Hades crawled over the sand and dirt, a column of speeder bikes and land rovers followed behind it laden with various belongings. It had been two months since we’d seen the first of the iron winds, three more had come since then. We’d found people hiding in caves or buried underground, they were lucky Hades was equipped with powerful sensors capable of scanning deep underground. Those scanners were meant to detect mines and explosives buried underground, able to hear the heartbeat of a mole fifty-feet underground.

I scanned the horizon with a pair of bi-optics. A light hot wind blew over us blowing back the brown shawl I had over my shoulders and around my neck to keep the dust from seeping down inside my armor. I scanned the mountains in the distance maybe half a day out now. I could see the glint of metal and the blue energy shields of a fortress.

“There it is,” I said handing the bi-optics over to Amara.

“You still nervous?” she asked, taking them and putting them up to her eyes.

“Your people have a lot of grudges against my people,” I said. “And with good reason, it was the empire who firebombed your planet and created this desert.”

“I’ll stand by you,” Amara said. “You’ve been nothing but good to my people since I’ve met you, if they try to kill you, I’ll fight by your side.”

“No, if they try to kill us you stand by and do nothing,” I said. “I’m taking you home to your family I’m not here to continue this war.”

“So, you’ll just let them kill you?” Amara asked me crossing her arms.

“We’ll run,” I said with a shrug. “Theres a lot of empty space to hide out there.”

“I’ll still stand by you,” Amara said. “At the very least I can get you a fair hearing.”

I sighed but didn’t argue with her any further. We crawled closer and I took the stairs down and into the bridge. Taking a seat, I watched the rolling hills of dirt and sand pass by. Hades’ coms and alarms began beeping. Toggling a switch on the controls of the captain’s chair I brought up the display of Andromeda on screen. The towers between the Shieldwall were each equipped with heavy cannons all of them locked on us and triggering Hades alarms.

“We’re being hailed capt’n,” Karsen said. “Do I let the signal through?”

“Patch us in,” I agreed giving him a short nod. “Audio and visual.”

A man in a grey and green uniform appeared on display. “Kyshen military, this is Governor Sarkis of Andromeda, you are ordered to stop advancing and identify yourself immediately or you will be fired upon.”

“I am Captain Enil of Hades,” I said. “We have refugees onboard seeking refuge.”

“Refuges or soldiers?” Sarkis asked.

“I have both former centurions as well as Luminari civilians and soldiers,” I said.

“Do you have anyone to vouch for you?” Sarkis asked.

“I’m here Sarkis,” Amara said stepping into view beside me.

“Amara?” Sarkis asked, shocked, losing his impassive exterior.

“How is Vara?” Amara asked.

“Your sister is fine,” Sarkis asked, his eyes sliding between me and her. “You will be allowed to approach but keep your guns pointing away from us if you attack us, I will destroy you, even if you have my family onboard.”

The signal ended and I turned to Amara. “Family?” I asked.

“He’s my brother-in-law,” Amara said not expanding on that any farther.

“Take us forward Melor and have all the railguns pointed back and towards the ground, I don’t want anyone on those turret cannons getting nervous about us.”

“If it will make them feel better,” Melor said, and we started moving again.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A section of the energy shield dropped as we drew closer, and we entered into the fortress docking in a loading bay. The doors opened and nervous refugees and Kyshen centurions stepped out. I went to the top deck looking at the Luminari soldiers surrounding us plasm rifles at the ready to fire. A catwalk was extended at Governor Sarkis stepped onto the top of Hades escorted by two warriors in heavy golden armor.

“So, this is a MACC?” Sarkis said looking it over. “I never thought I’d see one this close, I’ve heard the description, but they don’t really convey just how big it is.”

“Welcome aboard,” I said dryly.

A woman with long silver hair stood at the end of the ramp when Amara saw her, she rushed forwards and the two embraced tears running down their faces.

“I must thank you for bringing Amara back to us,” Sarkis said. “We knew she was deployed when the storms first hit and feared the worst.”

“It was just luck,” I said. “But I think she would have found a way to survive.”

“Perhaps,” Sarkis said but his voice didn’t convey much confidence. “I see your insignia is missing from your armor.”

