onto the lawn. As the first whirled around to look for the new deadly threat, a heavy calibre round punched straight through his armour, leaving a gory hole in his torso as he collapsed in a heap.

Maria swerved around the black APC that was parked in the street, then kept on going, reversing at speed away from the carnage. As soon as they’d cleared the armoured vehicle, it was rocked back by an explosion, a billowing plume from a rocket launcher leading back to the house next door. The gun turret on top of the armoured vehicle spun around and opened fire, but it wasn’t shooting at the reversing car. It sprayed a hail of bullets at the neighbour’s house, trying to neutralise Commander Sharp who was covering their escape.

Faith dropped down into her seat again, staring in shock at the distinctive black troop transport, recognising it instantly as belonging to the Internal Security Division. “They’re ISD!” she blurted out, eyes wide in horror.

Maria tore her gaze away from the mirrors and span the steering wheel, rotating the hovercar before slamming the gearstick into drive. “ISD have always had a terrible reputation.”

“But we’re ISD!” Faith protested indignantly. “Why are they attacking their own operatives?!”

The Latina glanced at the protection officer sitting beside her as the hover-car shot forward. “I’m obviously the target. They must have seen you two as expendable.”

Faith twisted in her seat, looking anxiously back over her shoulder at the black APC as it sprayed her house with shells. “Please be okay, Joel...”

***

Fiske’s team spun around to return fire, but one of them was hit in the throat, blood spraying out all over the wall as he keeled over. Almost simultaneously, the man beside him was hit in the chest by a burst of bullets, the armour piercing rounds punching straight through his chestplate. With the advantage of surprise, the attackers were slaughtering Fiske’s security team, the row of fully-armoured attackers firing indiscriminately down the corridor at the exposed guards.

Lynette slapped her hand down on the DNA reader outside her quarters, the door opening when the scanner flashed green.

“Get in here!” she yelled at the harried remnants of the squad.

Grabbing one of the wounded men, Fiske backed into the room, dragging the bloodied soldier with him. “Fall back, troopers!”

“Bill, come on!” Jehanna called out, recognising one of the guards she’d befriended. She dived through the open doorway, making room for the rest to follow.

There were six guards left and they scurried towards the door, firing bursts back at the heavily armoured team that had ambushed them. Bill was hit in the leg and he stumbled to the ground, the bullet punching through his thigh and out the other side in a spray of blood. Lynette reached out to grab Bill Coleridge and pull him to safety, away from the deadly hail screaming down the corridor.

Suddenly there was a bright flash and booming roar, the blast sending her flying backwards into the room.

“Devereux!” Fiske called out in dismay, instantly recognising the thunderous detonation from an underslung grenade launcher. He dashed over to the Fleet Admiral’s crumpled body, expecting the worst. “Oh God... no.”

To his utter astonishment, Lynette sat up before he reached her, completely unharmed by the explosion. She glanced through the doorway at the carnage outside, the rest of the security team blown to pieces by the blast.

“Those bastards!” Lynette cursed as she leapt to her feet, her breathtakingly beautiful face twisted in fury.

Fiske gaped at her in stunned disbelief. “What the hell?!”

Jehanna tore her anguished gaze away from the slaughtered soldiers and saw the Colonel’s look of consternation. “Oh crap...”

Lynette studied the shell-shocked security officer for a long moment. “Stay in cover, Colonel,” she said sternly, drawing her laser pistol. “Jehanna?”

The reporter jumped up from where she lay on the floor, her own laser pistol in her hand, the barrel illuminated by a glowing stripe of sapphire light. “Time for some payback.”

Colonel Fiske could only stare at the pair in shock as they marched outside, seemingly oblivious to the deadly threat posed by the ambushers. As soon as the girls left cover, a dozen enemy soldiers opened fire, spraying the pair with bullets. Instead of striking the two young women, a blue dome rippled around them as hundreds of bullets were harmlessly deflected. Fiske staggered over to the door, watching in amazement as Lynette calmly raised her laser pistol and fired back.

An azure laser bolt screamed down the corridor and blasted a fist-sized hole through a soldier’s green chest plate. His helmet tilted down and he stared stupidly at the gaping wound, before he tipped over stone-dead. Lynette and Jehanna spread out, walking towards the armoured soldiers and gunning them down with precise kill shots.

“Leave one alive,” Lynette said to Jehanna, her glacial tone sending shivers down Fiske’s spine.

One of the soldiers slammed a fresh clip into his assault rifle and opened fire on full auto, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off the approaching pair. “Just fucking die!” he screamed, terrified out of his mind as his squad mates died around him.

Jehanna snapped off a couple of head shots, neatly decapitating two of the three remaining traitors. The panicked sole survivor had emptied his entire magazine at Lynette and was now fumbling to reload. She took careful aim and a dazzling blue laser bolt shot him in the hand, obliterating it

completely and leaving a glowing stump. His rifle dropped to the ground with a clatter, the noise drowned out by his screams of pain. Lynette strode up to him and whipped her pistol around, smashing him in the face with startling strength and sending him sprawling backwards.

She skidded to a crouch beside his prone form and ripped off his helmet, staring into a pair of wild eyes. “Start talking, or you lose more body parts. Who are you? Is it just me you’re trying to kill?”

“Wait!” he cried out, holding up his remaining hand defensively.

Lynette lowered the pistol to his wounded arm, and shot him in the elbow, severing his forearm and leaving another cauterised stump. “No. Start talking.”

He howled in agony, clutching at his arm.

“I don’t have time to listen to you crying,” she said coldly, the steaming muzzle of her pistol pointing at his ankle. “Talk or you lose a foot. When you run out of hands and feet, you lose your cock.”

“We’re ISD!” the man screamed, eyes bulging with fear. “When the bombs went off, my team was supposed to kill Elani!” His gaze flicked to the TFNN reporter standing behind Lynette.

“Me?!” Jehanna gasped, looking shocked.

Trembling with the pain, the ISD operative stared apprehensively at the Fleet Admiral. “You were scheduled to be in a High Command meeting. We had no idea you were here!”

Lynette realised that the Admiralty scheduler hadn’t been updated after the emergency meeting with High Command to discuss the Brimorian’s surprise attack.

“How many other teams?” she demanded sharply. “Who else are they targeting?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know!”

Lynette glared at him, her finger tensing on the trigger.

“Please! I swear I don’t know!” he begged, quaking with fear.

She leaned closer, her eyes blazing with anger. “Why?”

“R-revenge...” he stammered, quailing from her terrifying expression. “Against you... against the Lion. You’ve upset a lot of powerful people... and they’ve got deep pockets.”

“You’re a traitor and a murderer,” she said with contempt, rising to her feet. She pointed the pistol at his horrified face and pulled the trigger, executing him with a blast of laser-fire.

“If they’re trying to get revenge on you and John, who else could they be going after?” Jehanna asked, her face taut with worry.

“It’s got to be Charles,” Lynette replied, looking equally pensive. “I know he’s in danger... I have to go to him.”

