Alien Force

Gemini Order: Book I

ALIEN FORCE

By

Marly Mathews

© copyright by Marly Mathews, June 2011

Cover Art by Eliza Black June 2011

ISBN 978-1-60394-504-2

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Prologue

North America, 2490

Shylah McKay screamed. A torrent of fire bolts descended from the sky. She dodged one headed straight for her position. "Beau, get out of there!" she cried, racing to reach her friend's side.

The Enemy had knocked out their first lines of defense. Soon, they would be here. On Earth. She swallowed. Her heart danced up into her throat. Tears stung her eyes. She couldn't allow this to happen. Earth would soon be a battlefield. It would become a literal intergalactic war zone. She'd already lost too much. Her parents. Her brother. Her best friend. How much more would she lose in the coming months? They would not fall. They could not.

"Gemini Order, fall back," she screamed telepathically. She winced as hot knives slid into her head. Her shields faltered for an instant. And in that instant, an enemy Mind Breaker had penetrated her mind. She fell to her knees. She saw Beau out of the corner of her eye. She put her hand up. He could not come near her in this state. If he did, he would become vulnerable as well.

"Get out of my head, you alien bastard!" Her mental command rushed out, and knocked over several of her own people. Their anguished moans tore at her heart. But she was free! Her attacker had left her. Groaning, she glanced up at the darkening sky. Alien aircraft intercepted Earth aircraft. Her side was losing, the enemy was tearing through their lines quicker than they could reinforce them.

"Gemini Order, we must take to the sky!" Lifting her hands, she levitated a wall of crackling energy around her body. Those members of her Order that could do the same joined her. They could not allow The Enemy to land. If they did, all would be lost.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shylah saw Tessa leave Beau and levitate over to Shylah's side.

"Guess we're fighting partners in this round," Tessa called.

Shylah smiled. Beau had been wounded. He would be no good in the coming battle, which could very well be their last. "The Earth Space Force will be knocked out without our assistance. The Mind Breakers have begun their assault."

"I know. The enemy is winning!"

"I won't listen to that kind of negativity. Get a grip, Tessa. We need to protect Earth." Several other Gemini Order members surrounded Tessa and Shylah, forming a wall.

"What do you think our chances are?" Tessa asked.

Shylah assessed the situation. Their chances were slim. "Our best chance is to fall back!"

"You mean fall back so we can keep fighting? What about the Armed Forces of Earth?"

"We rescue them. We'll save as many lives as possible."

Being a leader wasn't in Shylah's life plans. That was her brother's vocation. Not hers. Yet, here she was, defending her planet.

"The other Earth Colonies have fallen. Now our job is to make sure this world has a future," she said, winking at Tessa.

Thomas, Tessa's twin joined them, and they flew, intercepting The Enemy ships. Shylah gazed at her planet's devastated surface. Earth couldn't take much more. Buildings burned around them. The alien force ransacked the world with their attempt at invading them. She knew the aliens would claim some areas of the world…she just hoped they could keep some of the world free.

She studied the Enemy ships-there were about a hundred. Her heart fell. She opened her communication channel to the Earth Ships, and spoke.

"Fall back, The Gemini Order has it covered."

"Captain McKay, how very nice of you to join the fun." The biting sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.

She narrowed her eyes. She didn't think very highly of Major Reynolds. He'd always been against her people. But he had to realize he couldn't fight this war alone. They'd been fighting together for years now, and still the man hadn't come round. His prejudice was galling. The only reason the Mind Breakers couldn't take out Reynolds was because of the Shields her people had erected in his mind.

Stupid man.

"Look, Major, I can't do this little dance with you right now. In case you hadn't noticed, Earth is at its darkest hour. If you know what's good for you, you'll fall back to the Alpha Site. The Enemy doesn't know about that safe location, yet. Take your men and women, and fall back!"

"And leave the citizen population of the world to you? I think not, Captain. I have my duty and my orders."

She grunted. The Enemy Ships hadn't fired yet. Obviously, they were still stunned.

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled. She had caught a stray thought. Kill. It came from The Enemy. The thought made her want to hurl. Her gaze darted toward The Pegasus. She broke out of her lines, and flew toward the flagship as fast as she could, but her mind was tired. She hadn't slept in days, although she had extraordinary abilities, her body could only take so much.

