“It’s over,” Mourdock said.
“Nothing… is over…” grunted the man, coughing up blood.
Jack came to Mourdock’s side and looked down at the man. The worm from the man’s neck writhed around, hissing at both Mourdock and him spitefully. “Who sent you?” asked Mourdock, pressing the blade of his sword against the man’s throat. “Talk.”
Suddenly, Jack saw the worm tremble and the man’s eyes drain of color, becoming pure white, his irises disappearing entirely. The man laughed as he produced a thermal grenade, its button already pressed.
“The Evenstars send their regards…” he croaked.
Jack’s eyes went wide.
Oh, crap!
“MOVE!” yelled Mourdock as he grabbed Jack by the collar. Before Jack knew it, Mourdock was rushing him to the edge of the stratum, the killer’s strained laughter ringing out behind them.
WHA-BOOOOM!
The grenade exploded just as Mourdock and Jack hopped over the side of the platform, the flames from the detonation licking at them as Jack felt the heat from the blast wash over him painfully. The heat was so intense that Jack almost didn’t realize he was falling from an extremely high distance as he and Mourdock sped toward the stratum below.
Jack screamed, suddenly panicked, until he felt Mourdock’s arm wrap around his waist. “Hold onto me!” Mourdock ordered.
Jack latched onto Mourdock as he saw the tall buildings below rushing up to greet them. Jack kicked his legs, as though to swim away from the inevitable, but it was a futile gesture. They were falling like rocks, and there wasn’t anything they could do about it.
“Whatever you do, don’t let go!” shouted Mourdock as he spun the handle of his sword to a reverse grip. As they fell by one of the buildings, Jack felt as though something had pushed them forward. Mourdock stabbed his sword into the building’s side, its blade slicing through it like it were paper, leaving a long, heated scar in its wake. The weight of the two men carried them down, and Mourdock grunted as he struggled to keep his sword angled and in his grip.
Jack saw the ground rushing up to meet them and screamed, feeling as though he were on the worst roller-coaster ride ever. The sword was slowing their momentum, but they were still falling, and fast!
“Get ready!” cried Mourdock.
“For what???” Jack screeched.
“For this!”
Mourdock kicked off the building, letting go of his sword. As he did so, he aimed the palm of his hand downward and Jack saw the ground ripple below. Jack felt a powerful updraft hit them, just as a large, circular area of the street cratered inward. For the briefest of moments, Jack felt weightless as he and Mourdock hovered in the air. Then, they dropped again the rest of the way, landing hard on their feet and stumbling as they caught their balance.
Jack’s eyes were wide, his brain still struggling to process that he was still alive. His legs ached from the impact, but a quick check of his body with his hands told him he was still in once piece. His heart was thumping in his chest so hard it hurt. He looked at the cratered patch of street in which he and Mourdock were standing, wondering what the heck had just happened.
“Dude!” cried Jack. “What did you do?”
“A little Paragon trick called a gravity pulse,” Mourdock said, looking up at the smoking stratum edge high above from which they had just leapt. “If you hit it at the right time, it’ll break a fall from any height.”
“And if you hit it at the wrong time?”
“It’ll crush every bone in your body.”
Jack felt weak in the knees. He glanced over at Mourdock, who looked calm, confident, and determined – nothing like a man who’d just fallen from hundreds of feet in the air.
“Well then, let me commend you on your sense of timing,” Jack muttered. He stood beside Mourdock and gazed up at where they’d just escaped the thermal blast. “Mourdock,” he asked. “What the heck just happened up there?”
“You heard it yourself, Earthman,” said Mourdock, his face grim. “The Evenstars just tried to have me killed.”
Chapter 24
The visual display filled with fancy graphics as the logo Imperial 9 News flew across the screen. “Live – Local – Late Breaking: This… is Imperial 9 News at five! Capitol City’s number one source for news!” said the deep-voiced announcer as the screen cut to two Regal news anchors in a studio.
“Good evening, I am Rolanto Fancywine,” the male anchor said.
