“Get to the woods! Hurry!” heyelled. Fighter engines roared overhead. “Run!”
Takecover, Erling! Toemeka yelled.
People screamed as they ran fromthe Temple. Toemeka saw the woman who lived next door to Erling’sparents, looking around frantically, calling her son’s name.
Two sleek fighters appeared inthe sky, bearing down on the Temple. Erling tore to the woods,yelling, “Get down!” A group of children near him sank onto themoss and leaves that lined the forest floor as a series of bombsdropped toward the ground.
The Temple exploded, joltingErling and sending bricks and debris flying in all directions. Thickblack smoke billowed up from the rumble where the Temple once stoodand the bodies of wounded and dead littered the ground. Erling laystill, blood staining his forehead, and Toemeka was terrified that hewas dead.
More fighters roared overhead andshe saw them dropping bombs on other targets in the city of Talmiria.Buildings crumbled and the sky turned dark gray with mushroom cloudsof smoke billowing from each location. The heaviest concentration offighters attacked the Coalition Headquarters. She wished she wasphysically there, part of the Coalition aerial fleet defending thecity and its people. She hated being so far away when they neededher.
At last Erling groaned and rolledto his side. Relief engulfed Toemeka—he was alive. Erling roseunsteadily to his feet and with his sleeve wiped away the bloodtrickling into his eye. His face was pale and he breathed shallowlyas he stared at the remains of the Temple. Then he staggered forwardyelling, “Mother! Breezy!”
Toemeka returned to her body onplanet Ritlan with a jolt and began to shake. “Oh my God!” sheexclaimed, sitting up in bed. “Raptor troops bombed the Temple ofLight and Sound!”
“What?” Michio mutteredsleepily, shifting his position in bed beside her. His voice washeavy with fatigue — he’d only been asleep a few hours. Shehadn’t slept at all.
She turned on the bedside tablelamp and lurched out of bed. “On planet Alandra, they’re bombingthe city of Talmiria in Jelmur!”
“Was it a nightmare or—?”
She cut him off. “It’s real.Raptor air fleets are attacking right now. I saw it inwardly.” Herstomach churned as she slipped off her silk nightgown and grabbed herclothes.
“Where are you going?” Michiosounded a little more awake.
Toemeka tugged on a sweater andslacks. Breaking into a sweat, she sunk onto the bed and waited forthe nausea to pass.
Michio put his arm around her.“Are you all right, love?”
“I feel a little queasy. God, Idon’t have time to be sick.” She leaned against him, takingcomfort in his solid presence. Gratitude filled her that she had himin her life. Newlyweds, they’d come here for a spiritual retreatafter a disastrous honeymoon where Michio was attacked by SamratCondor’s bounty hunters.
“I—I don’t know who’salive,” she stammered. “Erling’s whole family may be dead.”She gazed into his emerald-green eyes, which were filled with loveand concern. His tousled brown hair and unshaven face added arakishness to his attractive looks.
They’d only met a few monthsago when she was on a mission in Jaipar on planet Borko. Neither onewas looking for a relationship, but they were drawn to each other andsoon fell deeply in love. At the completion of their mission, herteam was ordered to return to Coalition Headquarters. Instead, shetook a leave of absence and stayed with Michio—a decision shehadn’t regretted until now.
“Is Erling okay?” Michioasked, his voice clouded with worry.
“He lived through the bombing.”She moved out of his arms. “A fleet of starships and many fightersquadrons are bombing the city. I have to tell the Coalition what Iknow about their targets and ships.”
“How will you contact them?”
“They have a secret base inGorn Terra, just a few hundred miles from here. My friend Hendoraworked there before transferring to Coalition Headquarters.”
“I’ll fly you there.”Michio began to dress.
“You’re not authorized.”
“You’re too distraught to flyan aircraft.”
“I’m an ace pilot. I can flyeven when I’m distraught.”
Michio disappeared into thebathroom without replying.
Toemeka unlocked a secret sidepocket in her travel bag, pulled out a small Juggernaut 50, apowerful energy gun, and slipped it into her pocket. Then she tookout a laser disguised as a pen. It could kill when fired directlyinto an eye. She twisted her long, black hair into a chignon and usedthe laser-pen to hold it in place before pulling on her jacket.
Michio walked back into the room,grabbed his jacket and opened the door. “Ready?”
“It’s better if I go alone.”She stepped outside into the cold, dark night and breathed in themountain air.
“I’ve done work for theCoalition for years. I’m sure it won’t be a problem if we go tothe base together.”
Toemeka walked alongside him, notsure she liked Michio’s protectiveness.
Tall streetlights lit up theairstrip and she quickly spotted Michio’s Viper 4X, a sleektwo-person spacecraft made for interplanetary travel, equipped with afull defense system, missiles and lasers. Once they were seated inthe cockpit, helmets automatically lowered onto their heads and theirseat belts snapped into place.
Michio turned on the ship’scomputer and began the preflight check. Lights began flashing acrossthe terminal and the computer said,Welcome aboardMichioand Toemeka.What’syour destination?
“Take us to the Nommi Desert,ZB,” Toemeka said.
What’sin the Nommi Desert?
Toemeka cocked an eyebrow.Computers weren’t usually curious. ZB was obviously enhanced. “ACoalition base.”
Thereis no record of this on my database.
“It’s a secret outpost.”
Michio started the twin enginesand the ship shot smoothly into the air.
Her stomach rolled as she waspressed against the seat. She pulled out a stick of airsickness gum.As she began chewing on it, she gazed thoughtfully at the extensiveinstrument panel. A Viper 4X was an expensive aircraft. Most ships ofthis caliber were owned by the military, not individuals. “Wheredid you get this ship?” she asked.
“From my employers.”
“Who are?”
“They prefer to remainanonymous. They escaped from a planet Samrat Condor attacked, thenbuilt the secret domed city on the moon where I live. The cityprovides a home for refugees from planets Raptor forces have takenover, especially Initiates of Master Bakka. My employers are workingto defeat Samrat Condor and sent me to Jaipar to assist
