Fall of Icarus (8 page)

           
Tugging on his stiff collar, Yen directed Keryn toward a designated table, around which Adam and some of the other Infantry
Warrants
and Officers were sitting.
 
Adam’s date, a tall, dark haired Uligart Warrant that Yen didn’t immediately recognize, smiled invitingly as they took their seats.
 
Yen conducted the formal introductions of everyone at the table, though most were familiar to Yen.
 
As both a pilot and the leader of his Infantry insertion team, Yen had befriended most Officers and Warrants on both sides, Fleet and Infantry.
 
As such, he became an important liaison and mediator during the many disagreements.
 
Lately, that aspect of his job had taken most of his time; at least the time he wasn’t spending with Keryn.

           
“So,” Adam interjected, wasting no time with formalities before getting to the crux of the conversation.
 
“What do you think this is all about?
 
My money is on deployment orders.”

           
“I don’t know, Adam,” Yen replied.
 
“I’m as much in the dark as you are.”

           
“That’s a load of crap,” Adam quickly responded.
 
“You’re never in the dark.
 
You always know more than you let on.
 
Read someone’s mind, for crying out loud.”

           
Yen frowned, but his sentiment wasn’t shared with the rest of the table.
 
Many laughed.
 
Keryn, however, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
 
“You can do that?” she asked.

           
“Trust me, sister,” Adam’s date chimed in, “there are few things Yen Xiao can’t do with that crazy power of his.”

           
Keryn leaned in close.
 
Yen could smell the intoxicating perfume she wore.
 
It was very distracting in the midst of a conversation.
 
“You ever read my mind, and you’ll never live to regret it.”
 
She winked at him as she leaned away and rejoined the rest of the table’s conversation.

           
Aside from her beauty and intelligence, Yen admired her social relaxation.
 
Keryn easily slipped into nearly any conversation, having a multitude of stories to share on nearly any topic.
 
Though she had been on the ship less than a week, she added people daily to her growing circle of friends.

           
Their conversation was interrupted, however, by the chiming of silverware off a crystal glass.
 
Keryn and Yen had to shift their chairs to see the rear doors to the ballroom, where Captain Hodge and her small entourage entered before taking their seats at the head table.
 
Only Captain Hodge remained standing, obviously planning to speak before sitting with Eminent Merric and Squadron Commander Garrix.

           
“Good evening everyone,” she began with simple formalities.
 
“I’m glad that you were all able to make time in your busy schedules in order to join us for this dinner, though I do realize I didn’t truly leave you much of an option in the matter.”
 
She paused while flittered laughter rolled through the room.
 
“There is much that we need to discuss tonight; many rumors that either need to be confirmed or stifled before they get out of hand.
 
Right now, however, is not the time for
long winded
speeches.
 
I find it’s upsetting to be the bearer of important news and then try to eat a heavy meal.
 
Therefore, I will leave you with only this acknowledgement of your questions: we have broken orbit and are currently flying toward an undisclosed location.
 
You can speculate amongst yourselves as we eat.
 
Following dinner, I will tell you everything I know and give you as many answers to your questions as I can offer.
 
For now, please enjoy both the food and one another’s company.”

           
As she took her seat, the room erupted in chatters of conversation.
 
For many, Captain Hodge’s teasing speech added fuel to an already hotly burning fire of speculation.
 
For others, there was a worrisome expression on their faces.
 
Yen not only understood their concern,
but
was happy to see the reality of the situation finally sinking in for the new pilots and soldiers.
 
Maybe, if they could understand the dangers associated with real combat, some of them might survive to see how the war develops.
 
Yen had spent quite a bit of time thinking about what was to come and had come to a realization.
 
Their attack against the Terran Fleet would be brutal, but would be far from the end of the war.
 
If anything, he knew that their attack would only ignite the fervor of the Terran Empire.
 
The single attack could lead to years of open warfare, the likes of which hadn’t been experienced in a century and a half.
 
The stories of those brutal battles, leaving millions dead on both sides, had never been forgotten.
 
Yen cringed at the idea of another war like that, in which so many were left dead.
 
No, Yen had realized that the assault on the Terran Fleet could not be the end of the Alliance assault, but rather the tip of a long and deadly spear.
 
He only hoped those in power, the High Council in particular, thought much the same.

           
Dinner was served, though conversations took precedence over eating.
 
For many in the room, their food was barely touched by the time their plates were taken away, having only shifted their entrées from one side of the plate to another while discussing their theories in hushed tones with those they shared their table.
 
Thankfully, Yen, Adam, and Keryn had avoided most of the gossiping, spending their time lost in small talk and pleasantries.
 
Having served together for over a year, Yen and Adam had many stories about one another which kept Keryn laughing throughout the meal.
 
By the time dinner was over, their table’s jovial attitude still remained.
 
They still joked between one another as Captain Hodge finished her meal and stood once more.
 
A silence fell over the room as she gained everyone’s undivided attention.
 
Cameras in the room turned and began recording.
 
