Logan considered the offer for a moment. “You say you are a teacher, but I don’t know who or what you are,” said Logan.
“I am the Apollo Stone, the Kaiytáva,” said the voice. “But my most ancient name is Suvial.”
“Those are things you’ve been called, but it isn’t what you are,” replied Logan. “Did the Alamani create you in order to travel between stars?”
“No,” replied Suvial in an amused tone. “The Alamani did not create me. Like you, they found me.”
“That brings us back to my question,” said Logan. “What are you?”
“I told you,” replied Suvial. “I am a teacher who is willing to help you in exchange for the opportunity to educate a willing pupil. Of course, that means you would not be allowed to cast me into a black hole as the Lycians did with the other Kaiytáva.”
“So you know about that,” said Logan. “I could make that promise, but to be honest, I don’t think I would have the power to stop them if they chose to throw you in.”
“If I help you against the Sahiradin, you will need to find a way.”
“Why don’t you just leap to another part of the universe?” asked Logan. “They’d never find you.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” replied Suvial.
“Then how does it work?” asked Logan.
“You may learn in time if you agree to my terms,” said Suvial.
“If you help me defeat the Sahiradin, but the Lycians take you from me, what then?” asked Logan.
“In that case, I will endeavor to deliver myself to the Sahiradin,” said Suvial. “I will not follow the other Kaiytáva into the crushing darkness.”
Logan didn’t know how the Apollo Stone, Suvial, would carry out its threat to put itself into the hands of the Sahiradin, but he didn’t doubt it could do it. He weighed his options. Without the Apollo Stone, they could not defeat the Sahiradin. If the Sahiradin win, they will extinguish human life on Earth. However, with the help of the Apollo Stone, he might be able to change the outcome of the battle and force the Sahiradin to withdraw.
“Okay,” said Logan. “I agree to your terms. If you help us defeat the Sahiradin, I will be your pupil.”
“And hide me from the Lycians?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have a bargain,” said Suvial. “I will help you board the Sahiradin ship. And, as a sign of my goodwill, I will also provide you with a valuable piece of information.”
Chapter 88
Logan blinked a few times before he realized he was back on the Blackhawk. Cap, Lena, Styles, and Ravenwood were gathered in a semicircle around him. He looked out the cockpit window and saw they were inside a large gray-colored landing bay. Parked against the far wall, there were a few ships that looked like they were designed to haul cargo or transport personnel, but the cavernous room was otherwise empty.
“You did it!” said Cap as he patted Logan on the shoulder. “Let’s go! The Rahani say they know where the engines should be, but we have to move fast.”
Cap started toward the Blackhawk’s side door.
“Wait!” said Logan. “I know why the Sahiradin won’t commit Dominion to battle.”
Ravenwood leaned forward and gripped the side of Logan’s chair. “Why?”
Logan looked from face to face and said, “There is a queen on board.”
Ravenwood looked intently into Logan’s eyes. “Why do you say that? The Rahani were quite certain she is still on the Sahiradin home world.”
“She is,” said Logan emphatically. “She is deep in the roots of the Sacred Mountain in the Chamber of Souls, guarded by a thousand Karazan. But although she is alive, she did not produce any offspring for several cycles or a fertile female to replace her. However, in the most recent cycle she produced a small number of males and a fertile female. That female is aboard Dominion.”
“I thought that was impossible,” said Lena. “A queen only produces a fertile female when she is in her last cycle. If there is a new queen, the old one must be dead.”
“Perhaps the old rules no longer apply,” said Ravenwood gravely. Looking at Logan, he said, “How do you know about this supposed second queen or the Sacred Mountain or the Chamber of Souls?”
“The Apollo Stone told me,” said Logan.
“It told you?” asked Ravenwood incredulously. “I’ve never heard of a Kaiytáva actually speaking with a navigator. Are you quite sure about this?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” said Logan. “Now let’s go. The Sahiradin will detect our presence soon. We have to move fast.”