He gestured to where I had filed off the half-sun and crescent moon on my pauldrons and other places on my armor and uniform.

“I’m done,” I said shrugging. “My term of enlistment ended two years ago; I shouldn’t even be here now.”

“Your superiors would probably feel differently, you’d be court martialed for desertion,” Sarkis said.

“They’d have to come down here in the dirt to do that,” I said.

“While I can respect your decision to leave your empire that does not makes us friends or allies,” Sarkis said. “You’re a Kyshen officer, by all rights I should just kill you, however, I find myself in dire need of help. There are three-hundred-thousand families in this fortress, the people you brought not included. Soon there isn’t going to be enough food for all of them we’re already having to enforce rationing. As you’ve seen there is no way to grow anything outside. We’re setting up lights to grow food within the fortress but there is no way for us to be self-sufficient. You want a refuge for your people you need to do something for me.”

“What?” I asked although I already had a guess.

“Your vehicle can survive the storms; I need you to venture out and forage scavenge, and hunt for supplies. There are caverns to the north and south leading into the subterranean cave networks where you can start your search.”

“You want us to go down into the mire-lands?” I asked. “You know what’s down there, your people created the stuff that haunts those caves.”

“Nevertheless, its necessary, the surface can no longer support life we will have to brave the depths to survive. Go and bring back enough food for a hundred-thousand people, enough to last three days and I’ll make sure you an any other deserters are given shelter.”

“That’s a lot of food buts not going to solve your problem,” I said.

“I know,” Sarkis said letting out a sigh. “But all we can do is survive day to day. He held out his hand to shake. “Do we have a deal?”

I took his hand and pumped it. “How long do I have?”

“You’ve got seven days or I’ll have to throw your people out, I won’t let my own people starve while I keep feeding yours.”

“Let me talk to my crew and take volunteers,” I said.

Amara rejoined us. “Volunteers for what?” she asked.

“We’re being sent a mission to prove ourselves,” I said. “We need to go the mire-lands to bring back food.”

“The mire-lands? That basically suicide,” she said. “Sarkis you can’t be serious.”

“I already said yes,” I said.

“Why do you need to send them to the mire-lands?” Amara pressed. “What about the priestess here surely she can grow enough food for everyone?”

Sarkis face fell. “You haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?” Amara asked apprehensively.

“There were a serious of linked attacks across Lumara by the cybermen. They hit every fortress, city and outpost with a temple. They killed every light-weaver still alive and destroyed the temple records,” he said.

“They can’t have gotten all of them,” Amara protested. “Some must have survived.”

“They’ve been dying faster than new one could be trained this entire war and the cybermen seemed to know exactly where everyone was,” Sarkis said. “With the Orders gone it won’t be long before the twelve royal houses surrender. That’s out of our control now all we can do is really on the people and tools we have now.”

“I’ll talk to my crew, we’ll need fresh water to take on board at the very least, can you supply us with that?” I asked.

“Water isn’t an issue,” Sarkis said. “I’ll have your tanks filled in less than six hours.”

“Then we’ll leave tonight,” I said saluting him and turning about descending down into Hades.

---

“So if we want a place other than this metal box to call home we need to bring back food, not just for these people but our own brothers in arms,” I said explaining the terms of the deal to the men we were all gathered in Hade’s cargo bay. “You all know the risks of going down into the mire-lands we’re all deserters now so I can’t force any of you to do anything. Hades may be mine but all of you are free to leave if you want, I can’t promise you a long stay here but its up to you where you want to take your chances.”

“I’m with you all the way capt’n,” Karsen said. “You’ve always been straight with us.”

“I’m in too,” Melor said. “Someone has to be there to take charge when you keel over.”

Three dozen more hands were raised as most of Hades crew volunteered to stay on. A dozen more centurions we’d rescued volunteered as well.

“I’m coming with you too,” a female voice said.

I turned to look at Amara as she walked up the ramp two dozen other Luminari men and women following her geared up for battle.

“Your brother-in-law agreed to that?” I asked.

“No, but he can’t stop me,” she said. “These are all volunteers as well, we all have our reasons for needing to do this.”

“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “I suppose if I can’t make anyone stay I can’t really stop anyone from signing up either, welcome aboard.”