by John Walker
Brahn led the way, moving swiftly toward a hallway just up ahead and to the right. That led to the stairs, to their air car. To freedom. Once they arrived, he felt confident they’d be well away from that place. Unfortunately, the tower had been completely overrun. Their security forces had fallen to the invaders.
The fallout from this will be catastrophic. Such a devastating loss had to be new to the Kahl for the most part. The Lord Marshal got out before the worst of it started. What would happen to those involved? So many civilians… will they be held accountable? Or will this be chalked up to terrorists?
That was a new term for the homeworld. Certainly, different factions caused problems on colonies all the time. Those desperate for food or even simple wealth. Those individuals were dealt with decisively. But here, in the capital, at the seat of power itself, that would have ripples.
I’m glad I don’t have to contend with them. Brahn reached the hallway. He slowed, glancing down. Finally some luck. No one seemed to be around. They started off, moving quickly but not at the run that got them there. A stairwell to the left led outside. Providing no one happened to be out there, he felt confident they were in the clear.
How could they have gotten that far? Then again, he hadn’t believed them capable of breaching the building. Let alone reaching our floor. Okay, so they’re clever insects. That’s all we’re dealing with here. Filth eroding away at the sanctity of our society. I can’t wait to see them suffer for their crimes.
“I can’t,” Cirilla gasped, “Brahn, I… I can’t run anymore.”
“We’re almost there!” Brahn barked. “Suck it up and move!” He reached back with his free hand to grab her wrist, half dragging her as he made it to the stairs.
Cirilla screamed. A bolt flew past them, slapping the back wall. Brahn fired back, blind for the first two shots before he took a look. One of their pursuers took cover behind the wall, their weapon barely visible.
“Get into the stairwell!” Brahn shouted. He let her go first, taking his own cover to aim at his opponent. “Come on then! You want us that bad, come out and see what happens!”
Blind shots sailed along, hitting the floor and ceiling. Brahn took aim, blasting the corner where they held their weapon. He came within inches of hitting his target. They jerked around, falling back to a hidden position. That drove them off. He turned to the stairs, prepared to move… then let out a grunt.
Cirilla was gone.
Damn you, woman! Brahn rushed up the stairs. The door was open. A man stood with his weapon aimed at Cirilla, wearing the body armor of the Marshal’s bodyguards. He was saying something, waving his left hand at her. The wind made it impossible to hear him from that distance.
“Hold up!” Brahn aimed his gun at the man’s head. “What’s going on here?”
“I’m with the guards,” the muffled voice called. “I came to help you get out.”
“Aeden didn’t say anything to me about it.” Brahn looked past the guy at the car. It was less than fifty yards away. So damn close! “If you want to help, cover the door. There’s an invader down there chasing us.”
“Relax,” the guard waved his hand at Brahn next. “I’m here to help. You can lower that gun. You and I work for the same people!”
“I don’t know you, friend,” Brahn replied. “And if you do work for us, then you know how we operate. You know I can’t just…” Numbness filled his body, making him stiffen. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, standing up straight before the world spun… he began to fall… and landed without feeling it.
What… just… Pain kicked in, kneading at his bones and muscles. Brahn gritted his teeth, struggled to lift his arms, fought to feel his gun. Nothing worked. Not speech, not motion… only his brain crying out that he had to get up, to recover himself immediately. But it wasn’t happening, and footsteps approached.
***
Cirilla made her way up the stairs, intent to get the air car ready. The faster they took off, the better. She figured Brahn would be along at any moment, and who could possibly have beaten them to the landing pad? The elevator didn’t go there. No, she figured they were home free.
I just want to avoid any more firefights.
As she burst through the door, she slid to a halt, letting out a high-pitched yelp. A man in full body armor stood a few feet from her, aiming his weapon at her. He immediately began to wave his left hand downward, advancing toward her. She stiffened, backing slowly away.
“It’s okay,” he said, “I’m here to help you both. I’m with the bodyguards. You can trust me.”
“I only trust my personal guard,” Cirilla replied. “He’ll be along in a moment.”
“Good, you can help me calm him down. I know you had it rough, but we have to work together if you’re going to get out of this.”
“I’m sure you mean well,” Cirilla said. “I’d feel a lot more comfortable if you put that gun down. Or at least didn’t aim it at me!”
“Listen, Cirilla—”
“How do you know my name?”
“I’m with the guards,” he repeated, “we were sent to save you.”
“I need to see some… some form of identification then. Authorization. Something.”
Brahn burst out, hurrying toward them. He aimed his weapon at the guard. They spoke to one another, going back and forth. Cirilla had a bad feeling about where it was going. Something was off… whether it was that man or just the situation, she couldn’t tell. Please be on our side. It would be nice to have some luck.
A flash of light heralded a nasty crackle that echoed off the wall. Cirilla turned to watch Brahn throw his arms out to the sides. Blue energy bounced around his arms, dancing down to his legs then back up to his head. He fell backward, landing hard on the gravel. Another armored man stepped out of the stairwell holding a long rifle.
“Did you kill him?” Cirilla shouted at the first man she encountered. “What’re you doing? You said you were here to help!”
