“Yesss,” Ixy agreed as Shaq hopped off the archon and streaked toward me, jumping onto my shoulder.

  “Hey, bud,” I said while he took a moment to nuzzle my neck. “Glad you made it.”

  “You too,” he buzzed back.

  “Captain, we’ve drawn most of the defenders toward the western flank,” Nori announced over the comms. “There’s a gap you can bring your forces in through, but it won’t last long. I’m passing the route to your team.”

  “Copy that, Major,” I replied. “The two Gilded are neutralized. We’re on the move.” I paused as my vision began to blur. My body was burning up. My knees gave out, and I landed hard on my ass, my head slumping back against the rock as darkness threatened to close in on my vision. “Bensss?” Ixy said.

  Not now. Damn it. I held my head, a whole litany of fears racing through my mind. Foremost, I wasn’t sure how much more I had to give. If I reached David, and hopefully Grizz’s family, too tired to function, I wouldn’t be able to get us back out of here.

  The darkness began to recede, the episode passing as slowly as it had hit me. As soon as I could get my feet back under me, I shoved myself up, my knees still none too steady.

  “Team Hondo, I’m not done here yet. Zar, show me the way.”

  CHAPTER 22

  I stood there, amidst the rocks of the dusty planet, still gathering myself as Quasar started toward a narrow pathway leading out of there toward our objective.

  “Ben,” Emerald said, coming up behind me. She had her arm around Sheri, who looked a little less defeated and panicked than she had a few minutes earlier.

  “Sher, are you okay?” I asked, aware of the danger in delaying our advance. “Because we need to move, and you need to keep up without Em’s help.”

  “I’m with you,” Sheri answered, shrugging out of Emerald’s hold. “I’m sorry. I just got overwhelmed there for a bit. I’m okay now.”

  “Understandable, but also potentially deadly. Stick with Emerald. She’ll keep you safe.”

  “Damn straight,” Emerald agreed.

  Looking concerned, Sheri remained focused on me. “Are you okay? Your hair is soaked, and your eyes are bloodshot.”

  My legs felt like lead weights, but I had to ignore it. “I’ll be fine,” I replied. “Let’s go.”

  I hurried as fast as I could to catch up to Quasar. The rest of the group trailed close behind us, eyes peeled, weapons up and at the ready. Beyond Team Hondo, we had picked up six Royal Marines whose units had been otherwise decimated. I couldn’t see their faces past the tinting of their visors, but their postures suggested they were eager for another shot at the enemy.

  While most of the sounds of fighting were concentrated on our left—which was also the direction what remained of our mechs had headed—I was sure they would get their wish soon enough. While the stealth drone launched by Dropship Alfa on the way down had identified a less dangerous route for us to take to the installation’s entrance, I doubted it would be totally trouble-free. And with my body almost literally at its boiling point, we needed all the extra help we could get.

  I was glad when, after a few hundred feet of double-timing it through a narrow rocky chasm, we caught up to Sergeant Tsu and another dozen Marines. They were pressed against the rock face, packed tight behind cover to avoid detection by an enemy mech blocking their way. We would need to pass right between its legs to continue on.

  “Captain Murdock,” she said as we neared their position. “Good to see you’re alive.”

  “How did you get past the archons?” I asked.

  “What archons?” she replied. “Did they sneak in behind us?”

  “Must have.” I motioned to the mech. “This is Nori’s idea of clear?”

  “There’s only one of them, so yes. When I spotted you coming our way, I figured we’d wait for you to take that thing down.”

  “I’m too low on fuel,” I said. “We’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way.”

  “That could take a while.”

  I paused, shifting my grip on my guitar. We didn’t have a while. This entire operation had already been more of a quagmire than I’d expected. “Can your rifles punch through the cockpit transparency?”

  “With enough hits.”

  “We’ve got nearly two dozen guns here. I assume that would be enough?”

  “It should be. What’s your plan?”

