Empire (Empire, Book One) Read online

  “I’m going to get you to safety, okay?” she said to the baby.

  The baby stared back.

  “How old are you?” She got closer. “You look one,” she said, inspecting the baby. She’d already forgotten all about having her car stolen—all about Nick. In fact, now she felt guilt and fear. What could’ve happened had that man not noticed the baby? She didn’t want to think about it. She cursed herself for being so unaware of her surroundings and shook the thoughts from her head.

  She unbuckled the baby. Was it a he or a she?

  But then the whistling sounded overhead—a whistling that grew into a roar.

  She looked up and saw the sterile white light of an approaching convoy of alien vessels.

  Another bombing run was about to commence.

  She grabbed the handle of the car seat as the bombs began to drop nearby. Mia took off running, her gait awkward as she tried to keep the car seat from swinging too much. The baby cried but the wind rushing through Mia’s ears and the bombs dropping nearby soon drowned that out.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hayden strode down the hallway of the Empire, paying no attention to the turning heads.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Did you really save everybody?”

  “Why were you in the brig?”

  He ignored them all. He only had one thing on his mind: getting to his bunk. He reached the room in record time and, when he stepped through, was greeted by the blank stares of Allen and Miri.

  “Where you been, boss?” Allen asked, standing up from his seat at the table. His large muscles bulged from under his. He wore his dark blue uniform pants, but his top hung off the side of his bunk.

  “I heard you were in the brig.” Miri leaned back in her chair.

  Hayden shrugged as he walked over to his bottom bunk and picked up his tablet. “It’s been a long day, let’s just say that.” He pulled up the message center and fired off a text to Vick to meet him in this floor’s L-Cadet lounge. “Miri, you were on the bridge this morning weren’t you? Long distance communications?” Hayden asked as he set his tablet down. He looked up at the young woman who was sick with nerves when he told her what her assignment would be the night before.

  She nodded, the color draining from her face. “Oh yeah, I was definitely there. Don’t think I’ll be forgetting it anytime soon.”

  “She says you pretty much saved the day.” Allen leaned up against the bunks and crossed his arms.

  Hayden nodded. “I guess so. Shouldn’t have, though. Should never have been put in that situation,” he said, more to himself than anybody.

  The marine walked over to Hayden and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “In that case, thanks man. Hopefully you won’t have to do that again anytime soon.”

  The image of the attack on his father played back in his mind. “Let’s hope that’s the case.”

  A few minutes later, Hayden stood inside the barren L-Cadet lounge. Everybody was either still on duty or hanging out with their friends elsewhere on the ship. The room was medium-sized with two sets of couches in opposite corners of the room, each of which had a coffee table in front of it with a variety of games projected onto the surface. There were tables and chairs next to a small kitchenette, filled with snacks.

  Vick stood in the middle of it all, making two cups of tea.

  Hayden walked over and elbowed him. “Tea for the both of us? Shouldn’t have.”

  Vick shook his head, his face serious. He nodded over his shoulder. Millie sat in the corner on one of the couches, her eyes puffy and red.

  Millie’d mentioned something about her older sister being stationed on the Ricochet. Knowing she was dead would’ve been hard enough, but being right there on the bridge and seeing the wreckage—Hayden couldn’t imagine how upsetting that must’ve been. “How’s she doing?” Hayden asked under his breath.

  Vick raised his shoulders as he stirred in some sugar. “About as well as you’d expect. Doesn’t really know anybody on this ship. Nobody to talk to. Her sister’s gone, the Mortuks have returned and we have no idea what we’re going to do next.” He looked up at Hayden, frustration in his eyes. “Where’ve you been, man? I heard them say you were in the brig?”

  “Look, I’ll explain everything. Something big is happening though. Something bad.”

  “Hey, Hayden.” Millie walked up behind them. Her arms were crossed, a tissue clutched tight in her hand.

  “How are you, Millie?” Hayden reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “You doing okay?” He cursed himself for asking such a dumb question. Of course she wasn’t.

