Lunara: Naomi Ravenswood and the Earth War: The Lunara Series, #7

By Wyatt Davenport

In the seventh book of the Lunara series, Naomi Ravenswood has been living the good life on Mars as an Earth spy. But her fortunes turn quickly when she makes a tragic mistake on her latest mission, jeopardizing her cover and threatening her investigation into a mysterious group attacking Martian and Earth colonies.

Check out the first book in the series, SETH AND CHLOE.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wyatt Davenport
• Release date: Jan 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310733284

Wyatt Davenport

Wyatt Davenport was born in 1977 in Kingston, Ontario, and grew up in London, Ontario, and Atlanta, Georgia. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife Colleen and their two Siberian Huskies. An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, Wyatt is inspired by authors like Timothy Zahn, Michael Crichton, Robert Aspirin, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Garrick Blake had been back on Lunara for the better part of a day preparing for an attack that everyone hoped wouldn’t come. His intelligence agents told him otherwise. Mars was mobilizing several of its fleets, shifting its forces to protect strategic locations.

The Martian declaration of war against Earth wasn’t a surprise, but it was heartbreaking. Both sides had prepared for years for this outcome, but a part of him had hoped it would never happen. The Martians’ attack of Mercury and their incursion into Earth space were too much for Earth Command to ignore. Earth countered with several quick strikes against nearby Martian ships, causing the Martian Council to announce its intentions for war. Garrick felt partly responsible for the declaration. His escape attempt from the Martian cruiser over Mercury and its ultimate destruction were part of the reason for the declaration. They’d left him no other choice. Both Ishi Lily and his lieutenant Jenkins were threatened with torture, and Garrick couldn’t allow it to continue. Each of them had valuable information, and it would be foolish to comply for the sake of the peace that Mars was so callously disregarding.

After he’d finished his mission, Garrick had left Mercury because he felt it was protected enough, and frankly it wasn’t a valuable colony to Earth. Earth needed him here. Venus mobilized its defense system and dipped lower into the atmosphere to shield itself from orbital bombardment. Saturn Station was considered a loss to Earth; many of its citizens were being slaughtered on the station, and conflicting reports indicated those left had already given up. It was sad news for Ishi Lily, whom he consoled. Sadly, the Lunara’s Martian crew members had to be considered prisoners of war, and Garrick felt terrible about it. They were his friends, but he also knew their loyalties. He made them as comfortable as possible in their quarters.

Garrick clasped his hands together as he looked over the Earth Command fleet. He had commanded the fleet when he returned from the Mercury battle. He wasn’t proud of it, but Earth Command felt it best that he take credit for stopping the Martians on Mercury. He was hailed a hero across Earth and placed on a pinnacle for his ingenious plan to destroy the Martian Command ship from the inside.

What hadn’t been revealed was his inability to capture or kill Admiral Poole. Mercury commander Cole had reported that the admiral fled the battle zone in an escape pod. Apparently, Martian escape pods had shockdrives, as no traces of the pod could be found, but the sensor grid had caught it. Garrick would have to face the admiral again, and probably over Earth.

Before he arrived, Earth Command had run out a Martian cruiser that had attacked the Protector as it fled Earth. He was surprised that Seth Smith had taken the Protector back to Earth, but the mysterious man had motivations unknown to anyone. The interesting part of the report was that the Protector formed a bubble or ring around its hull, and then suddenly the ship disappeared. No trace of it had been relayed by his intelligence network across the planets and space stations. The Protector was gone.

Foremost on Garrick’s mind was the nervousness about the coming war. Earth’s fleet wasn’t as impressive as Mars’s. In an all-out battle, ship versus ship, Mars would obliterate Earth, but the Martians had a weakness that they considered a strength. They had many more properties to protect across the solar system. They had space stations around each of the gas giants, research stations scattered throughout, and numerous bases within the asteroid belt. They also had colonies on the moons of all of the gas giants. It was a weakness because now they had to protect them. Earth’s strategy would be to terrorize any unprotected colonies and force the Martian fleet to spread thin. Garrick preached to the Earth brass that the primary plan of an inferior foe was to either cripple the empire with a surprise attack or terrorize the citizens until they fought against the military that was supposed to protect them. It was a main reason why terrorism was a great way to combat a superior force.

Earth also had the global shield. But the shield’s main disadvantage was that it limited Earth’s movements, leaving those outside even more vulnerable. He pleaded with Earth not to use the shield unless Mars took Lunara. If Lunara was free, Earth would be free.

