The Cosmolis Read online

  The Cosmolis

  R.E.M.

  This novel is a work of fiction from the mind of author R.E.M. Characters, names, places, and happenings within this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  The Cosmolis

  Copyright © 2018 by R.E.M.

  All rights reserved.

  Note: For a brief refresher of book 2 and light character details, please click link in the table of contents.

  Table of contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  More from R.E.M.

  Brief book 2 refresher

  Chapter 1

  Josh and the 3rd squadron split off from the 1st squadron and landed on the north flight deck. A medical team was waiting for Reena and rushed her away once she’d been carried down from Nate’s striker. Nate went with them. Everyone else had gathered around to see her off.

  “I hope she’s all right,” said Maya, biting at her nail.

  Josh glanced at Hoss, whose lips sagged sorrowfully. The other pilots seemed just as worried.

  “She’s lucky to be alive,” said Ace.

  Kyle nodded with his head down.

  “What happened to Ven?” asked Tor, with a heavy Latin accent.

  The crew’s attentions turned to Josh. Ace looked the most eager to know.

  “He got hit from behind when he, Tomlin, and I were racing to take out the terra-cannon.”

  “I didn’t care for his attitude, but I hate that he’s dead,” said Tor.

  Hoss nodded.

  “He was a strong pilot,” said Ace. “Probably would’ve gotten much better out here in deep space.”

  An alarm sounded. Red lights flashed throughout the hangar.

  Josh peered up at a large wall monitor and the message it displayed: “3rd squadron: Ace, Josh, Kyle. 1st squadron: Colt, Peter. Coordinates will be uploaded to your strikers. Command: Ace. Tension, C.C., Cosmolis. Emergency launch!”

  “The shit never ends,” said Hoss.

  “Has to be fighters from our cruiser at the southern Void,” Kyle blurted.

  “The Mercen world is probably pissed as hell that we destroyed their terra-cannon,” said Josh.

  “That’s exactly it,” said Ace. “Let’s get moving. Hurry!” He turned and hustled for his striker.

  Josh did the same. Kyle was right behind him.

  “You guys be careful! No telling what these snakes will do,” Maya shouted behind them.

  Josh climbed into his cockpit and closed the canopy. After powering up the craft, he glanced at an indicator on his dash and thought, Thank goodness my shield’s recharged. Seconds later he was blasting off from the M.N. Rampage with Kyle and Ace. The rest of the squadron watched their departure.

  Two strikers from the 1st squadron swung around from the south to join formation.

  “Fingertip formation,” Ace transmitted. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

  Josh peered at the coordinates on his main monitor. Right along the perimeter of the northern Cosmolis. Would explain why we’re deployed instead of C.C. from the southern cruiser.

  They flew at max speed. It wasn’t long before Ace synced their squadron’s transmitters with the group in the Cosmolis.

  “Watch out, Cormier!” Then, “Bring him to me, Bring him to me!” came through over the channel.

  Damn, they’re engaged! thought Josh.

  “This is Ace, from the M.N. Rampage. What’s the situation? What are the numbers?!”

  “Eight of them, six of us, one down from each side!” a pilot responded.

  “We’re about three minutes out. Are you able to retreat west?” Ace transmitted.

  “We’re tangled something serious. The only possible escape route at the moment would be toward the east, and that ain’t much of an escape!” The pilot grunted.

  Don’t distract him too much, Ace, thought Josh.

  “Hang tight, we’re almost there,” Ace transmitted.

  “Those boys sound like they’re in deep shit,” said Colt, over a five-man Rampage channel.

  “These Mercens have put me in such a bad mood… shooting down Reena… I’m going to dust them all,” Kyle transmitted.

  Josh chuckled and said, “You and me both, kid.” He stared ahead until shooting into the Cosmolis’ aurora of colorful lights with the four other strikers. No adrenaline rush, not even nervous; I must be getting used to this.

  “Four more! Coming in from the northeast!” a pilot from the cruiser fleet transmitted.

  “We’re here!” Ace responded.

