The Mad Emperor's War: The Age of Pyrates volume two

By Russ Storm

What do you do when the emperor of your star system decides to declare war on every non-human government in the galaxy? Especially if the aliens outnumber humans six to one and possess superior technology and firepower? One would have to be positively mad to follow along on such a crazy idea, right? Well, that's just the beginning for our antihe

• Language: English
• Publisher: Russ Storm
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869146618

Book preview

Prologue

In the year 3527, anyone who willfully chooses to live off the grid are branded pirates by the law of the Centurion Reich government, the only human government in the known universe. Capt. Jason Storm and the crew of the Corsair, one of these groups of outsiders happen to stumble across an experimental gene enhancement serum that grants the user superhuman abilities. Encouraged by a chance meeting with a mysterious alien being from the future, the serum evolves the DNA of the recipient over six thousand years in just under forty eight hours. Granting everyone who takes it, a variety of abilities from flight to energy projection to telepathy and or telekinesis. This bit of fortune couldn’t have come at a better time for our group of anti-heroes since the dominant empire in the solar system is now being run by a madman. Emperor Titus, who declared war on any and all alien species in the known universe by assassinating many of their leaders under the false pretense of peace. This act of hubris and lunacy has galvanized the leaders of the Intergalactic Council against all humans and made the Sol star system one of the most dangerous places to reside in the universe. With the Intergalactic Council using the combined might and technology of some of the most advanced species in the known universe to launch fleet after fleet of the alien armada at our tiny star system, most residents have come to the same realization that the overwhelming odds are not in our favor. Looking for shelter and some type of security, like everyone else who are about to be caught in the middle of this intergalactic war, Capt. Storm and his crew decide to unite all the pirate crews and other like-minded individuals to form an alliance to protect those who don’t want anything to do with the mad emperor’s war. Those who are willing to fight for the alliance’s cause are given the life altering experimental serum as well as training in the use of those newfound abilities. And now we find the newly formed pirate alliance spread out but hidden over the solar system in two separate but effective strongholds. The first one is their original hideout on a dwarf planet named Olympus in an asteroid field near Saturn while the other stronghold is buried deep within a small planet formerly known as Pluto. This pirate stronghold has been renamed Utopia and after a year and a half, it is still under construction by Capt. Storm’s engineer supreme: Finn and his neverending cadre of worker bots. This is where our story takes place with Capt. Storm’s daughter: Oren. His pirate crew’s petite yet fiercely independent former head of security

1

Oren

I roll over in bed to the taste of last night’s bratwurst dinner in my mouth. Eww. If only it tasted as good coming up as it did going down. The clock in my VNC is flashing 13:45 which means I overslept again. Not really a problem when you work for yourself, I guess. My name is Oren and I’m the daughter of the most infamous space pirate in the star system. Captain Jason Storm. I guess you can say I was born into the crew but it wasn’t nepotism. I earned every single thing I ever got. I was ten years old when I mastered my first form of hand-to-hand combat and now I know every form of human and alien martial arts. At eight years old, my mother sacrificed her life to save me from life in the slave camps of Mars. I made a vow that day that I would do whatever it takes to never lose a parent again. People in my own crew thought I was crazy working 12-14 hours a day practicing kung fu or judo or Selaki Morphan mixed martial arts but I knew what I was doing. By the time I was 14, if anybody dared to come near my father, I would make sure it was the last mistake they ever made. Ah, those were the carefree days. The year is 3527 and it's been a little over two years since the universe as we knew it changed forever. The emperor’s son took control of the empire and declared war on all space pirates, non-humans, people who don’t kiss his ass and common sense. We were already living off the grid which by their definition made us space pirates but I’m glad, no, proud of my father for not giving into the empire’s intimidation tactics requiring adventurers to turn themselves in and beg for their approval of our lifestyles. Especially since most of the ones who did were never heard from again. Yes, we were very fortunate we stumbled across that serum that changed all our lives for the better however I would like to think that even without it, we still would have never resorted to begging for forgiveness from their emperor.

