Iron Five by Seon O. Stronghold - HTML preview

CHAPTER 16 - IRON FIVE

We come out of our jump and the most visible thing in sight is a planet that is, according to my screen, fifty thousand kilometers away. It is nothing but a monstrous ball of white and green, hanging in the middle of nowhere and based on the information being fed to us, this is Aaram.

We are in the Armenese System and from memory it is a very remote one. Ten thousand light years from Sol, its location in the Galaxy allows for obscurity, because the only access to it is by System Gate or Xaris, the Capital System of the Galactic Nine.

We approach the planet on its day side at twenty thousand miles per hour and after an hour and a half, and fighting the waves of nausea from our magnetic deceleration, we enter atmosphere and follow the co-ordinates given to us from Nalas.

“Condor…” The com comes alive “…Nest has you on approach, take it to angels twenty two and auto-dock on pad eight, nine.”

 “Condor copies twenty two thousand feet...”

Aaram’s mountain ranges become clearer, spreading off in every direction and as we get closer, grooves and crevices and cliffs suddenly become menacing. Like jagged arms outstretched and begging us to come near, the granite edges shimmer in the sunlight, casting long shadows down their barren sides. Beneath Aaram’s pale green and white sky, the planet maintains a surreal appearance, like soft colors in hazy memories of childhood days back on Earth.

 “Condor…Slow to two hundred and go auto.”

“Copy…Condor is on approach, slowing to two hundred, we are now on auto...”

“Nest has you Condor. You have guidance on link. Welcome to Aaram.”

At twenty two thousand feet, our flight path takes us between many peaks and rock faces that stand like heads on the shoulders of titans. As the scenery drifts by, I imagine what it might be like to live here. The air is a hundred percent breathable, making Aaram the only planet in this system like it. However, there are no cities on this rock but settlements can be found at the bases of many of these mountains where the rivers run clean and clear and disappear below surface.

In times long gone, Geologists had paved the ways to large lakes in caves, deep underground, but few make the journeys now. Flash Flooding has forever been a danger on Aaram.

The ship veers to the left and we round another precipice. This reveals a large complex built into a massive mountain near its peak dead ahead. Eversteel buildings, runways and landing pads at many different levels which have been embedded into the surrounding nature, make up the strange sight; latched into the rocky incline like a parasite.

Within ten minutes we are docked at a landing pad on one of the upper levels. Our escorts lead us through a series of tunnels by way of Airvan and within the hour, my team and I are now standing in an expensive office and in the presence of Keden’s leader, Al-Raadein.

“Sit, Gentlemen…Ladies…” We take our seats quietly and he continues “…Our efforts have been successful, thanks to your selfless service to Keden…”

Selfless service..? His definition of selflessness and mine are entirely different

“…However, our spies have relayed new information. A Cyclone unit has recently been stationed at a Raiku base on Jakta.”

“Jakta..? That’s four hundred Lights from Sol.”

“Intelligence has confirmed that it has gone to rendezvous with an army of Dragons…the Dynasty’s equivalent to the Cyclone project. With Raiku battleships awaiting our invasion, it is safe to believe that Terrier will be leading the Dragons to intercept us in Earth’s atmosphere.”

“Then we’ll be ready for them…”

“…That you will. The Galactic Nine has sent more Dogs to our aide and Earth’s older Cyclone regiments are already engaged in combat as we speak.”

    This is a relief. During my military training, we learned of the high tech battle gear of the Raiku. But little information about the Empire’s top secret program had given way to more speculation than fact.

“When this is over, we will strike the Raiku menace at their heart, and you will be among those of us leading the way.”

I was wondering when we would get around to this. If the Dynasty fell, the first galactic power to lay claim to its wealth would have a permanent foothold among the stars. I’m beginning to have second thoughts about helping these people. What is there to stop them from going to war with Earth if they took control of the Raiku worlds? 

********

The meeting lasted for an hour before we were dismissed. It will take Keden’s combined forces with Earthfront and the Galactic Nine, eighteen hours to arrive in Sol. If their calculations are correct, we should exit hyperspace around five hundred thousand kilometers from Earth; close enough for a successful assault and atmospheric entry.

