The Ninth: Invasion (38 page)

“I’m guessing you’re the reinforcements the admiral promised us,” the trooper shouted over the clamor of the crowd.

“What’s the situation?” Tyra shouted back.

“Word leaked we were off to fight the ITU, and a crowd started to form.  No idea what they are thinking.”

“Maybe they want to sign up and fight?” Ronald asked.

“Doubt it.  They seem like they are here to see us off, not join us.”

“How long until we depart?” Tyra asked.

“As soon as we get these last supplies loaded, we are off.  You’ve all been assigned to the Harbinger.”

“The
what
?”

The trooper gestured toward the sky overhead.  A massive ship too large to have docked at the lower platforms was secured to one of the tallest towers.  It was an incredibly long ship with dozens of blocky extrusions covering its surface.  From their vantage point, it looked like a long, flat moon in the night sky.  The trooper silently guided them to a large cargo lift as the crowd grew louder and louder.  As the lift started to take them higher, they could see the entirety of the gathered crowd.  An impossible number of people were gathered around the line formed by the security forces and Protectorates.  A strange undulation flowed through the crowd.  Cassandra grabbed Brent’s hand and pulled him close.

“
Please
tell me I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing,” she whispered.

“What do you think you’re seeing?” he whispered back.

“Would you look at that!” Owen shouted.  “They are doing that funny bow Brent does.”

He heard a long sigh escape from Cassandra as the rest of the squad studied the crowd below.  As Owen had said, most of the mass of civilians was bowing like the tripod.

“When do you think they picked that up?” Erin asked.

“Brent, you didn’t happen to show it to anyone, did you?” Tyra asked.

“I didn’t have time!  You’ve all been with me except . . .” his voice faded as he remembered.

“You just
had
to bow on that broadcast, didn’t you?” Cassandra said, shaking her head.

Cain burst into laughter.

“Now I feel left out!  You’ve got to teach me how to do that,” Cain said with a grin.

“He can teach all of us later,” Ronald said flatly.  “Right now we have more important things to think about.”

“Ronald is right,” Rhea said straightening.  “We are about to be surrounded by troopers of the Commonwealth.  Ones who’ve actually graduated.  Let’s try not to embarrass ourselves.”

The rest of the squad tried to stand at attention and look professional as the lift came to a rest at the top of the tower.  A handful of troopers rushed past Tyra’s squad, grabbing the last few crates on the lift.  They didn’t even seem to notice the squad as they lugged the crates back to the ship.  With a shrug, Tyra followed after them.

“Get a move on!  We don’t have all day,” a short, stout trooper shouted.

While the man was far shorter than anyone in Tyra’s squad, he had a tough look about him.  He was very wide for his height.  Although, the bulges in his uniform were clearly muscles, not fat.  Brent doubted they could beat the short man even if the entire squad jumped him together.  On his shoulder was a menacing insignia.  Instead of a colored patch like the one worn by Tyra’s squad, his featured a bleached white skull with a sickle behind it.  The short man stopped bellowing orders when he noticed Tyra and the rest.

“So, these must be the sorry scraps I’m supposed to accept into my ranks.”  The short man eyed each trooper one by one.  “A sorry lot, I must say.  We’ve got training dummies that look more fierce than all of you combined.”

The troopers tried to remain firm, but most wavered under the short man’s intense stare.

“Pathetic!  How are you supposed to be of any use against the Union when you can’t even stand in front of me without quaking?  I’ve got the notion to have my troopers here
escort
you recruits back down and tell the admiral the lot of you never showed up.”

“So, you’re saying we have to fight to prove we are worthy of entering the ship?” Tyra asked.

“Now there’s an idea!  Although, we don’t have time for us to beat the snot out of each and every one of you . . . I’ll tell you what.  You pick your best
recruit
to face me.  If he wins, I let you onboard.  If he loses, you turn right around and leave this to the
professionals
.”

“Agreed.  Just remember, you brought this upon yourself,” Tyra said with a smirk.  “Owen!  Front and center!”

The short man burst into laughter as Owen stepped forward, white as a sheet.

“Is this some kind of joke?”  The short man started laughing hysterically.  “The boy is about to soil himself!”

