Chi retracted her smile.

  “I can’t go there yet. It seems so farfetched.”

  Kara understood. She still thought about her mother from time to time, but the distance – and their final, bitter days together – left her feeling nothing inside for Li-Ann Syung. She imagined the once-regal, domineering woman hiding out in the Syung estate, a recluse unable to face public scrutiny.

  The five other Talons who protected Scylla from the Aeternan threat – Paul, Hiro, Leto, Yusef, and Meena – greeted the boarding party. Like Chi, they had not removed their body armor.

  “Good,” Ham said. “We’re all here.” He introduced the Inventor. “I know you have many questions for Amayas, but for the moment, we need to focus on Hokkaido. Most of you have fought the Swarm. I know this is an enemy you never expected to see again. I defer to your expertise on their combat techniques and how we should deploy our forces after we arrive and assess the situation.”

  “When does the fleet leave?” Paul Ochoba said.

  “Thirty minutes, assuming Minister Cooper upholds his end.”

  “If not?”

  “Same, but we go with what we have. Amayas says the Swarm arrived less than two hours ago, standard time. Our trip will take twenty-one minutes. We might be too late or catch them unaware.”

  “In my experience,” Yusef Matook said, “Swarm like to make a statement early to terrify civilians into a quick surrender.”

  “Agreed,” Cando said. “But if the Inventor is correct about three ships, and they crossed the divide, invasion might not be their objective. Time may be our ally.”

  Ham nodded.

  “I appoint Cando to command the fleet if military intervention is required. A Talon needs to lead this fight. I don’t know the Swarm mindset like you. I will remain Scylla’s Captain, but I will defer to Cando until we win. Does anyone have an issue with this arrangement?”

  They expressed quick, unanimous support. Ham didn’t tell Kara he was contemplating the move, but his wisdom pleased her. Ham had years of military background and used clever ploys against the immortals, but he fought inferior enemies. He recognized the need for a different voice.

  “I won’t let you down,” Cando said, facing the full group. “We have an advantage. We aren’t the Orzed Confederation. The Swarm don’t know about us. They don’t know our ships or weapons. They’re used to neutralizing all comers. Not this time.”

  Yusef let out a roar.

  “Won’t it be grand? I know of no better sight than a gaggle of Swarm on the run.”

  “With good fortune, may it be the last time, Yusef. For now, I’ll ask Paul and Hiro to join me in C&C. Amayas is going to unlock our worm drive. Hiro, I’d like you to monitor comms as the fleet assembles. After we enter the wormhole, I want to see all Talons in the Captain’s office for a combat briefing. Po, Jai: You’re welcome to attend, although it’s not required.”

  Po and Jai took one look at each other and then Cando.

  “Hokkaido’s our home,” Jai said. “We’ll be there, Colonel.”

  “Outstanding. We’ll be prepared to act as soon as we arrive. We’ll make no assumptions. It won’t be like Euphrates.”

  The crew did not expect to find the Arakaat Shipyards on fire that day more than a month ago. Nor did they anticipate falling under attack a minute later. Kara knew this time would be different. Cando would make it right.

  Po raised his hand.

  “Colonel, I don’t think everyone’s here. Shoan and Myra …”

  “They won’t be joining us.” Cando sighed. “They were a thousand kay from Promise when Amayas arrived. They have no idea what’s happening. We felt it best to leave them behind.”

  “But Hokkaido’s their home, too.”

  “It is,” Ham said. “Shoan and Myra turned away from their Talon training and combat. They’ve struggled with their past. They’re content where they are. When all this is finished, if they’re cleared to return home without retribution, they can make that choice.”

  “To be blunt,” Cando added, “two more bodies won’t make a difference. Either we win this decisively, or we’re in serious trouble. All right, everyone. Time is short, and the Inventor has important work to complete. To your duties.”

  En route to C&C, Amayas surprised everyone with his first words after stepping onboard.

  “We are always running from our past.”

  “What’s that?” Ham said.