  Josh saw the all too familiar scene of fighters curling and cutting chaotically in every which way, lasers flashing throughout the fray. And to think I’d just survived this madness, he thought.

  “Keep sharp, guys! We’ll win this,” transmitted Ace, over the five-man channel. A moment later, “Break!”

  Josh watched Ace’s striker slash up into a twist. He yanked his own craft into a side-wind left, while the other Rampage strikers split off at different angles. The four adding shadow fighters joined the battle at about the same time.

  Thoot! Thoot, thoot! Josh weaved through scattered fire and locked onto an enemy craft that was hounding a cruiser striker from the rear. “Hang in there,” he muttered, jockeying his stick. He fired a shot that missed wide-right. Son of a gun.

  Josh banked right, then left trying to keep tight. Lasers whizzed by close from behind. Shit! One’s on me, he thought, glancing at his radar, then jabbing straight up and hooking east. That striker’s going to have to fend for himself.

  More beams flashed in Josh’s direction. Keep trying, sucker! he thought, coiling vigorously and swinging into a dive. Josh zoomed through the middle of the fray, seeing a shield break on a shadow fighter, followed by two more shields breaking off void strikers. He weaved through laser fire and swerved wide, toward the outside of the fight. The same shadow fighter was hot on his trail.

  The wild knotting of Creston and Mercen fighters in the midst of muddled laser fire kept up for a fair stretch, when Josh thought, I can’t believe nothing has blown up yet.

  Boom! A ball of fire erupted at his rear.

  Kyle had shot down the shadow fighter that’d been stalking Josh and transmitted, “Stay by me.”

  Josh smirked and responded, “Not funny.” Ace shot by on his left and curled away. Josh soared his striker, swinging toward the thick of the fight.

  A bang of orange light brightened the space nearby. “Conroy’s down,” a cruiser pilot transmitted.

  “Watch your flank! Southeast—coming in low,” another shouted.

  There was a subsequent burst of fiery light as a void striker dispersed.

  “11-9, enemy’s up,” a 1st squad pilot transmitted, in reference to the Mercens’ fighter advantage.

  “We can turn this! Focus!” Ace transmitted.

  Josh had just come out of a loop and saw Kyle evading desperately with a shadow fighter at his rear. The shots were only missing the young pilot’s striker by a sliver. It was the first time during the battle Josh felt his adrenaline surge. He tilted his stick in Kyle’s direction—but had to thrust it to the opposite side when an unchecked shadow fighter cut him off with searing beams.

  Fuck! “Ace, can you get to Kyle?!” Josh transmitted.

  “I’m all right,” Kyle responded.

  I’ve got to even the numbers or these floaters are going to wreak havoc on us, thought Josh. He slammed his throttle and tore into a tight, twisting curl. I can get that one, I know it. Josh bent west away from the figh
ter he was eyeing, then veered south with a sudden jerk of his controller, squeezing down on the trigger. Dual lasers whisked out from his cannons—and obliterated the targeted shadow fighter. Yes!

  Josh saw a projectile zip in the distance out of his peripheral vision. A split second later, one of the cruiser strikers exploded into flames. You’ve got to be kidding me?! thought Josh, shocked as could be. “Another one of ours down—to missile fire!” he transmitted.

  “What the…?” Josh heard Kyle saying under his breath.

  Who the hell dies to missile fire? thought Josh. These guys are bad.

  “We’ve got this under control. Keep concentrated!” Ace transmitted.

  “I’ve got two on me. I can’t shake them!” Colt from the 1st squadron transmitted.

  “I see you!” a cruiser pilot responded. “Cut east. I’ll try to peel them off you with crossfire.”

  Holy hell, thought Josh, in the midst of scattered laser fire. This is a strong group of shadow fighters, and I haven’t seen a marked one yet.

  “Five strikers from our cruiser will be here any minute!” a pilot transmitted.

  Josh glanced at his radar and saw five dots approaching from the south. There was a series of beeps from his monitor. Ten dots showed up from the east. “We’ve got ten shadow fighters coming in from the east!” he transmitted.

