“Charista gave you who we want; I’m telling you what we need. We’ve had to make hard choices. Charista and I don’t always agree, but on this we do. We are luring the Omegans into a trap. We’ve got it set up: fake vehicles, some Hell Hawks, and beacons to simulate enough of a Valentium deposit. They’ve been after the Valentium more and more; we’ll give them their chance to take a huge haul in.”

  “What makes you think they’ll bite? They’ve been pretty damned strategic so far, from what I’ve seen.”

  “It’s a risk. We’re coordinating with Jason and Kaitlinn. They’ll begin maneuvers to draw the Omegans they’re in contact with into a path for this location. Once you find Cataclysm, you activate it and hit the distress beacon.”

  I shuddered at this news. Baudricort had wanted no risk for me or the Action, so he kept that identity a secret. As recorded as it was in MODOSNet, he was able to change those records enough to not be a concern, then put me with the parents who raised me. I felt a lump in my throat at that thought. What did he or they do that they were so ready to take me on. I felt an ache for them, even if they weren’t who had me naturally, they were still there for me while I grew up.

  “Yeah, I’m out there fighting, and I’ll keep on doing it, but what are you suggesting that’s any different? Why me, anyway?”

  “Who better to become the Valkyrie than her offspring?” The words hung in the air like the echo of a pulse cannon blast. I had no response at first. His eyes pleaded with me. He grasped my arm.

  “You were born for this. Take lead of the forces. I know they’ve used you, but you’ve got competition. Jason and Kaitlinn are running a lot over there. Llewyn was a ranking member in Lebabolis; you think he’ll stay with the Action and accept your freedom? He was with Baudricort, he wanted you dead. Who do you think it was who tried to have you killed? It was him! They are becoming egotistical. Leaders always have a danger of becoming too absorbed in their own glory and forgetting the true mission, the true purpose of why they’re there. But you, Ana Crucinal. Not only are you the offspring of the true Valkyrie, you wanted only to save your brother and your fellow people in the Action.

  “Some people already say I’m the Valkyrie.”

  “What do you say? Are you ready to stop listening to what other people think you should be and become what you are? Now is your chance. You thought nothing about running through a Verge centuries in the past because of what Baudricort wanted. You’re who we need; who they need. When people see you leading the forces, it will turn the tide. It has to.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  He watched me for a few moments. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms in thought. I looked back at the monitors that showed Omegan patrols in contact with a group led by Kaitlinn. The Omegans lit up the screen with fire, and the Action scampered about. The monitors were a collection of chaos. I wondered what else they had in mind if this plan failed. They were so outnumbered, so helpless. What would one person change about that?

  “What about when it’s over and you’ve got Cataclysm, and we’re still apart from you? We won’t join your fold again. We’re living free or you might as well kill us, starting with me right now.”

  “Ana, we want peace, like you. We want things settled. I don’t want to house these people forever like livestock. There’s no point to keeping that going, as long as there is no more danger, and that’s what I and the rest want, no more danger. You do too, right? That’s the whole reason you left in the first place. I want things to return to how they were. We’ll discuss terms when the time comes. You must understand though, this role you have ends when the war does. And once we give you what we’ve promised, our agreement terminates into peace unless you decide to challenge us again.”

  “You cross me, I’ll blow Cataclysm sky high and take you all to hell with me.”

  “I think you’re smart enough to know we have as much on the line as you do.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve also learned how trusting anyone, even someone who says they’re an ally, can be dangerous.”

  I watched his face. He held my gaze and smiled. “You’re wise, like your father.”

  My thoughts went to Kado, and how I bet even right then he tinkered somewhere on a solution that would change the outcome.

  “You’ll need to step up your arsenal,” I muttered. “They’ve got disruptors. Any powered devices like guns and vehicles on the ground and in the air are disabled by ‘em. It won’t be long before they overrun us with that. And even with the Capital sectioned off, you know that won’t keep them away from your front door for long.”

