Earth United

Jake and Cal approached the Sector Four defense station.

“I better use the audio com, no video, so they don’t recognize us,” Cal said.

“Good idea,” Jake replied.

Cal set the com on the station’s frequency. “Station Four, we are requesting clearance. Our clearance code is B16. I repeat, bravo one six.”

“Copy that,” Jake heard over the com. “Let me check the code.”

The com was silent. Did Frank get the clearance code to the station? Or did Veneto stop him first? If the station didn’t have the code, they would have to stop and answer questions, possibly be inspected. They had been wanted by the Legion before, but if Veneto got in touch with the defense stations first and reported them, they would really be wanted now. They would be recognized instantly. Jake could feel the anxiety building inside him. It shouldn’t take this long. He was sure they couldn’t find the clearance code.

The com crackled. “Bravo one six, you are clear. You may proceed.”

Jake breathed out heavily. It felt like he had been holding his breath forever. Their fighter quickly passed through the station and exited into space. “We’re clear. Are the coordinates in?” Jake asked.

“Yes, all set,” Cal replied.

Jake looked at the coordinates on the control panel to be sure. He recognized the numbers instantly. Craton. He punched the quantum drive control and Earth disappeared in a flash.

Neither Jake nor Cal spoke during the flight. Jake just watched the control panel and stared into space. They were heading toward what he had been wanting for eight years. If they were to succeed in retrieving Diane and the hilaetite crystal, he would have to face Romalor. What lay before them was an impossible task. Two men trying to rescue Diane and save Earth from annihilation. All with the entire Craton military in front of them and the Legion chasing behind them. Was this really what he’d been wanting? Was this what Uncle Ben would have wanted for him? No use debating it now. Even if he wanted to turn back, he couldn’t. There was no place to go. And he didn’t want to turn back. He wanted to save Diane, to save Earth, or die trying.

Jake looked at the coordinates and their location on the control panel. Good, close enough, but out of visual range. He released the quantum drive control.

Cal turned quickly toward Jake. “Why did you drop out of quantum drive? We should be in visual range of the planet in about two minutes.”

Jake kept his eyes on the viewing screen, which was set to external. “I’m sure Marco has warned Romalor by now that we’re probably coming. I want to see what Romalor’s sending to meet us.”

Cal grinned slightly. “A greeting party.”

“Yeah, right,” Jake said. “Are you reading anything?”

Cal looked down at the sensor readings. “That’s odd. This is showing one massive spacecraft heading our way. Why would he send such a thing?”

Jake leaned over and looked at the sensor. He saw the blob for a moment, then it started to break apart.

“Oh, no,” Cal said.

Nothing more needed to be said. It wasn’t one large spacecraft. It was a squadron of Craton fighters. Jake estimated around two hundred. “We’ll never get through or around them.” What could they do? He had to think of something, and quickly. He cut the engines. “I have an idea. Is it possible to go from a dead stop immediately into quantum drive?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Cal replied. He shook his head. “But it’s never been done before, or that is, it’s never been done before successfully. It’s a precise calculation that is different each time due to different variables, like the type of spacecraft, the region of the galaxy, the weight of the spacecraft, to name just a few.”

“But it can be done, right?” Jake asked.

Cal bit his lip and shook his head harder. “The quantum drive unit has to be put on a slow charge first. The speed of the charge is another variable. Then you have to run the numbers to determine the exact point on the quantum drive’s charge that the engines need to be ignited. At that exact point, the engines must be ignited at full power and the quantum drive must be shifted to full power. If any one of the variables is miscalculated or if the engine and quantum drive aren’t thrust to full power simultaneously or if they aren’t thrust at the precise correct time in the quantum drive charge, then it doesn’t work.”

“Okay,” Jake replied slowly. “So it doesn’t work. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Cal looked at Jake with his eyes wide. “The worst? The worst that could happen is what has happened on every failed test attempt. The spacecraft’s plasma coils explode, which, in turn, vaporizes the spacecraft and all its contents immediately.”

“Okay,” Jake said. “You still haven’t said that it can’t be done. Let’s give it a shot.”