  “I reflected upon your comments about the ones who stayed behind. Shoan and Myra. The past is like a ghost stalking us on our journey. We spend inordinate amounts of time trying to outrun it. We try to bury it, but the rascal won’t leave us in peace.”

  “You might be right.”

  No one argued the point. Kara traced her own turmoil back to those early years when she walked in the shadow of her brothers. Both Lang and Dae paid her visits when she dreamed.

  “What are you running from?” Kara asked the Inventor. “Aside from Exeter Woolsey, I mean.”

  She pointed to the bruise which the immortal inflicted during their brief but contentious reunion.

  “Hmm. You know the reputation of the Bouchet name. Yes?”

  “Some of it.”

  “If I were a writer, I’d try my hand at an autobiography. It might be good therapy. But I’ll be an old man by then.”

  Ham cast a harsh eye on their guest.

  “I think your reckoning will come much sooner, Amayas.”

  “I’ve no doubt.”

  “When we finish our business, we’ll expect a full accounting.”

  “You won’t be the only one. For now, allow me to do my work.” They reached C&C. “Michael expects me to go into battle at his side. Hmm. He confiscated my Scramjet to make the point. He’ll be put out if I don’t transfer ships before the fleet departs.”

  “He’s not the man you remember, is he?”

  “Actually, he’s exactly as I left him. Perhaps louder.”

  “Did you know he tried to capture Scylla before you arrived?”

  “He did? Interesting.”

  Amayas sounded nonchalant, which caught everyone’s ear.

  “You don’t seem shocked in the least,” Cando said.

  “Michael is a good man with an obsession, which makes him a dangerous man. Obviously he failed, which also does not surprise me.” Amayas sat at the navigation console. “You’ve met with him for weeks. No doubt you’ve experienced his narcissism. All I will say is this: Michael had scant little to do with our victory in The Last Day’s War. He fought his battles, and we fought ours. The Jewels of Eternity did the rest. He is not the military genius he claims. Now, if you’ll allow me into the worm drive submatrix, I’ll remove the block.”

  Paul threw open a holo and entered the NAR Codex, which he rewrote in the weeks after they stole the ship from rogue Chancellors above the ruins of Artemis Station.

  “Thank you, Paul.” Amayas swiveled around to face the crew. “I meant what I said down there. I never wanted my people involved. I would have preferred they remain isolated, playing defense. The future had other ideas. Give me five minutes, and we’ll run a sim.”

  Hiro took his place at comm and waited for the first Aeternan ships to arrive. Kara retreated with Cando and Ham.

  “What do you make of him?” Ham asked her under his breath.

  “I think he’s being careful. He reminds me of my father. Perr had this air about him, like he was in command. But if you listened closely, you knew it was all an act.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He walked a line between people he controlled and masters who made demands on him. I didn’t listen well enough when I was a girl. Toward the end, I heard the conflict. It scared me.”

  Cando wrapped an arm around her.

  “With good reason. This man is a chameleon. Literally. A false face and a false name. What he did to Exeter is unforgivable. Yet his heart seems bent on saving innocent people. But what’s his plan for all those Splinters? Not to mention he’s working with Ryllen. I never saw that coming.”

  “Who did? If it came down to him or Michael,” Ham said, “which one would you choose?”

  “Huh. Is there a third option?”

  Kara groaned.

  “Maybe it won’t matter after today.”

  As promised, Amayas cleared the worm drive of its handicap. Paul ran simulations, including in-system jumps and beyond. While he did, the first two AN ships exited apertures at Scylla’s right flank. Neither was involved in the recent close-call, which Ham did not think was a coincidence.

  Michael sent word he’d arrive within ten minutes aboard the Crowfoot, the ship he commanded at Euphrates. He refused Amayas’s request to lead with Lioness. He insisted the AN flagship remain behind to organize the defense of Aeterna if anyone took advantage of Michael’s absence. Ham and Cando objected without success when they learned Admiral Rafael Kane had been ordered to stay behind.

  Amayas shrugged when he heard the news.

  “It will always be about him. But what can we do? Michael’s people adore him. They won’t learn until his mistakes cause them to suffer.”

