Admiral Burnes stared into the black void of space. It was so calm, so quiet. There was nothing but a peaceful void out here.

Unfortunately, mankind could not afford that same luxury.

A voice spoke from behind her. “They’re not going to surrender, Admiral.”

Burnes turned to face Commodore Leiffson. “Has it been thirty minutes?”

“Thirty-two, actually.” Leiffson checked his watch. “No response.”

The admiral sighed and stared out the portside windows of the command deck. From her place aboard the U.S.S. Continuum, she could clearly see the red planet below, a colorful sphere against a dark backdrop.

“Then I suppose they’ve left us no choice. Prepare the MAGs.”

Suddenly there was a beeping tone in her ear. She reached up and tapped her ComLink. “Yes?”

“We’ve got an incoming link trying to establish communications from the surface. How do you want to proceed, Admiral?”

Burnes pursed her lips. “Patch them through.”

There was a moment of silence. Then the tone of an incoming call connecting. “Hello?” asked the admiral.

“Admiral Burnes.” The voice on the other end of the line was also female, but harsh and angry. “Surely you understand the gravity of this situation.”

“I do, Miranda,” Burnes replied. “Which is why I’m giving you and your fellow insurgents a chance to surrender. This doesn’t need to get messy.”

“This got messy the instant your government sold Mars to MK to strip mine and ravage!” Miranda spat. “Our people are dying along with this planet and you stand by and watch and do nothing.

“The blood is on your hands, Admiral, and the hands of everyone else in the UCA. We will never surrender!”

The line went dead.

Admiral Burnes closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There would be no happy resolution to this day.

“Admiral?” Leiffson asked. “Your orders?” The whole bridge of the ship was looking at Burnes.

The admiral opened her eyes and nodded solemnly. “They have decided not to surrender, and we have our orders to end this insurrection,” She turned to the control deck. “Open fire on the surface.”

There was a gentle hum as the ship’s eight portside Magnetic Acceleration Guns charged up. Everyone held their breath. The overhead lights dimmed briefly.

Admiral Burnes bowed her head.

“May God have mercy on our souls.”

The guns fired.

---

They said you could see the Mars glow brighter than usual from Earth’s surface that night. Eight nuclear warheads detonating simultaneously, obliterating the planet’s surface.

When the dust settled and the flames had died out, the was nothing but the glittering red glass that covered the surface, formed by the extreme heat of the explosions fusing the dust particles.

The U.S.S. Continuum returned to Earth. Admiral Burnes and her crew were praised as war heroes.

Burnes retired soon after, wracked with guilt.

Mars would not be inhabitable for a long time to come. The radiation had poisoned the air and set back the terraforming efforts by a hundred years.

The red planet had been humanity’s home for a brief moment. But when that moment faded, it was taken back by the void of space, silent once more.