“Give it a shot!” Cal said. “This isn’t something you just ‘give a shot.’ Legion engineers with a lot more experience than me have tried and tried again. As I said, always unsuccessfully.”

“Yes, but none of those engineers were Cal Danielson,” Jake responded. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time.” They had gotten this far. If this was their only chance of getting by the Craton fighters, he would do it. The only other option would be surrender, and that really wasn’t an option. Romalor wouldn’t take any more chances with them. They would probably be dead before they ever left their fighter. Besides, he was beyond being concerned about failure or the fear of death. He was going to see this through to the end. Romalor’s and Veneto’s end, or his end. He turned back to the viewing screen. The Craton fighters were coming into view. All two hundred of them. Heading straight at them in four or five waves.

Cal shook his head and started working the calculations on the spacecraft’s control panel.

The hailing signal sounded. Jake opened the audio com but did not answer.

A deep, almost growling, voice came over the com. “This is Raxmar, First Officer to Romalor Leximer. Surrender your spacecraft immediately. You get but one warning and this is it.”

Jake did not respond. Instead, he turned to Cal. “Are you ready? You heard the man. One warning.”

Cal didn’t answer, just kept on working. Jake looked at the screen. The Craton spacecrafts started to separate from their formation to flank Jake and Cal’s fighter on either side.

“Come on, Raxmar. Open us just a little hole,” Jake whispered.

He watched the screen. He knew without asking Cal that they needed just the slightest gap in the Craton line for a heading. If they jumped to quantum drive with a spacecraft in their path, well, that would be a problem.

The Craton fighters now completely encircled them, with fighters above and below them as well, and they all came to a halt. They’re probably just waiting for the word from Raxmar, Jake thought. He searched the viewing screen again. “There!” he shouted, and pointed at the screen. He’d found the gap they needed, and it was in the right direction, straight toward Craton. He entered the heading.

Once again, Raxmar’s voice came over the com. “Consider yourselves warned.”

Jake looked at Cal. “It’s now or never.”

“Okay, I got it,” Cal said. “Or at least, I have my best guess at it. I have no idea if it’ll work, though.”

“Well,” Jake replied, “we’re dead if it fails and we’re dead if we don’t try, so go for it.”

Cal started to charge the quantum drive. A few seconds passed, then Cal said, “Brace yourself. Three, two, one…”

They heard Raxmar’s command over the com. “Fire!”

Cal shouted, “Now!” He shoved the engine and quantum drive controls to full power simultaneously.

Jake’s head jerked back as the spacecraft gave one hard jolt. In an instant, the Craton fighters disappeared.

“It worked!” Jake shouted. “You’re the man! If we live through this, you’ll be famous.”

Cal just shook his head and sighed.

“There it is,” Jake said as Craton came into view. “Since we left two hundred fighters back there, hopefully they don’t have too many more here waiting for us.”

“Yeah,” Cal replied, “but it won’t take Raxmar long to figure out what happened, and those two hundred will be back. Or at least most of them. I’m sure they eliminated a few when we disappeared on the ‘fire’ command. You know, caught in the crossfire.”

“Yeah, that’s at least one positive to your too-close-for-comfort-timing,” Jake said with a slight grin.

* * * *

Frank sat in the holding room at Sector Four headquarters. He had never seen a holding room from this vantage point. It was square, with solid metal walls, silver-colored, and a flat ceiling also made of silver-colored metal. There was one door, with a small square window at eye level, the only window in the room. The door was a single access door, with a door keypad only on the outside. He sat behind a bare table. The chair he was sitting on and the table were the only furniture in the room. A young private was posted inside the room, holding a plasma rifle. He stood facing Frank with his back to the door. Frank recognized him. Before the door had closed, he’d noticed two more privates posted just outside the door, each holding a plasma rifle as well. There were no connections to the outside world except the com on the private’s belt. He had to connect with the private. Get the private to let him use the com.

“Private,” Frank said, “there has been a grave mistake. You have to believe me. I know you’re only following orders, and those orders have come directly from Marco Veneto, the president’s chief legion advisor. I commend you for doing what you’re told. But Mr. Veneto is the one in the wrong, not me.”

