04:25 St. Mary’s Station – Naval Docking Ring

John jogged down the docking ramp. It was an odd feeling having some gravity but clearly not the normal gravity they were used to. He looked back and saw the mass of people surrounding their royal guests.

“I want two more with power armor up with me,” John said as he nodded to the crewmember that ran up to the door control.

The Marcinko’s outer airlock door closed. When it finished the station’s outer door opened. John turned around and motioned everyone to enter.

“Cadet, what are we going to do if there is anyone in there?” Lieutenant Page asked.

“Kill them if they are hostiles. If they are civvies or station personnel then they are going to get smoked out and stunned,” John said nonchalantly.

Lieutenant Page was about to say something when the door light switched to green. Another crew member hit the inner door button. John walked over to the center part of the door and walked in and scanned the hangar.

“All clear, keep your heads on swivels. We’re heading down the corridor to our right. Looking for Ring Connection Thirteen-Alpha. Double time it.”

John and the two other crewmembers with power armor sped down the hallway. When they got there, he had one of them stay behind to guide the rest to head in the right direction. This process continued twice more.

John was waiting in front of the hangar door. Inside was the orbital descent jet they would take to the surface. He heard the stomping of many feet and looked back. They were forty-five feet away. Things were going too smoothly. Station personnel never followed directions that clearly. An uneasy feeling was building within him.

John turned to face the group as they were jogging towards him, “Naval Intelligence has supplied us with a pair of pilots. When the door opens fan out and everyone is to guard our guests. The third shift will board with them. Get our guests locked into position once you're onboard. Those without power armor board next. Power armor crew boards last. Be prepared for launch, there will be a one-second warning.”

John nodded at the crew member near the door. They pressed the button which caused the hangar door to open. He ran into the hangar with his battle rifle at the ready, no one was there. John’s uneasiness grew, there was no one in the bay beside them and the two pilots in the descent craft.

He reached out with his mind to scan the pilots. They were able to block his cursory scan with ease as John wasn’t forcing the issue. But the pilots appeared to be legitimate, and he could sense no duplicity within them.

“Hurry up ladies, go go go,” Caleb said as he followed them up the ramp.

John could hear the third shift yell at the girls to take their seats towards the rear of the plane. Then swear at them as they were trying to get them secure the harnesses each of their seats had. Shortly after the commotion started a large group of the crew ran up the ramp.

Those in power armor fell back toward the ship’s ramp but hadn’t boarded. John peeked in and saw most of the second shift had already found their seats closest to the cockpit. He motioned to the power armor crew to board the plane.

John was the last up the ramp, he hit the button to retract the ramp and walked through its cargo hold. A quick scan showed everyone except him was locked into place. John took his helmet off and hooked it on his left hip. He magnetized his boots while his left hand held onto a metallic strap.

John pressed the intercom button with his right hand, “Pilots, take off now.”

There was a slight delay with the engine's power-up, but then everyone, except John, forcibly sank into their seats.

“Oooh, look at me, I’m so strong I don’t need to buckle into a seat during descent,” Andern said sarcastically.

“Ten credits he falls down,” Kevin shouted from the other row.

“Twenty,” Thomas and Brian said.

“I’ll take that bet,” Kristin shouted back.

“Why are they all like that?” Jessica asked.

Theresa and Alice laughed.

“So does this happen all the time with you guys?” Sato asked.

“Your lack of worrying makes me think this is common,” Joeng said.

“All the fucking time,” John said.

“LITERALLY!” Andern hollered.

Some of the enlisted crewmembers were laughing. Others looked like they were suffering motion sickness. Lieutenant Page had already used her sick bag once. The attendants and the princess looked at one another and were having a hard time comprehending the mix of emotions and joking around the military members around them were acting.

“Hitting the atmosphere, going to be a bumpy ride. Estimated arrival at a private airfield in forty-seven minutes,” one of the pilots said over the intercom.

“Hold onto your asses ladies and gentlemen. Gonna get loud, bumpy, and hot up in here,” John shouted.