“Henry Voss!” Jehanna suddenly blurted out, her eyes widening in alarm. “Rachel’s father is here on the station!”

“Go, protect him!” Lynette urged the dusky-hued reporter. “But be careful!”

Jehanna gave her a curt nod, then turned and sprinted down the corridor.

Lynette glanced back towards her quarters and saw that Fiske was standing in the hallway, staring at her in bewilderment. “Colonel, I want you to rally your loyal forces. We need to track down and eliminate the ISD teams!”

“B-but what about the troopers in black armour?” he stammered. “Shouldn’t we hunt them down?”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “No, they’re with me. Tell your men to stay out of their way.”

“You ordered them here? But why didn’t you tell me?!” he protested, looking aghast.

“Because I didn’t trust you,” Lynette replied with brutal candour. “You kept questioning my orders, which meant you were either a real stickler for the rules, or you were a potential threat. I wasn’t going to take any chances, so I transferred a contingent of special forces to Olympus as a safety precaution.”

He stared at her in silence for a long moment, then blurted out, “Who are you?”

“You know who I am; I’m Fleet Admiral Lynette Devereux,” she replied, removing the disc from her jacket and slipping it into her trouser pocket. “I’ve served in the Terran Federation military for over thirty years.”

Lynette’s holo-disguise was useless now, as the micro holo-emitters had been lost when she was knocked sprawling by the grenade explosion. Until she activated another set of micro holo-projectors, she wouldn’t be able to disguise her appearance, but she didn’t have time to set them up. Unfastening her belt, she took off her dark-grey Fleet Admiral’s jacket, before folding it carefully and placing it by the wall. Now no one would ever suspect that this breathtakingly beautiful young woman was also the dowdy middle-aged leader of the Terran Federation.

“I’m also a Lioness,” Lynette said proudly, clipping her shield belt together again around her trim waist. “The disguise was necessary, because people would struggle to take orders from a Fleet Admiral that now looks like a swimsuit model.”

Fiske snorted and shook his head, “You’d be surprised. Everyone knows what the Lionesses can do.”

She smiled for a moment, then looked him in the eye. “Rally your troops and hunt down the ISD teams. I need to protect Charles.”

He nodded and gave her a crisp salute. “Good luck, Fleet Admiral.”

Lynette returned his salute, then sprinted down the corridor as she headed for the elevators.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Fiske muttered, watching the athletic young woman’s graceful departure.

***

“Beta team, report!” Major Vihaan Khatri snapped into the commlink, but there was no reply, the communications channel remaining ominously silent.

The mission had started off perfectly, with Alpha team quickly sighting and engaging the target. Seconds after they had opened fire, there’d been a deafening explosion in front of the house and since then, Vihaan hadn’t been able to contact anyone in Beta team. He watched Alpha team storm through the broad patio doors, the black armoured soldiers fanning out to search the house for the target.

His commlink squawked and the driver of the second APC appeared in the small holo-screen. “Major, we need support! Beta Team is down!”

“Do you have eyes on the target?” Vihaan demanded, ignoring operative Khasanov’s plea for help.

“She just left in a red Luxura sedan!” he replied, shouting to be heard over the sound of the APC’s turret gun opening up. “We’re coming under RPG fire from the house next door! Attempting to neutralise!”

“Fuck that, get after her!” the infuriated Major yelled, killing the call. He contacted Alpha team over the local command channel. “Target has escaped, fall back to the APC!”

The soldiers sprinted across the lawn and Vihaan ducked back into the armoured transport, yelling at the driver to get ready for immediate departure. Alpha team piled into the APC, entering from the rear ramp and the side access door, the dozen men taking their seats in record time. Before the doors had even started to close, the driver took off, the chunky vehicle lifting skyward with a high-pitched whine of anti-gravity cyclics.

They soared over the roof of the house and Vihaan glanced down at the devastation in the front garden. He was shocked to see the huge craters and the mangled remains of Beta team, with pieces of the dozen elite operatives now strewn across the lawn. Just like with every mission, there was always the possibility of one or two casualties, no matter how well-planned beforehand. However, he never expected for one moment that he might lose a whole squad... and considering the

unsanctioned nature of this mission, there would be no clean-up team to retrieve those fallen soldiers.

Vihaan slumped back in his chair and ran his fingers through his short black hair. This was turning into an unmitigated disaster. Local law enforcement would receive a torrent of emergency calls after the Fernandez house had turned into a warzone, with probably the entire neighbourhood reporting gunfire and explosions. When the police rushed to the site and saw the scale of the carnage, it was highly likely that they’d call for additional support from outside their jurisdiction, perhaps even involving Jericho planetary law enforcement.

He was jolted from his thoughts by another chirp from his commlink.

“We’ve spotted her, Major! She’s heading for the skylane!” Khasanov called out in warning. He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Shall we break off pursuit?”

Lurching from his seat, Vihaan hurried to stand behind the driver and stared through the windscreen. Up ahead he could see the back of the second APC, the powerful vehicle gaining altitude as it left the suburb and raced to catch the fleeing sedan. He couldn’t see the red hovercar yet, but there was no missing the busy traffic in the skylane. A highly-visible pursuit was the absolute last thing he wanted, but this might be his only opportunity to kill Maria Fernandez.

“What are your orders, Sir?” Khasanov pressed, his voice terse with worry.

Vihaan couldn’t help wondering if his career with ISD was already over. If it was, then avenging his family’s honour was the only thing he could salvage from this nightmare.

“Stay on her!” he finally ordered. “Stop at nothing to eliminate the target!”

***

Jehanna bolted out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, the small crowd waiting outside flinching back when they saw her brandishing the glowing laser pistol.

“Holy shit!” one of the base personnel gasped as she darted past them. “Was that Jehanna Elani?!”

She smiled wryly to herself, imagining the public’s reaction if footage was leaked of TFNN’s star reporter gunning down ISD assassins to protect the Fleet Admiral. Her smile was wiped away as she remembered the old expression... that history was written by the victors. If Lynette was killed in this attack and an enemy became the new Fleet Admiral, Jehanna wouldn’t be lauded for heroism, instead she could be facing a mass-murder trial.

With those sobering thoughts in mind, Jehanna sprinted towards the administrative complex where Henry Voss’ office was located. It didn’t take long for her to encounter the first group of casualties, finding a group of dead soldiers riddled with bullet wounds. The marines had been involved in a furious gunfight, but without armour and only carrying sidearms, they’d stood no chance against the

battle-ready ISD operatives. Giving them one last sorrowful look, she leapt over the bodies, then hurried onwards,

More groups of soldiers had been killed along the way, their corpses like a macabre trail of breadcrumbs that would lead her to the traitors behind the insurrection. Jehanna hadn’t seen any soldiers wearing green combat armour amongst the dead, so if all the ISD troops were equipped the same way, it meant they hadn’t lost a man yet. Hearing gunfire from up ahead, Jehanna’s heart skipped a beat as she realised it was coming directly from Henry’s office suite.

