The Galactic Sentinel: Ultimate Edition: 4 Books with 2000+ Pages of Highly Entertaining Sci-Fi Space Adventure

by Killian Carter

  Images and overwhelming emotions flashed in his mind. A great war that spanned the galaxy and beyond. A death toll so great no one could number. A fleet of strange white vessels led by an unusual species he had never seen. Then nothing but space. Cold. Indifferent. Unforgiving. He floated among the stars, unable to speak or move, so small and insignificant it almost hurt. One star twinkled brighter than the others. It shimmered and grew. As it drew near, it occurred to Grimshaw that it was not a star but some being bathed in light. It stopped right before him. Even so close, he couldn’t tell whether it was male or female or something else, but it was humanoid with pale skin that glowed so bright it almost blinded him. It stretched out an arm and touched one finger to his forehead. Warmth and comfort emanated from the connection. Underneath that, Grimshaw detected hope. Energy washed through him, making him feel more alive and buoyant than he ever had.

  "Grimshaw, I was starting to think we would never meet." The words rang deep in his mind. The way the entity spoke reminded him of the time Chimera commander Artax had attacked using his Thandrall psionic ability.

  "Are you a Thandrall?"

  Sweet, dreamy laughter echoed among the stars. "We are not Thandrall, though Thandrall are we."

  "You sound like a Thandrall."

  "Of course. Some Thandrall can still use our gift, though they do not wield it as wisely as their forebears. Some call us Nahvoy. We are the Keeper."

  "The Keeper?"

  The being’s face glowed brighter in a smile. "We are the Keeper of the firmament. The guardian of the gate to the void. The Banished Ones seek to return to your realm. We must delay them."

  "I don’t understand."

  "You need not understand. You need only remember."

  "Remember what?"

  "Remember!" the being repeated with a cry. "Anak Rim Omahr!"

  The stars chanted. "Anak Rim Omahr."

  Another series of visions flashed through Grimshaw’s head so fast he barely made sense of them. Glimpses of Krags quickly replaced images of otherworldly things which were in turn supplanted by words and pictures of landscapes and planes he struggled to comprehend. Other flowing forms were so alien they were beyond his understanding.

  Yet, with equal parts dread and satisfaction, he knew what needed to be done.

  "Anak Rim Omahr," the stars called.

  "Anak Rim Omahr," Grimshaw answered.

  The glowing entity nodded. "You must remember."

  "I must remember," Grimshaw said.

  The being seemed pleased. "Do not tell anyone you came here. Our servants, the Kragak, have strayed far from their path. They remain distracted by traditions rooted in the will of the Primordials. They will kill you should they learn you touched the gate, for it is most holy in their eyes. Yet…something tells me that you might return them to their path. If the universe wills it of course."

  "If the universe wills it," the stars called.

  "You may ask questions while there is yet time.”

  It occurred to Grimshaw the numberless points of light were not stars, but other entities like the one with which he spoke. Questions flooded his mind. "Where is this place?"

  "This is the firmament. A place between planes. Between the place you call the universe and the Void."

  He thought back to the visions he’d been granted. "There is no other way?"

  "There is always another way, Grimshaw. When the time comes, the universe will present you with two options. The choice will be yours alone."

  "What if I need further guidance? How do I contact you?"

  "The Keeper will guide you from within. The Keeper has done so before."

  Grimshaw recalled when some presence had helped in his fight against Artax back on the Sentinel. "That was you?"

  "When you entered the crystalline chamber on Gorthore, you touched the void. You received the mark of Nahvoy, and part of your mind was opened. Though it requires great sacrifice on our part, it allows us to speak when your mind touches the Void once more."

  “When I fought Artax on the Sentinel and he got inside my head…someone helped me. That was you, wasn’t it?”

  "We did what needed to be done. Perhaps we can also open the Thandrall’s mind. We hope he will one day see the light…if the universe wills it. You must go now."

