The Constant Star (37)

THE STORY SO FAR

I will lead our forces and we will win, but your desperation is a liability. You need to keep yourself in check.”

“She’s bleeding out. She’s going to be eaten. Saturn, she’s your daughter. You can’t agree with him.”

“She stopped being my daughter a long time ago. She must be treated for what she is: a traitor and a liability. If we could retrieve her for interrogation that is one thing, but if not it is better that she dies before infecting the Chosen Ones. We must remember our mission in the midst of all this. My job is to make sure our people are alive and safe so they can further our mission on Janus. Yours is to make sure we make it to Vesta. Pluto is to take care of and prepare the Chosen Ones. And Mars is to protect and secure the ship itself. This current mission falls to Mars and he will take point on its execution. I will continue evacuating the necessary levels and save as many as I can through supply lines and refugee camps. You. Jupiter, “ She looks at him with eyes that he once loved, “You need to go back to the Bridge and guide us on. Let Mars do his work.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing! She’s your daughter! You are all agreed on this? I can’t believe you are. How can you be so heartless?” He stands from the table, “I take my leave of you. I will be on the Bridge. I am bitterly disappointed in each of you.”

He turns and walks away, Saturn follows him out the room and lets the door close before speaking, “Baldr, wait.”

“You don’t get to call me that, not any more. Not since you abandoned us for your own selfish ambition.”

“This is not a decision I make lightly. You think I don’t love my daughter? That I don’t wish the best for her?”

“No. I don’t. If you cared at all you would have stood up for her in there, but you bowed to their arguments the second they spoke.”

“This mission is bigger than all of us. And it’s bigger than her.”

“That’s been your justification since you left us. Humanity is dying in your ambition. It is dying in the Council. If we cannot show compassion and love for our own children, what are we even fighting for?”

“You take that false speaking and you bury it deep! This is no place for your soft-heartedness. We need to save humanity by saving the Chosen Ones. And we do that by stopping this rebellion. By stopping any rebellion. So you had better take control of your thoughts and get back in line with this mission or everything that’s happening here will come to your door as well.”

“You don’t get to threaten me! Your selfishness is everything that led humanity away from its true calling in this universe! And if our Council continues to be led by such heartlessness we will deserve the ending we shall inevitably reap. Go back to your war-council and bury your humanity. I will take myself to the Bridge and await Vesta.”

29

The Pegasus lands close to Bellerophon’s next target. This one is close to an active war zone; in the near distance he can see missiles launched between buildings and hear gunfire rattling across steel walls. This is his twelfth interception, with the previous ones in relatively quiet areas Bellerophon decides to take extra precautions with his landing site. The maneuvering on Pegasus is staggeringly precise as he bring her to rest under the cover of a building with one wall blown out. She sits comfortably between the floor and ceiling of an abandoned coffee shop.

Bear jumps out and grabs a cookie still sitting on its plate. He brushes some of the dust off and takes a bite, “Mmm, chocolate chip.” He quickly finishes as he makes his way across to the door opposite and drops his helmet back down. The readout comes to life and points him in the direction of his next target.

Maneuvering over the debris of destroyed buildings, it is obvious the battle came through this area. There are bodies lying about, military and civilian, causing Bear to shake his head and grit his teeth, “What could possibly be worth all this?”

A few more seconds of moving through rubble and he comes upon the target. As is normal there is a small squad of four guarding it. Two men and two women dressed as civilians looking shell-shocked but determined. They must have kept their post while the battle moved through. Bear admires their bravery, but he must disable that hack and get them to interrogation.

Carefully moving forward he is able to get behind one of the guards. He tosses an EMP and grabs the woman in front of him. By the time the others have recovered from the shock of the detonation he has a gun to her head, “Drop your weapons and take two steps back. I don’t want to hurt any of you, but I will.”

“Shoot me, Slaver. Save your masters the bullet.”

“You are all very brave, but the device has been disabled and there is nothing for you to protect here other than your own lives. If you surrender you will not be killed.”

The guns waver slightly but do not lower, “You guarantee our safety, Ghost?” Frightened eyes look at his black visor as Bellerophon holds a struggling captive.

“You will be interrogated and charged with your crimes of betrayal, but you will be safe until judgement is passed.”

“You’re either a liar or a fool! They won’t let us live. I’m so sorry Sarah.”

Bear feels his captive relax as bullets start soaring at her from her comrades’ guns. The EMP had no affect on the mechanical rifles, his enemies are learning. Bear dives sideways opening fire at leg height, dropping all three of them in squirming agony. One of them tries to pick

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