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  “The Benfold Star? That’s Cera Dru’s ship! Bralu’s grandmother! You want me to pilot the most legendary freighter in the sector? The ship that single-handedly defeated an entire pirate armada!” Jarek exclaimed.

  “It would be an honor to just be inside that ship! I have tinkered with some of its circuits, but I have never been inside it while it was flying! This is life-changing!” Kelba shrieked.

  Mooku held up his hands in a calming gesture, saying, “Ease up, guys. I know the Benfold Star is legendary, but you are blowing it out of proportion.”

  Jarek and Kelba took several breaths before they finally managed to calm themselves down. When they spoke again, their tone was much more collected, but there was a bit of excitement still simmering below the surface.

  “What kind of mission requires us to operate the Benfold Star?” Jarek asked.

  “I don’t know, but it involves taking down the enemy flagship.”

  Kelba became pale with despair. “I know the Benfold Star bested twenty pirate ships, but I don’t think even it could take down a dreadnaught that could wipe out entire fleets.”

  “You won’t be fighting the dreadnaught. Not directly,” Mooku assured.

  “Then what are we going to do?” Jarek asked.

  “I am not authorized to reveal more details, but I can say that everything will be revealed after our leaders fully discuss the battle plan,” Mooku explained.

  “They better hurry up, because I am itching to pilot the Benfold Star,” Jarek said.

  “I agree. I am on edge as it is,” Kelba affirmed.

  “Since you’re here, can you tell us a little about yourself? What made you join Devan’s militia?” Jarek asked Mooku.

  “Like all its founding members, I was enlisted in the Consulate military. When I was promoted to corporal, I jumped on top of a grenade to save members of my platoon. I survived, but I had to get a cybernetic heart. Shortly after the operation, I received a medal and was discharged. However, the urge to fight the Shogunate still burned in me, but with my injury, the Consulate did not allow me to reenlist. Therefore, I joined Devan’s operation and prepared for the day when the Shogunate would arrive on our doorstep. That day is about to come at last,” Mooku explained.

  “Sounds like you saw a lot of action. Kelba and I never got the chance to enlist. We were focused on making a living however we could. Like you, we also prepared to defend our homes if we had to,” Jarek said.

  “Now we get to fight for something greater than ourselves. I just hope we will still have a home when the dust settles,” Kelba said.

  Mooku held up his cup and declared, “To victory!”

  Jarek and Kelba held up their cups and shouted, “To victory!”

  The trio clicked their cups together and drank to the battle ahead.

  ______

  Bralu sat alone in a foldable chair in his family’s empty landing strip. He looked up at the night sky, which displayed the entirety of the Milky Way galaxy. Thoughts went through his head as he contemplated the various civilizations amongst the stars.

  “If we win this battle, could we save everyone else out there?” Bralu softly asked himself.

  “May I join you?” asked a voice.

  Bralu turned to find Amber walking toward him with her own foldable chair in her hands.

  Smiling, Bralu said, “Sure. Grab a seat.”

  Amber opened her chair and sat right next to Bralu. For a while, there was silence between the two, until Amber started the conversation.

  “What’re you doing out here?” Amber asked.

  “Just thinking about the future. Will we win the coming battle? If we do, what then? Will we continue to defend Spica Prime, or will we go to the stars and take the fight to the Shogunate? There are so many questions and not enough time to answer them all,” Bralu answered.

  “I sense there is more troubling you. What’s wrong?”

  Bralu hesitated. “I received a horrible vision today while sparring with Gee Bee. I saw a fiery demon without a face, and an omen that foretold my own death.”

  Amber gasped. “Don’t you dare say that you’re going to die!”

  “Why? I saw it in plain sight. I saw a sword being shoved in my gut. It looks like my fate is already decided.”

  “But we can only see bits and pieces of the future. We never get to see the whole picture. There must be something you missed.”

  “I hope so, because there is so much I want to do before my time is up.”

  “Like what?”

  “Maybe write a book. Perhaps fall in love.”

