Corvet`e finished punching in a code on the keypad in the wall. Corvet`e stepped in front of the wall looked at Malsvir and Halstark smiled, winked, and nodded at them. Corvet`e walked through the corridor's wall and the keypad on the wall vanished along with Corvet`e.
“Did you see what Corvet`e just did, Emperor Malsvir?” Halstark asked, with fear in his voice.
“Yes, I did, Lord Halstark. I thought I was seeing things. Did we just see the keypad and Lord Corvet`e vanish before our eyes?” Malsvir asked as he walked in front of the spot in the wall where Corvet`e and the keypad had vanished. He touched the wall and it was solid as the titanium it was made with. The area that the keypad was at was also red painted steel. “This is weird, isn't it Lord Halstark?” Malsvir asked as Halstark only nodded at his Emperor.
Malsvir decided to continue with their walk toward the Main Fighter Bay. Halstark followed his Emperor in that direction. Malsvir had a feeling that something was not right on this ship, or that someone was watching them.
Malsvir and Halstark made it to the Main Fighter Bay, as the casket came through the force-shield. The casket was as large as giant's skull. The casket had an encryption on it of Ancient Chess symbols. Malsvir didn't know Ancient Chess, but Corvet`e might. Corvet`e was from the Chess Tribe, as were his sons Jared Hackman and Xanatos.
Malsvir saw that the encryption was the key to unlocking the casket. Corvet`e was the only one who could contact Jared or Pamela. Corvet`e was somewhere on this ship playing mind games with himself and the crew of the War Shadow.
“What does that encryption say?” Halstark asked as he ran his fingers along the encryption to if it was etched in.
“It is Ancient Chess, and I can read it, my fellow War Lord,” Corvet`e stated boldly, as he approached behind Malsvir and Halstark.
“Where have you been, Lord Corvet`e?” Malsvir asked angrily. as Corvet`e ignored Malsvir's question, and read the encryption on the casket.
“Oh, you got my message in the wall. The Atron Ascendancy had a little spy on board the War Shadow,” Corvet`e reported glaring at War Spy 325 for not informing the War Lord Empire of this new threat.
“Violet and I destroyed all of the Atron Soldiers that were on board the War Shadow,” War Spy 325 defended.
“Apparently not all of their soldiers were destroyed. I destroyed one of their soldiers in the Charging Tunnels, as it was recording and reporting to the Atron Ascendancy,” Corvet`e reported to Malsvir and looked at the casket encryption.
“What does the encryption say, Lord Corvet`e?” Malsvir demanded as Halstark looked at the encryption with Corvet`e.
“The encryption is a riddle of some type. The element that exists within the true Argoni people. I have never heard the Argoni to be an elemental based people,” Corvet`e stated.
“Nor have I, Lord Corvet`e. I wonder if the Argoni Ancient Texts will say anything on our ancestors or this casket,” Malsvir said with curiosity. “War Spy 325, I have a mission for you,”
“Yes, Master?” War Spy 325 said in a submissive voice.
“I want you to go Argon and land in Royal Spaceport. There you will go to the Argonox Archives and report everything you find to me,” Malsvir ordered his War Spy.
“I will, Master Malsvir,” War Spy 325 replied.
17 - Aboard the Shadow Hunter, in the Captain's Chambers
"Captain Horde, you will pull yourself together and do as I order you to do. Now, compose yourself for your crew and tell them to stand their ground against these rebels. We are in route to you. We will be there as soon as we can. You will not surrender to those rebels, so they can steal your cargo and kill you and your crew in response to your surrender. Those rebels are not getting away that easily,” Lord Anubis ordered Horde over the comm-unit.
“They have already started to board my ship, my lord. They will start killing my crew next, or worse recruiting them for their fight for freedom,” Horde replied, as the alarms on the Shadow Hunter began ringing their warning for intruders.
“Freedom is a lie. Those rebels will pay for actions against War Lord Empire and United Alliance,” Anubis barked over the comm-unit.
The Centaur War Lord looked at Horde with anger, as the bridge was suddenly invaded by the Pirate Rebellion's finest. The comm-unit went black.
“That cowardly Centaur War Lord doesn't even want to do his own dirty work,” Xanatos growled at the blank comm-unit.
