A holographic video shot out of Boz’s HDC device, the vid hovering high above Boz.
“What’s going on?” said a soldier.
A few took a several steps forward, their eyes betraying their usual steady expressions.
It was a video of every communication stream that the President of the United States of America and Colonel Slade Roberson had with Kajka Okbak, the supreme leader of the Kelhoon. They watched as their President set up the troops and every person on the starship to be slaughtered.
They were going to be farmed like animals.
They were going to be used as food throughout the Kelhoon planetary systems.
The strongest would be used as slaves, until it was time for them to land on a Kelhoon plate.
“So,” said President Martelle on the vid stream that Boz was showing the troops. “You will have us set up nicely on Callisto. That’s our deal. Slade and I will be the head of the slave trade.”
“Koonja kanga.”
Slade grinned. “You’ll be compensating us more than our world’s richest citizen.”
“Oojkana.”
Slade and Craig both dipped their heads. “Agreed.”
Boz turned off the holodisplay.
Slade’s jaw dropped and his gut about fell out of his stomach. He quickly pressed a button, his mouth coming closer to his watch.
“Yes, Colonel?”
“Did you dispatch the troops to Deck 7?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, then where the hell are they?”
“They are on their way, sir.”
“Well, tell them to hurry their asses up. This is not a drill. This is a legit situation. We are being taken over by a few senators and governors as we speak.”
“I will relay that information, sir.”
Slade glanced back at the display before him. A Marine – big, built and buff – walked up to Ken, fury in his eyes. “Reporting for duty, Sir.”
Slade brought his hand back up to his mouth. “You aren’t on my team anymore are you HQ?”
“No sir.”
Static.
Slade stood and kicked the crate across the storage. He slammed his palm against the control panel, opening the door. It was time to gather whatever troops were remaining under his command to fight for his ship back.
And he hoped the fight wouldn’t be pretty — for Ken.
23
Unknown, Callisto ~ J-Quadrant, Solar System
Hot flames kicked up, crackling brush and sticks echoed against the crags, and yellowish-red light flickered on the rocks. A warmth touched the side of Rivkah’s face and a cold tinged the other side.
She touched her face and took a breath. She was alive. No, it couldn’t be. Fire? Was she in hell?
She shook her head, whispering, “No such thing.” Death was death. Nothing more. Once you were gone, you were out of here – blackness. Nothingness.
She sat up and gathered herself. She rolled her neck. She was in a cave. A deep cave. She couldn’t see an opening, no exit, no entrance. Perhaps it was around the corner, but no draft meant an opening wasn’t near.
A rock fell from some place high. She pushed herself into a crouch, almost falling over from dizziness. “Who’s there?” She massaged her temples, doing her best to keep herself awake and to tame the spinning world around her.
Another rock fell and boots crunched against gravel. Someone was walking toward her, though it came deep from within the shadows.
Rivkah went to grab her gun.
It wasn’t there. “Fuck you, Fox.” He had taken it from her. He left her vulnerable. Hell, he shot her. But if he did, then why wasn’t she dead? And since she was most certainly shot by the coward – she touched her chest, pressing on her collar bones and sternum – then why wasn’t there a hole in her chest and through to her back?
He had stunned her. But why?
“Because he saw me, Rivkah. And those Kelhoon wanted one of you dead. Fox chose a fake death for you. It worked.”
Rivkah moved behind the fire, using it as a barrier between herself and whoever was coming from behind the shadows. “Who are you?”
A black boot stepped into the light, then blue pants and finally a woman in a blue Secret Space Program jump suit.
“Bogle?” Rivkah let down her guard. “How did you know what I was thinking?” She remembered. They were connected somehow through that network, through that Lady of Atlantis statue seemingly guarding the pyramids of Atlantis Alta’s capital city, Flood of Dawn. Plus Bogle was super-psychic. “Fox didn’t want me dead?”
“Oh, he wants you dead, but apparently not on this day. On the other hand, the Kelhoon think he did a very fine job of ending your life. He not only saved your life with that attempt, he saved his own.” Bogle tapped her noggin’. “He’s a smart cat, no if, ands, or buts about it.”