Logan put the Apollo Stone in his pocket, grabbed his sword and gun, and dashed out the side hatch with the others close behind. The two dozen Rahani, three Grensch, and fifteen troopers and were already outside the gunship. The Rahani explained through Ravenwood that this was just one of at least four similar landing bays on the massive battleship. One male Rahani, who apparently had special knowledge of Sahiradin design principles, said he believed the main engines were located nearby. He led the party up a flight of stairs located in the corner of the landing bay and into a long hallway, dimly lit by small red lights. Behind the Rahani came the Grensch, who were forced to stoop in order to fit into the passageway, followed by the humans. After they had walked about fifty meters, the Rahani came to an intersecting passage and turned left.
Logan whispered to Ravenwood. “No. It’s to the right.”
Ravenwood gave him a questioning look, but he passed the translated message up the line. Upon getting the message, the Rahani stopped and appeared uncertain what to do.
Logan turned to Styles. “I’m going up front. Stay here, and be careful.”
She looked at him and nodded in a gesture of trust, noting the concern in his voice. He took an extra heartbeat to look at her. She flashed a knowing smile for a split second.
Logan looked at Ravenwood and said, “Come with me. I’ll need your help.”
When they reached the front of the group, Ravenwood explained that Logan would lead. There was a brief debate among the Rahani. One of them said something to Ravenwood, who responded in a surprisingly commanding voice. The Rahani looked at each other, and then one of them nodded to Ravenwood.
Ravenwood turned to Logan and said, “Lead on.”
Logan nodded and walked down the passage to the right. Soon they turned right again and then left twice. At one point, he held up his hand and they all stopped and cautioned for everyone to be silent. A group of Sahiradin crossed their path about twenty meters ahead but fortunately did not look in their direction. After a few moments, Logan gave the signal to proceed.
They walked another twenty meters in the dim red light until they heard footsteps ahead. Then they heard a door open and close. Logan quickly walked ahead until he reached a T intersection. The left passage disappeared into the red gloom, but the passage to the right ended in a large door. There was a keypad on the wall to the left of the door. Strange symbols were written on each of the twelve keys. Logan heard some Rahani whispers when the group reached the door. A Grensch softly grunted to a Rahani and tapped his arm using different combinations of fingers each time.
Ignoring the Grensch, Logan looked past Ravenwood and waved for Lieutenant Styles to come forward. “Lend me your field sensors,” he said when she reached the door.
“They want to turn back,” said Ravenwood as Logan activated the sensors. “They think access to the engines is down a different passage.”
Logan shook his head. “No. This door leads to the ship’s power plant. Knock this out, and it’ll cause a chain reaction in all the engines.”
Ravenwood did not respond, but he gave Logan a concerned, questioning look.
Logan directed the sensors toward the keypad. The device recorded that four keys were slightly warmer than the others, presumably the residual heat of the Sahiradin who had recently entered the room. Logan punched the keys but didn’t get the sequence right. He tried again, but again the sequence was incorrect.
Logan’s stomach began to t
ighten. How many attempts at guessing the ten thousand possible combinations could he make before an alarm goes off or they are discovered? As he started a third attempt, Styles gently touched his hand and moved it to the side. She took the field sensors and pulled up the data Logan had recorded. She pressed a few buttons on the screen, then showed it to him.
“The heat signature on these two keys is bigger,” she said, pointing at the readings. “And this one is very small.”
She touched the key with the smallest heat signature first, then the next three in order of residual heat. Nothing. She entered the code again, but this time she reversed the order of the last two keys. The door clicked open.
Logan looked at Styles and smiled, resisting the sudden urge to kiss her.
“You’re a genius,” he said.
“Just using a little common sense,” she replied with a wink.
Logan looked at the others to make sure they were ready. Then he quietly opened the door. They began to file into the room on the other side, where there were a half dozen Sahiradin working at various stations. One of the Sahiradin looked over his shoulder and saw the intruders. He immediately hit a button on his console. Yellow lights began to flash in the room and in the hallway. A siren blared out its warning.