“No, no... please don’t be too late!” she gasped in anguish, running faster towards the firefight.

Getting closer, she realised it wasn’t just assault rifles she was hearing. There was a high-pitched shriek and the corridor up ahead was illuminated by a burst of staccato flashes. The terrifying cacophony was followed seconds later by a couple of explosions, the deep boom from the blasts shockingly loud. Jehanna felt a horrible sense of dread, imaging how devastated Rachel would be when she learned that her father had been killed. It was even worse knowing that she had been so close to getting there in time to save him.

To her surprise, the sound of fierce fighting still reverberated down the corridor, making Henry’s death not such a foregone conclusion. The sweeping windows outside the Voss Corporation foyer had been shot to pieces, thousands of shards of glass scattered like a jagged carpet across the floor. Skidding to a halt as she reached the shattered windows, Jehanna raised her pistol and stalked forwards, getting her first glimpse of Henry’s office. She was stunned by what she saw.

The broad mahogany reception desk had been shot to pieces, hundreds of bullet holes covering almost every inch of its surface. Behind all that ravaged wood there was a metallic sheen of titanium plating, highlighted by the few overhead lights that were still flickering intermittently. Flanking the mangled desk, two blackened alcoves were set back in the wall; whatever had once stood there was now reduced to misshapen lumps of twisted metal. The most shocking sight of all was the four green-armoured operatives lying contorted where they fell, steam rising from the glowing holes punched in their armour.

The rest of the squad were huddled against the wall, standing to either side of the double-doors leading to Henry Voss’ main office. One of the soldiers leaned around the corner with his rifle and triggered an underslung grenade launcher, firing the high-explosive ordnance into the room beyond. There was a deafening boom as the grenade exploded, but it wasn’t loud enough to drown out the answering shriek of laser fire. One of the dazzling energy bolts clipped the trooper’s shoulder, burning a vicious furrow through his armour, the glowing wound scorching him right down to the bone.

“Mother fucker!” he snarled in pain, clutching his arm as he stumbled backwards from the doorway.

Another operative pulled the injured man into cover. “Medic!” he called out urgently.

As the soldier opposite fired a grenade into Henry’s office, one of the armoured troopers hurried to attend to the laser burns, a trauma pack in his hand. He crouched by the wounded soldier and froze as he glanced across the foyer, the mirrored visor on his green helmet staring straight at Jehanna.

“Behind us!” he yelled. “Secondary target acquired!”

***

Lynette weaved her way through crowds of panicked merchants, the civilians running from the commercial district in Arm Five to the docking bays where their freighters awaited. Pandemonium reigned, the citizens pushing and shoving each other as they fled to escape from the Galleria, slowing her progress to a crawl. She tapped the comms interface on her wrist, deactivating the holo-cam before attempting to contact her special forces team. This time, much to her relief, the call went through.

Commander MacCallum appeared, his rugged features set in a frown. “Fleet Admiral? I’m not receiving video transmission...”

“My holo-cam’s broken,” she quickly replied. “Give me a sitrep, Commander.”

“Saboteurs triggered three explosives; two in the barracks, one in the comms centre. When the devices were detonated, I dispatched protection details to each of the admirals in High Command, but we haven’t been able to track down Schmidt, Harris, and Van Den Broeck.”

“I have a team en route to Harris and Van Den Broeck. Keep searching for Schmidt,” Lynette said, nimbly dodging around a trio of merchants. “Have you engaged ISD forces?”

“They’re ISD?” the special force officer asked, looking thoughtful. “Yeah... that makes sense. Not many groups would have the resources and contacts to launch this kind of operation.” He gazed into the camera and continued, “We’ve neutralised the teams that were hunting Cartwright. They were good and I lost six men, but we took prisoners. We haven’t begun an interrogation yet.”

“Excellent work, Commander,” she said appreciatively. “Colonel Fiske is rallying his forces and has begun sweep and clear operations. He knows you’re working directly for me, so you shouldn’t encounter any friction with Olympus security.”

MacCallum threw a sharp salute. “I appreciate it, Fleet Admiral.”

“Devereux out,” she said, tapping the button to end the call.

Up ahead, Lynette could see the crowd parting around a group of soldiers and she tightened her grip on her laser pistol.

“Please remain calm!” a marine officer called out to the crowd, raising his hands to get their attention. “There’s no need to panic!”

The crowds ignored the squad of security personnel that were trying to restore order, giving them a wide berth as they ran. One burly civilian shoved a portly merchant aside, the push knocking the large man off balance and sending him sprawling into the young lieutenant.

The security officer caught the merchant to stop him falling over, only for the fat man to stumble backwards, his jowls quivering with fear. “Don’t shoot me!” he begged, hands held up in desperation.

“What?! I’m not going to shoot you!” the lieutenant replied, bewildered by the merchant’s terrified response.

Lynette overheard the exchange and dived through a gap in the teeming horde, reaching the empty space surrounding the security team.

“The soldiers you saw shooting people... where are they?” she demanded, grabbing the merchant by the arm.

As the corpulent trader gaped at her in fear, the lieutenant rounded on the interloper. “Who the hell are you?” he snapped, before getting a look at the Fleet Admiral’s face. His eyes widened in astonishment as he gazed awestruck at her almost unearthly beauty.

“I’m a Lioness,” Lynette said, without taking her eyes off the merchant. “Tell me where those soldiers are. I need to stop them before they hurt anyone else.”

A look of relief spread across the large man’s flushed face. “Thank God you’re here!” he gasped, before turning and pointing back towards the Galleria. “They were going up to the top level... they just started shooting at us!”

Lynette gave him a grateful nod, then stepped aside and triggered a burst of bright blue laser fire at the ceiling high overhead. The flash of light and high-pitched shriek drew the immediate attention of everyone in the corridor, with hundreds of frightened civilians shrinking back and staring at her.

“Lioness coming through!” she yelled at the shocked crowd. “Move out the way!”

She stalked forward, picking up speed as the civilians hurried to clear a path for her. Soon there was a broad passage through the crowd and she was able to sprint full tilt towards the Galleria, a rippling cheer gaining in volume as she passed the civilians.

Hearing their earnest gratitude was a moving moment for Lynette. Serving in the military, she’d always felt she was a small part of something bigger, working towards the betterment of humanity. This was something else entirely though... the people’s hero worship of John Blake extending to the women who fought at his side. She had never been on the receiving end of such open adoration before and her heart swelled with pride at being a Lioness.

It didn’t take long for her to start hearing gunshots and when Lynette rushed into the Galleria, her hazel eyes swept the plaza for the source. The crowds had thinned considerably, with most of the panicked civilians fleeing as soon as the bombs went off, minutes before the actual shooting started. That made it easy to spot the combatants, with a squad of soldiers in green body armour involved in a firefight on the highest gallery level, over on the far side of the plaza. She could see the flashes of their guns as they provided covering fire, advancing steadily across the upper level.