  “Looking at the mech, I don’t think it’ll fit too well between these rocks. I’ll drag him in and get him stuck. You blow out the cockpit and kill the pilot.”

  “I like the way you think, Captain.”

  “That makes one of us,” I replied. Strategizing how to kill a man wasn’t at the top of my bucket list.

  “Wait here until it starts coming down.” I turned to move in on the mech.

  “Ben, I don’t like this,” Quasar said.

  “I’m running too hot to pull him in from here. The closer I get, the less energy I need.”

  “If he sees you, you won’t have a chance.”

  “I figure there’s a reason Nori let me wear the Scout armor.” I slid my guitar around to my back and tapped on my right wrist the way Nori had shown me, to activate the environmental blending system. The armor immediately changed color to match the surrounding shades of brown and gray.

  “Except the mech has infrared,” Quasar said. “You’ll register like a fireball. But maybe…” She paused in consideration.”Since he won’t be able to make visual contact, the pilot just might think your heat signature is a malfunction.”

  I pulled my guitar back around and turned the volume all the way down. “I only need a few seconds. Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck, Boo,” Emerald smiled at me, belief in me bright in her eyes.

  I gave her a wink before moving out from behind cover. Sticking tight against the natural rock wall, I did my best to mask my heat signature without taking forever to reach the imposing machine. Within a minute, I had managed to get within thirty feet of it.

  The enemy mechs had a more menacing shape than the Avenger, with a deep, thick body mounted on squat legs, its arms and chest loaded with weapon systems. The pilot of this one probably felt left out, forced to guard the right flank while all the action was on the left. Or maybe he was happy to be this far from the action.

  He wouldn’t be happy in a minute.

  I advanced ten more feet and played a few improvised chords, the volume barely loud enough for me to hear. Eyes locked on the mech’s cockpit, I let the chaos energy flood into my construct. I had to remind myself that this was war, and whoever was in that mech was helping Blorb kill innocent people.

  Exhaling sharply, I reached out to the mech and pulled, tugging it toward me as if I had two huge hands clamped on its shoulders. The pilot noticed something was wrong right away, and he shifted the mech’s legs, trying to maintain balance. The torso twisted. The pilot’s eyes met mine momentarily before I increased the force of the action, yanking the machine off its feet and sending it crashing face first into the gap. The collapse created a din of scraping metal, but with all the nearby explosions, I doubted anyone heard it.

  The mech lay wedged in the rocks no more than fifteen meters from me. With its cockpit hanging at a sixty-degree angle a few meters above the rest of it, the pilot still strapped to his seat as he looked down at me, his expression telling me he knew he was finished. I made sure I was man enough to keep my eyes locked to his, showing nothing but respect for a fellow fighter, as Tsu and the others reached me.

  A number of guns fired into the cockpit glass until melting through and hitting the pilot. His eyes widened, and I watched his head slump to his chest before I looked away, the man’s death leaving me nauseous and chilled despite my internal heat.

  “We’re almost there,” Quasar said, clapping me on the shoulder. “We need to keep moving.”

  I swallowed the dusty bile that had risen up my throat and set the pace for my team, hurrying to catch up to Tsu and the rest of her Blues. By the time we all passed between the fallen mech’s legs and wound our way up through the rocky terrain, the explosions in the distance had thinned somewhat. I had the impression both sides had taken a solid beating. But one thing bothered me.

  “Where are the enemy starfighters?” I asked Zar, my gaze turning skyward. “Shouldn’t they have come down to reinforce the ground units?” We had expected it in our planning. A handful of our mechs were positioned near the rear of the assault force, equipped with effective ground-to-air weapons to combat them.

  Quasar looked up before replying. “I don’t know. Maybe our guys did a good job thinning them out before they retreated.”

  “Or they could be waiting for us when we leave,” Ki suggested. “They know we have to get off this hell hole, hopefully sooner than later.”

  “Blorb knows I can transit,” I said. “He’ll expect me and everyone with me to leave that way.”

