Cracked Palace by Dave Walsh

Author:Dave Walsh [Walsh, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DW Science Fiction

16 The Captain

After the catastrophic attack on Terra, Valencia assumed things in the capital would be just as bad as they were before, just without the gray flames. Instead, it was eerily quiet. The streets were empty, with only the faintest reminders that something awful had happened just hours before. In the distance, a hulking frame of a battleship smoldered like a fallen behemoth and an ominous warning. Blood and debris stained the streets, but everyone had been evacuated and instead only a smattering of security forces stood guard in front of the official buildings.

At the time, the attack seemed monumental and all-encompassing. On their trip back to Terra, though, the data shared with them told a different story. Yes, official communications devices, battleships and weapons were destroyed. A few fell victim to decaying orbits and smashed to the ground, one even crashing into Breedon’s headquarters in the political district, but it wasn’t tens of millions, or even billions that were turned like it had seemed in the heat of the moment. It was thousands, mostly those in the immediate area, none of which had been reportedly missing from the previous attacks. Except for Stellar, of course.

Stellar’s warm little hand locked onto Valencia’s while they walked through the rubble in the streets. The bunny was gripped tightly in her other arm and Valencia had warned her about what she might see down there, but the girl had already witnessed enough horrors to where some blood and smashed up windows would not scare her. She’d already had an all-powerful alien voice in her ear, instructing her to destroy everything in sight. This girl was a trooper.

“Are you doing okay, hon?” Valencia whispered down to her. The girl just squeezed her hand tighter.

“I’m okay,” she said.

Gentar and Becca were up ahead, Gen rarely showing any signs of aggression by carrying a heavy Gra’al blaster rifle in his hands. He was always a proud warrior, but preferred to do things the way the crew had always done them, which was more peaceful and without violence where they could. They knew better than to set out onto a planet’s surface that was overridden with alien-controlled people bent on destruction without protecting themselves. Datar brought up the rear, outfitted with his rifle, knives, swords, handguns, and any other armaments he had hidden on his person.

“Jimmy told me Brena should be coming soon,” Becca said. “She doesn’t want to stop the broadcast yet.”

“I know,” Valencia said.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Captain?” Gentar asked.

“Yes, I need to do this.”

“Anderson already went public with the evacuation order,” Gentar said. “Our presence may not be needed here.”

“As long as Ansel Breedon is still alive, he’s going to undermine this effort,” Valencia said.

“He’s on the air right now,” Becca corrected. “He’s holed somewhere and spewing all sorts of wild conspiracies, trying to get people to rally behind him to attack the Gra’al.”

“That makes no sense,” Datar said. “The Gra’al are reaching out to help, to put our own hides at risk.

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