Fall of Icarus (47 page)

           
Keryn’s flight through the atmosphere was indicative of her attitude toward this entire mission.
 
She intended to make a quick entrance, take Cardax into custody whether willingly or by force, and leave Pteraxis as quickly as possible.
 
If all went well, they’d be off the desert planet and on their way home within the hour.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

           
“We are approaching the launch coordinates,” Captain Hodge called over the intercom from the bridge of the
Revolution
.
 
“All crews report to battle positions.”

           
Having been contacted ahead of time by the Captain, Yen was in the hangar bay well in advance of his pilots and ground assault teams’ arrival.
 
As they filtered in, he directed the ground teams to their specific
Cair
ships.
 
Within moments, the sounds of whining plasma engines filled the bay.
 
The acrid fumes filled the expansive room, burning Yen’s nostrils.
 
Regardless, he held his position near the door, letting his presence as the Squadron Commander
be
felt as his nervous pilots entered the hangar.

           
As the crowd passed by, many pausing to shake Yen’s hand, the psychic finally spotted the man he had been waiting for.
 
Waving over the top of the throng, Yen caught the eye of the Uligart pilot and motioned him over.
 
Pushing his way through the crowd, an Uligart wearing his full flight suit arrived at Yen’s location.
 
Snapping to the position of attention, he reported to his Commander.

           
“Warrant Pelasi, reporting for duty, sir,” Pelasi said before Yen gestured for him to relax.
 
The pilot seemed surprised when Yen extended his hand and he paused before shaking.

           
“You need to relax, Warrant,” Yen ordered.
 
“You’re my pilot now, which means you need to feel comfortable around me.
 
We’ll be spending too much time together for you to constantly be snapping to attention every time I enter the cockpit of the
Cair Thewlis
.”

           
“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Warrant Pelasi asked.

           
“Go ahead.”

           
The Uligart sighed and his shoulders dropped from their previously rigid position.
 
“It’s just going to take some getting used to, sir.
 
My last Squadron Commander was very strict and expected unwavering customs and courtesies whenever any of us were in his presence.
 
It’s just a little different to be around someone telling me just the opposite.”

           
“Well, you have a lot to learn about how much respect you actually have to show this guy,” a female voice chided from behind Pelasi.
 
From the taller figures, Iana forced her way through the crowd.
 
She stopped before the pair before nodding toward Yen.
 
“Good to see you, sir.”

           
“Glad to see you made it,” Yen responded.

           
“It wouldn’t have been a party without me,” Iana joked, nudging Pelasi with her elbow.

           
Yen smiled.
 
“Are you ready for this, Iana?”

           
Iana shrugged.
 
“Let’s see.
 
We’re going to use pretty much untested warp technology to appear, hopefully, behind the Terran satellite defense grid.
 
Then we’re going to blow up whatever fleet they manage to muster in defense while the rest of our invasion ground forces land on the home world of the Alliance’s most hated enemies.
 
What’s there to worry about?”

           
“You know,”
Pelasi
croaked, “you have a pretty unique way of putting things in perspective.”

           
“Don’t you worry, Gregario,” she laughed.
 
“I’ll keep the Terrans off you.
 
All you have to do is land on the planet.”

           
Yen put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an affectionate squeeze.
 
“I know you’re not all that worried, Iana, but be careful out there.”

           
“I’m always safe,” Iana said with a wink.
 
“Speaking of being careful, I figured I had better give you a warning.
 
Buren’s waiting for you.
 
He looks ready for a fight.”

           
Yen stood up straight, his eyes scanning the crowd for the Uligart infantryman.
 
“Where is he?”

           
Iana jabbed a thumb over her shoulder.
 
“Back there, standing outside your ship.
 
He doesn’t look all that happy about being here.”

           
“Isn’t Magistrate Buren one of the people on your team, sir?” Pelasi asked, looking perplexed.

           
Yen frowned.
 
“Yes, he is, though not by choice.”

           
“Is there something I need to know about the team on board?” the Uligart pilot asked quietly.
 
“There’s not going to be trouble, is there?”

           
“No,” Yen replied, shaking his head.
 
“Buren and I pulled a mission together a year ago.
 
It didn’t go well and quite a few good men lost their lives as a result.
 
He was put in a hospital.
 
I thought they would have kicked him out of the service, but instead they apparently promoted him.
 
I don’t know what his problem is, but he obviously doesn’t like me.
 
And now, because someone higher up doesn’t like me either, he and I will be serving together.”