The plane hit the atmosphere. It wasn’t the bumpiest ride they’ve ever had, but it was damn close. More sick bags were used. John hung onto the strap and swayed back and forth without appearing to be too flustered about the events going on.

“Five more minutes and the worst of it will be over,” the same pilot said on the intercom.

The attendants looked fine, though a few were still feeling a bit queasy, but not enough to be sick. They were talking to one another. The princess had asked one of them something, though no one caught the question. They appeared very animated and against whatever it was she suggested. It appeared that they had talked her out of whatever she was planning on doing.

05:20 Royal Descent Ship Rooney

“Cleared for landing, should be on the ground in ten minutes,” the pilot said over the intercom.

“You know y’all are going to owe me, right?” Kristin shouted.

“Sooner we’re on the ground the sooner we can get on our way,” John muttered under his breath.

He was looking forward to putting this mess behind them. This world was giving him the creeps. Something still felt off, things had been going too smoothly.

Andern noticed his friend was giving off a weird vibe, “What’s up?”

“I feel like this is just the opening chapter to something truly fucked up.”

“Bad juju, eh?” Nathan said, “you’re usually right about that.”

“I know, that’s why I don’t think we’re going to be done when we get down to the planet, despite how much I want this fucking mess to be over.”

The attendants and the princess started the same argument before. Valerie seemed to end the conversation by saying she had decided. Katherine tried one last time to convince her otherwise, but she was shushed into compliance.

Valerie seemed to possess more authority when she spoke up, “I have decided.”

John looked back, “Should we care?”

“Oh yes, you should. You will be my husband.”

Time felt like it stood still for a second. There was an eerie silence inside the hangar for that moment. John and Alice broke the moment simultaneously.

“Fuck no,” John said.

“Bitch says what?” Alice screamed.

John sent a telepathic message to Nathan, ‘Take her bloody gun now!’

Nathan quickly and rather deftly took her sidearm.

Andern, Thomas, Kevin, and Brian were howling with laughter. Theresa, Kristin, and Jessica were trying to calm Alice down. They were having no luck with that.

“I always get what I want. You will be my husband.”

“Hate to break it to you princess, but I’m both married and off the market. Completely not interested in what your selling,” John smirked.

“I want five minutes alone with this haughty bitch,” Alice shouted.

“Hey, didn’t she like the royal families?” Andern whispered.

John shook his head and said, “Really? Now is not the time asshole.”

Andern’s chuckling was interrupted by the plane’s rough landing. Aerobrakes were deployed as were the reverse-thrusters. The plane slowed from around two hundred fifty knots to thirty in about ten seconds. John let go of the loop and demagnetized his boots. He walked over to Alice and leaned down.

“Honey, you’re both causing a scene and creating a diplomatic incident. The latter is my job to do, not yours,” John gave her an impish grin then kissed her.

“Five minutes, just get me five minutes alone with her,” Alice said with a frenzied look in her eyes.

“Understandable. Well, fuck me,” John said as he stood up, “Kristin, Theresa, Kevin, Thomas, and Brian, y’all are guard duty. Make sure Alice doesn’t get close to the princess.”

The cadets nodded. John walked down the aisle to the rear of the plane. He stepped over a couple of bags then walked back up the other aisle. When he got back to the front of the jet he stopped in front of the princess.

“I’m going to make this crystal fucking clear for you. There are absolutely no conditions in this universe that I would ever marry you. Tread carefully around my wife, it’s on you if you get your ass kicked by her. After you’re in the palace I’m not stopping her from kicking your privileged ass.”

“There’s no reason for you to pass on this privilege to marry me,” Valerie protested.

John ignored her response and walked up to the cockpit and asked how much longer they were going to taxi. The conversation was brief and to the point. He walked back to the cabin and stopped in front of the communications station.

“Listen up. We’re going to be stopping in two minutes, our guests and those with power armor will leave first and board the first transport. Everyone else will be pile into the two other transports behind it.”