  “Dog gone it,” transmitted Peter from the 1st squadron.

  “The strikers en route are our premiere pilots; we might be able to pull this off,” said a cruiser pilot.

  I’m not buying that in the least, thought Josh, zig-zagging enemy fire from two shadow fighters at his six.

  “All strikers, pull off!” Ace transmitted. “That’s a direct order from Commander Clint, of the M.N. Rampage. Retreat toward the southern Void! The incoming strikers will serve as a brief deterrent before the additional shadow fighters can make it to within attack range. Watch your asses!”

  Josh punched his throttle to its max and bent south. The other Creston strikers made similar shifts. All were able to disengage unscathed—but the Mercens pursued relentlessly. Some of the shadow fighters fired from max range and beyond, none of which managed to connect. Like a swarm of riled hornets, thought Josh.

  The shadow fighters slowed their chase once the additional void strikers had broken thirty miles. On making it to within five miles of the reinforcing strikers, Ace veered the fleet west, and the additional strikers joined the formation. Josh glanced at his radar and saw the armada of shadow fighters in pursuit.

  “Them snakes ain’t playin’ around,” one of the new cruiser pilots transmitted.

  “No, they’re not,” said another.

  “Maintain top speed until out of the Cosmolis,” Ace transmitted. “We will be rendezvousing with nine strikers from the M.N. Rampage and making our stand in Creston space, if they’re determined enough to attack us there.”

  They wouldn’t dare, thought Josh.

  The tense chase continued; black shadow fighters blazed after the blue-steel colored void strikers.

  Once Josh’s striker fleet was about a minute out from Creston territory, he heard Hoss’ voice come through over the channel: “Hot damn, what’d you guys do, attack a Mercen carrier?”

  “Nope, just a terra-cannon,” Josh responded.

  “Rolly sent out the 3rd squadron dream team and you guys left that many alive? Huh, Josh?” said Maya, singling him out.

  “I was trying not to outshine, Kyle. You know how jealous he gets.”

  Kyle snickered over the transmission and said, “I would have taken down more if Ace hadn’t called us off. The Mercens have a huge number advantage.”

  “Not anymore,” Tomlin transmitted. “We have orders to hold them off along the border.”

  Josh and the fleet shot out from the Cosmolis into Creston space. Tomlin, Hoss, Maya, Jekel, and five reservists were hovering in battle-spread formation roughly six miles in.

  “Fall in with the others,” Ace transmitted, whipping his striker to a halt and joining the Creston line. “Tomlin has the command.”

  Josh did as told. So did the rest of the fleet. Once in position he peered at his radar and watched the armada of Mercen fighters streaking toward the territorial divide.

  “They’re at thirteen miles, no signs of slowing down. They’re going to cross over,” said Peter from the 1st squadron.

  “Ready yourselves!” Tomlin transmitted.

  “Gun all them damn snakes down!” a cruiser pilot transmitted.

  “We’ll tear them up,” transmitted another.

  Those must be a couple of the premieres. I hope their bite is as loud as their bark! thought Josh.

  “They’re reaching point break! Time for a fight!” Colt transmitted.

  Josh clutched his stick tight and glanced at the multitude of strikers. Then he stared toward the Cosmolis, feeling a trickle of fear. His eyes had widened when looking down at his radar and seeing the mass of shadow fighters touch the edge of the Void Line. He felt his heart skip as they then 180’d away from Creston space and broke off into two groups heading in different directions.

  “They don’t want it!” transmitted Hoss.

  Josh heard someone exhale over the channel.

  Tomlin waited until the Mercens were completely off radar and transmitted, “We’ll be splitting evenly from left to right. One group will be patrolling south along the Void line with me, the other north with Ace. This is going to be a lengthy ordeal.”

  Figures, thought Josh. As if it hadn’t been a long day already.

  Their squads remained on guard for many hours, at which point Tomlin ordered all cruiser strikers back to their mothership. Josh and the Rampage pilots took another lap until Tomlin transmitted, “That’s it, we’re bringing it in. Standard patrolling will resume with all squadrons on high alert.”

