Susan knocked on the door.
“Come in,” the voice answered from inside.
She pushed it open to find Nicolas putting on the Seeker armor they’d ‘borrowed’ for their mission to the weapon ship.
“You got into your costume quick,” he said to her, having trouble fitting into his own.
Tai upped the linkages in the back of his suit and gazed into his eyes. “It just takes a delicate hand.”
“Something wrong?” He must’ve detected the uneasiness in her voice.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“No.” Nicolas chuckled. “It’s a terrible idea. We’re all probably going to die.”
She knew when Nicolas teased her, it was to make her feel more at ease. He had a knack for it. Though it hadn’t changed what he’d said being true.
“You know as well as I we can’t allow them to keep that sphere. If they use it as Cassidy believes they will, we’ll be responsible for all those deaths. We did, after all, dig it up.”
“It’s just… I wouldn’t mind a few more Marines to take along with us. Say, a thousand.”
“The Cassidys and their people have shown themselves to be extremely resourceful. If it weren’t for them, we’d be rotting on Orion V.” He turned away. “Just like everyone else down there and up in orbit.”
Susan put a hand on his shoulder.
“We can’t let their deaths be in vain, Susan. We owe it to them.”
They stared at each other longer than they had in years. Susan froze and her limbs went numb. Before she knew it, they were locked in the first kiss they’d shared for a very long time. Their arms intertwined with one another as if it was their wedding night all over again.
“Captain, are you—”
They pulled apart and darted their eyes toward the door, where Jason Cassidy gawked at them with his mouth wide open.
“I, uh, sorry” he said. “When you’re ready, we’ll be in the cargo bay.” He scurried off, and Nicolas and Susan chuckled with each other as if they were teenagers caught in the act.
“Well, should we go down?” Nicolas asked.
Susan widened her eyes.
“I mean to the cargo bay,” he corrected himself.
She smiled and let him lead the way, not knowing what was going to be more difficult. The mission, or the conversation they’d have to have when they came back.
Seeker Craft
Jason gripped the peculiar conical-shaped controls beside the pilot’s seat, attempting to replicate the Seeker helmsman he’d watched during the trip from the Seeker weapon ship to Psi-Aion. Unfortunately, it was much harder than it looked.
His hands accidently moved over a set of buttons next to the steering device, and the ship rumbled around him. He rectified his mistake and smoothed out the ship’s course.
“I thought you said you could pilot this ship,” Tyler said, walking up behind him.
“If I crash us into that moon, I’ll put up my hand up and say I was wrong. Until then, I don’t need a backseat driver.”
Tyler put his hands up in surrender and walked off. Marquez took his place, while Jason guided the Seeker transport around to the dark side of the moon. The sunlight of the Psi-Aion star disappeared from the holographic viewport, and the mysterious nightfall of the other side reigned supreme.
Jason pulled at the controls and pumped the vessel’s thrusters. At least that was what he was attempting to do. The craft vibrated more and he let the moon’s gravity take over. In an instant everything became calm. “Hey, I think I’m getting used to this,” he said with some confidence. His mind returned to the job at hand while tiny pinpricks of light appeared ahead of them.
On the scanners, Nash’s ship and the weapon ship remained in a geostationary orbit just as before. He pointed toward their target, and both Tyler and Marquez gazed at it.
“The weapon ship’s still in its construction dock.” Jason plotted a course, while on the holographic display before him, a line emanated from the giant vessel. “It appears they’re going fishing. This is the tractor field that dragged me inside their hangar deck the last time.”
“How long have we got?” Marquez asked him.
“I’d say only a few minutes before it latches on. You two better get out of here.”
They nodded, and Jason studied the graphical representation of the tractor field as they edged ever closer. The plan was going off without a hitch.
Seeker Weapon Ship
Nash stood on the hangar deck, narrowing his eyes at the holographic display near the door while the tractor field locked on to the wayward transport. It’d been several hours since they’d lost contact after he’d sent it to the planet’s surface for a new batch. It’d become obvious Cassidy used the transport to escape his incarceration. Nash knew him all too well. Cassidy had become a nuisance who should’ve died on Orion V. Instead, he’d let his old friend get away. Not once but twice. He wouldn’t allow him to interfere with his plans again. He’d have to kill him.
But you can’t kill him!
That voice. The one that lingered within. Most of the time he was able to suppress it, but every so often, the shadow of his former self made its presence known. He pushed it farther inside him.
The tractor field pulled the transport inside the hangar deck. The craft slowed, descended, and landed before him. His soldiers marched out and lined each side of the hull. Nash couldn’t afford to be surprised by one of Cassidy’s tricks.
“Open the airlock!” he ordered them.
A soldier opened it with the manual override while the others stood by it with their weapons raised. Nash walked up to the airlock and peered inside.
It was empty. Except for a lone figure facing away from him, sitting at the helm.
“Cassidy, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but it’s time to come out.”
When Cassidy didn’t answer, Nash took one of his soldier’s guns and ambled inside. He crept toward the pilot’s chair and spun it around.
But it wasn’t Cassidy. It
