Irane chuckled slightly. “No, you’re not dead. Not yet. You still have a purpose, a role to play in the world. This is just another stepping stone to fulfilling your destiny. Tell me, Theo, what do you see here? What do you feel?”
At first, Theo thought that it was an odd question, but then he focused more clearly on his surroundings. The mist was pulsating, alive. There was a sense of white noise that he couldn’t quite pin down. “I see mist. It looks like dark matter, and it’s almost like it has a life of its own. I can hear something, too, but I can’t make out what it is. Everywhere the mist touches, I feel a small electric charge run across my body. It’s not painful. It’s more like a tingle.”
Irane nodded. “Very good. The substance called dark matter was named that way by creatures who had very little understanding of its true potential. They tried to turn it into a weapon—just like everything else your species stumbles across—but that’s not what it was supposed to be used for.”
“What is it supposed to be used for, then?”
Spreading his arms wide, Irane gestured to the space around them. “Dark matter is found all throughout the universe. It connects everything. Those connections all end up here. Think of it like a communication system that everyone is using all day and night. The white noise you hear are prayers. If they were all played at the volume of a normal speaking voice, you would go deaf.”
Theo squinted, trying to make sure he understood Irane correctly. “So, you’re saying that dark matter is what connects us to Batumah?”
“Yes. It’s how I hear everyone. It would be too much for you to deal with, if you had to listen to a constant stream of people asking for help. I am the only one that can truly use the dark matter as it is supposed to be used. It is neither innately good or evil. The substance simply exists. The way people use it determines if it is good or bad.”
Theo looked around at the mist again. “I still don’t really understand what I’m doing here, though? Why bring me here?”
Another smile spread across Irane’s face. “Do you remember when I first showed you my true nature?”
Theo nodded. “How could I ever forget?”
“That day, when I touched your forehead, and let you feel the entire universe coursing through you, I planted a seed inside of you. It was a seed that, when you were truly ready to take on the full role of Hulaki, would bring you here. Since you are here now, I can only assume that you are ready to shoulder the weight of that destiny.”
Wrinkling his forehead, Theo tried to wrap his mind around that. “Wait, so are you telling me that you sent me out on dangerous missions, where good people lost their lives, and I wasn’t even ready to be Hulaki? Why would you do that? Why didn’t you just wait until I was ready to give me that much responsibility?”
Irane folded his fingers together. “Because you would have never been ready that way. You had to believe in yourself, and you had to make others believe in you, too. Otherwise, you would never have risen to the occasion. You had to truly step into your destiny. Being Hulaki is not an easy task. You had to be willing to give up things that were very precious to you, which included Mari, in order to be the selfless crusader that the galaxy needs. You had to put the needs of the many ahead of your personal needs and desires.”
Theo was a little disgusted. “So, losing Mari was part of some sort of test you wanted me to pass?”
“It was necessary, yes. Try not to think of death as an ending. When you are able to think beyond your own lifetime, you will realize that even though you lost her her it is not the end. You will be reunited with her, and your children, when the right day comes. Death is not a final goodbye. It is merely a pause between meetings. Being here means that you are ready for the next part of your destiny, and I think that will help you see things more clearly.”
Still wrestling with what Irane had just said, Theo fought back his emotions. “What’s supposed to happen now?”
Irane lifted his hand, and placed one finger on Theo’s forehead again. It was like a dam had burst inside of him, or like someone had removed a blindfold from his eyes. He didn’t quite have the same encompassing sense of the universe as when Irane had first touched him, but it was similar. His mind still expanded. Time stretched out before him like a steady stream. Suddenly, the amount of time between the present and seeing Mari again didn’t feel so distant. His mind was able to see his place in the grand scheme of things much more clearly. He gained a sense of calm and stability.
Theo took in a deep breath. “I’m ready now. Send me back to my body. I have something I need to finish.”
