When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (77 page)

             
Cameron lost his footing and went headfirst into the wall, coming away bloodied and disoriented
.“
W
e’
re under attack, sir. We need to get you out of here
.”
Another impact punctuated his remark. Three hits so far. Cameron tried to remember how many ships h
e’
d seen through the window.
Five or six
?
“
Wher
e’
s the escape pod
?”
He stumbled and started to head for the floor.

             
A hand appeared from behind and steadied the pilot. Donald Groves, bleeding from a cut on his forehead, pushed to the front of the pack and led the way. He charged forward toward the stairs, ignoring the injured and screaming civilians. The group followed close, passing small gaggles of panicked aides and secretaries.

             
Adeline stared at their pale, vacant faces.
I know these people. Why ca
n’
t I remember their names?
The Secret Service agent dragged her away, and suddenly sound returned to her world. Screaming and crying mixed with the roar of fire and the groans of twisting metal.

             
A female voice came over the loudspeaker, warning all aboard to abandon ship. Alexande
r’
s chest tightened as he fought to breathe in the burning air. The smell of slag and blood drifted in the smoky hallway, mixed with the sweet crisp stink of burnt flesh and piss. They wound through a maze of winding halls, turning left and right again and again. He feared they were lost inside the ship when suddenly they found themselves in the hangar. Smaller shuttles were already overloaded with passengers trying to escape the dying vessel.

             
On the far side of the room, a small door sat next to a hand scanner. Alexander barely felt Jerry grab his arm and place his palm on the cool metal. Electricity buzzed over his fingers and the door slid open, revealing the small escape pod. A wave of nausea washed over him, but he swallowed it down.

             
“Get in
,”
Jerry ordered.

             
The world came rushing back and Alexander took in his surroundings
.“
No, you go. I can find another ship
.”
His words tripped over numb lips. He could
n’
t focus on his frien
d’
s face. The room seemed to pitch from side to side.

             
Donald stepped forward, putting his hands on Alexande
r’
s shoulders and pushing
.“
Get in, Alexander
.”
He was stronger than the politician and had him in the doorway in moments.

             
“Damn it, Don. No
!
”

             
“Sir
,”
Cameron said, his voice crisp and commanding
.“
There is
n’
t time. Get in the ship. W
e’
ll be fine, but you need to get clear
.”
Another floor-shaking impact sent the pilot to his knees. As he tried to stand, a figure appeared just behind him and slammed a pistol into his temple. Cameron crumpled to the ground.

             
A shot rang out and Donald dropped to his knees, a look of pain and confusion on his face as a dark stain spread from the center of his chest. Adeline shrieked, her hands pulling at her cheeks. Alexander watched as the figure pointed the gun at Jerry and fired into the Chief of Staf
f’
s gut. The older man grunted and fell against the wall, blood pouring from between his fingers. He slipped to the floor, smearing the bulkhead red with his back. Arthur emerged from the shadows, his handgun smoking.

             
“Get in the capsule, Mr. Burton
.
”

             
The High Chancellor could barely speak
.“
Arthur
?
”

             
The young man smiled
.“
This is
n’
t exactly how I planned, but one has to be flexible in politics
.”
He gestured with the weapon
.“I’
d rather not have to drag you inside, but time is of the essence. Would you like me to shoot your knees first
?”
He fired into the air. The sound got Alexander moving and he entered the pod, hands raised over his head.

             
“Why are you doing this
?
”

             
Arthur pushed him further along
.“
Jonah does
n’
t like to be kept waiting, boss. And
I’
m not sure how much more this old boat can take
.”
Looking over his shoulder, Arthur smiled
.“
Adeline,
I’
m so sorry. Ther
e’
s really only room for two. Best of luck
.”
He pressed a button on the wall and the door sealed shut with a hiss. The automated launch sequence took over and the engines rumbled to life
.“
Now sit down and shut up. We have a long ride ahead and
I’
ll be more than happy to explain along the way
.
”

             
Adeline watched the door close, her entire body shaking. She was frozen in fear, unable to react in any way. All around her, people ran in panicked gaggles toward broken and burning shuttles. Some managed to rush aboard, but the overpacked vessels barely had the strength to leave the floor. As soon as they cleared the hangar, they were shot down by ships waiting outside. A sudden noise broke Adeline from her trance. The pilot was stirring.

             
Cameron came to in time to watch the High Chancello
r’
s pod rocket out from its cradle into space, trailing smoke and debris. As the shuttle sped away, a missile appeared out of nowhere and pursued. The High Chancello
r’
s ship went blue seconds before impact, disappearing into the ether. Other pods were
n’
t so lucky. Ca
m’
s eyes welled with tears as he choked back bile building in his throat.
Get up! Get in the fucking fight!

             
He looked around the room, his eyes dancing over the burning doorways and vents. They fell on the pretty aide to the Chief of Staff.
Madeline? Abby? Goddamnit, what was her name again
?
“
Adeline! Are you okay
?
”

             
The staffe
r’
s face flashed a kaleidoscope of emotions before settling on fear
.“
He took the High Chancellor
.”
She spoke so softly it was almost impossible to hear over the incredible din.