"They're charging their weapons," Tessa called.

"Intercept!" she cried. The Gemini Order followed her command. "Major, get your ship out of here! You have been targeted."

"We can defend ourselves, Captain."

After all the fighting, after all the hell Earth had been put through, Reynolds still believed the Earth Fighters would win the day. Shylah knew her people, The Gifted needed to be accepted for whom they were or The Gifted and The Normal ones would never live in harmony. People had to change their mindset toward her kind, if they didn't…they would never be able to live in harmony.

Didn't he realize they were fighting aliens with supernatural talents? The man was an asshole of the highest class. There were two hundred crewmembers on The Pegasus, and she couldn't let them die.

"Shylah?" Beau's mental touch sent a shiver through her. The man had become her closest friend. Not her lover, but a good friend. "You can't take on the ship that's gunning The Pegasus alone. It's the bloody mother ship for the love of God. Get out of there!"

She groaned, pushing Beau out of her head. "I'm sorry, my friend."

She positioned herself between The Pegasus and the Enemy ship. Her reckoning had come. With advanced firepower, The Enemy fired. She threw her hands up and erected an electrical force field around The Pegasus.

Her mind burned as Enemy fire hit her shields. Blood trickled from her nose. She could not let go of her shields until The Pegasus moved to safety. She could sense the panicked crew of The Pegasus. They scrambled, pulling back. Five minutes passed by. Five minutes that felt like eternity.

Screams tore through her mind. Her friends dropped like snowflakes from the sky. It was not over. She would fight until her last breath.

"Captain!" Major Reynolds's voice broke through her communication device. "Get ready, we're transporting you to our ship!"

"No! If you do, you'll die. I'll be fine. Go."

"We don't leave people behind."

"I'm not a Normal person, remember? Go and take the rest of my Order with you. The Enemy will have a harder time finding you that way."

She turned to Thomas and Tessa. "When you get onboard, cloak The Pegasus, then The Enemy can't find you."

Reynolds' voice came through the communicator. "Captain…Shylah, you can't do this. It's certain death."

"It's my destiny."

Major Reynolds was silent. Then, "God Bless you, Shylah McKay."

She watched the rest of her Order disappear. They were safe. And hope flared in her heart.

The Pegasus's engines thrummed to life. In an instant, they moved to maximum velocity and were gone.

The Enemy surrounded her.

They would not take her. Her throat burned, as she continued to lift her hands above her head. Her shields faltered for a brief moment.

The Enemy's mental fire tore at her. Then she did the one thing, they wouldn't, couldn't expect.

She teleported.

In the blink of an eye, she was on the ground. She'd always known she could teleport, but it was dangerous. It drained her energy. Burns riddled her body. She tried to lift herself. Her burns would heal. She had to find a healer. She cried out with her mind.

No answer.

She curled into a fetal position. A man's mental whisper touched her mind. A shiver rippled through her body. It was the most glorious feeling.

The man appeared.

Her gaze met his. "Who are you?"

He looked surprised. Maybe he was an angel. He must be a healer. She wanted to feel his hands on her. He could take away her pain. He had to be her savior.

"You are badly wounded." He dropped to his knees, and rested his hand against her cheek.

That strange sensation hit her again. His touch was soft silk against her skin, his hand almost transparent. He splayed his fingers, caressing the side of her cheek. He drew back, startled, and groaned.

"Don't leave me." Her voice was a faint but fervent whisper.

He looked shocked.

Then, his eyes softened. "You can call me Grayson. Grayson Smith."

"Grayson, help me."

Grayson stared at the woman. Didn't she know who he was? What he was?

The woman intrigued him. Sparks had flown between them. She was definitely special-she looked at him as if he were her savior.

He had to help her. He knew that in an instant.

His eyes locked on hers again. He was in love. One look-that was it. He glanced at the insignia on her yellow uniform. She was part of the much-revered Gemini Order. She had to be one hell of a powerful woman.

He knelt beside her. For some reason he could touch her…he didn't understand that. They had to be bonded in some way. It could only be a supernatural bond.

