Battle Beyond Earth Box Set

by Nick S. Thomas

  "You are fast," stated Coskun, sounding surprised, "Good, I would be disappointed for this to end with so little effort."

  Jafar felt the pain of his flank wound biting into his side. His pain receptors were on fire, and yet he hid it perfectly. He had always been a fast fighter, and he had lost little over time, despite his age. Coskun came at him again with a heavy horizontal cut. He carried the blade around in a full arch and delivered three identical cuts as Jafar backed off. On the third, Jafar ducked under and sliced into his opponent's thigh as he passed him.

  Coskun stumbled slightly before regaining his footing. He made no cry in pain. He turned and growled in anger before looking down at the wound. He seemed more surprised than hurt. He took up his weapon and rushed forward, lunging with the mighty blade. Jafar parried the blade to one side, but his opponent swung it back on the opposing line. He parried just in time, and the blade smashed into the hand guard and crushed it almost flat against the shaft of the glaive.

  Their weapons were locked against one another now. Coskun pushed forward and shoved Jafar back. He was lifted off his feet and staggered a few paces back before regaining his balance. Coskun was far stronger, but he could not match Jafar's speed. But as Jafar came to a standstill, he winced in pain as the wound at his flank opened from the strain of the fight.

  Coskun could see the blood seeping through Jafar's armour now and smiled, realising how vulnerable Jafar was. There was no hiding it anymore. He went forward and cut down to bind with Jafar, who slid his blade past and slashed across Coskun's face. The slice opened a deep cut from the cheek to the side of his mouth, but he ran the Bardiche down Jafar's weapon until the blade cut in and locked against the glaive. He placed his left hand on the haft, and then pulled with both until the glaive was prised from Jafar's hands.

  The Barbarlar Lord, now with both weapons, stood triumphantly and confidently before him. But Jafar did not accept defeat. He knew he had a short opening, for carrying both large weapons was cumbersome and unwieldy. He ran forwards and jumped to drive a knee into Coskun. It impacted hard enough to drive him back a step, and he had no choice but to drop both weapons in an attempt to defend himself.

  Jafar followed it with an elbow to Coskun's face. The impact snapped his head to one side, but he came back quickly with a hammer blow heading for Jafar's neck. He parried it just in time but was driven down to one knee by the power of the strike. Coskun seized his opportunity and kicked heavily into Jafar's seeping wound. He could not help but let out a squirm in agony as the pain shot through his body. But he fought through it and kicked to the inside of Coskun's thigh, and then drove an uppercut into his jaw. It knocked him back a few paces.

  As he got up, he saw the worry in Coskun's face. This fight had not gone half as easy as he had expected it to. Jafar had honed his fighting prowess over hundreds of years and countless battles, and Coskun was just starting to realise it. He looked a little desperate and peered around at the audience. They were watching in amazement that he was struggling so badly.

  "What's the matter? Can't beat an old man?" Jafar asked sarcastically.

  He knew it was just the kind of antagonistic statement that Taylor would make. It was the benchmark to work from. He had never known a more successful being than Taylor, and truly believed he was one to be followed. Coskun was looking down at a part of his armour on his right forearm as if contemplating something. He looked worried now. His body language was different. His shoulders were slightly slumped, and his stance not so aggressive.

  He reached to his forearm with his left hand and drew something out. It was a tiny push dagger that he clenched tight into his grip. It was so small he could barely see it now, and there was no chance the rest of the Barbarlars would be able to. He came forward at Jafar once again and jabbed with his left. Jafar dodged the first two and ducked under the third. He punched into the neck of Coskun, but as he staggered back, he swung clumsily with his left, and the tip of the punch dagger sliced ever so slightly into Jafar's chin.

  Jafar stopped for a moment and felt the light trickle of blood down his neck. He could smell something bizarre, a repulsive and toxic scent that appeared to be mixing with the blood of his wound. Coskun had a wicked smirk on his face.

  "Ejdar bile. They use it to weaken their prey. How do you feel now, Lord Jafar?"

