“If you don’t want to strike a deal, you can watch your men die here defeating the guards, while the Descendants take as many of the holy relics as they can and spread out in all directions. You can’t stop us all, and we will eventually rouse Cathedra against you!”
“No, you won’t,” said Menon, speaking with steel in every syllable of the words he spoke.
“You will die on this spot, today,” he said, and he folded his arms for more emphasis, his hands touching the short sleeves of his leviathan jerkin.
“You can’t do that,” said Partheni, looking round at the hills nervously, as if he was beginning to believe Menon had the whole militia army with him, and could wipe out the entire Descendant column.
“Even if you do catch me, or one of the other tribunal chairman, you have to try us by Descendant law.”
“I’m all in favour of law,” said Menon, “though I wouldn’t give you anything for your arbitrary Descendant law. But you gave up the right to law when you killed two villagers in cold blood, and that’s only the ones I know about.”
Menon favoured Partheni with a cold smile.
“Your life ends here, and the power of the Descendants dies with you.”
Menon’s hand flashed out from his sleeve, holding a knife. In one step forward he had all but decapitated the tribunal chairman. The guards stood stunned for an instant, and then started to retreat. Metris turned toward the barricades and gave a shout. The militia erupted out of the trees and over the blockade. Others streamed down from the hills above.
The guards looked at each other for a moment, and then ran for the rest of their company as the militia streamed closer from all sides.
With Partheni dead and the other tribunal chairmen still in the rear with the wagons, the guards were less inclined to fight, but they formed a protective perimeter with swords drawn.
Menon called his men to a halt before they could attack, and the guards, weapons drawn, eyed the surrounding militia warily. The standoff lasted for quite some time, and then a figure appeared on the hill to the rear of the guards, and waved a signal.
“The Descendants, and the wagons you have been protecting, have been taken!” shouted Menon across the guard ranks. “The war for control of Hud is over. Let there be no further bloodshed! Lay down your weapons and you will be free to return to your villages and towns.”
There was some discussion among the guards, and then some of the captains and the commander came forward. There was further discussion, and once they were convinced by Menon’s earnest wish that life on Hud should get back to normal, they agreed to return to their homes and families. The guards surrendered their weapons, and turned and trudged back toward the wagons.
“It’s finally over,” said Menon, as the river flats emptied of their old enemy. He had been getting tired of the endless fighting for some time now.
“And about time,” agreed Metris, just as weary of it all. “War starts out as something that is so exciting, but then it just gets sickening. Besides, we’ve got to start building a whole new society.”
“Not to mention getting to know some strange new friends who live among the stars,” said Menon, with a tired smile. They called the militia into some sort of order, and started the trek back towards Roum, supervising the guards and Descendants along the way.
Maybe we should rename the place New Roum, thought Menon idly. There would be many changes now, and he hoped those changes would make a better society, and that better society would last.
THE END
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Preview
Turn the page for Appendices A to D, and then the first few chapters of the fourth book in the Invardii wars, Fedic Vits.
APPENDIX A
TIMELINE OF THE INVARDII WARS.
~ December 109 (2586AD) ~
A mining team on Proteus, one of Neptune’s smaller moons, encounters an automated Druanii scout ship.
II
~ March 110 ~
An Invardii ship destroys Ragnaroth, an ancient Rothii space station.
II
~ July 110 ~
First contact with the Mersa, and their home planet Alamos.
II
~ August 110 ~
Regent Cordez unveils plans for a giant production facility named Prometheus, to meet the Invardii threat
II
~ October 110 ~
The planet Hud heats up, and many plants and animals die. Hudnee and his family make a desperate cross-country journey to Shellport on the coast.
II
~ March 111 ~
Regent Asura agrees to be Regent Cordez’ queen in an effort to unite Earth behind them for the war effort.
II
~ April 111 ~
K’Sarth planet destroyed, but the K’Sarth live on underground and produce materials for the Alliance forces.
II
~ June 111 ~
Hudnee forms the first militia to overthrow the Descendants of the Prophet.
Celia’s research team learn about the Caerbrindii, and their ideas of ‘cultural dissonance’.
II
~ July 111 ~
An Invardii armada of over a thousand ships defeats a combined Earth and Sumerian force above Uruk, the Sumerian home world. Survivors settled on remaining Sumerian planets.
II
~ November 111 ~
Battle for Roum between Hudnee’s militia and the Descendants of the prophet.