“You must be the infamous Captain Xanatos of the Pale Dragon. Where is your ship? The only thing I see is that poor excuse of an Attack Freighter,” Horde teased the pirates' leader.
“Very funny, Uncle Brad. My legend has already reached your ears. What has that War Master told you?” Xanatos asked sarcastically.
“How did you get past the security doors and guards in front of the bridge?” Horde asked with concern for his crew.
“We take prisoners, unlike the War Lord Empire who would prefer to kill you rather than take prisoners,” Xanatos pointed out to the good captain. “Now, you have something that belongs to the Pirate Rebel Allegiance in your cargo bay and something that belongs to the Temple of Valient, not in the hands of the War Lords,” Xanatos offered.
“What would the War Lord Empire want with Pirate Rebel Allegiance technology? Why would the War Lords want to the secrets of Valient right out of His Temples?” Horde asked curiously.
“War Master Malsvir has been after lost secrets of Valient for the past several decades of his reign over the universe. He recently punished the Chi- Koss for their disobedience. They failed to report to the War Master of their finding of my ship the Pale Dragon. The Pale Dragon was the flagship of Valient's Everlasting Fleet,” Xanatos replied, as he placed a recorder in the main computer to reveal the Battle of Niw- Chi and the War Draconic attacking only Chi- Koss vessels that were on the United Alliance's side. The War Draconic ignored the Wind Elf vessels that bore the Pirate Rebel Allegiance insignia.
“The War Master wants to make examples of those who fail them. This is how they invoke fear throughout the universe. Do you want to be a part of that kind of system, or will you tell your men to stand down? The choice is yours, but I warn you not to provoke my men,” Xanatos warned his uncle.
“So, the War Draconic was ordered to punish the Chi- Koss and leave the Pirate Rebels alone. This will change the shape of the Wild War. I now understand why the Pirate Rebellion was formed. I am willing to surrender and join the fight for freedom in the universe,” Horde submitted, as he bowed his head in respect.
“Thank you, Uncle Brad. I know where I got my honor from in the family. I knew it wasn't from my father, Lord Corvet'e. He has respect for my brother Jared, then me. Jared thinks my father is like Valient Himself,” Xanatos stated to Horde.
“My ship and its services are yours, Captain Xanatos,” Horde said respectfully to Xanatos, as they walked into the Main Bridge. Some of the bridge crew started to leave toward the escape pods. “Where are you men going?” Horde asked the bridge crew. The crew on the Main Bridge kept walking toward the emergency pods. “I asked you a question, Commander Vault,” he ordered his First Officer.
“Avoiding the wrath of the United Alliance flagship that is on is way to destroy the Pirate Rebels and us for surrendering to Pirate Rebel Allegiance,” Vault reported to his captain.
“The War Lord Empire is in charge of the United Alliance, you inconceivable ingrate. You were talking to those war mongers and murderers, weren't you Vault?” Xanatos replied.
“Who are you to state such wild accusations about the United Alliance? You, a pirate. How dare you accuse War Lord Empire of being 'war mongers?' They have brought order to this universe when there was chaos and mayhem everywhere you flew a star freighter. You have no right to rebel against the only faction that actually cares about this universe's order and how it orbits, Captain Xanatos of the Pale Dragon. I would love to watch the War Draconic pound you and your traitorous uncle who happens to be my captain into the next universe,” Vault gloated, a
s he left the Main Bridge and headed for the emergency pods with his comrades.
“The War Lord Empire has them pinned under its thumb. Now, I have no loyal crew members on this ship,” Horde sighed in defeat.
“You still have us Captain Horde,” said a voice from behind the Conference Room. An Argoni man wearing in a blue mechanics overalls and an Argoni woman wearing in a gray space fighter officer's uniform of the United Alliance came from behind the door.
“Commander Felicia Star of the Graceful Squadron and Ensign Brian Bolt, am I glad to see your on my side. On any other day I would sent you two to brig, but given the circumstances, I will promote you both for your wisdom and courage. Now, Lieutenant Bolt, I need you in Engineering to monitor the status of our shield and propulsion systems. Commander Star, I need you at tactical. Understood?” Horde ordered his loyal crewmen.
“Aye-aye, sir,” they said together, as Bolt ran toward Engineering and Star headed for the Tactical Station on the bridge.
