“I need two engineers,” Alexia said. Two men stepped forward, dressed in fatigues and weighed down by nearly seventy pounds of equipment. “Run cables to the railgun and override its controls. Everyone else, secure the rooftop and prepare to defend.”

The engineers unpacked their gear and ran to a control panel, cables in hand, their spools unraveling behind them. A steel door concealed a railgun that would tower sixty feet into the air once deployed. It was part of the planetary defense system, a network of weapons meant to defend Artemis against invasion. A defense system that failed its purpose. Humanity never considered the possibility of an advanced civilization waging war. Now, the Vanghul penetrated deep into the inner colonies.

The wind whipped Alexia’s matted hair into her face, her bun long since unraveled by battle. She watched the Vanghul ship hovering above the valley, her first encounter with the enemy. It’s black exterior devoured the surrounding light as it eclipsed Artemis’ sun. Command named the ship, Omen. It’s presence sent shivers down her spine. It truly was an omen of death. Below, it’s fighters swarmed, sending barrages of plasma into military convoys. The forest blazed and smoke filled the sky above.

A voice freed her from her thoughts. “We’ll make it, Lex,” Tassos said, “Once we get this railgun online, we’ll blast those fuckers out of the sky and have our revenge.”

“I’m not so sure”—she looked to the sky—“How can we beat them?” An orbital battleship broke through the clouds, leaving a trail of smoke and flames in its wake. It crashed against a far off mountain and after a moment, the shockwave blew past her platoon. She faced Tassos, “Three thousand people dead. Just like that. Even if we take down Omen, how do we win?”

“All we can do is what we’re trained to do. To keep moving forward.” Tassos placed his hand on her shoulder and she relaxed—for a moment.

“Ma’am, we’re connected. Give us the order and we’ll take control.”

“Do it. And make it fast. Once it’s powered we’ll be overrun by fighters.”

The engineers connected their field computers and began the sequence to take control. The steel doors lurched free and the railgun ascended. The enemy fighters changed course, ignoring beaten down convoys in favor of a new threat.

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“Shit. The railgun’s moving too slow.” Alexia turned to her platoon. “I need shields covering the cables, now! Ready your MANPADS and fire when they’re within one thousand yards. Protect the railgun!” Her platoon scrambled into position. Soldiers deployed their energy shields and panels of light shot into the air along the cables and before the embrasures of the rooftop bunker. “Railgun’s nearly out, get ready!”

“Fire!” Smoke filled the air as rockets raced towards their targets. Of the first barrage, ten hit their mark and Vanghul fighters dropped from the sky engulfed in flames. A second volley struck the fighters as they returned fire. Charges of plasma rained down on the platoon, crashing into shields. The plasma electrified the air and filled it with bright blue light. Other charges found their mark and incinerated soldiers caught out in the open.

The first wave of fighters passed overhead, giving the soldiers a brief moment of respite. “Reload and reposition! We don’t have time to waste,” Alexia said. She rallied her troops and prepared for the second wave. There were fewer but a single plasma charge could end the mission.

The world flashed with light and an explosion rocked the bunker. Alexia fell to the ground, her ears ringing, temporarily blinded from the assault. The world came into focus. Smoldering bodies littered the rooftop, the shields now destroyed. Alexia pulled herself up to the embrasure. The first wave of fighters returned in the direction they originally came. Had they turned around that fast? she thought. She looked up, the railgun was aimed at its target but its firing sequence had halted.

“They knocked the cable loose,” Tassos said, pointing to the control panel. “I’ll take care of it.”

Alexia moved to stop him but she was too slow. Tassos sprinted through falling plasma fire. Concrete erupted around him as the second wave passed. He reached the control panel and secured the cable, giving affirmation to Alexia with a wave. “Start the firing sequence. The second wave will turn around soon!”

The engineers keyed in their code and the whine of electromagnetic coils pierced her ears. Alexia eyes darted between Tassos and the railgun. Her heart raced. The railgun fired. And another explosion knocked her to the floor, blinding Alexia once again. Engines roared and the second wave passed overhead.

Alexia fell to the ground and crawled through the entrance as she regained her vision. Tassos lay just outside the bunker, covered in blood, his arm and leg missing and body charred. She sat behind him, leaned against the bunker wall, and pulled him into her arms, his upper back against her stomach.

She looked up and saw Omen. The railgun hit its mark, dead center of its engines. Now the ship sank to the ground, it’s once black exterior red with flames as fire spread. Alexia placed her hand on Tassos and lifted his head. “Look. You did it, Tassos.” Her vision blurred, from the light that blinded her and now from the tears that filled her eyes. Tassos raised his burnt hand and rested it on her arm. “You struck down Omen. You had your revenge.”

She leaned down to kiss his head and his hand fell.

“I’ll keep moving forward.”