The private did not respond. He continued to stand at attention, his gaze focused on the wall directly behind Frank.

“Look,” Frank said, “Jimmy, you know Cal Danielson and Jake Saunders. Jake helped train you. You know they aren’t capable of doing even one of the things they’ve been accused of. And you know me. I’ve known your parents since you were a kid. I used to visit with them on occasion. I even remember playing that galactic war game with you on your computer. You couldn’t have been over thirteen. Please, listen to me. Not for me or even for Cal and Jake. Listen to what I’m saying for your own sake, for your parents’ sake, for the entire planet. Everyone is at risk.”

Jimmy finally looked at Frank uneasily. “Commander,” he paused for a moment, “I respect you more than any Legion officer I have ever met. And I don’t doubt that some of what you’re saying is true. But even if I believed everything, it’s out of my hands. I have to follow orders.”

Okay, good, Frank thought. This was starting to work. At least Jimmy was talking to him. That was a huge step. Jimmy was breaking protocol, and probably going against his orders, just by doing that. “I’m not asking you to disobey your orders. Did you receive any order that said that I was prohibited from contacting anyone?”

Jimmy closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Well, sir, I suppose not. My orders were to keep you in this room and not let you out of my sight until I heard from Mr. Veneto directly. I believe those were the general orders to all the privates guarding you.”

“Okay then,” Frank said. “All you have to do is to let me make one call on your com. If the person takes my call, I will talk briefly and be done. If he doesn’t accept it, then I’m done. Either way, it’ll be quick. It’s just one simple call.”

Jimmy looked at Frank, then at the ground, then at Frank again. He shifted his rifle to the other shoulder. His response was choppy. “I guess that won’t hurt anything, and it is still within my orders.” He slowly unlatched his com from his belt, took two steps forward, and laid it on the table in front of Frank. “Who are you calling, anyway?”

Frank looked at Jimmy. He really didn’t want to say, for fear that his answer would cause Jimmy to change his mind. But he also didn’t want to seem like he was hiding something so that Jimmy would feel like he was doing something wrong. Instead of answering, he decided to try to reach the president first. That way, there would be less likelihood that Jimmy would backtrack.

Frank looked down at the com and punched a few digits. A voice came over the com. “This is Jack Buchanan. Who is this and how did you get this com code?”

Frank looked up at Jimmy. Jimmy’s face grew pale and his eyes widened. He was staring at Frank. Frank hoped Jimmy would remain shocked and speechless until he finished.

“Mr. President, this is Frank Cantor, Legion Commander of Sector Four.”

“Commander Cantor,” the president replied, “I know who you are, but I understand that you have been relieved of your command. How and why are you calling me?”

“The how doesn’t really matter right now, Mr. President,” Frank replied. “As for the why, I’ll be brief, sir. Please, you have to hear me out. The entire planet could be at risk.” Frank made a fist and squeezed, waiting for the reply. Everything hinged on what the president said next. If the president wouldn’t let him continue, then he was finished. Jake and Cal would be completely on their own in an impossible situation. The president had to let him talk. Even then, it was far from guaranteed that the president would believe him.

“I’m listening,” the president replied.

Frank tapped his fist lightly on the table and whispered, “Yes.” He looked up and took a deep breath. “Mr. President,” he began, “I don’t know how to say this, but the recent events regarding Jake Saunders, Cal Danielson, and myself,” he paused for a moment, then continued, “well, sir, the reports and statements are all wrong. I don’t care about myself. I’m not telling you this to save me. It’s Jake and Cal, and Ambassador Diane Danielson that are at risk. Imminent risk, sir.”

“Ambassador Danielson?” the president questioned. “Are you saying that she’s alive? And Saunders and Danielson. You know where they are? Mr. Veneto filled me in on the events of this evening. Commander Cantor, I would suggest that you be more cooperative with Mr. Veneto if you want to help anybody.”