  The comm on Harkson’s desk buzzed.

  “Chancellor, urgent message from the Coalition. They’ve made the Range but are engaged with a large force of Omegans. Requesting assistance at once.”

  Harkson was silent. He pulled a P-LAD out and flipped it around in his hands for a minute or so. He gazed off, his eyes in a daze. Then he looked at me. “Ready to do your part of the deal?”

  I shifted up in my seat. “What?”

  “The Valkyrie led this nation before when the Omegans attacked, and that was how we kept ourselves safe from them. Now we need that to happen again. And though we don’t have the Valkyrie, I think we’ve got the next best thing... Ana Crucinal, darling of the Action. The girl who outfought Radomets and risked her life to save her brother.”

  I heard him go on about these stories about me as if they were bedtime tales. It felt weird hearing this again, this time from the leader of Lebabolis himself. I shook my head. Harkson’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m not sure you’re thinking this all the way through, dear. Varrick was healed, part of the deal you and Charista sealed. We kept our end of the bargain—”

  “The only thing we had to face back then was the attack on Sector Five.” I gripped the arms of my chair tightly.

  “Our deal was to turn back the Omegans.”

  “Why does it have to be me? Besides, some of my own people haven’t taken to the idea of me in command.”

  Harkson chuckled and stood up. He walked about the desk. “Oh dear Ana, respect for the rank and respect for the person aren’t the same. You’ve passed up a lot of people who are older and have been soldiers longer. How did you expect them to handle you as their leader?”

  He grabbed a black rectangular shaped box and set it on the table. After he tapped a few controls the device opened and displayed several bracelets inside. “I can’t mind control anyone, at least not anymore. The Link was damaged too much from all of the Valentium disruptions. However, people will remember these. We’re spreading the word that the Valkyrie has returned, and it’s you. And we’re sending another unit to help protect your friends at the mountain range. We need you to be the Valkyrie though. To believe it for yourself. To know that you are the one, the person who will stop these attackers. The warrior who will restore peace.”

  I eyed the strange bracelets before me. The Valkyrie was always such a legend, I swore she was fifteen feet tall and crushed rocks with her bare hands. The thought of someone else being the Valkyrie was a little much to take.

  I also doubted what effect it would have. Sure, the Valkyrie turned back the Omegan invasion in the early years, but from what I had heard that was much smaller than what they faced this time. And what exactly would that do that the Lebabolis military and other products couldn’t also do?

  “Ana, I need you. Lebabolis needs you. Your friends in the Action need you. We’re sending a company of forces with a squadron of Transports. You’ll be travelling much faster, so their Darkness shouldn’t be a problem. You’ll sweep down on the Western Range and catch the Omegans. They’ll be off guard. Once you hit, the Action and Lebabolis troops in the field will engage from the sides and catch them off guard. They’ll be caught by surprise, and if the weaponry the Action is developing is ready, you’ll be able to turn them back.”

  I gripped the blade in my hands and ran my fingers over the sigil. The crossed blade and lightning bolt that represented freedom. At least, freedom for Lebabolis. I wondered if they included anyone else in that number. They had given Varrick his life back, and the rest of the sick from the Pox, so there was that.

  The troops I saw here were pretty big in number. I wasn’t sure how many were left for defense, but if I knew anything about Charista, she’d never leave her back door unguarded. She was way too careful about that.

  I felt a mixture of good and uneasy about Harkson’s suggestion I take the lead here. What was it about me that Llewyn and even Kaitlinn never took seriously when I led that group with the Coalition? Was I just the dumb young girl, even now? The one who never listened, who went off on her own, who dared jump through the Verge even though she was never prepared for it? I wished I knew how to wait at times, how to hold my tongue, to keep silent and let others speak. But silence to me was the worst pain of all. Of all the things I’d become tired of, the worst was having to wonder what people wanted me to be. It was time I drew my own line in the sand and let everyone know about it.

