Echoes of the Storm

Chapter 2

The ground personnel carrier sped toward the spaceport. Lieutenant Atticus "Tic" Ford watched smoke rising from Torredo's capital city behind them. He was sandwiched between two techs in a GPC meant to transport ten soldiers in full gear. There had to be at least that many in here, along with the last Corona officers and enlisted ordered to evacuate Headquarters when resistance operatives and the Riga stormed the capital.

Tic wished he'd had a chance to talk to his girlfriend Maggie, but she'd bugged out with Security Chief Berg and their team when the first alarms blared in the capital. Life was too damned complicated. Bad enough he was an officer and Maggie, Magdalena Angelica Costarossa, was a sergeant. Worse that she was Corona, and didn't know he was working as an undercover operative for the resistance against the government she served. At least she was safe.

"Can this thing go any faster?" the soldier across from Tic shouted.

The transport swerved to miss a crater. The older tech sergeant by Tic whooped. "Any faster and we'll be wrapped around those trees."

The GPC slowed to skirt a small artillery unit dead in the road where the boulevard narrowed and snaked its way up the mountain. Blasted bits of blackened metal burned hotly and the smell of seared flesh was still fresh. Tic covered his nose and turned away. Deafening booms made him crouch low, his long legs cramped in the tight space. He peered skyward and saw a wing of crusaders whip past.

"Our grand and glorious Corona run from a puny showing of enemy ships," the sergeant said.

Corona. Corona giveth, and Corona taketh away. The peaceful League worlds, settled a hundred thirty years earlier by colonists from Earth, had complacently watched First Minister Surda come to power on Corona. By the time Rysis and New Mars were milked for every bit of their mineral wealth, Surda had named himself Grand Emperor and the exploitation of Torredo was well underway.

Few people had the guts to criticize the Empire. Tic did it himself, but not in the company of people he served with. Outspoken lieutenants had a way of disappearing.

"Don't know about you, sergeant," he said, "but six of us manning the Ops Center wouldn't stand a chance against three platoons of Riga soldiers. Nothing puny about that."

"Been in the army twenty-five years and served the Empire on ten different worlds. Never seen Corona pull out at the first sign of a few enemy ships. Never." The old sergeant scrubbed his forehead. "Sorry, Lieutenant. I talk too much."

The man had a point. Still, Riga's forces numbered over ten thousand. Their invasion had been carefully mapped out with the resistance. He should know. He'd been part of that planning. Keeping that part of his life from Maggie had been maddening. There should have been a right time and place to tell her the truth. Almost three years together, and that right time never materialized. Will she hate me? Or shoot me.

Coward. What if he never saw her again? But wasn't that one reason why he'd evacuated with Corona? To be with Maggie. To maintain his cover and stop Corona's aggression on other League worlds. Even if it meant lying to Maggie...for now.

The GPC struck a hole, lifting the soldiers off their seats and throwing them into each other. An explosion lit the hillside, engulfing the trees in flames. Startled, the men around Tic cursed.

"Don't ya' just hate these GPC's?" The old sergeant remained calm like they were out for a  summer's day outing. "Worst form of transportation Corona ever developed."

Tic admired the man's attempt to distract his alarmed comrades in the swaying vehicle. They laughed nervously. Tic wouldn't mind a distraction himself. Maggie was safe, but he couldn't stop thinking about Corona's response to the invasion. He knew military tactics. Everything about this operation felt reasonable, expected.