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surface of the outer palace. But before he could continue his descend downward, he smacked his fist into the surface, making a tiny hole which he used as a holding point.

  The wind had slowed down, but high above ground it was still windy enough.

  I need Caelus’s children, Carus! – Lucius sent – Summon them and clear the port. I have my father’s guards running after me.

  Again, my prince?

  Lucius didn’t bother to reply. He was busy escaping the palace.

  You will have the port cleared, my prince – said Carus.

  That would leave Macrinus – Where are you, Macrinus? I need you with my ship at the port, now!

  Lucius looked up from where he ejected not a moment ago. A Praetorian Guard followed him through the same crack, his body coming down like a rock. The prince let go of the hold and went on a rapid slide down. Forum Magnum started to get closer as his speed increased.

  Macrinus’s voice came into Lucius’s head – Sorry, my prince, I am already en route to Timor. We are preparing for an all-out attack on the moon base–

  Belay that order! – Lucius shouted through his thoughts and dodged an EMP burst targeted at his speeding body. The guard had an EMP pistol in his hands, struggling to aim straight as his body tumbled down.

  Belay the order, my prince?

  You heard what I said! It’s my ship and I give orders for it!

  But your father will execute me at Forum Magnum–

  I will execute you if you do not obey me now.

  Don’t do this, Lucius. I will lose all prospects of becoming an admiral.

  Lucius pushed himself sideways to avoid another EMP burst. You forget yourself, Macrinus. Soon I will name admirals and generals, and you are first on my list. Unless you bomb Timor.

  Macrinus didn’t transmit anything for a moment, and then – You sure know how to be nice, Lucius … what do you need of me?

  I need you to draw the fleet’s fire until I reach the moon base.

  Macrinus sounded confused – But the Bions don’t have a fleet in orbit – wait, no, no, no! I will not fire on Imperial battleships!

  You will – sent Lucius – They cannot bomb Timor. Not before I get there first.

  Macrinus sent – Now I’m not worried about the emperor, and I’m not worried about becoming an admiral anymore. I’m worried about getting killed in orbit. By my own freaking fleet!

  You will do fine. On my mark you will commence the attack and maneuver around the ships, do you understand? – sent Lucius.

  I am afraid that I do understand.

  Wait for my signal – sent Lucius, and then he focused on his landing.

  The marble tiles were the least welcoming. He went in an uncontrollable roll as soon as his feet touched down.

  It turned out that escaping his father’s palace was the easy part. Getting past Forum Magnum was not. Lucius had to dodge EMP bursts that were now targeted not just at his legs, but at his heart as well. If they hit, his vital functions would come to a stop, and when he would wake up in the hospital the moon base would be gone. Lucius could not allow that to happen. Not before he acquires the Jupiter’s Scepter.

  Lucius pushed past a confused citizen that fell down. “Get out of my way!” Lucius shouted. He jumped over a woman and then stole a motorbike.

  “Move aside!” Lucius shouted at Palatine’s citizens, but he didn’t know if they heard him because the motorbike was roaring. Surprisingly though, everyone jumped away from this speeding chunk of metal, whether they heard him or not.

  Carus – Lucius sent – is the port cleared? There was no response – Carus! Lucius wondered if his father had caught his friend or maybe even shut the port down–

  An EMP burst struck his motorbike. Its electronics died immediately, only its tires kept rolling like dead rubber with momentum. Lucius looked back. Two Praetorians were flying a quadcopter and shooting EMPs from above. Another burst headed toward him. Lucius leaned his motorbike to the side and dodged the burst, but now his motorbike was skidding on Forum Magnum’s marble floor, sending sparks in all directions. One of the guards aimed an EMP pistol at the prince for a final shot. Lucius’s cybernetic eyes caught the burst the same instant it was fired, his ears heard its slight crackle. Lucius’s cranial computer calculated the EMP’s trajectory and then forced his legs to propel his body upward and away just a fraction of a second before the burst smacked the motorbike. His golden body dropped down and rolled on the marble. His eyes moved up, measuring the quadcopter that now hovered above him. The same moment he heard a blast coming from his side. He turned just as a missile struck the quadcopter with a sudden explosion that shook the forum. What remained of the ‘copter crashed down.

  People screamed and ran away, others cursed, but Lucius was more concerned about the guards inside the wreckage. It made him sad to know these good men have lost yet another body because of him.

  My lord, I have failed you – Carus said – I could not clear the port, so I brought Caelus’s children here.

  Lucius turned to where the missile came from. Above houses and statues of the upper capital another quadcopter was approaching.

  Did you have to shoot the ‘copter down? ­– Lucius sent toward it.

  Sincere apologies, my prince – said Carus – next time I will leave them to you.

  They flew above his head, four rotors flapping whirlwinds of dust, and they landed at the edge of the forum as the people cleared. Olybrius jumped out of the ‘copter’s cockpit and opened the bay door.

  “My prince,” he said in greeting when he noticed Lucius approaching, and he bowed. His long silver hair veiled his face.

  Carus came down the cockpit with a grin over that bearded face of his. He slapped Lucius on his back. “You did quite the damage on your palace. I am proud of your skills.” He laughed and went to help Olybrius take three human-sized tubes coated with black rock out of the bay door – the children of the sky.

