Fury to the Stars (Universe in Flames Book 2)

by Christian Kallias

  Argos waved the comm off with a flick of his right hand.

  With the plan to ambush the strike force boiling in his mind, he rejoiced at the thought of teaching both Alliance and Droxian what it cost to defy him.

  “Let’s have some fun, shall we?” he cackled, with a smirk on his face.

  * * *

  Onboard the EAD Hope, Chase arrived at Jupiter and meticulously tested each of the ship systems. It was ready for battle. The ship had dispatched training probes with incredible ease, even though they had their level set to maximum threat. He also tested the redundancy of all systems, main and secondary weapons, torpedoes and shields. All tests provided very satisfactory results. However, he still found himself longing to be in a starfighter, no matter how empowering it was to captain the most lethal warship the Alliance had ever built.

  He decided to act on his impulse. He got up from the captain’s chair, looked at Major Sparton, and gave him the bridge without explanation. He took the lift to go visit Yanis in the engineering room: which on the EAD Hope was a thing of beauty. The dual quadrinium cores emitted a soothing hum.

  “What can I do for you, Captain? I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. All systems are working perfectly—” Yanis began.

  “I know, but I wanted to ask for a favor.”

  “Haven’t I already designed the perfect ship? What more can I do?” he said, throwing his arms in the air.

  “Relax. I wondered if you have time to install a remote neuronal link for me, perhaps to interface with my chair?”

  “Why would you want to pilot a destroyer with your mind? Of course, in theory I could devise a way for you to fly and shoot with a link…”

  “Can a neuronal link remote control two space craft?”

  “Let me guess... You want me to link it to the F-147s as well?”

  “Yep. Can it be done?”

  “I don’t see why not. Since they all come with their own neuro-interface, it’s just a matter of installing a network remote control routine. But why would you want to do that?”

  “I’m a fighter pilot. We are going on a critical mission to destroy a very important target. I don’t want to miss this battle for the sake of luxury.”

  “You’re like a child, you know that, right? You’re captaining the most advanced ship of the fleet, perhaps even the most advanced ship ever created, and you still want to play hotshots?”

  Chase didn’t answer, pondering. Was he? Was it so bad, wanting to fly the new F-147?

  “Look... I just want to be part of the wing when we get there, and since I can’t be in two places at once…”

  “It’s okay, you don’t need to justify yourself. You want to fly my StarCrusher, and so you will.”

  “Yanis?” said Chase, raising his voice.

  “Oh, did I say StarCrusher? I meant StarFury.”

  Chase smiled.

  “The jump to our destination will take thirty-five hours. Will that be enough time?”

  “Plenty. No worries, Chase, I will have the modification made to your chair within the next few hours. But I think I’d better give you some commands on the Hope as well, so you can at least dispatch orders mentally while flying the starfighter with the neuronal interface. It will make it simpler for you to interact with your crew, while still receiving visual sensors and telemetry from both the Hope and F-147. Though I can’t be sure how your brain will react to you controlling two systems at once; it might be too much. Since the F-147s are already pre-loaded with your scripted commands, you may want to set it on autopilot from time to time, if the dual link becomes too stressful for you to handle.”

  “Understood. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but thanks.”

  “My pleasure. Now go play captain and let me tend to my ship.” Yanis laughed, waving Chase off with his hand.

  “Your ship?”

  “You know what I mean. Now go!” said Yanis with a wink.

  Chase decided to go check on Sarah next, but she wasn’t in her quarters. Perhaps she hadn’t finished her tour of the ship or, better yet, maybe she went to see the F-147? Chase leaped at the golden opportunity. Once arriving at the launching bays, he started looking for the F-147, a huge grin on his face. He arrived before two of them parked side by side, right after the four Omega fighters the admiral had been kind enough to provide for their important mission. Indeed, the new model was quite a lot bigger than the original F-140 Thunderbolt. Then it hit him: there were supposed to be three F-147s. He activated his comm.