It was now or never. Frank needed to come right out with it, before he lost the president. “Mr. President, Marco Veneto is the problem. He’s the one that’s behind all of this. Not Saunders or Danielson or me. He, along with Edgardo Ramirez, and a man that we only know as Mr. Sloan, orchestrated Romalor’s attack on Sector Four headquarters eight years ago to steal the hilaetite crystal. Then Ramirez built Romalor some sort of super weapon to use it in. And as soon as it’s complete, Ramirez is going to try to sell the Legion a new defense system to protect Earth from the weapon. Don’t you see, everyone gets what they want: Romalor gets his weapon, Earth is protected, and Ramirez, Veneto, and Sloan get rich. Meanwhile, a lot of very good people and soldiers are being killed. Sir, Danielson and Saunders are on their way to Craton as we speak to try to free Ambassador Danielson and somehow disable the weapon, which, by all accounts, is operational. And they are alone. I’m sure Veneto is following them with some fighters, but not to attack Craton. He’s following Saunders and Danielson to stop them. Sir, Veneto is not trying to save Earth. He’s trying to save himself.”

“Commander Cantor,” the president said, interrupting Frank, “these are very serious allegations against one of the highest ranking government officials. One that I hand-picked for the job. Have you any proof of what you say?”

Frank hung his head and spoke softly. “No, sir. We did, but it was destroyed.”

“That’s what I figured,” the president replied. “Frank, even if I wanted to believe you, you know I can’t act without more to go on than your word. I trust Marco wholeheartedly. I’m sorry, Frank. Without more, there’s nothing I can do.”

He was losing the president. Frank knew the president was right. What did he expect Buchanan to do without any evidence? Maybe if Frank gave him a plan, an option. A way the president could find out the truth without accusing Veneto. It could at least buy Jake and Cal some time before Veneto caught up with them, but would it be soon enough to get Jake and Cal some help? It was worth a try at least. It was all he had left. “But Mr. President, I have an idea. If you just…”

The door to Frank’s holding room burst open. Marco Veneto rushed in, and with one slam of his fist, Veneto smashed the com lying on the table.

Marco turned to Jimmy and shouted, “Private, consider yourself relieved of duty! The guards will take you to the next holding room. You’ll stay there until you are dishonorably discharged from the Legion and tried for treason! Now get out of my sight!”

Frank looked at Jimmy. “I’m sorry, son. Just know that you did the right thing.”

Frank just sat there as Marco turned toward him. Okay, here it comes. Veneto’s face was red and his teeth clenched. Frank thought that the veins in Veneto’s neck would pop any second.

Marco shouted even louder. “And as for you, EX-Commander Cantor! Who do you think you are, contacting the president, trying to sabotage my operation? A Legion operation that was authorized by the president, might I remind you. I ought to have you shot dead right now!” Marco turned to the guards in the hallway. “Put this man in solitary confinement. I don’t want him to see, hear, or talk to anyone until I return! Do you understand me?” Marco didn’t give the guards a chance to answer. “With all the commotion this man’s caused,” Marco pointed at Frank, stabbing the air with each syllable, “I’m leading the Danielson, Saunders recovery mission to Craton myself! I need to make sure it gets done right! Now get him out of here!”

* * * *

Cal turned to Jake. “I think our best shot of landing undetected is to put the fighter down here.” Cal pointed to a spot on the control panel grid map. “We can then find Diane, disable the weapon, and return to the fighter. If we stay undetected, Raxmar won’t know exactly where we landed. That should buy us enough time to get in and out.”

Jake started to talk, but he was jolted almost out of his seat. The fighter shook. Jake grabbed the control panel to brace himself.

“A plasma burst,” Cal said. “It hit our forward shield.”

“So much for undetected,” Jake said.

“I see two Craton destroyers,” Cal responded. “Slower than their fighters, but they sure do pack a punch.”

“Can we outmaneuver them?” Jake asked.

“Yeah,” Cal replied. “We’re quicker, but I don’t know if we can get close enough by ourselves to take them out. And we can’t land with them on our tail.”

“Let me take care of that,” Jake replied. He flipped a switch to take over the main controls. He was very confident in his quantum light fighter flying ability and air combat training. He wanted to instill that confidence in Cal. However, the truth was, he had little hope of being able to take down a destroyer, let alone two, when they were only one fighter strong.