  He felt his mind slowing down and his vision blurring slightly, as if he was highly intoxicated. Coskun rushed towards him. He managed to duck under one strike, but once again took a kick into the wound in his flank. He keeled over and Coskun's iron like fist connected with the side of his head. He landed hard on the ground and turned over to see a foot about to flatten his face. He rolled out of the way and stood up, staggering slightly, not able to maintain his balance. Coskun circled him now, as if cautiously waiting the right moment to take down an injured beast that was still a threat. Jafar simply stood up straight and began to laugh with a deep and echoing tone that was unsettling to all.

  "The mighty Lord of the Barbarlars couldn't beat me in a fair fight," he added, as he continued to laugh.

  He knew it would mean little to those who watched. They had no reason to believe his words, but it was how damaging it was to Coskun's ego that made him laugh. In a fit of anger, the Barb Lord rushed forwards and swung a heavy punch to Jafar's face. He was suffering the effects of the toxin too badly to move in time, and his head jerked to the side from the impact, but he was still defiant. He immediately swung back with all he had and delivered a similar strike to Coskun, but his right leg gave out. He didn't feel it immediately as the toxin had dulled his senses.

  Down on one knee and defeated, he looked up at the Barbarlar with disdain and defiance in his eyes.

  "You are a fraud."

  He punched with all his force into Jafar's face, and he went down. He lay on his side barely conscious, watching Coskun stride over and retrieve his Bardiche from the ground. He returned to finish him off.

  "No!" cried a voice.

  The weapon was held above the Lord's head ready to execute Jafar in one strike. But the rider of the Ejdar who first greeted them rushed into view.

  "Honour has been satisfied. You know our laws as well as any."

  Coskun looked furious and contemplated ignoring the statement, but finally threw his weapon aside. Jafar knew that however savage the Barbarlars might be, they supported their leaders through a strict code, and that had saved his life this day.

  "Fine, let him rot like the disgraced fool he is. To the pits with him."

  Chapter 5

  Sarik paced restlessly from one side of the bridge to the other. He stopped and looked at the time. Twenty-five hours had passed. Everyone there knew what standing order Jafar had given before leaving, but nobody wanted to raise the question of whether they should fulfil it, knowing that to do so meant abandoning their leader. It seemed like Sarik would be willing to wait forever for Jafar. The comms officer finally broke the silence.

  "What are your orders, Sir?" he asked.

  Sarik kept thinking and said nothing.

  "Sir, about Lord Jafar's order?"

  Still he said nothing.

  "Sir, we cannot remain here forever."

  Sarik opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say a word, a light flashed and a buzzer rang to denote they were being hailed.

  "Put them through!" he yelled, excited and concerned all at the same time.

  The Barbarlar who had first greeted them was displayed before him once more.

  "Where is Lord Jafar?" Sarik asked impatiently.

  "Lord Coskun is your leader now, and you and the rest of the Krys people are required to swear allegiance to him immediately."

  Sarik looked furious. His grip tightened around the sidearm he carried as he felt the need for violence.

  "I swear allegiance to no one but Lord Jafar!" he spat back.

  The Barbarlar stayed calm and did nothing to provoke a violent response.

  "Jafar has been beaten in a fair and legal chal
lenge, an ancient right that my Lord invoked. The law of our people requires that you swear allegiance to him."

  Sarik shook his head in disbelief.

  "Never," he snarled, "Never will I accept your master as my own, and I will die before I see the day that a single other Krys world does."

  "They you would defy the laws of your people?"

  "I would defy the wretched barbarian scum that is your master. Return Lord Jafar to me, or incur my wrath."

  The Barbarlar laughed and ended the transmission. Sarik looked to his crew for information.

  "They are heading back to Erzurum."

  Sarik sighed.

  "What do we do?" the pilot asked.

  "There is nothing we can do right now. We do not have the strength to attack, and they know it. Set a course for Ares 4. I don't know how, but we are going to get Jafar back."