Chief Blake, Ishi said from behind him, your plan is set. We’re ready for battle.

He waved her into the room. Excellent. He closed the door behind her and moved in close. Are you okay now?

No, she said. But in order to get Saturn Station back, I need to beat Mars in the war. I don’t think I’ll see the station for years.

If ever, he said. You have to accept that the station might be gone.

I can’t do that, she replied. Going back is my motivation through this mess.

He ran his fingers through her hair. I’ll get you back, then—someday.

Thanks. She moved in closer and kissed him with a passion he hadn’t felt in years. He was falling for Ishi, and he didn’t want it to happen because of emotions created out of the war. He wanted it to happen because it was pure.

He pulled back and gazed into her hazelnut eyes. I want to promote you to chief administrator of Lunara colony. I can’t run the colony and the fleet. I’m Fleet Commander Blake now.

She nodded. I’ll care for Lunara in your absence. I’ve been running the colony for the last six hours anyway.

Sorry about that. Earth Command was here, and they gave me my orders.

Anything bad?

A couple of items weren’t as I expected, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Her face showed concern. I came here on a different matter. We picked up something on long-range. It was a blip, but we aren’t sure what it is.

Let me see. Was it the Martians?

Ishi handed him the data feed, and he scanned it.

Not the Martians, he said. The signatures are too small for a fleet. Might be a transport ship or a freighter. I’ve seen it act funky before. Don’t worry about it unless it gets closer.

Understood, she said. It’ll take me a few weeks to adjust to Lunara’s quirky old scanning system.

We went from old Martian sensors to inferior Earth ones. Lunara gets its charm from being so bastardized.

From the command center, a siren rang out. Bright red lights flashed, and the wail caused Garrick’s shoulders to tense. Immediately he scanned the space above Lunara with his hawklike eyes.

There, he said, pointing, between Lunara and Earth, a fleet of Martian ships. Prepare for attack.

I see ’em now. Ishi raced out of the office and screamed to everyone in the command tower, Get to the bunkers and defense systems! Someone escort Fleet Commander Blake to his command ship.

Garrick was one step ahead of Ishi. He rushed through the command tower into the shuttle docked to the tower. He was on his way to the command ship Hercules.

Five minutes later, on the bridge of the Hercules, Garrick watched the Martian fleet back away as the ground cannons from Earth ravaged any ship that ventured too close. The Earth cruisers, smaller in size, spilled continuous salvos of bullets and missiles at the fleet.

Much to the crew’s dismay, Garrick kept the Hercules back. He wanted to watch the action play out from his vantage point. Earth had everything under control so far.

Commander, Jenkins said.

Garrick had appointed Jenkins his number two officer on the Hercules, a position he wouldn’t trust to anyone else.

Garrick, we’ve bitten the Martian fleet to a point of extermination. They’ve no counter for our attacks.

That’s what worries me. They’ve been awfully inept thus far.

Jenkins let out a long breath. I hate it when your intuition is right. What’s their play?

Where are we weak?

Lunara and the other side of Earth. Most of our fleet has mobilized against the primary attack.

Garrick tapped along his command chair’s console. The viewscreen image zoomed into Lunara. Flashes of light zipped to and from the lunar colony. Several ships circled over it.

Get Chief Lily on the line, Garrick shouted at the comm controller.

The woman, Controller Perez if he recalled correctly, shook as she typed in the commands.

Commander Blake, Ishi said with a surprisingly calm voice, we’re holding them off and probably could for another three days.

How? They’re coming at you point blank.

Not really. No fighters in the area, and they’re staying just out of reach of our primary turrets.

It’s a ruse to draw us back, Jenkins said. Where are they?

You said it. Other side of Earth.

Earth Command reports defensive weapons triggering from the Southern Continent, Northern Continent, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

That’s the whole planet! Garrick seethed. It’s a full-out attack.

"Get the Hercules over Asia, Jenkins ordered the pilot. We’ll take them. Scramble the fighters."

The pilot hesitated.

Do it! Garrick glowered. Everything was being attacked, and he couldn’t cover it all in the Hercules. It was time for him to execute the surprise he’d been holding back.

When they arrived on the other side of Earth, the Martians had complete control of the air space. There were reports coming in from the surface that over half of the land cannons were disabled and several cities were in ruins. Garrick wondered for a split second whether Earth could consider any situation at this point a victory, but he would salvage the first attack into something other than the shield being raised over the planet. That meant a total surrender.