The mist swirled around him, wrapping him in a soft cocoon. He could hear some of the prayers more clearly now. One voice stood out in particular. He heard his name in the prayer. Someone was praying for him to be protected. A smile spread across his face, as he recognized the voice: it was Cierra.
Fifteen
Makram stood in the arena. His eyes were glued on Theo’s floating body. The sword that Makram had thrust into him was still embedded deeply in Theo’s flesh. A gasp from the crowd made him turn around. Jaedo was in the arena with them now. The Josti had abandoned his disguise as one of the imperial guards. He unsheathed a set of both infintium blades and lasana swords.
The Josti performed a sweeping stance that looked familiar to Makram, but he couldn’t quite place it. Just as he was trying to figure out where he had seen that move before, Jaedo’s body began to shift again. This time it took on a more familiar face: Hojae.
A surprised, delighted smile lit up Karl’s face. He started to rush towards Hojae, but Makram was faster. Jerking his sword out of Theo’s body, Makram lifted the blade, preparing to hurl it across the space. He let out a roar, trying to prevent his brother from going to Hojae. “No!”
Even as he said it, Makram heard a faint clink. It was a sound that he had heard several times when Theo and Cierra used dark matter in the underground armory. His eyes widened in fear. Makram turned to watch, horrified at the damage that would ensue, and helpless to stop it.
Theo’s body dropped heavily to the ground. Immediately, a bright purple and white light shot out of his body. It was blinding. The light wrapped around Theo’s body, healing him from the wounds that he had been unable to attend to properly before. He pushed himself up. A surge of pure life coursed through his veins. His body was a mixture of flesh, blood, and dark matter, but that didn’t seem to explain it well. It was more like light matter, spiritual matter, that connected him to everything around him. He could see things differently, clearly, now. Even the people he saw, were not always what they appeared to be. Theo experienced flashes from the past, and snippets of possibilities about the future.
Back in the arena, Theo could see that both Makram and Karl had been changed. They were only part human, limited in ways that he hadn’t been able to see before. The dark stains of their evil deeds clung to them. Glancing up at the emperor’s box, Theo could see that the same damage that had altered the two princes had nearly devoured their father. Pollus was twisted and gnarled. His soul was almost entirely black from a life of destruction void of any compassion.
Makram and Karl exchange glances. Makram took the moment to charge at Hojae before his brother could stop him. Karl watched as his childhood friend threw down his infintium blades. He prayed that Hojae would be able to hold his own against Makram this time. Karl himself had to finish what he started with Theo.
Channeling power around his fists, Theo blocked each blow that Karl threw at him effortlessly. The crowd roared with excitement and anticipation. Theo seemed to instinctively know where the next strike would come from, preempting it. Karl’s face grew redder with each block.
Makram glared ferociously at the Josti in front of him. “I saw your body fall into the water. I saw your blood. There’s no way you could have possibly survived that!”
A slight peace fell over Hojae’s face, just enough to enrage Makram even more. “If I’d been alone, it certainly would have killed me. B
ut, I wasn’t alone. Batumah came to me. He offered me a new life, a new identity. He promised me a different past, one where I could be anything and everything that I had been denied before. There were so many things that I missed out on because I had been born into slavery. All I had to do in return was make better life choices, to choose which side to support in an upcoming battle, without the influence of being a slave hanging over me. Now, not even you can take my worth away from me, Makram.”
Makram held his own against Hojae. “We’ll just see about that! I’ve killed you once. I can do it again!”
Hojae shook his head. “You still don’t understand, even after everything that has happened. You don’t fight for a cause. You fight for your own personal gain. That is why you will not win this time.”
Makram thrust his blade at the Josti again, but Hojae stepped aside nimbly. Makram yelled at him. “Stand still and fight like a man!”
