The railguns atop the Dauntless fired. Two of the oncoming enemies disappeared from the sensor display. The third enemy fired.
John jerked the yoke and the Dauntless rose, flying above the enemy projectile. Another volley of railgun fire destroyed the last one.
Outside of the maelstrom, rocks flew toward enemy fighters trying to skirt around it with tremendous force.
Ashley did not speak at all as she manipulated the asteroid field to their advantage.
“Hang in there, babe,” John said.
Dozens of enemy fighters were missing from the display screen and dozens more had scattered, no longer in a tight formation.
The maelstrom of rocks spun faster until it appeared to be a blur. Then the spinning wall of rocks exploded outward like ripples in a pond, cascading in every direction at a high speed. More enemy fighters fell victim to the unexpected strikes and the asteroid field returned to its former position.
Derek sat back, stunned. That was one way to even the odds. He looked at Ashley. She was unconscious.
***
Selene launched a missile toward the cluster of enemy fighters coming from the central battle area. When it was seconds away from impact, she triggered her coilgun and the missile exploded, destroying two enemy fighters.
Her squadmates used the same tactic moments later, destroying a handful more Krai’kesh fighters.
The Krai’kesh fighters split, having grown wise to the tactic after the first wave. The dogfight began.
Selene locked on to one enemy fighter and fired. It did not break apart, but went spinning away. She left it to spin and sought another target.
“Got one on my tail,” Raptor Six said over the squadron link. “I’m hit, I’m…” her link died as her fighter exploded.
Other fighters from the air group joined the fray then, some trying the exploding missile tactic, others firing with their lasers to little effect.
Selene focused on the Krai’kesh fighters chasing Federation fighters first.
The Federation fighters fought for several minutes. At last the final Krai’kesh fighter lay in ruin. They had not died without a fight, however, for they had taken forty Federation fighters with them. Only fifteen remained.
She looked at the HUD and gasped. The cloud of Krai’kesh fighters that had been barreling toward the cluster of transports was almost gone. A few stragglers limped toward them, but the screen was empty except for the asteroid field. How did that happen?
***
Captain Martin Rigsby felt the blood drain from his face as the asteroid field exploded outward. “What just happened?” he asked.
“Judging by the fact the Dauntless was in the eye of the maelstrom and based upon the known passengers of said ship, I would guess it was Ashley Edgerton using her magic,” Zigana said.
Such power. Martin shook his head. “I never knew she was that powerful.”
“Yes, sir. Her use of power here is also consistent with previous uses in space and on land. During the Trade War…”
“We don’t have time for a history lesson. Do we have a clear firing solution because of her manipulation?”
“No, sir. When the asteroid field exploded, it resumed its position in space. It is as impenetrable as before, perhaps more so now that it has mixed with debris from destroyed fighters.”
“The operation continues as planned, then.” Let us pray they are successful.”
“Enemy capital ships are firing again, sir. This time toward the central area.”
“Damn it.” Projectiles from the enemy vessels again passed through temporary holes in the asteroid field and hurtled toward the ships which had been engaged with the Krai’kesh fighters.
All the projectiles hit, with devastating effect. Two corvettes exploded, a frigate took heavy damage and one of the Eligar defense force destroyers lost their bridge.
“Please hurry,” he pleaded aloud.
Chapter 13 - Interrogation
“How long have the Krai’kesh been on this world?” Kimberly Hague demanded of her prisoner.
Richard Segwyn remained silent, staring at her while bound hand and foot to the interrogation chair.
Kimberly sighed. Two hours we’ve been at this, she thought. Two hours of asking him the same questions ad nauseum inside the FIA black site on Draxon II. Three hours of his silence. She couldn’t imagine why Isabelle had trusted her to interrogate Richard.
“If you talk, we can get you a plea deal.”
Silence.
She collected her data pad and looked at him. “I will be back. Think long and hard about your future.” She turned to leave the room.
“Rae’Shela has promised me a place in eternity. I will not betray my God,” Richard said.
Kimberly turned back toward him. “What did you say? Who is Rae’Shela?”
Richard stared at her.
Kimberly stormed out of the interrogation room, flustered. She sought Isabelle in the room behind the glass. “Did you hear what he said?”
Isabelle did not look at her. She kept her eyes on Richard. “I heard.”
“Who is Rae’Shela?”
Isabelle glanced around the room at the other FIA operatives. Then she looked at Kimberly. “Follow me.” She left the room.
Kimberly hurried after her, following her to her chambers. Isabelle locked the door and activated her display panel. “Computer, bring up the files on Rae’Shela. Authorization code delta, echo, alpha, tango, hotel, two, omega, alpha, lima, lima.”
“Authorization code accepted, voice recognized,” a light flared out from the display panel and scanned Isabelle’s face and then narrowed to her retina. She did not flinch. “Identity confirmed. Accessing files.”
A symbol appeared on the screen. It appeared to be a triangle inside a circle with three snakes filling the space between the three sides of the triangle and the outer wall of the circle. A symbol like a whirlpool, or a void portal, Kimberly thought, occupied the center of the triangle.
“What do you know of the Founders?”