  He realized something with horror. "The Primelord…Primordial…or whatever you call him. What if I make the wrong choice?"

  "We will be watching."

  "Anak Rim Omahr," the lights repeatedly chanted. "Anak Rim Omahr."

  Something tug on Grimshaw’s awareness. "Wait. I still have questions."

  “You must return."

  "Anak Rim Omahr," the lights shouted with greater intensity.

  His head snapped like an elastic band.

  The lights smeared to white lines. The glow of the two burning stars died away. He flung through pale green, speeding away from the dancing white light. He snapped into his body and stumbled back, steadying himself against the recess wall.

  Even as he recorded the experience on his SIG, the memories faded like some half-forgotten dream. The harder he tried to remember his encounter with the creature of light, the quicker the details vanished.

  Footfalls echoed through the Walk of Gods, and Grimshaw turned in time to see Kaliff round the corner.

  The giant looked from Grimshaw to the orbs and back again. "Did you touch anything?"

  You need only remember, the memory whispered.

  Grimshaw shook his head. "Didn’t touch a thing. Just thought I saw something move back here. Thought I’d check on it."

  Kaliff narrowed his tiny black eyes and growled. "The Elders have agreed to see you before the fight. They do not like to wait. Follow me."

  Grimshaw obeyed, staying on the giant’s heels as they made for the arena doors.

  He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the recess that housed the gem-encrusted orb. Three words played on repeat in his head.

  Anak Rim Omahr.

  Whatever trials were to come, he needed to remember. He vaguely recalled being given a revelation, when all the missing puzzle pieces had fallen into place. It had all seemed so real. So clear.

  But the puzzle once again lay scattered across his mind and more pieces than not remained missing.

  24

  Web of Lies

  A shadow moved ahead. He chased it through rocky tunnels, the stench of damp stinging his nose. Water dripped from the ceilings, creating pools every other step. He splashed through a particularly deep pothole and almost lost his balance. Agony burned in his left leg, but he pushed on. Something large splashed through the water-logged tunnel behind. Whatever it was, it drew closer. The only way to escape it was to keep up with the fleeting shadow.

  Every time he turned a corner, the person-shaped umbra was already disappearing around the next bend.

  He pushed his lungs to their limit and ignored the cries of his pained leg. He stumbled into the catacomb wall and pushed himself off, continuing into the mire.

  I can’t, he cried out in his head, afraid that the creature behind might hear him.

  You have to. The other-worldly words whispered through the hollowed-out rock like a breeze.

  He turned a sharp corner and almost ran into a wall of caved-in boulders. It was a dead end.

  Where did the shadow go?

  Suddenly, he caught a whiff of death. A growl rumbled behind, warm putrid breath on his neck.

  He turned and stumbled back against the collapsed tunnel wall.

  He shone his light in the creature’s direction and his eyes widened in horror.

  It was Zora.

  His mouth moved but failed to form anything coherent.

  Zora approached, her hips swaying. She reached out to stroke his face.

  As her fingers touched his cheek, she transformed into a hideous, yet familiar creature…like one he’d encountered many years ago on Skarlex Three.

  Taza tried to pull away, but his body thrust him in the opp
osite direction, straight into the beast’s deadly embrace.

  He fought and struggled and finally broke free.

  The beast dissipated, like ashes on the wind.

  Taza was about to go back the way he’d come when the tunnel moved in a way that tunnels shouldn’t.

  It waved and wobbled and closed in before him. He realized with horror that it wasn’t the tunnel moving, but some kind of giant worm with countless rows of teeth that reminded him of the Rivarian.

  He opened his mouth to scream but made no sound.

  The worm answered with a deafening growl of its own.

  It launched forward and swallowed him whole. He tumbled into a bottomless pit, the cold air whipping at his face as he fell. He looked right and saw that someone was falling with him. It was Ria. She reached out to him even as they plunged through the void. Whatever the hell this place was, he was there because of her. Yet, a large part of him felt inclined to reach out in kind. No matter how hard he stretched his right arm, he couldn’t reach. Their fingertips touched, but the wind whipped them further apart.

