“Less than sixty seconds.”
“They’d never make it, Kal.” Zane’s eyes were haunted, but his voice was strong. “They made their choice. It’s kill or be killed.”
“You could target the heating systems first,” Mira said. “Void chill wouldn’t set in for fifteen minutes. Enough time to evacuate, if they’re disciplined.”
“Is that acceptable, Senator?” A strange, creeping numbness crawled across Kalie’s skin. She shoved down the churning guilt and raging despair, focusing on the cold, hard facts. The Aquisians were dying. Her people were killing them. If she didn’t strike a middle ground, Nadar’s fleet would withdraw, taking her and the battle with them. She wouldn’t get another chance to free the innocents trapped on the planet below.
Nadar nodded curtly. “Heating systems first. If they refuse to evacuate, we’ll?—”
“Look!” The shrill cry pierced the bridge, and Kalie flinched, bracing for the sight of another explosion. “They’ve ceased fire!”
She whirled around, and her eyes flew wide.
The Dalian cannons were frozen and inactive.
Red flashed, and orange explosions raged, but Julian’s fleets didn’t fire. Neither did the fleet from Shofield.
Kalie’s breath rushed out of her.
“Senator, there’s an incoming transmission from theHalle.”
“Put it through,” she breathed.
The camera drone’s lens glowed white. A holoprojection shimmered to life inches from Kalie, and her jaw went slack as Julian smiled crookedly. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and a nasty cut sliced across his hairline.
“Are you—what happened?”
“Count Winthorpe ordered us to aid you. Unfortunately, it seems your aunt got to my superiors.” Julian winced, and his hand tightened on the side of his torn uniform. A stain blossomed around his fingers. “Those of us who remain loyal to you have seized control of the fleets. Friends of mine sabotaged theAspenandTerrafleets, so they remain on the ground. Your Skyforce stands with you, and we await our orders.”
Your Skyforce.
The words knocked the air out of Kalie.
Strain twisted Julian’s face, and as blood seeped through his fingers, a frisson of fear jolted through her. She reached for him, but the holo shimmered and jolted her back into reality. Kalie drew in a sharp breath. Right now, she was not his childhood friend, or his first love.
Right now, she was the leader of a fleet. She had to act like it.
“Thank you, Commodore Ryker.” She hoped her grateful smile said all the things she couldn’t. “Can we count on your support?”
“Of course. Officers, prepare to open fire on the Federation’s flagship!” As the Dalian fleets’ cannons turned to Carik’s destroyer, Julian’s eyes met hers. “On your command, Your Majesty.”
Kalie allowed herself to blink twice, only twice, to be sure it was real.
Then she raised her voice and bellowed, “Fire!”
Lasers streaked towards the shadows of the Federation’s fleet, colliding with the flagship’s overwhelmed shields. Kalie’s breath fogged against the syn-glass viewport, and as an explosion flashed, she glared at the shrapnel of a black Federation frigate, hoping every last one of them burned in hell.
Warplanes soared over a cruiser’s flank, past a line of cannons. Orange spurts dotted the dark hull. Tar-black vessels burst into clouds of scrap and flame.
Someone called for a status report, but she was almost afraid to look away—if she turned, it might not be real, and if it was, it would only take a moment for everything to change.
But she needed to project confidence, so she held her chin high and followed Nadar to the command table at the back of the bridge. Mira smirked and flashed a thumbs-up; Zane offered her a slight nod and the barest twitch of his lips.
Minister Gar and Senator Poltrun reported success. Carik had committed several fleets to fend off the attack on the Krygeon Pass, but General Akron and Poltrun’s Lykorian admirals were holding their ground. Carik had sent fewer ships than anticipated, which was good.
Unless Carik’s other fleets popped up on Dali.
Kalie clasped her hands behind her back. The officers were taking their cues from her and Nadar. She couldn’t show any fear.
