Star Brigade: Ascendant (SB4)

by C. C. Ekeke

  Khal glanced in confusion at Marguliese, whose dawning recognition spoke before she did. “Aut’ala. The Dreaming Farooqua.”

  Aut’ala opened his eyes, which flashed red. “Formerly Dreaming.” He bowed respectfully. “I have been expecting you and your miscellaneous ilk.”

  ***

  One moment, both Habraums and the Particulate were encircled by a forest of gigantic veiny structures pulsing with light.

  The next, the Particulate transported them instantaneously to another section of the Zenith Point.

  Faster than transmatting, Habraum marveled. That was, until he looked around to see vaster and taller veiny structures.

  Habraum turned to the Particulate and scowled. “Weren’t we just here?”

  Abruptly, everything around them shuddered so violently, Habraum and his companions could barely keep their balance, the vibrations seeping through his bones. The veiny jungle pulsated bright, forking energy crackling up and down their titanic lengths.

  Even after the shuddering stopped, nausea flooded over Habraum. “Whoa…”

  The Particulate sank to his knees. Both Habraums rushed to help. “We’re…too late,” he croaked.

  “What?” The other Habraum’s voice was like a sharp slap. “Ghuj’aega merged with Aut’ala?”

  The massive Particulate nodded weakly. “My connection to the Zenith Point is…eroding…and taking my my…powers…with it.”

  Habraum felt his breath catch. Now they faced this unknown, fully powered threat without the Particulate or CT-1 at full strength. “We have to find the others.”

  “Hence…why we stopped.” The Particulate nodded his massive head forward, causing Habraum and his alternate self to follow.

  A stocky figure lay crumpled ahead, sheathed in metallic flesh. The Cerc sprinted forward. “Khrome!”

  He reached the fallen Thulican, both relieved and worried. “Y’ollrigh’ lad?”

  Khrome stirred, working slowly up to his hands and knees. Too slowly. That was unlike him. Habraum’s concern deepened.

  The other Habraum approached the Thulican’s other side, reaching for his shoulder. “C’mon. We’ve—”

  Khrome jerked away with a wild swing. If not for the other Habraum quickly ducking, that swing would have sent him flying—minus his head.

  “Whoa!” Habraum threw himself between Khrome and the other Cerc, who aimed a glowing fist at the Thulican. “What the hazik, lad?” He got a look at Khrome and flinched.

  The Thulican’s armored skin was brutally dented and scorched all over. His yellow eyes smoldered. “You!” he pointed at Habraum and his alternate self. “Again, attacking for no reason! Almost killing me!”

  Habraum stared as if slapped by a wet fish. Khrome kept ranting. “This you was old and completely space crazed. Attacking me… Again!”

  Habraum realized Khrome had visited another alternate universe.

  “Wasn’t me,” the other Habraum clarified, glowing fist still aimed at the Thulican.

  Another alternate version of Habraum who was old, too powerful and crazy. “Wonderful.” The Cerc’s brain was close to imploding. How has this become my life? “Khromulus.” He drew his subordinate’s attention back to him. “You’re in the right place and time. But Aut’ala has complete access to the Zenith Point.” He tentatively clasped the Thulican’s burly shoulders. “Are you in fighting shape, yea?”

  That pulled Khrome from his rage. He looked up at the Cerc, taller by nearly a foot. “Sorry. I’m ready.”

  Only then did the other Habraum power down and lower his fist.

  Habraum sighed in relief.

  Khrome glanced at the veiny towers reaching up into forever. That familiar wonder returned to his simple blue features. “We’re inside the Zenith Point?” His gaze landed on the Particulate, now standing. “Shut me down.” He balled up his fists. “What. Is. That?”

  “An ally,” Habraum assured. Definitely not a friend.

  The veiny surroundings trembled again, shorter in span than last time but more forceful. The Cerc shook off the queasiness and turned to the Particulate. “We need Maggie and Vertex,” he said, speaking of Marguliese and Khal respectively. They only stood a chance with CT-1’s other heavy hitters.

  “They…are…already battling Aut’ala,” the Particulate replied.

  Habraum’s jaw dropped, heart in his throat. Despite both Khal and Marguliese’s powers, the Cerc knew they would not stand a chance. “Take us to them. Now.”