  She shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Her voice was nasally, her eyes bloodshot. “I just wanted to say thanks for what you did on the bridge. It was really smart. Very brave. I appreciate it.”

  Hayden didn’t know what to say. Taking praise at a time like this seemed inappropriate. “Thanks,” he finally said, quietly enough that he hoped she didn’t hear him.

  “Yeah, I heard something about something,” Vick said as he handed Millie her cup of tea before taking a sip of his own.

  “I’ll explain everything to you,” Hayden said. “And I mean everything. There’s a lot going on and we need to be ready. I don’t exactly have the utmost confidence in the leadership aboard this ship.”

  “Oh, you don’t know just how right you are,” Vick said.

  Hayden looked at him, eyebrows raised.

  “Ben Tillow is the current XO of the USTS Empire,” Vick responded, hiding his giant smirk with his mug. “Captain Ivan also ordered no further job changes, so it looks like we’re stuck with him for the time being.”

  Hayden sighed and leaned back on the counter. “Well, shit.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Hayden waited outside the elevator that led from to the sleeping quarters from the bridge. He hid in the small dark hallway and watched the doors every few minutes. His right leg jumped up and down, nerves jittering. This was either going to go really well, or really badly.

  The doors opened and, this time, he saw his target.

  “Ben,” Hayden whispered, as his least favorite person aboard the Empire walked by.

  Ben Tillows’ head jerked around and his eyes landed on Hayden. A smug smile spread across his face as he walked over. “Well, if it isn’t our little jailbird.”

  Hayden grabbed Ben by his uniform and held him against the wall. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You really think you can be XO without getting everyone on this ship killed?”

  Ben reeled backwards, jerking his way out of Hayden’s grasp. “Excuse me, cadet,” he said, looking Hayden up and down. “Is that any way to act towards your superior officer?”

  Hayden clenched his jaw. It was all he could do to not punch Ben in his smug face. “This isn’t a game, Ben. I’m being serious. Please, relinquish command to me. You and I both know your best interests are in yourself. When those men died the first time we saw the Mortuk’s and you were CAG, you were just angry at me because I almost got you killed, not your men. ”

  Ben threw his head back in a fit of laughter. “Seriously? Did you really think this would work?” Ben shook his head. “You really are something, Hayden Key.”

  “This isn’t a joke. You’re going to get everyone killed.”

  “I can handle myself. You’re taking this shit way too seriously, Hayden. We’re going to dock at the Comoran. Then none of us will be in charge. Christ, I’m not even this paranoid. They say jail can change a man.” Ben chuckled as he stepped out of the hallway. “Looks like your crazy is finally showing.” Tillows turned and left, striding down the hall with the confidence of a man who didn’t care.

  Hayden stood there, hands on his hips, fuming. He knew it was a long shot but it’d been worth a try. If the Mortuks were already invading Earth, he didn’t have much hope for the Comoran.

  It was almost time for lights out but Hayden had one more thing to do before he went to bed. He had to be up at 0430 for t
heir arrival at the Comoran, so he knew he wouldn’t have time for this visit in the morning.

  Sparks flew all around him as metal was being ground down and parts replaced. He walked along the hanger deck where fighters were being repaired, mechanics getting them ready for the next encounter with the Mortuks. For a moment, Hayden wondered what would become of the Empire if another war were to happen. Would it be retrofitted with the newest technology, out there on the frontlines, promoted back to USS Empire? Or would it stay a training ship? He guessed that it all depended on how many ships the Space Fleet actually had out there.

  “You damn MetaBot! I said I needed 3/4 of an inch, not 1/4!” Hayden heard someone shouting to the right, the booming voice loud over the sound of the commotion going on in the hangar.

  Hayden walked down, running his hand along the front of the Mambas, searching for the source of the voice. A few ships down the line, he found who he was looking for. Russ, the acting head engineer, was busy berating a MetaBot. He was tall but not particularly muscular. Hayden thought he saw a bit of a belly on the man but his dark blue jumpsuit was a bit baggy and loose, so he couldn’t exactly tell.

