Star Runners 2: Revelation Protocol (6 page)

When they entered, Pierce loomed over his desk filled with papers and books. A raging fire roared in the fireplace surrounded with elaborate carvings. The bookshelves sparkled in the firelight and the polished dog statues carved from volcanic glass glistened. Pierce remained engrossed in the papers on his desk when they entered.

“Commander,” Sharkey said, “reporting as ordered.”

“This is a mess,” Pierce grumbled, not looking up from his papers. When he finally did so, Austin saw the bloodshot eyes of a man who hadn’t slept in a while. “Stone.”

Austin nodded. “Good evening, sir.”

“Glad you made it safely. Word is you’ve been busy.” Pierce looked at Sharkey. “Close the door. Get the windows.”

Sharkey closed the door and pressed a button on the wall to close to the outer windows. Pierce strolled over to the globe sculpture Austin remembered from his only other visit to the president’s office on the night he left the Tizona Campus for flight school. Pierce touched the sculpture of three globes connected by a gold bar. A bright light shot from the middle globe, creating a holographic image in the center of the room.

The images flashed blue. Two square photos, one of Mom and the other of Kadyn, emerged at the corner of the royal blue image.

“You already know you have been asked to communicate with your contacts and evoke Revelation Protocol,” Pierce said with a nod, the images transitioning to a map of Missouri. “While you were in transit to this campus, another accident occurred in Saint Charles, Missouri. A Star Runner was involved in an automobile accident when traveling to carry out Revelation Protocol with his family.”

A video of the nightly news displayed a story of a burning wreck on a rural road in Missouri. A twisted piece of blackened metal flared at the side of the two-lane road. Across the street from the fire, a crumpled truck had come to a stop on the shoulder. The television cameras followed crying family members on the side of the road.

Austin shook his head. “An accident?”

Pierce nodded. “Another vehicle ran him off the road. The Star Runner was killed, as was the civilian who happened to be driving the opposite way. The pilot’s entire family died an hour later in a house fire. The authorities have not been able to locate this vehicle that ran into our pilot, so we can only assume it is the work of these shadow forces currently targeting our pilots. We lose many more, and Atlantis won’t be able to man the alert fighter squadron creating the umbrella over Earth.”

“Earth has one squadron protecting it?” Austin clenched his teeth.

“Earth doesn’t need more support because it’s a backwater planet. There has never been a need for more than a squadron at Atlantis. There has even been talk of removing the existing squadron. This is just a minor incident to command.”

Austin took a deep breath. “I understand, sir.”

“Okay,” Pierce said, changing the holographic image to a map of North Georgia. “Once you have made contact with your mother and Kadyn, I want you to meet an EIF agent here at this outlet mall about an hour north of your position and receive further instructions. Do not use any communication devices—any at all! Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Sir? Isn’t an outlet mall a little public for a private meeting?”

“We know we are being monitored. A pubic place is better right now. We think these actions are being carried out in small teams less likely to make a scene on a dark world. Talk to your contacts in person.” He glanced at his watch. “You will arrive in the middle of the night. Do not let them know you are coming. By the time you meet with the agent at the rendezvous point, it is my hope we will know more about these attackers. Questions?”

Austin thought about the threat to Earth, wondering if the pirates had bigger ambitions than terrorism. “Sir, is it possible Earth is being softened up for an attack or, maybe, an invasion?”

Pierce turned his head back and laughed. “Seriously? I heard you had impressed the officers on Tarton’s Junction, but it obviously wasn’t because of your studies.”

Austin frowned. “Is it really that hard to believe?”

“If you knew how many observation posts are scattered throughout Legion space,” Pierce said, rubbing his chin, “you would never raise the possibility of an invasion in Quadrant Eight. The only way a task force could even try it is by curve hopping through our space. There isn’t enough power in a ship for a curve of that distance.”

“So it’s not even possible?”

Pierce kept rubbing his chin, gazing into the holographic map still hovering over the center of the room like a spirit. “You shouldn’t worry about these things. The only way it’s possible is to use a way station to boost your range—they’re like beacons. But no one could afford that except the military and even that hasn’t happened since the last war. I think it’s safe to say Earth won’t be invaded.”

Austin shook his head. “And they said the Titanic wouldn’t sink.”

“Okay, moving on. Chief Sharkey will accompany you on the trip to Atlanta. No Star Runners are to travel alone while this crisis continues. Get your mother, your friend, meet the agent. Dismissed.”

Sharkey snapped a salute and pulled open the door. Austin looked at Pierce and saluted. Pierce nodded and turned back to his work.

They marched down the stairs and into the common area. The other officers still stared into their computers. One typed and chewed on his fingernails. The Brazilian officer nodded as they strolled across the room.

“Who are all these people?” Austin whispered.

“Tizona is a safe place,” Sharkey said softly. “Some are officers who have no contacts or family here on Earth are reporting to campuses across the globe, coming in to be safe until command figures out exactly what is going on. Others are here to work during this emergency.”

“I see.” Austin looked at Sharkey. “And what do you think is going on?”

“I don’t like speculating.”

A blue Tizona golf cart awaited them outside the Terminus Building. Austin moved to the front seat of the cart and held onto the side of his seat. Sharkey launched the cart away from the building, sending gravel spitting backward. Austin grabbed the bar for support, so he didn't tumble onto the Grand Lawn.

"Chief?” Austin paused a moment to consider his words. “Has something like this ever happened?"

Sharkey took a deep breath as he negotiated a turn into the wooded path. "The action is usually far from Earth, but command has placed everyone on high alert. No one has ever targeted Legion personnel on a backwater like Earth, at least not on this scale. Honestly, that is all we know. However, it appears Star Runners are being targeted throughout Quadrant Eight, not just on Earth."