The attack on the next wave of Centurion Reich warships has begun. Crystal's idea to attack them in a variety of covert ways has been mostly effective but I can’t help thinking to myself: how much longer can we continue to get away with this? The element of surprise can only work for so long before it doesn’t. Even though our attacks have been effective in disabling both the Reich and alien warships due to the fact, that we generally hit them from different areas of the solar system, experience tells me they will eventually adjust to our cut-and-run style. I keep trying to explain this to Crystal but sometimes she just sees me as her bratty little step-sister. I’m almost twenty-two years old. No one, not even Crystal, is more trained than I am in every fighting style known to man or…alien. The frustrating part about all of this is that the more I remind her of this, the more childish I sound so I have no choice but to brood in the corner because they get mad at me when I hit random people in the face. That might be why Crystal likes to call me an acquired taste. Grrr. I growl under my breath as I flop down on the edge of my bed to grab one of my blades and begin to absentmindedly sharpen it. Uh oh, Oren must be upset if she’s sharpening her swords. Benji barged into my room. Your sister just wiped out half a fleet of Eradicators almost by herself. You guys should be partying it up right now. Yeah, normally.. I answered soberly almost as if I was feeling a sense of oncoming dread. What’s wrong? Benji asked sympathetically. Benji is slowly becoming my favorite best friend in the universe. He just gets me sometimes. What do you mean ‘sometimes’? he asked telepathically. Benji, stay outta my head! I yelled at him playfully. Ok, fine, he replied, pretending to be upset while looking for a place to sit down. Now, tell me what’s got you all worked up? My room here at the command center is basically a studio-sized apartment like everyone else’s. An entire apartment squeezed together into one room with a window on either side of my domicile. Not sure why we needed windows in my studio here on Utopia since the entire city sits at the bottom of an oversized cave. The only type of view we all have is the walls of the cave surrounding us and Finn’s worker bot construction sites. The only difference between my situation and everyone else’s here is that they all have some type of living quarters off campus. Not sure why I haven’t got around to picking out a new place yet.

Have you ever had that feeling like you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop? I asked in all sincerity as I flopped down on my couch. I just can’t help feeling like something ominous is about to happen. What do you mean? he asked, suddenly way more curious than before while pulling out a mini blow torch to light his cigar. You know how there’s an ebb and flow to every war or battle, right? He looked at me kind of funny tilting his head to the side letting his long blonde hair cascade over his face before answering, No but let’s assume that I do. Go on. Benji responded, sounding honestly interested while deciding to join me on the couch. Outside the window behind his head, the light from the CGI-created sun above our little city stronghold makes its way into my room. You can always make me laugh, I replied, trying not to give in to the urge to get emotional. But seriously, I feel like something big is coming and I’m not sure we’ll be able to take the punch to the gut that life is gonna throw at us. Is it something specific that you're worried about? Benji asked, offering me a drag from his cannabis cigar. How am I supposed to know? You’re the telepath, you tell me. I responded, more than a little annoyed at the lack of his insight. Read my mind, Benji. Stay out of my head, Benji. he mocked me playfully. Please make up your mind, dude. I glare at him like I’m starting to lose my patience so he takes a deep breath, pausing a moment before closing his eyes. All I see is a deep sense of dread. Relax, little angry girl. Brenda and I won’t let anything happen to you. He chuckles to himself, reopening his little plastic bag of marijuana blunts until he sees the stern look on my face. What? Come on. That was a little funny. He insisted, forgetting the unwritten rule that if you have to explain the joke then it may not be as funny as you think. The big bad warrior queen actually needed my help...from someone as skinny as me. Get it? He’s referring to a futuristic prophecy given to us by Sar-Kiki, the aforementioned alien from the future, over two years ago back when all this crap started. That skinny, green no mouth alien was the one who convinced us to take the serum and take up this fight by showing my father, my sensi (Crystal’s father Akeem), and myself a glimpse of the future where I eventually become a warrior queen.

Benji pauses a moment to allow the joke to land. Whatever…my comic genius is wasted on you. I’m telling you, Benji. I continued to emphasize my point while avoiding his attempt at humor like a drunk teenager at a dive bar. We need to stay on our toes from now on. Benji takes a long drag on his mass-produced perfectly hemp-rolled cannabis cigar. What makes you think that I’m not? he said, slowly blowing out a cloud of smoke larger than his entire head.

BEEEP! BEEEP! The alarm blares throughout our command center on Utopia. Yaasss! Warhawk shouted, running down the corridor past my room. Time to get to work! He is way too excited for this.. Benji pointed out sardonically while rising up from the couch to follow me out the door. A few minutes later, everyone is gathered in the war room of the command center. Our motley crew of augmented and enhanced space pirates all crowded around a hologram projection table in a dimly lit open space room. A group of loners, misfits, drunks, thieves, and anti-social morons from all over the star system recently granted superhuman abilities are now trying to work together to accomplish the goal of rescuing all the innocents trapped in the middle of the mad emperor’s war. The command center sits in the middle of a spiraling cluster of residential complexes. Finn, our resident genius, said eventually he and his bot army would build individually specific housing for all of us but for now, the seemingly endless rows of cookie-cutter housing tracts were the more efficient idea. Especially with the influx of new refugees arriving almost weekly from one planetary station after another, even with a bot army of hundreds, I have no idea how Finn does it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be a fully functioning genius either. That was his gift from the serum by the way. One day he was our crew’s engineer, a glorified mechanic but then he took the experimental serum and the next day he was designing a robot army, building a force field protecting underground cities on dwarf planets, etc. My gift was the ability to lower the density of my body to phase through matter, solid or not. Benji’s talent clearly was the gift of telepathy. And the gift of amazing charm, Benji interjected telepathically. Benji… I growled. But anyway, one of the first things we all agreed upon once we created this alliance, was to protect all the innocents caught in the middle. This unfortunately for the people living in the empire, was one of the biggest side effects of our overly ambitious emperor’s decision to declare war on all non-humans. The only thing worse than not having the foresight to realize that the aliens would all collaborate to attack us in our relatively small sandbox of a star system is not being prepared for it and from what we can tell down here in our underground stronghold, they are clearly not faring well.