There was a momentary pause as everyone sized each other up, then the Rahani fired on the Sahiradin, killing four of them almost immediately. Two Sahiradin pulled pistol-shaped weapons out of nearby niches, but the Rahani killed them before they could fire a shot. With the room secured, the Rahani went to the controls, but it was clear to Logan that they did not understand how to access the Sahiradin systems. Logan walked to a heavy door on the far side of the room and opened it by pressing a button on the wall. The metal door slid open to reveal a large space thirty meters high. Inside were seven tall cylinders pulsing with red light and reaching from the floor to the ceiling. On the far wall was a control station of some sort.
“These pillars transfer energy from the ship’s power plant to the three main engines,” explained Logan to Ravenwood and Styles. “If we can damage or destroy them, Dominion will be severely crippled and will hopefully signal some of the ships to withdraw from the battle and assist her.”
He looked at Ravenwood and said, “Ask the Rahani to fire on these pillars.”
Ravenwood did as he asked. Moments later, a dozen Rahani entered the room and spread out in a line. They began firing on each of the cylinders. As the Rahani did their work, Styles returned to the control room and positioned the League troops to defend against any Sahiradin who might come down the hall. The three Grensch and remaining Rahani stood behind the troopers.
Moments later, the troopers began firing their K-45s into the passageway. There was some return fire of red energy blasts, killing one trooper. Concerned they would soon be overrun, Logan nervously watched the Rahani do their work. Smoke soon began to flow out of several of the pillars then they all caught fire and stopped pulsing light. The Rahani quickly left the chamber but Logan remained behind.
“I need grenades!” he yelled to Lieutenant Styles. “As many as you’ve got.”
She gathered as many grenades as the troopers had and gave them to Logan. “All right,” he said. “Let’s each pull four and throw them at that control station near the far wall.”
Styles nodded. They pulled the pins and threw the grenades across the room, then jumped back into the control room. Logan closed the door just before the grenades exploded in rapid succession. Moments after the grenades went off, they heard additional louder explosions.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” said Logan.
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” replied Styles.
The group charged out of the room with the Grensch in the lead. As they rounded a corner, the Grensch were struck a number of times by Sahiradin energy weapons, but their shields absorbed the blasts. The Sahiradin didn’t have swords or shields, so the Grensch made quick work of them, smashing their bodies against the walls or the ceiling.
The group pressed on with Logan and Ravenwood running right behind the fast-moving Grensch. Logan periodically yelled which way to turn and Ravenwood would translate. After what seemed like ages, they entered the landing bay where they had left Blackhawk. Logan was surprised and relieved to have reached the bay with such ease. He smiled at Ravenwood and was about to say something as they ran toward the gunship, but he was cut short when the Grensch suddenly stopped and let out a deep angry growl. Logan and the others spread out on either side of their giant companions and were stunned by what they saw.
A group of about fifty Sahiradin in full battle gear was running into the landing bay from an entrance on the opposite side. They immediately formed two lines and positioned themselves in front of the Blackhawk. When the black-armored enemy soldiers had assembled, a Sahiradin officer stepped forward and examined the strange assortment of species that had sneaked aboard his ship. Then he shouted an order. The formation parted in the middle and twenty female Sahiradin dressed in blood-red armor stepped through the gap.
“Karazan,” breathed Ravenwood in a voice tinged with fear.
The female Sahiradin warriors slowly drew their black swords and grinned menacingly at the intruders. They walked forward, their pale faces bright with the thought of satisfying their bloodlust. Then the male Sahiradin drew their swords and followed.
Suddenly, the floor vibrated from the shockwave of a distant explosion. Logan smiled with satisfaction knowing that their attack on the power plant was causing the hoped for chain reaction of destruction to Dominion’s main engines. With the young queen on board, they would certainly want to pull the fleet back to repair the battleship and ensure her safety.