“I will send some of men to assist you, Captain Horde and I will do what I can on the Crimson Stingray. May Valient be at your side and guide you on your path,” Xanatos wished his uncle a safe journey.
“May Valient smile upon you, Captain Xanatos,” Horde returned the favor, as the Pirate Rebels from the Crimson Stingray entered the bridge and Xanatos left the bridge.
Horde sat down at the helm and waited for the Crimson Stingray to detach the plundering clamps from the side of his ship. Horde spotted the Crimson Stingray was on the offensive beside the Shadow Hunter. Horde maneuvered the Shadow Hunter to face the oncoming enemy.
The War Draconic came out of Phantom Space and began to destroy the emergency pods that the Shadow Hunter was starting to launch. The Crimson Stingray fired at the War Draconic to divert their attention from the emergency pods. The War Draconic continued firing on the fleeing emergency pods, not phased by the Crimson Stingray's continuing barrage of torpedoes and sionic charges.
“Get the Crimson Stingray on the view screen, Commander Star, and Commander aim the zotium torpedoes at the War Draconic's main engines on their port bow,” Horde ordered, as the War Draconic began to fire on the Crimson Stingray.
“Aye, Sir. The Crimson Stingray is contacting us. They are unable to penetrate the War Draconic's shields and our long-range scanners show two enemy ships in approach from the Elemental Sector at high speed,” Commander Star reported to her captain.
“Patch them through. Captain Xanatos, do your long-range scanners read what mine are reading? Are those approaching ships friend or Foe?” Horde requested from Xanatos.
“Captain Horde, one of those is the Crimson Eagle and she is fleeing from the War Dragon, which is in high pursuit from the Battle of Niw- Chi that I showed you. The Crimson Eagle has PRA colors on it. The War Dragon is ordered to destroy the Crimson Eagle and then you for betraying the War Lord Empire. I think they want to make an example of you and record it with the War Draconic as witnesses to what their Emperor Malsvir can do,” Xanatos reported.
“I will show that captain on board the War Dragon that his Emperor Malsvir is only an Argoni man with one hell of an ego problem, but he is still just an Argoni and we Argoni are an accident-prone people just like all of the sentient beings in this universe. Are you with me, Captain Xanatos?” Horde replied as the Crimson Stingray and Crimson Eagle took up their positions along side the Shadow Hunter. “Well, I would say you answered my question. Where are my ABX-215's and Personal Space fighters, Commander Star?” Horde asked his First Officer.
“There,” Star pointed at the group of small space fighters. “They are attacking the Shadow Repulsive with the Pirate Rebel Space fighters. They appear to have opened their eyes to the true nature of the War Lord Empire and the United Alliance,” Star was relieved to see her shipmates were honorable to join forces with the Pirate Rebels' space forces.
18 - Aboard the Crimson Stingray
The Shadow Repulsive, the War Draconic, and now the War Dragon is on route here. Xanatos prayed that Valient would help his crew and this bucket of bolts for a ship return the Shadow Hunter and her crew with the Crimson Stingray back to Pirate Rebel Space. He knew the Shadow Repulsive was not the only Shadow Hound-Class Vessel out there near Theonix.
“What is the status of locating the other two cloaked vessels, Ensign Gerak?” Xanatos requested from the Rularian officer.
“They're cloaked perfectly, I cannot see them on the scanners. I think I can see one them through my ultraviolet nerves on the view screen,” Gerak reported.
“Adjust the scanners to the ultraviolet spectrum, Commander Jurj,” Xanatos ordered, as the Xana Anti Commander calculated the scanners and the view screen shown the two cloaked and unprotected Shadow Hound-Class Vessels. “Good work, Ensign Gerak. They have to leave their shields down to remain cloaked. Commander Kingsley, fire the zotium torpedoes at those cloaked vessels,”
“Aye, Sir,” Gerak replied, as the Crimson Stingray aimed the cannons at the open space between the War Draconic and the War Dragon. The explosion was large enough to throw debris into the Shadow Repulsive and War Dragon. The torpedo cannons fired at the other cloaked ship and the debris from cloaked ship disabled the Shadow Repulsive's main zoton well generator. The War Draconic fired zotonic torpedoes at the Crimson Stingray's main bridge.