After we arrive in the war room, Crystal is standing around the hologram table in the middle of the room. The table is projecting several different multicolored holographic images in the air. According to the latest intel we’ve received, we need to visit Winnetka. Apparently, there are a large number of refugees caught in the crossfire between the Reich and the alien forces out there and it’s getting pretty bad. Crystal looked grim while explaining the game plan to the rest of us in the dimly lit conference room. Oren will lead a recon team down to the surface to confirm if these stories are true. If they are true then we will extract as many as we can. When it’s time for business, Crystal is like a completely different person than the one I grew up with. She always could focus but something inside her has changed. A deeper intensity that I assume came from her experiences running around with the Silverbacks (a militant freedom fighters group she used to run around with when she ran away from home at 16). Clearly, a number of battle-hardened types of experiences happened that scarred her in ways that she still isn’t comfortable talking about. Even to me. Warhawk will lead the second team. Your main priority is to support Oren’s team on the ground. Crystal continued in the same deadly serious manner that she does when she usually addresses her team. From what I hear, there are fighter jets actually flying around inside the dome of the planetary station. It's literally a war zone out there. So, stay alert at all times. She glances over at me and I nod my head, silently reassuring her like I used to when we were kids. For a moment, a nostalgic smile begins to crease the corner of her mouth before she quickly regains her composure.

It takes about twelve days after leaving Utopia before we finally reach Winnetka. From a distance, it looks like a pizza box inside a large glass bubble. Our forefathers thought this was the best way to spread out amongst the stars once our homeworld was no longer an option. Warhawk, the overly excited guy in the crew, was Crystal’s right-hand man back in her freedom fighter days. He’s an ex-military guy who lives for firefights so the possibility of conflict is right up his alley. His superhuman power is that his torso can now morph into metallic wings, giving him the gift of flight. Not a bad guy overall, just a little too aggressive sometimes. Warhawk banks the Valkyrie left(Brenda’s starship), through the nearest available spaceport without so much as a peep from the generally strict air traffic control station which sends a chill down our collective spines. The several rows of laser cannon turrets which align the walls of the port tunnel and usually track the motion of approaching starships as they enter the space port now sit dark and motionless. The Valkyrie, shaped like a bird of prey, glides through the air into the province of the Four Cities. It’s one of the hardest-hit areas of the planetary station of Winnetka. Winnetka is the farthest planetary station from the sun in our solar system(after Earth had become uninhabitable, mankind then spread out to the stars over a thousand years ago in a last-ditch effort to fight off its own extinction. Our forefathers built six massive transparent dome-covered planetary stations about the size of a small moon spread out across the solar system from Earth to Pluto), so the founding fathers decided in order to get more people to travel out that far it would have to become the vacation destination for the surrounding galaxy. An entire planetary station dedicated to fun and adventure with destinations ranging from ski slopes in the north to sunny beach destinations in the south. With shopping destinations and luxury fine dining throughout the metropolitan areas in between. With vacation spots and casinos spread throughout the man-made moon for both the working class and the super-rich, it has long been considered the place to see when visiting the Milky Way. That is, until recently.

This was the first thing I thought of as I watched the ramp extend from the bottom of the starship. Warhawk had landed the ship onto a heli-port area behind a casino so we were partially hidden from unsuspecting fighter jet patrols overhead or at least as much as we could be. What was once a thriving tourist trap for happy, mostly intoxicated visitors from all over the galaxy was now practically a war zone with explosions sporadically going off in the distance. Remember what Crystal said,'' Brenda, my special friend, advised us as we left. This is a scouting mission, don’t engage unless you have to. Yes, Mother, I replied sarcastically as the ramp closed behind us and Brenda just shook her head in frustration at my inability to take things as seriously as she would. I don’t know why I enjoy teasing her so much. Probably because you’re a butthead, Benji suggested telepathically as the three of us entered an empty disheveled casino. We move past several overturned game tables and broken furniture trying not to lose our footing while walking over an assortment of multi-colored casino chips. That's also why we get along so well. Shut up, Benji…" I smiled while glancing over at him.

