They were both distracted when the harvesters ahead of them stumbled into a Russo-Chinese minefield. The Combatants snapped into action, firing their thrusters to place themselves between the mines and the harvesters. The mines locked onto their vessels and accelerated toward them, so the CamCos veered toward Europa’s surface, until gravity tore the mines down to burst against the massive ice layer.

Tom found himself gazing at that moon. Along with the underground of Mars, it was one of these spots in the solar system suspected of harboring microscopic life. Just suspected, though. Since they were both such strategically valuable, resource-rich territories, the Coalition shut down any efforts to actually test the territories for life. After all, it would be way too inconvenient, dealing with massive public protest if somehow the war eradicated the only life found to exist elsewhere in the solar system.

They completed their slingshot around Europa, launching straight toward Jupiter to catch up with the harvesters.

We’ll slingshot around Jupiter again to get some momentum for the return trip to the talons, Heather thought.

Right, Tom thought, mind flickering to those magnetized talons there to serve as collection points for spent drones to await refueling and future use.

Then I’ll enjoy having a word with Wyatt Enslow, Heather thought viciously.

Wyatt did her job. You were the one who messed up.

I shouldn’t get him thinking about this or he’ll warn her. Hey, Tom, did you know we’re right on course to pass over the Great Red Spot?

Tom was entirely distracted. Awesome, he thought. So awesome.

He stared, dazzled, through the vessel’s electronic eyes as the massive red spot of Jupiter slipped around the vast curvature of the planet. He gazed at the livid clouds. His neural processor told him the hurricane was three times the size of Earth, and it had raged for hundreds of years.

And then, it happened.

The harvester they were escorting plunged out of their sensor range. Then the other harvesters hurtled toward Jupiter. CamCo vessels began to follow. Tom saw Cadence Grey’s ship diving in a suicidal course for Jupiter. Yosef Saide’s ship veered after them, then collided with Elliot’s ship, blasting them both to pieces.

Wait, Heather thought. Wait, wait, wait. Something’s wrong.

And suddenly, it was their turn. Their thrusters roared to life and fired, propelling them straight toward Jupiter in a death charge.

Uh, Heather? Tom thought as that swirling red mass of storms grew larger and larger. You should aim us somewhere else. The ship began shaking violently as Jupiter’s gravity exerted more and more of a pull on them, and he felt Heather trying to fight whatever force it was that had seized control of their navigation.

Through the sensors of their ship, he could see more and more CamCo vessels veering in fatal death plunges, heat shields blasted by the friction with Jupiter’s atmosphere.