The War Draconic seized fire on the Crimson Stingray, as the Shadow Repulsive looked like it was about to explode from the impacting remains of its cloaked sister ships. The Shadow Hunter was firing at the War Dragon and War Draconic to defend itself.
“Commander Kingsley, get Captain Horde on the view screen,” Xanatos ordered, as he looked at the helmsmen. “Ensign Gerak, once we have notified the Shadow Hunter of our actions, take us back to Layardia so I can return back to my ship. We will rendezvous with the Shadow Hunter to the course that I will give them to meet us when they reenter real space,”
“Aye, Sir,” Gerak replied, as Horde appeared on the view screen.
“Captain Horde, I retreating from this battle and hoping to rendezvous with you near Nogra in five hours,” Xanatos requested from Horde.
Those who flee from the battle will live to fight another. I would be honored to join the Pirate Rebel Allegiance, I will be there at that time. Horde's image said as the War Dragon began firing at the Shadow Hunter. The image of Horde began to flicker in and out.
“I will cover your escape. Valient journey, Uncle Brad,” Xanatos wished to Horde.
Thank you, Xanatos. Good luck. The image of Horde went black on the view screen. Xanatos looked at the crew, as they were staring at their captain with shock and surprise. The Shadow Hunter entered Phantom Space shortly after the communications were cut. Xanatos nodded to the helmsman, and the Crimson Stingray left the system in hurry.
19 - Aboard the War Shadow, in orbit of Niw- Chi
Malsvir was starting to get annoyed by Corvet`e' Pirate Rebel son. Reports were flooding in that Xanatos was destroying War Lord Empire capital ships, recruiting United Alliance crewmen, and now he has just heard three of his Shadow Hound-Class Freighters were destroyed by Xanatos while he was in command of the Crimson Stingray. That Son of a Hackman is going to pay for this, somehow or someway.
“How will the Chi- Koss deal with the Pirate Rebel Allegiance, now that I have destroyed half of their fleet and space fighter force?” Malsvir gloated.
Corvet`e stared at the devastation that the War Draconic and Shadow Avenger caused to the Chi- Koss people. The Chi- Koss themselves will live on, but their ships and space fighters are in orbit and in pieces around Niw-Chi. Corvet`e couldn't believe how disobedient the Chi- Koss were to the War Lord Empire and United Alliance.
“My Emperor, I think Captain Xanatos used this battle against the Chi- Koss to gain my brother-in-law's support in their fight for freedom against us. The reports of the mutiny on the Shadow Hunter's crew. They feared our wrath over their former Captain Brad Horde's orders. They fled in the emergency pods, though most were destroyed by the War
Draconic. A few remnant emergency pods survived and were brought to the War Dragon, where the remaining crewmen were interrogated and executed shortly after by Lady Shako herself,” Corvet`e reported the bad news to Malsvir.
“Those traitorous dogs! They think by betraying their captain, and staying loyal to the War Lord Empire their lives would be spared. They don't realize if you betray your captain, you betray the War Lord Empire's trust,” Malsvir paused as he looked at the scene. “Look at those traitorous Chi- Koss picking up the pieces after the battle against us. They look like ants,” Malsvir gloated as he nodded at the tactical officer. The War Shadow decloaked in front of the lead Chi- Koss vessel. The War Shadow began firing at the salvage crews near the planet surface.
“The lead Chi- Koss vessel is trying to comm us,” War Spy 325 reported.
“On view screen,” Corvet`e ordered, as the image of a Chi- Koss captain appeared with worry and anger on her face.
This is Captain Nihdas of the Scout Ship, Koss Fist. Haven't you done enough devastation to the Chi- Koss. We have quarrel with the War Lord Empire.
“An ant has no quarrel with a boot. You were warned to remain loyal to my new War Lord Empire, but you let one of your own join the Pirate Rebel Allegiance. You will suffer for his defiance,” Malsvir replied coldly.
You plan to step on us. The Pirate Rebel Allegiance was right you are the beast that the prophecies speak of. One day the Chi- Koss will be the victor and you will be the ant.
“How do the Chi- Koss plan be victorious, when they are exterminated from the universe?” Malsvir replied crisply.
Seeds of the Pirate Rebels Page 7