Yen had a suspicion that her speech would be replayed on all ships in the attack Fleet simultaneously.

           
“Over the past few months,” Captain Hodge began, “a new and dangerous threat has emerged from the Terran Empire.
 
A small invasion Fleet of six Terran Destroyers slipped into Alliance space, in clear violation of the Taisa Accord.
 
This is the first major incursion in violation of the Accord in one hundred and fifty years.
 
Were that
their
only transgression, it would be grounds enough for us to go to war.
 
However, as you are all aware, invading our sovereign space was not the only atrocity they committed, nor was it the most recent.
 
Almost a year ago, direct actions of the Terran Empire resulted in the deaths of over one hundred Infantry soldiers on Perseus II.
 
More recently, however, this invading Fleet has attacked and destroyed five Alliance Cruisers.”

           
Yen felt the ache in his chest at the mention of Perseus.
 
From the corner of his eyes, he could see the same sorrow-filled expression on Keryn’s face at the mention of her brother’s loss.
 
“The Terrans have done more than just invade our space.
 
They have made an open declaration of war, a declaration that has not been lost on the High Council.
 
In response, the High Council contacted me yesterday with new orders; orders to break orbit and make haste toward the Terran Fleet’s location.
 
Our orders are simple: destroy the Terran Fleet at all costs!”

           
A raucous cheer erupted from the crowd as the rumors were validated.
 
To Yen’s surprise, he felt a hand fall on top of his.
 
Keryn squeezed his hand hard as he looked at her.
 
Her violet eyes burned with an agitated fervor and he could see her breasts rise and fall with excitable breaths.
 
Turning his hand, he laced his fingers with hers and held her hand as Captain Hodge continued.

           
“Your enthusiasm is a direct reflection of what I felt when I heard their message.
 
To know that all of our training and all of our waiting has finally come to fruition, it was nearly more than I could bear.
 
However, I encourage you to continue your diligent training and rehearsals during the next few weeks of transit.
 
We face a dangerous and determined enemy in the Terran Fleet.
 
I don’t need to remind you that they have already destroyed five ships just like the one we now crew.
 
The enemy ships are filled with combat veterans who know that a retaliatory strike is inevitable.”
 
Captain Hodge’s musical voice grew louder as she continued, her cheeks flushed with emotion.
 
“They will be expecting us, so when we attack, we will have to attack with reckless abandon.
 
We cannot be afraid!
 
We cannot be unsure!
 
But most importantly, we cannot be deterred!
 
In less than a month, there will not be a single citizen in either the Alliance or the Empire that doesn’t know the incredible exploits of this battle fleet!”

           
The roar of the audience was deafening as the Captain harped on the chords they all wanted to hear.
 
They could be heroes, faces and names that the Alliance would remember forever.
 
Though Yen still had his reservations about catering to the youthful exuberance of the crowd, he couldn’t deny that he was beginning to feel his own heart race at the thought of being the hero of the Alliance.
 
His smile was infectious as he turned to Keryn and tightly squeezed her hand.
 
He could see the fire burning behind her eyes and knew that she was as eager to go to war as any of the other pilots and soldiers in the crowd.
 
It was reassuring to know that soon they would all have their chance.

           
Following the Captain’s speech, the formal dinner evolved into a more social event.
 
Music full of heavy beats and minor chords played over the intercom and many of the Officers and Warrants cleared the center of the room to dance.
 
Alcohol flowed freely and it wasn’t long before a red-faced Adam and his date bid Yen and Keryn adieu and left, leaning heavily on one another to make sure neither collapsed on the way back to his quarters.
 
Adam and his date were not the only couples
who
slipped away nonchalantly to spend more personal time together.
 
Soon, the densely packed room thinned until less than half of the original crowd remained.

           
As Yen watched the dancing, writhing crowd in the middle of the room, he felt warm breath on the side of his neck.
 
“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” Keryn whispered into his ear.

           
Yen could feel a yearning passion twisting in his stomach.
 
Without saying a word, for fear that his voice would betray his excitement, Yen nodded and pushed away from the table.
 
Keryn stood and joined him and, still hand in hand, they walked out of the ballroom.
 
He had intended to lead her back toward his quarters, but once they were free of the ballroom, Keryn took charge and pulled him along toward one of the lifts.
 
Unsure of where they were going but feeling strongly sexually aroused, Yen fought little, figuring she had something mischievous in mind.

           
To Yen’s surprise, once inside the elevator Keryn pushed a button that would take them to one of the observation decks.
 

As soon as the lift doors opened, Keryn playfully slipped away and hurried ahead, taking a place near the thick windows.
 
As he strode forward, she gave him barely a second glance as she lost herself in the distant stars.
 
He slipped his arms around her slender waist and followed her gaze out the window.

           
“They’re beautiful,” Keryn said cryptically.
 

           
Yen followed her gaze, but saw only the stars beyond the window.
 
“They’re great,” he said, trying to understand the awe he heard in her voice.
 
“No matter where you go, though, they change very little.”