“And I’m Skye Pepperpots,” said the female anchor. “Our top story tonight – a shocking assassination attempt on the life of Mourdock Skyborn occurred while the Emperor Ascendant was out with friends for a night on the town after returning from a two-month long campaign against the Deathlords in the Rim. Lord Skyborn was at the famed nightclub, Club Cristo, on stratum 196, when the attempt was made. Witnesses say Lord Skyborn was assisted by the latest Hero of the Empire, Earthman Jack Finnegan, as the duo chased the would-be killers through the streets of the capitol. Authorities are still investigating the incident, and the assassins have yet to be identified. Mourdock Skyborn escaped the attack uninjured, but the big question still remains: who could have been behind this attempt on the Emperor Ascendant’s life? Stay tuned for the top of the hour, when we’ll have our expert panel weigh in.”
“Well, thank goodness Lord Skyborn was not seriously injured in that attack,” said Rolanto Fancywine as the camera cut to a wide shot.
“Indeed, Rolanto,” said Skye Pepperpots. “I think we’re all relieved that he’s still alive, apparently thanks in no small part to Earthman Jack Finnegan. Here’s Kylie Goodspeak with more.”
The image cut to a reporter in front of the closed Club Cristo, a tarp now covering the massive hole in its glass face. “Thanks, Skye,” Kylie Goodspeak said. “The attack occurred here late last night during a performance by the famous clubmaster, Paragon Tetso, and reality holonet sensation, Kimlee Evenstar…”
B-roll footage of the inside of the club played, along with various images of people dancing and drinking.
“Witnesses have told Imperial 9 News that Earthman Jack Finnegan, famous for his battle against the Deathlord Planetkiller fleet, wasted no time coming to Lord Skyborn’s aid, and the two fought off the alleged assassins together. Those who were at the club had this to say…”
“Man, dat stuff was crazy!” said one witness, still in his club clothes. “It was like a light show… dat could kill you!”
“I was just outside with my friends waiting to get in,” said a female Orean, “and then Mourdock Skyborn leaps out the window with his sword. He looked so hot! I wish he’d had time for an autograph, but I guess he was kind of busy staying alive.”
“The Earthman came running out of the club and stole my hovercar!” said another witness. “I don’t care how many Deathlords he’s destroyed. I want to know who’s going to cover the damages. I’d just paid that thing off!”
The image returned to Kylie Goodspeak, live on the scene. “According to Peacekeepers, both Mourdock Skyborn and Earthman Jack chased the would-be assassins through the streets and across a couple different stratums. No word yet on how the assassin’s shuttlecraft was able to get past the Royal Guards stationed at the club, but sources tell Imperial 9 News the bold attempt to kill the next Emperor of the Regalus Empire caught security completely off guard. Back to you.”
“Thank you, Kylie,” said Rolanto Fancywine, back in the studio. “Now, over to Marla Moortalk for The Deep Dish, to explain the buzz surrounding this dramatic event. Marla.”
The camera panned to a particularly vapid looking reporter standing in front of a holographic display in the studio, showcasing a graphic of a spoon scooping out ‘news and rumors’ from a bowl, with the logo The Deep Dish above it. “Thanks, Rolanto. Mourdock Skyborn wasn’t the only person Earthman Jack was seen running around with last night,” said Marla Moortalk with a big grin on her face. “Before the attack, the Hero of the Empire was on the dance floor strutting his stuff with
none other than Kimlee Evenstar herself…”
Candid stills of Jack dancing with Kimlee popped up on the screen.
“The queen of reality holonet and pop singer was said to be ‘extremely friendly’ with the young hero from Earth, as the two of them bumped and grinded together on the dance floor, leading many to believe that there could be a budding romance there. Will we eventually see the Hero of the Empire himself on Kimlee Evenstar’s reality show? No word as of yet, but fans are definitely clamoring to see more of this possible power-couple relationship, which the ultraweb has already dubbed: Jacklee. Back to you, Rolanto.”
“Thanks, Marla,” said Rolanto Fancywine. “When we come back, your seven-day forecast with Paragon Doppler, and sports with Grogmash the Headcrusher, right after this…”
Alabaster paused the broadcast, turning to look at Jack, who was sitting in the Chief’s office as he rubbed his hands over his mortified face. “Oh, God. Jacklee?” bemoaned Jack. “That’s seriously a thing?”