“My father taught me they were not from Tar Ebon. He said they were refugees from another world. Another time, to be more precise.”
Isabelle nodded. “Correct. They fled from the future and were the last remnants of the Earth Federation.” An image of a large oval ship appeared on the screen. “This is a rendition from the ancient records of an arc ship.”
“Where is Earth?”
“No one knows,” Isabelle replied. An image of a planet appeared. “This is the last recorded image of the planet before the exodus. Regardless, they came to Tar Ebon from the future intending to prepare for the Krai’kesh. They left records for us to read. Some of the records are more detailed than others - some were corrupted over the years. But one particular thing they mentioned was Rae’Shela.” The symbol returned.
“During the war against the Krai’kesh, traitors emerged from within the Earth Federation.” An image of figures in red robes kneeling before a statue appeared on the screen. “They worshiped the alien race that sought to, so the Earth Federation thought, destroy humanity. Those rational people during that time tried to discern why they would worship a race they knew wanted to destroy them. They learned that the Krai’kesh did not want to destroy all humanity … only part of it. They needed slaves, and this was not the first time they had come.”
“Wait, so the Krai’kesh had been to our galaxy before?”
“So the Founders learned. They also learned the name of the god of the Krai’kesh that the traitors worshiped: Rae’Shela.”
“Did, or does, this Rae’Shela exist?”
“We believe it does.” The screen morphed into a rendition of a shattered world. “An account from one particular Founder speaks of a so-called ‘god ship’ that was the embodiment of Rae’Shela’s power in the physical world. He claimed it could destroy worlds, though he didn’t explain how. Billions more humans surrendered before the Krai’kesh advance, with only the Founders fleeing to the past to prevent the
subjugation of humanity.
“The problem is that the Founders believed sleeper agents from the traitors, secret followers of Rae’Shela, may have infiltrated the refugee fleet and followed them to the past to sabotage humanity’s attempts at preparing for the Krai’kesh.”
“Do you believe the Founders?”
“My mother did. That information played an important role in her decision to form a central intelligence organization as the Federation Intelligence Agency. She reasoned that if the followers of Rae’Shela were still in existence and in hiding, that the Federation would need a counter to them - to prevent them from interfering with the Federation’s attempts at preparing for the Krai’kesh’s eventual emergence.”
“Did your mother ever find evidence of these followers of Rae’Shela?”
“Yes. She found that symbol,” the symbol with the snakes returned, “in many places around the world. Among assassins and thieves and the criminal underworld, but also among governments the world over and later among the stars as humanity expanded. So began a shadow war that has endured for two thousand years without end.”
“Why couldn’t your mother stop them?”
“They were pervasive, spreading their false gospel throughout the world while hiding in plain sight and undermining the efforts of the Federation. They organized revolutions and coup d’état and instigated war between the Federation and Empire countless times. For every den the FIA stomped out, more rose to take their place. My mother equates them to a mythical creature in Earth history known as a hydra. Legend claims if one hydra head was cut off two more would grow in its place. So has been our experience with the Cult of Rae.”
“Why haven’t I ever heard of this Cult of Rae? I would have learned it in training, yes?”
“No. It has been kept a secret from all but the Guardians. I am only telling you this now because you heard the name and I know you wouldn’t stop asking questions if I didn’t bring you into the fold. We call the various organizations different names, but they share the same foundation - they base their beliefs on the principles of the Cult of Rae - to bring about the victory of Rae’Shela over wretched humanity.
“What concerns me the most is why he declared his allegiance. I have tor … interrogated prisoners for days only for them to die without ever uttering the name of their false god. For Richard to feel confident enough to speak it…”
“He knows something we don’t,” Kimberly said as the realization dawned on her.
“Let me interrogate him now.”
“No, let me have one more shot at him,” Kimberly said.
“Fine. One hour. But if he doesn’t talk by then, I’m going in there.”
“Deal.”
Kimberly returned to the interrogation room. Derek stared straight ahead.
“Who is Rae’Shela?” she asked.
“The bringer of eternity for those who follow Him.”
“Eternity? Like eternal life?”
“There is more to eternity than this wretched existence, foolish child,” he said. “With the darkness comes eternal glory.”
Okay, this guy is psycho, she thought.
“So, He destroys you and you gain eternal glory?”
“You do not understand. You cannot comprehend the vastness that is my God.”
“Let’s agree on that. So, tell me about the Krai’kesh. How long have you and the Krai’kesh been working together?”
“It does not matter. They have emerged from the great beyond to carry out the will of our God. None will stand in their way. Darkness to darkness, dust to dust,” he intoned.
Kimberly frowned. “Emerged here on Draxon II? We encountered a few, are there more on this planet?”
Richard scoffed. “These were but the emissaries of our God, sent to prepare the way. No, the darkness will soon swallow you.”
Do you know what he’s talking about? she asked Isabelle through a direct link.
I haven’t heard about any mass invasion but, um …
that’s what scares me. I’ll check in with our field offices.
“Are there more cells on Draxon II? Of either human sympathizers or Krai’kesh?”
“I will tell you nothing further.”
“We can offer you legal immunity if you identify your cohorts and testify against them.”