  Taza struggled against the mighty force between them, and to his surprise they started drifting together agonizingly slowly.

  Their fingers interlocked.

  They hit the freezing water hard.

  Taza glanced around but found no sign of Ria. Had she made it out of the water already? In a panic, he swam for the surface, his air running low, for he hadn’t had a chance to draw a breath before submerging. The harder he swam, the further the surface stretched away. Perhaps he had plunged deeper than he had thought. As hard as he tried, he made no progress, like some invisible claw held him by the ankles. His head spun and up became down just as down became up. He had mere seconds before he ran out of oxygen. His chest burned, begging him to inhale. He tightened his lips together with what might remained, hoping it would buy him a little more time.

  Time for what? he wondered. To suffer a little longer? I may as well just let go.

  Something grabbed him around the waist and hoisted him in some direction or other. He coughed and spluttered as the darkness ebbed away to reveal he lay on a small Island amidst a sea of black.

  A set of bare feet crunched in the sea shells. Taza looked up to find a stranger, though the man’s features bore a curious familiarity. His red hair had been brushed back in waves, and he sported a short-cropped, orange beard. He was an older man by terran standards, over one-hundred years to be sure, but his eyes shone with a kind of vigor found in men half as old.

  Taza slowly climbed to his feet, almost losing his balance due to the pain in his left leg. Something coarse grazed the soles of his feet as he caught his balance.

  He and the stranger were both naked.

  "Who are you? Where is this place?" His words felt and sounded like they belonged to someone else, yet he knew he had spoken them.

  The red-headed stranger did not answer, but remained motionless as he studied Taza, taking the measure of him, as though trying to judge whether he was worthy of something.

  What that something was, Taza had no idea. "What do you want from me?"

  The stranger sprang forward, fist snapping out.

  Taza barely ducked under the blow and came up just in time to see a second.

  He sidestepped, taking it on the shoulder, and spun several feet out of the way.

  The man was around Taza’s age, if not a little older, but he moved with the speed and agility of a teen. His fighting style reminded him of Zora.

  Taza launched forward, his fist drawn, but in doing so left his side wide open.

  By the time he saw the kick coming, it had already struck his injured leg.

  His legs buckled and his knees sank into the pebbles. A kick in the back shoved his face onto the ground.

  He blinked at the stones before his eyes. They were small and red…like the jewels on the necklace he’d brought back from Loth.

  His nose flared as he realized the pebbles were necklaces. He had to get out of here and get back to Clio. He had made a promise, and for a change it was a promise he intended on keeping.

  "Good."

  Startled by the red-head’s sudden speech, Taza left an opening once again.

  Before he could react, the man closed the distance and smashed a fist into his nose.

  Taza’s head snapped back and his vision swam as he gasped, the taste of iron in the back of his throat.

  The man shoved with both arms and Taza fell from the tiny island and hit the water, its icy claws grappling him from behind.

  He opened his eyes and found himself shivering, beads of cold sweat dripping from his nose.

  His nose wasn’t bleeding, after all, but his leg hurt like hell. He wasn’t in water but in a dark room with a spot of sharp light in the distance. The nightmare faded beyond memory as he tried to recall what had happened.

  As his eyes adjusted, he tried to wipe the moisture from his face but found his limbs had been secured to a bed.

  He vaguely recalled falling through the hole. What happened to Ria?

  The spot of distant light sharpened and shifted, cutting a bright beam across Taza.

  It was some kind of surveillance device.

  With a start, he realized he was lying in a vast web of silk. He bit the inside of his cheek in the hope it would wake him up, but nothing happened. This was real.

  He struggled to break free, but he may as well have been bound with steel.

  Something brushed his left leg.

  He looked down and found a green spider, no smaller than his head, crawling up his thigh.

