Star Brigade: Maelstrom (Star Brigade Book 2)

by C. C. Ekeke

  And caught in the middle were the thousands of terrified Terra Sollan citizens, all scurrying for their lives across pedestrian walkways.

  The sea of sentient life before Habraum swelled and surged, trampling over one another, all trying to find some cover, some place of safety. All thought they were here in Conuropolis to watch history in the making. In essence, these beings were, just not how they imagined. For the first time in the modern era, Terra Sollus, the Galactic Union’s capitalworld, was under attack.

  Many probably hadn’t even heard of Maelstrom and his hatred for the Union, nor had a reason to care. It was appalling for Habraum to watch, senseless to him on so many levels.

  Flashes lit up the skies while Rhyne’s starlight was blocked, signaling that some ships were trying to get past Terra Sollus’ shielding, but with no avail. Just under the upper cloud layer, Habraum could see larger ships, Century-Class Hammerjacks firing at the Amalgam, but they kept hitting a wall of resistance.

  “Planetary shielding is up,” Khrome said suddenly, breaking Habraum from his train of thought. “I took a look at the readings from UComm. Aside from the Amalgam shielding off Conuropolis, the space station has activated and reinforced every single shield generator surrounding Terra Sollus. All except the one over Corogña, which has been on the fritz for weeks.”

  Habraum let out a long slow whistle. “You know the skittery thing about this?”

  “What?” Khrome inquired with narrowed eyes. “Aside from the fact that we could all die today?”

  “Yes. Besides that,” Habraum shook his head. “Hate did this. Hate for the Korvenites, hate for the humans.” And now Terra Sollus’s citizens were paying the price.

  “Captain!” V’Korram, Honaa and Marguliese came running from behind, all in field uniform. Both Honaa and V’Korram stared in horror at the cityscape, while Marguliese glanced around blankly.

  “Good, you made it,” Habraum said, relieved. “Are the Senators and other dignitaries evacuated?”

  “Yes,” V’Korram answered. Habraum gave him a cold glare. But given the current situation, his actions earlier were of little importance.

  Sam floated back to the ground just as they arrived. “Just informed the UComm about the Chouncilor’s abduction. At first they didn’t believe me. But I left out the part about Biros Nor. Just imagine what that would have done.”

  “You don’t believe he was acting on Imperium orders?” Liliana asked.

  “If the Kedri Sovereign swears innocence on his own bloodline,” Tyris replied, “it’s the truth.”

  “Given my fluency with Kedri, I agree with Arcturus,” Marguliese added, arching an eyebrow.

  Habraum frowned. “Did you three see something that indicated his true affiliation?” Conuropolis’s defense cannons finally came online, some rising from the ground, others from the tops of the city-state’s taller starscrapers. Debris rained down in thick chunks as the armaments unleashed blistering volleys on the Amalgam, giving needed assistance to the overwhelmed AeroFleet vessels.

  “Biros’ voice,” V’Korram stood up straight. “When he seized the Chouncilor, he didn’t sound at all like a Kedri. It was mechanical. Like a Thulican’s.”

  Khrome’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. V’Korram’s senses never lied. Habraum massaged his temples. “So there was potential Thulican involvement? Brilliant.” Beneath them the ground rumbled, Korvanes statues came closer, towering over everything, swatting away some of the city defenses.

  “One thing I can guess,” Honaa rasped, shaking his tail. “I have no doubt the Chouncilor isss up there with Birosss and Maelstrom.” He pointed a talon at the spacestation above them.

  V’Korram folded his arms and snorted. “How are you sure? Maelstrom could have left Terra Sollus and killed the Chouncilor by now.”

  “Becaussse if Maelssstrom feelsss he hasss the advantage, he getsss arrogant,” Honaa adjusted a gauntlet. “No doubt that he’ll want to make Bogosssian watch the dessstruction before killing him.”

  “So fooling both the Kedri and the Union and attacking Terra Sollus isn’t enough?” Liliana asked. There was fear in her voice, but she did her best to mask it under a professional veneer. “What now?”

  All of CT-1 turned to Habraum, waiting for his command. Yet the Cerc had no clue what to do next. As long as Amalgam had those shields up, everyone knew UComm’s mandate to ‘hold the line’ would not save Terra Sollus. He cringed as the Amalgam discharged another blast near the Corowood District. Civilian crowds gathered to watch history and thick crisscrosses of hovercar traffic trying to flee Conuropolis, all vaporized by fire from the heavens.