Lynette considered her options, wondering whether she should keep the element of surprise by crossing the plaza and rushing up via the ramps, then engage them from behind. The desperate handgun shots amidst all that rifle chatter changed her mind and she narrowed her eyes as she sprinted for the closest set of elevators.

***

Faith twisted in her seat and looked back through the rear window, searching for any sign of pursuit. It didn’t take long for her to spot one of the black APCs behind them, the stocky vehicle drifting into view as it overtook a ponderous hover-truck. “They’re still following! You have to go faster, they’re gaining on us!

“I’ve got my foot flat-down already!” Maria said in frustration, glancing at the dashboard. “We’re doing 200... the car’s speed is auto-restricted.”

“Yeah, but theirs isn’t,” Faith said with a grimace. She squirmed between the front seats and scrambled into the back of the Luxura sedan.

Maria watched her in surprise. “What’re you doing now?”

“I stashed some spare gear in the trunk,” the undercover agent replied, lifting a concealed handle on the back seat and folding down the central section. “Sorry for not telling you.”

Shaking her head, Maria said, “Under the circumstances, you’re forgiven.” She glanced in the mirror at the young woman, Faith’s ass up in the air, her upper body poking through the hole in the back seat. “Have you got a comms device back there? We need to call for help!”

“No, just guns,” Faith replied, her voice muffled. “Head for Baybury. They won’t follow us into the city... there’s no way they could cover up a chase through a metropolis.”

Maria glanced at the Nav system, seeing that they were still ten miles from Baybury City. “We’ll be there in three minutes!”

Before Faith could reply, the car shuddered as it was hit by a burst of high-calibre rounds, the rear window exploding in a shower of glass. Ducking down, Maria fought back the urge to scream in fear.

“Shit!” Faith snarled, wriggling out of the access hatch into the trunk, with an assault rifle in her arms. “Keep dodging Maria... use the traffic for cover!”

The Latina peeked over the dashboard, trying to see where she was going without leaving herself too exposed. There were three main tracks in the skylane, with the slow freight haulers on the left, a wide overtaking lane in the middle, and the faster regular traffic on the right. She weaved over to the left, lurching in front of a long truck, its rear flatbed piled high with fruit and vegetables.

As Maria darted into cover, the APC gunner kept firing, spraying the freight-hauler with shells. Fresh produce was blown apart in a leafy green explosion, showering vegetation behind the long vehicle. The truck wavered unsteadily, then veered off to the side, the black smoke billowing from the rear indicating something more serious than vegetables had been hit.

Faith propped the rifle up on the back seat and aimed through the targeting scope. “Get ahead of another one!”

Maria twisted in her seat to look to the left, then winced as the truck smashed into the ground. “Oh no... the driver!”

“They’re automated!” Faith yelled over the whistling wind. “You’re more important than a truck!”

“I guess the owners can just bill ISD,” Maria murmured, shifting lanes to overtake another freight hauler, this one loaded up with lumber.

Faith didn’t reply for a moment, as she was concentrating on her target. She aimed at the front-left anti-grav cyclic, then gently squeezing the trigger, an armour-piercing round leaving the barrel with a loud crack. The bullet bounced off the armoured housing, but she still had an entire magazine full of rounds, which she continued firing at the pursuing APC. Its armour had been damaged by the missile Joel had launched back at the house, so it only took a few seconds for one of Faith’s bullets to punch through the torn plating.

“Yeah!” she crowed, watching the APC judder in her scope.

Sparks and shards of metal sprayed out from the damaged propulsion system, dramatically slowing its pursuit. With five cyclics still remaining, it was in no danger of crashing, but the APC was now struggling to keep up with the fleeing sedan. The gunner showed his displeasure by raking the rear of the car with another burst from his heavy machine gun, stitching a line of big bullet holes across the rear. The back seat exploded in a spray of shredded leather and stuffing, the slugs narrowly missing Faith.

Maria yanked the steering wheel to the left, pulling in front of the next truck and using that for cover. “Faith! Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine!” the brunette replied, grabbing another magazine from the pile on the back seat. “Just keep dodging!”

Turning back, she could see chips of wood and metal flying up in the air as the APC gunner tried to shoot the truck out of the way like the last one. The lumber was far more resilient though, protecting the front cab and all its automated systems from damage.

“We’re coming up on Baybury!” Maria called back anxiously. “But there’s lots of traffic... oh, it’s the police!”

“Take the turn!” Faith urged her, twisting in her seat to see the distinctive red and blue flashing lights on top of four police cruisers far in the distance.

***

The squad of ISD operatives whirled around, eager to take out the secondary target that had just fallen into their laps. Jehanna strode into the lobby, her boots crunching on the shards of glass littering the floor. She raised her pistol as the green-clad soldiers opened fire, then hesitated as a storm of bullets hit her shield, creating a rippling blue wave in a bubble around her. Without the high-tech defences Dana had provided her, she would have died in an instant, gunned down by hundreds of rounds.

Her brown eyes glinted with anger as she continued her advance, pointing the muzzle of her deadly pistol at the closest soldier. The ISD soldiers were trying to kill Henry Voss, who was Rachel’s father. The thought of that lovely girl being devastated by grief at the loss of her parent was too horrible for Jehanna to bear.

Aiming for centre-mass, just as her own father had taught her, she squeezed the trigger and fired a short burst of dazzling sapphire energy bolts at the ISD assassin. His scream was cut off in a hollow wheeze as the laser fire vaporised his lungs, the man collapsing where he stood with a huge hole in his chest. Ignoring the bullets hitting her shield, she picked the soldiers off one by one, their state-of-the-art armour useless against the incredibly powerful laser pulses.

Jehanna stood a dozen metres away, calmly executing each in turn, until a terrified soldier fired a grenade at her at almost point-blank range. The blast caught the reporter by surprise and knocked her flying backwards, but she managed to regain her balance and skidded to a halt in a spray of shattered glass. Seeing her shrug off a grenade was too much for the remaining ISD troops and the last two soldiers turned and fled, desperate to escape from this indestructible killing machine.

Jehanna tracked them with her pistol as they ran, then gunned down each fleeing soldier with short bursts of laser fire. Glancing back at the rest of the squad, she nodded to herself in satisfaction, confirming that every one of them had been slain. As she stood amongst the carnage, surrounded by a dozen steaming corpses and the stench of cooked meat, Jehanna was suddenly struck by the enormity of what had just happened. She had mown down eight men without so much as a second thought. Bracing herself, she waited for feelings of guilt and remorse to assail her, just as they had when she’d been forced to kill one of the men in Weber’s kidnapping team.

But she felt nothing of the kind.

By going after Henry Voss, these soldiers had attacked Jehanna’s extended family, therefore their deaths were well-deserved and not worth a single moment of regret. She nodded to herself as she considered her feelings, enjoying the warm sense of contentment at a job well done. Stepping over the butchered soldiers without so much as a backward glance, Jehanna approached the doorway to Henry’s office.