  “You’re welcome to stay here,” Ham said. “Michael will pitch a fit, but I’ll make a passable excuse.”

  “I’ve no doubt. I also think you would use the journey to question me about the details I’ve withheld.”

  “Michael won’t?”

  “No. He’ll be focused on my plans to reclaim Aeterna.”

  “Excuse me? You’re …”

  “Of course not. That scenario only exists in Michael’s paranoia. He wants to keep an eye on me. I think it best I cooperate, for all our sakes. Yes?”

  “Agreed. Thank you for unlocking the drive. Cando, who will transport Amayas to Crowfoot?”

  “I’ll make sure Yusef meets him in the bay.”

  Amayas addressed all the command crew.

  “I want to wish you the best. I hope the Swarm have retreated, but if we’re not so lucky, may the fight go our way. They cannot be allowed to grab a foothold in this universe.”

  “If it’s three warships,” Cando said, “I’m confident we’ll take them. The Swarm don’t have weapons comparable to particle missiles.”

  “Many have questioned why I designed ships with such power. I intended them to be deterrents against anyone reaching too far. In a perfect future, the array will never have to be used again.”

  “A nice thought,” Ham said. “I doubt the future will cooperate.”

  “No. It never does. But if we eliminate this battle group, we’ll buy time until the Swarm can’t threaten anyone ever again.”

  Amayas started to leave, but Ham raised a finger, as if testing the wind.

  “Come again, Amayas? That last bit. What do you mean?”

  “All empires die eventually.”

  “No. You were being specific. You know something.”

  “It’s not important in the moment, Captain.”

  “What aren’t you telling us?”

  “Nothing you need know today.”

  Cando stepped forward.

  “The Swarm have been rampaging for generations. The Orzed Confederation has thousands of ships and millions of soldiers but hasn’t stopped them. Has something changed?”

  “It’s complicated, Cando.”

  “Not really. Either you have a plan, or you’re spouting nonsense. The Swarm are an invincible disease.”

  “Now. I crafted a defense to stop the disease before it spreads. Its success won’t be known for quite some time. Victory today is critical to the next step. That’s all I’m at liberty to say.” He smirked at Ham. “I was right. If I had stayed, you would have dragged too much out of me. Goodbye, and good luck to you all.”

  Amayas ignored the voices who wanted to know more.

  Hiro announced the arrival of a third AN ship.

  “You were right,” Cando told Kara. “He’s being careful.”

  Kara weighed the moment.

  “He’s afraid of something. But what?”

  24

  T EN MINUTES BEFORE HE BOARDED a shuttle for the NTS Crowfoot, Michael Cooper showed his wife how much he’d miss her. The kiss was longer and deeper than the last time he prepared for battle. It meant more tonight. He wasn’t uncertain about the outcome, but his nerves tingled and his mind darted everywhere. In a matter of minutes, Cortez had outfoxed him again, and the future of all he built seemed to stand on shaky ground.

  Michael tried to ignore the Jewels’ warning, as delivered to him at the bottom of Lake Profundus. He failed at every turn.

  “Time dies,” they said. “You are time.”

  “Am I dying?”

  “When there is no more time.”

  “Can I stop this from happening?”

  “Fight.”

  “Can I win?”

  “He knows how to find you.”

  Why couldn’t they speak plainly? Always obtuse, those damn Jewels. When they didn’t deliver messages through symbols, their words felt like vague prophecy, meant for interpretation. Valentin’s precision return to Promise seemed to confirm their final line of prophecy.

  Now what? Go into battle with Valentin and Cortez and chart the future on other men’s terms?

  To hell with that.

  The headaches. The Jewels. The Splinters. Now, the Inventor.

  What am I missing? There has to be a connection.

  When Michael pulled out of the kiss and looked into Samantha’s twinkling eyes, he made a promise.

  This stays with me.

  “You look worried,” Samantha said.

  “Really? I’m just a dude in love.”

  “Our lives have been turned upside down, sweetie. A little worry is healthy.”