Benji, Black Ice and I walk cautiously through the streets after exiting the casino. Black Ice is John Robert’s codename. He’s a nice guy, maybe a little too handsy at times but what else would you expect? He is French, right? He tends to overplay that tall dark and handsome thing he has going for him at times but his heart is in the right place. His codename refers to his special ability to lower the temperature in his immediate surrounding area to below freezing. I’ve seen him freeze an entire room in less than ninety seconds. He may flirt a little too much at times but he can also build a seven-foot wall of ice in less than two minutes.

The surrounding area appears to be somewhat residential. A network of luxury houses for the resort's high-end visitors who don’t want to stay in the massive hotel towers. The more we moved deeper into this row of houses, the more the neighborhood appeared to deteriorate right before our eyes. The housing tract was a parade of uninspired two-tone townhouses built incredibly close to each other due to some overeager city planner’s greed. Each building we move past is more damaged than the previous and now a huge cloud of dust and ash hovers over the seven block radius of what remains of the once opulent gated community. Charred stubs of twisted glass and metal are the only evidence of what was once considered the most expensive high-end luxury residences in the entire star system. As we make our way through what looks like a natural disaster area right out of an old earth history reel, a cold chill gradually makes its way down my spine as I imagine the horror lying beneath the scattered debris surrounding us. An overwhelming scent of burning flesh hovers above us all like impending doom. Benji does a good job of masking our presence for the most part but it takes a tremendous amount of concentration on his part as we move through the rubble of dozens of charred abandoned buildings.

After making our way down a couple of blocks, we eventually came across a hovercraft with the engine still running. You guys back me up while I go to see if we can borrow that vehicle, I whispered to them as we all took refuge behind a dumpster half a block away. The stench of charred flesh and metal permeates our sense of smell like a runaway bull in a china shop. There’s an unmistakable feeling of death and loss in the air that hovers over the area like storm clouds on the horizon. There are no life forces inside the vehicle or anywhere in this area, Benji interjected. Really? I asked, pleasantly surprised. Yes, the driver must have been forcibly removed, Benji added, giving his best guess. Let’s go get it while we can. Black Ice suggested nervously while constantly scanning the surrounding area. The three of us run up to the hovercraft and jump in before any alien patrol units decide to come back down this residential street. The hover rockets underneath the vehicle roar to life as I activate the engine and drive it cautiously but quickly down the block despite the wobbly condition of whatever damage it had already sustained. Whoa, mon ami. Black Ice complained from the back seat. If you need me to take over…it would be my pleasure. I glared at him through the rearview mirror. Ok Benji, I need you to keep masking our presence from prying eyes and Black Ice, I need you to get ready with that ice dome thing you do once we exit the vehicle because who knows what we’re gonna run into. I said, struggling to control the damn ‘craft that was veering from side to side like a drunk shark while moving awkwardly through the streets. That sounds easier than you think, Benji said to himself. I’m usually doing it from a stationary position but we’re in a moving vehicle so I have to really concentrate. You do realize that you’re talking in our heads again. I reminded Benji for the hundredth time. Oops, sorry about that, he said sheepishly as he closed his eyes to concentrate harder.