Draw them toward the freighters. Move up above them. Garrick scanned the area. The Martians were set up ten thousand miles from the Hercules and only a hundred miles from the surface of the Earth. A group of freighters floated in the quarantine zone approximately two hundred kilometers from the Earth.

I count fifteen cruisers and approximately two hundred fighters, Jenkins said.

Have they spotted us yet?

No indications of it, but they might not move on us until we’re within weapons range.

Good point, Garrick said. How long until we’re behind the freighters?

The pilot’s forehead glistened with sweat as he turned. Th-thirty seconds.

Weapons. Garrick rolled his lip between his teeth. Launch three stealth missiles at the closest ship. Hopefully one gets through and stings them.

The missiles exited the Hercules seconds later. The trail of their afterburners lasted for only a few seconds before the missiles disappeared into the background of space. Radar pick ’em up?

No, sir, the weapons controller said.

Perfect. Time to impact?

Ten seconds.

Power down to minimal levels. Make them nervous about where we are.

The lights on the bridge faded. Done, sir.

The Hercules passed behind several freighters. As the vessel floated through space with ease, the creaks and cracks of the massive cruiser set everyone’s nerves on edge. Garrick watched as the Martian cruisers gave no indication they saw the stealth missiles.

Three successive explosions against the closest Martian cruiser’s hull lit space. Silhouetted against the flashes were the numerous fighters zipping about.

Three impacts. The weapons officer recited the obvious. Three cruisers breaking off and coming toward us. Check that. Seven cruisers.

Seven, Garrick said. We’re a bit more of a threat than I thought.

The Martian cruiser was destroyed. It’s falling into Earth’s atmosphere now, Jenkins said. We irked them.

The seven cruisers charged ahead. The Hercules pilot backed off slightly to make room for the approaching cruisers.

Using some quick mental math, Garrick realized that the cruisers would pass through the thirty freighters in twenty seconds. He held his tongue, not wanting to spring his trap too early. Power up plasma shields to max, he said. We’re about to get whacked.

We’re going to get killed sitting here, the pilot said. Let’s get out of here.

Garrick moved over beside the pilot. Stay where we are.

They’re almost through, Jenkins said. Now!

No! Get some nerves, Jenks. I want them completely cut off.

The Martian cruisers advanced. Missiles and bullets streamed from their weapons holds, creating lines of blue and orange.

Garrick heard the grumbles and prayers of the bridge crew, but he wasn’t backing down, not with the people of Earth in such peril. Get us up a few hundred meters to avoid the bulk of it, and send the following message on frequency four-two-five-two: ‘Start your operation.’

The comm controller shouted back, Relayed, sir.

Just as he said it, the brilliant surprise unraveled. Each of the freighters cracked in half and opened like an egg with a chick coming out of it. Out of the shells came two Earth mini-cruisers each, loaded with enough firepower to level Mars twice over. The Earth fleet rolled in behind the Martian cruisers, and instantly, the blue bullets of the Earth fleet discharged into the back of the Martian fleet.

The Hercules lurched, and as the multiple blazes of light flashed outward, Garrick felt the coming shockwave of the exploding Martian cruisers. He had been right; Mars had been overconfident and too compact. And Earth’s years of planning had been worth it. Repeatedly, the missiles hit the dropping ships dead center, and suddenly the whole Martian force seemed to tear apart in a blaze of multiple explosions. For a long minute the battle’s result was hidden behind secondary explosions and clouds of debris.

Then the Earth ships cut through the destroyed ships. A few more Earth ships joined them, but this group moved faster than Garrick had expected, almost like they were fleeing something.

The hull rippled after each successive explosion, and Garrick fell to his knees before he could admire the attack. Another explosion threw him across the bridge into the wall to the left. He groaned, winded.

Jenkins barked orders. That heightened Garrick’s focus, and he got to his feet. Status.

A desperate last salvo, but our plasma shields held. The Martian cruisers are in ruins. The other Martian cruisers are backing away and retreating.

Our losses?

No cruisers. A few dozen fighters. The dogfights are continuing.

Garrick stumbled over to his command chair. He studied the viewscreen as the pain in his ribs sharpened steadily. We’ve let the four Martian cruisers jump out. Another is collecting the fighters. Focus on it.

What about Lunara?