Tyra reached into her bag and pulled out a scarf.  The short man eyed her uncertainly as he continued to laugh.  The short man’s laughter grew twice as intense when Tyra started wrapping the scarf around Owen’s eyes.  Hiroko folded her arms with a large content smile on her face.

“Looks like the boy is about to face a firing squad,” the short man said between bursts of laughter.

“Can we just get this over with?” Owen asked, trembling.

“Fine by me.  I’ll try to make it quick and
painful
.”

The short man charged the blind Owen with all his might.  Shifting his weight at the last moment, the short man balled his fist and launched a powerful punch.  Owen’s hand instantly caught the mighty punch and sent the short man crashing into the ground.  Unfazed, the short man lashed out a leg at Owen.  Owen nimbly jumped back from the attack and grabbed the short man’s leg.  With a single graceful motion, Owen swung the man along on the ground and sent him flying back toward the ship.

Owen winced when he heard the metallic thud the short man made.  The troopers from the ship had dropped what they were doing and rushed to the short man’s aid.  The short man pushed them all away and glared at Owen.  There was murder in his cold, hard stare.  Again, the short man attacked Owen.  And once again Owen slammed the small man into the ground.  The short man started panting as he pressed the attack.  It didn’t matter what the man tried, Owen immediately countered it perfectly.

“Are you all right?” Owen asked, clueless to what was happening.

“Now you plan to taunt me?” the short man wheezed, completely out of breath.

“You don’t sound too good.  Why don’t we stop and let me look you over?”

The short man answered with his fists.  Owen easily thwarted several additional pointless attacks.

“I think we passed your challenge,” Tyra said.  “We’ll be boarding now.”

“Over my dead body.”  The short man spat some blood in Tyra’s direction.

“Can we at least know your name?” Cain asked.

“Why do you want to know that?”

“So we know what to put on your tombstone.”  A long wide grin filled Cain’s face.

“I’ll wipe that grin off your face!” a trooper shouted.

One of the troopers gathered around the fight leaped at Cain but failed to make contact.  The other troopers from the ship all gasped as the helpless trooper thrashed in the air.  The look of shock filled trooper’s face as she realized she was hovering in midair.  It took her a moment to realize Cassandra was effortlessly holding the woman in the air, having ended her lunge with just a single strong grip.

“Thanks for the save, but would you put the poor girl down now?” Cain asked.

Without any obvious effort, Cassandra tossed the helpless trooper aside.  The short man sat on the ground, staring at her.  With the threat taken care of, she moved back to Brent’s side.

“Is it over?” Owen asked anxiously.

“Oh, it’s over,” Marie said with a grin.

“I thought the blindfolded guy was the strongest you had,” the short man said, stammering just a bit.

“It’s not nice to play favorites.”  Tyra shrugged.  “It’s been a while since Owen had some exercise.  Thought he’d enjoy it most.”

The troopers from the ship all backed away from Tyra’s squad.  Owen carefully removed his blindfold and handed it gently back to Tyra.  He almost jumped when he spotted the short man panting on the ground.  Owen quickly kneeled down next to the man and started treating him.  The short man protested, but Owen continued to work anyway.

“So, can we get a name now?” Ronald asked flatly.

“I suppose as the loser I have no choice.”  The short man let out a long sigh as Owen wrapped his arm.  “Edward T. Harper, leader of the Harbingers of the Abyss.”

“Who?” Doug asked, scratching his head.

“That’s the name of his group,” Marie said, nudging Doug.

A loud tone rang out from inside the ship.

“The Harbinger will be lifting off in ten; all hands to your stations.”  Admiral Shen’s voice emerged from the P.A.

“So the ship is called the Harbinger,” Humphrey mumbled, “and the troopers assigned to it call themselves the Harbingers of the Abyss?  I suppose I’ve heard worse names.”

“Gloat later!” Harper shouted as he jumped to his feet.  “Unless you want to be left behind.”

Harper and the rest of his troopers quickly hefted the last remaining creates and rushed onboard.  Tyra and the rest of her squad entered the ship, trying to stay out of the way.  The walls and floor were the exactly same gleaming white of the academy.  The connecting corridors, hidden doorways, and every other detail were exactly like the academy.  Brent had to glance behind him to make sure they had entered the ship.  Sure enough, the docking platform was still waiting just outside the cargo doors.  Apparently, everything built by the Commonwealth military looked the same on the inside.  As Harper passed them carrying another large crate, Tyra flagged him down.