“Henry, are you okay?” she called out, peering around the doorframe.

In the charred corners of the room were a pair of Gatling Laser turrets, one of them blown to pieces by grenades, but the other very much intact. The barrel was whirring ominously and it spat out a burst of laser fire at Jehanna when her head appeared around the corner. She pulled back as her shield took the hit, orange bolts harmlessly absorbed by the protective field. In the brief glimpse she’d had of his office, there had been no sign of the Voss Corporation CEO.

“Henry!” she shouted again, hiding behind the doorframe. “This is Jehanna Elani... you’re safe now! The assassins are all dead!”

There was silence, then a deep clunk echoed from the room. “I’ve deactivated the turret,” a faint voice replied, sounding oddly muffled.

Jehanna cautiously poked her head around the door, her gaze locked onto the Gatling Laser’s rotating barrels. The recessed weapon was tilted down, the spinning slowing now that it had been turned off. Behind Henry’s huge desk, a section of the wall had swung back, revealing the entrance to a hidden panic room.

She bounded over, feeling a surge of relief that he’d taken such elaborate lengths to protect himself. “Thank God you’re alright!” she gushed, stepping through the door. “I was so worried!”

Her voice trailed away as she saw Henry Voss slumped on the floor, his white shirt soaked in blood. Lying on his lap was a deathly pale young woman, her long raven hair only partially concealing the cluster of gory gunshot wounds in her chest.

“Abigail got in their way... she saved me,” he whispered brokenly, cradling his assistant against him. “Why would she do that?”

***

Maria peeled away from the skylane as she fled towards the welcoming skyline of Baybury City. Four police cruisers were racing towards them in a dazzling flash of red and blue, the bright lights announcing that help was on the way.

“Will they just give up now?” Maria asked as her sedan roared towards the outskirts of the city.

“We should be safe,” her brunette companion replied confidently. “There’s no way they’ll chase us through the city.”

Glancing in her mirror, Maria spotted another of the black armoured vehicles. “Faith! There’s two of them!”

Faith spun around and aimed down her scope at the pursuing vehicle; there was no mistaking the sinister profile of an ISD armoured transport. She saw both black armoured vehicles follow them towards Baybury, leaving the skylane behind as they charged after their quarry.

“I don’t believe it...” the bodyguard muttered, shocked that they were still coming after them.

Both APCs opened fire again and Maria cried out in alarm as bullets slammed into the Luxura sedan, each impact announced by angry metallic clangs. The windscreen was hit by a stray bullet, smashing a big hole through the passenger side and shattering a spider-web of cracks across the glass. She ducked down, quickly grabbing a pair of sunglasses so she wouldn’t be blinded by the wind if they lost the windscreen.

The four squadcars roared past, two on each side, rushing to intercept the APCs. Seeing the police charging to the rescue was a huge relief to Maria, knowing that they would stop the assassins now. Unfortunately, that relief was short-lived, as the ISD turret gunners opened fire on the squad cars, peppering them with shells. One exploded as the power generator was ruptured, the wreck crashing to the ground in a blazing fireball. The driver was hit in another and the officer’s partner had to grab the steering wheel and veer away to stop them careening into the skylane of hover traffic. The last two returned fire with the machine guns built into the bonnet of the police cars, but the APCs armour was thick and deflected the bullets.

“Oh shit...” Faith swore, noticing the black smoke pouring out of the sedan’s rear-right cyclic. “I think they hit something important!”

“We’re losing power,” Maria agreed, stomping down on the accelerator in an effort to keep the hovercar going. Unfortunately, it did nothing to stop the dropping needle on the speedometer.

“Get into the city centre!” Faith called back, aiming her rifle at the closest APC. “Use the buildings for cover.”

Maria nodded, then followed the directions on a glowing holograph towards the bustling heart of the metropolis. The city’s altitude and velocity inhibitors kicked in, further slowing her sedan and guiding her down to the broad boulevards at ground level. The ISD vehicles didn’t have those restrictions, as they were equipped with the same standard-issue override given to local law enforcement vehicles. They gained ground quickly, but the gunners were still distracted by the two police cars that were looping around to chase after them.

Faith placed her rifle’s crosshairs squarely over the driver of the closest APC, aiming carefully to line up the shot before pulling the trigger. The bullet slammed into the windscreen, but it was reinforced

by a clear-metal overlay that absorbed a lot of the force. She fired again and again, leaving a vicious spiderweb of cracks across the glass. The driver flinched instinctively and ducked to avoid the bullets cracking the screen, inadvertently yanking the steering wheel to the side and spoiling the turret-gunner’s aim. A long burst of high-calibre bullets went sailing wide, smashing the shopfront windows of a row of boutiques.

“Get under the bridge!” she called out, pointing to the high-speed skyrail that brought commuters into the city via train.

Maria braked and took a sharp turn, the hovercar fishtailing wildly as she skidded under the concrete overpass. The APC drivers were caught by surprise, driving much too fast to make the same turn. They soared overhead with the squad cars in close pursuit, giving Faith and Maria some temporary respite.

“This doesn’t make any sense!” Faith protested, loading another magazine into her rifle. “They can’t be ISD... they’re breaking all our protocols!”

“Some rogue group?” Maria suggested, her eyes flicking over the signs as she raced along the road, keeping the bridge overhead.

“Maybe... I don’t know,” Faith replied, pausing when she heard more gunfire.

She climbed over the shredded holes in the back seat to look out the right window, trying to locate the APCs that had doggedly pursued them into the city. Spotting the flash of police lights, she saw one of the squad cars flying parallel to the bridge, opening fire at something out of sight. The black armoured transport roared into view, bullets pinging off thick plating. As the two vehicles passed each other, she noticed that the side door of the APC was open and several ISD troopers sprayed the passing police car in bullets. The cruiser lurched violently as it was hit by a grenade and the rear door was ripped away in the explosion, spinning down to the ground like a 300lb sycamore seed.

The car swerved sharply to the left and Faith whipped her head around in shock. “No, stay under the bridge!”

The Latina weaved through the traffic, taking another sharp turn towards a leafy park. “They knew we were under there. It’s only a matter of time before they take out those police cars and then they’ll be after us again!”

Faith gripped the back of the front seat and stared wide-eyed through the windscreen at the throngs of people ahead. “Maria! Where the hell are you going?!”

The sedan barrelled through the bustling park, dozens of people screaming and shouting as they dived out the way, the hover-car whistled just overhead. Maria drove directly towards a packed crowd standing in front of a stage, then roared past the shocked men in suits that were addressing the citizens.

“I remembered the mayor was giving a speech today,” Maria explained, steering the smoking sedan over a lake towards the city streets that circled the park. She jinked to the side to avoid a boat. “That little flyby should bring every police car in the city!”

Faith laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “You’re full of surprises.”