Rivkah narrowed her eyes, moving a step to the side, farther away from Bogle. “You’re different.”
Bogle sat on a rock outcropping, resting her back against the cave wall. “I’ve changed, yes. I’m not that much different. Just a little less afraid. And I don’t care anymore, Rivkah. Not a bit.”
“Care about what?”
Her shirt crinkled when she shrugged. “Everything. I’ve done what I thought I was supposed to do. I thought God planted me here to kill Morning Star.”
Rivkah cocked her head to the side. What an intriguing answer. “Morning Star was a good man. He did nothing to harm you. In fact, from what I heard, he caught you with his craft after Star Warden blew up just above Callisto’s exosphere and saved your life. You repaid him by leading him to his own death.”
Bogle looked down. “That was my error.”
“That’s not the only error. You left us all to die. You led us into a trap.”
“Do you know what Morning Star means? Do you know the significance of that name?”
Rivkah stared into the fire, thinking.
“Don’t worry. You won’t be able to answer, Riv. The devil was named Morning Star before he fell from grace. I thought I’d killed the devil. I thought I was doing right by God.” She shook her head. “No, I did wrong by him. Morning Star was the devil’s name when he was good. Morning Star was good, not yet broken by the evils of jealousy, of envy, of lust, and greed.” She paused for a moment, looking up at Rivkah. “I broke a commandment: thou shall not kill.”
“Are you –”
Bogle put her hand up, interrupting Rivkah. “I know what you’re going to say. And, yes, I was dumb, naive, bull-headed, and I am that word you were going to use – stupid. But I have changed. I ran, I learned, and I gained strength in the process. Psychic strength through our God Almighty. And, this...” She stood and closed her eyes, concentrating. The fire hissed as if water had been thrown onto it, then vanished. The cave was pitch black. A moment later, the fire rose to an enormous height, beating against the ceiling, then died down to where it was before it flickered out.
Bogle opened her eyes. “Did you see that?”
“Well, hell yes I did. You’re turning into Jaxx, but I haven’t seen him do that before.” Rivkah moved another few steps back. “You’re not going to do that to me, are you? I’ve already been burned to the bone. I don’t want to experience that again.” The chills ran through her body. The memory was still vivid in her mind.
“I’m not going to harm another hair on anyone ever again. That’s not the Christian way.”
Rivkah wanted to giggle. What another lame-ball idea posed by a religious freak. “Well, you do your thing and I’ll do mine. Anyone tries to kill me? They get killed first. That’s my motto, kid.” She inched her way toward a corner of the cave. “By the way, you need to come back with me. We’re going to get Jaxx back.”
“I know where their camp is,” said Bogle, ignoring Rivkah’s statement.
“Whose camp?” questioned Rivkah.
“The Kelhoon. The leader who took Fox. They’ve been slowly moving closer to Flood of Dawn. They aren’t f
ar away from this spot.”
“How close are we to Flood of Dawn?”
“Three klicks north.”
Rivkah caught her breath. That was too close. By morning, they could invade and kill off everyone inside the city. “We have to warn them.”
Bogle slowly shook her head. “Let’s get the Kelhoon from inside their own camp.”
“One against thousands?” Bogle had really lost her marbles. “I’ll pass.”
Bogle clapped her hands together and armor clamored as heavy steps came from the shadows. Men and women in Atlantean armor stepped forward, tridents in their hands, revenge in their eyes.
“Welcome the warriors of North Light, here to surprise the Kelhoon. They are the followers of the Law of One, but I won’t judge them for that. They come from the city north of Flood of Dawn. They know me and will follow me because they are told, in the prophecies, that I am their leader.”
Rivkah shrugged. “Okay, where exactly is the Kelhoon camp?”
“We’re in a passageway between North Light and Flood of Dawn. The Kelhoon are directly above us.”
Rivkah looked up. This was, undoubtedly, the weirdest conversation of her entire life. She gestured at the ceiling. “Right there?”
Bogle nodded. “It’s time to fight.”
“Wait, now? This very instant?”
