The Cair Thewlis fell through the sky like a comet, hurtling toward Earth’s surface. Their escape from the Terran defensive fleet had bought them enough time to enter the atmosphere over one of the planet’s many oceans.
Yen careened his head in an attempt to look at the world below as Pelasi angled the ship in a steep dive, but the world below was obscured. The innocuous clouds that Yen had seen from orbit had turned dark before his eyes. They boiled with an inner anger, punctuated by sharp flashes of lightning arcing from one swollen cloud to another. Thunder crashed loudly, jarring the ship as they grew closer to the storm clouds. Yen frowned at the sight. Earth was gone, replaced by a swirling mass of black clouds which roared out in challenge, daring the Cair Thewlis to pass into their bellies. The landing on Earth would be difficult with nature herself seeming to rise up in protest to the Alliance invasion.
Their ship seemed infinitesimally small as it was swallowed by the storm. Slipping beneath the clouds’ surface, Yen could hear the gentle patter of rain start almost immediately, though it was hard to see anything beyond the windows of the ship. Droplets of water pelted the window before rolling toward the rear of the descending transport. The deeper they flew toward the heart of Earth, the denser the rain became until it was pouring in sheets that coated the front viewports.
Yen tried to block out the storm brewing outside the ship and, instead, focused on the storm brewing within him. The storm clouds were indicative of their entire mission. Innocent mechanisms, like the warp technology, became deathtraps when placed in the hands of the Alliance. Yen had lost so much during the conflicts, beginning with his time in covert operations and continuing as he took his position aboard the Revolution. It seemed that every fiber of the universe itself rallied against him and now that he had finally reached Earth, even the planet itself staged a violent protest. Sneering at the dark clouds around him, Yen knew that the planet would have to rupture and vaporize him where he sat before he would stop. He had the opportunity to lead the Alliance to the greatest victory ever recorded. More importantly, Yen was quickly becoming the figurehead who would be ushering in a new era of peace. Soon, Yen would be king among the Alliance. No, he corrected himself, he would be a God!
A brilliant flash of lightning wrenched Yen from his musings. He blinked away the spots of light that danced in his vision. The lightning strike had passed dangerously close to the ship and Yen was suddenly reminded of how much the Cair Thewlis was acting like a giant lightning rod, passing through the heart of a storm.
“Is that lightning going to be a problem?” Yen asked as he turned toward Warrant Pelasi.
The Uligart looked strained. His eyes darted back and forth between the controls and the radar, since Pelasi was flying completely on sensors as they passed through the blinding storm. “Gods, I hope not,” he whispered.
“Anything I can do?”
Pelasi shook his head. “Not unless you can part the clouds and give me a tunnel to fly through. We’re pretty much running blind right now. I’ve got some sensor telemetry, but the ionized air is bouncing back a lot of false signals. I can’t tell if we’re one mile or a hundred above the surface. I’m just hoping I can figure it out before we hit the water.”
Yen shivered at the thought of crashing into one of Earth’s oceans. As much as he felt helpless, Pelasi had touched on something that Yen might just be able to help with. Shrugging, Yen turned to his Uligart pilot. “I can’t help with the sensors, but I might be able to do something about the weather.”
Closing his eyes, Yen began to concentrate. The air around him shimmered, causing the walls of the cockpit to appear as though they were malleable; the walls danced in the flickering mirage. Blue light emanated from his body and suffused the dancing waves of psychic energy. Ahead of the Cair Thewlis, the dark clouds ignited in blue flame, the wisps of the clouds burning away like fuses leading to a powder keg. The entire storm cloud began to unravel faster and faster until, through the darkness, they could see the dark, rolling ocean below.
Dropping below the bottom ceiling of the clouds, the Cair Thewlis was engulfed in a torrential downpour. Sheets of heavy rain washed over the ship as it began leveling out just above the churning ocean waves. Swollen by the sudden storm, the ocean swells grazed the bottom of the transport as it flew above the frothing waters. White crests sprayed the hull before dissolving into steam on the surface of the ship still heated from its entry through the atmosphere.
Once the ship was running parallel to the ocean surface and well on its way toward the Terran mainland, Pelasi pressed on the throttle. Plasma infused flames leapt from the back of the ship’s engine, cutting a channel through the waves behind it as the superheated exhaust evaporated the ocean swells. As it hurtled toward the shore, sea mists erupted from around the Cair Thewlis.
Satisfied that Pelasi could handle the approach, Yen unbuckled from the copilot’s chair and opened the hatch leading into the crew compartment. Throughout the compartment, boxes that had become unhooked during the warp were strewn around the open area between the seated team. Though knocked around, the team still seemed in high spirits, something Yen hoped they maintained as they finally touched down on Earth.
“Alright, gentlemen,” Yen began as the stern faces turned toward him. “We’re through the worst of it and are on our way to the capital. We’re estimating a short five to ten minute flight until we reach the near shore and only a couple more minutes until we touch down on ground. Make sure you have everything you’re going to need to for this mission on hand. Once we touch down, we’re going to hit the ground running. There won’t be any time to sort through your gear when bullets are flying over your head.”