  Once Olybrius placed the last tube next to the ‘copter, he looked up toward the palace. His synthetic muscles tensed. “We do not have much time,” he said, ruby eyes squinting. “Praetorian Guards incoming on our position. We have to move.”

  “Where’s Macrinus?” asked Carus as he opened the door to one of those tubes.

  “He will be clearing our path,” Lucius said.

  Carus looked up. His eyes moved over the sky, and then he smiled, metal teeth reflecting the pale sun. “The boy’s got more nerve than I thought,” he said.

  Lucius entered the tube and Carus sealed the door behind him. Now Lucius’s eyes became the outer cameras. He saw Carus and Olybrius enter the other two tubes.

  On your command, my prince – sent Carus.

  That’s when a fleet of quadcopters became visible under the sky, rushing on Lucius’s position.

  May the gods be with us – sent Lucius, and all three tubes launched into space.

  Now the moon base was almost at their grasp.

  Macrinus, commence the attack – sent Lucius.

  Commencing attack, Lucius – was Macrinus’s reply.

  Lucius, Carus, and Olybrius were flying in rock-disguised vessels along with a swarm of real rocks. The Bions inside the base would never detect them until it was too late. But the Imperial fleet certainly knew what Lucius was up to. They sent their ships for an EMP sweep on all flying rocks in the vicinity. It turned out the admiral, whoever he was, read Lucius’s intentions, and he ignored Macrinus’s attack. Lucius didn’t think he would be outwitted, but at least the children worked. It made the fleet busy zapping random rocks. One way or another, that gave Lucius time to get closer to the moon base.

  Prepare to disengage on my mark – he sent. He waited for few more seconds to make sure they would not miss and then he gave the order – now!

  All three rocks opened in space and Lucius, Carus, and Olybrius were hurled in a free fall for the moon base. Now the fleet must’ve detected them as they stopped zapping rocks and moved on the three men. Lucius’s speed was increasi
ng with every passing second. There was no way that an EMP burst could hit him, unless by sheer luck, and luck was something the Empire was missing for centuries.

  What do we do once we land? – asked Carus.

  We kill every Bion we encounter and we take what is rightfully ours – even Lucius’s emotion was transmitted with those words and it was full of pride and eagerness.

  Last time we met those savages on the battlefield I killed twenty-five – sent Carus – This time I intend to improve my score.

  It didn’t take long before all three landed on top of the moon base with a blast of sand. Lucius was almost certain that the Bions were now aware of their presence. But it didn’t matter. No one was going to stop him.

  Lucius moved closer to a massive satellite dish in the middle of the moon base. The dish was tilted to the side. Its base half-opened a pit. It was dark and deep and covered with ancient cables, but it was the only way in.

  “Imperial ships incoming!” Carus shouted. Lucius looked up to try and spot them, and then he felt Carus’s heavy hand on his back as it grabbed him and pushed him down into the abyss. Bursts of sand darkened the stars behind them, covering their plunge into the deep.

  Father – Lucius sent as he fell – call off the attack. I am inside the base!

  There was no reply. Something was wrong. Lucius could feel it.

  Quickly after they jumped, they landed at end of the pit. Next they moved into the corridors to avoid any bombs in the open and to avoid showers of dust. Surprisingly though, there was no opposition inside the base. Lucius thought the Bions would be waiting for them like the animals they were: hidden, stalking, waiting to attack. But no attack came.

  Lucius made his vision turn blue. Use thermal imaging – he sent to his friends. It was always easier to spot the Bions because of their heat even when they wore suits of metal and fabric. It would be a welcoming sight to see their red-orange forms before Lucius takes their hearts out. However, the corridors were nothing but blue. And they were shaking, relentlessly. Loose dirt fell down like rain with each blast on the surface.

  Far ahead, two fallen pillars blocked their way. As Lucius came closer, a green, humanoid form leaped out from behind the closest pillar. It sent metal spikes at Lucius, which he dodged easily. Carus’s cybernetic body hurled past the prince with speed and stealth like a shadow, and then with a fist he smashed the attacker’s head. Another form leaped out from behind them. That one was Olybrius’s easy prey. Light beam extended from his silver hand and halved the form in two.

  They were green, not red, Lucius reflected. But there was no time to dwell on it. They had to be going, unless they wanted to be carried out in pieces.

  Behind the pillars they went through another corridor that led them into a wide room where five more pillars of old were resting on the floor. On the round walls a dozen metal screens hung attached, covered in ancient symbols from a language long forgotten. Above them the ceiling was domed and intact of the bombardment, though it appeared not for long – huge chunk fell down barely missing the prince.

  “Look at this,” Carus said. He was standing over a dead body. Lucius and Olybrius moved closer to him. “It is one of the savages,” Carus said.

  It didn’t make sense.

  “They never kill their own,” Olybrius said. “They are savages, but they value their lives–”

  Lucius’s sensors picked up movement behind him. He turned with blurring speed and brought his fist into the chest of a green form. It was squishy and warm inside, and it was quite fulfilling to take out a beating heart from his enemy. As the body fell down, Lucius realized something. “This is wrong,” he said. “This body is cybernetically enhanced.” Lucius looked at his bloodied hand and the piece of metal he tore from the ribcage on the way out. “It is not a Bion.” He then sent – Macrinus, the reports were wrong. Tell my father to cease bombardment. There are