by James Somers
sounded again, “One minute to containment breech…”
☼
Estall shifted in his captain’s chair as new information began to come across the view screen. “Sir, there appears to be a large number of escape pods jettisoning from the flagship,” said one of the scan techs.
“Ranul, what’s going on?”
He ran more specialized scans of the vessel. “I’m picking up some sort of gravitational flux onboard. It’s difficult to pinpoint behind their shields, but there is something else odd about it.”
“What?”
“The other ships are beginning to drift from their protective positions around the flagship.”
“Are they running?”
“No, it just looks like they’ve stopped calibrating their position, like someone is asleep at the wheel. Wait a minute! The waveform I’ve been monitoring has stopped.”
“Can we break through?”
“I would caution against it, the gravitational disturbance is building in intensity. If it keeps up, it will destroy their ship and pull us in as well.”
“Gunner, continue trying to punch through. Maybe we can help them on their way,” said Estall.
☼
Wynn could clearly make out the forms of the Baruk warriors as they began their charge across the battlefield toward their position.
“Ready your guns!” shouted Wynn to his troops through his com-link.
The Baruk were running hard at them now, shouting a war cry as they advanced. And then, suddenly, they began to slow and stop.
“What’s happening?” he asked, peering through his lens.
A number of monstrous worm-like beasts broke through the ground from within the group of Baruk warriors and began to attack them.
“Sonders!”
“Yes, sir,” said the soldier as he ran to Wynn’s side.
“Aren’t those the same creatures that were spotted entering the city before the attack on Tiet’s group?”
“Yes, sir, the same. But why are they attacking the Baruk?”
“I don’t know, but they’re within the range of our guns…. Fire!!”
The Baruk warriors were caught in between their own hurutai, attacking them as the mental domination of the Lucin was released, and the rain of fire coming against them from the Castillian army. Many of the warriors ran in different directions trying to escape while others tried to kill the hurutai that were trying to kill anything within their reach.
“Should we charge them, sir?” asked Sonders.
“No, not yet…. Let’s allow those worms to finish off as many as they will. Something is finally going our way in this fight. Let’s not give up the advantage we’ve been given.”
☼
Tiet’s steps were getting heavier and heavier as he ran toward the place where he hoped the transgate would still be open. The Baruk ship’s computer was counting down the last minute. Tiet was still supporting the weight of Kale’s body with his mind, but he was struggling as the gravitational forces began to build onboard the doomed vessel.
☼
Lucin’s symbyte form recovered itself from the spicor disc explosions. Pain coursed through his body, but that only fueled his anger and desire to escape the ship that much more. The Barudii had seized Kale’s body, but he had left the chamber open as well. With only precious moments to escape, Lucin’s monstrous form moved quickly through the opening in the chamber door.
The computer was still counting down and there was no time to reach any of the escape pods. Then he saw a trailing glimpse of a man with another man across his shoulders, running from the area. Blood trailed behind them on the floor. However they got on the ship, there must be a way they were planning on leaving.
☼
The gravity was causing intense pain in Tiet’s legs as he tried to continue his pace toward the transgate, which he could now see up ahead. Nagon-Toth looked like home sweet home in comparison to this place now. Then he heard something approaching fast from behind.
He sensed the same creature that was trying to kill Kale back in the chamber. It was coming up fast on him, but there was no time for a fight. Only seconds remained before a complete collapse of the containment field surrounding those gravity weapons destroyed the ship.
The symbyte gained rapidly on Tiet as he continued to run. Lucin moved quickly, contorting his terrifying symbyte body to reach for anything he could and pull himself along the corridor. His morphing appendages sprang outward, several at a time, to find anchors with which to pull his gelatinous body along at a swift pace. The computer counted down the last ten seconds.
The portal was within reach now. Tiet ran through with Kale still across his back. His brother’s blood could be felt across his bare neck and was beginning to soak through his own uniform, but he was still breathing, still alive. As Tiet ran through the portal, he saw Grod waiting.