           
“It…” Pelasi began before stopping in mid sentence.

           
“What is it?” Yen asked.

           
“Nothing, sir.”

           
Yen frowned again.
 
“Warrant Pelasi, if you’re going to be my pilot, you’re going to have to feel comfortable speaking your mind.”

           
Pelasi seemed nervous.
 
“I mean no disrespect, but it wasn’t your fault, was it?
 
The people dying, I mean.”

           
“There was only one group responsible for those men dying: Terrans.
 
And I intend to exact my revenge during our mission.”
 
Sighing, Yen nodded to both the pilots.
 
“Well, I probably need to go see what he wants.
 
Get to your ships.
 
Once the Captain gives us the all clear, I’ll order the launch.
 
And, good luck to both of you.”

           
“You too,” Iana said before hurrying to her
Duun
fighter.

           
Though Pelasi and Yen were both heading to the same
Cair
ship, Pelasi intentionally distanced himself from the Commander and entered the ship well in advance of Yen.
 
Buren, Yen noted, hardly acknowledged the pilot as he passed.
 
The boney protrusions along his cheeks, jaw line, and brow twitched with irritation and impatience as he watched Yen approach.

           
“You’re nearly late,” Buren growled, his arms crossed defensively across his chest.

           
“Then I guess it’s a good thing that I’m important enough that they won’t leave without me.”

           
Buren’s hand shot out, grabbing a firm hold on Yen’s upper arm.
 
Yen paused in his steps and looked down at the offensive hand.
 
Deep within him, he could feel the anger taking form, siphoning off his psychic energy and growing with a life of his own.
 
It had been a while since Yen had felt that hatred, the anger having been suppressed when he was around Keryn.
 
It frightened him to know that it was returning.

           
“You might want to take your hand off me,” Yen warned.

           
“Let’s get something straight,” Buren said, though he did release Yen’s arm.
 
“I don’t like you.”

           
“What did I ever do to you?”

           
“What did you do to me?” Buren asked in shock.
 
“Do you know what happened to me after our mission?
 
I got admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
 
Apparently, someone told them I was having trouble adapting to the stresses of war.”

Yen frowned, knowing that his own testimony had been damning toward Buren’s mental state.

“I rotted in an institute for months before they decided I was fit to be released.
 
The entire time I was there, I was left alone.
 
No roommate.
 
No friends.
 
Just me, in a room full of objects so childishly secure that I couldn’t have given myself a paper cut.
 
Do you know what people do when they spend months inside their own head?
 
They relive the horrors that put them there in the first place.”

Yen wanted to feel sorry for the Uligart, but had trouble battling through his own dislike for the self-depravation.

“I know where this is going,” Yen seethed.
 
“What happened wasn’t my fault.”

“It wasn’t…” Buren began, before pausing in disbelief.
 
“It wasn’t your fault?
 
I was stuck in that outpost with you, while those
things
tried to tear their way in and eat us.
 
I heard your teammates talking.
 
I heard your boss talking about the Captain.
 
It didn’t take a genius to put it all together.
 
Something your team did led to us being slaughtered like animals on that planet.
 
And, as far as I can tell, you’re the only member of your team left.
 
So like it or not,
everything
is your fault!”

Yen was done with the conversation, knowing that anything he said would lead down a dangerous path.
 
Infuriated, he pushed past Buren and toward the rear of the
Cair
ship.

“This time around, let’s try something different,” Buren said as Yen walked away.
 
“I figure that so long as you’re willing to take orders from me, we might just make it out of this alive.
 
That would be a pleasant change for you, wouldn’t it?
 
Actually leaving with your team alive?”

           
Yen stopped without turning toward the Uligart, anger seething just below the surface of his skin.
 
He could feel the psychic energy crawling along his nerves, setting fire to his joints and muscles.
 
Biting the inside of his lip, Yen bit back his anger and tried to respond tactfully.
 
“You know, I think you and the
Revolution
’s Tactical Officer would be fast friends.
 
However, he’s not here, nor was he selected to lead this assault.
 
I
was.
 
And whether you like it or not, I
am
your boss now.
 
Whether or not you like
me
, when we are in front of the soldiers you will act as though you have never had a better friend than me.”
 

Yen turned to face Buren, his anger unmasked.
 
“The first time I hear even the least little bit of dissent or insubordination, I’ll push you out of the first airlock I can find.”
 
Yen let his eyes flash a dangerous blue as he continued.
 
“Is there anything you didn’t understand about that?”