Instead of getting drawn further into a bickering match with Makram, Hojae instead called out to Karl. “Karl, you were the one reason I even hesitated when Batumah offered me a fresh start. I didn’t want to lose my memories of you. I didn’t want to abandon you, or leave you behind like so many others had done. The only reason I agreed to it was because Batumah promised me that when the time was right, I would get my memories back. He said that on that day, I would have the chance to try and save you. So, listen to me now. Karl, you don’t have to do this. You can choose to follow a different path. It’s not too late for you to change your ways.”
Karl grimaced, as Theo almost knocked a blade out of his hand. “You’re wrong. It’s too late for me. I can’t escape my past. The only thing I have left is my future, and that depends on me killing this whelp.”
Hojae made eye contact with Theo. Theo wasn’t sure how he knew what Hojae wanted him to do, but he did. Theo quickly crouched. His body formed a small ramp that allowed Hojae to jump up, and use Theo as a spring board. The Josti flipped through the air, landing firmly behind Makram. In one quick thrust, Hojae stabbed Makram through the back, the same way the prince had impaled Theo. Makram’s eyes widened with pain and fear. He fell to his knees. Blood dribbled from his mouth down his chin. He coughed up the crimson fluid that was flooding his lungs.
Hojae yelled out one more time to Karl. “Please, reconsider! You don’t have to continue on this path! It doesn’t have to define who you are. You can be free from revenge and anger.”
Karl set his jaw. He pulled his blade back, preparing to stab Theo. He turned to look at Hojae. “I can’t. It’s all I have left.”
Before Karl could follow through on his swing, Theo thrust his hand into the prince’s chest. He flooded Karl with spiritual energy. Karl knew his time was over as he felt the white-hot energy pour into him. He never took his eyes off Hojae. He managed to mouth two words before the energy imploded: I’m sorry.
Hojae watched the light leave his oldest friend’s eyes. His heart sank. Part of him had been hoping that Karl would be able to turn towards the light, but the prince had been convinced that there was no more hope for him.
With both princes dispatched, Theo and Hojae turned to face the emperor’s box. Theo yelled up to Pollus loud enough for everyone to hear. “Why don’t you come finish off your own dirty work, instead of sending your sons to fight for you? Come down and face me!”
The emperor’s face was purple with rage. He pointed one, massive finger at Theo and Hojae. “Kill them!”
Squads of soldiers immediately filed into the arena, surrounding them. Theo and Hojae pressed their backs against one another in a defensive position. The two of them prepared to take on the whole squadron. But, before either side could commence an attack, the palace complex and all the other imperial ships pulled out of subspace. They emerged in a warzone filled with a Yasta armada that had been lying in wait. A boiling cloud of ships from both sides morphed like a large flock of starlings, as they jockeyed to get into the best positions to attack.
Then, the heavens lit up. Lasers and plasma bursts erupted everywhere. Explosions further away silhouetted hundreds of tiny, fast-moving fighters in the foreground. The flashes also momentarily illuminated the lumbering carriers. The crowds in the stands were transfixed by the horror above, even more than they had been by the spectacular showdown in the ring.
A detachment of Yasta ships peeled off from the main formation. They’d spotted the biggest prize of all: the palace itself. They moved swiftly, seeming to jump irregularly along their paths as the flickering light from the main battle illuminated them like a strobe. Then, once they were close enough, they opened fire. The blue field of the dome above them lit up brightly with each hit, with lightning like tendrils emanating from the bright spot. The ceaseless pounding of enemy fire slowly weakened the field. It gradually grew dimmer. The war had begun.
Cataclysm
The Relissarium Wars Space Opera Series, Book 12
One
Red lights flashed a warning through the base on Relisse. Sirens blared through the entire mining infrastructure, echoing loudly in the large hangar, and making Cherish’s head pound. Dark Relissarium shielding paint dripped from the brush she was clutching. They had painted as many fighters as they could. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and her arms ached from so much repetitive movement. Tired lines spread from the corners of her eyes. She searched for the hologram video feed being projected by the Yasta ships that were already in the air.
Seneca yelled out over the sirens. “They’re here! All the imperial ships just showed up!”