  “Dude, it’s been fifteen minutes since we last talked. What now?”

  “Weren’t there supposed to be three StarFuries on board?”

  “Yes. And?”

  “And I’m in the launch bay now, and there are only two!”

  “What? Are you sure?”

  “Yanis, I think I know how to count to−”

  But then something strange happened. A shape started to appear next to the other two ships, something blurry and distorted at first. It flickered for a few seconds until it took a more solid form, and finally became a fully formed F-147.

  Chase exhaled and answered. “Never mind. It’s here.”

  “Of course it’s there! Are you feeling well?”

  “I’ll catch up with you later. Sorry for the interruption. Chase out.”

  “No worries. Catch you later.”

  The cockpit of the StarFury opened, and Sarah waved towards Chase with a big, radiant smile.

  “I love this thing. It’s wicked!”

  “You scared me! I thought we lost one of the ships.”

  “You thought we lost it? I just climbed in to check it out, and tested the new neuronal HUD. I thought about becoming invisible and it happened! Didn’t mean to startle you, sorry.”

  “That’s alright. I guess I’m a bit on edge. I was actually about to go rest in my quarters. Care to join?”

  “I’ll come shortly. I’d like to go for a run first, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure thing. See you in a few?”

  “You betcha,” Sarah said, beaming back a warm smile.

  Chase entered his quarters, completely exhausted. There was just an hour left until the battle group would jump out of Earth space, and he hoped for a quick nap before Sarah would join him. He set an alarm for fifty minutes, so that he could be awake and ready to go on the bridge for the jump. He relaxed, and let himself fall on his bed.

  But instead of hitting the soft mattress, his body impacted with water. He jumped back to his feet, and realized he no longer was on board the Hope. He was somewhere else entirely.

  He stood up in water reaching his thigh. The view was breathtaking. The planet he was on had three suns. Two of the stars emitted a yellow-orange glow, while the third one, hovering over the horizon and about to set, was blue; casting a cold, icy reflection on the translucent, pink-tinted water.

  “Think fast!” he heard from behind.

  As he turned he didn’t see anything but a growing shadow on the water. Finally, he looked up, and there was Ares arriving full force with both his hands joined, ready to smash him to smithereens. He barely managed to avoid the attack, though the huge splash and resulting shockwave still knocked him off balance, sending him flying into the water. He got up and assumed a fighting stance. It took a few seconds for the commotion and water spray to splash all the way down and clear, but Chase had already lost visual contact with his foe.

  He closed his eyes and brought to bear his inner power. He focused first on gauging his energy levels, and becoming more mindful of his surroundings. Soon he felt a presence coming at him at very high velocity, from behind. He reacted instantly, jumping high in the air and firing a quick fireball where he’d just stood. Water once again flew upwards, stopping Ares in his tracks. Using the momentum of his jump, Chase launched an arching kick towards Ares who barely managed to block the attack. Chase smiled as Ares regained composure.

  “Very good,” Ares said, smiling back, clearly surprised. “You’ve been training.”
r />   “Every chance I got. I’m summoning my powers with much more ease than before.”

  “Let’s see what you’ve learned, shall we?”

  “Ready when you are.”

  Ares lunched himself toward Chase, who assumed a defensive stance. He was already casting a crackling ball of blue energy in his fist, his aura radiating a deep blue. Fully ready to counterattack, he prepared a powerful punch with his right arm when Ares did something that Chase didn’t understand. He split, somehow! There appeared two Ares before him now. They circled him slowly, one approaching from each side.

  Recalculating, Chase decided on one target, the nearest one. He threw himself forward, launching his attack abruptly. Ares blocked the incoming fake jab, just as Chase thought he would. But then he let the energy in his fist free, and it sent Ares flying. At the same moment Chase was perfectly aware that his second foe was nearly upon him, so he dropped down in subterfuge. Hunched over and looking forward, he performed a sneaky, arching kick at foot-level into the water behind his body. In an instant it threw lots of water into the air, before, with a crack, the kick landed against the foot of the second Ares. He lost balance, and Chase lost no time taking advantage of the situation. His bent left arm rocketed down towards the second Ares’ torso. Upon impact he opened his palm and released all the energy from within. It sent the second Ares flying on top of the water, skipping like a stone. The force of the attack then split the water into two frothing troughs that closed over him.