According to Al-Raadein, the armadas on Aaram will not be ready for launch until midday tomorrow. That is twenty hours from now, so in the midst of all this mess, there will actually be some downtime and without wasting any of it, Akita is off and on the prowl. Hound and Maria were last seen deep in conversation around a stripped down engine in the hangar and Pitbull was left chatting up a busty brunette in the cafeteria

…As for me and Mirana…

“It’s not King’s Brew, but this is nice...”

I smile at the way she says it with a sigh; a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. We are on an open, stone patio, part of a riverside restaurant in a village at the foot of one of the mountains a few miles from Base. It’s beautiful here, even without plant life. The clear water coming around a bend not far away, flows past us and disappears about a quarter of a mile downstream. The constant gurgle of it, relaxing and everywhere, no matter where you go on this planet, smells like freshly cut stone.

I follow the scars on her face. Some might say they make her unattractive, but she is beautiful to me. Her red hair is let down and I like that. I don’t think I have ever seen her wear it this way and as our conversation lasts well into the evening, her eyes shimmer in the dimming light.

A green and white glow has now spread across the canyon. On the opposite riverbank, the smooth rock face that lines the shore reflects the sunlight and glistens like one very large precious stone.

“How does all this affect you?”

I look at her without any idea of how to answer and she continues

“…I mean Iron Five and your life as a soldier?”

“I don’t know. If Earth is not the way I want it to be after all this, then it’s hard to say. I don’t want to work for the Keds, and Galactic Nine is nothing but a spy network…not my thing really…”

“…I know…Black Ops is your, thing...”

“Is that why you hated me?”

“I didn’t hate you…I found you to be arrogant and disrespectful. It’s normally that way when a woman is in any position above a man.” She pauses “I’m not saying that it’s that way with you now. But I’ve seen my fair share of pig heads so forgive me if I once placed you in the same category.”

“None is taken, and it was never about your position as a woman. I just hated Keden and I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“Well your hatred for the place got me to not like you.”

“…and now?”

She goes quiet. Our eyes arrest each other again

“…I like you a little bit…”

We both laugh.

The afternoon turns to night. Stars light the clear sky and one of the planet’s three moons illuminate the valley, causing rocks here-and-there to cast glints of reds, greens, blues and purples. I stand and walk to the stone balustrade at the edge of the terrace and Mirana joins me in gazing out at the colored rocks all around.

“When this is over, where are you going to go?”

It is a question that I had been meaning to ask her for some time now. She leans on my arm and rests the side of her head on my shoulder. It is an unexpected move, but I keep my cool and put my arm around her.

“I’m not sure. I doubt that I’ll fit in on Earth, it’s been too long…” She sounds tired “…to be honest, I’ve grown quite attached to Keden…”

“Keden..?” I didn’t see that coming.

“Yes Keden. It’s not as bad as you think.”

“So you’d live where…in Dunan?”

“No…I’m not a city girl. I can though, see myself settling down in Marasa…”

“…the town on the Minera..?”

“Yeah…”

“What would you do there?”

“Tourism…yes…” She continues before I can say anything “…there’s a market for it there. I’ve envisioned it for some time now. There are so many islands on the lake and everyone sees them by air. I’d like to provide some good old boat tours...”

“Sounds like fun, and it makes sense now that I think of it. It’s just that I pegged you for a lifetime in the military.”

“Don’t get me wrong Huski, I love my job. But there comes a time, especially after surviving two invasions, when one has to re-evaluate life and where to go in it. What about you, where would you go?”

I want to tell her wherever she goes but I know I am not going to ever settle on Keden and besides, I doubt that I would ever be able to leave the team.

“Maybe I’d like it on Keden…”

“You, on Keden..?” She laughs “I know better than anyone else how much you hate it.”

“I could love what’s on it…”

The moment of silence is awkward but I ignore it.

“…and what will you do there?”

“…That’s the tough part. I don’t know anything outside of my life as a soldier. It’s all I’ve ever known and dreamed of…”

“…Then live your dream…”

There is another moment between us. I wish that we were headed down the same path but it is obvious we are not. What will I do without the team? Iron Five is everything I know. Could I actually let it all go and settle down…on Keden?

“Live my dream?”

“Yes...you only have one life...Alpha...”

I fall head first into her eyes. Her waist is heaven as I slide an arm around it.

“Alpha...” Her body, warm and perfect against mine, enchants me “...what are you doing?”

Her voice is soft, I drift in it.

“...Living my dream...”

And with her hands slowly finding their place around my neck, the soft heat of her lips connects with mine. I am complete. 

