The Beginning of the End (Universe in Flames Book 4)

by Christian Kallias

  “What is it, Ares? Why don’t you want to answer?”

  “I’m not sure it’s even a good idea to mention any names.”

  “And yet you will. We are past the time for petty, ancient rivalry.”

  “There’s one race that has a technological advantage we could use. But they are not keen on other races, and they definitely don’t want to hear of the Olympians ever again.”

  “Will you tell me their names, already?”

  “The Asgardians.”

  “Thank you. Wait, Asgard? Why does that name ring a bell?”

  “Because Earth has them in their mythologies as well.”

  “The reason being?”

  “After we left Earth and guided you to create the Alliance, they took over the protection of the planet briefly. There was a void to be filled, deity-wise, and so they filled it.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  “No, not necessarily, but they are a warrior race. They live to do battle. They even teach that dying on the battlefield is a glorious thing. That they should feel proud to end up in Valhalla, their word for heaven.”

  “Ryonna would sure like them.”

  “Yes, I bet she would. The Droxians’ strong sense of honor resembles that of the Asgardians.”

  “Where can we find them?”

  “I have no idea, Chase. You’ll have to answer that question on your own. But understand one thing.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “If you strike an alliance with them, you can forever say goodbye to allying yourself with the rest of the Olympians.”

  “I thought there was no way Zeus would even consider such a thing.”

  “Yesterday perhaps. Today I wouldn’t completely strike it out.”

  “Why? What has changed?”

  “The Furies are back, that’s what has changed. I bet they haven’t forgotten who trapped them outside time and space. You can bet your ass they will want to exterminate whatever is left of our ranks.”

  “Then we may have a way to convince Zeus?”

  “Except, you’re also the one responsible for bringing them back. So I guess it’s not going to be an easy sell, no matter how you present it. But if you find the Asgardians and ally yourself with them, Zeus will not want to hear a word of what you have to say.”

  “Damn your godly pride. Now is the time to forget about these old feuds and rebuild the biggest alliance possible.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir, Chase. I’m just warning you it won’t be as simple as that.”

  “I’m beginning to get the gist of that. So basically I either choose to contact the Olympians or the Asgardians?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you don’t know where the latter are. Do you know where Olympians are?”

  There was another silence.

  “You do. Well, I guess a visit to Zeus should be in order soon.”

  “I’ll guide you there when the time comes. For the moment you need to rest and try to mend your relationship with Sarah.”

  “What does Sarah have to do with any of it?”

  “I’m sure that just like me you felt how powerful Chris already is. He may still have a role to play, and therefore Sarah, whether she wants it or not, is an important part of what’s to come.”

  “I’m really getting tired this destiny crap. My son will be too young to wage war, and I sure hope we defeat the Furies long before he can talk.”

  “I wish I could say this is possible, but the fact of the matter is I have no idea what the future holds, the only one who did is . . .”

  “Yeah, I know, she is now Argos’ prisoner, thanks to me. I did get a glimpse of her power when she gave me that amulet.”

  “And you also saw the future?”

  “I saw something. It did feel like the future. Furies came to Earth.”

  “That’s almost certainly happening at one point or another. Do you still have the amulet?”

  “Nope. I had to break it in order save Argos’ life when we fought the Titan.”

  “And save Sarah’s in the process.”

  “Yes, otherwise I would have gladly let Argos be crushed.”

  “The things we do for love.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “Rest, Chase, we’ll talk more in the coming days.”

  “Ares?”

  “Yes.”

  “See if you can arrange a meeting with Zeus, will you?”

  “I’ll see what I can do. You should try to train more when you get back to Earth.”

  “I intend to train relentlessly, in fact. Something tells me that Argos is no longer the strongest enemy I will have to face.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “I don’t know, and that worries me, but I can feel it in my bones.”

  * * *

  Miseo walked into Argos’ ready room without so much as an announcement.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Evidently. What happened to my ship?”

  “It’s being digested by a black hole your brother created on the battlefield.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “Somehow he mustered enough strength to not only block a full powered plasma shot from your destroyer but to send it back towards it. In doing so a black hole appeared in space.”

  Laiyos really is a formidable warrior. I don’t think I could have done that.

  “That’s impressive.”

  “Too much for a low-class Fury. What are you two hiding?”

  “I can’t speak for my brother, but I’m not hiding anything.”

  “Aren’t you two twins? Shouldn’t you have the same powers; or at very least similar strength?”

  “We definitely don’t share similar powers, and as difficult as it is for me to admit it, he’s stronger than me. On two occasions he defeated me and had me at death’s door.”

  “And yet you’re still alive.”

  “That’s only because I had the right bargaining chip.”

  “Which is?”

  “Was. I had his lover hostage.”

  “And you let her go? You fool!”

  “My letting her go is the reason you’re breathing air in this universe now, no offense.”

  “In that case I might have spoken hastily.”

  “You must take that from your father.”