II
~ January 112 ~
Earth ablaze from end to end. Alliance forces fight the Invardii to a standstill. Prometheus completely destroyed.
II
~ April 112 ~
Celia and her research team arrive among the pre-technological peoples of Orouth, with many questions about human ancestry.
II
~ May 112 ~
The early days of rebuilding Earth.
II
~ January 113 ~
The discovery of the Valkrethi at the Lizard’s head.
Prometheus is rebuilt.
II
~ July 113 ~
Valkrethi training over and a series of missions against Invardii ships and shipyards.
II
~ October 113 ~
The Invardii commander Kalken-ar-wuyr has concerns about the stability of the great Invardii city mind.
II
~ February 114 ~
Fedic Vits mission to Mentuk, the original Rothii planet, inside Invardii space.
His time with the Collector.
II
~ May 114 ~
Discover great Invardii city inside the red supergiant sun Antares.
II
~ June 114 ~
The last stages of rebuilding Earth.
II
~ November 114 ~
Cordez and Geelong travel outside the galaxy with Druanii help, and meet their elusive protectors.
Alliance forces protect the Orion home planet from the Invardii following a Druanii request.
II
~ March 115 ~
The Invardii unleash the Buccra, a vicious slave race they have only subjugated by having vastly superior numbers.
II
~ June 115 ~
Battle at Antares between the Invardii and Buccra forces, and the Alliance. Earth, Sumerian, Druanii, Centaur and Magenta forces take the field, supported by pacifist Mersa and the trading planet K’Sarth.
APPENDIX B
MAIN CHARACTERS.
ANDRE
One of Celia’s research team on alien artefacts.
ASURA MING
Regent of the powerful Asian trading block.
BATTRICK
One of Hudnee’s close friends at Shellport.
BOSUN
A member of Finch’s engineering crew mining on
the moons of Neptune.
CARAKAS
An absent-minded philosopher in Roum, on Hud.
CELIA DARPAGIO
Head of a top European research team specialising
in alien artefacts.
DREESA
Hudnee’s wife on Hud, the medieval planet.
ERETH LAWSON
Head of a nuclear accelerator creating Orscantium on
an outer planet of the Alamos system.
FALLOSTRINA
A village head in the Mersa town of Little Worthystead.
FEDIC VITS
Highly trained operative working for Regent Cordez.
FLORENCHANTAINE ENGLE
Known as Finch. Mining engineer promoted to leadership
by Cordez.
GEELONG
Aboriginal starship pilot, part of Cordez’s personal staff.
HABNA
Wise woman at Shellport on Hud.
HUDNEE
Pilar builder (places of worship) on Hud.
JIM SEATOUN
Leader of an engineering team for Joe Lightfoot.
JOE LIGHTFOOT
Owner of a large engineering workshop on the
Canadian plains.
KALKEN-AR-WUYR
Commander of an Invardii flagship.
KANUK
Son of Hudnee and Dreesa, later Javelin pilot.
JUBILATE
Member of Celia’s research team.
MANOBA CORDEZ
Regent of the SouthAm trading block. The most
powerful man on Earth.
MATSU FUJIMI
One of Finch’s engineering team, later brilliant
inventor.
MEEANIRO
Mersa physicist on the planet Alamos.
MENON
Hunter from Shellport on Hud.
MENONA
Menon’s wife.
MORDISELLI
A village head in the Mersa town of Little Worthystead.
NEUMAN CAGILL
Defector from Earth forces who rises to command the
Prometheus Javelins.
PARAPSANNI
Sumerian leader of the Par’Sanni Revolutionary Reform
Party on Uruk.
PARTHENI
Regional leader of Descendants of the Prophet on Hud.
ROBERTO
One of Celia’s research team on alien artefacts.
SALLYANNE MONTOYA
Cordez’ personal assistant and specialist in off-world
cultures.
SARSANNI
Par’Sanni ‘second’ in Sumerian caste system. One of
the few to escape the destruction of Ragnarok.
SUBTHREE
Later Subdirector. Orion translater used by Druanii
because speech patterns were so different.
THE COLLECTOR
Solitary, long-lived life form on Mentuk, the Caerbrindii
home world.
APPENDIX C
LOCATIONS.
ALAMOS
Mersa home planet.
AQUA REGIS
Also known as Hud. Medieval planet, home of the Hudnee
people.