Jake knew that destroyers were combat spacecraft, with quantum drive capability, but they usually didn’t enter battle alone. They were generally used as heavyweight support for the smaller and quicker fighters. Alone, they weren’t quick enough to take out fighters and they were vulnerable against a fleet of fighters. But with a fleet of fighters as protection, they could inflict heavy damage on another fleet of fighters or another destroyer. And he was sure the Craton fleet of fighters would be there any minute.

Jake maneuvered the fighter behind one destroyer for a shot, while avoiding the destroyer’s weapons. There, an opening to shoot. No, there isn’t time. There’s the other one. The other destroyer was on his tail. Jake maneuvered the fighter behind that destroyer. They played this game of cat and mouse for several minutes.

“We’re running out of time, Jake,” Cal said. “Raxmar and those fighters will be back any minute.”

Jake could hear Cal’s nerves in the sound of his voice. “Yeah, I know,” Jake replied. He tried to stay focused on landing a shot. “I imagine Romalor sent out these destroyers just to stall us. I’m going to try to outrun them to the other side of the planet.”

Jake knew that they were too close to the planet to use quantum drive, but he moved the fighter to full throttle. As he did, the fleet of two hundred or so Craton fighters dropped out of quantum drive near them. Raxmar was back and he wasn’t hailing them this time. Jake knew that all talking was over.

Now all Jake could do was try to avoid being hit. He got off a shot here and there, and even landed a few. With so many targets, how could he miss? But he knew that he had no real plan now. It was just survival. Survival for what, he didn’t know. No help would be coming. Veneto wanted them dead as much as Romalor did. By now, he figured Frank was probably in hiding or behind bars. It was hopeless.

Jake pulled out of a tailspin, shaking off two fighters and barely missing a destroyer’s plasma blast. He glanced up and saw a small fleet of around fifty Legion quantum light fighters drop out of quantum drive. But they didn’t offer any assistance. They just stopped, as if to observe the fight.

“I recognize their code on the sensor readings,” Cal said. “That’s part of Captain Reynold’s Charlie division. He’s a Sector One Superior Guard. But that’s not even close to an entire division. Veneto must have sent only a skeleton crew.”

“I’m not surprised,” Jake said. “Veneto has no intention of the Legion engaging Craton in combat. They’re just here to retrieve us, or make sure we’re dead.”

“I’m hailing Reynolds,” Cal said, “but he’s not responding. It looks like their audio com is open. I’m sure they can hear us. But they’re ignoring us.”

“Maybe they aren’t picking up the signal,” Jake said. “Try talking.”

“Captain Reynolds, is that you?” Cal said, speaking into the com. “We need assistance immediately. We can’t hang on much longer. Please engage.”

The com was silent.

Jake was dodging, diving and spinning. Three Craton fighters were on his tail. He couldn’t shake them.

Cal shouted into the com this time. “We’re Legion soldiers! Craton has a weapon that will destroy Earth. Engage the enemy. Please engage!”

Jake listened. No response came. The fleet of quantum fighters just sat there.

“Might as well save your breath,” Jake said. “They have orders from Veneto. They’ll never help.”

Cal slammed his fist on the control panel.

“Hold on!” Jake shouted. He turned their fighter straight toward the side of one of the destroyers. He was going to shake those three fighters one way or another. Either he or they would be taking out a destroyer. He continued straight toward the destroyer. Closer, closer. Now! He pulled up into a reverse somersault as the nose of his fighter was about to hit the destroyer. The three Craton fighters had no time to do the same. They hit the destroyer, one after another. All four spacecraft exploded into a ball of fire. There would be no time to celebrate. There were still over one hundred eighty fighters and a destroyer left.

* * * *

Captain Reynolds turned the audio com frequency. “Mr. Veneto. We have the target spotted. It is under heavy fire from the Cratonites. Should we engage in order to retrieve the target and return it to Earth?”

“No,” was the command he heard in reply. “I am in progress toward your coordinates with twenty additional fighters. I’m heading up the mission myself from here on. You are to hold your position until I arrive.”