  An instant later, the Particulate and both Habraums were in a spherical inner sanctum. In its heart appeared to be a tiny gash, shiny blue and pulsating, something Habraum had never seen. He could taste the energy throbbing, spilling out of that tear, illuminating everything around it. To his right, the Particulate stumbled but remained upright. To his left, the other Habraum gasped.

  The dark, veiny growths were largest around that tear, thick and bulging, humming with power and snaking across the floor. Around the growths scaling up the walls, Habraum observed the inky dark of space….and Faroor’s craggy surface with its sparse blue oceans below.

  Those details briefly held Habraum’s attention, which got drawn to the conflict playing out ahead.

  Khal went flying, smacking into a far wall. He slid to the ground and didn’t get up.

  His attacker had Marguliese by the throat. A number of small slices marred The Cybernarr’s lovely golden face, exposing the cybernetics beneath her flesh. She struggled to free herself but the grip of her attacker—a short, gaunt Farooqua—appeared ironclad.

  One look at the Farooqua’s hairless body, angular white tattoos, and blue skin, and Habraum tensed up. “Ghuj’aega.” But a longer look revealed otherwise: lighter blue skin instead of dark, blood-red eyes instead of violet. The Farooqua’s physique was spare, emaciated almost, and short. But even from a distance, Habraum could sense such intangible power radiating off that scrawny figure.

  “No. Aut’ala,” the Particulate whispered, a hooded giant looming by Habraum’s side. Its dark eyes glittered hatefully. Khrome glowered at Aut’ala and clenched his hands.

  “Fekt.” The other Habraum raised both glowing fists. In that moment, the room quivered up and down. Habraum, struggling to maintain his balance, could have sworn the quivering felt…angry? He looked up at the Particulate “Is it just me or…?”

  “The Zenith Point is unhappy with our arrival,” the ancient being confirmed. He crumpled to his knees again, looking ready to vomit.

  Not what we need, Habraum worried.

  Aut’ala dropped Marguliese like a toy he was bored with and turned his gaze upon them. “Look who finally stopped hiding,” he declared with mild amusement, as if greeting friends. He had Ghuj’aega’s same ethereal tenor but not the deranged and fervent fury. “And you brought backup.”

  “We take him now.” The other Habraum advanced, his whole body crackling with biokinetic energy. Habraum followed, fists raised and glowing.

  “The Dreamer’s going down.” Khrome rose into the air and hurtled at Aut’ala.

  The Zenith Point quivered again in fulsome fury.

  Aut’ala watched the other Habraum with a curious frown, always calm. “You don’t belong here, friend,” he commented thoughtfully. “I’ll correct that.” Aut’ala waved a lazy hand at him.

  The other crimsonborn froze and began radiating eerie green light. Then he vanished.

  The Particulate let out a rattling gasp. Khrome stopped hard in mid-flight, round eyes saucer-wide.

  “NO!” Habraum bellowed, and dashed to where the other Cerc just stood.

  Not even a tiny curl of smoke marked his demise, as if this other Habraum had never existed.

  Chapter 39

  Outside the Ishliba, the Children of Earth starbase floated in silence and ruins, swaddled by Zeid’s roiling emerald clouds. Black smoke twisted in thin curls from several areas on the hull where the Ishliba had fired. UniPol light-cruisers, sleek, rounded and silvery, also swarmed all around the base. Of c
ourse they would— the base the Children of Earth had used as a staging ground for attacks on Korvenite living stations was housed in one of their own properties. They scoured everywhere in sight and any nearby mining stations for escaped Children of Earth and more evidence.

  The scene was a clear show of UniPol force, built on the back of Star Brigade’s victory.

  Inside the Ishliba revealed loud celebration.

  Sam D’Urso stood on the cruiser’s bridge, surrounded by CT-2. Everyone remained in field uniform intoxicated from victory, their excited conversations overlapping. Addison, Stronghold, and Jan’Hax gushed about the battle with the enhanced Antaeus soldiers. Surje, GiGi, and Bevrolor discussed the data they had mined in CoE’s databanks, including plans for psychological warfare to sour relations with non-humans on human-dominated worlds.

  Sam took in the scene with an ear-to-ear smile, pushing her messy blonde locks out of her face. This was a huge win. My combat team did this. She was content to let the celebration continue. But the field commander had a few words to say. Sam was about to shout for quiet, like she’d done countless times as Habraum’s XO. Then she caught herself. That’s what XOs are for. Sam looked over at Bevrolor and gestured for silence. The beefy Nubrideen blinked her three red eyes and nodded in understanding.

