“I am seriously impressed with your memory, son,” Theodore said.

  “I’m just getting started, sir,” Gabriel replied. “The assemblers have also completed four gi’shah capable of being piloted by humans, and two of the larger ek’shah, which require at least a dozen souls to operate. They have also used recovered salvage to repair or produce sixteen of our own starfighters, with upgrades to the ion cannons for standard phase modulation. The bad news is that we currently only have ten qualified pilots and eight academy trainees who are advanced enough to put in the cockpit.”

  “Too many ships. We have six days to find soldiers we can train.”

  “Yes, sir. It is expected the assemblers will produce two more starfighters during the trip.”

  “What about Maggie?”

  “According to Guy, the Magellan is as fit to fly as she’ll ever be. They’ll be adding plasma cannon mounts during the trip. Unfortunately, we only have enough resources for five of them.”

  “Not ideal, but I’ll take what I can get.”

  “Yes, sir. The civilians have all been assigned berths on decks three to nineteen. Its one level above the cloning facilities and the legri’shah pens. We’ve done our best to teach them how to use the transport beams and to warn them about wandered randomly, but we don’t have the manpower to babysit.”

  “I told Councilwoman Rouse to do what she could to keep them in line,” Theodore said. “Damn that woman for being good at what she does; once she put her mind to being part of the solution instead of part of the problem.”

  “Yes, sir. There are still two thousand or so civilians remaining on Alpha Station that we’ll need to pick up after we win. With the reduced population, they should have the capacity to stay alive for years.”

  “In case we don’t come back? Heh. The ones who stayed behind are idiots.”

  “Yes, sir. We have enough food and water to last for months and enough space that everyone on the ship is pretty happy with the living situation. Although, they might change their minds once the fighting starts.”

  “You can say that again. I think half of them think we’re going for a stroll and we’ll just land somewhere and let them out.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Anything else, Major?”

  Gabriel thought about it for a few seconds. “Just that I’m proud to be part of this offensive, sir.” And proud to be your son. He didn’t say it, but he felt it.

  “I’m proud to have you,” Theodore replied. “If you’re done with your report, you’re dismissed.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  Gabriel stood to leave.

  “Spaceman Locke,” Theodore said. “When was the last time you had some bunk time?”

  Gabriel found Miranda, who looked surprised at the question. She looked spent, too. “Uh. I lost track, sir.”

  “You’re dismissed as well. I’ll get one of the new recruits up to take your place. We aren’t running a skeleton crew anymore.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Gabriel felt himself blush. He knew what his father was doing. He probably thought he was a sly old gator.

  Gabriel headed off the bridge, with Miranda right behind him. They stopped together a short distance away.

  “The General seems to think that there’s a benefit to us being off duty at the same time,” she said, a smile creeping across her face.

  “He does, doesn’t he? He wasn’t exactly subtle about it.”

  The smile turned to a laugh. “Do you think he knows something we don’t?”

  “No. I think he knows something we know.”

  “Gabriel-“

  “Miranda. Wait. Come on.”

  Gabriel reached out and took her hand. She followed him as he led her through the ship and to his quarters.

  “Do you want to come in?” he asked. “Wallace is going to pee when he sees us.”

  She laughed again. “Of course.”

  Gabriel opened the hatch. Wallace came charging out, yipping and wagging his tail, circling both of them and leaving a little urine on the deck, just like Gabriel had guessed he would.

  “Who’s my good man?” Miranda asked, petting him while he licked her face.

  Gabriel watched her, feeling his pulse quickening. Theodore had given them this time for a reason, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

  “Miranda,” he said.

  She looked up at him and stood, keeping her hand on Wallace’s back. “Gabriel, I-“

  “I love you,” Gabriel said, spitting it out before he could reconsider.

  “I love you,” she said at almost the same time.

  They both laughed.

  “I’ve wanted to say that for a while,” she said. “Years, actually. I never wanted to push or pressure you after Jessica.”

  “I didn’t know that I did until recently, to be honest. But I do. You’ve brought me more joy than I thought I would feel again. You’re my best friend.” He paused and looked down at Wallace. “After him, obviously.”

  She laughed again. “I love that you’re honest, Gabriel. I love your courage and your strength and your loyalty.”

  “I love the same things about you,” he said, looking in her eyes. “I know this is a little awkward, but I didn’t want anything to happen before I got to say it, even though I’ve been so busy I haven’t had the chance.”

  “Are you sure you’re not just overtired?” she asked.

  He stepped toward her, reaching out. She moved into him, accepting his embrace. “Absolutely.”

  They kissed. It was a simple kiss. Soft and short, an expression of an emotion born of admiration and respect. Then they held one another. Gabriel enjoyed running his hands through her hair and feeling the weight of her head on his shoulder.

  “Will you marry me?” Gabriel asked. “After this is over?”

  “Yes.” She picked her head up. “Why not before? Your father can do it. Or General Cave.”

  “Motivation,” he said. “If I have that to look forward to, there will be nothing the Dread can do to stop me from making it back.”

  She reached up and put her hand on his face. “I believe you when you say that.”