Following the explosion, the Karazan and Sahiradin stopped and looked around. Though momentarily confused by the explosion, they soon regained their composure and resumed their advance. When a second explosion reverberated through the battleship, the Rahani dropped to one knee and began firing into the Karazan cohort. The queen’s guards charged, nimbly dodging the Rahani’s green energy beams while screaming a blood-curdling war cry. The three Grensch bellowed a deep and powerful roar and charged forward to meet them.
Logan looked behind him and saw Lena, Cap, Styles, and the fifteen troopers standing as though frozen, their eyes filled with fear. Logan knew what they were thinking. They all realized they were facing imminent death on an alien ship far away from their homes. They had been prepared to fight and perhaps die for the League of Free Cities, but nothing could have prepared them for the situation they now faced, and they didn’t know how to respond. It was Lieutenant Styles who snapped them out of their trance. She drew her sword, turned on her shield, and, looking over her shoulder, she yelled, “Troopers, prepare!”
The call to a familiar action gave them confidence. They engaged their shields, snapped their guards into place, and drew their swords. Then Styles faced the oncoming enemy and shouted, “Attack!” They all rushed forward to assist the Grensch, who were already locked in combat. Seeing the other troopers launch themselves into the fray, Cap and Lena drew their swords, engaged their shields and raced forward.
“We have to get to the Blackhawk,” Logan yelled to Ravenwood. As he spoke, more Sahiradin poured in through a door on the far side of the landing bay.
Logan tried to connect with the Apollo Stone and seek help, but as he gripped the stone inside his pocked he could not focus his mind. He soon gave up and opened his eyes and saw the Sahiradin quickly surrounding the Lycians and troopers. The Karazan moved with lightning speed and preternatural agility, quickly dispatching everyone they faced. Logan watched the unfolding scene in horror. His throat and stomach tightened as the outcome of the fight appeared inevitable.
He looked at Ravenwood and drew his sword. “Well, we gave it our best shot. Maybe it was enough to save the Lycian fleet or tip the scales against the PRA, but we’ll never know.”
“Never say never, my boy,” replied Ravenwood, drawing his weapon.
As Logan engaged against a Sahiradin, he saw several troopers go down. One of the Grensch swung at two Karazan, but they easily avoided his mace and sliced him at the knees, causing him to collapse to the floor. The giant struggled to get to his feet, but he was wounded with five deep thrusts and died with a final great sigh.
To Logan’s left, a group of Sahiradin repeatedly cut at another Grensch. The giant staggered back, roaring in pain and rage. He swung his mace down to the floor. A green burst of energy erupted from the heavy ball, sending a dozen Sahiradin flying into the air, but others quickly replaced them and continued the fight.
The Rahani had sought to maintain their distance and fire into the mass of enemy warriors, but there were too many for the Grensch and League troopers to keep at bay. After firing a few times, the Rahani were forced to drop their guns. They drew long thin blades and joined the melee. But to Logan’s surprise, although they were much smaller than the Sahiradin, the Rahani were quite strong and agile. To overcome the difference in height and reach, the Rahani blades emitted a burst of green energy if the tip came within a half meter of its target. Though not lethal, the energy clearly caused the Sahiradin a great deal of pain, and multiple strikes could render them unconscious.
Logan fought his way to Styles, helping her defeat a Sahiradin. But that only gave them a momentary respite. Soon, Logan found himself madly slashing his sword as Sahiradin and Karazan encircled him and his companions. Suvial had spoken to him about a life worth living. Logan wasn’t sure if his life had met that measure, but he decided right then that he would do his damnedest to give meaning to his death.
A Karazan warrior leapt over a dead trooper and brought her blade down toward Logan’s head. He raised his arm guard to block the blow. The interlocking metal of the guard stopped the Karazan’s black blade, but it was split in two. Logan let the useless halves fall to the floor, a sight that made the Karazan pause and smile. Then she attacked again with blinding speed and deadly grace.
The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1) Page 47