“I am.” The man advanced on her. “I’m just not here to help you. Secure him! Get him ready for transport.”
Cirilla looked at the door.
“Don’t think about it,” the fake guard warned, “or my friend will do the same to you. Your only real choice here is to come with us peacefully. Otherwise, you get to find out what it feels like an hour later after you hit the ground from being stunned. It’s not fun. I’ve been there a few times.”
“Who are you people? How’d you get those uniforms?”
“I’m pretty sure you’re about to find out.” He directed her to put her hands in front of her before slapping magnetic bindings on her. “There we go. Come on.” He took her by the arm, leading her to the air car. “We’ll take your vehicle. Should get us pretty far, don’t you think? Before we have to worry about much.”
“You won’t get away with this,” Cirilla said, “none of you! Whatever your purpose, it’s about to be over. And you’ll probably be executed.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to talk like that as my prisoner? Maybe I’ll get itchy and decide to put you down. I mean, if I’m going to be executed for it anyway, might as well make it an offense worth the punishment, right?”
Cirilla didn’t reply. She glared straight ahead.
“That’s better. I’ve got a promise. You keep your mouth shut and you won’t be hurt by me or mine. Cause trouble… and you breach the agreement. I’ll kill your pal first. Then you. Got it?”
What a coward, wearing the uniform to distract us. Cirilla nodded her head in response, keeping quiet. I’ll see this man dead personally. No matter what it takes for me to do that, I’m ending him. She watched as they dumped Brahn in the back of the car, unceremoniously storing him like cargo.
And I’m sure he’ll have a few things to say about this treatment as well. Cirilla sat in the back with the fake guard. The other got in the front, powering on the lifters. They took off a moment later, heading south toward the sea. She leaned back, biting her tongue… waiting
for an opportunity.
It’ll come. Somehow, someway, I’ll have my chance to get out of this. I’m sorry this happened, Sev. I’ll do everything I can to not be used as a hostage against you. After everything they’d been through, for the enemy to snatch her the very next day… far more was rotten in their society than she anticipated.
We have some purging to do. And I’ll be happy to perform the procedure.
Epilogue
Haulda knelt in the courtyard of the ruins, watching the shuttles climb to the heavens off in the distance. Countless dead reclined around him, bodies twisted and burned, torn, and shattered. His people had prevailed. They had slaughtered the armies of the invaders, bringing glory to themselves.
And rather than bring more forces against us, they have fled.
Sadila put her hand on his shoulder. He had no idea that she had survived the fighting until that moment. Her and the other priestesses were natural killers. They did the Prophet proud that day. Along with everyone else. He closed his eyes tightly at the thought of Deilna missing out… losing her life before the final battle.
I am sorry, my love. You would have been glorious.
“The tech acolyte has something to tell us,” Sadila said. “The device our allies enabled has some sort of communication device. They believe the Prophet will use it to talk to us. To give us the next order after this battle.” She dropped down beside him. “Before the fight, I did not have faith… and now…”
Haulda turned to her, lifting his brows. “Yes?”
“It is firm. My doubt shamed me, but I am born anew. In blood… ash… smoke… and death.”
“Did the acolyte know how long this shield will last? Can we reclaim this place? Our ancestral home?”
“The energy appears to be perpetual,” Sadila explained. “Already our people are speaking about setting it up. Though I do not believe this is a place for civilians. It is a military compound. For our warriors to train, to protect the planet.” She gestured to the bodies. “And with so much blood in the soil…”
Haulda nodded. “Did the communicator our friends set up help?”
“We did not need much coordination. Nor did the fight take place as we initially thought it would. Many believed we would have small skirmishes, not an all-out war. This situation changed rapidly, but the supplies they left for us are being put to good use. Those who could not be stabilized easily are being taken to the underground hospitals.”
“Very good.” Haulda pushed to his feet. “Let us see this communication device. Then… we may celebrate. For our loves… for victory… for tribute to the Prophet. I believe we have earned this reprieve, Sadila. For so long as it takes before we receive the next phase of our destiny.”
“Together then.” Sadila took his hand, bowing her head. “My brother.”
“Together.”
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Humanity has long explored mysteries of their past. From the theories of Atlantis to the fabled stories of Greek Gods, most had been dismissed as fantasy and legend. When humanity discovered ‘the Orb’, such fairy tales came a little closer to having some potential truth. Even scratching the surface of the knowledge contained within this ancient technology granted an understanding of faster than light travel and a wild number of other luxuries.
Employing this newfound knowledge, humanity built the Gnosis, a highly advanced starship capable of long range travel and self-sufficient exploration. They would visit other solar systems, departing as pioneers into the unknown. But as excitement built with the people of Earth and the journey drew near, an alien race arrived in Sol, intent on stealing the Orb.
Now, with a hostile first contact initiated, humanity is thrust into universal conflict, one where other beings vie for powerful artifacts spread throughout the galaxy. As they conduct their first interstellar battle, they find themselves drawn into an intrigue they do not understand but must engage for if they do not, they may well face an opponent they cannot defeat.
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