  “Good, because I mean it.” He looked over at his bed. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to crash and burn here before I crash and burn out there.”

  “I think you might be on to something. I’m about ready to fall over myself.”

  “I’ll see you on the bridge?”

  “Affirmative.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her again. “Goodnight, Miranda.”

  “Goodnight, Gabriel.”

  They kissed one last time, and then she left his room, headed for her own quarters. He retreated to his bed, falling onto it and descending quickly into the best sleep he had ever had.

  46

  Donovan brought his mech to a stop as they reached the outskirts of San Luis Potosi. He felt a chill at the sight of the city, remembering the battle that had happened there, and the person who had died there.

  Diaz. His eyes shifted to the area of the city where he had burned her body, knowing the ashes would still be there. It had only been three weeks since they had left. It felt strange to be back again so soon.

  It felt even stranger to be at the head of an army almost twelve-thousand people strong.

  It was more than they had started with. It was more than they had ever expected. Men, women, and even children had been streaming in from the world around them, every day since they had marched from Austin at a breakneck pace. They were rebels from other camps, they were jackals, they were scavengers, they were anyone and everyone who had been near any kind of transmitter and had heard Theodore St. Martin’s message. They were people who had found their humanity, who had been inspired, and who were ready to fight back.

  “Are you well, Colonel?” Ehri asked.

  “Yeah. We aren’t coming back with our tail between our legs.”

  “No, sir.”

  “What do you think the Domo’dahm is waiting for?” he asked.

  They hadn’t seen a single Dread fighter, a single Dread mech, or even a single Dread soldier since they had left Austin. The route was as clear as any of them had ever seen, trouble and conflict free, as though the aliens had never existed at all.

  “General St. Martin issued him a challenge. He will be dishonored not to meet it. Do not let this lull fool you. You will find his forces in Mexico.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Colonel Peters,” General Parker said, his voice coming in over the makeshift receiver mounted to the front of the mech’s cockpit. “Take Ehri and Colonel Knight down into the city and make sure it's clear. We’ll hang back and wait for your report.”

  “Yes, sir,” Donovan replied, putting his mech in motion once more. “Come on.”

  The three mechs moved into the decimated city, crossing through the main thoroughfare and winding through the side streets. As expected, Donovan came across the place where Diaz had been put to rest. He bowed the mech’s head there out of respect before contacting the General again.

  “We’re all clear, General.”

  “Good. We’ll rest here for three hours, and then we have to be on the move again. We’re running behind as it is.”

  “The stragglers are slowing us down, sir,” Donovan said. That was the downside to the civilians that had been joining them. They were threatening to get the army there late.

  “I know, Colonel. We have to make a decision whether or not to leave them behind.”

  “It doesn’t seem like much of a decision to me, sir. We can’t ask General St. Martin to manage this war on his own.”

  “You’re absolutely right, and I was thinking the same thing. We’ll pass the word down the line to them. They need to keep up or get left behind.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Split your squad into two shifts, Colonel. I want your sensors on the surroundings, just in case the Dread try something sneaky.”

  “Yes, sir. Bastion, Knowles, Knight, you’re on first shift. Move into position to maximize sensor coverage. I don’t want anything getting near this city without us knowing about it.”

  “Yes, sir,” the pilots replied.

  Donovan moved his mech back toward the oncoming army. J and K Companies moved in first, two hundred soldiers strong. They swept through the area, taking up defensive positions on rubble piles and broken rooftops. Donovan spotted Kroeger among them, finding a good place to roost with his sniper rifle.

  “The rest of you, try to get a little shut-eye,” Donovan said. “Ninety minutes and then we switch.”

  Donovan settled back in the cockpit, closing his eyes and trying to relax. He was nervous. Impatient. They couldn’t get to Mexico City soon enough.

  He was halfway through his ninety minutes when the sudden sound of deep rumbling and a beeping from the mech’s terminal caused him to wake. His eyes snapped open, and he looked around outside. The buildings were shivering, throwing up a cloud of disturbed dust, and the rumbling was getting louder.

  “What the-“ he started to say. The sound was familiar. He had heard it before, but it was so much louder now.

  “More domo’shah are launching,” Ehri said. “Judging by the vibrations, a lot more.”

  Donovan turned his mech to the south. There was a building in his field of view, so he walked the armor over to clear his sightline. He could see the light in the distance, illuminating the entire sky. The rumbling was getting louder, the ground shaking even more. The soldiers resting around him were all up and standing, searching for the source of the distress.

  “There,” Ehri said, using her mech to point into the distance.

  The first of the domo’shah was rising, reaching a point where they could see it climbing into the night sky, a bright red and blue flare of energy behind it. Another appeared a moment later. Then another.

  “How many of them does he have?” Donovan said.

  Another appeared, and then another, creating a train of the massive starships climbing toward the atmosphere. The ground shook, the air around them rippling and heating up from the energy being used to bring them all into orbit.

  “Seven, not including the capital ship, which is nearly twice the size of the others,” Ehri said.

  Donovan watched them rise, counting them.

  “Seven,” he said. “He’s sending all of them to intercept General St. Martin and his forces.”

  “It is a good sign,” she replied. “It means he is worried about the General. Seven ships to defeat one?”