As we turned the corner down another random side street, Black Ice, from the corner of his eye, noticed a thin red beam of light shining from a small box on the sidewalk. He only sees it for a brief moment but that’s long enough for him to recognize the potential for danger. Incoming! he screamed as he emits a blast of arctic wind from his hands, shoving Benji out one door and myself out the other just before the small missile that was activated by the booby trap struck the roof of the hovercraft. KA-THOOM! The explosion drives both Benji and myself into random debris on either side of the street but Black Ice wasn’t so lucky. I could tell by the way his unconscious body landed through some local neighborhood convenience store window that his injuries were serious. What the fuck was that? Benji yelled from across the street once he gathered his wits. It was automated, I yelled back, scanning the immediate area for any hostile activity. It was pretty high-tech for any known human government weaponry so I assume it must be either Farookian or maybe Kalaakan, the two most technologically advanced alien species in the galaxy. If you combine their tech with the Selaki Morphan’s military might…jeez. Honestly, what chance does the human race even have at this point? Damn it, Oren. Stay focused. I think we hit a tripwire beam or something… My ears are still ringing like a church bell on Sunday. The only thought going through my head on a continuous loop right now is: Is JR ok? He probably saved our lives by shoving us out the doors but my ribs hurt too much from that landing to celebrate right now. We both get up slowly and cautiously head over to the convenience store. I looked inside the broken plate glass window from outside the building, not really knowing what to expect as I continued to wipe away tiny ice crystals still hanging on the outside of my body armor. Black Ice! I shouted out nervously. Where are you? I pull my Kill Star pistol out of its holster while phasing through the wall to search for him while Benji enters through what’s left of the main entrance. The interior of the store is a huge mess. It looks like the demise of our hovercraft wasn’t the first time this place has been rocked by something like that. Most of the shelves on each aisle have been knocked down to the floor. Random grocery items and debris from the ceilings and walls litter the floor. I can read his thoughts but it’s really faint. Benji said, reaching out telepathically. Don’t worry, we’re alone here. He’s over there, in the next aisle over from you. I quickly moved over to the next aisle, only to find him lying on the floor under some debris from the surrounding aisles. He is lying there motionless and I turn to look back at Benji for confirmation. He’s still alive, barely. he said soberly, stepping over a pile of scattered cereal boxes. Oh, no….JR. I said under my breath rushing over to try and feel for his pulse. Come on, you little pain in the ass. Don’t you die on me like this. I pressed the CPR button on his nano suit. What does his vitals say? Benji asked nervously, still looking toward the front of the store. Benji looks out the hole in the wall with his plasma rifle locked and loaded for trouble. He sacrificed himself just to save us… I’m kneeling beside his bloody tattered body waiting for the nano suit to finish its examination. Don’t say that… I scolded him, struggling to remain positive myself. We don’t know anything yet...here we go. It’s administering meds but he’s still gonna need medical attention as soon as possible. Benji keeps muttering something under his breath as I try to reach the ship on the comm link. Hey Crystal! Hello? I said, rising to my feet to get better coverage through my VNC. Benji, I’m not getting a signal right now. Dude, are you ok? He sacrificed himself… Benji continues saying it over and over, almost like some type of a mantra. Benji! Benji, I need you to snap out of it. You’re going into shock right now. I toss a loaf of bread at him to get his attention. Hey, I need you to try and call for backup...now! I shouted as several explosions went off in the distance, lighting up the late afternoon sky. Wha- Benji said sounding as if he just woke up from a nap. Yes-yes, I got you. Carlos, can you read me? After a few minutes, a voice crackles through the comm link. Yes..signal..KRRK!..barely coming in. Carlos replied as his hologram faded in and out. We’re gonna need the cavalry, bro. Benji shouts at the image. Hello? Hello? Dammit, I think I lost him.

I began pulling Black Ice’s unconscious body from the rubble towards the back of the store. They must have some type of jamming signal. I speculated while pulling JR farther back into the store. Turn your homing beacon on, just in case. Benji moves cautiously toward where I am in the back of the store, never turning his back to the giant hole in the front of the store. Yeah, but the big question is who’s doing the jamming? Benji asked, walking backward cautiously after me. I just saw some Kalaakan soldiers pass by down the block. I’m assuming that they will be sending a squad over soon to investigate the explosion. I pull Black Ice’s body into a small office in the backroom. I also noticed a couple of Placcan soldiers flying overhead through the holes in the ceiling, I added, phasing through the debris to escort Benji to the back of the store. Clearly, the alien forces are looking to establish some sort of stronghold out here on the outer edge of the solar system. Maybe trying to conquer the star system from the outside in or something… Benji and I squat behind some overturned shelves in the back of the store. It doesn’t look like they wanna capture this station, Benji mentioned sadly, pointing out the windows at all the burning buildings in the distance. There’s something very surreal about watching an entire skyline of skyscraper towers on fire. The stench of burned debris wafting through every hole in the wall of this once-overpriced convenience store is almost overbearing. It’s so weird. This planetary station used to be the intergalactic playground to the rich and famous and now it's just a burned-out shell of itself. I turned slowly to look up at him. Is that what you were thinking about all this time over there? I asked him incredulously. Yeah, when I was a kid, I used to fantasize about having enough money to one day visit this place and party my ass off, Benji said remorsefully between deep lung-rattling coughs. The look of sadness on his face gives me pause. You can almost see the death of a childhood dream move across his face like storm clouds over an open prairie. I’m sorry, Benji but I really need you to focus on the job at hand. I tried to put it as gently as I could. The way I see it, we have two choices: wait for backup or push on to find any other refugees. Benji looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. What about JR? he asked, nodding over at him on the floor behind us. He’s unconscious and in a lot of pain but he’ll be ok if we can get him back to the ship, I explained refusing to give up on the original mission. Just a bad habit of mine. No matter the circumstances, I absolutely refuse to leave a mission incomplete but this might be one of those situations where it might be beyond my control.