  “I do this—” I clutched the blade and eyed Harkson—”we establish our new home in the Western Range, and you show us the shield technology so we set it up for ourselves.”

  Harkson clasped his hands. His lips protruded and he narrowed his eyes at me. Then, his face softened and he laughed a bit. “See, negotiating your terms. I knew you were a leader. Yes, of course. Contact me when this is over, and we’ll set up terms for bringing our shield capability to yours.”

  I watched the blade on the dagger. The Voice said nothing, and for once it hadn’t bothered me. This was my call, just like the others had been, and I knew I had to stick by this. Baudricort wasn’t there for help. Neither was Llewyn or Kaitlinn or anyone else in power. It was me, the one they’d chosen. It was my time.

  My back was still protected anyway, as long as I had one of my Circle with me. If I had Treg and got near Norg or Zengus, I had a chance. Worst case, I’d lead these troops into the battle and let them duke it out with the Omegans.

  I felt a surge burst through me, not because of who Harkson and Charista were, but because of who I was. “OK.” I stood up, my hand extended. “It’s a deal. Show me to the troops and let’s get started.”

  Chapter 17 (Ana)

  O ur group of seven transports left Lebabolis after sunset and soared on a direct course for the Western Range, I hoped in time to make a difference and keep the Action safe. I rode with Treg in the lead ship, because in spite of what they showed and told me, I just knew I was never all the way safe unless I had one of the Circle close by. The deal was tricky, having Treg on board was not.

  The Transport shook and yawed about a little as it rocketed to supersonic speed. We’d come in pretty fast when we got there, but that may have been all it took to catch the Omegans off guard. I braced my hands against the walls, but in a few minutes, I realized that wasn’t necessary. This ship hadn’t vibrated like a Hell Hawk, even as fast as we went. The angry howls of the engines were gone too. Instead, a steady hum was the only thing that let me know we weren’t still on the ground.

  I wondered about Harkson’s reasons for this sudden burst of support. They wanted the Omegans gone, fine. But they had already given us an army. The Action had gear, even at the Range. Harkson stretched Lebabolis protection out a bit thin with these moves; I hadn’t figured out his logic on that yet.

  I watched the troops at the pilot console. They weren’t mine anymore than I was theirs. I looked for some spark or fire in their eyes, but all I saw was a dull coldness. They were under orders from Harkson, not me, and it made me nervous that we may just have to depend on them if shit got serious.

  I sat in the rear of the cockpit and watched the pilots as they monitored and adjusted controls without a word. The only response I really got from them was a salute.

  Treg waited in the lower hold with the ground troops, in case one of ‘em had anything in mind like our little exploding pod from earlier.

  One of the pilots spoke, and I just about slipped out of my seat from the surprise at the sound of their voice. “ETA to Western Range, thirty minutes.”

  His comm buzzed with a reply from the lower hold. “Roger that, ground units on standby.”

  One pilot glanced my way. One of his eyes was covered with a red lens from the ship navigation tool. “We’ll drop ground troops off on a ridge about a click from the Range. That’s enough space for them to set up and start their Landcrawlers up. We’ll support them from the air after that.”

  “What kinda guns you got on this bird?”

  “Oh, they aren’t loaded like Hell Hawks, but they’ve got pulse cannon. Enough for moderate damage.”

  I nodded. “OK. So, you got a name or should I call you ‘hey you’?”

  His face stayed fixed on me, but there was no hint of a smile. He just replied, “Jarin.”

  “Thanks, Jarin.” I leaned forward toward him. “Harkson or Charista tell you about me?”

  He shrugged. “Just that you’re leading this attack and to take orders from you. I don’t know much more than that. I’m told what I need and I guess that’s it for now.”

  “Right.” My mind’s eye laid out the scene of the fight, as much as I’d known about it. I closed my eyes and took a slow breath. “Once we let the ground troops go we should pull back until they get in position so we can hit the Omegans at the same time as the Landcrawlers, give them more support.”

