The being lifted a thick finger. Each hand had three digits, with a string of suction cups along them. “You allow us to board your spacer and obey without fail. You are now property of the Velibar.”
Velibar. The name echoed in Preston’s mind. “We are free people. Humans do not allow this.”
“You are no longer humans. You are Velibar. Understood?” it asked.
Preston glanced at his commander, then to Catarina. She gave him a slight nod, and that was all the permission he needed. They were clearly no match for the Velibar, and if Preston was to survive long enough to warn Earth, he’d have to concede. Having these people destroy Obelisk wouldn’t help anyone, and selfishly, he wasn’t ready to die. Not when he’d discovered proof of extraterrestrial life.
“We understand.” The image flashed off, and his shoulders slumped.
“Captain, what are we going to do?” Breaker asked, his voice oddly calm.
“We listen to them. We nod and conform.” Preston stared at his bridge crew, looking each of them in the eye. He settled his gaze on Catarina, who was holding it together better than he’d expected.
He watched as three smaller vessels emerged from the hull of the gargantuan Squid, flying toward Obelisk.
“One day we’ll have our chance. And when it comes, we’ll strike.” Preston said the words, and they sealed tight within himself. He would stop at nothing to prevent the Velibar from assaulting his people.
ONE
Now
Pilgrim ducked below the glowing target, traversing the distance with ease. “Fire!” I shouted, and Luther listened. Not that he needed reminding.
The next objective exploded in a series of digital fireworks, and I tore through them, racing for the next spot. The bullseyes had been replaced with images of the Velibar flyers, and so far, we’d incapacitated all fourteen targets.
“Where’s Varn?” I asked, unable to see him on the radar with the targets popping up everywhere.
“Killer is a hundred kilometers from our position, and flying at our last five projections,” R11 advised.
“Not on my watch,” I murmured, urging Pilgrim to go faster. The recent upgrades were next-level, taking this vessel from a Racer to an interstellar subterfuge craft.
“We’re up on him by two kills, Arlo. Finish these, and we’ll have proper gloating rights for the next week,” Jade said, laughing from her console.
Varn couldn’t outrace me when we were kids, and he wasn’t going to do it now. “Locking in,” I said, aiming for the next target. It shot digital beams at me, and I evaded them. Luther fired, and I watched with a lungful of air as the flyer exploded. Another hit.
We were close to the Moon, but far enough to avoid any kind of hauling traffic. The course setup had been built quickly, a combination of efforts from the Primaries. With the threat of the Velibar reaching Earth, things had progressed much faster than ever before. It only took the threat of invasion to convince the Corporations to play ball with one another.
I’d already witnessed the pieces crumbling behind the scenes, but for now, the Board was still the glue holding them together.
“Jade, you better call your uncle and let him know we’re going to need an extra seat tonight,” I called as I flew for the next target.
“Why? Who’s coming?” she asked.
“Varn’s ego. I think we’ll own it forever after this butt-kicking,” I joked.
As if he’d been listening, I heard his voice carry through my dash speakers. “Hawk, I’m picking up some interference.”
I rolled my eyes and hit the comm button. “Give me a break, Wallish. That’s the oldest—” The message turned to static, and I glanced at the radar. “It’s a Velibar drone!”
“Damn it, Hawk. How did it get so close?” Varn asked.
“I don’t have any idea.”
We’d encountered these drones near Saturn as they’d gathered from various corners of the solar system, attempting to form a gateway for the Velibar fleet. My acquaintance Jinx from Titan discovered their existence, and each of our ships now had tracking embedded into the scanners. That system was the reason we were able to spot the voyeuristic drone.
“Only one?” Luther asked.
“Looks like it,” I informed him.
“Then let’s blast it.” Luther switched the guns, opting for the Core-fueled disarray tool we’d built since learning of their weakness.
“Roger.” I sped toward the target, finding Varn slightly ahead. “That’s how he wants it.” Everything with Varn Wallish was a competition. I couldn’t let him beat me.
Pilgrim sped faster, screaming through space as we approached the drone. We’d discovered another forty or so of the units in various locations since returning to Earth after fending off the Squid, and we assumed they were left behind from the main conflux of drones. We expected they’d relay information to the Velibar, and we needed to take any advantage from the enemy.
I saw the drone square in the viewscreen, and heard Luther lock his disarray weapon on target. He pulled the trigger, but Varn’s crew was faster by a hair. Killer flew by, blowing up the enemy spy craft before we’d had a chance.
Luther slammed a palm against the dash and cursed.
“Relax. We’re all on the same team,” I told him.
“You’re telling me it doesn’t hurt losing to that windbag?” Luther barked.
“Of course it does.” I tapped the communicator as an incoming message arrived.
“Nice shot, Killer. Session is over.” It was Eclipse, watching us from Luna Corp.
“Time to regroup,” I advised the crew.
I landed Pilgrim on the Moon’s surface and stood, glancing at my people. Holland’s absence was like a black hole, but there was nothing we could do about that. Not yet.
“Any word on the Velibar location?” I asked Jade, doubting she’d have gained more information in the last five hours.
She shook her head, her dark earrings jangling. “We’re close. I think we’ll know soon.”
Luther clapped me on the back. “But we’ll be long gone. Meeting our new friends.”
“That’s right,” I said. “When is dinner?”
Jade grinned. “You really don’t have to come, Arlo. It’s not…”
“I want to.”
“So do I.” Luther rubbed his stomach. “I hear the Luna CEO likes seafood, and
