The rain still hadn’t let up. If anything, it had gotten worse. A relentless downpour drenched the clearing, turning dirt to mud and making every step an effort. The sky had a purple tint to it now, as it always did before the sweep. It reflected off the puddles in the ground and the drops of water in the air, washing everything in its glow.

  I stood dead center in the centre of the field. Fifty or so metres away, the ten joining me in the assault stood over a small body of water, ready to jump. If it was just me who was caught in the sweep, then they’d only send one ship. Everyone else had left a few hours ago. Fiora was in charge of that group.

  A low hum filled the air. I clenched my fists in preparation. I had ear protectors on, I had a blindfold. It didn’t matter.

  My eardrums collapsed and I screamed out in pain as the soundwave tore through me. The world lurched—light bending, gravity almost shifting. The rain seemed to pause midair. I fell to my knees but the sensation didn’t relent. Magenta light seared through my eyelids, before giving way to the images in my mind. This time, they sent one thing.

  A universe in flames.

  And then, the ship appeared. I couldn’t hear it approach, but I felt the wind on my skin and the leaves rustle all around.

  It descended faster than I thought possible. Sleek and predatory, its white frame cut through the sky like a blade. It hovered just above me for a moment, before descending to my side. Brilliant light overpowered the sky, and suddenly all I could witness was the Enforcer ship.

  I forced myself to my feet, coughing up blood from the force on all my internals. I started counting. One minute until the others would charge.

  The side of the ship hissed open, and two Enforcers stepped out. Their armor gleamed under the glow of the ship, those faceless helmets somehow scanning me with malice.

  The nearest one cocked its head before stepping forward and speaking. Its voice was grating, like stones crushing against each other. “Mercenary. You are marked incorrectly.”

  Just as it raised its arm towards me, which I knew from experience would fire a dart and knock me out completely, a flash of light erupted from the bushes opposite me.

  Fern’s rifle slammed into the back of the Enforcer’s head, sending it stumbling. A second shot from Diane punched into its chest, kicking it into the mud. I ran at the other one, just as Herman’s full weight hit the already off balance Enforcer. It caught its foot in a snare and tripped head first into a pitfall.

  My long jagged hunting knife sparkled in the rain as I sprinted.

  I watched the arm of my target. The Enforcer’s finger split open–a dart shot forward. I dove to the side, the whir of metal passing my shoulder. I slipped and ate mud, but smiled as a sequence of gunshots knocked the Enforcer down. I recovered quick enough to slash at the knees and shoulders of the armoured suit, before signaling to the others.

  Henry, Fern and Herman joined me as we each took a leg and heaved the figure into the small lake that they’d had to jump into.

  I’d regained enough of my hearing then to recognise the mechanical hissing that came from the ship.

  “Down!” I shouted.

  We hit the ground. A turret blast shrieked overhead, close enough to burn. Pain flared across my seared skin—I bit down a yelp. They had decided that we were no longer worth the effort. They were shooting to kill now.

  “Ten seconds until the next shot!” Henry called. “Fallback point B!”

  We ran desperately to a spot behind a large boulder. I saw from the corner of my eyes the Enforcer that had been pushed into the pit trap climb out, and crack his neck back into place. Our part was done, and I could only hope we’d stalled long enough.

  Another crack came as the air ignited nearby. I winced as a plasma charge evaporated half of our protective rock. Down by the lake, the other Enforcer emerged from the water, like a monster.

  “We have to go help. They should’ve shut that down by now,” Fern said. She was remarkably calm.

  I shook my head. “We’d never make it in time.”

  Herman sighed. I saw he had a long line of blood running down one arm. I didn’t know where it came from, but it didn’t look good. He leaned against the boulder, and fell into a silent prayer.

  And then, just as I was about to tell everyone to cut our losses and run, I heard the engines of the ship hum. I exchanged a look with Fern and we both grinned. The next turret shot didn’t target us. Instead, we peeked around our cover to see the pitted Enforcer combust. A gaping hole replaced its chest.

  Kennan you glorious genius.

  We ran towards the ship, where the entrance still glowed, now a beacon of safety. I paused as I saw a group of three Enforcers on the ramp. Diane and Treve stood at the top, steadily pumping shots into the chest of each one, sending them flying back. I nodded at Fern, who put her rifle up and helped the effort.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Once they were out of the way, we made our way in. I locked eyes with one of the Enforcers on the ground, whose immaculate white suit was now coated in mud. His helmet had a strange visor on it. It looked directly at me and spoke.

  “I told them,” it said, “That you are pests, not soldiers.”

  We can be both, I thought. A second later, the ramp slid up behind us, and the door closed.

  My stomach lurched as the ship lifted up into the air. We had done it. We had actually fucking done it.

  The hum of the ship settled into a low, steady drone as we climbed higher into the sky. I braced myself against the wall, limbs still buzzing with leftover adrenaline. Around me, the others were catching their breath too. Fern reloaded her rifle with steady hands, Diane pressed a cloth to the side of her face, and Henry hunched over, his hands on his knees, silent.