Yen took a step into the room and reached up, using an overhead metal beam for support. “Get your heads on straight. Those of you who are too distracted or afraid probably won’t be coming back alive. That’s not cruel, that’s honest.”
Pausing, Yen caught Buren’s angry look from the corner of his eye. Though he didn’t justify his anger by even sparing the Uligart a glance in his direction, Yen felt infuriated that Buren would still judge him for what happened with the Seques. In the near future, he and Buren would have to reevaluate their relationship.
“Check your weapons and ammo. Cross level if you’re short on any supplies. We’ll be reaching their radar range…”
Before Yen could finish his sentence, a roaring explosion rocked the Cair Thewlis. Yen was tossed from his feet, his hand slipping from the metal bar he was using for support. Collapsing to the ground, Yen wound up unceremoniously intermingled amidst a pile of assault packs. Growling, he tossed the bags aside and climbed to his feet. No sooner had he spun on the doorway leading to the cockpit than a second explosion rocked the ship, dropping him back down into the packs.
Staggering forward, using the walls for support, Yen opened the door and stepped into the forward cabin. With the open viewports, he could now hear even more distant explosions, as though the entire stormy sky was filled with exploding ordinance.
“What the hell is going on?” Yen yelled, as he slid into the copilot’s chair.
Warrant Pelasi’s arms were taunt as he struggled to maintain control of the ship. “I don’t know, sir. They just started opening up on us!”
Yen grimaced as the ship was rocked by another explosion. The right side of the window was filled with angry red flames as the round exploded nearby. As far as he could tell, though, the ship had yet to sustain any serious damage.
“Who?”
“Coastal guns, maybe?” Pelasi said, unsure. “They’re packing some pretty serious explosives, whoever they are.”
The force from another explosion drove the Cair Thewlis downward in a rapid descent. Yen could feel his last meal creeping higher into his throat and he suddenly felt very nauseas. As Yen braced himself against the forward console, Pelasi managed to regain control and pull the ship skyward moments before they would have crashed into the churning ocean below.
“Are you intentionally flying into every round they fire at us?” Yen yelled angrily, his heightened emotions overwhelming his sense of queasiness.
“Not intentionally, sir,” Pelasi retorted.
“Then do you think it’s even remotely possible for you to avoid one of the explosions?”
“I’m trying!” the Uligart yelled back. “If you’re so concerned, you might call one of the other pilots and get some Duun support down here. You have them blast those guns to hell and maybe they won’t do the same to us!”
Yen frowned at his pilot, knowing that though he was frustrated with Pelasi, the Uligart was also correct. Reaching to his throat, Yen activated the Squadron channel.
“Alpha Leader, this is Commander Xiao. If you’re not too busy up there, we could really use some of that air superiority we’ve heard so much about!”
Iana’s voice called back over the radio, though the background noise was filled with the sound of alerts and sirens sounding from within her cockpit. “This is Alpha Leader. No, sir, of course we have nothing important going on up here. Just relaxing and having the time of our lives. Hell, when you boys get done down there, feel free to come join us. We’re getting ready to fire up the blender and make some cocktails.”
“Can the chatter, Alpha Leader, and get me some air support!”
“Roger, sir,” Iana called back. “I’m breaking away two Duun fighters to your position now.”
Yen closed the channel and turned back to his pilot. “Buy us time. Dodge, weave, do whatever you have to do. Just keep us in the air long enough for the Duun pilots to get here.”
Warrant Pelasi turned on the internal ship’s communications. “Everyone hold tight. This is about to be a bumpy ride.”
The Cair Thewlis dropped nearly to the ocean’s surface before climbing steeply toward the overhead cloud cover. Pelasi continued a random flight pattern as they moved ever forward toward the Earth shoreline. As they grew closer to the shore, the rain began to lessen. In the far distance, Yen could see the faint silhouette of mighty skyscrapers, the tops of which were lost in the clouds above. Closer, however, the flash of fire alerted him that while the lightening rain allowed him to see the shore, it also allowed the large caliber coastal guns to see him as well.
“Incoming!” he yelled before another barrage of explosions rocked the ship. Gritting his teeth, Yen hoped that the Duun ships would reach them before they were blown out of the sky.
In response to his prayers, two small ships streaked overhead, rocketing toward the coast. The small Duun fighters were nearly impossible to track by the massive guns that jutted out over the water. Firing in a defensive pattern, the coastal guns tried to keep the two darting fighters at bay, but to no avail. From the cockpit of the Cair Thewlis, Yen watched as smoky trails leapt from the missile racks under the wings of the Duun fighters. The plasma rockets streaked toward the shore, the missiles separating until they were each targeted on one of the large caliber cannons. The guns continued to fire, but Yen knew that their fate was sealed as soon as the missiles were launched. Onboard the missiles, the computer system tracked the inbound rounds from the coastal guns and easily avoided the barrages. They drew close to the large cannons before launching skyward, flying over a hundred feet above the massive cannons before turning in midair. Hurtling downward, the plasma rockets slammed into the coastal guns one after another.