“Sir,” Reynolds said, “if we don’t intervene, the target will be destroyed before you arrive. And from what I see, we’ll need more than twenty additional fighters if we are to successfully retrieve the target from the Cratonites.”

“You have your orders, Captain,” Marco replied.

“He turned us off, sir,” Private Gomez said. He was the other pilot in Reynolds’ fighter. “It seems like Mr. Veneto has no intention of saving Saunders and Danielson. No intention of taking them back for trial. It seems like he wants the Cratonites to handle them.”

Reynolds was frustrated. Gomez was right. That’s exactly what Veneto wanted. Guilty or not, Saunders and Danielson deserved a fair trial. A chance to be heard. He hated having to sit there helplessly and watch fellow Legion soldiers be destroyed. But Mr. Veneto was not only his superior, he was the chief legion advisor. Reynolds looked at Gomez. “We have our orders.”

“Saunders and Danielson are hailing us again, sir,” Gomez said. He adjusted the com frequency.

Reynolds heard Cal over the com. “Captain Reynolds, our shields are down to twenty percent and we have little plasma left. We’re out of time! For the sake of two fellow Legion soldiers, engage. But if not for us, for the sake of Earth, engage the Cratonites.”

Gomez looked at Reynolds. “Captain, we have to help them.”

Reynolds wanted to more than anything. But he was a Legion captain. Trained to obey orders. If the chief legion advisor wanted Saunders and Danielson dead, there must be a reason that was bigger than they were. He didn’t know the whole story, so he had to trust his superiors. But he didn’t have to like it. “No,” Reynolds replied. “I don’t like this any more than you do. But you heard the orders. Chief Advisor Veneto is personally taking over command of the operation. He’ll be here soon, and his orders were very clear. Under no circumstances are we to engage Craton. There’s nothing more we can do.”

* * * *

Jake knew they were all but finished. He glanced down at the control panel. Almost out of fuel, plasma for their guns, and shield strength. He continued to fly in a basic survival maneuver. Four Craton fighters had encircled them and were slowly closing in. Jake knew that the Craton pattern was designed not to let the target escape the entrapment. His pattern was designed not to escape, but to stay alive long enough for help to arrive. But that assumed help was coming. It wasn’t. It was only a matter of minutes, maybe seconds, until the Cratonite fighters would close the circle tight enough that they would fire, unable to miss.

Jake looked at Cal. “I’m sorry I got you into all this. You’re the best friend a boy, and a man, could ever ask for.” He knew this wasn’t entirely his fault. They were somewhat victims of the circumstances. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, being sent to Craton. But it was he who had persuaded them to land on Craton. He wanted a shot at Romalor. Now, he, Cal, Diane, and Frank would all pay. There was nothing more he could do about it.

Cal didn’t speak. He turned toward Jake and gave a single nod of his head.

Jake knew that meant, ‘the same to you.’ The Craton fighters moved in closer.

* * * *

Gomez turned quickly toward Reynolds. “Sir, we’re being hailed by the Presidential Mansion on the video com.” He turned on the com without waiting for a response from Reynolds. The president’s face appeared in the com.

“Captain Reynolds,” the president said, “this is President Jack Buchanan. I have temporarily relieved Chief Advisor Veneto. Until you’ve been further notified, I am in command of this operation. Your new orders are to do everything in your power to protect the lives and mission of Privates Cal Danielson and Jake Saunders. Do whatever you have to do to get them safely onto the planet of Craton, and bring them home. Understood?”

Reynolds sat up quickly. He felt his heart race. Not only was he about to head into battle, which he loved, but he was about to have the chance to save two fellow Legion soldiers who were in harm’s way. This was the order he was waiting for. He looked into the com, holding back a smile, and answered, “YES, SIR!”

Reynolds quickly flipped the com onto audio only and turned the frequency to direct a command to the rest of the fleet. “Men, we have a green light to engage. I repeat. We have a go. Now let’s take down these Cratonites!”

Reynolds could hear the fighter pilots, in unison, over the com. They gave a war cry as they flung themselves into the battle.