Lunara is fine. It was to draw us away. They probably bugged out already.

Jenkins pumped his fist in joy. I can’t believe it worked.

Garrick wasn’t so impressed that he’d lost his best surprise against Mars. We’ve had those freighters in orbit for two years anticipating a strike from Mars. It had to work or we were dead.

Jenkins let out a sigh. We can’t use it again, and they’ll be back with more bite.

Don’t worry, Jenkins. We’re going to start our plan of war against Mars. They started this affair, and now they’ll learn the true resolution of Earth.

Garrick stared out at the Earth Command ships as they destroyed the last of the Martian cruisers. The fight, so one-sided only moments before, had to have shocked Mars. People would be cursing in Trivium Port tonight, but worry washed the smile from his face. As Jenkins had said, Mars would be back, and Garrick had to make sure Earth was ready, and he had to deter his fleet from becoming too confident because of this victory.

Chapter 2

Garrick stood at the same window Parker McCloud had when the Alliance defeated the MSA over two hundred years ago. It was a ritual of the Lunara administrators to reflect on their lives from there. Due to its history, the room had a certain aura about it.

Ishi Lily stood beside him as the new administrator of Lunara. He appreciated her willingness to step up when Earth Command gave him Earth’s primary Wolf fleet to command, and he couldn’t balance that duty with his administration of Lunara anymore. Lunara’s purpose had changed in a matter of a day. The quarantining activities had stopped, and the colony had been turned into the biggest sensor grid in the solar system.

Since the meteors had come, Lunara had been important to humanity, and Garrick knew in his heart it would play an important role before the war was over. But he and Earth Command didn’t see its relevance at the moment, so he passed the running of it to Ishi. She could be trusted, and she had run the prison on Saturn, so her experience with Martian–Earth relations went unquestioned by Earth Command.

You’ve been angry since we returned, Ishi said. She intertwined his fingers with hers.

It seems the solar system is against me, he replied. And I’m losing at every turn.

You just defeated a Martian attack against Earth.

I don’t understand the attack. It was poorly put together, and they fell into my trap. I expected more from them.

Mars may have been arrogant, she said. They attacked to stop the war in its tracks.

They want the war. They want Earth to raise the shield.

And that’s why they attacked Earth. To scare us into using the shield. The shield was a symbol of our dominance over them for two hundred years, but they found out it also kept them pure. They want the shield back up so Earth will be segregated again.

And we’ll never let that happen. Earthlings are catching up to Martians. We’re not as inferior as they think.

You agree with their genetics program?

Earth needs to keep pace with Mars, or we’ll become extinct. Science is the next stage in our evolution. An intelligent species does not and cannot rely on nature alone.

My father was in the Kala plaza twelve years ago when the Mithras movement terrorized the square. He became a champion for the fight against our genetics program, including enacting the laws to curb our fetus altering.

My daughter was there, too.

So you have some compassion for allowing scientists to alter our genes?

No, Garrick replied. My daughter was one of the parachutists who affected your father with the drug. She’s in jail because of it.

Is that why you’re for the genetics program? To spite your daughter?

Ishi, he said sternly, the Mithras movement and Paul Isaacs manufactured those images into the minds of the people of Kala. It was no coincidence that the fifty-one votes to pass the fetus laws came from people who were in the square. The vote in past years was closer to ten percent in favor. They drugged the government officials and got those laws passed because they were under the influence.

Those advertisement drugs only last for a minute or two. They leave the system in a day.

They’re outlawed for a reason. They seed deep psychological opinions. I still have fond memories of Fizzy Cola from when I was a kid, and I’ve never drunk the stuff. Remember those ads?

She nodded. My father was logical. He did plenty of research before he signed the petitions for the new law, and I don’t think the Mithras movement brainwashed him.

He switched his opinion because of them. It seems obvious to me that they influenced him.

Ishi stiffened. And when is your daughter due for parole?

Five years. I’m not sure if I’ll offer any support for her release this time. She doesn’t exactly like me anymore.

Why not?

She and her brother think I could’ve freed her from prison. I could’ve put in a good word, but the Mithras movement stirred so much hatred that I would’ve been buried with her.

So you chose your career?

Ishi—

"I mean they think you chose your career. A position of power can be corrupted so easily. I don’t think they understand the responsibilities of your position."

I agree, but it still seems like a father has a responsibility to help his daughter when she’s in trouble.

To break the law for her?

Garrick rubbed his eyes in frustration.