Just then, an explosion rips through the office building across the street. Get cover! I shouted as Benji raised his hand to project a telekinetic shield in front of us to protect us from the random projectiles. As the cloud of dust begins to settle in the surrounding area, Benji allows the items he telekinetically caught to drop to the floor. The effort taxes him so badly that he almost passes out from the strain. This is a freaking war zone! I scream in frustration as parts of the ceiling begin to fall around us. Stay calm, Oren. Breathe. We got to keep it together. I pull Benji closer so the debris from the ceiling can fall harmlessly through us as I lower the density of both our bodies. Did I mention that I can lower the density of not only my own body but any matter I come into contact with? What the hell? Benji screamed, freaking out from the experience of solid objects passing through his body. I’m sorry I didn’t have time to warn you… I tried to explain as he kept flinching every time pieces of the ceiling continued to fall around and through him. I don’t think this place is gonna be safe for long. That’s when I noticed it for the first time. As I dragged him through the falling debris, I saw that he didn’t block all of the debris that flew in from across the street when Benji started to cough up blood. Oh, that can’t be good, Benji said under his breath before falling to the floor. Benji. Benji! I shouted as I dropped to the floor to check his vital signs. Are you ok? He rolls over to look at me. I guess I’m not as good a…telekinetic as I thought, huh? He smiled weakly as I looked down and noticed the jagged piece of wood protruding from his midsection. Don’t worry, You stopped most of the explosion from getting in here, I said consoling him. If you just wanted to set up camp here, you should’ve just said so. You didn’t have to bleed internally for me. He tried to laugh but a small trickle of blood began to run down his cheek from the corner of his mouth. Don’t move, little buddy, I said reassuringly. I don’t want you to get any worse. Dammit, what’s taking this suit so long to diagnose your injuries? I gently lay the back of his head down on the floor. Well, you know I’ve always been a hard man to read… Benji joked while coughing up some more blood. BEEP! BEEP! Across the armor of his breastplate, several digitized letters began to flash sporadically. It read The diagnosis is complete: several bruised ribs, lacerated lung, and other contusions. Am I gonna make it, doc? he asked half-jokingly but looking up at me with a look of serious concern on his face. You’ve got a few bruises, tough guy, I said, slowly dragging his body into the back office. You have to make it. If I don’t bring you back in one piece, Crystal will kill me.

At that moment, a squad of Selaki Morphans (a large shark-like human hybrid species known for their ferocity as well as their taste for human flesh) moved silently down the middle of the street with one officer from the squad on each side of the street randomly searching through each building they pass. As they approach the building we’re hiding in, I phase through the floor to hide from them. I could probably take this small squad down (there are about 6 to 8 of them as far as I can tell) by myself but if just one of them gets away to report back to their makeshift base then I’ll give away our position and I’m not sure I can take the whole alien armada down by myself.

One of the soldiers continued to use his rifle to push debris around inside the store, possibly looking for any injured survivors under the rubble. The top half of my head gently floated up through the debris on the floor like an apparition. I wanted to see exactly how far away our uninvited guests were. When I move through solid matter like this, it’s sort of like swimming underwater. I have to hold my breath and I can only do it for a certain amount of time unfortunately but the good news is I can also raise the density of my form to make it as hard as a diamond which as you can imagine comes in useful when you have to hit somebody. Crystal always attributed my love for hitting people to a Napoleonic complex but I think sometimes it’s just easier to hit people instead of trying to talk to them. No need to search for the right thing to say when a well-placed punch to the throat will do just fine. I’m not a bad person, I just tend to be less patient than most people. It’s just more efficient, that’s all.

The alien recon soldier moves cautiously through the rubble in the store looking for signs of life as I rise slowly through the floor in the back office where my fallen teammates are lying on the floor. I squat down behind the desk where I hid my friends. Shh, little buddy, I whispered as Benji began to involuntarily moan in pain. I wanted to pull the wooden projectile from his side but the nosy soldier with the plasma fusion rifle was too close now to take the chance. I lifted my head to peek around the corner of the desk to see exactly how much trouble we were in. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see him from this vantage point and I didn’t wanna move in case I exposed our position. This is one of those moments where I wish I was a little bit taller. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind being referred to as petite because that’s just code for fiery but right now I’m not tall enough to lean over Benji and peek around the side of this enormous office desk. I could just phase through him but when I pass through anything with electrical components, it tends to fry the interior equipment and since his suit is the only thing keeping him alive right now I can’t afford to take a chance at it. What kind of desk is this by the way? It looks to be at least six or seven feet long. Who puts a seven-foot-long desk in the back office of a convenience store?

Krick! Krish! I heard him down the hall walking through some broken glass as he began to draw closer and closer. What do I do now? I’m pretty sure I could take him but what happens if he lets out a scream or he doesn’t come back so his buddies get nervous and call it into their superiors? Since the two guys I came here with are already down, the odds are not in my favor. My heart is literally pounding in my throat at this point. Suddenly, he comes to a stop just outside of the small office doorway and doesn’t make a sound for what seems like an eternity. I’m fighting against every fiber of my being to keep from jumping over this desk and attacking this fish-faced bastard. I’ve spent the majority of my life attacking my fear, regardless of whatever it happened to be at the moment so this is killing me. I bite my bottom lip to keep my control. I can’t see him but I assume he must be scanning the office from the hallway. Why else would he stop moving? Suddenly, I hear the sound of broken glass inside the office on the other side of the desk. I resolve at that moment not to make a move until he does. If he leaves me with no choice then I will do what I have to do to protect my friends. Come on fish-face, make a move! For a brief moment, it seemed as if the entire universe came to a stop. I could feel the blood rushing to my face as I struggled to control my infamous temper. Then…just as suddenly as it all began, I heard the sound of broken glass being stepped on outside the room in the hallway. Then slowly, the sound began to retreat from our location as the source of my irritation continued moving away from me. I slowly rose from behind the desk relieved but still not willing to let my guard down.