And the night wears on. After a walk through the lively village filled with bonfires, food, drinking, music, happy voices and another out-of-this-world kiss we get to the port and board a shuttle that will take us back to base.

The chemistry is definitely here, but the uncertainty of our immediate future hangs like a rift between us and takes root where intimacy should be. I want more of her and she feels the same, I can tell by the way she held my hand and returned my gaze but now, back on base and alone in my room; I am not sure where we go from here. I close my eyes and after God-knows-how-long, drift off to sleep.

********

Aaraman Desert

1330 Hours Aaram Time

According to my computer, the time is thirteen thirty hours and we are in the Condor awaiting launch. From our position we have a good enough view of the Aaraman Desert as it is called by the locals, fifty thousand miles from the nest. Akita’s voice is the one most heard in the cockpit as he drones on about his latest love; the sexy mechanic who had connected our ship to the base’s maintenance equipment when we arrived here; he never ceases to amaze me.

In a half of an hour’s time, midday on this twenty eight hour world, eighty thousand ships; Battle cruisers, Dreadnaughts, Carriers, HAWC’s, Command Centers, Invaders and more will launch from every military installation on the planet. The fleet would be rendezvousing with a System Gate known as Chronos One; the only Gate in the vicinity with the power to jump such a large force.

Mirana is strapped in not too far from me, but a conversation here is a conversation with everyone so I remain silent. We had a great evening yesterday and although our paths seem to go separate ways, I know that if we are alive after this whole ordeal, then the gap which keeps us apart might somehow be bridged.

The coms crackle to life and Akita closes his mouth

“God-fist…” It’s the name of our fleet “…Nest has you ready for launch in ten minutes…go auto and sync up...”

The moment has arrived. We are engines rumbling and hearts pounding as the armada, as far as the eye can see, quakes the dry plains and fills the air with dust, revealing flat rocky surfaces beneath the dirt. Our Magnatech takes over, lifting us slowly…twenty feet, forty feet, sixty…a hundred. Every ship, in every direction floats above ground at a hundred feet right now. The cockpit vibrates with the force of thousands of engines that pound the planet surface. Wild winds whip up and spin into dust tornadoes and the world beneath us cracks and splinters as the count down from ten seconds reaches zero and God-fist begins to accelerate.

With tremendous force and incredible noise, our ships defy Aaram’s gravity and climb to ten thousand feet and still rising. The rumbling grows deeper and the skies darken. Twenty five thousand feet...I’ve never seen anything like this; thousands of ships of all sizes and classes ascending at the same time.

The coms flash on again

“God-fist…you are a go for vacuum. Bullet to Chronos in fifteen, prep for high-light.”

Our angle of ascent has changed from horizontal liftoff to a vertical climb. The planet and its deserts along with all of its mountain ranges now lay behind us and the black of space becomes more and more visible with each passing minute. Fifty thousand feet...The fleet is now moving at six times the speed of sound and as the computer signals the fifteen minute mark, the scene outside our windscreen warps and stretches as we jump through the solar system.

As though time flew by in a millisecond, we come out of Hyper Light and instead of blurred lights, the eighty thousand ships that are now headed to Earth, fill our view. Chronos, one of the few manned System Gates in existence, is a half circular, gunmetal-grey station with a rail so large, it reads at ten miles wide and fifty long. The power this thing generates must be astronomical in order to throw eighty thousand battle ships into hyperspace at once; Sol Technology at its peak if you ask me.

“God-fist…Chronos has you on link. You are cleared for hyper to Sol. Maintain sync and flight pattern, jump is a go in forty, thirty nine, thirty eight, thirty seven…”

The time has finally come. There is no turning back. The massive rail is a dazzling sight as arcs of pure white electricity ripple along its length. I prepare my mind for the split second shock to come but the anticipation of it still gets my heart pumping. Yet I have questions I cannot shake.

 Our enemies know we are coming. How big is the battle group awaiting us on the other side of this jump? Are we going to survive this? After all is said and done, who among us will still be alive? What happens to Mirana and me afterwards? Is there an “afterwards”?

“…five, four, three…”

I feel the tug on my senses as I am squashed into my seat

“…two, one…jump initiated…fly Brave."

We lurch forward, the arcs of electrical currents split apart, reaching out to every ship in the fleet and with a wicked shock to my system, we enter the slipstream at eighty three point three, three, three light years per hour, and everything goes black.