When the plasma missiles struck the cannons, the gloomy sky between Yen and the rest of the Terran capital city lit up in a solid wall of burning plasma. The purples and blues of the plasma danced through the center of the flames as subsequent explosions erupted. Fuel cells, ammunition depots, and coastal guns exploded in steady progression, wreaking more and more havoc to the nearby Terran communities.
The Duun fighters disappeared through the flames, oblivious to the potential hazard as another series of explosion erupted from around the gun ports. Beyond the closest set of flames, Yen could see further explosions from within the city as the Duun fighters launched volley after volley into the city itself. Though hardly carrying the destructive capacity of the plasma bombs on board the Cruisers, the rockets bore enough explosives to bring down some of the heavenly skyscrapers, which collapsed into the city below.
By the time the Cair Thewlis broke through the wall of flames along the coast, the Terran capital city lay in ruins. Metal and stone lay twisted around one another in a macabre dance. Terran civilians nearby the multiple rocket strikes were lucky, having been instantly obliterated by the explosions. Others on the outskirts of the blasts, however, were now buried beneath tons of rubble and, in many cases, burning debris.
Staring out the window, Yen struggled to fathom the depth of destruction and loss of life caused by a single pass of the Duun fighters. Suppressing a sadistic smile, Yen imagined the sheer volume of destruction that would be waged once the rest of the Fleet finally arrived at Earth.
“Sir,” Pelasi said, the Uligart angling the Cair Thewlis further into the heart of the capital city, “I’ve got something on radar.”
Yen broke his attention away from the rain-streaked window and examined the radar. Overlaid on the radar, a satellite image showed the terrain of the city. Ahead, blinking red on the overlay, a section of the city was illuminated. Tracking his gaze outside the window toward the area marked on the map, Yen noticed a sudden downturn in the height of the buildings, as though the closer they got to the heart of the city, the more the buildings bowed in solemn reverence to the area contained within.
As the buildings grew ever shorter, they eventually leveled out at a series of two and three story structures. Beyond the low buildings, however, the structures stopped altogether in an architectural cliff face. In the valley created by the lack of buildings, lush green grass spread over multiple city blocks. There, towering over the green grass and flowering trees, Yen could see the large tower, jutting toward the sky. The odd, square-sided structure reached over a hundred feet high before ending in an elongated point. As to the purpose of the building, Yen couldn’t fathom, nor could he understand the rectangular lake that sat at the base of the tower and stretched away like a long, reflective shadow.
Breaking his attention away from the grassy park, Yen gestured toward an open square a few city blocks away. “Put us down over there.” As Pelasi complied, Yen continued. “Once we hit ground and download the equipment, I want you airborne again.”
“Sir?” Pelasi asked, confused.
“You’re our way out of this hellhole. If you stay on the ground and this ship gets damaged, then we’ve not only walked right into the lair of the enemy, but we took away our only way out. I’ve been in that situation before and I have no intention of repeating a bad mistake. Land, download us, then get the hell out of here. Understand?”
Pelasi nodded. “Yes, sir.”
The Cair Thewlis set down heavily on the paved Terran square, its heavy alloy body crushing the flimsy vehicles beneath it. Before Yen could climb out of his chair, he could hear the back door to the ship dropping and a scurry of booted feet. He opened the door and was proud to see that most of his men had already hurried off the ship.
“I’ll be manning the radio, sir,” Warrant Pelasi called from behind him. “The second you all get into trouble, call me and I’ll be back here.”
“I know you will,” Yen replied as he hurried to catch up to his men.
Stepping outside, Yen wrinkled his nose in displeasure. The city smelled at though far too many Terran bodies had been living on top of one another for far too many years. It permeated the buildings and floated along the air like wisps of smoke.
Looking around, Yen smiled at his men. They had already moved into defensive positions around the square, ensuring that no counterattacking Terran forces could gain an upper hand while approaching down any of the main thoroughfares. Catching Buren’s eye, Yen motioned for the officer to join him.
Approaching, the Uligart looked eternally unhappy. “Sir?”
“Take your men and sweep around the outskirts of the park,” Yen ordered. “I’ll take my team and make a more direct approach. Our forces should be able to meet near the eastern side of the park, which was the last known location of the doctor we’ve been sent to retrieve.”
Yen could see the obvious disagreement cast on Buren’s face. Both the men knew that the outskirts mission was one that relegated the subordinate commander to little more than a supporting role while the primary commander, in this case Yen, claimed all the honors for the victory after making his direct attack. Though Yen had little time for the rivalry that Buren perceived, he couldn’t resist a small barbed attack to the man’s ego.
Buren sneered as he replied. “Yes, sir.”
“And Buren,” Yen said, his voice sickly sweet with false concern, “do be careful.”
“Like you care,” Buren snarled as he turned and walked away.
Yes, Yen realized, they would have to reevaluate their relationship very soon indeed. That, however, would have to wait for the time being. Motioning toward his team, Yen’s men took up positions on both sides of the road as they began their approach on the park.