  Amber became slightly flustered, and her normally red face became even redder. She said, “Wh-who would you fall in love with? Is there someone special you have in mind?”

  Noticing Amber’s nervous demeanor, Bralu blushed as well before he replied, “I … I don’t know. I hope I find someone before I die. Hopefully that won’t be during this invasion.”

  For a while, the pair sat in uncomfortable silence as they shifted their weight in their respective chairs. After some time, Bralu broke the silence.

  “So … how is Sensei handling this whole invasion business?” Bralu asked.

  “He’s speaking with Father and the city’s other leaders about the preparations. Sensei will provide useful counsel considering his own experience as a Bushi,” Amber replied.

  “How is your father?”

  Her voice dripping with venom, Amber answered, “He’s been doing his usual corrupt schemes. He won’t say who he owes favors to or if he won the last election fairly. Whenever I brush his mind with my telepathy, all I can sense is the rancid stench of greed. I don’t even know if he truly loves me, his own daughter.”

  “Of course he does. He would be an unworthy father if he didn’t love you.”

  “You know full well that he sold me to train with Sensei because he thought having a Bushi in the family would give him more privileges. I have only ever been a means to an end to him since the day I was born.”

  “You are not some tool for someone to use! You’re an amazing person. You’re kind and compassionate, and you have a strong sense of morality. You’re hardworking, steadfast, and iron-willed. You have every reason for people to love you.”

  Bralu noticed that Amber’s face became redder again, and her golden eyes glittered. Her pale lips parted as she exhaled. Amber’s longing expression and inhuman beauty made Bralu’s heart throb. She slowly leaned toward Bralu as though to kiss him. Bralu wanted to kiss Amber, but other thoughts halted him.

  “Are you sure about this, Amber?”

  “About what? What is there to be sure about?”

  “We’ve known each other for ten years, and you are the sister I never had. I do love you, but we come from different worlds. I am the grandson of a famous smuggler and a washed-up Bushi, while you are the daughter of a planet’s governor.”

  “We may come from different worlds, but there is one world we have in common–the world of the Bushi. Throughout our training, we have brushed against one another’s minds. You feel as I do even if you deny it. If you are destined to die, I want to profess my love to you completely.”

  “How?”

  “Like this!” Amber cried, seizing Bralu’s head and pressing her brow against his.

  In that moment, the minds of Bralu and Amber merged. All of their thoughts, memories, and emotions became one. They both gasped with bliss from the stimulating sensation as all their experiences became indistinguishable. In an instant, Bralu and Amber relived the good, the bad, and the ugly of one another’s lives. After what seemed like an eternity, the pair’s minds separated, and they moved from one another. When they opened their eyes, they noticed the tears rolling down each other’s cheeks.

  “That was beautiful. Words can’t describe it,” Bralu murmured.

  “I agree. I have wanted to do that with you for so long after all the years we spent together.” Amber sighed.

  “So what happens now?”

  “Surviv
e the battle. Defy fate or I will follow you into the afterlife.”

  Bralu gasped. “Why? If I die, you shouldn’t be bound to my fate.”

  “But I am. Our minds and souls are bound. If you die, what would be the point of living without you?”

  Bralu swallowed hard and replied, “Then I will make sure I don’t die. I will return to you as soon as the battle is over.”

  CHAPTER 13

  On the desert planet of Spica 2, the Shogunate fleet reduced the sandy cities to fields of smoldering glass through orbital bombardment. Whatever cities surrendered were supplied with a garrison of Feldorbots. From the Shogunate fleet, a small blockade of five cruisers were deployed from both the frigates and the dreadnaught. From the command bridge of the Emden, Manus and Admiral Vao watched the invasion reach its conclusion. The planet’s surface was mostly black from lack of sunlight while the areas that were bombarded glowed white in the darkness. Shogunate fighters intercepted whatever civilian ships tried to escape, blasting them into the void of space.

  “I would say the invasion of the Spica System is coming along nicely, Vice Shogun. Wouldn’t you say?” Vao asked.