  “Having some trouble?” Hayden asked as he approached.

  Russ looked to his left, black grease and oil staining his face and discoloring his light brown hair. He saluted when he saw Hayden approaching.

  “You don’t have to salute. We’re both L-Cadets,” Hayden said. This was true, although unlike most L-Cadets who were trained in all aspects of war, Russ was a specialist L-Cadet with an engineering concentration.

  “Right, sir,” he said, lowering his hand. “Sorry, I was just saluting because…well, it’s an honor to meet you, sir.” He stretched out his hand.

  Hayden took it. “Thanks, although you don’t have to call me ‘sir’.”

  “Sorry about that, just a big fan of your father.” Russ stood there, smiling a toothy grin. Hayden smiled back at him, craning his head, since Russ was so tall. “I feel like I know you already. I watched you on the news all the time!”

  Hayden blushed but tried his best to cover it by studying the ground. It was always weird when Hayden was reminded about his lack of privacy. Billions of people knew who he was and that unnerved him to his core. “Thanks. Are you working on getting these ships battle ready?”

  “I’m trying, sir—er, I mean—uh, yes. I mean no. I mean, sorry. No, I’m not. Orders were to get these babies repaired and then ready for offloading.” Russ shuffled back and forth on his feet.

  “Offloading?” Hayden raised an eyebrow. “What for?”

  “Don’t know, that’s just what the stupid XO told me,” Russ said. His hand shot to his mouth. “Sorry, didn’t mean to disparage a commanding officer.”

  Hayden laughed and shook his head. “Don’t worry, Russ. You’re in good company. Besides, he’s still an L-Cadet. Equal with you and me.”

  Russ nodded his head and smiled as if he’d just shared a secret. “Well, in any case, that’s what we’re doing.”

  Hayden breathed hard, his head racing as he looked away. Prep for offloading? Last time they came out of a jump, they were faced with Mortukian forces. They needed to be ready for a repeat, regardless of whether or not they’re heading to a military base. “Think you could scratch those orders?” Hayden asked, looking back up at Russ.

  Russ eyed Hayden suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean these ships need to be battle ready. I’ve seen what we’re up against. We need to be ready to defend ourselves.”

  Russ let out a long whistle, scratching his head as he looked at the ships around him. “We’d have to work through the night.”

  “If we’re about to dive headfirst into a war, there’s going to be plenty of sleepless nights. We need to be ready.”

  Russ nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right. I think I can do that.”

  Hayden sighed, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “One more thing,” he said, tapping the ship next to him. “These ships are pretty old, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, they haven’t been updated since the Empire was decommissioned as a warship. Why?” Russ asked.

  “I’m just thinking about something I saw when we encountered the Mortuks. The armor on their ships absorbed our lasers. Our weapons were useless. Ever heard about anything like that before?”

  Russ thought for a moment. “I remember back at the academy hearing about this planet, or moon—something—that had this precious metal that had some really interesting properties. The interesting part about it was that our usual mining lasers weren’t able to penetrate and mine the material. They had to use more…archaic methods. Metal against metal, stone against stone, that sort of thing. The stuff could absorb energy, but it couldn’t take the blunt force of a physical object.”

  Hayden listened, his wheels turning. “The way the armor was absorbing our blasts, I thought it might be something like that. Any idea what this stuff was called?”

  Russ shook his head. “Stuff never even got a name, not one that was universally accepted, anyways. It wasn’t discovered until the end of the Mortuk War. The mines where they got it from are on the other side of the ETL, so once the treaty was signed, we never could get back to it.”

  “Well, it looks like the Mortuks did. Which gives me an idea.” Hayden smiled as he realized his plan just might work.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ivan eyed Ben Tillows in silence. The young L-Cadet stood at attention. He seemed to be working out as XO, although his head was a bit big for Ivan’s liking. Although nowhere near as big as Hayden’s ego, so at least that was an improvement. His experience growing up surrounded by military and in the public eye made him seem like a suitable successor to Hayden. Ivan hoped he’d been under enough pressure in his life that he wouldn’t crack should the occasion call for it.