  Habraum’s eyes met Marguliese and an idea struck him. It was a longshot, yes, but he had to ask. “Maggie. Still have that Amalgam blueprint I told you to throw out?”

  “Of course,” Marguliese answered straightway, her right eye a jagged starburst of light. “I reserved a duplicate in my neuronet, and have discovered various exceptional faults that can be exploited.”

  Everyone gaped. Except Habraum, who sighed in relief.

  “How—?” Khrome began to rage, but stopped himself.

  “Will any of those flaws disable the Amalgam’s shielding?” the Cerc asked.

  “They are a fusion of Thulican and Imperium tech, but can be disabled…with assistance.” Marguliese eyed Khrome pointedly.

  “Brilliant,” Habraum had to shout over a loud blast that scattered bits of debris nearby. “Cuz we’re getting on that station to rescue Bogosian.” CT-1 stared as if their field commander had lost his wits. “If there’s a meager chance he’s alive up there like Honaa said, we have to try.”

  Sam, looking less than thrilled, was still the first to support her captain. “What do you need, chief?”

  “A small military transport that can fit four sentients,” the Cerc answered, then frowned as a roadblock came to mind. “But we still need to pass through the shields to take them out.”

  “Khrome and I can modify a transport’s shield to do just that,” Marguliese answered icily.

  The Cerc smiled, a plan coalescing in his head. “I’ll sneak in, while Maggie disables the shields.”

  “Why only two Brigadiers?” Liliana asked.

  “The more Brigadiers we use, the more likely that larger group will be intercepted,” Habraum quickly answered. “Maggie, you sure you can shut down the shielding generator on this beast?”

  “Yes,” she answered without uncertainty, as usual. “I trust Union Command will handle the rest.”

  “I’ll get the vessel. Be back in a few.” Khrome rose into the air and rocketed away. Habraum nodded after him and then looked up at the Amalgam hovering in the air. It finally stopped firing on the city-state. But the Korvanes statues kept moving like actual living beings. Three had been obliterated by AeroFleet warships, but the others were guarded by the immeasurable Retributionaries swarming through the air. Now one couldn’t even see Rhyne’s light anymore with all the roiling dust and smoke blanketing the sky.

  Khrome returned shortly at the helm of a UComm skiff transport, sleek and small, for an escape.

  “I’m going with you.” Habraum turned. Honaa stepped forward.

  The Cerc wasn’t expecting that. “Honaa, one should be enough to—.”

  Honaa was unyielding. “I’m. Going. With you,” he snapped through sharp, gritted teeth..

  There was no room or time to argue there. “Alright, then,” Habraum nodded in approval. “The rest of you, go support the UComm. Heatstroke, you’re in command.”

  “Yessir, Reign,” Sam nodded.

  “Brigadiers,” Habraum addressed CT-1 as they stood before him. So many emotions stampeded through him. But the soldier in Habraum bottled them all in. “Take them down and go save lives!”

  “You heard the man,” Sam barked. “Move!” V’Korram, Tyris and Liliana sprinted away from Andromeda Hall. Sam rose into the air, flames leaping off her body and wind tussling her hair—a fire goddess made flesh. Her expression made i
t clear she disliked for Habraum’s risky plan, yet understood Star Brigade’s duty more than anyone. “Two Star Brigade captains unaccounted for. What do I tell UComm?”

  “Tell the truth,” Honaa replied. “We’re attempting to breach Amalgam’sss ssshieldsss.”

  Sam addressed both captains, but her gaze was only for Habraum. “In case this goes south, boys. It’s been a ride.”

  “Ride’s not over yet, goldilocks,” Habraum stated, as much for himself as for her. “Off with you!”

  Sam’s features hardened. “Keep each other safe,” she rocketed after the other Brigadiers flying headlong into the chaos that was now Conuropolis.

  Habraum looked after them, chilled by an eerie notion. If we fail, this could be worse than Beridaas. He turned away from that noxious fear. “Khrome, join the others when you finish.”

  Khrome rose up from his and Marguliese’s work inside the transport. “Yes, sir!” He grinned broadly at the prospect of killing more Retributionaries.