Cherish rushed over to the hologram. There were more imperial ships than she could have ever imagined. The enemy fleet was spread across the entire image. Her stomach twisted into a knot. Even with the new Relissarium shielding, which had barely begun to dry, she wasn’t sure if it would be enough to help them prevail. Murmurs of fear and shock rattled the gathered Yasta warriors. None of them had known the sheer magnitude of what they’d signed up for.
Hubard’s voice was hushed but panicky. “We only have a third of the Yasta ships deployed. It’s not going to be enough. They’re going to be massacred up there!”
Cherish squared her shoulders. “No, they aren’t.” She leapt up onto a stack of boxes, and magnified her voice, so that everyone could hear her speak. “The time has come for us to fight the evil that has preyed upon this galaxy! Not all of our ships are coated with the Relissarium. Not all of us will come back from this fight. If anyone wants to leave, do so now. But if you stay, you must fully commit yourself to this attack. There must be no fear and no hesitation. I can promise you that Batumah is on our side! Believe in him, believe in yourselves, and believe in our cause! We do not fight only for ourselves. We fight for our daughters who were taken to be sex slaves! We fight for our sons who were forced to serve in the militia! We fight for the people who died on Relisse, and the people who died at the monasteries. We fight for those who can no longer fight for themselves! Who’s with me?”
The gathered warriors let out a unified battle cry, which drowned out the howling Klaxon. In the commotion of soldiers running to different fighters, Cherish managed to catch Hubard’s eye. The old scientist offered her a solemn salute. She could see the worry in his eyes. She turned away before either of them could break down into a mournful goodbye, and hopped onto the bottom rung of the ladder to her fighter’s cockpit.
A sudden thought popped into her mind. Leaping back down to the floor of the hangar, Cherish ran over to where Arden was lying down. His eyes were open and alert. His leg was set in a splint. Cherish bent down so that her face was level with his. “Arden, I could really use your invisibility gift. Do you think you’re well enough to come with me?”
The Aphaian nodded sharply. He pulled the oxygen mask off of his face. “Yes, I can go with you. I can’t walk like this, though.”
Cherish placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to.” She picked him up, and started striding back to the fighter craft again.
Overhead, a coun
tdown had begun. Anyone who was not in a ship evacuated the area. Cherish secured Arden and herself in the small craft. The noisy chaos from outside was silenced as the canopy slid shut. She double checked that her blasters were fully functioning. The dome overhead opened, allowing the atmosphere inside to rush out and mingle with the thin gas covering the surface of Relisse. Cherish pictured this, and sighed as she thought of the parched planet taking a small breath of life giving air. One by one, the Yasta fighters poured upwards, out of the hangar, on bright columns of plasma.
The sky was filled with a dazzling display of laser fire and plasma bursts, as each side tore into the other. The beauty of the sight was only matched by its horror. Cherish and Arden were climbing steeply towards the rear of the Yasta fleet that was already in position. Stray shots ricocheted through the rebel ranks, until they struck a ship wasn’t coated with Relissarium well enough. Cherish watched as one of their own exploded, raining fiery shards back towards the surface of Relisse.
In the chaos, Cherish spotted a lone ship weaving in and out of the imperial ranks. Somehow, it was managing to dodge the laser fire. She grabbed her communication radio, and sent out a call to everyone in a Yasta fighter ship. “What’s going on out there? Who’s charging the enemy ranks? You’re going to get yourself killed! Fall back, now!”
In a few seconds, a female voice that Cherish had come to know very well answered back. Jiyeon’s voice was staticky, but her message was loud and clear. “Sorry, Cherish. I can’t do that.”
Cherish suddenly realized that when she had gone to get Arden, the bed close to his was empty. Jiyeon must have come back to her senses a little before he had. Cherish was on the edge of her seat, weaving through the Yasta fleet, trying to keep up with Jiyeon. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The Relissarium Wars Omnibus Page 64