Seeds of the Pirate Rebels

by Gregory Johnson

  We will live on through our knowledge and youngsters that have yet to be. Knowledge and wisdom will always live on. You will never win the war against Valient and his followers, demon-lovers. You must realize good will always prevail against evil, Lord Malsvir.

  “You will pay for this, Nihdas,” Malsvir said crisply. “Launch the Argoni Quickstrikes and the Sphinx Diablos,” He ordered War Spy 325.

  “Yes, Master Malsvir. I will join them in the Dark Rider,” War Spy 325 requested.

  “This will be your final trial as a War Spy. If you succeed in destroying the Chi- Koss forces, you shall become a War Lord, my grandson,” Malsvir smiled.

  Oh, I will give you the fight of your life, War Spy 325.You will need a new War Spy, Lord Malsvir. The image gloated as the view screen shut down.

  “War Spy 635, you were supposed to disable communications with the Chi- Koss ship. I will have Lord Persia in a cell for this,” Malsvir groaned as he sent the security guards to fetch Persia.

  War Spy 635 looked frightened when the security guards left the bridge. He knew that his Master will punish him for sending the War Lord to the brig for a month. The time Persia spent in the brig was not only War Spy 635's probation period, but War Spy 635 had to think of a suitable punishment for himself. He knew that Malsvir was furious with him for leaving the view screen on.

  20 - On the planet Layardia

  Xanatos landed the Crimson Stingray near the Pale Dragon to transfer personnel and supplies. H'Ackre-Limwin was waiting for them to exit their temporary vessel in front of the boarding ramp.

  “I wonder what H'Ackre-Limwin wants?” Xanatos asked Kingsley.

  “I don't know, let's find out,” Kingsley said slyly.

  They walked toward H'Ackre-Limwin, who looked like she wasn't in the greatest of moods. She was strutting like an angry rhino in rutting season, and she was heading his way. He was sure that he had done nothing to earn her anger.

  “What is the meaning of this sudden and unauthorized landing on Layardia?” H'Ackre-Limwin scowled at Xanatos.

  “I need my ship back, Grand Admiral. Captain Brad Horde has defected to the Pirate Rebel Allegiance cause. I need my ship to rendezvous with him near Nogra,” Xanatos said calmly in his defense.

  “Has it occurred to you that he was bait to track your location better? Those United Alliance ships are all traceable. The older ships were easier to capture, so the War Lord Empire forced the ship manufactures to install transponders to trace the whereabouts of all of the United Alliance's Trading and War Ships. That is why we don't have any up to date ships. The War Lord Empire made it a rule for all ships to have transponders thirty-six years ago. Thankfully the Pirate Rebel Allegiance was created fifteen years prior to that rule was made,” H'Ackre-Limwin stated, as they walked toward the Pale Dragon. “The Pale Dragon is ready for departure, Captain Xanatos,” She saluted Xanatos, as she left him to think about what she told him.

  Xanatos knew that he had to convince Horde to abandon the Shadow Hunter. He had to find where the transponder is hidden on the Shadow Hunter, so the Pirate Rebel Allegiance could capture it. The plan must succeed for the safety and future of the Pirate Rebel Allegiance.

  Xanatos and his crew boarded the Pale Dragon with haste. The Pale Dragon left orbit of Layardia and headed for Nogra at its best speed. On board the Pale Dragon, the crew was feeling anxious to complete their next mission. Xanatos informed the crew of their new mission and their parts in it. They knew what to do to be successful in their mission.

  The Pale Dragon entered Phantom Space ten minutes after leaving orbit of Layardia. The journey through Phantom Space would take fifteen minutes to reach Nogra. The crew was ready as any Pirate Rebel Allegiance crewman would be. A few of the crew were nervous for the upcoming mission.

  Xanatos ordered the Pale Dragon to leave Phantom Space at the right time. The helmsmen spotted the Shadow Hunter under siege by the War Shadow and Shadow Draconic.

  “It's a good thing we switch ships. The War Shadow doesn't stand a chance against my Pale Dragon and Shadow Hunter,” Xanatos thought aloud to his crew.

  The Pale Dragon cloaked the moment it entered real space. The Shadow Draconic was still damaged from the previous battle with Pale Dragon. Xanatos could spot scorch marks and holes in the Shadow Draconic's haul.

  “Prepare to open fire on Shadow Draconic's main engines,” Xanatos ordered his tactical officer.