  “What? Valentin? Shit, no. I’m gonna help him out with a mess he made, and I’ll be back by morning.”

  “I think he goes by Amayas now.”

  “It’s a dumbass name. It’s soft.”

  “But he’s not. He’s been very busy out there. Show him respect, Michael. It must have been difficult for him to ask for help.”

  “Tail between his legs. He abandoned us, Sam. I can’t forget it.”

  “No, but you can forgive it and move on.”

  She won many arguments with the soft, reassuring tone of a crisis manager. Michael long ago ran out of techniques for stealing the last word. He found the easiest method was to raise the proverbial white flag and walk away.

  “I’ll do my best, babe. No promises. I gotta run. My officers are waiting for me.”

  “What about the boys?”

  “You know how they get. Twenty questions. Tell them I’ll be back in time for breakfast.”

  “Afterward,” she said, tucking in his uniform, “you can tell me what you’re hiding.”

  He played dumb.

  “I’m an open book, babe. You know me.”

  “Too well. See you in the morning, sweetie.”

  She left him with a final kiss and retreated inside their habitat. Michael mumbled.

  “How you stomached my shit for so long, I’ll never know.”

  He never thought it would last. Their love grew out of shared circumstance and living under constant threat. Michael used to think the days of peace and harmony they found on Aeterna might open Sam’s eyes to the asshole she married. There were more than a few ripped bodies in Promise to distract a bored wife. Yet even Michael’s ugliest warts did not discourage her.

  Michael blinked into Occip and opened all comms to the AN fleet. Everyone appeared on schedule to rendezvous with Scylla. Crowfoot’s attachment was onboard, awaiting Michael’s arrival along with two of his Colonels. He transmitted an internal prompt to Promise City Transport: “Command LZ.”

  He stepped into a door-size Walker frame, its top panel glowing green. A quarter of a second later, he walked out the other side, twenty feet from his Scramjet. It wasn’t a huge time savings: A brisk walk would’ve taken three minutes. Nonetheless, he loved the portal system. In conjunction with Occip, he considered it the greatest breakthrough of his administration. Only ten frames existed, but the work continued. Within a year, he wanted full connectivity between the city and every AN ship in the system. Next-gen wormholes would make Aeterna the envy of every world. Humanity would have to kiss his ass before he handed over the trade secrets.

  Cols. Ordova and Woolsey met him at the egress. Inside, Platoon 7 and Cap Silver awaited, jetpacks loaded. Michael nodded to Nav.

  “Take us to Crowfoot.”

  “Yes, Minister.”

  The threesome took their places around the nav circle. Michael addressed Cordova.

  “We’re moving up to the big leagues, Rene. You ready?”

  Cordova wore a flaming meteor on her cheek.

  “We’re the best, Minister. Count on it.”

  He turned to his other Colonel.

  “I know you can vouch, Exeter. You flew with P7 on Euphrates.”

  “Yes, Minister.” Exeter glanced toward the rear with a nudge of anxiety. “They’ll be brilliant. They have an exceptional Cap.”

  Michael knew how close Exeter had become with Caleb Silver.

  “We got no idea what we’re facing. Might be, we’ll take one look and rule out aerial assault teams.”

  “They don’t need jetpacks to kill the enemy,” Cordova said.

  Michael always liked Renee. At first blush, she came off as a fun, gentle creature, but she had the instincts of a predator.

  “I wish I was with them,” Exeter said. “I still remember every second of the Arakaat mission.”

  “I need you on the bridge. You’re the only one we have who knows the Swarm. Cortez is hogging the rest of the brainpower.”

  “They’re a good team. They were my brothers and sisters for a long time.”

  “That was then. Now you’re an Aeternan. You have twenty-five hundred brothers and sisters.”

  Nav announced arrival outside Crowfoot in high orbit.

  Michael laughed.

  “How is it that fourteen seconds can seem like a lifetime?”

  “If you’ll excuse me, Minister,” Cordova said.

  She ordered Platoon 7 into position to disembark. Michael crossed his legs and pulled out his pipe.