  “HEY,” Bevrolor boomed. Everyone hushed.

  Sam looked over each CT-2 member, their attention exclusively on her. Even Addison, Ms. Aloof herself, looked dialed in.

  “We came. We saw,” Sam crowed happily. “We kicked CoE ass, kiddies.” A burst of excited clapping followed.

  “Plus,” Sam continued, pointing up, “we destroyed a xenocidal virus.” More applause, plus a catcall from Surje, glowing bright and buoyant crimson.

  Sam swept her finger across her CT with genuine pride. “Couldn’t have done this without all you guys. I’ll admit things started off shaky. But we made it work. The Children of Earth aren’t finished yet. But this was a major blow to their operations. And we’ll keep at it until they can no longer function. Or,” Sam made a face and shrugged. “We’re assigned elsewhere.” That drew laughter and more clapping.

  “Until that next mission, enjoy this victory, and remember,” her eyes met Addison’s. “No matter how talented and smart we are individually, as a team, we’re stronger together.” Sam began clapping, and CT-2 followed suit. Stronghold’s armored mask had no visible features or facial expressions, but his armored body movements made the Ubruqite’s pride obvious as the sun on a cloudless day.

  CT-2 may not be like any of Sam’s previous Star Brigade combat teams. No, this combat team could be whatever she shaped it into.

  That prospect is way more exciting,” she mused, folding her arms. And far scarier—

  “Captain. Samantha,” Surje’s voice interrupted her merriment. “UniPol’s contacting us.”

  The celebration frosted over. “Uh-oh,” she replied with mock concern. The captain had been waiting for this call. M’Kuvuh would certainly be on this transmission, which would include the traitorous Kintarian’s boss. “I’ll take it in my office.” She made a head gesture at Bevrolor, indicating the Nubrideen to follow.

  As Sam expected, it was M’Kuvuh and her boss Tue Barookal, senior director of this UniPol division. If they were face-to-face instead of via holotransmission, she would’ve barbequed that traitorous fuck. But this was probably better. Sam could wait for the right chance to strike.

  “You have some nerve, human,” Barookal seethed, his facial wattles shaking with righteous indignation. Sam could barely keep from laughing. “Attacking a UniPol facility without authorization. Potentially putting UniPol agents’ lives in jeopardy. What if you were wrong?”

  Bevrolor made a rude noise. Sam shrugged and smirked. “I wasn’t. Only CoE operatives were present. Hence why I attacked.”

  M’Kuvuh then spoke, baring sharp teeth threateningly. “An unauthorized attack.”

  Sam leveled a venomous glare at the Kintarian. Time to strike. “Why, M’Kuvuh? So you could inform your Children of Earth buddies beforehand?”

  M’Kuvuh gaped at the accusation. In her shock, Sam spied fleeting fear. Gotcha.

  Tue looked from his subordinate to Sam with incredulous eyes. “What?”

  The Kintarian finally recovered enough to feign outrage. “You’re accusing me of collusion with the Children of Earth?” She jabbed a clawed finger at Sam. “So you’re just disobedient and insane!”

  Expecting the denials, Sam responded calmly. “I have admissions of collusion, records of frequent contact with a CoE operative, as well as records about you working solely with a Children of Earth shell company to turn this UniPol site into their lab.” She smiled again, but her glare remained full of poison. “Plus, we have evidence of her unmasking a Star Brigade’s undercover operative, which led to his death.” Her glare landed on Tue. “All which I sent your way.”

  M’Kuvuh looked ready to explode, furry pelt quivering. “All lies!” she snarled.

  “Mrs. Hanson sends her regards,” Sam threw back, which shut M’Kuvuh up. She adored exposing traitorous scum. Sam continued, addressing Tue, “You see why I was hesitant to trust UniPol until we made sure that only M’Kuvuh was dirty.”

  As M’Kuvuh’s defiant denials fizzled, Tue looked at something off-screen, no doubt the mountain of evidence Sam had delivered to him. “M’Kuvuh,” he began after some time. “Explain yourself.”

  The Kintarian looked armed with more furious denials, only to finally deflate. “After what they did to Terra Sollus. After so many loved ones died. I just…it was all for the good of the Union. The Children of Earth were a necessary evil to get rid of the Korvenites—” M’Kuvuh fell to her knees and just sobbed.