“Close the gate!” he shouted as he ran through.
The technician punched the button as the symbyte monstrosity reached the field and started through. The transgate snapped shut like a light going out. A piece of the symbyte creature burst away as the field separated it from the rest of the body still aboard the Baruk flagship. The lump of tissue landed on the floor, smoldering, but did not move.
FORGIVEN
The Baruk flagship crumpled inward upon itself as the containment field fully collapsed around the store of massive gravity weapons within its core. Ranul and Estall watched with their bridge crew as the whole superstructure imploded.
The numerous escape pods trying to jettison into open space quickly succumbed to the gravitational pull. They were cast back upon their mother-ship, joining the imploding mass.
The other Baruk ships, many of which were already drifting or damaged, were now pulled toward the implosion. Then without warning, the whole thing burst outward again destroying or damaging nearly all of those ships being pulled to it.
The bridge crew of the Esyia howled their approval as the whole conflagration went up before their eyes. Only three ships of the Castillian army remained. They were nearly out of shield power, but the fight appeared to be over. They had won against the odds.
☼
“Get the medics in here!” shouted Grod to those who were monitoring from the control room.
Tiet laid his brother to the floor as gently as he could. Kale’s expression was fixed on his brother. His face was a mask of blood as he tried to speak to Tiet.
“Forgive?” he asked through the pain.
Tears welled up in Tiet’s eyes as he watched the brother he had only recently known, dying before him. He could not hold them back as they fell upon the damaged body.
“Forgive?” Kale strained again.
“Kale, I forgive you all, my brother,” he managed.
Kale’s expression turned from anguish to peace. He stopped his struggle and laid his head back to the floor. The light of life in his eyes soon faded to nothing.
The Horva medics rushed into the chamber, but Grod bade them to hold with a wave of his hand. The Barudii warrior was dead and they could not have saved him.
Tiet moved away from his body as the Horva prepared to remove him.
“I am sorry for your loss,” Grod said genuinely.
Tiet could only look at him. He had no words now.
“My men will show you where you can rest awhile. I will contact your people in Baeth Periege and we will arrange transport for you back to the city.”
Tiet nodded as he choked back his emotions. He followed one of the warriors out of the room as the medics loaded Kale’s body onto a carrier.
“What do you want to do with this tissue that came through the portal?” asked the transgate tech.
“Have it taken to the incinerator. Make sure it’s completely destroyed,” said Grod as he followed the medics out of the room.
The transgate technician left his station, after shutting down the control board, and went to find a suitable container
in order to remove the tissue. He found an old metal box and scooped the symbyte flesh into it. With the lid shut, he headed for the incinerator to dispose of the specimen.
☼
The trip back to Baeth Periege was lengthy but uneventful. Tiet did not speak to anyone and no one attempted conversation with him. General Grod sat behind him on the shuttle flight along with a contingent of his warriors—a proper escort for the Barudii King.
When they arrived within the city, Wynn was there to meet Tiet at the port, along with thousands of people. Tiet followed the casement carrying Kale’s body as the Horva warriors carried it from the shuttle toward the main port building.
The crowd clapped and cheered for their young king as he passed through them on the walkway. He tried to be as cheerful as possible, waving several times to the people who had come to see him home, but the pain of losing his brother after so short a time of knowing him ate at him. Tiet believed Kale had truly repented of his many crimes against their people and he was glad for it. But other than these few days, he had never known him. He was reminded of his other loved ones who had died around him in so short a time. He never doubted the purposes of Elithias, but it seemed so senseless to him. When he entered the main port building, Mirah was there to meet him.
“I thought we had lost you,” Mirah said.
Wynn was relieved to see him safe. Tiet would grieve for Kale, but he would certainly bounce back in time. They remained in the south gate only minutes longer before going on to the medical complex where he would receive treatment for any lingering effects