  "How do you even know he is alive?"

  "Because those are our laws, cast down from every generation of Krys, and even those savages believe them."

  He stared at the viewscreen showing the planet and thought what state Jafar might be in.

  "I will come back," he whispered.

  The engines fired up, and the ship banked to come about. Sarik could not help but feel hopeless, but he knew just where to go for help. Jafar had always told him to trust in Taylor, so that was precisely what he would do.

  * * *

  Irala stood on the bridge of the Ares 4 station, in temporary command of both the station and what remained of the fleet. Human and Krys crew worked all around him trying to restore the hardware and patch up all they could. He was under no illusion that they had taken a beating. The doors to the bridge opened, and to everyone's surprise, it was the President of the Alliance. One of the bridge crew called everyone to attention, but Irala never cared for such formalities.

  "I am glad to see you are recovering well," he said to Isaacs.

  "Thank you, Chancellor. I needed to get on my own two feet and see it all for myself," he replied, strolling forward and staring in shock at the devastation of the fleet visible from the vast windows. Last time he had been there the blast doors were shut and he could see little, but now the full extent of it was clear.

  "You look at figures on paper, losses, wounded, but none of it means much until you see it for yourself."

  "The Cholans are a desperate people, driven to desperate measures."

  "We cannot afford any more of this division in the Alliance. We are ripping each other apart."

  "Yes, they did the wrong thing for the right reasons, as Mitch Taylor would say."

  "What?" Isaacs asked.

  He ignored the comment. It meant little to him, and Irala cared little to explain it.

  "We have a gateway opening," said Lieutenant Bravos.

  They both looked to the image of the gateway and could see that it was not active.

  "Where?" Isaacs asked in a panic.

  Lights flashed, and a gateway opened less than a kilometre in front of them. Everyone was silent and waited for some sign of what was coming through. A dozen Cholan warships finally surged through into view, and the crew went rigid with terror.

  "It's over," whispered Isaacs.

  But seconds later they saw three Human vessels pass through, surrounded by many more Cholan ships.

  "What is that?"

  "I believe that is Taylor," replied Irala.

  "What? How?"

  "We're being hailed by the Guam, Sir," stated Bravos.

  "Put them through!" Isaacs snapped.

  A projection lit up before them, and to their amazement and joy, it was indeed Taylor.

  "How is this possible?"

  "I went to do a job, and I got it done. That's how it is possible. Do you have faith now?" Taylor asked.

  His tone was a little angry and disrespectful of the President, and yet Isaacs was too shocked and happy to notice.

  "What are the intentions of the Cholan Empire now?" Irala added more seriously.

  "Yes, yes, what are they going to do now?"

  "Whatever we tell them, Mr President," replied Taylor.

  Isaacs shook his head in disbelief.

  "You've only just joined this new life, and you have already subdued and conquered an entire race!"

  Taylor smiled in response to Irala, though he knew that was not the tone it was meant in.

  "If this is what you are capable of today, what will you do tomorrow?"

  He wasn't sure if Irala was impressed or shocked over what he had done.

  "I'm coming over," he replied and ended the transmission.

  "How does he do it?"

  Irala looked concerned, something Isaacs had never seen from him before.

  "What is it?" he asked.

  "You will soon have to make a decision."

  The President looked on intensely and waited for him to continue; the pause was killing him.

  "You must decide whether you are willing to hand over power to the Colonel."

  "Hand over power? What on Earth are you talking about?"

  "Do you not see? Mitch Taylor has not won this battle for you. He has won it for the Alliance."

  "I don't see what you are getting at. I am in charge of the Alliance."

  Irala shook his head.

  "The Colonel has always done what he considers best, whether those above him like it or not. And now he has the entire Cholan Empire loyal to him."

  "Loyal to the Alliance," Isaacs replied firmly.

  Irala didn't bother responding, for he knew the President would not heed his advice.