Meanwhile, back at the base on Utopia, one of the lead officers runs into the war room of the command center. Madam Governor! he called her, almost out of breath. We’ve got a homing beacon activated on Winnetka. Crystal looks up from her conversation with several other leaders to pay attention to this young overexcited officer. Okay, first things first. Breathe, officer, she said, walking away from her group of advisers. Crystal was always considered the more pragmatic of the two sisters. As children, Oren was often called the hot-headed sister while Crystal was referred to as the thinking one. Of course, they weren't actually blood-related but since they grew up together on a starship as part of their father’s pirate crew and were best friends from the day they first met, the monikers kind of just stuck. The two of them couldn’t be more unalike if they tried but that’s exactly what drew them together. Crystal was a tall rail thin pragmatic leggy black woman who wore her hair shaved on one side with dreadlocks on the other while Oren was a petite brunette but chaotic. Hmm, why would she activate her beacon when she could just call? Crystal asked rhetorically to herself. She clasped her hands behind her back hard, appearing to be deep in thought while on the inside she was struggling to maintain her pragmatic facade. What did this mean? Is Oren ok? My god, did I just send my little sister to her death? She can be a pain in the rear sometimes but I…No! Crystal squeezed her left hand behind her back so hard that she thought she might pass out from the pain. She refused to give in to the hysteria building in her mind. How would that help Oren? She has to be strong. For Oren. For her widowed father. For the people in her crew who were counting on her. For all the people on this makeshift base who needed someone to lead them through this unnecessary war. This is the way it has been for her ever since the day she left home and met the Silverbacks, a young and talented crew who had everything but a competent leader who would do anything to guide the crew successfully. Leadership was just something that came naturally to her. She didn’t know why, it just did. Maybe it was the example set by her father Akeem, easily one of the most powerful men in the star system. Or his best friend, Oren’s father Capt. Jason Storm. Arguably the best pirate captain in the galaxy who is practically a second father to her. Maybe it was inevitable for her, growing up in the presence of such great leaders but if not her then who? She had more experience than any man in this room and her uncle Jason knew it too. Why else would he handpick her to lead half the combined forces of the pirate alliance? Crystal could never just step aside and follow someone else’s leadership especially if she knew she could do it better. It was hard for her to trust that there was anyone else out there who could do it better and this was just too important to blindly follow someone else simply out of the kindness of her heart. She tried that once and it was a disaster. Good people died and she made a vow to herself to never allow that to happen again.

So this became her public persona, someone who was always in control. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t actually the case, it just never made sense to her to allow anyone outside of her inner circle to know her true feelings. She felt safe behind her imaginary walls. Unless they’re jamming our signal, Madam Governor. the engineer interjected while nervously fidgeting. If that’s the case then this is way more dangerous of a situation than we originally thought. Pass the coordinates onto Warhawk right away, she said slowly waking up from the glaze of inner reflection that she was completely immersed in. Yes, Madam Governor, he replied, quickly turning to leave. Wait, officer. Have your team get to work on fixing that jamming issue and I need a pinpoint on their location at all times in case we have to rescue all of them. We can come back for the refugees later after we regroup. The safety of our teams is our main priority. Yes, my Governor, he said, nodding with reverence.

