“Status report from Dejur?” she asked, nodding to Arrosa.
“My admirals are holding off the reinforcements stationed at the shipyards.” Her accented voice was thick with pride. “They have the situation well in hand. Your progress on Dali?”
“We’ve lost—” Kalie peered at the radar and barely suppressed a flinch— “two cruisers and some frigates, but my people have turned their cannons on the Federation. It’s six fleets against one.”
“Our warplanes are heading for the capital now,” Nadar added. “Once we take out Olympia’s cannons, we’ll send in the troop transports.”
“Good,” said Akron. “Keep us updated.”
Two of the Federation’s three cruisers were in flames. Most of their frigates were destroyed, and it was safe to assume Nadar’s remaining warplanes outnumbered theirs as well. The only Federation destroyer, the flagship, had taken heavy damage.
Carik thought he’d conquered her people. He was wrong.
Now he was going to pay for it dearly.
“Any minute now, they should be contacting one of us with a surrender,” Julian said.
“Either that, or they’ll try to jump to the gate.” Zane folded his arms as he scanned the scene. “We may not get a surrender out of them.”
“Good,” Kalie muttered.
Zane shot her a sharp look, and she scowled. It wasn’t like Carik had offered Aunt Calida a chance to surrender. His legionnaires hadn’t spared any mercy for the Dalians they’d slaughtered. His men deserved to die in the void, and an attempt to get to the stargate would send them straight there.
As the seconds ticked by, no message came through. The Federation destroyer stayed exactly where it was. Carik’s last cruiser burst into flames, followed by the right flank of the flagship. Escape pods jettisoned, and Kalie frowned. She would be glad to lay waste to their ships, but this wasn’t how the plan was supposed to go. Akron had been sure they’d surrender.
Better that they don’t.
“I don’t like this.” Nadar’s blue scales darkened, taking on an indigo hue. “Officer Mors, what’s the status of the assault on Olympia’s cannons?”
“They’ve taken out three cannons, sir. Federation fighters are down there trying to stop them, but they have it under control. They say you can send down the troop transports.”
Kalie nodded. “Go ahead.”
“No.” Nadar frowned deeply. “They should’ve done something by now.”
“He’s right,” Mira said. “This isn’t like them.”
Kalie gritted her teeth. The order to send in the transports was on the tip of her tongue, but a chill crept up her spine as the Federation destroyer’s rear engine exploded, hurling debris into space. They were right. Something was off. Carik needed Iliana to keep the throne, or he would face a much larger battle. Surely he wouldn’t go down this easily.
“Senator Nadar, we’re receiving a transmission from Lexington!”
“Ah. The surrender.” Nadar smiled. “There it is.”
“Accept the transmission,” Kalie ordered.
The air shimmered, and her aunt’s projection materialized a few feet from Julian. Aside from her sunken eyes and stained teeth, Iliana no longer looked like an emaciated vagrant. Glossy black hair framed sun-kissed skin and a heart-shaped face that mirrored Mother’s and Aunt Calida’s.
“Are you calling to surrender?”
Flashing a yellowed smile, Iliana spread her beringed hands. “Why would I ever do that, with how it ended for me last time?”
Kalie’s eyes narrowed. Subtly, she motioned for Nadar’s officers to charge the cannons. “You’re outnumbered.”
“A temporary predicament.” As Iliana frowned, shivers crawled down Kalie’s spine. “No, Kalista, I’m calling to giveyoua chance to surrender.”
“Why would I do that?”
“We want the same thing, the welfare of Dali.”