“If you can’t tell, we are a bit busy right now,” Harper said, obviously miffed about losing.

“Where are we to report to?” Tyra asked.

“Deck D, section one twenty-eight, compartment four.”

As Harper dashed off, Brent could make out a grin on his face.  He was obviously under the notion the squad would never be able to find their way around the ship.  Tyra shot a glance at Ronald.  With a shrug, Ronald started looking around randomly.  Brent locked his eyes on the nearest doorway.  Just like the academy, there was a small series of subtle bumps and grooves just above the door.  With Cassandra’s help, he shuffled down the corridors, checking the indentations as he went.  The squad followed closely as they tried to figure out where they were headed.  In no time at all, he had guided the squad down two levels and though countless corridors to their destination.

“Neat trick!  How’d he do that?” Penny whispered to Dante.

“Something to do with the doorways,” Cassandra said, trying to remember.  “I think he tried to teach me how once.”

As the doorway opened, the squad found themselves staring down what looked like an entire division of troopers.  Brent noticed a few started cracking their knuckles as they spotted the newcomers.

“You might want to think about giving Owen back the scarf,” Dante whispered to Tyra.

“Admiral on deck!” shouted an ensign.

The Bridge crew briefly saluted before returning to their duties.

“What’s our status?” Shen asked.

“All systems read normal,” a thin man said in a high-pitched voice.  “We’ve just confirmed the last supplies have been secured.  The ship is awaiting your command.”

“Plot us a course to Reloas – shortest possible travel time.  Depart when ready.”  Shen issued his orders.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Core Industries?” the navigation officer asked.

“Knowing Alden, his forces are all ready in position.”  Shen smiled to himself.

“How is that possible?  There are ITU patrols everywhere.  How could they miss an entire battle fleet?”

“There are several ways to avoid detection, and Alden has no doubt invented a few of his own.  I’ve had dealings with him before, and it’s safe to say he is quite possibly the most dangerous man in the Commonwealth.”

“Dangerous, Admiral?” the ship’s captain asked, setting down his pad.

“Alden knows what he wants, and he has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get it.  That alone makes him troublesome.  However, what makes him downright dangerous is the fact he knows
how
to get what he wants.”

“I don’t follow.”

“If Core Industries wasn’t a legitimate corporation, I’d be tempted to call Alden one of the greatest criminal masterminds out there.  There is nothing he can’t accomplish.  Hiding a war fleet right under the noses of the ITU would be child’s play for him.”

“If he’s so powerful, why not just take the ITU out?  Why wait so long?” the captain asked.

“That I don’t know.  CI and the ITU have been at each other’s throats for decades, but Alden has never taken the initiative.  You would think war would finally have forced his hand.”  Shen stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“Maybe he was waiting for something,” the ensign said.

“What do you mean?” the navigation officer asked.

“Well maybe, just maybe, he was waiting for us to show up.  You said he’s smart, right?  What if he counted on us or some other group from the navy showing up?” the ensign asked.

“Great, so we have been reduced to a pawn,” the navigation officer said with a sigh.

“Cheer up!”  A wide grin covered the captain’s face.  “Pawn or not, I’m just happy to know there is some kind of plan behind all this.  The ITU won’t know what hit them.”

The bridge crew chuckled to themselves.  The captain had been working under the admiral for so long he was more of a figurehead than an actual leader.  He attended to the minor details of the ship while the admiral made all the big decisions.  Although the captain’s duties were minimal, he did have a larger purpose to Shen.  With a minor glance, Shen could get a feel for the entire ship.  The captain was the ship’s center, so to speak.  If the captain was in good sprits, awaiting a fight, then it was safe to say the rest of the crew was on a similar note.

However, something didn’t seem right.  It was reassuring to know the crew was ready for action, but something was nagging Shen.  He left the bridge and walked down the corridors, trying to collect his thoughts.  He’d been an admiral long enough to know to trust his instincts.  He wandered aimlessly, lost in thought.  Something had bothered him on the bridge, but what?  Shen relived the scene in his mind over and over, attempting to find what he had missed.  The ensign’s voice rang in his head.