“Could be worse,” offered Alabaster. “Could have been Kimlack.”
Jack rubbed his temples as if his head were hurting him. “This is so embarrassing…” he muttered.
“I must admit, when I asked you to get close to the Skyborns and Evenstars, I did not expect you to get quite this close,” said Alabaster.
“I’m not dating Kimlee!” insisted Jack. “And Mourdock just showed up and asked me to go clubbing with him! What was I supposed to do?”
“You did exactly what you should have,” said Alabaster. “You’ve no doubt ingratiated yourself with the Skyborns with your assistance in saving Mourdock’s life. Now if you can achieve the same level of access with the Evenstars, I believe we’ll be in good shape.”
Jack sighed. “Do you think the Evenstars really were the ones who tried to kill Mourdock?” he asked.
“Hard to say,” replied Alabaster. “We’re trying to identify the bodies of the assassins, but there’s very little left of them. It will make finding out who they worked for a difficult task. Both you and Mourdock said the assassin claimed to be working for the Evenstars, but hearsay from a suicidal killer is rarely solid proof of a conspiracy. Yet it would have been easy for the Evenstars to smuggle assassins into the club because of the booking of Kimlee’s release party there.”
“So you don’t know?”
“Not yet,” replied Alabaster. “But I and a dozen other agencies are looking into this. I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before we get to the bottom of it. Until that happens, it’s more important than ever that you get in good with the Evenstars.”
“And just how am I supposed to do that?” asked Jack.
“Kimlee seems to have taken a liking to you,” said Alabaster. “Perhaps you should pursue her?”
“What? You mean like ask her out?”
“That would be one way of going about it,” replied Alabaster. “She’d most likely say ‘yes,’ even if it were just to get a bump in the ratings for her show.”
Jack frowned. “I think I’d rather try hanging out with Amadeus,” he said. “He’s far less… uncomfortable to be around.”
“Regardless of whom you choose to ingratiate yourself with, it is very important you do it quickly,” said Alabaster. “If this were indeed a last-ditch attempt by the Evenstars to take Mourdock out of the picture, their focus may shift to that of the Princess after their failure.”
Jack shook his head. “I just don’t see it, dude,” he said. “I don’t get a bad vibe from the Evenstars at all. They don’t seem like the types to try and have someone murdered, let alone Anna.”
“I’m hoping you’re right,” replied Alabaster. “But looks can be deceiving. And do not be naïve enough to think that any Legacy is above murder. They command troops and enforce Imperial law in their systems. That means they are comfortable with ordering the deaths of others. Though the Evenstars may seem like good people, they are not above killing when it suits them. Nor are the Skyborns, for that matter. This attempt on Mourdock’s life will no doubt cause even more strife between Gebhard and Eudox. Already I’m starting to see political fallout as rumors are spreading about the Evenstar’s alleged role in this failed assassination.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Rumors, gossip, secrets, lies, everyone backstabbing each other…” he muttered. “This place is like high school, only with a billion times more murder!”
“What can I say?” replied Alabaster with a shrug. “Welcome to the Empire.”
Jack sighed. “Did you find out anything about those worm things?” he asked.
“There is no known species with ‘head worms,’ as you described them,” replied Alabaster. “I’m currently having a team research the possibility of symbiotes to see if that pans out.”
“Symbi-whatsit?”
“Symbiotes,” clarified Alabaster. “It’s a type of creature that attaches itself to another and lives off it.”
“Like a leech?” asked Jack.
“Somewhat,” replied Alabaster. “Though it’s doubtful grown men would allow something like that to stay attached to them. A Symbiote has a close and long-term interaction with the creature it attaches itself to. Often, its life is dependent upon remaining attached to its host, and the host can become dependent upon the Symbiote, as well, to the point of dying if they are separated. We know of a few symbiotic species, but none of them looks like the worms you described.”
“So… you got nothing,” said Jack, simply.
“If I had anything, do you think I’d still be relying on you to do the work of an Imperial Agent?” asked Alabaster.