  He did his best not to scream, and instead let out a pitiful moan.

  With renewed urgency, he gritted his teeth as he tried to break an arm free, but the harder he pulled the more the web around his wrist and elbow tightened.

  The spider’s mandibles tugged a strand of web jutting from Taza’s leg, creating a slit.

  A curled tube under its pincers unfurled and felt around for the opening.

  The hibiscus bulged as it drained liquid from Taza’s leg.

  It’s drinking my blood!

  "Get off me!" He screamed, losing all control. "Get the fuck off me."

  His struggles caused the web to shake and bounce, but the spider on his leg didn’t shift an iota.

  Clicking echoed all around him and a dozen more spiders emerged from the darkness to see what all the fuss was about.

  The beam of light swept over the room before coming back to rest on Taza.

  As it did so, he caught sight of other spiders drinking from man-sized objects wrapped in silk dangling from a webbed ceiling.

  "What the fuck!?" He screamed.

  After having its fill, the spider sprayed the opening with fresh silk, closing it over.

  It snapped at the new arrivals and they scuttled off back into the shadows.

  "How the hell did I end up here?” he whimpered. "I fucking hate spiders."

  Ria dragged me into this mess.

  For all he knew, her body was one of those hanging from the ceiling.

  As the spider continued wrapping his leg, bits of what had happened started coming back to him. The gunfight in the Refinery. Sergeant Kurza turning on the other guards so Ria could get away. The tunnel that led to the catacombs. The catacombs!

  They had fallen into the catacombs and ended up in this horrible prison. Something told Taza that being rescued by Eldi and the others was too much to hope for. He was destined to be spider food.

  What a horrible way to go.

  Blinking against the sharp beam, he could just about make out the chamber before him. Web covered most surfaces, but ancient tiles showed through in spots. Another light flickered somewhere up ahead. He squinted for a better view. It came from what looked like a doorway.

  The flickering light stopped, leaving him to wonder what it had been.

  Light meant electricity. Or, could the spider produce fire?

  Why hadn’t they killed him and hung him up like the ot
hers? Why were they eating him alive?

  He wished he still had a gun, then remembered how Ria had stolen it from him. "Chan bitch."

  Not that he could have used a weapon even if he did have one, though he could probably break free of the web with the help of his TEK.

  Come to think of it. How did they get me out of my gear?

  The spider’s mandibles looked sharp, but Taza doubted they could cut through metal. Then again, these weren’t typical spiders.

  The spider on his leg shifted and proceeded onto his groin before crawling onto his stomach.

  As it slowly made its way further up his body, Taza tilted his head back as far as he could, careful not to make any sudden movements that might attract the attention of its companions in the shadows.

  The green creature moved onto his chest, its fore-limbs feeling as it went.

  Two hairy legs appeared over his chin and tapped on the end of his beard several times.

  He struggled to breathe gently through his nose.

  He whimpered as it climbed onto his face, rearing up so that it stared him in the eyes.

  Countless silver orbs rolled in various directions as though taking in different facets of him.

  Taza saw his fear reflected in the larger eyes.

  He held his breath as long as possible, hoping that the spider would move on, but it just sat there staring.

  It shimmied onto the web next to his head and strummed several strands like some silent musical instrument.

  Taza took the opportunity to breathe before it returned to his face. Its legs clicked as it continued studying his face as though wondering which part to eat first.

  Out of the corner of his eyes Taza watched another spider, black and twice as big, amble from the shadows.

  It leaned in close and nibbled on his ear.

  He closed his eyes, as something wet slid into his earhole.

  Bastards are going straight for the brain, was all he could think.

  Taza winced as the moist appendage pulled from his ear with a pop.

  He opened his eyes in time to see the black spider vanish into the blackness. The green one remained on his chest, staring.

  He flexed his arms again and made one last effort to break free without shaking the web. He barely moved an inch when the web shook violently.