“Not something, but someone!” Shen shouted to no one in particular.

Shen rushed down the corridors with renewed purpose.  Alden couldn’t have known any part of the Navy would survive the ITU ambushes.  In fact, he had even ordered his security forces to attack them when they landed.  He had no idea they were friendly.  The fact the Navy ships weren’t intercepted in orbit meant Alden’s entire space fleet had to be in position already.  So, why wait?  Alden wasn’t waiting for reinforcements; he was waiting for
someone
.  Shen knew there had been something strange about those troopers at Alden’s table.

Tyra and Ronald stood firm as the ship’s troopers rose from their activities.  Liz hid behind Marie, clutching her shirt tightly.  A particularly strong looking trooper sneered at Liz as he approached.

“Final checks all clear,” a nasally voice shouted from the P.A.  “All systems go.  Switching to internal power.  Powering up main engines.  Mooring clamps released.  The Harbinger is underway!”

A tremendous force pulled everyone toward the floor plating as the ship escaped the clutches of Eos’ gravity.  Even the strongest looking troopers shuddered as they tried to remain standing against the added weight.  Only Cassandra seemed unaffected.  After a while, the strain subsided and completely faded.  Shaking off the last effects of the launch, the troopers continued moving toward Tyra’s squad.

“. . . I don’t care how many men it takes – find them!”  Harper shouted, walking through the doorway behind Tyra’s squad.  “Even if you have to
personally
turn every room upside-down, I want them found.  I can’t have
recruits
wandering the ship,”

“Found them,” the woman following Harper said with a smirk as she pointed dead ahead.

Harper stared at the squad for a moment.

“How did . . .
who
guided them?” Harper barked angrily at the troopers already in the room.

The troopers all backed away from their leader.  Exchanging glances, the troopers tried to shift blame and save themselves from Harper’s wrath.

“He guided us,” Hiroko said with a grin as she perched on Brent’s shoulder.

Cassandra shot her a disapproving glance as she helped him take the pressure off his leg.

“A
recruit
managed to navigate through the Commonwealth’s greatest warship?  Those plans were supposed to be a military secret!” Harper grumbled.

Harper seemed to have two tones of voice, shouting and seething.

“I’ve never seen a blueprint for this ship,” Brent said diplomatically.  “I breached no protocol I know of.”

“So you just
happened
to find your way here?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then how
exactly
did you beat me here?”

“Sir?” the woman standing behind him quietly interrupted.

“What is it?” Harper continued to seethe.

“We have a guest, sir.”

“I don’t care if the Grand Executive of the Union
herself
is here; I’m not finished!”

“I can’t speak for the Grand Executive of the ITU, but I’d like to have a word with you,” Admiral Shen said in a calm voice.

Harper instantly froze.  Slowly, he turned around and gulped as he found Shen standing in the doorway.  Harper and the rest of the troopers saluted.  Shen briskly returned the salute and gestured for Harper to follow him.  As the doorway sealed, the troopers collectively let out a sigh of relief.

“You’ll have to forgive Edward,” the woman who had been following Harper said politely.

“He’s normally not this ill-tempered, I’d imagine,” Rhea said, with a kind smile.

“Please don’t misunderstand me.  He’s always like this.”

“Then what exactly are we supposed to be forgiving him for?” Cain asked.

“He’s always a little rough around the edges, but he’s normally not this . . . vindictive.  He’s just mad we ran from the ITU instead of fighting.”

“And since we’re strangers it’s easier for him to take his frustrations out on us,” Dante said, with an understanding nod.

“Chelsea!  Don’t apologize to them,” a thick, rough voice shouted.

Brent tried not to react as he realized the man who had sneered at Liz was standing right behind him.

“Don’t tell me we have to fight you, too,” Erin said with a sigh.

“After the day we’ve had, I wouldn’t doubt it,” Doug said with a grin.

“Tell me, did someone put ‘kick me’ signs on our backs?” Owen asked Chelsea.

“Or in Brent’s case, ‘shoot me.’”  Cain started laughing.

“That’s not funny!”  Cassandra forcefully nudged Cain.

“What’s wrong with all of you?” the man shouted at the squad.  “Don’t you realize we are at war?”

“Of course we do,” Tyra said, stepping toward the strong looking man. “In fact, let me ask you a question.”