  “Everything prepped for arrival at the Comoran?” Ivan asked after about a minute of silence.

  “Yes, sir!” Ben shouted.

  Ivan winced and raised his hands. “No need for shouting, cadet. I’m not your drill sergeant.”

  “Sorry, sir,” Ben replied, much quieter this time.

  Ivan pushed himself off the desk that he was leaning against and stepped towards Ben. “You understand that we might be flying into a war zone, don’t you?”

  Ben swallowed hard and nodded his head. “Yes sir.”

  “The marines are armed and ready?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “We’ve got emergency jump coordinates programmed into the ship’s computers?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “The pilots are inspecting their ships and standing by for launch?”

  A hesitation.

  “Cadet?” Ivan asked.

  “Yes, sir!” Ben answered, his voice a bit louder than before.

  Ivan eyed him for a moment. “Good. We’re coming out of our jump in forty-five minutes. Get to the bridge. Get ready.”

  Ben saluted. “Aye aye, sir!” Tillows turned on his heels and exited the room.

  Ivan turned around and walked back to his desk, his joints aching a bit more than usual. He’d had pitiful sleep the night before, his mind racing as he thought about what the morning could bring. Only forty-five more minutes before we find out.

  He picked up the tablet that lay on his desk, the screen paused on the video he’d watched a million times before: the conversation between Hayden and his father. He’d scanned it over and over again, searching for clues—anything that would help him understand what was going on. He thought about trying to call his superiors back on Earth again, but decided against it. He’d called them all dozens of times. They’d get back to him when they could. If they were dealing with an attack, they’d be much too busy to speak with a disgraced captain flying a training ship full of cadets.

  There was, however, one person he could call—if he really wanted to know what was going on.

  He switched applications and opened the one that he checked daily.

/>   The one that would tell him the exact location of his daughter Mia.

  The map of Earth loaded up and it took a few moments to get a signal. He connected to the tracking device implanted in the watch he’d given her, back when his eldest daughter Beth died. He always wondered why she still wore it. He’d given it to her when she hated him the most, yet the thing was always on her wrist. It made him feel happy and sad at the same time. Sad that she hated him, sad that they never talked, sad that things ended the way they did.

  Sad he was on this damned ship.

  And yet, happy—happy that, despite it all, he was still her father. In one way or another, she still loved him. She still wore that watch around her wrist, a daily reminder of her father.

  He watched as the dot flew across the screen down a rural road. She must’ve been in a vehicle. He wanted to activate the sound on the device, but as his finger hovered over the button, he decided against it. He was already invading her privacy enough by tracking her location without her knowledge. He didn’t want to make it worse.

  He read the vitals on the side of the screen. All the sensors in the watch told him that she was alive and well. That was all that mattered. He didn’t need to hear her voice, no matter how much he wanted to.

  “We’re beginning to slow down in our approach to the Comoran, captain.” a voice said over the intercom. It was Millie, the L-Cadet who lost her sister aboard the Ricochet—one of the first casualties in this new Mortuk war.

  “Thanks, cadet. I’m on my way.” Ivan watched the dot zooming down the road for a few more moments. He’d been gathering up the courage to call her and find out what was going on. But that would have to wait for now. Once we’re on the Comoran. I’ll do it then. Promise.

  He set the tablet down and headed for the bridge.

  Ivan watched the colors from the screen ahead dance around him from his seat on the bridge. The crew waited with bated breath. Their preparations were done. All they could do now was stand by for what awaited them on the other side of the jump.

  He gripped his seat, his breathing slow and steady. He needed to stay focused. He couldn’t afford another breakdown. He was almost expecting the Mortuks to be on the other side, just in case. Then he’d be expecting it. Then he wouldn’t go into shock.