  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Emerald said. “Whatever that means.”

  “You can tell the age of a horse by his teeth,” George said. “If he’s a gift, don’t be picky about how old he is.”

  “Oh?” She paused. “What’s a horse?”

  “You saw horses on Bill’s farm,” I said.

  “Which ones were they?”

  “The big critters in the stable next to the barn.”

  “Ohhhh. Why would you give someone a horse? They seem hard to wrap.”

  The comment made Sheri laugh. Maybe Emerald was being intentionally obtuse to ease the tension or maybe it was just her crazy talking. Either way, it helped, and I appreciated it.

  Tsu paused ahead, raising her right arm to signal a halt. She turned back to us, flashing hand signals to indicate the Blues on point had come upon some entrenched enemy soldiers. She began directing her squad in pairs to sneak around their flanks.

  “I’ll hang back with Sheri,” I said. “The rest of you, follow Sergeant Tsu.”

  The others moved forward, quickly vanishing around the rock formations. I kept my hands on the guitar, ready to play. Sheri shouldered her rifle, head rotating to keep an eye out for the enemy.

  “I’m really sorry I freaked out back there,” she said. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

  “You didn’t let me down, sis,” I replied. “And you don’t need to apologize. You’re back in action. And once we get out of here, I can take you home if you want.”

  “No, I want to stay. You shouldn’t have to go through all this on your own.”

  “I’m not on my own.”

  “I mean without family.”

  I smiled. “My crew is my family, just like you are.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I do. But I don’t want you to end up traumatized.”

  “It might be too late for that, but if I turn tail and run now,it’ll only heap regret on top of it.”

  A series of flashes up ahead signaled the start of the firefight between the Marines and the enemy soldiers. It was over in a hurry.

  “Captain, you’re clear to advance,” Quasar said over the comms.

  “Copy,” I replied, glancing at Sheri. “All right. You ready?”

  “Yeah,” she said, voice strong. “I’m ready.”

  CHAPTER 23

  We gathered behind the last bit of cover near the Sashkur installation, which blended so well into the landscape we would have missed seeing it if not for Ixy’s alien vision. We could see the primary entry from here. A wide pair of blast doors sat beneath a thirty foot overhang, sealed tight and guarded by nearly a hundred infantry and four large mechs, plus who knew what else inside. The fight raged nearly half a klick away, the Royal Marine forces there making slow but steady headway. More importantly, they had continued to keep the bulk of the enemy tied up while we snuck around from the opposite flank.

  “I think she’s right,” Tsu said, motioning toward the sharp stone walls partially obscuring the apparent entrance to the facility. “That does look like a door.”

  “Should we go for it?” Sheri asked.

  “Seems better than trying to get in through the front,” George commented.

  “It’s risky,” Quasar answered. “Those doors may be welded shut.”

  “Even if they’re welded, I’m sure Ben can open it.”

  All eyes turned to me. While I had cooled off a little during the five minutes it took us to reach our position, I wasn’t eager to reverse course again. Still… “It has to be easier than trying to go through those infantry and mechs, doesn’t it?”

  “That depends on what’s on the other side of the door,” Ki commented.

  “And how quickly the assholes guarding the front come running,” Tsu added. “We’re not getting across this open terrain without being spotted; that’s for sure.” She turned to face me. “Unless you can make us all invisible?”

  “Sadly, no.”

  She leaned out from our hiding place to again look out at the gathered enemy defenses before ducking back and sighing heavily. “Well, damn.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “We have a few choices here, Captain, but honestly, all of them suck. One, we all make a run for that door, and when the enemy sees us we start taking fire. Even if you do get us through said door without a hitch, the opposition will follow us through and we’ll likely attrition out to nil, if you get what I’m saying.”

  “I think so.”

  “Two, a portion of us go for the door, while the rest keep the enemy distracted. Better odds some of us make it inside unseen, but the Marines who create the diversion are pretty much guaranteed their own personal body bags. That is, if there’s enough left of them to send home.”

