Page 10

Armor backs up to his wings and clips into them. “Not a lot of time left, but your scent makes me want things I can’t process right now. I don’t want to go into this battle if it is my last one and not have taken the chance to taste freedom.” He folds his wings up behind him and smiles. “And you.”

Atox joins us, wiping his hands clean of gritty sludge. “Armor, we need a plan.”

Armor turns around to face the medic unit, who continues cleaning himself, starting with the red stripe over his right shoulder.

“Where is Fenrir?” Armor asks.

“Dark like the other six. They need hibernation chambers to be brought back.”

“XO?”

Atox sighs like he doesn’t want to say what’s on his mind. “Yeti, too. Anilius, Panther, Turbine, and Slasher.”

“Then we carry them.”

“To where?” Atox chews a lip. “You’re our commander now. We need some sort of direction. I want a solution for my patients.”

“Might be time to update everyone,” I suggest.

Armor’s eyes flash with light, and the Titans circle up around their dark Brothers. They eat their rations slowly like they’re savoring every bite. I imagine after five years without food, I’d do the same. But humans wouldn’t survive that long without re-generation tanks.

I follow Armor as he reluctantly makes his way to the edge of the group.

“It has been five years since I failed to protect all of you,” he says.

“For that, I am sorry. But we must move quickly. Other Titans have found and repaired CP-549 and our BlazeStar. We have just over a day to get onboard one of their salvaged ships if we want to rejoin the fight and get off of this planet. We have already lost eleven Brothers to the Black Death. Some, we may be able to recover. This is our best chance to get them to hibernation chambers and renew our purpose and our promise to the last humans.”

An inky black unit with red eyes pops his knuckles, sending a wisp of smoke off of them. His red digibadge reads Magma. “It was not your fault, Armor. You protected Mother. She is here because of what you did. We endured. Now we will torch some Solcruean ass.”

“Your reports kept me focused,” a dark gray Titan named Snare adds. His blue eyes find mine for only a second. “Even as I powered down into hibernation, I still saw them register even though I couldn’t respond.”

Armor spoke with them and kept them hanging on even when they had no hope. I’m starting to think Armor’s purpose is rooted deeper in him than his design.

Several others agree with nods and quiet remarks.

Javelin motions to Armor. “With Fenrir and Yeti out of service, we follow your orders, sir.”

Armor shifts his shoulders like he’s uncomfortable with the responsibility. I rest a hand to his back, hoping to comfort him.

He looks down at me, nods, and straightens to his full height. “From what Clover has sent, there is an old CSP outpost not far away. They should have a troop transport we can steal. Commander Savage says it landed three days ago. It’s an active vessel and should be in flight-ready condition.

“Mother needs all the defensive ships she can get. The Titans that landed here two years ago have fixed the BlazeStar and are preparing some distractions. It’s now filled with human female survivors of Solcruean servitude.

We need to get it into space, to the portal that brought the other Relics here.

The faster they can get off-world, the sooner they can access the portal.

“Hacker model Amp is on board. He and Clover will pilot Mother. The rest of us must ensure they make it through. Not many humans are left in the galaxy. We must not fail them again.”

Mace pops off the wall that he’s leaning against and Spikes in slow waves. “We lost the war, didn’t we?”

Armor nods. “Clover has sent us a message from Leah Krader, General Krader’s daughter. She is mated to Commander Savage.”

A unit from the back of the group steps forward and lifts a modified communicator that projects a video in veins of blue light. The shape of a woman appears above the communicator. She stands with a Titan bearing a blue digibadge Savage .

“I, Leah Nylami Krader of Omega and Titan forces, now joined as one, free you from all human servitude, effective immediately. Please erase the punishment and decommissioning programs stored in your cores. If you wish to Bond with another Titan or a human, you can do so by choice.

“Now, the only way we’re going to win is if we fight like Solcrue…

dirty. Recent years have taught us this.

Stand by your Brothers and Sisters. Preservation of our united force is crucial.

No self-sacrificing shit. There are no Rules of Engagement.

Do whatever it takes to survive, take out as many Solcrue as possible, and return to fight another day.