  Jarin nodded a little and looked back my way again. “Roger that. We begin deploy procedures in fifteen, better get into seat restraints.”

  The roar and rumble of the engines built to a loud ear-splitting noise. Our craft dipped down and I saw the others alongside us doing the same, releasing the Landcrawlers and troops so they could get in position.

  Jarin studied a few digi maps on his console. An alert beep sounded with a message on the console, but Jarin covered it pretty quick. Not quick enough that I hadn’t seen it, though.

  I ducked back outside the cockpit to the access way to the below compartments and met up with Treg. Back when we were kids and he was just a Warrior Product trainee and illegally shared information with me, he had told me how it was always important to talk in code if I was ever in a hostage type situation.

  “Hey, you OK back here?”

  “Mmmhm. They’re loading up gear. Should be another two, three minutes before we’re out. How are you?”

  “I saw some really strange trees at the Capital, forgot to mention it to you. Did you notice?”

  Treg paused, and responded slowly. “Like what?”

  “It was just these roots. They were really twisted.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s bad. How’d they look up top?”

  “Not good. Someone needed to cut ‘em down.”

  Treg paused for a while, then he replied, his voice slow and steady. “Check.” His eyes steeled, and he took a few deep breaths.

  By the time I made it back to the cockpit, the stars greeted me like a twinkling cloth that covered the outer glass of the ship.

  Jarin commented, “A few more minutes, we can swoop in and hit them all at once.”

  The comm chatter was filled with the other craft giving statuses, weapons checks, everything. If this punch was everything we needed, Kaitlinn’s crew should be able to bust in and finish these guys off.

  I grabbed my rifle and checked it over. A strange beeping noise came from somewhere. I flipped the rifle around and looked near the power supply. Nothing. I activated the firing mechanism for a test; it looked fine. My comm wasn’t being activated either.

  What was that noise?

  I glanced up and saw something on the console for a second, but Jarin’s hand swept over it.

  It was an auto destruct sequence.

  I kept looking at my rifle and then I held it across my lap.

  “Everything OK, Jarin?”

  He kept working on the console. “Of course, why?”

  My hand grasped the handle of my gun tight. I felt the blood rush to my face.

  “I was just wondering why you activated the self-destruct. Something you wanna share with me?”

  An electrical zap hit my right shoulder. A thousand tingling daggers stabbed into me, and my arm flung out, sending the rifle tumbling loudly to the floor. Jarin’s co-pilot had electro tased me.

  “What are you—”

  “Shut up!” Jarin left his seat and stood before me. “This is our mission, and I’m afraid it doesn’t involve you or your Action.”

  He grabbed my right arm, still limp from the blast, and placed a restraint on it. I struggled a bit with the left until he shoved me down and jammed his knee into my left shoulder.

  “Is that right?” I groaned as he fastened both my hands together and hoisted me back into a seat.

  “Completely. You see, other negotiations were made. And Harkson felt it was best he put all his bad eggs in one basket. So we’ll turn our troops back to where they’ll do some real good, and you and your Action friends can deal with the Omegan horde. I’m sure they’ll have a good time turning you into dust.”

  Jarin and his co-pilot set a few more controls on the console before they turned to leave the cabin, with me still tied down. Jarin paused and clutched my shoulder. He shook his head, a look of pity on his face. “I expected more from a Valkyrie.”

  I tugged hard against my bindings. My hands ached to go for his throat, but it was no use. The craft wobbled a bit and started to dip downward. Jarin and his co-pilot braced themselves. When they opened the door to the cabin, I heard that battle tested and weary voice who’d never let me down since we were young.

  “Yeah, no, this really won’t work, you tying my friend up. Your mama didn’t raise you better than that?”

  I craned my head back to the sight of Treg as he swung at the co-pilot. Jarin ducked aside and grabbed the electro tase again. I writhed in my seat until I flopped to the floor. I crouched as best I could then launched myself toward Jarin. It was all I could do, but if anything I’d take another jolt and give Treg a chance to do away with these guys.

 

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