The Dinari was right behind them a moment ago, but wasn’t anywhere in sight. Liam and Ju-Long stopped and examined the wreckage with hands cupped around their eyes to block the rays of the sun. Several flashes of blue cut through the air, sparking off the metal debris. In the distance, Liam once again heard the howls of the Kraven Throng, easily penetrating the broken hull of the ship. Nix appeared at the hole in the side of the ship, firing several shots backward before jumping off the edge to the sand below. He sprinted toward them, firing back shots as he went.
Ju-Long raised his weapon and fired randomly at the wreckage, hoping to hit something. Bolts of blue filled the air, sending up plumes of sand as they hit all around the Dinari. Liam reached for the weapon at his side and remembered it had been destroyed by the Kraven. Saturn had heard the commotion and began firing shots from the ship’s ramp. Nix was just ten meters away when Liam realized the source of the shots.
Dozens of Ansaran vessels rose up over the Kraven vessel and moved to surround them. Several fired warning shots into the sand, clouding Liam’s vision and forcing him to cover his eyes with his free hand. A voice came out over a loudspeaker. “Don’t move. Lower your weapons or we’ll open fire.”
Liam recognized the voice and grimaced. It was Toras, the new Caretaker of Garuda Colony and former head of security. Nix stopped a meter shy of Liam and Ju-Long, holding his knees to catch his breath. Ju-Long and Liam exchanged glances. Ju-Long tightened his jaw and lowered his weapon to his side bitterly.
One of the Ansaran vessels landed and through the dust Liam could make out five figures disembarking. Toras approached quickly, his frayed brown cape fluttering violently in the wind, wrapping around his sandy armor. Liam noticed he wasn’t wearing his oblong helmet, letting his white scales take on the yellow hue of the sky. His entourage came up to them with weapons raised. One of them snatched Ju-Long’s weapon right out of his hand. Liam felt like he was watching the scene in slow motion, helpless.
Liam chanced a look back at The Garuda and four more Ansarans were wrestling Saturn’s weapon from her hands, one using the butt of his weapon to clock her on her cheekbone. Liam cursed under his breath and approached Toras. His four lackeys attempted to restrain him but let go when Toras raised a hand. In the distance, more shots were fired and the Kraven howls ceased. Toras looked off at the wreckage in the distance and smiled.
The new Caretaker then turned his attention to the box in Liam’s hands. “That device you hold is too powerful. Give it to me and your lives will be spared.”
“Because you’ve proven yourself so trustworthy,” Liam said sarcastically.
“I intend to destroy it.”
Liam’s eyes widened. He wondered from whom Toras was taking his orders. Regardless, they couldn’t let him destroy it. He, Saturn and Ju-Long needed it to get back to their own solar system.
“You can’t. Who’s putting you up to this?”
“After Ragnar showed his true colors, the High Council deemed this device too dangerous to exist. It will be dealt with by our people. I will ask only once more. Give it to me.”
Toras’ entourage all raised their weapons at Liam. He looked down at the black cube, so unassuming, so light in his hands. He wondered how something so small could have caused all of this. Liam held the Azure Key up to examine its matted black surface closer. A gust of wind blew sand over him and the device and when he opened his eyes, his heart stopped.
The surface of the cube was not entirely smooth as the Disciples had described. Etched ever so lightly on one of the sides were two words he never thought he’d see again. The sand hung there for a second before blowing away. Liam could feel adrenaline flow to his extremities and his heart rate quicken. In that moment he began to question everything he knew.
In his daze, he hardly noticed one of the Ansaran soldiers take the device from his hands. Liam continued to stare at his empty outstretched palms for several seconds, until finally they balled up into fists, shaking with the pressure of a fury he’d never known before.
The soldier put the cube in Toras’ hands, who examined it briefly before tucking it under one arm. He smiled and said, “Your cooperation is appreciated. With respect to your efforts today, and assuming you don’t start any trouble, you may come and go as you please.”