  Chase felt empowered like never before. He’d finally felt the energy within his body flowing in perfect harmony, in control. He exhaled slowly. The familiar sense of fear was nowhere to be seen.

  Both Ares got up and smirked. Both disappeared. They reappeared on Chase’s side, both thrusting powerful kicks at him. He raised his right arm and blocked the first kick but was late to block the second one and lost balance. Both Ares merged back and became one once again.

  Before Chase could regain his balance, Ares grabbed his leg. He aimed to use Chase’s body as a hammer to throw, and had already started spinning. The more Chase was spinning in the air the more he felt dizzy, until Ares released his grip on the leg and sent Chase speeding hundreds of feet into the air. Ares then jumped towards Chase in the air in a jump that simply seemed impossible: the shockwave from his rocket-like departure from the ground sent water flying all around. He arrived in a roar with his hand in a tight fist, ready to crush Chase with his next attack. Then something inexplicable happened. At the moment Ares fist was about to crush Chase’s face, he dodged the incoming attack by only a few millimeters, grinning. Ares fell down towards the water, creating yet another big splash of water. But Chase did not fall. Instead he stood in the air, levitating.

  “What the hell?” said Chase, with both amazement and fear in his voice.

  “I told you. I knew you could fly,”

  I can fly? thought Chase. “This is unbelievable!”

  “Now try to lower yourself slowly to the surface.”

  Chase tried to move but was unable to. He instantly felt like whatever amazement he had felt before, had become anxiety. All of a sudden, he felt gravity take a hold on him once more. He fell towards the water at full speed, like a stone. His body cracked the ground deep down beneath, sending a huge wave of pain through his left shoulder.

  Chase emerged moaning from the muck, grasping his shoulder with his right arm. But he still had the wherewithal to center himself, close his eyes and heal himself.

  “What happened?” inquired Ares, running through the water. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine now. I don’t know. I think my brain had trouble reconciling what was happening. I levitated a little on instinct there, trying to avoid your attack, but once I got back into the reality of it all, I lost my grip on it and started falling.”

  Ares nodded. “Don’t worry. Flying is not something natural for humanoids. It may take a while to master this particular gift. I’m already amazed you managed to dodge my attack in mid-air.”

  “So am I,” said Chase, reflecting on what had just happened.

  “Alright, that’s all for today. I’m glad you are getting a good grip on your power; you seemed to waste a lot less energy than before. At this rhythm we probably could’ve fought for hours.”

  Chase nodded, overwhelmed.

  “Next time you get the chance, try to empty your mind as much as you can first, and try levitating again. Little by little, I’m sure you’ll learn how to do it.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Look at the bright side. We know it’s possible for you at the very least. It doesn’t matter if you can’t control it just yet. Your progress is already quite impressive. While I didn’t throw all my power at you just yet, I am amazed how you anticipated my attacks and kept your head clear.”

  “But am I ready to face Argos?”

  “I would avoid it until you get more control. Aim to master your abilities about tenfold.”

  “Tenfold?”

  “Yes, be patient. You’re progressing at an amazing pace, but I sense you are still far from your full potential. You’ll get there. But now I must go. Keep practicing.”

  “Thanks, Ares. I’ll see you soon.”

  He nodded and vanished into thin air.

  For the first time in long while, Chase felt really good. The fact that he was learning to control his powers gave him hope. Perhaps Aphroditis was right; perhaps these powers were indeed a blessing.

  “Having fun?” said a familiar, feminine voice from behind Chase.