  “I suggest you watch your tone, Argos. While I’m more inclined to listen to what you have to offer than my father is, do not make the fatal mistake of disrespecting him in front of me a second time.”

  Showing your true colors.

  “Duly noted. I’m sorry if I let my anger get the better of me.”

  “Why would you be angry?”

  “You have to be joking, right? I’ve devoted most of my life to freeing my people from their prison and as a thank you I almost got killed for it today.”

  “My father had no intention of killing you. He doesn’t respond well to insubordination, however, as you have witnessed. And neither do I.”

  “What insubordination?”

  “Don’t play coy with me, Argos. We asked you to destroy the Iron Fire and you put up a show, but we both know you could have eradicated that ship. Instead you let it escape. I would like to know why?”

  “I don’t think you’d understand.”

  “Try me.”

  “I gave my word to Laiyos I’d let him go in exchange for his help acquiring both the Pandora stone as well as providing an Olympian sacrifice to break the dimensional hold on Erevos.”

  Miseo looked at the machine on the corner of the room where Aphroditis stood.

  “That’s the one?”

  “Yes. In exchange for his actions, and after carefully orchestrating a scenario where he could not refuse my help, I let his precious Sarah go and gave my word I would not destroy his ship.”

  “I understand.”

  What? Argos’ expression changed.

  “You seemed surprised, Argos.”

  “I am
.”

  “You value your word. It’s an honorable quality and I respect that. But never forget the chain of command. Even if it clashes with your own values or, in this case, affects your own ego. If my father or I give you a direct order, you must obey it, no matter if it goes against your better judgment. Is that clear?”

  “Like crystal.”

  “Still, under the circumstances I believe my father’s reaction was perhaps hasty.”

  “Will you tell him that?”

  “Not in so many words, but I will try to make sure you get treated better. We indeed owe you our freedom.”

  That must have been hard for you to spit out.

  “Thank you, Miseo.”

  “You’ve mentioned different powers with respect to your brother Laiyos.”

  “Yes. He seems not to age, and when he is pushed to the limit his power increases tenfold. In that ultra-Fury mode he is as powerful as he is unpredictable.”

  “Ultra Fury . . .” Miseo’s expression became more serious.

  “Did I say anything wrong?”

  “No . . . It’s just that your mention of Ultra Fury reminds me of an old legend amongst the Fury people.”

  “Which is?”

  “Well, legend has it that once every fifty thousand years a warrior of superior strength is born. He is supposedly immortal and would be more powerful than every other Fury combined.”

  “This is nonsense. And I can tell you from my experience with your father that he is infinitely more powerful than Laiyos; and I bet he only showed me but a glimpse of his powers, am I correct?”

  “Yes, Supreme Commander Arakan is the most powerful Fury there is. He thinks he is the Fury of legend, in fact.”

  “You don’t seem to agree.”

  “My father is very powerful, but immortal he isn’t; or, if he is, he still shows age.”

  “Unlike Laiyos.”

  “Yes. If your brother is that legendary warrior, he must be killed before he realizes the power he wields.”

  “I don’t believe in this legend nonsense, but killing Laiyos is actually on my to-do list.”

  “Good. I’ll help you if necessary.”

  “That will most likely be the case. Like I said, I lost in both our previous encounters.”

  “You’re a good warrior. I can sense a strong energy from you, but you reek of fear.”

  What? What is he talking about? Laiyos said the same thing.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “That’s because it’s rooted deep within your subconscious, but I can smell it on you.”

  Argos wanted to argue with Miseo but decided against it.

  “If you say so. What’s next?”

  “How’s the mission we gave you going?”

  “My forces have invaded Tyronis. They’re cleaning up the planet as we speak. We’ll soon be able to leverage all the rich resources this planet and its belts have to offer.”

  “That’s great news. Have your armada go to the next world for more resources the minute they’re done.”

  “What’s the rush?”

  “We need to rebuild a fleet. We need to send a message that we are back and we won’t do that with those pathetic Zarlack vessels.”

  “Pathetic?”

  “They may look powerful, but they’re nothing compared to our own ships. With the resources you’ll secure from Tyronis we’ll built the first one. Once it’s done and you see it in action you’ll understand.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  “You will, soon enough.”

  “Very well. If that will be all?”

  “For now. Thanks, Argos. I would appreciate that you don’t repeat the words ‘Ultra Fury’ to my father, or to anyone for that matter.”

  “You do realize that I just invented the name?”

  “Even so, invented or not I don’t like the image it projects. Please keep that to yourself. We’ll soon kill your brother anyway, together. I take it you don’t have a problem with that?”

  “None at all but I’d really like to be the one delivering the final blow.”

  “If at all convenient, I will gladly grant you this honor.”

  “Thank you, Miseo.”

  Miseo turned his back and left Argos’ ready room as quickly and unceremoniously as he had entered it.

  C H A P T E R

  VI

  When Commodore Saroudis entered the admiral’s ready room, she smiled at him.

  “Hello, Adonis, please take a seat.”

  “Thank you, Ally.”