With that, Toras turned, his cape whipping around behind him, and took off toward his ship. The Ansaran soldiers had neglected to give Ju-Long and Nix their weapons back.
Ju-Long whispered to them, “Was that a thank you?”
Nix shook his head with disappointment. “It’s as good as you could hope to get from the likes of him.”
Saturn joined them just as the Ansaran ships lifted off, leaving them in a swath of dust. Saturn was cradling her cheek as she looked to the downtrodden Liam and asked, “What the hell happened?”
“It’s the box,” Liam began.
“I know,” Saturn replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get it back or we’ll find another way home. This isn’t over.”
“No. The box, it can’t be right. It’s impossible.”
Ju-Long eyed him closely. “What is it?”
“The device wasn’t how the Disciples described. Sand blew onto the side and it said...It just couldn’t be.”
The crew waited expectantly while Liam found the words. Finally, Ju-Long said, “Spit it out.”
“Vesta Corp. The box read Vesta Corp.”
Saturn’s jaw dropped. “No, that’s not possible. We’re the first humans in this system.”
She turned to Nix expectantly. Nix pointed to himself and said, “Don’t look at me, I’ve never seen a human before I met you.”
The Ansaran ships faded into the distance, becoming absorbed by the yellow horizon. Liam stared off at the sky, still so foreign to him with its almost permanent sunset. Ju-Long stamped at the sand with his boot in frustration. “Where do we go from here?”
Nix spoke first, “I know of someone who may be able to help, but it will require we work with Zega again.”
“I forgot about him,” Liam admitted. “I guess you could say we’ve done what he’s asked, which means we’re even.”
“If we go to him for this, he may require more than just a favor.”
Liam thought about Zega’s last favor request while looking at the Kraven wreckage. What he’d asked for was hardly a small feat. Zega was hardly the kind of person to whom Liam wanted to be indebted. Nix crossed his arms and said, “Zega will help us because he has no choice, but that doesn’t mean the price won’t be steep.”
Liam motioned toward The Garuda, “What about that? Isn’t that Zega’s ship?”
“She is no one’s ship. She flies where she wishes. Zega may be the technical owner, but she’s never let him ride her.”
“How can a ship reject a passenger?”
“She fakes an engine malfunction.”
Liam shook his head, letting a smile form across his face. “Well then, Captain Nix, lead the way.”
“Actually, that reminds me,” Nix said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. If this mess with the Kraven has taught me anything it’s that I have a lot to learn.”
“What are you saying?”
“You are the first to best a Kraven in single combat. I’ve never even heard stories of such a thing. You should lead this...whatever we are.”
Saturn mused, “Captain Liam Kidd. It does have a nice ring to it.”
“Me? I can’t even place us on a map. I don’t know what use I’ll be.”
“I know this system better than any Dinari. I will be your guide. All you have to do is lead.”
Liam turned to Saturn and Ju-Long. “And both of you agree with this?”
Saturn nodded and said, “But don’t expect me to blindly follow your orders though. Don’t forget, I used to boss you around.”
Ju-Long looked Liam up and down and then pointed to his biceps. “If we’re going to be fighting any more Kraven I think we’ll have to work on packing on a lit
tle muscle in this area.”
“I’ll work on that,” Liam said sardonically.
Ju-Long smiled. “You might also want to try some growth hormones.”
Liam stood up straight to make himself appear taller. “For a human I’m pretty tall.”
“If you say so.”
Nix and Saturn began walking toward The Garuda, shaking their heads. Saturn said loud enough for Liam to hear, “Maybe this was a bad idea.”
EPILOGUE
Smoke curled around the wrecked bridge, up and out through the massive hole left by the Ansaran vessels. The jagged circle that was cut from the ceiling dropped hundreds of tons of metal on countless Kraven. Their purple blood now adorned the broken pieces of steel jutting from the grated floor of the bridge. Bodies lay all around, burned with the Ansaran laser blasts. The cowards did not even entertain a hand-to-hand fight. Instead, a dozen ships fired in on them, cutting through them ruthlessly.