  “Aye, Sir,” the officer replied, as the Pale Dragon fired zotium torpedoes at the Shadow Draconic.

  “Zotium torpedoes! They really did upgrade this well-seasoned ship,” Xanatos awed at the new weapons results. The Shadow Draconic had seized fire on the Shadow Hunter and lost all power to weapons and shields. The Shadow Draconic was reading on the Pale Dragon's sensors; the Ghost-drive core was about to breach in five minutes.

  Xanatos knew the crew of the Shadow Draconic was already dead or dying from zoton radiation poisoning. “Now, let's do some damage to the War Shadow. Zoton charges only, target their bridge and port engines,” Xanatos ordered as the War Shadow fired at the Shadow Draconic's main bridge.

  “Sir, why are they firing on their own fleet?” Kingsley asked curiously.

  The Shadow Draconic exploded near the Pale Dragon and the Shadow Hunter. The Shadow Hunter was hit by debris from the Shadow Draconic. The Pale Dragon was hit and was no longer shielded from the War Shadow's sensors. The War Shadow began to open fire on the Pale Dragon.

  “Get the cloaking device back online! Zotium torpedoes, fire at will,” Xanatos ordered as the War Shadow fired at the Pale Dragon's bridge.

  “Shields are holding at eighty-six. The War Shadow has knocked out our cloaking device and they are aiming for the engines with their next round of torpedoes,” Lt. Dewcoff reported to Xanatos.

  “The War Shadow has to be destroyed or disabled. We must knock out their shield generators and take out the engines or destroy the main bridge,” Xanatos ordered Lt. Gerak at the tactical station.

  The War Shadow fired at the Pale Dragon's main engine nacelle. The shields held the torpedoes at bay. The Pale Dragon fired zotium torpedoes at the War Shadow. The War Shadow fired sonic missiles at the Shadow Hunter and zotium torpedoes at the Pale Dragon. The War Shadow left the battlefield and entered Phantom Space.

  “Malsvir has retreated. The day is ours. Now, we can board the Shadow Hunter, destroy the transponder, and claim the Shadow Hunter in the name of Valient and the Pirate Rebel Allegiance,” Xanatos replied, as the Shadow Hunter maneuvered next to the Pale Dragon.

  “The boarding crew is ready for your orders, Captain Xanatos,” Kingsley reported, as the boarding crew stood in front of the bridge.

  “Prepare to board the Shadow Hunter. Team One, disable the transponder. Team Two, disengage the remaining emergency pods. Team Three, replace the emergency pods with your own,” Xanatos ordered, as the crew left the bridge and headed toward their missions.

  “Captain, is it wise to disengage their emergency pods and replace them with our own? You don't even know if they are compatible with the more modern ships,” Kingsley replied, as the Pale Dragon locked their plundering clamps locked onto the Shadow Hunter.

  “The emergency pods will be compatible with our own. H'Ackre-Limwin placed twenty-year-old emergency pods in the cargo bay for this occasion. Valient bless her soul,” Xanatos said, as he looked at the data pad that viewed the teams progress.

  21 - Aboard the Shadow Hunter

  Team One was heading toward the Main Bridge when the commander of the team saw Valient Sword leaning against a doorway. He was waiting for Team One patiently to arrive.

  “I have been expecting you, Transponder Team. Emperor Malsvir told me you might show up to free the traitors of the War Lord Empire,” Valient Sword stated, as he unsheathed his long sword and waited for Team One to make their move.

  “Valient Sword, I thought you were working for Valient, not Sjach Malsvir,” Gurj replied as Team One readied their weapons. “Captain, this is Te
am One,” he reported on his wrist comm-unit.

  This is Xanatos, I copy, Team One. Xanatos' voice replied on the wrist comm-unit.

  “There is a problem getting to the transponder,” Gurj reported back.

  What sort of problem could arise on board the Shadow Hunter, Team One?

  “Valient Sword is protecting the transponder and the Main Bridge of the Shadow Hunter. We need reinforcements. Valient Sword was waiting for us when we arrived,” Gurj reported as he kicked in the chest by Valient Sword. Valient Sword dove at Gurj with his long sword and sliced off the Rularian's arm that had the wrist comm-unit on it. Gurj screeched in pain.

  Lt. Gurj, please respond. Valient Sword grabbed the insectoid's severed limb and talked to Xanatos on it.

  “If you ever plan to succeed in this mission, Xanatos, you will come with your reinforcements,” Valient Sword crisply said, as sliced through the wrist comm-unit.