“What’s on your mind, little lamb?” the man asked, with a look of superiority on his face.

“How many of you have been shot at today?  How many of you have been
hit
?”

The man stared at Tyra, not understanding her question.

“While the lot of you have been sitting here feeling sorry for yourselves, my squad has been fighting for its life on Eos,” Tyra shouted at the man.  “Don’t think for a
second
you are in any position to lecture us on anything!”

The man backed away almost apologetically.  The nearby troopers looked over Tyra’s squad as they absorbed what they’d heard.  The room grew so quiet the normally ignored swishing sound the door made was clearly audible.

“Well, I’ll give you one thing,” Harper seethed.  “You all have plenty of spunk.  Chelsea!” he shouted her name despite the fact she was only a few steps away.

“Yes, sir?”

“These recruits will be joining us.  Make sure they have a place to sleep.”

“At once, sir.”

“The rest of you, listen closely!  The admiral wants us to be ready for a combat drop by the time we get to our destination.  He wants
all
of us ready.  That means we will be getting these recruits up to speed.  Now, I don’t care how frustrating or irritating our guests are, save your energy for the Union.”

The troopers roared and cheered as they balled their fists.  Harper wasn’t the only one who had regretted running.  Brent was just pleased the other troopers were so easily swayed.  The promise of fighting the ITU would be handy for keeping his friends out of harm’s way.  Chelsea smiled warmly as she guided Tyra’s squad through the troopers to the bunks.

“Why does he keep calling us recruits?  We passed the exams,” Hiroko whispered to Owen.

“It’s your arm patches,” Chelsea said, having overheard.  “You don’t have an insignia yet.”

“So we haven’t graduated and haven’t been assigned to a formal outfit yet,” Doug said.  “What’s the big deal?”

“You are all untested,” Chelsea said with a smile.  “Maybe you’ve had a trial or two, but there is no substitute for the real thing.”

“I see.”  Cain grinned at her.  “So when exactly does one become
tested
?”

“I’m afraid I don’t get your meaning.”  Chelsea raised an eyebrow.

“Well, obviously being shot doesn’t cut it.  So when do we get to join the club?  When we’ve been hit twice?  Three times maybe?  Do we have to lose a limb or two?  Is there a height requirement?  You must be
this
tall to be a trooper,” Cain said, holding out his hand at a height just higher than Harper’s.

The rest of Tyra’s squad burst into laughter.  Chelsea’s warm smile didn’t fade for a moment as she waited for the squad to quiet down.

“I’m guessing you’ve been shot then.  Shall I have you escorted to sick bay?” Chelsea asked.

“Me? Never!”  Cain matched Chelsea’s warm smile.  “I leave the heroics to everyone else.  Now Brent over there, he can’t resist sticking his neck out.”

“Then does
he
need the assistance of a medic?”

“He’s all ready been checked out,” Cassandra said defensively.

“That’s certainly good news.  Now, these bunks here are currently empty.  Feel free to rest for as long as you like.  We’ll bring you up to speed in the morning.”

Chelsea saluted briefly and headed back toward Harper.  Brent noticed Chelsea’s warm smile faded the instant her back was turned to the newcomers.  She had barely been able to hold it long enough.  The squad waited for Tyra and Ronald to pick their bunks before claiming their own.  Most immediately flopped into their bunks.  Cassandra gently helped Brent to his bunk.

“Up to speed . . . what do you think she meant by that?” Humphrey mumbled.

“No idea,” Angela said with a sigh, “but I can guarantee it won’t be pleasant.”

“She tried not to show it,” Cain asked with a grin, “but I really angered her off when I made fun of our
charming
new division leader, didn’t I?

“Now, there’s an understatement,” Angela said with a subdued smile.  “Although, it probably doesn’t matter; there isn’t a single trooper here who isn’t angry or annoyed at us.”

“I thought Owen told you to lay off the Weaver abilities.”

“Believe me, I don’t have to work to sense this.  They are practically shouting at me.”

Cain finished unpacking a few items, and then took a seat next to Angela.  She raised an eyebrow as she tried to create some distance between them on the bunk.  She instantly relaxed when he put his hands over her ears.  Brent could sense the enshrouding cool fog.  A look of serene bliss covered her face as Angela rested against him.