Richard laughed. “My immunity is in obedience to my God, fool. I go to meet Him.” He then turned his neck to the right and cracked his jaw. At first nothing happened, but then he smiled and a green substance bubbled inside of his mouth. Moments later, his eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped over. The green substance ate through flesh and bone.
Get out of there, NOW, Isabelle commanded over the link.
Kimberly fled the room as before her eyes the green substance consumed Richard Segwyn’s body, the chair, restraints and the table.
“Containment protocol F,” Isabelle ordered.
One of the staff monitoring the interrogation room hit a button. The entire interrogation room filled with flame, burning the acidic substance and the remains of Richard.
“So, instead of cyanide they have flesh-eating acid inside of them. No wonder we didn’t detect it - we were looking for metal capsules and traditional chemicals.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have provoked him so much,” Kimberly began.
“You did well, Kimberly,” Isabelle said. “He gave us more information than we had before. I’m checking with every FIA outpost to see if any have observed strange activity.” She closed her eyes as she communicated through her implant. “That’s strange. The Serpentis and Eligar cells are not responding. The signal doesn’t even ping back.”
Kimberly tried to envision where those two systems were from her astronomy classes in primary school. “Those are both in the outer rim. Near the edge of the galaxy?”
“Correct. Which worries me. I’ll notify fleet command - perhaps they will know more.” She chuckled. “Though I doubt that.”
Chapter 14 - Firebreak
“Coming in for a landing,” John announced.
Lieutenant Derek Jamison stood at the rear of the Dauntless, ready to exit. The other Marines lined up behind him. Derek touched the hilt of the sword on his back for comfort. My ancestors would be proud, he thought, thinking of his Sagami heritage.
The Dauntless landed and the rear landing ramp descended. Derek exited first and looked around.
Herzig Square stretched for miles in front of the capitol building. Derek could not tell where the square ended because of the haze of smoke from fires throughout the city. At the center of the Square stood a towering statue depicting one of the founding leaders of the planet Eligar, Sheldon Braham.
More transports landed in the Square. The railguns were priority alpha, with securing the city being secondary to that.
This is Colonel Sherrin to all Federation Marines on the planet of Eligar, the voice came through the battalion-wide channel. We must hold Herzig Square at all costs. All Federation forces, fall back to the perimeter of Herzig Square. Evacuate civilians on your way as you are able. We will create a firebreak between the Krai’kesh and the center of the square to allow time for civilians to escape. Over and out.
Marines spread out throughout the square, taking up positions along three sides of it, due to the capitol building occupying the fourth side.
“Damn it, if civilians are sitting in the square how can we tear up the ground to activate the railguns?” he asked over his comm.
“They have to move,” John said.
“Let us know as soon as Ashley wakes up, John.”
“I hear you, Lieutenant. You can’t rush this, though. If she pushes herself before she’s recovered she could end up in worse state than unconscious.”
“Understood.” Set up a perimeter around the Dauntless, he ordered. Protecting Ashley is the priority for our platoon.
His Marines established a perimeter and waited.
Mobile transports were the first to arrive at the plaza, followe
d by hundreds of civilians on foot.
“Women and children aboard the transports first,” the colonel bellowed through a loudspeaker system. “Please evacuate in an orderly fashion.”
The crowd did not heed the colonel, though. People shoved other people out of the way to get to the head of the line. One woman threw her child over the heads of others to get them on the transport. Fights broke out in many locations.
Derek saw two men fighting some short ways away. He activated his helmet and ran up to where they were wrestling with each other. “Hey! Hey! Stop right now!” he shouted.
The two men kept fighting.
“Stop in the name of the Federation now!” he shouted again.
One man shoved the other man hard, causing him to stumble backward into Derek.
Derek shoved the man to the ground and closed on the man doing the shoving. Derek grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. “I will only say this one more time: cease your fighting or I will place you under arrest.”
The man spit on him. “You’re the ones dun brought these devils here. I’m just tryin’ ta look out for meh family.”
Derek wiped the spittle from his helmet. “There are better ways to look out for your family than beating other people up.” He set the man down. “Now I want you to…” a gunshot rang out above the cacophony. Derek crouched, trying to discern the origin and target of the shot.
One area caught his attention, where a group of civilians had evacuated. A single man stood at the center of the area, a rifle in his hand. Another man lay on the ground several feet away, squirming in agony.
We need a medic to my location, now! Lieutenant Jamison ordered through the link before racing toward the injured man. He withdrew his laser pistol as he ran and skidded to a halt beside the wounded man. He knelt and trained his pistol on the rifle-bearing assailant. “Drop the gun!”
“He has a bomb!” the man holding the rifle shouted back.
Derek moved aside one of the wounded man’s jacket. A bomb vest. Shit.
A trigger lay on the ground several feet away. The wounded man attempted to crawl toward it. Derek stepped on his hand, causing him to scream in pain. “Stay down,” Derek growled. Bomb disposal unit to Herzig Square, he requested. He looked back toward the original suspected gunman. “I have him now, sir, please drop your gun.”
Emergence: Book One of the Dark Tide Trilogy Page 11