ANTARES
Red supergiant sun, containing the Invardii central city.
BA’H’ROTH
Home world of the Rothii.
BA’REGAN
Capital city of Uruk, the Sumerian home world.
DEIMOS
The smaller of Mars’ two moons, 15km long.
K’SART’OS
Capital city of K’Sarth, the home world of the K’Sarth.
K’SARTH
Home world of the K’Sarth.
LITTLE WORTHYSTEAD
Small town on the planet Alamos, home of the Mersa.
Place of first contact between Human and Mersa.
MENTUK
Home world of the Caerbrindii, the first sentient race in
the galaxy, who gave rise to Druanii, Rothii and Invardii.
NEEROK
Sumerian water world, with little dry land and much
undersea mining.
OROUTH
Ancestral home planet of the human race.
PROMETHEUS
Human manufacturing facility on Proteus, one of the
smaller of Neptune’s moons.
QUARANTINE PLANETS
Planets Sumerians may not contact, as per Rothii
instructions.
RAGNAROTH
Ancient Rothii space station, now researched for Rothii
technology. Destroyed by Invardii during first attack
inside Sumerian/Human space.
ROCKHAVEN
Sumerian seaside settlement on Uruk. Gathering place
during the evacuation of the planet.
ROKAR
Sumerian industrial planet. Completely mined out and
heavily polluted.
ROK’H’ROK
(Sometimes H’Rok) Sumerian mining world and industrial
base of Sumerian empire. Home of Sumerian war fleet.
ROUM
Capital city of the medieval planet Hud. Descendant
stronghold.
SANCTUS
Hidden planet of the Orion race, provided by their
Druanii protectors.
SAUROK
Sumerian forest world, devastated by Invardii.
SEENIROK
Dry Sumerian world where survivors are settled after
Invardii attacks on other Sumerian worlds.
SHELLPORT
Fishing village on Hud where outcasts have gathered
to build a new life. Destination of Hudnee and his
family on their journey.
THE LIZARD’S HEAD
Kantari (longhouse) description of the place on Orouth
where the research team finds the Valkrethi.
URUK
Sumerian home world.
APPENDIX D
RACE AND CASTE GROUPINGS.
BUCCRA
Prison race closely controlled by the Invardii,
sometimes used as shock troops.
CAERBRINDII
Original sentient race in the galaxy. Due to ‘cultural
dissonance’ split into Druanii, Rothii and Invardii.
CENTAUR
Druanii protectorate race.
DESCENDANTS OF THE PROPHET
Self-appointed group on Hud who claim religious
control of the planet.
DRUANII
Hybrid race descended from Caerbrindii. Inhabit
outer reaches of the galaxy.
HUDNEE
Inhabitants of Hud. Medieval water planet with
one large continent. Also one individual.
HUMAN RACE
Home planet Earth. Instrumental in forming and
leading an alliance against the Invardii.
INVARDII
Hybrid race descended from the Caerbrindii who
attempt to annex Sumerian and Human space.
K’SARTH
Trading race under Sumerian protection.
MAGENTA
Druanii protectorate race.
MERSA
Home planet Alamos. One of the races that form
an alliance with Earth against the Invardii.
ORION
Druanii protectorate race, used as a tr
anslator to
communicate with Druanii human allies.
PAR’BRAHMAD
Leadership caste in Sumerian society. The equivalent to
a Regent on Earth would be a Para’Par’Barahmad.
PAR’SANNI
The ‘first mate’ or ‘lieutenant’ caste in Sumerian society,
charged with carrying out their leader’s (Par’Brahmad
caste) orders.
ROTHII
Race descended from the Caerbrindii who vanished
200,000 Earth years ago, leaving the Sumerians to carry
on using their technology.
SHEOMAL
Wandering, singing, shaggy giants on Orouth.
SUMERIANS
Species whose technology has remained unchanged since their
masters the Rothii left 200,000 Earth years ago. One of
the races that form an alliance with Earth.
VALKRETHI
War machines left on Orouth by the Rothii until the
human population transplanted to Earth was advanced
enough to use them.
END OF BOOK THREE
(Turn the page for a preview of book four)
PREVIEW
From Book Four in the Invardii Series,
Fedic Vits.
CHAPTER 1
________________
Regent Cordez was elated. EarthGov had finally cleared him to make contact with Alamos!
Invardii Series Boxset Page 55