The guests and those in power armor stood up and walked to the rear. John walked down the aisle that Alice was sitting on. He stopped in front of her. She looked far less enraged but still was angry. John stopped in front of her.

“Alice, I love you, please focus. You can be pissed at her later.”

“John, honey, just give me three minutes with that bitch alone. Three minutes is all I need.”

John shook his head and walked to the ramp controls. He punched the button then drew his battle rifle. After the gate finished lowering the princess and her attendants jogged down the ramp followed by the crew in power armor. John stepped onto the passenger side ramp and held onto a bar with his left hand.

The driver got a green lot from the cargo hold and sped off to the palace. Back at the tarmac the rest of the crew was getting into their transports. They would arrive at the palace about five minutes after them.

06:10 Manchester Royal Palace

The first transport rolled up to the freight entrance. The rear gate swung down the crew was met by a few confused-looking palace security guards. They would have a minimal escort to the main palace hall. John hopped off the front of the transport and opened up his coms. They were clearly preoccupied with something else.

“First transport has arrived at the palace. Palace guards will guide you to the main reception hall, but the path we follow will be available on your HUDs. Double time it when you get here,” John shut down the global coms and directed the next message to the crew at the palace with him, “Let’s get moving, sooner we’re inside the sooner we’re safe. Something stinks to high heaven.”

The princess and her attendants were made to move faster than they wanted to through the castle. Ten minutes later and through countless corridors and opulent rooms they reached their destination. John pulled his helmet off and walked to an extra-net station.

“Captain, what are you doing?” Senior Chief Stroll asked.

“Checking for any unusual ships that received clearance to land on the planet or dock at an orbital station.”

“Local station crew doesn’t follow directions as well as they did, do they?”

“No, they don’t, but something else felt off. There were way more cameras at the station. Almost like they were attacked recently,” John paused, “And there it is. Multiple e-war attacks last week, source unknown.”

Just then the King and Queen of Manchester arrived in the room.

“Come on, I have a feeling the festivities are just starting.”

“I got fifty credits on your wife creating the bigger scene,” Stroll chuckled.

“Bad bet, probably going to be one in forty seconds.”

John gave Stroll’s chest plate a light tap and walked toward the monarchs. They had hugged her and were thankful that all of her attendants were alive and well.

“The Navy has returned your precious cargo to you. I would suggest you teach these idiots the importance of following orders and that escorts are a requirement, not a recommendation, and certainly not something to decline their services.”

The King shot daggers at John, “You dare insult my lineage’s intelligence.”

“Yes. Would you be dumb enough to tell a pair of escorts to piss off and then run off to an ex-fil position by yourself? If your answer is no, then you clearly aren’t a target of my scorn, if the answer is yes then any hope for intelligent rule by this family has long been bred out of it.”

The king was about to say something when John received a communication from Lieutenant Page, “Cadet transports two and three just arrived, we’re heading inside now.”

“How man of these e-war attacks has been made on the palace today?” John asked.

“Why would you know about that?” the queen asked.

“Answer the question.”

“Four, internal security remains offline as a result of the last attack. Our systems should be back online in thirty-five minutes,” an officer of some sort walked up to the group.

John’s uneasiness grew exponentially. He began planning for eventualities.

“How many combat suits, armor plates, and power armor suits do you have here?” John asked with a sense of urgency.

“Hundreds of combat suits and several dozen power armor suits, why?”

“Chief, I want every last enlisted crewmember rated on power armor to suit up. All those wearing flak jackets to head to the armory in groups of four to swap out their gear.”

“You are not in charge here, I am.” the King said.

“Are you so fucking blind to not see it? You are being attacked. Internal security is disabled. Defense weapons, shields, locked doors are all offline. They can bum rush this place and defeat your security. Where are all your guards?”

The king was taken aback, “This is the normal number we have.”

“Are you in charge of security?” John directed the question to the officer.

“Yes.”

“You have ten minutes to get every last one of your security officers geared up and to fall back to this position. Make the order now,” John turned to face the King, “They chose now because she is back here.”

John turned and began to order the crew to make defensive positions in the hall. Just then the rest of the crew entered the room.