***

Charles crawled behind the bar, bullets slamming into the solid marble surface. Turning and glancing back around the edge of the sturdy counter, he spotted a soldier standing up from cover, getting ready to fire on him. Squinting down the barrel of his pistol, Charles tapped the trigger, his shots bouncing off the ISD soldier’s armour. One of the bullets hit the man’s helmet and upset his aim, making him jerk the rifle reflexively as he fired. The grenade hit the restaurant’s entrance instead of sailing though, blasting the open doors off their hinges. The ISD trooper ducked back down and the rest of his squad sprayed the bar with enough bullets to make it sound like they were in a torrential hailstorm.

Ducking back, Charles heard the brief pause as the soldiers reloaded. “Now, Lina!” he yelled, glancing over to where she crouched behind an overturned table.

The redhead bolted over to join him and dived behind the bar, crashing into Charles and knocking him down. She screamed as the soldiers opened fire again, bottles exploding overheard and soaking them in booze.

“Ow!” Charles yelped, wincing as she caught him in the ribs with a stray elbow.

Lina tumbled to the floor, then turned to stare at him with her eyes like saucers. “Charlie... what are we going to do?!”

He ejected the magazine from his pistol and grimaced, confirming he’d used his last bullets. “Shit! I’m out...”

“Take it, my shooting’s terrible,” she said, pressing her pistol into his hand. “I think there’s a few rounds left.”

Charles checked the magazine and saw the shiny 10mm caseless rounds nestled together inside. Slotting it back into place, he got up into a crouch with his pistol at the ready. “We have to get out the back; there could be rear access... or a refuse chute maybe.”

The shooting had ceased again, so he scuttled further along behind the bar and chanced popping up, only to see three of the soldiers had advanced to the restaurant’s smashed windows. He caught them by surprise by moving position and snapped off a shot with his snub-nosed pistol, shooting at the closest of the trio to slow him down. As the bullet hit the man’s armour, there was a bright flash and a sizzling hole appeared in his torso. Charles gaped incredulously at his pistol for a second, until

a dazzling cascade of blue laser bolts followed the first, slamming into the two soldiers by the window, each energy pulse blasting glowing holes through their armour.

Charles flushed when he realised what had really killed the soldier he’d shot at. His embarrassment turned to confusion as he stared wide-eyed at the carnage in front of the restaurant; he’d seen the aftermath of Gatling Laser fire before, but this was something else entirely. As the closest ISD troopers fell to the ground in smouldering chunks, the laser fire swept around, scything into the rest of the squad. Amidst screams of pain they dived for cover, crawling behind whatever objects they could put between them and their mysterious attacker.

Following the stream of azure laser bolts back to their source, Charles gaped in astonishment as he saw his fiancée riding atop an ascending elevator. Lynette was keeping the soldiers pinned down with suppressing fire, the endless torrent of energy pulses carving glowing holes through everything they touched. He gasped in alarm when he saw the soldiers returning fire, knowing that there was nowhere for Lynette to hide, not exposed as she was.

To his amazement, the bullets were deflected harmlessly, reminding him of heavy cannon shells being fired at a shielded ship. Lynette didn’t even flinch, sweeping her laser fire through one of the soldiers who knelt behind an overturned marble-topped table, the blue streaks cutting the man in half. Another of the soldiers fired his underslung grenade-launcher at her, the explosive round arcing across the plaza and slamming into the elevator before detonating.

When the smoke cleared, Charles stared at the aftermath in horror. The blast had ripped the elevator away from the wall and the mangled remains dropped like a stone, hurtling to the floor and smashing into thousands of pieces.

“How the hell did she do that?!” Lina whispered in awe, peeking over the bar counter beside him.

Charles was struggling not to fall apart, his heart leaden with grief. “Do what?”

“Look!” the redhead exclaimed, tugging his arm and pointing across the plaza.

He followed the direction of her finger and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Lynette hanging from one of the horizontal lighting poles that circled the plaza. She swung like an Olympic gymnast, her lithe body swaying back and forth to build up momentum. Moving with astonishing grace, she flipped herself up and caught the edge of the balcony, then vaulted over the glass panels to land on her feet.

The instant she landed, Lynette drew her pistol again and the stream of laser fire renewed, one of the bolts hitting the grenade-firer in the head and instantly decapitating him. She sprinted around the gallery, ignoring the sporadic bursts of bullets bouncing off her shield, while forcing the soldiers to keep their head down with sweeping sprays of laser fire. As she got closer, Lynette started aiming more carefully, firing directly at the cover she knew the men were cowering behind.

Not much short of ship-plating could stop those laser bolts, so marble tabletops and brick walls stood no chance. Again and again she cored through the obstacles in her path, ruthlessly exterminating the soldiers like rats dug out of their boltholes. Their anguished death screams broke the morale of the last two members of the squad, who decided to flee rather than wait to be systematically executed. Lynette took them both out with precise headshots, her furious scowl finally relaxing when she realised the threat to Charles had been neutralised. She whirled around, her hazel eyes darting about frantically until she spotted her fiancé standing in stunned silence behind the bar.

“Charles! Are you alright?!” she asked, frantic with worry as she jogged over to the demolished restaurant.

“Lynette... I thought I’d lost you!” he exclaimed, vaulting over the bar to sweep her up in his arms.

She hugged him fiercely, overwhelmed with joy to see that he was safe and well. “I was terrified I wouldn’t make it in time!”

“I’m okay, darling... thanks to you,” he said earnestly, before leaning down to kiss her passionately.

When they parted she broke into a broad grin. “I know you’re not that keen on Thai food, but why did you have to take cover in Thai-tanic? That was my favourite restaurant!”

Charles chuckled and gave her a rueful smile. “Sorry about that. I knew the layout, so it was the first place I thought of hiding.”

As they gazed into each other’s eyes, Lina coughed politely to get their attention. “Thank you for rescuing us, Lynette. Or is it ‘Marie’ when you look like this?”

Lynette glanced up at her fiancé in surprise. “I wasn’t sure you’d tell her, Charles.”

He winced and shook his head. “I didn’t...”

They both turned to look at the redhead, who was staring at Lynette in fascination, a wry smile on her pretty face.

***

“Shit, they’ve spotted us!” Faith yelled, staring through the rear window at the black APC racing high above the street. A second armoured vehicle loomed out from behind an office block and made a beeline for the red sedan. “And there’s the other one!”

Maria took a right turn, narrowly avoiding a hover-taxi as she crossed the lane of oncoming traffic. They were now hidden behind buildings again, but the two ISD vehicles had driven them away from the forest of tall skyscrapers in the city centre, making it much easier for the APCs to stay on their

tail. It didn’t take long for Faith to spot the black transport again and she watched as it soared over the four-storey buildings lining the street.

Grimacing, she turned to look through the windscreen. “There! Go in that mall! I can drop you off when we’re out of sight, then I’ll be a decoy and lead them away!”

One of the APCs opened fire, bullets slamming into the asphalt around the sedan and spraying stone chips into the air. They were at long range, but closing very rapidly.