Bogle closed her eyes and a blue light beamed from the fire. The ceiling where the beam penetrated began to smoke and small grains of sandy rock began to fall from the beam’s impact. The cave started to shake, then a blast from the fire shot through the ceiling, exposing the sky.
Bogle, eyes closed, lowered her hands, then raised them in one fast motion. Instantly, three soldiers burst up through the hole and above ground. Bogle continued her odd movement, pushing more and more soldiers through the hole.
Lasers and cannons began roaring across the sky accompanied with small explosions. A fresh battle was underway and by the time Rivkah had caught her breath, Bogle had magically lifted the last soldier out of the passageway to the battle ensuing above.
Rivkah puffed up her cheeks. “Well, it looks like you have everything handled.” She turned to leave, but her feet wouldn’t move, wouldn’t budge an inch. She was planted in place.
“Rivkah, they need you. We all need you.”
“Uh...I have no weapons.”
“You have the greatest weapon of all. Your Chi.”
Bogle closed her eyes again and lifted Rivkah above the lip of the tunnel and out into the open.
Photon bombs and ion charges were detonating everywhere, lasers and tracer fire were hitting trees, slamming against armored Atlanteans, and bloody screams from both sides filled the combat zone.
Rivkah went for her phaser for the second time. It still wasn’t there. Off in the distance, she heard a scream – a child’s scream, a little girl’s pleas for help.
“Not again.” She charged forward, heading toward the Kelhoon camp with Leaping Lizard starfighters, KH1 heavy tanks, and KH29 rocket barrages lining the camp’s perimeters.
She pulled up every emotion she could muster while she ran toward the encampment walls. Her hands started to run hot, her central nervous system went into overdrive, and her mind cleared – her sight now like an eagle, her instincts like a cat.
She was ready to kick ass and take names. On second thought, names wouldn’t be needed.
24
Near Taiyo Orbit, Sector 9 ~ Galactic Arm, Milky Way Galaxy
Jaxx stared at his reverse vid cams, the blue-flaming Agadon ships and Agadon combat-mechs had slowly gained on him and the Leonians. He took his eyes off the vid screen, the camera automatically adjusting with his eye movement, the vision of the blue-green world, which glowed brilliantly in front of him, was marred by more Agadon ships and combat mechs, all closing in on him and the Leonians.
“We’ve brought these Agadon assholes to Taiyo. Let’s change our path. I can’t bring this evil upon my friends.” Jaxx’s heart went into his throat. It might be too late to change course.
“Yes, you brought them upon us, Jaxx. It is good that you not forget. But you would do well not to dwell in the inky swamplands that the Negatives thrive on. Turn yourself to the light. Allow your gift to shine. Use it to bring them to their knees,” replied Zara.
“First, we lure them away from Taiyo,” responded Jaxx.
“I don’t think the Taiyonians see it your way, Jaxx,” said Zara.
“I think they would.” Jaxx brought his reverse vid cams back online. The Agadon had accelerated and were approaching fast. “Oh, no. Not good.” The lead ship, a massive carrier, was amassing electric charged energy at the nose of the ship. Lightening-like tentacles crawled over the nose. “Is that a weapon?”
“A massive weapon and like I said, Jaxx, the Taiyonians don’t see it your way. They know they have to help you fulfill the prophecy. Because so, they are in attack formation now.”
Jaxx’s eyes went to the cockpit window. “Holy shit.” Up ahead, coming in quickly, were hundreds of Taiyonian starfighters. “Taka-zans are coming in fast.” He grinned.
“Split!” ordered Zara.
Jaxx banked left with his control sticks, one in each hand – both controlling opposite sides of the mech’s body. Half of the Leonian fleet went his way, the other half the other way. Almost instantly, tracer rounds from the Taiyonians followed by lasers zoomed past Jaxx and the Leonians, impacting the Agadon carrier.
The lasers met the heavy impulse cannon at its head. The massive carrier flashed a dense, blue light, then all lights on the behemoth went out. The carrier split in two, half of it careening into a handful of frigates, crashing into them like a planet colliding into small moons. The frigates erupted, tearing apart into a thousand fragments, slamming into Agadon combat-mechs and starfighters, spinning them out of control.