  “That’s not ideal.”

  “Three, we hang out here and wait for that mess on the opposite flank to resolve itself and hope our forces kick ass. In that case, we might all be able to walk right in.”

  “What’s the downside to that option?” I asked.

  “For starters, it’s a pipe dream. There’s no way those Blues will win against what they’re facing. They’re outnumbered and falling fast. Four mechs is a lot of firepower.”

  Looking at the tactical map in my visor, I agreed with Tsu’s assessment. The assault did indeed look ready to burn out. At which point what was left of the defenders would probably head back our way, compounding our problem.

  “With this option,” Tsu continued, “I’d be advocating the sacrifice of my fellow Marines for my own benefit. That doesn’t sit well with me.”

  “None of those options sit very well with me,” I admitted. “But we’ve come this far. Not getting through one of these doors isn’t an option.”

  “I agree.”

  “So which of those choices gives us the best odds of successfully completing the mission?”

  “I think you already know the answer to that question, Captain.”

  I stared into her visor, finding her eyes through the reflective glare. She knew the answer too. We all did. “You’re going to make me give that order?”

  “You’re in charge. It’s your call to make.”

  “I told Keep I didn’t want to be in the military. This is one of the reasons why. I can’t tell people to go to their certain death. I won’t.”

  “Even though you know it’s the right thing to do?” Tsu pressed. “Even if it means the difference between saving the Spiral and letting it fall?”

  “What’s your game, Sergeant?” I asked defensively.

  “There’s no game,” she answered. “If my Blues and I are going to die today, we deserve to die for someone who isn’t afraid to make the hard choices. We deserve to die for someone who has the strength, courage, and drive to see this thing through to the end, no matter the cost. Are you that someone, Murdock?”

  “I don’t want—”

  “I didn’t ask you if you want to be that someone,” she snapped. “I asked you if you are.”

  I continued staring at her, mouth dry, heart pounding. I knew the right thing to do. It was the only real choice we had, even though Tsu had presented me with three. This was a test. The ultimate test. And as a trained Marine, she knew that if I couldn’t pass it, I couldn’t defeat Blorb.

  “Sergeant,” I said, fighting to keep my voice level and firm. “You and your Marines will circle to the front of the base. When you’re in position, signal back to the rest of us and launch your attack. We’ll use your diversion to cross the open terrain to the side door and make our way into the facility.”

  She nodded tersely. “Yes, sir,” she barked before turning away from me. “You heard the Captain, Marines. Form up and move out. Tonight we dine in Valhalla.”

  “Oorah!” they grunted quietly back, no hint of fear or hesitation in their voices.

  Tsu took two steps before pausing and looking at me again. “Make it count, Captain.”

  “I will,” I replied, trembling at what I had just ordered her to do. I had asked Succaath for more power, and he had told me how to get it. After all that, it still wasn’t enough. “I’m sorry we won’t get to have that drink together.”

  “Don’t worry, Murdock. All warriors go to the same place when they die. We’ll meet again, there.”

  “I’m no warrior.”

  “The sooner you stop telling yourself that, the sooner you’ll really start kicking ass.”

  She headed away with her contingent of Marines, staying low under cover and quickly vanishing from sight. I swallowed heavily, turning to Quasar.

  “You did the right thing,” she offered in response to my pleading expression. “The fact that it was so hard is what makes you a good leader.”

  I nodded, intent on putting my upset to good use and turning it toward our enemies. This wasn’t the time to mourn. It was time to double-down. “When we get the signal, we run for the door as fast as we can. I’ll force it open before we get there so we don’t have to slow down. Has Gia been able to dig up a map of the interior?”

  “Negative. We’re going in blind.”

  “Once we’re inside, we’ll need to split up so we can cover more ground. Emerald, Sheri, and Shaq will be with me. Zar, you’ll take Ki, George, and Ixy.”