Maria lurched the battered sedan from side to side, wincing as she heard the repeated clang of bullets striking her car. “They’re too close! If you slow down to drop me off, they’ll kill you!”

“This is what I signed up for,” Faith said quietly, locking eyes with her friend in the mirror. “Please, Maria... your life is much more important than mine.”

“That’s not true,” Maria said, her eyes welling up. “We can both make it!”

Another burst of bullets hammered the car, punching through the ceiling as the APCs swooped down to attack.

Maria cried out in pain as a bullet fragment struck her thigh, blood spurting over her skirt. “I’m hit!” she called back to Faith, gritting her teeth against the pain.

She knew she’d never be able to escape on foot with an injured leg, which abruptly made the decision for her. Maria drove past the mall, dodging around a bus as she drifted across the dual-lane boulevard, desperate to escape from the ISD assassins. Taking a sharp left gave her a moment of respite, as both of the faster APCs overshot the turn.

They’d reached the dockside district of Baybury City, having driven straight across the metropolis, and she frantically scanned the street signs looking for anything she could use to throw off her pursuers. There was a marina ahead and a sign for sightseeing cruises, but the bay had never been used for commercial seagoing traffic, so there weren’t any warehouses or loading areas she could hide in. Surprised that her bodyguard didn’t have anything to say about driving past the mall, Maria glanced in the mirror. She expected the brunette to be furious... but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Faith? Are you okay?”

Maria turned to look over her shoulder and gasped in horror. There was so much blood. Faith lay sprawled facedown across the back seat, having fallen victim to the burst of bullets that had punched through the roof.

“No! Faith!” Maria cried out in anguish, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Heartbroken for her friend, she sobbed in grief, trying to steer the car through the tears filling her eyes. The sedan was hit by another deadly salvo and Maria screamed as her car lurched violently before slamming into the ground.

***

“Yeah, we got the bitch!” Vihaan yelled triumphantly.

He watched as the red sedan slewed across the road in a blaze of sparks, the right side churning a deep furrow through the asphalt. Both of the right anti-grav cyclics had been destroyed, bringing the hover-vehicle crashing to the ground and dramatically ending the pursuit.

“Loop around and bring us down,” he ordered the driver as they flew past the crashed vehicle. “I want confirmation she’s dead before we evac.”

“Will do, Commander,” the operative said with a grin, powering down the engine and pushing the wheel forward as he made the turn.

The commlink chirped and Vihaan answered the call. “Report?”

“Sir, we’ve got at least a dozen squad cars inbound. Jericho law enforcement comms put them sixty seconds from our position.”

Vihaan allowed himself a cruel smile of satisfaction. They were too late to stop him now... his family’s honour would be avenged for what Devereux and Blake had done to Arjun Khatri.

“Stay on station, Khasanov. We’ll be done in thirty seconds,” he replied, moving to the open side door.

“What the fuck?!” Khasanov suddenly yelped, his voice shrill with fear.

“What is it?!” Vihaan demanded, lurching to his feet. “What’s happening?”

There was a dirge of high-pitched blasts, loud enough to drown out the ISD operative’s terrified scream and send vibrations through the APC. The sky outside flashed amber, the dazzling glare making Vihaan wince and shield his eyes. As the black vehicle continued its turn, he rushed to the doorway to see what had happened to the second APC.

“Oh my god...” he whispered, staring up at the sky in horror.

Looming above them was a Terran Federation battle cruiser. The warship’s vast titanium hull blotted out the sun, casting a dark shadow over the burning wreckage of the APC it had just obliterated. Gatling Laser batteries along its flanks pivoted in Vihaan’s direction and the ISD commander could see the weapon barrels glinting as they reflected the bright sunlight.

Vihaan Khatri had always wondered what his last words would be. He hoped that he’d die at a ripe old age, surrounded by a weeping widow and a host of grieving children as he imparted some poignant words of wisdom to his family. Instead, he whimpered and soiled himself.

The APC was eviscerated in a storm of orange laser bolts, raining glowing chunks of perforated metal down onto the asphalt below.

***

Jehanna stood in the hallway outside the Voss offices and waved to the medics sprinting down the corridor.

“Thank God you’re here!” she gasped, rushing to meet them.

The lead medic skidded to a halt, his eyes widening when he saw the slaughter in the reception area. “Which one is our patient?”

“Not them, they’re all dead,” Jehanna explained, before beckoning the medical team to follow. “Through here, in a panic room. She’s hurt really badly.”

The grim-faced medics hurried after her as she led them to the hidden room in Henry Voss’ office. The doctors rushed to her side as they unpacked their medical equipment, exchanging a glance when they saw the extent of Abigail’s injuries.

“Please... you’ve got to save her,” Henry whispered, cradling his fiancée’s head in his lap.

“Just move back a little, Sir,” the lead medic said with a bleak smile. “We need some room to work.”

Henry nodded and folded up his jacket to place under her head, then crawled back a few metres. Jehanna walked around the medical team and crouched beside Henry, putting her arm around his shoulders to give him a comforting hug. She watched the medics work, feeling a sense of dread.

“Ma’am, can you hear us?” the lead medic said, attaching a medi-scanner to Abigail’s blood-soaked chest.

“Patient unresponsive,” the other medic said, his brow furrowing with concentration as he checked the readings. “Breathing shallow, massive blood loss... BP critical. Severe trauma to right lung, spleen, kidney...”

The lead medic glanced at the door. “Where’s that crash cart?!”

“Here, Doctor!” the secondary team replied, pulling the grav trolley into the panic room.

“We need to evac her immediately. Give her TF-Methohexital and prep the patient for surgery en route...”

*Abigail’s hurt too badly for them to save,* Alyssa said firmly. *Lynette’s going to speak to them.*

Jehanna straightened and said, “Doctor, I need you to listen to someone.”

He looked up at her and frowned. “We don’t have time for this, she’s about to go into cardiac arrest!”

There was a chime from the desk behind Jehanna and she straightened, then tapped the button on the console to accept the incoming call.

“This is Fleet Admiral Lynette Devereux,” a clear authoritative voice declared, drawing everyone’s attention. “I want you to infuse your patient with cryo-vitrification solution and prepare her for cryostasis.”

The lead medic looked appalled. “If we do that, she’ll never survive reanimation! Her only chance is immediate surgery!”

“I’m not making a request, Doctor. I’m ordering you to put Abigail into cryostasis.”

“But-”

“She just needs to survive until the Angel of Terra returns to Olympus,” Lynette said quietly. “Keep her brain alive and prep her for cryo. Do it now, Doctor.”

The medic looked shocked for a moment, then turned to his colleagues and said sharply, “You heard the Fleet Admiral. Start cryo-prep and have her taken directly to the stasis tubes in Med-Centre 4.”

“What’s happening?” Henry Voss asked, his anxious gaze flicking between the lead medic, Jehanna, and the console behind him.