Clover and Savage will communicate information to you about our plan. See you all soon. Leah, out.”

Brunt paces a circle and runs a hand through his dark hair. “How did human females end up stuck with us?”

I lift my hand. “That’s my fault. Well, the second batch.

Cara came here with the jailbreak. It was all over the coms on Solcrue ships.

Then, they were after Leah Krader. CSP had her for a while.

Her half-brother Joey is a CSP traitor working with the Solcrue.

Thinks it will save his hide from torture. ”

“He’s na?ve like every other CSP traitor,” Firebolt remarks.

“Yes,” I confirm. “Not much else to do but listen when I was crawling through the guts of enemy ships.”

“Why not just blow them up?” Karambit asks.

“Looking for my sister. Solcrue took her a decade ago.” I lift my hands.

“She’s alive. But she’s not the same. I’ve been trying to find a way to get to her.

I did that when I released all the other women from their cells.

I just had to get access to all the different systems lined up in the perfect order.

Can’t release women without a place for them to go that’s safer, plus a way to get there.

And Rogue Evo needed an escape. He was on Vessna .

I was on Marst , but I monitored both because they were in close proximity. ”

Javelin gives Armor a wild look like he doesn’t believe it.

“I’m a Gray. After the Tetrionic era of battle ended five years ago, Solcrue started coming to Earth Minor in waves, taking women as servants of various kinds.

Some worked ships. Some as practice mates for officers.

I’ve been caught a few times. Slipped free.

Freed those I could when I could. But again, destination and transportation .

I couldn’t afford tag-a-longs. I barely kept myself alive. ”

Whip gets to his feet from where he’s been sitting with Turbine.

He looks like he’s wrecked inside. He walks to Slasher’s side.

“We all have regrets. If I could go back, I would change many things. I would pull Harpoon and Mischief back and take the missile for both of them. But I can’t.

So we carry the fallen with us in our memories and our ultromotors as we get our revenge. ”

A green unit with tracework all over his body steps forward. Radar salutes Armor with a fist over his chest. “I will go with Carver to scout the surface. We will find a route to the CSP outpost.”

“We will be right behind you.” Armor takes a nearby gear bag and straps it over himself backward, then picks up Fenrir and hoists him across his shoulders, using his wings to hold him in place. “Let’s move. Not much time left.”

I find a crate of wiring and parts that Atox has picked through. “Care if I steal from what’s left?”

He motions to it, and I grab a few items. “A Gray… I haven’t heard of those in years. Glad there are still a few of you out there.”

“I may be the last.” I pack the supplies in my bag and fish out my empty bottle of water. Might need a recharge of something else. “I’m going to scout with Radar, see if we can make a stop on the way. I’m sure you’d all like to properly hydrate and wash off.”

“Don’t stray too far from Armor,” Atox quietly warns. “Once you’re in his squadron, he will always want to know where you are. Since you can’t talk with our coms, you’ll need to tell him.”

“I’m going to be just ahead of the group. How can that be too far? It’s not like there’s anywhere I can go.”

Atox hoists a duffel bag over a shoulder and frees a device from his side as the Titans pick up their sleeping brothers. He passes what looks like a medical diagnostics unit over Anilius, whose striped body dangles from the grip of Javelin and Mace. Anilius is crushed in several places.

“Any chance you know Titan tech?” Atox asks.

“We had a shell to study in the pit. That’s it. Only reason we had it was because it was scrapped during the final retreat from Titan. It never got nanotoner fluid or a cyberpsyche download.”

“That’s decent. We may need your help.”

“Understood. Let me just talk to Radar about the creek network.”

Atox gives me a look like I shouldn’t. But I don’t care. I want water. The Titans need it. I know where it is. But as I skip ahead in the pack, Armor calls after me.

“Esthi?”

“I’m just going to talk with Radar.”

“You need to stay with the squadron.”

All I want is some space to think. It’s been a rush of running and digging and charging Titans. I’m not used to it. I need the silence. So I slip out behind Radar and Carver, who is boring a fresh tunnel.

“Radar is not going to stop and help you if you get stuck.”

“I don’t expect him to. He has a job to do.”