  He turned around, and bumped straight into Aphroditis. Her hair was flowing in the light breeze as she took small steps towards him, with an almost childlike smile on her face.

  “Hello, Aphroditis,” said Chase, returning the smile.

  “You look good, Chase.”

  He nodded in answer.

  “I’ve been observing you, but I didn’t want to interrupt. Ares seems to have taken a liking to you. I think you remind him of himself, when he was younger and impetuous. I’m glad he is able to teach you some important lessons.”

  “He’s a great teacher.”

  She nodded, but then her expression became grave.

  “What is it?” inquired Chase.

  “I sense darkness and pain ahead. I don’t exactly how or why, but something is amiss.”

  “I don’t think I like the sound of that.”

  “I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know so you might be ready to face something hard in the coming days. I wish I could tell you more...”

  “Well, we are about to go destroy Argos’ precious shipyard; I have a feeling I might cross paths with him again. At least now I feel more confident about myself, if that happens.”

  “Remember what Ares said: Argos is immensely powerful, and you are just discovering what you are capable of. You are not yet ready to beat him. I know you want revenge for what he did to Sarah, but don’t let anger or hate cloud your judgment. Chase, I implore you.”

  “It’s true that I want to crush him with my bare hands.”

  “Just remember that you aren’t ready. Soon enough you will be, of that I have no doubts, but please try to avoid a direct confrontation with your brother.”

  Chase didn’t like the idea of avoiding Argos, but he knew in his heart that if both Aphroditis and Ares told him he wasn’t ready, that it was probably true. Suddenly he realized that he no longer harbored doubts about their intentions. Not long ago he’d doubted whether or not he should be listening to the Olympians, now they seemed vital to his survival.

  “Can you promise me you will try to avoid fighting Argos until you are ready?”

  “I can promise you that I will do my best, but if he endangers Sarah again...”

  “I understand. Perhaps it would be best if she didn’t come with you on this mission.”

  “I’ve tried that.”

  “I see...” she said, closing her eyes for a few moments. “I must leave now, but please be careful.”

>   “Will do. Thanks for dropping by.”

  And, like Ares before, she vanished into nothingness. The landscape, too, changed, from the dreamy, triple-star planet to the familiar surroundings of standard Alliance quarters. Chase found himself atop his bed looking at the ceiling, alongside a wailing alarm clock. Sarah hadn’t come; probably not done with her run yet. He got up from his bed and went to the bridge. Upon arrival he sat on the captain’s chair.

  “Status?”

  “We’re back around Earth orbit. We’ve just received slave jump coordinates from the Destiny. Incoming transmission.”

  It was Fillio.

  “Admiral Thassos asked me and three other Omega fighter pilots to report to the EAD Hope. Requesting permission to board the ship and join the pilot roaster.”

  “Permission granted.”

  Soon her shuttle landed on board the ship. He was glad the admiral had granted his request. He preferred to have seasoned pilots to fly the Omega fighters. They were a rare commodity. He would hate to lose the fighters by putting inexperienced pilots at their helm, and Fillio seemed like a godsend. Then Chase turned to his helm’s officer.

  “Link our jump engines to the Destiny’s.”

  “Engines linked, Captain.”

  The battle group jumped out of Earth space.

  C H A P T E R

  XXI

  Onboard the Star Alliance Station Damocles-3, elder scientist Spiros Malayianis was crawling behind a crate. He had clambered out of sight just in the nick of time. Three impressive Zarlacks had just entered the room, clumsily searching around on their rounds.

  Lately it had become more and more difficult for him to evade capture. Fortunately, as soon as Obsidian and the Zarlacks had taken possession of the station, he’d managed to hide his life signs from the sensors. He knew the technical systems of this station like the back of his hand. He had designed most of them, after all.

  The past few months had been tiring, though. He now spent most of his life hidden in crawl spaces between decks; places where he’d doctored computer reports to list as “fire-damage areas with no life support.” The trick had worked, and he felt safe enough in these places. He could even fall asleep, sometimes.