“We’re going to freeze Abigail and put her into suspended animation,” Lynette said gently. “John will get here as soon as he can... then Rachel will heal her.”

“Abi...” he whispered, staring at her deathly-pale face.

The medical team carefully lifted the unconscious young woman onto the hovering trolley, while one of the doctors loaded a hypo-injector with a viscous blue liquid. He placed it against Abigail’s arm, then glanced at the lead medic for confirmation.

“Go ahead,” the senior doctor said curtly. The medic’s conflicted expression reflected his internal fight between relying on years of medical training and putting faith in inexplicable medical miracles.

“She’s going to be okay,” Jehanna said, hugging Henry. “Don’t worry, Rachel will save her.”

***

Commander Vivian Grayson wrung her hands together, watching anxiously as the bullet-riddled sedan was pulled inside the shuttle bay by a tractor beam.

“We picked up lifesigns, Viv,” Captain Trevelyan reminded the nervous communications officer.

“I know... but she could be badly hurt!” the blonde replied, her eyes widening when she saw the state of the wreck. “Please be okay, Maria...”

The mangled red hover-car was carefully lowered to the titanium deck, making a metallic clunk as it settled on its twisted undercarriage. A medical team was waiting on standby and they sprinted across the hangar to the battered vehicle.

The driver’s door opened and a haggard brunette lurched out. “Help her! She’s in the back!”

Four of the five medics rushed to the rear of the car, pulling open the door to tend to their patient.

The fifth jogged over to the Latina, his expression filled with concern as he stared at the blood soaking her skirt. “You’re hurt too, Ma’am.”

“I’ll live,” she said stoically, turning her worried gaze to the medical team working on Faith.

“Maria!” Vivian gasped, reaching her friend a moment before the doctor. “Thank God you’re alright!”

The two women embraced in a fierce hug, holding each other as tight as possible.

Vivian pulled back so that the medic could tend to the brunette’s injuries. “You don’t need to play the brave hero, Fern,” she said fondly, with a broad smile of relief. “Let him look at your leg.”

Maria sighed, then nodded wearily. “Okay...”

The medic knelt beside her, running a medi-scanner over the gunshot wound.

“I’m sorry we took so long to reach you,” Vivian apologised, stroking her friend’s arm. “When your call got cut off, we headed straight to your home, but by the time we arrived, you’d already left. Jericho police were receiving all sorts of conflicting reports and we only tracked you down when you gate-crashed that mayor’s rally.”

Maria gave her a grateful smile. “You have nothing to apologise for, Grayce. I was incredibly lucky that you were transferred to the Epiphron and it was in orbit to pick up supplies.”

Vivian laughed and shook her head. “Oh, Fern... luck had nothing to do with it.”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked in confusion.

Captain Trevelyan joined them and saluted the bewildered brunette. “We’re here to protect you, Ma’am. The Epiphron has been permanently assigned to planetary guard over Jericho.” He smiled and added, “We know who was really responsible for getting word to the Lion and saving Terra, Mrs. Fernandez.”

***

Alyssa’s face lit up with a joy and she threw her arms around Calara. “Your mom’s okay!”

John embraced them both, stroking the trembling Latina as she sobbed with relief. “What did Lynette say?” he asked, trying to keep his fury in check.

The blonde paused to give her girlfriend a tender kiss. “She’s alright, baby... don’t get upset. Your mom was hit in the leg by a ricochet, but it’s nothing serious. The doctors aboard the Epiphron can fix her up, no problem. By the time we see Maria, the only thing Rachel will need to heal is a scar.”

“I’ve never been so scared,” Calara whispered, hugging them both. “The thought of my mom fleeing for her life... God, she could have been killed!”

“Don’t worry, gorgeous,” Alyssa said soothingly, stroking her hair. She flicked a glance up at John, her eyes blazing with ferocious intensity. “The people who did this are going to pay. When we’re done, nobody will dream of fucking with your family ever again...”

“Does Lynette know who did it?” John asked, leaning down to kiss Calara on top of her head.

“They were ISD troops,” his matriarch replied, gritting her teeth. “She doesn’t think the whole division is involved, but she’s ordered everyone arrested until we can verify who was responsible.”

“Lynette, Jehanna, Charles, Henry... Maria,” John snarled, his eyes blazing with a blue light. “I warned everyone what would happen if they threatened my friends.”

Alyssa nodded, her expression bleak. “I know... some people are too stupid to live. We’ll help them out with that.”

John let out his breath in a heavy sigh. “How’s Henry’s fiancée doing?”

“They managed to keep Abigail alive and get her into cryostasis. As soon as we get back to Olympus, Rachel will have her as good as new.”

“Getting shot’s no picnic,” John reminded her with a grim frown. “Even if she’s alright physically, Abigail might not get over this anytime soon.”

“I know,” Alyssa said, giving him a reassuring smile. “But we have Helene to help out too.”

“Oh yeah, of course,” he said, nodding his agreement. “Any news on other casualties?”

“Lynette just got confirmation that they shot Admiral Schmidt, but she’s still waiting for a number on the marines killed at Olympus. No news on Maria’s protection team, but I’ll let you know straight away.”

John lay back on the bed, pulling the blonde and brunette with him. “If I hadn’t given away Larn’kelnar’s dreadnought to my father, we could’ve got there in time to stop all this. I’m such a fool...”

Calara propped herself up so she could look him in the eyes. “You can’t blame yourself for this one, John. A progenitor dreadnought wouldn’t have made any difference.”

“What about the Wormhole Generator?” he reminded her, shaking her head. “We could have just jumped back to the Core Worlds and wiped out those ISD hit teams in minutes!”

“She’s right, handsome,” Alyssa said, gently kissing his cheek. “It’s got a 12-hour charge time, remember?”

John frowned and didn’t look convinced.

“We only found out about the Brimorian attack this morning, but that was hours after the battle was over,” Calara explained. “As soon as Lynette told us about the imminent threat of an Enclave invasion, we would have jumped straight to the Callopean Shoals. The Brimorian fleets would all be destroyed, but we’d still be too late to save Admiral Morgan and his border force.”

“And it’s only 12:30,” Alyssa interjected, after a quick glance at the chronometer hanging in Calara’s quarters. “So we’d still be stuck on the Brimorian border waiting for the Wormhole Generator to recharge. There’s nothing we could’ve done to stop any of this once it started.” “Damn, you’re right,” he conceded, looking surprised. “I’d started thinking we’d be able to just jump around all over the place and prevent this kind of shit... but it’s not that simple.”

Calara nodded, then lay down again, snuggling into him. “That’s one good thing to come out of all this. At least now we know we’re going to have to plan our wormhole jumps very carefully...”

He stroked her back and let out a frustrated sigh. “I hate feeling so helpless out here. Do you think the Brimorian attack and the assassination attempts are connected?”

“I don’t know,” Calara replied, shaking her head. “But it’s a hell of a coincidence...”

“And we know how you feel about those,” Alyssa agreed, tilting her head up to meet John’s pensive gaze.