“Listen up, those not in combat suits high tail it to the armory and suit up. This is an emergency situation. The palace will be attacked within twenty minutes. We’re all that’s between the attackers and the monarchy dying today.”

The crew dispersed immediately and headed to the two armory rooms on opposite sides of the main hall they were in. John turned to the security officer.

“Security guard guy. Get the royalty the hell away from here and someplace safe and secure. Senior Chief, send three to guard them.”

The room was a frenzied mess of action and movement. The Lieutenant walked over to John.

“Cadet, if your wrong this could very well be…”

Page was interrupted by a massive explosion from the palace grounds.

John grabbed his helmet and put it on, “I’m never wrong about a fight. Someone get on the cameras; I want to know the dumbass that picked a fight today.”

Theresa said over coms, “My team is on it in the west armory.”

“Stay there, your team is our eyes and ears.”

“Roger that sir.”

John opened the coms to his crew and palace security, “Shoot to kill, no one that’s coming deserves our mercy.”

The last batch of the crew ran out from the armory. They were getting into position. Andern was among them and tossed a spare drum mag to John.

“Reactive mass rounds might be useful.”

“CAPTAIN, IT’S THE TWINS,” Theresa shouted over coms.

A feeling of dread crept over half of the cadet officers. Then almost immediately a sickening wave of psychic energy passed over them. They looked back and saw John’s unique suit of power armor spawning miniature lightning bolts that branched off aimless and crackling the air around it. The eyes radiated an ethereal blue.

“Remove all limiters and disable all warning messages. Set amplifier to maximum output,” John said as he calmly walked forward.

Alice walked in front of him and stopped him, “Come back to me, to us.”

“Always,” John took her hand, then let it go, “Everyone, get ready.”

“Contacts incoming in thirty seconds.”

Everyone took cover and got into position. Guns were trained at the doors on opposite sides of the hall. The moment an enemy walked into the room they were going to be assaulted with a massive fusillade of gunfire.

John locked his battle rifle to his back and picked up the pair of twin submachine guns. The massive drum magazine was already locked onto his back. He slowly walked to the gun line in the center of the room, but he was exposed and wasn’t taking any cover.

“FIRE!”

Ten enemies stepped into the room but were cut down instantly. They were overly confident that resistance would be minimal. John was switching his fire between doors. The Senior Chief was barking orders and having the squads split fire. He didn’t want everyone reloading at the same time.

This went on for ten minutes. The crew did not give an inch, and the attackers were stymied. That was when a pair of familiar voices began barking orders. It didn’t take long for the twins to use their abilities to try and create a beachhead in the room for their forces to advance. An incredibly thick and dense wall of ice began forming in front of the doors. Flames shot around the corner and temporarily blinded the crew.

“Chief, you’re in command here,” John shouted, entirely ignoring the chain of command.

John dashed forward and crashed into the ice wall, breaking it into two. He saw the twins to his left. They both were wearing power armor themselves. The armor appeared bespoke and unique compared to the armor the others were wearing. Everyone, the twins included, was shocked to see an attacker in their lines.

“Hey assholes, funny to see you here,” John said sarcastically.

He raised the twin submachine guns and pulled the trigger. Eight enemies were shredded by the initial salvo. John switched to target the twins and was able to get some rounds at them before Lisa was able to create an ice wall. That was the reaction he wanted, John disengaged a bandolier full of grenades and using his telekinesis pulled the ping on all the grenades. He dashed back through the hole he made in the wall and waited for an explosion.

The grenades exploded, killing anyone that was not in power armor and seriously damaging those with armor. John dashed back through the gap in the wall and ran after the twins. They had retreated from their position and left their comrades in a turkey shoot. He relayed the intel to Senior Chief Stroll who was readying a counterattack with some of their forces.

For John though, he was focused on one thing and only one thing. The corridors and rooms flew by as he sprinted through each one. He was going to end the twins today. No one was going to stop him from achieving his objective. He only hoped he could track them down before they escaped back into the hole they crawled out of.