  “He will not come if he is threatened by the likes of you,” Gurj replied boldly to the Valient Sword.

  “Oh, I think he will, if he values the lives of his men that serve him. Now, you will die,” Valient Sword stated bitterly. Valient Sword sliced off the Rularian's head.

  Valient Sword saw the rest of Team One fleeing from the Main Bridge's corridor heading back toward the Pale Dragon. Valient Sword chased after Team One down the corridor. Valient Sword killed the remainder of Team One.

  Suddenly, Xanatos came walking through the plundering clamps entrance to the Shadow Hunter. Xanatos drew his Argon saber and took a defensive stance. Valient Sword ran toward the angered captain.

  Xanatos sliced at the wrist comm-unit on Valient Sword's right wrist. The wrist comm-unit fell to the floor of the corridor and the host was twitching unconscious on the floor next to it. Xanatos looked at the host body and saw a man that was missing in action for eighty-five years from the first Argoni Global War.

  Xanatos knew this man was a military general fighting against the War Lord Empire on Argon. Since the Argoni Global War, the War Lord Empire rules all of Argon and most of the universe. Xanatos tapped the man on the head. The man awoke to see Xanatos staring him.

  “Where am I and who are you?” the man asked with a half-dazed look on his face.

  “You are on the Shadow Hunter, General Xananto. I am Captain Xanatos of the Pale Dragon. We lost the Argoni Global War. The War Lord Empire rules Argon with an iron fist along with most of the universe. General Xananto, you inspired a new faction to form against the War Lord Empire. I am a part of that faction called the Pirate Rebel Allegiance. You are presumed MIA in history, General Victor Xananto,” Xanatos informed the man.

  “Where is my Scorpion Class Pin?” Xananto asked as he began searching his jacket for his pin. Xanatos spotted a purple military rank pins on the floor next to the wrist comm-unit that he sliced off Valient Sword's wrist. Xanatos noticed below on the military pin was an insignia of a scorpion's tail curled up.

  “Is this the item you are searching for?” Xanatos asked as he grabbed the pin from the floor.

  “Yes, that's it. Thank you, Captain Hackman,” Xananto stated with a smirk on his face.

  “What was that, General Xananto?” Xanatos said, as he unsheathed his Argon Saber and pointed it at the general's neck.

  “I knew all about how the Argoni Global War ended. I was seeing if you were trustworthy and loyal to Valient. Valient Sword has a stronger bond than the other Knight Symbionts and doesn't leave me with my memories all blurry. Thank you for freeing my bonds from the War Lord Empire,” The general replied with gratitude. The general bowed to Xanatos with respect and honor.

  “The Knight Symbionts are gaining strength. I can sense it, General Xananto. The next group of hosts will have to be strong willed and have great wisdom to be able to withstand the bonding and be sane like you are. The next hosts must be like you and I or they will suffer the same fate as my Aunt Vivian did when I encountered Peaceful Protector on the Plunder Trainer's Danger Deck a month ago,” Xanatos stated to Xananto.

  “She was an apart my archaeological team that went searching for the Lost Temples of Valient. We had a team of 16 archaeologists. There were five Great Temples of Valient that a deciphered scroll in the Argoni Supernatural Museum had shown. The scroll itself had The Seal of Yahweh on it. The seal had been broken two hundred years prior to archaeological quest. There was an on-going mystery about why the seal was broken,” Xananto paused for a minute. “The scroll was key to unlock the ancient lands of Argon. There we the five temples were connected to each other and if timed right the Lost Temples of Valient would lead a chosen one from the center all five temples to a land or time of the Gods of Argon through a Bifrost Gate. I volunteered to be in the center alone. The others were in teams of three in all five temples,” Xananto reported to Xanatos.

  “Do the Lost Temples and Great Gate still exist where you found them?” Xanatos asked curiously. Xananto nodded.

  “Yes, I do believe they are still intact, but the symbionts must be returned to their cradles for the Great Gate to open once again,” Xananto warned Xanatos, as Valient Sword covered Xananto's body again. Valient Sword vanished from sight. Xanatos entered the Main Bridge of the Shadow Hunter and unsheathed his Argon Saber and looked around the area. It was dark with red lights flashing throughout the Main Bridge.