  “By the Maker,” Bevrolor muttered behind Sam. The Star Brigade captain watched the disgraced UniPol agent, almost empathetic—almost. Except any evils Sam had coordinated wouldn’t result in xenocide.

  Tue stared down at her subordinate in disgust, his facial wattles stick-straight. “Take her,” he told someone off-screen.

  Immediately, four human UniPol security guards swarmed in, gathered up M’Kuvuh, and dragged her away. Sam let out a huge, relieved sigh. Now it was just Tue, her, and Bevrolor.

  “That was…unexpected,” the Rhomeran gurgled, understandably dazed from what had just occurred.

  Sam stuck to business. “I have CoE locations where the virus was being sent, also in my data package.” The Children of Earth were still operational, despite this major blow. They had to keep the pressure on.

  “What about the virus itself?” Tue asked. “UniPol needs a sample for our records.”

  Sam angled a look up at Bevrolor. The Nubrideen looked down at her with surprise before approaching. “We have both formula and sample. But we’ve eradicated all other copies.”

  “UniPol requests a copy,” the Rhomeran retorted with smoldering anger. “Given your reckless actions, it would be in your best interests to comply.”

  The warning made Sam chuckle. Bevrolor opened her mouth angrily. Sam placed a hand on the Nubrideen’s wrist to stay her.

  “Or what?” the field commander countered, her amusement gone. Now she let her rage surface. “The rat on your ship nearly compromised this entire goddamn operation and was complicit in creating a contagion to eradicate an entire species.”

  That sucked most of the vitriol from Tue. “We will conduct a thorough division-wide investigation to ensure no more incidents like that occur.”

  Sam snorted derisively. “Yeah you will. I already spoke with Admiral Hollienurax, who’s taken my grave concerns about UniPol to JSOG.” A cold smile pulled at Sam’s lips. “You can expect a thorough independent investigation on the horizon.”

  Tue jerked backward on his many tentacles. “Making an enemy of UniPol is unwise, Captain D’Urso,” he gurgled in caustic tones.

  Sam tilted her head to one side, feeling tickled at his ironic statement. “I was about to say the same regarding Star Brigade.” Approaching Tue
’s life-sized holo, Sam spoke softly, her hatred needing no projection. “If your division’s corruption ever puts Star Brigade in jeopardy again, not only will I hold you personally responsible, I will kick your ass so hard, you’ll be shitting out of your ears for the rest of your days.”

  Tue recoiled, astounded. “You’re threatening UniPol?”

  “I’m enlightening you. Bye now.” Sam waved brightly, ending the transmission.

  Bevrolor watched her with smiling astonishment. “Making friends and influencing others?” she rumbled.

  Sam shrugged. “Everyone needs a good kick in the ass now and then.” Both females laughed rowdily.

  The urgent chirp of a new transmission interrupted, a high-priority call from Hollus Maddrone.

  “Lethe! What’s up?” Sam answered, a smile in her voice.

  “Samantha.” Lethe’s tripled tenor sounded unusually fearful. “Tharydane’s been kidnapped from Hollus Maddrone.”

  Sam’s smile vanished. Behind her, Bevrolor gasped. Those were words she never would’ve imagined hearing. “Wait—WHAT?”

  “She and Jhori were attacked by the real mole on their way to meet me for lunch. The perpetrator was Loroorol, one of our astroengineers.”

  Sam’s brain struggled to process Tharydane’s kidnapping. “How did this happen?” she shouted, suddenly confused and angry.

  “Loroorol must have studied our countermeasures to protect Tharyn and found ways to evade them all. After taking Tharyn and Jhori out with a psychic disruptor, he transmatted Tharydane to a waiting shuttle just outside Hollus. He also disabled all her body’s trackers.”

  “Can’t you sense her?” Sam brain was skipping from thought to thought like a stone across a pond. “And isn’t Loroorol an Ikarian?” She recalled M’Kuvuh, a Kintarian, working with the COE and seethed.

  “I cannot sense her.” The Kudoban sounded close to tears. “Loroorol has psychically masked her presence. I have no clue why he would betray us.”

  “Jhori,” Sam blurted out, her thoughts landing heavily on her assistant. “Is he dead?” Better to ask than skirt around the likelihood.