Predestined.

"I'm going to touch you again, Captain."

"Call me, Shylah. Just, Shylah."

His heartbeat quickened. Her voice was heaven. Willing all of his energy to him, he leaned down and gathered her in his arms. He stood up, cradling her against his chest.

"Shylah." Her name rolled off his tongue like music. His voice was a caress and she relaxed.

"Take me, here." She pressed her hand against his chest, and a sudden image entered his mind.

She was a telepath.

He'd known the members of The Gemini Order were skilled, but not all were telepaths.

He nodded his head. "Your wish is my command." He took to the sky. It was a miracle he had found her. She could be his salvation.

"I feel as if we've met before." She tilted her head toward him, and he drank in the beauty of her stunning eyes. They seemed to engulf her entire face. "Yet, you feel familiar." He sighed. He would never get enough of listening to her voice.

"I don't think we've met before, I'd certainly recall that meeting." He tried to put some humor into his voice, but her injuries were severe. He would reach the underground bunker she had mentally shown to him in no time. The sooner he got her to a skilled healer…the better. Even now, he could feel her slipping away. He wouldn't let her die. A primal sense of protectiveness surged inside of him. She was his-and he was hers. For that reason, he would protect her with all of the power he possessed.

"Take it easy, Shylah, you need to conserve your strength." Her eyes looked haunted. So, they shared something else.

A tragic history.

"I need to talk to you. What happens if you're not there when I wake up?"

"I assure you, I will be there when you wake up. I'll never leave your side, not for as long as you live."

"I'll hold you to that." She sighed. Then, her eyelids fluttered closed. She fell asleep with his name on her lips.

Voices floated around her. Telepathic voices. Wincing, Shylah slowly opened one eye open and then the other. Her eyes roamed around the small room she was in. A pilot from The Earth Space Force was stretched out on the bed beside her. She was in a healing ward. She was alive.

Someone had a firm grasp on her hand. A shiver ran through her as the man's touch tingled straight through her skin. He had the lightest touch imaginable.

"Hello," he murmured.

Her eyes locked onto his. Dark, brooding. But filled with tenderness. She licked her lips. The emotion in his eyes rocked her to her core.

"Water," she mumbled. He didn't seem willing to let go of her hand to reach for the cup by the bedside. She rolled her head to the side, and locked her eyes on the cup.

"Shylah!" Tessa's shocked voice broke her concentration. Through a great amount of grit, she'd just managed to levitate the cup into the air. It fell, and sloshed water all over the table.

"Oh, crap," Shylah muttered.

Tessa ran toward her, and leaned down to hug her.

"You gave us all quite the fright. You were badly burned. But Carly managed to heal you. She's resting right now, so she can attend to the other injured."

"She should have treated them first."

"Well, the other healers tended the ones that were critical. You needed Carly, your wounds were…well, they were extensive, to say the least." Tessa flushed as she touched Shylah's mind.

"You must thank Carly for me," Shylah rasped.

"Thank her yourself, she'll be by to see you in a few minutes." Tessa's gaze fell and lingered on Grayson. Shylah squeezed Tessa's hand, willing her to keep quiet. Tessa had felt her emotions. She would already know Shylah desired Grayson. And who in their right mind wouldn't? He'd saved her life.

Tessa snapped her hands. The water glass righted itself, and the water jug tilted on its side and poured more water into the glass.

"Take a sip of this," Tessa moved the glass so Shylah would be able to pick it up with her free hand.

"Thanks," Shylah mumbled.

"Shylah, I'll leave you alone, so you and Grayson can talk. He has something of great consequence to tell you." Shylah's heart fell. With her luck, the man was probably married. Closing her eyes, she turned her head, opened her eyes, and riveted them on Grayson.

Tessa left the room. Awkward silence hung between them. Her eyes dropped to his hand clutching hers. Her hand looked good clasped beneath his larger one.

"I don't know how to say this…," His voice trailed off.

"Oh, let me guess, you are-" She was just about to say married, when he interrupted her.

"I'm dead. Dead." He stressed the last word.

Her mouth gaped open. Okay, so she wasn't really expecting that bombshell.

Dead.

Huh. Well, at least he wasn't married.