             
Summoning all his strength, he rose to his feet. The pilot stumbled over to the chief of staff, placing his fingers against the ma
n’
s neck. His pulse was weak but steady. The security chief lay on his back, eyes staring blankly at the smoke-covered ceiling. Cameron grabbed Jerry and dragged him across the hangar. Adeline followed numbly, her eyes completely glazed over. They found a battered transport hiding between two burning shuttles. Cameron had to shout commands at Adeline before she was able to open the door and let them inside. The pilot gingerly climbed the ramp, laying the wounded politician on the deck. It only took a few moments to figure out the controls and he had the start-up initiated.

             
“Take a seat
,”
he shouted over his shoulder. He stopped, eyes wide, and started patting down his pockets
.“
Come on, come on
.
”

             
“What is it
?”
Adeline asked, her voice wavering.

             
Do
n’
t do this to me
, he thought. His fingers felt a familiar shape inside his jacket liner, and a moment later drew out his silver cross.
I need you now, buddy. Do
n’
t let me down.
He was about to look for more survivors when another ship crashed through the hangar wall. The decompression collapsed the far side and sucked the dazed crew and passengers out into the void.

             
Cameron squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring the twisting knot in his stomach. He closed the ramp and sealed the shuttle as another section of the hangar folded in. Grabbing the yoke, he released the brake clamps and held on. They tumbled out of the broken ship, flipping end-over-end with the rest of the debris. As soon as they cleared the shattered walls Cameron engaged the engines. Under low power, they moved out into the burning field of slag and floating detritus. Things thumped against the windshield with a wet sound, like bags of meat. Cameron said a silent prayer and ignored them. He pushed the throttle forward and the ship shot out into the black.

             
As the shuttle raced away from the
Imperion
, a final kamikaze flared his rockets and charged in. The impact destroyed the capital shi
p’
s engine and ignited the fuel lines. With a dazzling flash, the Terran cruiser erupted into a fireball, vaporizing all who remained inside. Just outside the blast radius, a single silver fighter hovered in wait. A few escape pods had launched, only to be caught by an interceptor missile seconds later. When the ambassador shuttle cleared the field, the fighter lit its engines and moved to engage.

             
“Shit
,”
Cameron said. The contact alarm screamed in his ears. On screen, the words
Missile Lock
flashed again and again, as though that was a message he would easily ignore
.“
Hold on, guys. This is going to get ugly
.”
Jerry could do little more than moan, but Adeline began to cry. Cameron checked the grid to find out how far he was from the Cove. He was calculating the numbers when the first blast nearly took off the port side wing. His right foot kicked out, searching for an afterburner pedal.
I
t’
s not a fighter, dumbass.
Slamming the throttle forward, the pilot raced ahead and tried to evade.

             
It was
n’
t a fair fight. The shuttle was designed for comfort, not combat maneuvers. The Nangolani ship had no trouble falling in behind and hitting every shot. Had it been a civilian ship, Cameron knew h
e’
d already be dead. Ambassadors, however, know they may have to leave in a hurry. Rear shields and composite plating protected the transport from the heavy barrage of fire. But they could
n’
t hold out forever.

             
Camero
n’
s mind ran a mile a minute. The
y’
d never make the station, not with the fighter peppering them every step of the way. He was about to wonder aloud where the High Chancello
r’
s escort had gone to when he passed the flaming chassis of a Phoenix III. Andui
n’
s own guards must have attacked. This close, without warning, the pilots had
n’
t stood a chance. It set his blood on fire to think about the betrayal. Another hit from the fighter shook him from his thoughts.

             
A chime drew his attention to the navigation console. They had just entered launch range for a nearby relay. A small blue button lit up on the command panel, winking on and off. Cameron mashed the controls until he saw a destination he liked. Without hesitation he pressed the ignition.

             
At first nothing happened. Then everything happened at once. An insanely bright light snapped on in front of the ship, opening to a gate in seconds. Another shot from the alien craft flew wide as Cameron pushed the throttle to full, sending the shuttle into the void. With a deafening boom, the transport rocketed forward and the sapphire maw closed shut.

-                           
VIII                            -

              In his office, Jonah read the report from his agent. It surprised him that he did
n’
t take more joy in the news. Unexpected as the attack was, it mirrored his own designs closely. But not having a hand in the death stroke of the Council was a thorn in his side. He lamented the loss of Kerrigan, but only so far that it hindered a small part of his plan. The loss of a majority of the Centurial Council would only strengthen his hand during the final phase of the operation, and with Admiral Gilroy out of the picture, the remaining forces on Earth would be easier to crush. Rebuilding the government would take time, but now he had as much of that as he wanted. He stared across the room at his gift to the High Chancellor: a wooden chess set with pieces carved of marble.