“Would you tell me if you did have something?”
“If I felt you needed to know about it.”
“And how would you know if I needed to know about it?”
“It’s my job to know,” said Alabaster. “And I am very good at my job.”
Jack gave Alabaster a suspicious look before getting to his feet. “I hope you’re right, dude,” he said. “For Anna’s sake.”
“For now, let me worry about the Princess,” said Alabaster. “You worry about the Evenstars.”
“Fine,” said Jack as he left the office. “Consider me ‘on the case,’ Chief.” Alabaster heard Jack mutter, “Jacklee, gimme a break,” before the door shut behind him.
Chapter 25
Anna sat upon her throne, the Imperial crown resting upon her head. Her entire court was before her, filled with various species from around the Empire. Among them stood the great Emperors of the past: Arcturus the First, who’d begun Legacy Prime; Emperor Kristopolis, the Peacemaker; Emperor Halcyon, the Empire Builder; and the wise Emperor Nameer, the Savior. They stood among a thousand other Emperors whose ghosts roamed the throne room.
“You are weak,” she could hear them whisper.
“You are foolish,” their voices echoed.
“You are unworthy.”
Her court began to laugh at her. Anna fought to hold back her tears. She knew they were right. She wasn’t fit to sit upon the throne! They all saw her for what she was – nothing more than a timid little girl.
The hallowed walls of the throne room began to crack. They started to crumble, the pieces blowing away like dust in the wind. Beyond the walls lay the entire galaxy, its spiral arms slowly rotating around a bright, shining, all-seeing eye that gazed at her in judgment. The eye closed, and the galaxy it held together broke apart, drifting away into oblivion.
Anna looked down and saw everyone had become blackened skeletons with fiery red eyes, gazing up at her accusingly. She felt a cold chill run through her body. She glanced at her throne and saw it was made of bones and rotting flesh, propped up on high upon the bodies of the dead. She felt the back of her throne move as it transformed. She did not need to turn around to know what lay behind her. It was a dark, skeletal figure, the torso of which rose above her, hissing as it reformed itself, as though resurrected from a previous injury. It rammed its razor-sharp hands into her back, and she cried out in pain…
<
br /> “Princess?” came a voice.
Anna opened her eyes and settled on Shanks’ face. His third eye was open, its pupilless gaze fixed upon her. “Is there a problem?” the monk asked her. “I sense something troubles you.”
“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” Anna replied, trying to forget the disturbing vision she’d just experienced. After getting back from her captivity on the Deathlord mothership, Anna had decided to devote more time to her studies, in case she should have need of them. Getting back into the meditation of the Luminadric Monks was difficult, especially now that Brother Wesseh had passed into ill health. She was still getting used to her new tutor.
“Were you able to find your Source?” Shanks asked. “Did you experience a vision?”
“No,” Anna lied, though she was not sure why she felt the need to. “Apologies, Brother Shanks. I fear I have much on my mind that is distracting me at the moment.”
Shanks closed his third eye and nodded. “Life puts burdens on us all,” he replied. “Though we can find the strength to bear them, sometimes it requires greater strength to shed them.”
“An Emperor cannot shed his burdens,” countered Anna. “They are too numerous and too important to set aside.”
“Possibly,” said Shanks with a warm smile. “But he can share them. If you would permit it, Your Highness, you may share anything you wish with me. To be your confidant and share your burdens is one of my sacred duties.”
Before she could answer, one of her Androids-In-Waiting entered her chambers. “Excuse me, Your Highness,” it said. “The meeting of the Ancient Council will be starting soon.”
Anna nodded in acknowledgement. “Thank you for your offer, Brother Shanks,” she said. “Perhaps some other time. For now, I’m afraid I must pile on even more burdens.”
Shanks nodded his head. “I am at your service whenever you require me, Your Highness.”
Anna got to her feet, dusting her dress off from sitting on the meditation mat on the floor. She was about to head out when she stopped. She looked at the monk as he serenely grabbed his walking stick and pulled himself up to his feet.
Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army (Earthman Jack Space Saga Book 2) Page 28