  Scowling, Manus countered, “For the most part, it has been successful. Unfortunately, our occupation of this planet has been particularly sloppy. Is Captain Phobo outside?”

  “He is, Sire.”

  “Send him in.”

  At that moment, the blast doors of the command bridge opened to reveal a human officer in a red uniform. With curt steps, Captain Phobo entered the bridge with all eyes fixed on him. After several tense seconds, Phobo reached Manus and Vao.

  “Captain Phobo, it is my understanding that your unit decimated a city that had already surrendered. May I remind you that we don’t need to destroy every settlement? If we do, this planet will be useless and our occupation of this entire star system will be weakened. You jeopardized this entire operation to satisfy your bloodlust!” Manus snarled.

  Phobo swallowed hard before saying, “My apologies, Vice Shogun. I will try to control myself and my men next time.”

  “You and I both know you are incapable of self-control. If I let you keep your command, you will just ruin our mission.”

  “Am I to be demoted, Sire?”

  Manus displayed a sinister grin. “Oh. There will be no demotion.”

  Calling on his psychic power, Manus hooked into the deepest corners of Phobo’s mind and pulled. Phobo began to tremble, and the flesh on his face jiggled like jello. His eyes were wide open, with veins rippling through them. The pupils in his eyes were completely dilated until they were pitch black. Blobs of saliva flew from his flapping lips, and his fists tightened so much that blood flowed from his palms. Suddenly, Phobo’s entire head exploded with a loud snap, like a fleshy firecracker. A tidal wave of blood and vaporized brain and bone splattered across the command bridge, frightening all the officers present. Even with his head gone, Phobo’s corpse stood as still as a statue, like a monolith of death.

  Turning his attention to the other officers, Manus warned, “Make no mistake. From now on, any further threats to our operation will have consequences. Understood?”

  “Yes, Vice Shogun!” the officers shouted in unison.

  “Return to your duties and dream of victory!” Manus ordered.

  “Victory!” the officers affirmed before returning to their respective stations.

  Looking at Phobo’s decapitated body, Manus instructed, “Dump that wretch out the nearest air lock.”

  Promptly, a pair of Feldorbots grabbed Phobo’s body by the arms and carried it off the command bridge.

  Vao smiled and said, “Well done, Sire. Surely our men won’t overreach themselves again after that kind of execution. I always enjoy watching you work.”

  Manus scowled. “I don’t have time for your flattery, Vao. My brother, the Shogun, will be expecting us to conquer this system soon. I will not disappoint him.”

  Bowing his head, Vao said, “I am somewhat disappointed about one thing, Vice Shogun.”

  “What is that?”

  “We are nearly done with this system, but we have yet to encounter a single Bushi. Sacking a star system without killing some Bushi is so dull.”

  “It appears your disappointment will fade when we reach Spica Prime. My clairvoyance is detecting the presence of three Bushi there. That is rather low compared to other planets we invaded. I suppose with our forces spreading the Consulate’s armies so thin, it would make sense why there are so few Bushi in this sector.”

  “When we arrive on Spica Prime, would you save one Bushi for me, Vice Shogun? It has been so long since I killed one.”

  “You and me both. I have grown bored slaughtering sheep. It is time for us wolves to start hunting lions. What is the current status of our remaining forces?”

  “When we entered the Spica System, we were fully stocked on weapons and warships. We still have the Emden dreadnaught. We also have our four frigates, which consist of the Clemson, Barton, Sumner, and Fletcher. Originally, we had a hundred cruisers, with sixty being housed by the dreadnaught and each of the frigates housing ten. Due to the fact that most of our cruisers have been deployed to blockade each planet we have conquered, we only have thirty cruisers left. The same goes for our fighters and Feldorbots. We started with a thousand fighters, but we now have four hundred and thirty. Out of the three hundred thousand Feldorbots we brought with us, only fifty thousand are available for the final invasion. Overall, we should have enough to complete our subjugation of the Spica System.”

  “Then there is no time to waste. Begin to move toward Spica Prime.”