He heard the last breaths around him cease. He was alone now. One hundred Kraven dead and he was the only survivor. What a pity. But he did not have the will to die. As a commander of the Throng he had certain obligations. He remembered the words of his father.
‘If you cannot live to seek honor. Live to seek revenge.’
The Kraven wiped blue war paint from his face using the back of his hand. On his hand he saw purple swirls within the blue. A small wound. He made his way to his feet, cradling his left arm where a laser blast had cut into his shoulder. His gaze traveled up to the setting sun and he squinted his golden eyes. Though it would not be this day, Garrick would have his revenge. Of that, he was sure.
Note from the Author
I hope you liked the first installment of The Corsair Uprising Space Opera Series! If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author's best friend and is much appreciated.
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The Corsair Uprising #2:
Nightstalkers
Collected Works of Trevor Schmidt
The Corsair Uprising Space Opera Series:
The Corsair Uprising #1: The Azure Key
The Corsair Uprising #2: Nightstalkers
The Corsair Uprising #3: Death Wish
The Corsair Uprising #4: The Lost Corsair
Science Fiction Novels:
Symbiote
Memory Leak
Short Fiction:
The Chosen (A Novelette)
Replica (A Short Story)
(Replica is Always Free on Amazon, BN.com, and Smashwords)
Nonfiction:
Your Time: 10 Principles for Managing Time Before Time Manages You
Nightstalkers
Trevor Schmidt
United States of America
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and not intended to represent real people or places. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher.
The Corsair Uprising #2: Nightstalkers
Copyright © 2015 by Trevor Schmidt
Cover iStock Photo by Spectral-Design
Contact the Author
Trevorschmidtauthor.com
Twitter: @TrevorSSchmidt
Blog: http://trevorsschmidt.blogspot.com/
Last time…
Stranded in a distant part of the Milky Way Galaxy, Captain Liam Kidd, along with fellow humans Saturn Vera and Ju-Long Ma, fought to locate The Azure Key, the device responsible for thrusting them across space. They were not alone. Three alien species were teetering on the edge, ready to reignite a war that had been waged for more than a thousand years.
The Ansarans, blue-skinned with heavily modified genomes, dominated the star system. Their cousins were the Dinari, a distant genetic relative with scaled skin and large yellow eyes that saw far more than their masters gave them credit. Finally, there were the Kraven, enormous in size and ferocity. Exiled from the common mother world for being too savage, the Kraven sought revenge.
After two months of searching, The Azure Key’s trail has gone cold and the crew has taken on jobs to earn their keep. Struggling to adjust to a new life on the wayward Planet Garuda, Ju-Long Ma has agreed to take part in a brutal boxing match, the Dinari’s Tournament of Fists…
1
2146 A.D. – Garuda Colony, Planet Garuda
The smell of blood wafted into Captain Liam Kidd’s nostrils, causing him to scrunch his nose in annoyance. The near permanent sunset of the planet Garuda made it hard for him to make out his crewmate in the makeshift arena before him, despite being ringside. The fighters traded crushing blows with electrified knuckles. With every hit, Liam’s crew member grew more bloodied, chunks of flesh falling to the packed sand beneath his feet. The brutal contest was not meant for a human challenger. On Garuda, the Dinari were the masters of the fist.
Liam wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, slicking his long blond bangs to one side. He shook his leather boots trying to find a comfortable spot for his toes. Despite their best efforts, his Dinari contacts had done a poor job of tailoring his outfit. Liam’s off-white shirt hung loose around his shoulders, a deep V cut out of the chest and held together by tan drawstrings. His pants were made from the soft hide of a local mammal, dyed a dark brown and too tight against his thighs. Worst of all, his boots were made from the rough hide of a lizard and molded for his feet alone. Though he couldn’t complain about the quality, they itched in places he just couldn’t reach.