  The crew entire was frightened except Horde, who was ready for battle with his Argon Saber held high. Xanatos grabbed Horde by the wrist and twisted the sword out of his hands. Horde was shocked to see he was disarmed so easily. Horde saw who disarmed him and embraced his nephew. Xanatos saw the frightened crew return to their stations.

  “What happened here, Captain Horde?” Xanatos asked as handed Horde his Argon Saber back and sheathed his own sword.

  “Valient Sword happened here, with ten War Lord Empire crewmen from the War Shadow. They came on board via Argon Royal shuttle craft, and Docking Clamp 3 near the bridge,” Horde reported as he sheathed Argon Saber. The Shadow Hunter shook as if the docking clamp near the bridge was released. “I hope that Blood Scorpion came to his senses, nephew.”

  “I knocked the sense into him. He was being controlled by the War Lord Empire via wrist comm-unit. I sliced the thing off his wrist and he came back to the real world. He knew who and where he was. He said it was like being in a nightmare without being able wake up,” said Xanatos.

  Xanatos went to helm station and looked for the seal under the station where the helmsman sat. He felt for a crack in the seal. He sliced the seal with his Argon Saber. The helm station made a popping noise and hissed. A compartment retracted from underneath helm station. The transponder was inside the compartment. Xanatos disconnected the transponder from the navigational computer, after turning off the power to the device.

  Xanatos told Horde the reasoning behind the device in his hands. Xanatos ordered the rest of his remaining crew that were on board the Shadow Hunter to ready an emergency pod for the transponder's departure. Xanatos ran to the new emergency pod location. The crew was waiting for orders from Xanatos when he arrived in the corridor. Xanatos placed the transponder in the emergency pod, turned it on, exited the emergency pod, and the crew ejected the emergency pod.

  “Commander Kingsley, fire the zoton charges on all of the emergency pods exiting the Shadow Hunter,” Xanatos ordered on his wrist comm-unit.

  Aye-aye, sir. Kingsley's voice replied on the wrist comm-unit, as Xanatos heard the blasts and destruction of the emergency pods.

  22 - Aboard the War Shadow

  Malsvir was furious with War Spy 635, but when he went to the Universal War Room, he was boiling mad. The War Fleet was down by five battlecruisers and three light cruisers. The Shadow Fleet was down to three light cruisers and twelve battlecruisers. The reports from Tricetus and Baaleen are the heavy and ultra-cruiser shipyards aren't helping his mood. The Pirate Rebel Commando Units sabotaging and destroying the shipyards are delaying the manufacturing of new ships.

  At least the Pirate Rebels do not kno
w about the secret taking place on Forge. The planet is rich in titanium and forcatanium ores at their strongest stages of composition. The Pirate Rebels would not know of Forge's Secret Shipyard and Observatory because no other War Lord knows of it. Malsvir smiled at the thought of the Forge Ultra Cruiser he was building there.

  Malsvir walked to the Admiral's Bridge, which he knew was vacant if the battle was still waging over Niw- Chi. He sat in the Admiral's Chair keyed the coordinates for the Forge Secret Base on the view screen. The view screen opened a secure channel directly the Admiral's Bridge only. A Rularian male appeared on the view screen looking nervously in the view screen on the other end

  “Commander Kregin, I assume your captain is busy in the Shipyard portion of the base. Report,” Malsvir said dryly.

  Captain Hilberge is in Forge Shipyards ordering the staff how you requested your Ultra Cruiser to be designed, yes. I will go and get him, my Emperor. Kregin's image replied with humbleness in his voice.

  “That's what I said, Commander. I was checking for the weekly report on the status and progress of the shipyard. Captain Hilberge was supposed to be here and you were supposed to be supervising the construction of the Shadow Forge. At least on the days when I check for the weekly report and status. I decided to check the report early in case you haven't heard the latest reports from the other shipyards that are well known throughout the War Lord Empire,” Malsvir snapped at Kregin angrily.

  No, my Emperor. What has happened to the other shipyards that are building your Ultra and Mega Cruisers? Kregin asked curiously, as the Talyardian Observatory Tactician busted through the door with urgency in his stride. Yes, Colonel Loarrd?

  “Commander. We have just received reports from Tricetus Shipyards that our shipments are canceled due to Baaleen Shipyards requesting the parts. Baaleen Shipyards was sabotaged by a light freighter crashing into their manufacturing plantation. Tricetus Shipyards were also reporting workers sabotaging their own plantation and their dry docks were demolished by the Pirate Rebel Recon Commandos.” Loarrd reported aloud to Commander Kregin.