  “Thank God!” Kyle transmitted.

  The pilots returned to the M.N. Rampage. Josh and his crewmates, minus Reena, managed to get in just enough time to eat dinner before Officer Rolly strolled into the cafeteria and told them there would be a 3rd squadron meeting in one of the small rooms down the hall from the third unit. He gave the group fifteen minutes to finish their meal.

  A short while later, the 3rd squadron walked into the same quarter Josh had been in with his other training mates his first day in deep space. He sat in the middle of the three by three rows of desks and watched Ace sit at the lone seat at left of the cluster.

  Officer Rolly was standing behind the podium up front. He gazed at the pilots and said, “It’s a shame: so soon after the destruction of the terra-cannon, a new major problem has come about.”

  Josh stared at the officer as curiously as everyone else in the room did, wondering, What in the hell are the Mercens up to now? He got his answer when Officer Rolly said: “Expansion. Our allowing the Mercens to construct a base on Zint was a huge slip-up, one that has brought to light the speed and stealth in which they’re able to construct a stronghold on foreign soil—including the liquid planet in Creston territory. Aside from the mutual fighters on patrol in that region, the Cosmolis is supposed to remain a non-militarized zone. The Mercens have broken this long-standing agreement of Void Zone neutrality.”

  “Why am I not surprised,” blurted Nate, who’d been in a bad mood since arriving from the infirmary.

  “The ramifications of Mercen establishing a serious foothold in the Cosmolis are many. A strong enemy presence could corrupt planetary views toward Creston, but even worse, it could result in a major settlement. If this were to happen the Mercens would take over the Void Zone, and barring some huge Creston technological advancement, ensure that their forces would be unconquerable. Imagine trying to blow up Mercen under current conditions. Now imagine trying to do that twice.”

  Josh shook his head, remembering what it’d been like not having to worry about the constant Mercen threats; to be a normal civilian with no idea of what went on out in deep space. He turned his head toward Tor, who had raised his han
d.

  Rolly pointed at Tor.

  “Sir, why didn’t we stand our ground in the Cosmolis earlier?” Tor asked.

  “We tried, but the Cosmolis situation was becoming too extreme. And it would have been far worse if there wasn’t an enemy build-up along the Hard Line. Commander Clint had decided that overall, fighting that out would’ve been pointless—definitely not worth the cost of lives. And I agree with him. It’s better to grant the Mercens a small victory and hope they cool off from the loss of their terra-cannon, plus casualties. We achieved our goal; now we want things to return to the status quo.”

  Ace was nodding.

  Makes sense, thought Josh, tracing his chin with a finger.

  “In the coming days it’s going to be vital for us to determine the depth of the Mercens’ secret expansions. Our worry is that they’ve concealed other sites much better than their operation on Zint,” said Rolly. “If our intel teams discover evidence of this, you all will, of course, be notified. Anyone with further questions regarding the matter is welcomed to hang around; otherwise, that is all.”

  Hoss was the first to stand and head for the exit. Josh did so too, along with almost everyone else. Ace and Nate walked toward the front of the room to converse with Rolly.

  Josh glanced at a clock on the wall. Dang, only an hour or so until time for our unit to retire for the night. Nevertheless, he twisted toward Jill and asked, “Would you still like to have that drink?”

  Jill curved her lips. “Yes, I would.”

  Josh could tell she was surprised at his asking. He didn’t see it, but Maya had overheard their conversation and was smiling while walking out the door with Hoss.

  Upon making it to the bar on the north wing, Josh and Jill ordered a round, then sat down to a small table at the back of the pub.

  Jill undid her bun and got relaxed. She let out a breath and said, “It’s been a crazy twenty-four hours. I sure hope things slow down.”

  “Don’t count on it,” said Josh, with his customary smirk. “It’s definitely been a wild ride.”

  “I don’t know what it is about you, Josh, but you always give me that home-town feeling. You remind me a lot of a good friend of mine back on Creston.”