  About 20 macroms later, Khrome and Marguliese finished. While looking the same on the outside, Khrome explained otherwise. “We added a makeshift psi-shield, like what’s on the Phaeton. So coupled with your psi-jammers, this will double protect you from detection by the Korvenites.”

  “Excellent Khrome, as usual,” Habraum marveled at the young Thulican. “Get out there.”

  He didn’t have to tell Khrome twice. The Thulican zoomed up toward the battle, a sonic boom rumbling in his wake. “Ready, Maggie?” the Cerc asked Marguliese.

  “Affirmative,” Marguliese stood like a golden sentinel next to the transport ship.

  “Let’s get going then,” Habraum strode toward the skiff transport. “We’ve got a Chouncilor to save.”

  As they boarded, Habraum took the pilot seat, and Honaa the passenger seat next to him. Marguliese slid into a third seat at the rear, in front of a ship miniconsole. Her fingers flew across the console at astonishing speed as she entered some final specs.

  “You didn’t have to do this,” Habraum muttered, revving the skiff up for flight.

  “ I am ssstill a full-time Brigadier, Reign.” Honaa threw back. “and will ssserve until I am not.”

  Habraum patted him on the shoulder. “I expected no less.” The Cerc whispered a prayer to the Sacred Twins, for the son he might not see again and the combat team he’d finally connected with. He then took the transport up into the burning sky, and zoomed straight for the monstrous Amalgam.

  23.

  Aristotle Bogosian, Chouncilor of the Galactic Union, one of the most powerful beings in the known galaxy, was well on his way to completing a trade route merger with the star-spanning Kedri Imperium. No other Chouncilor before him had ever accomplished such a feat. No one could touch him.

  Now, his Honor Guard nowhere in sight, Bogosian was being dragged roughly through the Amalgam’s corridors like some scoundrel from the most shameful fringes of the galaxy. Biros Nor, the perpetrator who he once called friend, didn’t even spare him a glance let alone any words. And there was nothing Bogosian could do to free himself from Biros’s vise-like grip on his neck.

  “I am the Chouncilor of the Galactic Union of Planetary Republics!” Ari shouted. “You’ll regret this, Biros. You and the Sover—.” The pressure on his neck increased, pain stealing away his ability to speak.

  Biros stopped and hauled Bogosian up so they were face to face, the Chouncilor’s feet dangling off the ground. The disgust in Biros’ violet eyes shocked him. “You still think the Kedri are behind this?” He let out a harsh un-Kedri laugh. “At this point ‘Chouncilor’, your title means even less than you do.”

  Was Biros telling the truth? Bogosian had no clue. Right now he didn’t know what to think. He was alone, scared. The Kedri began dragging him again into better lit corridors, with ceilings that vaulted higher than the eyes could see. Ari looked up and instinctively yelped.

  He saw at least a hundred or more healthy looking Korvenites on elevated tiers above him. They must have been the Korvenites freed from the Protectorate Bases. The sight of them brought home an appalling realization for Bogosian. By some means the Korvenites had usurped this station from both the GUPR and the Kedri! Bogosian suddenly felt sick.

  Many of the Korvenites that caught sight of him glared down in silent contempt. One young Korvenite male hopped over the rail of the lowest tier and blocked their path. His black and gold eyes focused on the Chouncilor with an intensity that made Ari’s skin crawl.

  The boy looked up at Biros and asked something in Korcei. Biros, smiling, replied loudly in the same dialect. Bogosian didn’t understand, but he caught a word that sounded like “Chouncilor.”

  Right away a furious uproar erupted from the once docile Korvenites. They all stood up and rained down curses at the Chouncilor. Some he heard out loud, many thundered through his mind. Bogosian covered his ears, but to no avail. Through the racket, the Korvenite youth walked closer, reared back and spat in the Chouncilor’s face.

  Bogosian didn’t remember the rest of the trip, for all those Korvenites’ reaction to him rang fresh in his mind. Never had he truly experienced what pure, unbridled hate felt like until today.