  Taylor and his team of Immortals sat along one side of the shuttle, with as many Cholans opposite them. At their centre was the new Emperor, Tuin. He had donned the purple sash of the Emperor, but in all other regards was dressed and equipped as when he and Taylor first met and exchanged blows.

  "You will still not wear the crown?" Taylor asked.

  Tuin shook his head.

  "Why?" asked Babacan.

  "Because I want to be the kind of Emperor I always wanted to follow."

  Taylor appreciated the sentiment and that he and Tuin were not a world apart. Although he did not envy the responsibility the Cholan had now taken on as a result of his actions.

  "You came to my world to ensure the Cholan people support the Alliance against the Morohta, but do I have your word you will see this through, for all our sakes?"

  Taylor nodded and offered out his hand. Tuin still looked a little suspicious, and he had every right to be. Despite Taylor's hatred of what so many Cholans had done to him and those around him, he remembered the day he accepted Jafar amongst them, and it had paid off in dividends until this very day.

  The ship passed into the docking bay of the Ares space station. Hundreds of crewmembers were lined up to great them in a lavish ceremony. Many more were still working to repair the station and craft beyond. Taylor was already shaking his head.

  "Still don't get it do they?" he muttered.

  "Get what?" Alita asked.

  "That we don't have time for all this. A hundred personnel standing around doing nothing is the sort of waste of resources we cannot afford."

  She didn't know how to respond. The shuttle came to a landing, and the ramp lowered. A red carpet led to where the President awaited them. A roar of applause rang out as he came into view, but he found it hard to be appreciative. He leapt down with his Immortals and strode towards the President. Irala was standing beside him.

  "You've done a fine job, Colonel. You have pulled off the impossible!" Isaacs yelled with a huge grin on his face.

  "Sir, can we please give up all the kissing ass and get down to business?"

  The President looked as surprised as he was offended. He leaned in close to Taylor to whisper in his ear as the applause continued.

  "Look at them. They need this once in a while. A victory. They have led miserable lives since all this began. Let them enjoy your success."

  For once he stood back and was silenced. Isaac
s had a point, and he felt a little sheepish for being so dismissive of the welcome party. He looked around at all their faces to see they genuinely were exuberant. He nodded to accept the applause and slowly smiled in response.

  "Now can we get back to business?" he finally asked with a smile.

  The President raised his hand to call for silence and then pointed for Taylor to speak to them.

  "May I present to you, the new leader of the Cholan Empire, Emperor Tuin!"

  The Cholan appeared at the door of the craft to everyone's surprise, along with a dozen of his personal staff and soldiers. Isaacs was shocked to the core.

  "What happened to Kuyok?" he whispered to Taylor.

  "He isn't a problem anymore."

  Isaacs still look confused until Jones leaned in close to whisper back.

  "What the Colonel is trying to say politely is that he put a bullet between his eyes."

  Isaacs’ eyes widened, and he went pale.

  "Colonel, you can't just kill an Emperor!"

  "This is war. The winner makes the rules."

  Jones still shook his head that Taylor had even contemplated regicide, let alone gone through with it and with no regrets at all. Taylor pointed back to Tuin as if for Isaacs to acknowledge him, and finally he did so. He coughed to clear his throat and recover from the shocking news.

  "Emperor, welcome to Ares 4. Please come aboard."

  They exchanged pleasantries for just a few seconds when Isaacs beckoned for them to follow him.

  "Please, we have much to discuss."

  Taylor gestured for Jones, Alita, and Babacan to join him.

  "Uhhh, this is a briefing for high-ranking government officials and commanding officers only," stated Isaacs.

  "Where I go, they go," Taylor replied forcefully.

  Isaacs submitted quickly. Taylor could see he was still not a man to be fully trusted, and he never wanted to be anywhere without someone protecting his back. They were led through to a large conference room. It was in impeccable condition, as if untouched by the battle. Hardly surprising; they had passed through many corridors into the heart of the station to reach the highly protected and secure facility. A dozen guards stood watch over the entrance, half Human, half Krys.