“Esthi!” Armor hustles after me, then stops and looks back at his Brothers like he’s torn between who to protect.

I like the space between Radar and Armor.

It’s dark and quiet except for Armor calling my name.

But we don’t have time to waste. My sister might be on the BlazeStar.

We need water, a ship, and to get moving.

And I do not want to be a drag. I don’t want to be too slow.

Armor’s made it clear that I move slowly.

So if I start at the front, that gives me a chance to lag in pace without being left behind completely.

I’m not helpless.

In one hand, I carry my gun, in the other, my knife. I expect an attack. It’s just like being back in the vents of a ship, only fighting vertically instead of horizontally. Or the mines, looking for thorndogs.

And suddenly, Carver’s path turns vertical, and I wish I was in a vent.

“Right.” I dig through my pack for my pry bar because it’s the closest I’ve got to a pickaxe, and I climb. “Just like the mines. No harness. A ton of gear. One piece of metal between me and death.”

Rock still rains from the opening, so I wait until it stops, and Radar’s green eyes look down.

“Esthi?”

“I’m good. See you in a sec.”

I climb up the loose surface of the shaft slower than I’d like, but every hand and foothold must be brushed clean to the deeper, harder rock before I can trust them.

My goggles pick up an odd reflection in the rock. I pause. “Run element assessment.”

I squint as the goggles flash a variety of lights and scanners over the spot. It comes back as hydramidium.

“Score one for Esthielle, shitty miner, nerd, and archaeologist of Titans.” I pick free the softball-sized chunk and drop it into a stretch pouch in my bag.

It’s a lighter metal but still a metal with a weight that I notice as I climb the rest of the way to Radar and Carver’s position.

It’s bright out when I crest the surface.

Radar’s hanging onto a small dead tree and scanning the area. “Two patrols to the southwest. One scouring the landing zone. Looks like the outpost is on the other side of the forested hills to the north.”

“There’s a creek northeast of this hill, beyond this dead zone.” I pull up the map I drew on my tablet last week and pieced together with images I’d taken.

Radar nods as he looks it over, then glances in the direction of the creek. “Thanks. We’ll head through these hills, then make our way to the outpost along this canyon.”

Radar’s eyes flash green. Carver’s flash white, and he jumps down the tunnel.

Radar looks over at me.

“I can drag it.” I lift my pry bar.

Radar’s eyes flash again. “I am being told no. Not a chance in hell.”

He picks me up before I can protest, and jumps. My stomach smashes into my heart and makes my body tense.

Radar lands with jarring force, sets me down, and immediately backs up.

Armor steps out of the shadows, his comrade still across his shoulders. “Please stay with the group.”

“I did.”

“I cannot protect you if you wander off.”

Motioning to Radar, I mean to ask Armor how I’m breaking the group when I catch the plea in his eyes. He can’t watch over me if I run off with another group. And with the guilt he carries over their last mission, I think he’s going to be extra protective of all of us.

Armor runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Sorry, Esthi. You’re not a Titan. And I don’t have to follow your orders now that we are free. Do what you want.”

“Rarely do I do that,” I say. “I do what I need.”

“You’ve sure come a long way over many years for one person,” Karambit remarks in passing.

“My sister is not just a miner. She was trained in cybernetics, cyberpsyche transference, merge tech…the good stuff.”

This gets their attention. All of the Titans gather up around us as Carver continues ahead.

Atox dissects me with his red eyes. “A Creator?”

“Yeah. The upcoming generation. She only worked on Titan for a few months before the rumor of an attack made them start to move parts off the moon, and she came home to hide with us. So yeah, I need to get her back.”

Armor’s lips part like he doesn’t know what to say.

I pass him and follow Radar. “I was trained to keep her safe. I failed at that. But what I want doesn’t matter. Let’s just keep going.”

“Esthielle—”

“It’s fine.” I tilt my head back as tears blur my eyes. “Please, can we just keep going?”

Atox pats me on the shoulder and gives me a nod. “We will, won’t we, Armor?”

Armor joins me on my other side. “We will find her. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but we will.”

I nod, but I’m not so sure she can be recovered anymore.