Untouched Agadon carriers re-calibrated their turrets, switching from the Leonians to the incoming Taiyonian starfighters – the Taka-zans. The Agadon let loose a barrage of ion blasts and photon torpedoes, their heavy ships moving forward as if nothing could change their path.
The Taka-zans avoided every shot, moving in one, beautiful motion. It was smooth and effortless, the way the Taiyonians did everything, like a choreographed dance.
“Time to engage,” said Zara. Her combat-mech spun around and so did the rest of the Leonian combat-mechs. “Show ’em our claws, cats!”
Jaxx flipped his mech to face the Agadon. His eyes brightened. The Taka-zans were having their way with the Agadon, dropping photon bombs on the large Agadon cruisers, creating bright flashes of purple balls of blaze that withdrew to nothingness seconds later. Chunks of the ships floated off into space, yet they kept coming, kept engaging.
“Move above, get them from atop. That will keep the Taiyonian starfighters safe from our fire,” suggested Jaxx.
“Already on it, flat-teeth. Follow our lead.” Zara ignited her mech’s extra boosters, raising her above the rest of the mechs. Jaxx and the rest of the combat-mechs did the same, mimicking her movements. Zara then darted forward and Jaxx clicked his feet’s ion propellant rockets, pushing him closer to the Agadon. Yet, the Leonian mechs were the only ones engaging. All other Leonian ships continued toward planet Taiyo.
“We’re being left to handle this on our own?” asked Jaxx, his eyes moving quickly from one potential target to the next.
“Our mechs are the ultimate warriors. We’re faster than starfighters and more powerful. Now, everyone, fire at will,” grumbled Zara.
Jaxx aimed at a large Agadon ship, his turrets rotated and its cannon barrels spun in place, shooting one ion bolt after another. Jaxx flipped his missile batteries on and opened the missile compartments, then pressed his weapons trigger, firing half a dozen missiles. Extra ion boosters built into his combat-mech’s back were initiated, keeping him at the precise flight speed to repel the missile’s recoil. He glanced at the side view vid screen. His first shots hit true, and the largest of the Agadon ships took mu
ch damage, its port side going off line. Its aft rockets, on the other hand, straightened the mammoth back into formation.
“Almost got ’em,” he said under his breath.
He banked right. An Agadon mech came into target, this one having his way with a Taka-zan, chasing it, badgering it. The problem was that it was too near to Jaxx’s mech squad. The Agadon wasn’t paying attention or the Taka-zan pilot was doing a damn good job at baiting the Agadon into a trap.
“Bad move, Ag boy,” came Zara. “You have the Agadon in your sights, Jaxx. Engage.”
“Don’t mess me up, Zara,” said Jaxx. He didn’t need to be guided. He didn’t need to be taught the intricacies of war. War – something he wish he could avoid at all times – seemed to follow him wherever he went. Something at which he was more than an expert.
He took a deep, powerful breath, and an invisible energy swirled down his skull and into his mind. His eyesight enhanced, zooming in and out like a powerful camera, his brain synapses firing in perfect harmony, zipping electrical impulses faster.
He was a warrior.
He pulled his blade from his mech’s back. He threw it. It spun tip over hilt, heading for the Taka-zan, increasing in speed at every second.
“Stay,” whispered Jaxx. “Don’t move, my friend.” He watched, waiting, the sword zipping closer and closer to the Taka-zan. “Now!”
He knew the Taiyonian pilot couldn’t hear him, but the Taiyonian veered right in the nick of time, exposing the Agadon mech behind it.
The Agadon reversed thrusters as fast as he could, slashing his mech’s arm upward to hit and redirect the sword away from him.
A moment too late.
Sparks flew as the sword sliced through the Agadon mech’s forearm, then rammed into its chest, sticking halfway through.
The Agadon mech went listless, and a blast blew out of its upper back, sending debris behind it and away from the fight.
It was out of commision.
A booming voice came over Jaxx’s comm. “They are retreating.” It was Zara. She growled and the comm line filled with Leonian warrior roars. After it died down, Zara continued, “It is time to head to Taiyo. They are extending us long visit.”
The Complete Atlantis Series, Books 1 - 5: Ascendant Saga Page 60