An hour later, Crystal’s image appears on the main view screen on the Valkyrie with Brenda, Arthur, and Carlos standing in a half-moon circle before it. Their signal was just jamming our comm links. Carlos explained as the starship hovered high above the city. We don’t know anything for sure, whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, Carlos pointed out, noticing the look of concern on his former captain’s face. All we do know for sure is that using the homing beacon helped us get around their jamming signal. And we’re not coming back without them. Warhawk cocks back the lever on his semi-auto Kill Star pistols. Captain, excuse me. one of the pilots interrupts the three of them. The pilot, one of two onboard, is struggling to hide the amount of concern on his face as he continues. But several squadrons are trailing us on the ground. And it looks like at least two airborne squads are preparing to…welcome us. Carlos looks over at Brenda for her reaction to the news going from bad to worse. I’ll burn this whole damn planet down myself if I have to... Brenda murmured angrily to herself. Carlos, nicknamed the Warhawk due to his ability to morph metallic wings from his back, pretends to not hear her reaction. He is a by-the-book type of ex-military soldier who wants to respect his temporary allies but sometimes they make it so hard, with their lack of discipline and their failure to remain professional. He can barely contain the cringe expression on his face when his superior officer says something like that. It’s not the sexuality of their barely hidden relationship, it's the lack of professionalism. To Carlos, a lack of professionalism is a lack of discipline which is a slippery slope. Without discipline, there is no order. Without order in a battle or firefight then you're just a bunch of random people shooting in the air. He had heard of many soldiers who went into a firefight without order or an effective game plan, never to be seen again. Some of those good people were good soldiers too, who just picked the wrong time to get sloppy. The minute you stop respecting what we do is the day you don’t make it home. He can still hear his drill sergeant’s favorite saying echoing through his head. Carlos decided then and there that if he ever got his ticket punched, it would not be because he was too lazy to be disciplined. He checked both his kill star pistols again as the Valkyrie gradually came to a stop high above the convenience store that the homing beacon drew them to. Ok, we have to move fast because I’m sure both the aliens and the Reich are tracking the skies so we have to get in and out quickly. I’m gonna fly Arthur down to the roof but Brenda, I need you to stay up here and watch our back. Lay down some cover fire after we head out back! Warhawk hands out the plan to Brenda as she looks back at her pilot for confirmation that he is prepared to execute the plan. We’re on it. On the count of three...two...now! Carlos, who was standing on the ramp protruding from the bottom of the starship then spread his massive metallic wings before grabbing hold of Arthur whose main ability is to extend protective force fields of energy around himself and anyone in his immediate area which turns out to be especially useful right now. After wrapping his arms around the middle-aged doctor, he steps off the edge of the ramp out into the darkness of the early night. This is Carlos’ favorite part, leaping into the freedom of flying. Feeling the wind in his face, whipping through the metal feathers of his wings is more intoxicating than any Cadras 7 whiskey he’s ever tried, so much so that he doesn’t even notice the panicked screams of the rotund doctor in his arms as he plummets towards the ground below. At the last moment, he banks hard to the left and spirals toward the rooftop of his intended target. You are never more alive than when you are facing death. Warhawk thinks to himself as he descends from Brenda’s starship, diving and dodging laser fire from the alien soldiers down below. From a distance, his antics appear chaotic and self-destructive but in the end, he places his frightened passenger gently on the roof. After the doctor rises to his feet from the floor of the rooftop. I’ll draw their fire away from here while you head downstairs and look for our friends. Warhawk shouted over the din of laser fire shooting into the air from the soldiers down below. Arthur just nods his head as Warhawk runs full speed toward the edge of the roof before leaping over the side and disappearing from view. A split second later, his wings extended from his body causing him to soar back up through the air with a graceful ease. He was always taught throughout his military career that the hardest target to hit was a moving one, this is a theory that he has risked his life with on multiple occasions. Now that he can use his wings to fly through the air at near sonic speed, he believes in that theory more than ever. As he swoops back down on the opposition from above, firing his pistols at the alien soldiers encamped below, he takes out four or five aliens with each pass. The ones he doesn’t hit on his flyovers, all scramble for cover among the piles of debris. Living up to his codename, the young Latino soldier begins to think to himself, this might be going a little too easy. That is until he hears a low hum off in the distance behind him. A low hum that seems to grow louder by the minute like the sound of a tidal wave encroaching. He lands on the nearest roof to get his bearings and more importantly, get a better look at what looks like a small dark cloud in the distance. What is that? He thought to himself even with his enhanced vision that was a part of the gift, he couldn’t quite make it out from that distance. KRRK! Warhawk, come in! Warhawk! His commlink is almost useless at this point. KRRK! Get out of there, now! The voice on the comm link sounds familiar through the static. Is it warships or something worse? It can’t be starships moving that slowly or they would’ve been here by now. I’m not sure I wanna find out what it is though, he thinks to himself while quickly reloading his pistols.

At that moment, Arthur had just made it down the stairs into the back of the store. Even though his ability allows him to emit a nearly impenetrable force field that covers his entire body, the truth of the matter is that this superhuman power doesn’t make him any less afraid. Arthur has never thought of himself as some kind of hero, in fact, it’s just the opposite. He learned a long time ago that if you want to survive in a cruel and unjust society like this, it's best to become friends with people who are more powerful than you. He never liked to fight or do courageous things, he just loved medicine and he figured that if he made himself useful in that kind of way in a brutally, violent world then he could survive to see another day. And to be honest, after a while, it felt good to help other people, to figure out the best way to fix people when they were broken. Arthur? Is that you? I asked him in almost disbelief, snapping him out of his inner thoughts. Aye, ‘tis me, he said after clutching at his chest from the fright of me sneaking up