It was only when the temperature on Garuda soared to its greatest heights that Liam missed Toronto. He found the cold refreshing, but the heat left him feeling drained. Liam liked to think he had Norse blood running through him; his looks would certainly merit such a comparison. In truth, he could have been from any number of places and it wouldn’t have mattered. In every scenario where he was still on Earth, Vesta Corporation still had their hooks in him. The corrupt asteroid mining company was the least of his worries. In just a few short months, Garuda had become a more fitting home than any place in the Sol system, despite the many flaws of the backwater planet.
Liam’s gaze turned skyward. Standing next to the arena was one of the many spires of Garuda Colony, reaching several kilometers into the sky. The base of the spires were cut from the rock of the nearby mountain range, but grew metallic the higher it went. A spiral bank of windows curved along its round edges like a screw. Up against the windows Liam could hardly make out the countless shapes of its Ansaran inhabitants. It was a typical display on Garuda. The Ansarans clung to their high towers while their Dinari cousins crowded the sandy streets. It could also be seen overhead, where half a dozen sleek Ansaran crafts hovered with their dual rotors cutting through the air, waiting for an excuse to use force against their inferiors.
The crowd grew louder as the large Dinari approached his opponent. The alien stood at just more than two meters tall, several centimeters higher than the human before him. The fighters wore only tight scaled shorts and sandals that wrapped up their legs with countless leather strings to hold them in place. The Dinari’s scaled body was scorched after countless matches, blackened where his skin was once the desert tan of the landscape around them. The Dinari adjusted the straps around his clawed hands, ensuring the electrified barbs were centered before he punched his opponent in the gut. The human challenger slumped down to one knee and covered the bloody wound with his palm, gasping for air.
Two months had passed since Liam and his two crew members, Saturn Vera and Ju-Long Ma, became stranded ten thousand light years from Earth. They’d had no luck in tracing the whereabouts of the Azure Key, the one device that could open a singularity back to the Sol System and a product of Vesta Corporation’s hubris. Every lead had turned out to be a dead end and Liam had a feeling their Dinari contact Zega was holding out on them. For a man rumored to have spies every
where, Zega had turned out to be a poor source of information.
Liam gazed up to the grand platform where the leaders of the many sectors of Garuda Colony sat and watched the fight. Near the center was Zega, resplendent light shining off his jeweled garments in steep contrast to his corpulent body. His thick neck dripped with the juice of the unfamiliar lizard he was eating. Liam turned his eyes from the sickening sight, focusing instead on Ju-Long.
Ju-Long Ma had agreed to fight in the tournament, representing Sector Seven of Garuda Colony along with Zega’s henchman Riken. Originally he was going to fight as a favor to Zega, but Liam had a feeling Ju-Long just needed a good fight. Liam scanned the growing crowd. Thousands had shown up and more were filling the many sandy side streets of the desert planet, hoping to get a better look at the human challenger. Directly above the ring, a hologram was projected from several angles to provide a view to those in the back. The orange glowing image was of poor quality, the projection units scrapped together from whatever the Dinari had lying around.
As far as humans went, Ju-Long was one of the most muscular Liam had ever seen. He had definition in places that hardly seemed possible. His short black hair was choppy and drenched with sweat. He’d insisted he cut it himself before the tournament and the results were questionable. Ju-Long was of Chinese descent and if someone were to ask him, he’d say he was somewhat of a genius. Somewhat, because despite his expert knowledge of multiple forms of engineering, he often found himself with his foot firmly lodged in his mouth. Ju-Long raised his dense neck and looked his opponent in his golden, orb-like eyes.
Liam held his breath. For most of the fight Ju-Long had held his own, but the electric knuckles were taking their toll on his crewmate. Thin streams of crimson trickled down his beaten tan face and his bare heaving chest. Ju-Long breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling in quick succession.
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