  “So, I’ve read your report. I must say I did not see that coming. So now on top of Argos and his Zarlack army, we can expect the Furies to come knocking on our doorstep. This is a nightmare.”

  Saroudis stayed silent, not sure how to answer, not even sure there was anything he could say under the circumstances.

  “And this is thanks to your protégé Chase. He outdid himself this time.”

  “With all due respect, I don’t think that’s fair.”

  “Fair? That’s what we get from trusting a Fury I guess.”

  “I’m not sure I like where this conversation is heading, Admiral.”

  “So you don’t think he was in on it all along?”

  “In on it? Of course not! Chase is an Earth Alliance officer. He fights on our side. There was no way he could have anticipated what has unfolded. Argos manipulated him from the very start.”

  “You don’t have to protect him, Adonis. Not anymore. I think it’s time we discuss his upcoming court martial and discuss imprisonment and perhaps even execution . . .”

  “You can’t be serious? He saved the Destiny battle group and Earth, twice over.”

  “How long are you gonna use this excuse to justify this insubordinate, hothead excuse for an officer.”

  Saroudis’ blood boiled. “I don’t believe what I’m hearing. The lieutenant commander is the only reason we’re still breathing; we owe him our lives.”

  “I disagree. We would have prevailed with or without him. In fact, I now suspect he could very well be in league with his brother and might have manipulated you from the start. Think about it, Commodore. He was at the right place at the right time at every turn. He gained our trust, but who is to say this wasn’t orchestrated from the start?”

  “Admiral, Chase has served under my command for years. I know the man.”

  “Then perhaps Argos brainwashed him to do his bidding. He did that with Commander Kepler, after all. Perhaps he took control of the Lieutenant Commander as well at one point.”

  “I’m sorry, this is ludicrous. Chase was put in the most horrible position. We asked him to kill the love of his life to win the war, and he did it.”

  “She was a clone. Perhaps he knew that.”

  Saroudis felt a brooding headache building up.

  “No, this is nuts. What the hell is this with you, and this personal vendetta you seem to have against the lieutenant commander? What did he ever do to you? You know what? Don’t answer that. But I want you to listen to me closely now. I’ve noticed a strange shift in your attitude lately and I’m really worried about you. I don’t recognize the woman I have admired all these years. But you need to understand one thing. Yes, the Furies are back, and soon they’ll become the most daunting enemy we have ever faced. To have a shadow of a chance of survival, we’ll need Lieutenant Commander Athanatos on our side.”

  The admiral tapped her fingers on her wooden desk.

  “I see. So am I supposed to just let all of this go.”

  “All of what, Admiral?”

  “The lieutenant commander assaulted some of my officers and put them out of commission, then he stole one of our ships, which he since lost. To make things worse, many of our officers followed him, stealing quadrinium from your ship in a clear act of mutiny. Then they helped him help Argos obtain a stone required to power a machine that actually freed the Furies from another dimension where the Olympians had locked them up during the last war. T
o top it all, an Olympian was voluntary sacrificed to make the machine work. Did I miss anything?”

  Saroudis knew that from the outside it did look very bad.

  “No you didn’t. Aphroditis isn’t sacrificed per se. She’s just locked in the machine at the moment.”

  She shot him a seriously grave look.

  “Alright, Admiral, I agree this sounds bad, but it’s done now. I need my officers to prepare to repel the enemy when the time comes.”

  “And that includes the lieutenant commander?”

  “Especially the lieutenant commander.”

  Something blinked on her desk for half a second. The admiral looked at it for a long time, as if lost doing so.

  “Admiral?” inquired Saroudis, a little worried.

  She rose from her desk and walked towards the viewport, looking into space.

  “You’re not making things easy for me, Commodore. But you’ve made your case. Very well, I’ll let you deal with this. But that’s the last time I give you any leeway in these matters. You’re dismissed.”

  The commodore was relieved to hear her say that, but something didn’t feel right. The entire conversation made it very clear she had intended to nail Chase to the wall, and then, all of a sudden, she dropped the matter entirely.

  He rose and approached the admiral near the viewport but she raised a hand which stopped him in his tracks.

  Her next sentence was icy cold. “What part of dismissed don’t you understand, Commodore?”

  “Very well, Admiral, thank you.”

  Saroudis left her ready room, still unsure what had just happened.

  * * *

  Three weeks had passed since Chase’s return to Earth. It had been a difficult time. Sarah was still quite distant and Chase felt uneasy about how to mend the relationship. Argos’ forces had started conquering resource-rich worlds and every request Chase had made to Admiral Thassos, either directly or through Commodore Saroudis, to go stop him had been flat-out rejected.

  She wanted to make sure the Alliance was ready for their next attack and preferred to have a strong defense around Earth. He had argued against her decision for more than a week upon his return but it had all been in vain. Admiral Thassos had explained what had happened while Chase went on his revengeful path: the threat of the Gaia AI presence on Earth. She also wanted this to be resolved before going on the offensive.