  “Eight,” Donovan said. They had seen the other fortress appear a few hours earlier, coming to rest in geosynchronous orbit. “Eight against one. They’re going to be slaughtered.”

  “Then the weight of this war has shifted back to us,” Ehri said.

  General Parker seemed to understand that instinctively. His voice carried over the receiver a moment later.

  “All units, break time is over. This is a red alert. I repeat, this is a red alert. I know you’re tired. I know you’re stretched to the limit. But that there is a sign that the enemy is afraid. It’s also the opportunity we’ve been waiting for. We need to dig deep and take whatever strength we have left, and we need to use it now. We have to get to the Dread capital before the Ishur arrives. We have to use the chance we’re being given. General St. Martin is depending on us. All of humankind is depending on us. Gather your things and let’s move. I want to be on the Domo’dahm’s doorstep ASAP. Are you with me?”

  “Yes, sir,” the soldiers replied as one, a shout that almost reached through the din of the rising fortresses.

  “I said are you with me?” Parker repeated.

  “Yes, sir,” they replied.

  “Let’s beat those bastards this time. Are. You. With. Me?”

  “Yes, sir,” they shouted, the sound of it overcoming the rumble and echoing through the night.

  It was immediately followed by a flood of humankind as it continued its journey toward what would prove to either be a new beginning or a final end.

  47

  Gabriel stood at the front of the open space next to the dark cloning facility. The lights within the factory had been put out, the doors sealed shut. The caretakers who had worked within had been relocated to another area of the ship, where two of the New Earth Alliance’s social workers were both trying to comfort them over the loss of their singular programmed task, and determine whether or not Dread clones could be rehabilitated. He had heard that early results indicated it was not only possible but that the programming was easily overcome with the right mental stimulation.

  He looked over to his left, at the line of officers standing at attention beside him. Colonel Graham, Colonel Choi, Major Ames, and of course Generals Cave and St. Martin. The New Earth Alliance council members who were making the trip were also present, headed by Councilwoman Rouse. They were at the head of an all-hands assembly his father had called, causing the large open floor of the deck to be crowded with both military and civilians.

  They were still nearly a day out from Earth, still traveling through slipspace toward their final destination. They would spend the next series of hours in active preparation for the battle to come, checking their equipment, moving assets into place, making sure they were as ready and organized as they could be. This would be their last chance to see one another before it happened. One last motivational push. One last opportunity to say whatever needed to be said.

  Gabriel shifted his attention to the crowd in front of them, finding Miranda near the front. She was already looking at him, and he smiled and tapped his chest. She returned the knowing gesture. Everything had been better since he had declared himself to her. He had only realized in hindsight that he had loved her long before they had stolen the Magellan, he had just never let those emotions in.

  “I think we’re ready to start,” he heard General Cave say to his father.

  Gabriel kept scanning the crowd. He found Daphne in the corner, surrounded by a contingent of Dread clone soldiers who had served under Tea’va and Gr’el. The former had ordered them to follow her commands, and they continued to do so with precision even after his death, becoming invaluable to the logistical preparations. For her part, Daphne had continued to be strong, confident that Soon was down there with the rebels, and that she would see him again. He didn’t blame her for that. He believed the same thing.

  “Angela, if you will,” Theodore said to the Councilwoman.

  She nodded, sticking her fingers in her mouth and whistling. The sound of it echoed across the chamber, and they were all surprised when a soft rumble responded to it from deeper within the bowels of the Ishur. Gabriel glanced over at It’kek, who had an amused expression on his face. It appeared the legri’shah enjoyed the sound.

  “Ladies and gentleman, and esteemed allies,” Councilwoman Rouse said, looking over that keepers when she said the last part. “Thank you all for coming. I know these last few days have been stressful for everyone, and for different reasons. I think you should all be proud of yourselves for being here, and for the strength and courage you’ve exhibited so far. I’m going to turn this meeting over to General Theodore St. Martin. You all know him, and what he has meant to the New Earth Alliance, and while the General and I have not always seen eye-to-eye, I can honestly say that there are few people whose words I respect more.”

  She turned to Theodore, who rolled over to her position, shaking her hand when she offered it.

  “Thank you, Angela,” he said.

  He looked out at the gathering, unable to see past the first row because of his diminished height in the chair.

  “Men and women of the Earth Alliance,” he said, his voice booming through the space. “You’ll notice I left off the ‘New.’ That’s because there is no New Earth. There’s only our Earth. The one we evolved on. The one we lived on for the last few thousand years. The one that was taken from us, without justification and without cause by an alien race known by us as the Dread, known by themselves as the bek’hai. Some of you may have already met the keepers. It’kek and the others. Some of you know the real story of the bek’hai. You see, those coullions that took our Earth, they’re like the bastard sons of a race that was once intelligent and peaceful. A race that I think at times made us look like bloodthirsty monsters. You might wonder why I’m telling you this. Why I’m leading with this. I want you to look around this room. I know it’s hard to see past your neighbor but take a look around. Make eye contact with every face you see. Some of them will be different than ours, but everyone in this room is an ally and a friend.”