* * * *

Jake closed his eyes as the four fighters closed the circle, waiting for the kill shot. He heard the plasma blast and braced for one final impact. Everything seemed to go silent. He sensed flashes of bright light through his eyelids. Is this what death was? Slow motion, painless? It’s just over? No, it wasn’t death. It was nothing. Nothing had happened. He opened his eyes. The viewing screen was directly in front of him. He saw each of the four fighters engulfed in flames. Through the flames flew four Legion fighters with Captain Reynolds in the lead.

“We thought you boys could use a little help,” Reynolds said over the audio com.

Jake smiled. “Nothing like waiting ’til the last second.”

“You two don’t have a lot of time,” Reynolds said. “Romalor just sent out another hundred fighters. We’re outnumbered almost six to one. The president has sent a couple more divisions, but it’ll be a while until they get here. You two know where things are on the planet. We’ll keep these fighters off your tail as long as we can. The Legion fighters will be more useful to you out here buying you time, so you’ll have to go it alone down there. And, one more thing, the president thinks the weapon is operational. The Legion started to pick up some sort of tracking signal. The president fears that as soon as Romalor realizes the Legion is onto him, which he may already have, Romalor will test the weapon out on Earth. You two need to get going. Good luck.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Jake replied, “for everything.” Reynolds was in visual view of Jake now. Jake saluted. Reynolds returned the salute. Jake knew that while his and Cal’s chances of success had increased, the increase wasn’t by much. But he also knew that he and Cal probably had a better chance of survival on the planet than Captain Reynolds would have out there, being so outnumbered. Captain Reynolds was willing to give up his life to ensure Cal’s and his success. But he didn’t have time to think. He had to focus and move out.

Cal punched in some coordinates and Jake turned the fighter and shot toward the planet.

“Are we clear?” Jake asked.

“We’re clear of all but one,” Cal replied. “It’s Raxmar. He’s on our tail.”

“Hang on,” Jake said. “We need to lose him before we can land.”

Jake punched the throttle. They were now down at the planet, flying barely over fifty feet off the ground. They were near the military complex mountain, on the east side, just outside Craton City in a desert region. There were a few hover car roads, but mostly sand, rocks, and hills. Jake stayed low, dodging rock formations and hills, hoping one would catch Raxmar, and trying to avoid Raxmar’s plasma blasts. Jake tried a reverse somersault but Raxmar did the same and stayed right with him. Jake tried to roll away and come in behind Raxmar, but Raxmar rolled right with him. Jake couldn’t shake him. He’s good, Jake thought. How can I lose him?

Up ahead Jake could see a long hover car tunnel going through a small mountain. Jake had an idea. If he could lure Raxmar into the tunnel, maybe Raxmar would make a mistake and crash, provided Jake didn’t do so first. He had to take the chance. Jake accelerated the fighter down and entered the tunnel. It was completely dark, but for the faint light at the opposite end where they would exit. Raxmar followed, right on their tail. Great, Jake thought, but he hoped Raxmar wouldn’t fire. He feared that a missed plasma blast could bring the entire mountain down on both of them. Now, I just need a break, a mistake by Raxmar.

As Jake approached the other end of the tunnel, he could see a large hover vehicle speeding toward the tunnel in the opposite direction, coming right at him. The vehicle was a scrap hauler, with a small cab in front and a cargo bed that grew larger and larger along its sides and top. The back end of it was larger than their quantum fighter, and would fill the tunnel. Just before it entered the tunnel, Jake knew the driver had to see their fighter coming at him. Rather than try to stop, the driver simply bailed out, letting the vehicle continue on. As the front of the vehicle entered the tunnel, Jake punched the fighter to full throttle and pulled it up. The top of the fighter sparked as it scraped the rock top of the tunnel and the bottom sparked as it scraped the front of the hover vehicle. Their fighter had just enough room between the top of the vehicle and the roof of the tunnel to make it out. Jake glanced back. He could tell Raxmar had punched his fighter to full throttle as well. But by the time Raxmar reached the vehicle, the larger back end of it was inside the tunnel, filling the entire circumference. Raxmar struck the cargo bed, which pushed his fighter up into the roof of the tunnel at full throttle. The vehicle and fighter both exploded, bringing down the whole side of the mountain. Raxmar was no more.