Free Weapons of War by M. R. Forbes Page A

he knew it would be.  
    He opened the top and looked into the bottle. His legs were throbbing. Burning. Stabbing. He thought of Juliet. She would have been so calm, so cool and collected. She would have helped him through the meditation. She would have been patient.
    He shifted, turning the bottle over into the waste disposal, taking away his choices. He had to do it. For her memory. For Gabriel. For all of the souls on his ship.  
    For himself.
    He heard her voice in his head as he focused on his breath again. "In through the nose. Hold. Out through the mouth. Five. Seven. Five."
    He repeated it over and over as he did it. He didn't know for how long. He only knew there was a point that he stopped thinking about his legs. He stopped thinking about the pain. He stopped thinking about everything.  
    Everything except Juliet. What would she want him to do about the clones? About the Dread?  
    Save the planet. Be compassionate. He was a military man. Compassion was hard to do.
    If he had the chance, he would try.
    For her.
    First, he needed the chance. He needed to survive this.
    Forty-eight hours.
    He opened his eyes, pulling out his watch. An hour had passed.  
    Only twenty-two to go.

  SEVENTEEN

    "How could anyone be alive out there?" Diaz said.  
    Donovan peered across the remains of the city from their vantage point at the base of the mountain. There had been few enough buildings still upright, and many had been brought to the ground by Dread mech and fighter attacks. Some of the areas were still smoldering, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. There were bodies visible on the ground, soldiers mostly, men and women who Donovan had served with and in some cases called friends.
    "I'm sorry," Soon said, standing beside him. The bek'hai bandage had served its purpose, healing the gash in his side fast and well. His head was better but not perfect. He refused Donovan's offer of a rifle they had captured, telling him that he wouldn't know which of the three duplicates he should shoot at.
    "The children were hidden," Donovan said, refusing to give up on their people. "They could still be down there. Others might have come back, too."
    "We should be quick," Diaz said. "Get in, look for survivors, get out."
    "Agreed," Donovan said. "Soon, can you handle it?"
    "Don't worry about me, Major. Take care of yourself and your people."
    Donovan pointed to the mass of mud they had carried from the river. It was a heavy burden to manage, but he knew they would need it. They set about covering themselves in the mud.  
    "You have the signals down?" Donovan asked.
    "Yes, sir," Soon replied.
    Donovan slopped the wet earth into his hair and over his face. The others did the same. Once they were damp, he led them down and out to the open road. There was no sign of Dread soldiers, mechs, or fighters, though they had heard them flying overhead overnight.  
    "Have they stopped giving chase?" Donovan asked.
    They had seen the fortress floating in orbit when daylight had come. They had watched two of the starfighters fly up to it, and a short time later it had left. They all knew it was following the Magellan.
    "A trap?" Soon asked. "Maybe they're waiting for us in the base?"
    "No," Ehri said. "The bek'hai don't fight like that. They won't hide underground. I believe this is a sign of respect. The Domo'dahm is allowing you to return to your home."
    "How nice of him," Diaz said.
    "Of course, they will be monitoring the area. He'll want to know when you do return. They will probably give you a small head start before following."
    "Is it us he respects?" Donovan asked. "Or you?"
    "We destroyed a mechanized armor and a fighter, as well as a squad of Hunters. It is all of us, Major. We have earned our way here."
    "Do you think he'd be willing to give me my brother back?" Diaz asked.
    "Your brother is very intelligent and very handsome. I believe he will become a pur'hai."
    "Pur'hai?"
    "A template for cloning. It is the easiest life a human can