  The streaks of mud we dragged in looked wrong against the unnaturally clean white tiles underfoot. I took a deep breath. I was hit by a memory of the last time I’d been in here, and the pain that had brought.

  “You know, I thought that would be harder,” Treve said. He holstered his handgun at his belt. I didn’t know the young man well, but he’d volunteered quickly after I’d explained my plan. He was short with striking blonde hair, though the way he carried himself made him look bigger than he was.

  Henry grunted. “Sure you did. Personally, six months of running didn’t quite prepare me for the fighting.”

  From around the corner, Ollie appeared. I saw his wooden spear had snapped in half, and he was carrying the sharp end like a dagger. He pointed with it back the way he came.

  “Okay let’s move people. We’re not out of it yet,” I said.

  Ollie led us down the corridors. Every couple metres, I’d see an engraved tile, and the meaning would spell itself in my vision if I focused on it. These ones were simple direction signposts, and I understood now how the group had navigated when they’d broken in to free me. We walked until we came to the bridge.

  It was a small space, relative to the size of the ship itself. The nine of us barely fit. Three chairs populated the bridge against a curved wall, with magenta glowing slate boards before them. In the centre seat, Kennan sat cross legged, eyes constantly buzzing about before him.

  I stepped to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, good shit back there man. Are you flying this thing?”

  He didn’t look at me when he responded. His voice sounded incredibly strained. “No… Autopilot now. Kind of. Turret… Ollie shot. I just… showed how.”

  Herman was by the side. He’d brought a medkit in his backpack, and was instructing Diane on how to wrap a bandage around his own arm. He’d been caught pretty bad by the first plasma bolt. Upon hearing Kennan’s stuttered explanation, he gave me a harsh look. Ollie was doing his best not to look too smug.

  “What about the others?” Fern called from an adjacent hallway. She was taking it upon herself to sweep the empty hallways for any lingering Enforcer. “Do we have the capacity?”

  “No. Not yet,” I said. We still hadn’t done the riskiest part of the plan yet, which was to fly the ship to the Enforcer training ground planet. “We come back for them when we’re strong enough to protect them. Fiora’s competent. She’ll keep them hidden. Kennan, do you know if we’re being tracked?”

  “Fighting it still…” he replied curtly. I looked at the alien text that floated before his face. A hundred different passages shifted and rearranged themselves, and it was impossible for me to even read one of them.

  Behind me, Ollie tugged on my trousers and signed a simple message. Just let him work.

  Fair enough, I thought. I paced back and forth for a couple minutes. Fern appeared then, and without a word, emptied her pack onto the floor of the bridge. A circular container about the size of my head rolled out, and I saw the glint of about a dozen syringes.

  I clenched my jaw. This was another big gamble. “Good. Now, as a reminder. You will be out for a couple hours. Take the serum, and you’ll understand their language. Once we’re in range, it should allow us to easily use their systems. Kennan, Ollie, Diane and I have already been subject to it, and we’re fine. But naturally, this is completely–”

  Fern cut me off. “This isn’t optional. Look at Kennan over there, he’s unlocked something you haven’t figured out. We need to be able to keep up.” She lay down on the floor, and in a swift motion, stabbed herself in the neck.

  Treve stepped forward. “She’s right. Maybe it’s an issue of capability.” He went unconscious with a grin.

  “If I may,” Herman said from against the wall. “Would someone be so kind as to do it for me?” Diane took a syringe, and administered it for him.

  “Fuck, couldn’t someone at least hesitate a little?” Henry muttered. His pace was pale, but his eyes were determined nonetheless. “Making me look bad over here. Diane, I’m gonna close my eyes. Don’t give me a warning, I don’t want time to regret this.”

  And like that, half the group was out. I eyed Kennan carefully. I had no idea what he was really doing there, but I needed some indication if it was going to be a problem or not.

  I spent the time waiting for an update helping Diane tend to Herman’s burns. We worked silently and efficiently.

  Finally, Kennan spoke up. “We’re going to the planet. They call it the Palaistra… bad translation, I think.”

  “And the Enforcers? Are we being followed?” I asked urgently.

  “No. They believe this ship was destroyed–I cut off the link. I had to disable… a lot.”

  My brain was sluggish. Too much had happened recently and I hadn’t had a break. But hearing those words, that we were out of danger for the first time… well since the invasion. It was possibly the happiest I could allow myself to feel.

  “Kennan. Can I hug you?”

  “No.”

  Diane chimed in. “Can I?”

  He paused. Kennan didn’t smile, but, unless my tired eyes were playing tricks on me, I might have caught movement at the corner of his mouth. “Only Ollie.”

  I swayed slightly, reminding myself to stay on my feet. We weren’t out of danger—the real battle had just begun. But now, we chose when and where to fight. The Palaistra had most of humanity on it, subservient to the Enforcers. My husband.

  Ross, I am coming to get you. And the universe will not stand in my way.