Vaughn Heppner - Star Fortress

Seventeen minutes later, Osadar signaled Marten. “You have a message from Cone.”

He nodded, and tapped his screen. A harried Vice-Chairman Cone peered at him. High-ranking officers moved in the background amid a babble of sounds.

“The Geneva launch-site is under attack,” Cone said in her clipped way. “You should reroute to a different site.”

“To where?” asked Marten.

“Moscow would make the—”

“We have to lift now,” Marten said.

“Backus has infiltration agents everywhere,” Cone said. “There are viruses in much of our European software. We’ve hit the Milan proton-beam…” She shook her head. “An air-wing has gone over to him. They used missiles. Now interceptors are headed for Geneva. We have reason to believe they carry nuclear payloads. I urgently suggest you head elsewhere.”

“We’re fifteen minutes from the launch-site,” Osadar said quietly.

Marten squeezed his eyes closed. His heart thudded in his chest. He wanted to get off-planet now. He wanted to get back onto his patrol boats. Who knew how this civil war would go?

“No,” Marten said, opening his eyes. “We’re headed for Geneva. Keep a booster on the ground for us.”

“You’re taking a terrible risk,” Cone said.

“Yes,” Marten said. “Now I have to go. Leave us that booster.”

“…I’ll see what I can do.”

Marten radioed the other lifters. “I know these roads are treacherous and we’re in the Alps, but let’s push it.”

Soon, the nine magnetic lifters whined with power. And the Jovian pilots proved their worth this day as they revved, increasing speed along the Swiss Sector road.

Eleven minutes later, the nine vehicles roared onto the launch-site. Most of the blast-pans were empty, devoid of the giant boost-ships. Craters dotted the area. Several buildings had been hit and they showed gaping holes. One squat orbital vessel remained, however, waiting in the number fourteen blast-pan.

“Park beside it!” Marten radioed his troops.

Ninety seconds later, sirens wailed as they sprinted from their grounded lifters. Marten breathed the crisp air, and he noticed a faint white cloud high in the sky. Then he plunged through the hatch, running for the seats.

Amid shouts, everyone shoved into a seat and strapped in. Seconds later, the mighty engines roared into life and the heavy launch vehicle began to lift. A cheer went through the compartment and Jovians pumped their fists.

Marten turned his head, glancing out the window even as the Gs began to press him into the cushions. As they gained speed, the spaceport shrank and individual mountains merged into a range and then became the Swiss Alps. They’d made it, and just in time. There was a streak outside. It was far away and coming closer fast. Marten spied another streak rushing up from the surface, and there was a brilliant flash.

Ground defense got the first one , Marten thought.

He didn’t see if there were other enemy interceptors. The thunder of liftoff drowned out all speech. The launch vehicle shook and the G-forces pressed harder.

I’m leaving Earth again . Despite everything, a pang filled Marten. Would he ever return? Would Earth still be here when this was over?

It was no longer blue outside, but beginning to darken. Struggling against the Gs, Marten craned a look down, seeing clouds. Soon, Europe became distinct as a landmass. Then he saw the curve of the Earth. As he looked, the Gs lessened. Marten realized the thunder of liftoff had stopped, although there was ringing in his ears.

Nadia sat beside him, and beside her was Osadar. The cyborg turned to him. Her “face” showed worry.

“The Doom Stars can easily destroy us now,” Osadar said.

Three Doom Stars were in orbit around Luna. The average distance from the Earth to the Moon was 385,000 kilometers. A Doom Star’s Ultra-laser could fire one million kilometers with destructive power. It would be the simplest thing in the world for a Highborn to beam them out of existence—if they wanted to.

“Cassius had a vendetta against me,” Marten said, “and he’s dead.”

“Do you believe the other Highborn love you?” Osadar asked.

“I wouldn’t call it love, no.”

“Presumably, the Highborn have mapped the important structures and craft in Earth orbit. I am not sure they would approve of Marten Kluge regaining access to space.”

“How would they know I’m leaving?” Marten asked.

“Spies,” Osadar said. “Or perhaps they monitor communications.”

As the launch vehicle’s engines cut out, bringing weightlessness to the ship, Group-Leader Xenophon turned in his seat. “The Highborn can’t fire on us. They need Social Unity’s battleships. If they fire, they break the alliance.”

“We are not part of Social Unity,” Osadar pointed out.

“True,” Xenophon said. “But as Jovians, we’re part of the Alliance.”

“What if Director Backus declares us outlaws?” Osadar asked. “He might ask the Highborn to shoot us for him. Then they could legally destroy Marten Kluge.”

“Why would Backus do that?”

“Why do the directors and Cone fight for power?” Osadar countered. “There’s chaos on Earth. The nuclear missiles and the interceptors just now prove their madness. That madness has been growing, spreading. Cassius tried to murder Hawthorne. The Supreme Commander resigned at precisely the worst possible time. If all this weren’t proof enough of madness, now the Highborn appear to be maneuvering against each other.”

“How have you deduced that?” Marten asked.

“Why is the Sunbeam a secret?”

“The Highborn aren’t telling us about it,” Marten said. “We don’t know they’re not telling each other.”

“I read the signs differently,” Osadar said. “Commandant Maximus remains at the Sun-Works Factory, never bothering to fight for the command of a Doom Star. We know the Highborn pattern is to struggle for higher rank. According to Ah Chen, Maximus has never broadcast the reason to the other Highborn why he is content to stay at Mercury. Therefore, I believe he has kept the Sunbeam a secret.”

“Such a thing would be difficult to keep hidden,” Xenophon said.

“Maybe Osadar has a point,” Marten said. “I remember Social Unity hiding a beamship near the Sun. It’s hard spotting things close to that blazing inferno.”

“How can anyone build anything near the Sun?” Xenophon asked. “That I do not understand.”

“Ah Chen explained it,” Marten said. “They don’t build the sections near the Sun, but father away. Then they maneuver the sections into position. The mirrors need to be closest and she said they’re fully automated. I just thought of something else. Remember the Highborn interferometer, the giant one near the Sun?”

“I recall it,” Osadar said.

“It helped spot the planet-wreckers a year ago,” Marten said. “According to what I’ve heard, it’s massive, hundreds of satellites working in coordination. Could Maximus be pretending to add to the interferometer even as he secretly builds the Sunbeam?”

“I deem that to be highly likely,” Osadar said. “It is also beside the point at the moment. The Highborn hate you. They have not forgotten that you’ve killed some of their own when you were a shook trooper under their command. We must pretend to be another supply ship.”

No more supply boosters lifted from Geneva, but there were other launch-sites.

“Here is my suggestion,” Osadar said. “Let us wait to reengage our engine until orbital drift puts the Earth between us and the Moon, blocking their line-of-sight and thus their lasers.”

Marten saw her logic and the need for haste. He began to unbuckle and pointed at Omi and Osadar. “You’re coming with me.”