  “Yes, Vice Shogun.”

  ______

  Back on Spica Prime, Londinium’s leaders discussed their plans for the upcoming battle. The atmosphere in the room was electric.

  “Give me an overview of what to expect. Are our preparations complete?” Owen asked.

  Kyle pressed a button on a control panel, and a holographic projection of Londinium emerged from a wide table. “For starters, the Shogunate can’t control this planet without taking over Londinium. Therefore, they will likely focus their efforts here. The city is protected by the force field that is intended to shield it from pirates and orbital bombardment. They won’t risk destroying the city with their fleet-killing weapon, so they will be forced to deploy their ground forces and try to weaken the shield until they can overrun us. To counter this, the jet racers, police gunships, and cannons outside the walls will be unleashed to soften their army until our ground forces can finish them off. The problem with this is the fleet may release their fighters or fire all their cannons to either wipe out our racers and gunships or shatter the shield. If we are going to negate this tactic, we will need to deploy our fleet to fight theirs.”

  “Wait! You said they have a fleet-killing weapon! Won’t they destroy our fleet if we send it in?” Spatha asked.

  “Not necessarily. Based on what I have seen, their fleet-killer is solely a long-range weapon. With that much destructive power, they won’t be able to use it at close range without destroying their own fleet in the process. Therefore, we will deploy our fleet right in front of theirs before they have a chance to fire up that big cannon. With what we have, our fleet can wipe out some of their fighters, some cruisers, and even a frigate or two, but we won’t be able to take down the dreadnaught.”

  “How do we solve this problem?” Devan asked.

  “In previous battles, the Shogunate’s dreadnaughts have always served as the linchpin to their armies. They send out a series of signals that control their Feldorbots, fighter drones, and the maneuvers of their fleet. The signals’ range that stretches through an entire star system. If we knock out the dreadnaught, the rest of their armies will follow. However, taking out a dreadnaught is not as easy as it sounds. All Shogunate dreadnaughts are equipped with two standard-issue shield generators that are strong enough to withstand the firepower of a Consulate frigate. Even with our bombers, it will be difficult to crack
that shell.”

  “So what solution do you have?” Spatha asked, hopeful.

  “As you are all aware, I am the grandson of the smuggler known as Cera Dru. Her legendary ship, the Benfold Star, is the fastest ship we have at our disposal. It is small enough to evade the dreadnaught’s scanners, yet powerful enough to blast through their fighters. With most of the Shogunate’s forces absent, the dreadnaught’s interior will be lightly defended. Therefore, the Benfold Star can maneuver its way to one of the dreadnaught’s hangars. With fighters and troop carriers constantly being deployed, their hangars will allow us to slip inside. Once inside, a strike team will locate the shield generators and take it out with explosives. When the shield is down, the dreadnaught will be vulnerable, and we can destroy it with impunity.”

  “A bold plan, but who will join this strike force? Even if you can organize such a team and they fulfill their mission, there is a strong possibility that they won’t survive,” Owen asked.

  “I have enlisted Jarek Muun and Kelba Barr to be part of this strike force. Jarek is not just a jet racer, but he also knows how to fly the Benfold Star through flight simulators. Kelba is a skilled mechanic and has tinkered with the Benfold Star’s circuits over the years. so she knows how to fix the ship in case something goes wrong. With my late grandmother dead, these kids are the most intuitive about the Benfold Star’s inner workings. These two may be teenagers, but they are experienced beyond their years. In addition, I will provide my family’s security robot, GB-89. He may be designed for household security, but he has been repeatedly modified with additional combat features that make him an opponent not to take lightly.”

  “I will provide Corporal Mooku and fifteen of my best soldiers. Each of them are battle-hardened survivors,” Devan offered.

  “I will also accompany you, along with my two cadets,” Owen added.

  Shocked, Kyle demanded, “Don’t involve my kid brother in this! I want him to be in the bunker with the rest of our family!”

  “I must also object to involving my daughter! She is … precious to me,” Spatha protested.