"Who would do that?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Anyone. Zahl Empire. Pirates. It has happened before in the Quadrant, but long before my time. Class was thankfully not in session when we received word. I am glad. It is a real pain evacuating campus and dealing with parents."

"I'm sure."

The cart squeaked to a halt outside the main gate. Four Tizona blue sedans parked side-by-side in the lot in front of them.

"We going to drive all night?" Austin asked.

Sharkey rolled his eyes. "Well, they certainly don't fly."

*****

It took an hour to reach the long stretch of Interstate 16 amid a world of endless pine trees broken by gas stations and fast food restaurants. Sharkey spent his time engrossed in a tablet, furiously typing and swiping through documents while Austin drove. Austin tried to listen, but had to focus on the road. Driving the car felt strange after doing nothing but piloting a Trident fighter. By the second hour in the car, weariness drifted into his mind. His thoughts wandered in the silence.

"Bathroom break," Sharkey barked, his voice pounding through the silence like a jackhammer. He leaned over. "We could use some gas, too."

"Yes, sir."

"No need for that 'sir' crap anymore, lieutenant. You outrank me and you earned it."

"Yes, sir."

Sharkey laughed. "You know I was hard on you in school, but you understand now."

Austin thought of the hours Sharkey spent yelling at all of them, of the time he spent providing the survival training. "I do."

"Your training is what helped you do what you did to save Scorpion and Talon."

Austin looked at him. "You heard about that?"

"The entire navy in Quadrant Eight heard about that." Sharkey gazed out the window. “We are all briefed on the latest incidents with the Tyral Pirates. That’s a situation that just keeps getting worse.”

Austin felt his chest tighten at the mention of the pirates. “They all need to be destroyed.”

Sharkey snorted. “I couldn’t agree more. You know where they are?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, that’s the problem.” Sharkey made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Still, you scrapped with them up close and personal. What was it like?”

Austin heard Rodon’s taunting voice over the gamma wave replaying in his mind. He nearly had the pirate leader, even fired on him despite the disadvantage of carrying Ryker and Nubern. His adrenaline pumping in his veins. The final bolts crashed into Rodon’s ship, ripping apart metal. But he escaped. Some on board the station thought Austin should be granted a kill for the effort, but there was no proof. Rodon was still out there, waiting.

“Frustrating,” he finally said. “I should have had him.”

“Don’t worry about Rodon,” Sharkey said, folding his arms over his chest and reclining the seat backward. “He’ll get what’s coming to him.”

Austin shook his head. “But how does he keep doing this?”

“You have no control over what he does. You can only control how you react. Right now, we are going to save your mother and friend.” Sharkey shrugged. “Let’s worry about the task at hand and that task is making sure you don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Let me just say I’m grateful you saved an old friend.”

“An old friend?” Austin blinked. “You mean Nubern?”

"I served with Nubern years ago during his first command."

"You were a Star Runner?"

He nodded. "Until I lost my leg."

"Your leg? What?"

"Wonders of robotics, lieutenant. One of the reasons I don't leave campus often, so I appreciate this diversion even if it is for unfortunate reasons. I took this assignment to help younger Star Runners when I was no longer cleared to fly."

Austin frowned. “Forgive me, sir, but security chief seems to be quite a demotion from a Star Runner?”

“It wasn’t easy losing my wings, sure.” He stared out the window. “But you can’t risk a robotic limb failing during a dogfight, either. They offered me other positions, but I wasn’t interested in being around the fleet when I couldn’t fly anymore. It’s fine. I enjoy what I do.”

Austin stared back at the road. If Sharkey was ever wounded or needed medical assistance, the discovery of an artificial leg would certainly turn heads in an emergency room.

“May I ask how, sir?” Austin asked, his eyes flickering from the road to Sharkey’s artificial leg.

“Line of duty,” he grumbled, his head swaying toward the window as if he drifted off to sleep. “I served on a carrier a long time ago. Boring tour at the border. Our task force got involved in preventing a rebellion on Lian, fighting got out of hand. A rogue Zahl warlord decided to take advantage, came in guns blazing, said we were invading the planet. He received a distress call and came in for the good of the empire.”

Austin swallowed, his eyes fixated on the lone road.

“The Zahl interceptors are fast, faster than anything you’d believe. They swept in like a wave, crashing into our picket ships. I was on alert status and launched. Bogeys filled the space around Lian like a fiery meteor shower. Never seen anything like it before or since. I did what I could, but they blasted me out of the sky. The ship came apart. A piece of metal ripped my leg to shreds. I had to eject and woke up on our ship. Nubern saved me.”

Austin exhaled. “He’s a good man.”

“The best.”

Austin had never heard anyone speak of a conflict with the Zahl Empire, only read about it in his required text. He didn’t know Nubern had faced off against Zahlian forces.

He shook his head. 

“Once we retrieve my Mom and Kadyn, how do we know who to meet?”

“We are scheduled to meet with an EIF agent for further orders and those guys can disappear in a crowd like no others. I have some instructions in my tablet. Remember, we’re on strict radio silence—that includes internet. Make sure what you have is offline.” Sharkey frowned. “Whole world’s upside down right now, so I’m taking things one hour at a time.”

“I understand,” Austin said, his stomach growling.

"Let's get gas at the next stop," he said. "We need to move and get some coffee.”

Up ahead, the massive lights of the interstate highway exit illuminated the black sky. Austin leaned forward over the steering wheel.

“I never thanked you, chief.”

“Me?” Sharkey asked. “Why?”

“Your training. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

Sharkey laughed. “No charge, Stone. I get off campus so rarely. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. We’ll call it even.”