  “We’re here,” Biros stopped in mid-stride. Bogosian looked up and around. They stood in a domed room, the metal-crystal fusion walls sporting a bronze and crimson hue. The mark of Imperium and Union architecture was evident. Severe jagged Kedri designs adorned the gallery’s walls, as did an expansive viewscreen taking up around one-fourth of the room itself. On this viewscreen were multiple little screens displaying different regions of Terra Sollus. One showed Korvanes statues marching in Sheffield, another the burning cityscape of Conuropolis. A third displayed the shield arrays orbiting Terra Sollus. Every shield was active, enveloping the planet in a glowing sphere. Bogosian, horror-struck, spied AeroFleet and Imperium Navy warships just outside of Terra Sollus’ atmosphere firing in vain upon the planet’s seemingly impenetrable shields.

  Are you proud? The voice in his head wasn’t Biros. Bogosian looked to the right and his jaw dropped. Standing next to him was Maelstrom in the flesh, no hallucination this time.

  The Korvenite’s black robes billowed off his supple frame. He eyed the holoscreens and smiled, pleased with himself. Biros entered and tossed the Chouncilor into the room. Ari hit the floor face first.

  “I ask again, Chouncilor,” Maelstrom spread out his hands, tossing back his violet locks and striding closer. “Are you proud? This is because of you.”

  Ari struggled up to a knee. “This is all your doing, you deluded sociopath.”

  Biros made furious strides toward the Chouncilor, but Maelstrom calmly gripped the large Kedri’s shoulder to stop him. “Not yet. He has to suffer first.” Maelstrom paced a wide circle around the Chouncilor. Ari shuddered, feeling the Korvenite’s presence brushing against his mind.

  “Quite the pompous veneer you put up, Aristotle. I sense your fear, and your questions.” Maelstrom came to a halt in front of him. “Go on. Ask. A man about to meet his Maker has that right.”

  Bogosian steeled himself at that avowal. “How’d you do it, under the noses of the Union and Kedri?”

  “The need for reprisal can drive any sentient being to do extraordinary things. Combine that with zeal only Korvan can provide and this end result was inescapable.” Maelstrom paced again. On one viewscreen behind the Korvenite, Korvanes statues smashed more starscrapers into dust and rubble. Bogosian cringed, appalled by the spectacle.

  “After my failure years ago, I fled Union Space, beaten and shamed.” Maelstrom’s eyes grew intense as he continued, “At my lowest, the Almighty Korvan revealed his plans for our brethren to me. Not just to free the Korvenites from humanity’s yoke. Sollus needed to be reclaimed, purged. But in spite of the many soldiers I had begun to amass. My species needed true allies to reclaim our homeworld.

  “And what an ally Biros has been, providing weapons, warships, and this station, under the guise of a trade merger between the Ke
dri and Union governments.”

  Bogosian shot a stricken look at his betrayer. “Turning on your own Imperium, Biros? Why?”

  Ari expected Biros Nor to react angrily, but his face remained a stoic mask. His eyes, however, spoke differently. “To gain revenge on the Union that betrayed my paternal. And kill you, of course.”

  Bogosian gaped, again noticing the Kedri’s digitized lilt. “What are you talking about?”

  “Of course, you don’t remember me,” Biros growled.

  “Why don’t you reintroduce yourself, Timbore,” Maelstrom replied, walking away. It took Ari a moment to realize that ‘Timbore’ was Biros, which wasn’t even a Kedri name.

  The Kedri scowled at Maelstrom, but nodded in compliance. Before Bogosian’s eyes, the Kedri’s body began morphing and shifting, first shrinking dramatically in height. The Kedri’s rough, crimson skin became smooth, contoured and metallic. The long white mane vanished, his Kedri features—kutaa, the overarched brow and slightly flattened nose—also melted away. Even his robes faded into nothingness. Bogosian watched this transformation in horror.

  A Thulican now stood in Biros’ place; short and stocky in physique like most, a stark contrast to the formerly mountainous Kedri. His colorations were a green, gold and silvery mixture, with deep-set crimson eyes. Bogosian knew that face, chilling him to the bone.

  “By the Maker. Senator Gilletrone Fivery’s son!?” Ari hearing himself say the name didn’t make it sink in any deeper. “You’re a part of this?”

  “I AM the reason Maelstrom got this far. After you destroyed my paternal’s career for showing the Korvenites mercy, no one in the Union wanted any business with the son of a traitor. YOU RUINED MY LIFE!” Timbore roared. “I had to live on the fringes of space, barely surviving, dreaming of the day I’d get to snap your neck. And somehow I found Maelstrom, who hated you as much as I.