by Chris Fox
It is, the voice boomed. My children arrive on a dozen worlds. They devour your clan, wiping you clean from the universe. And when they are finished, they will retreat back into the Void, to digest and grow stronger. There they will slumber, until they hunger again.
"No," Utfa snapped, rising to his full height. "The Kthul still possess one dreadnought, and I will use it to fight you."
Try.
Utfa whirled to face the techsmith. "Ready the main cannon. Fire at the closest Nameless One."
"I cannot, Clan Leader." The Saurian looked up, gaze calculating. "It is heresy to fire upon a Nameless One."
At first, he could only stare, uncomprehending. Then he realized the full scale of what the Nameless Ones had achieved, of how fully they'd enslaved his people.
Utfa began to laugh, rolling waves of it until tears streamed down his disfigured cheeks. He'd been beaten, on every level. The Nameless Ones would devour his clan, and likely all Ganog. Serving them had been a terrible, tragic mistake. The power he'd been granted was hollow. Worthless.
He turned to the edge of the island, and dove off. Utfa stared up at the observation dome, watching it grow further away as he fell. There was a split second of pain as his body impacted, and then blissful oblivion.
56
SPEECH
From Nyar's perspective, Nolan gazed down at the ruined city. Streamers of smoke rose from almost every building, and the streets were littered with the bodies of the fallen, both Ganog and insect. This place had been torn apart, but other than a few small swarms of bugs every enemy was dead. Alpha Company was still picking those bugs off, herding them toward the Ganog defenders.
"Looks like the mop-up is well underway," Hannan said, her tone satisfied.
"That it does," Nolan agreed, finally relaxing for the first time in days. Nyar's posture relaxed as well, mimicking Nolan.
Thousands of Ganog were emerging from the spires, joining an ever growing crowd. That crowd was staring and pointing at the Omega.
"Looks like you're about to be a hero, Kokar," Nolan said, laughing.
"I do not believe so, Captain. I am not the pilot, you are." His tone was carefully neutral, and Nolan wondered what color his fur would be if he could see it.
"That's nonsense. You're one of the pilots, and it was your cannon shot that killed the Nameless One," Nolan pointed out. "You played an integral role in the battle that freed this world, at a time when your father, and then Bruth failed."
"He's got a point," Hannan agreed.
"They speak with wisdom, young warrior," Yulo said. "Your deeds today will live alongside those of your ancestor. Rejoice."
"Come on, Kokar," Nuchik said. "Revel in it a little. We all killed that thing, and you're a part of that." Nolan could hear the smile in her voice.
"Very well," Kokar said, hesitantly.
"I imagine those people would love a speech," Nolan said. "You should talk to them. Nyar, does this thing have external speakers?"
"Indeed," Nyar rumbled. "All can hear you now."
"You're on, Kokar," Nolan said.
"Nyar Clan, hear me. I am Kokar, son of Grak. Today we have returned the spirit of Nyar to guide our path. Using his mighty war machine, we have slain the Nameless One. Even now the Kthul fleet retreats, ceding the battle for our world." Kokar's voice echoed to every corner of the city. "Tomorrow, we will mourn our dead. Today, we celebrate our survival. "
The audience erupted in cheers, and those cheers gradually gave way to cries of "Ko-kar! Ko-kar!"
Nolan's perspective shifted violently, and the next thing he knew he was waking up in the chair. The others were sitting up too, each rubbing their head. He had a splitting headache, but even that couldn't dampen his enthusiasm. They'd won. Barely, but wasn't that the way it always was?
"Well said, Kokar." Annie smacked Kokar on the back, then helped him from his chair. "Y'all did good with the piloting. I think we've given those slimy bastards something to think about."
"That we have." Nolan laughed. He clapped Nuchik on the shoulder. "That was a great shot at the end. Nice work."
"I wouldn't have been able to make it if Hannan hadn't saved our collective asses from that fall," Nuchik pointed out, nodding to Hannan.
"Indeed," Yulo said, clasping his hands before his chest and bowing. "We make an impressive team."
"Major Burke, are you on the line?" Nolan asked into his comm.
"I sure am. That was a hell of a stunt, but I'm only giving you an eight out of ten because of the face plant thing. And besides, this wasn't as inventive as warping a planetstrider into orbit." Over the comm, Nolan heard the whole company burst into laughter. "So now what?"
"We've secured the Nyar alliance. We help Kokar consolidate power, and then we head back to Admiral Fizgig for new orders. I think your babysitting days are over, Major."
"I hope so. You make a terrible baby." Burke laughed. "I'll get my people on repairing the Demetrius. Kay says she'll fly, but we're down seventy percent of her cannons. She needs time in dock."
"I'm sure Fizgig can arrange that. You did a hell of a job today, Major. It's been a pleasure working with you."
"You too, Captain. I never thought I'd say this, but I think we might end up friends."
Nolan laughed. "Don't get soft on me, Major."
"Never. Burke out."
Nolan turned back to the blue core floating in the center of the room. Speaking with Nyar would answer a lot of questions. They could finally learn more about who created the Omegas, and why. About the Nameless Ones, and their goals.
But all that could come later. For now, it was time to celebrate their shared survival.
57
TRANSFORM
Khar watched through the viewport as Aluki's cruiser blasted out through the hole in the top of the Royal Spire, hopefully for the last time. Sporadic fighting had enveloped the entire capital, with Void Wraith Harvesters making attack runs at Ganog cruisers.
Thousands of Judicators roamed every ring, cutting down anyone who attempted to make it to their vessels. It was a slaughter, one the Ganog had no prayer of evading. They were both outnumbered and outgunned, their planetstriders cut down by the superior Omegas.
"This is an extermination," Khar said, horrified. "They are not just killing Ganog, but all races."
"Perhaps it is just as well that our fleet isn't here," Fizgig said, her tail swishing over her shoulder. "I've a feeling that the Void Wraith would welcome more targets."
"We failed," Zakanna said, hanging her head. Her fur rippled to a muted blue. Khar put a comforting arm around her.
"Did we?" Fizgig asked. Zakanna looked up, and Fizgig smiled. "It is true that you were unable to retake your world, but that was never the ultimate goal. You wanted to deny it to your enemy, and you have done that."
"I've lost our world to...to I don't even know to what," Zakanna said, beginning to pace. "No emperor or empress has ever lost Imperalis, and they certainly haven't given it to another species."
"Ultimately, I do not think they are another species," Aluki corrected gently, waddling into the hold. Khar didn't see Halut, so he assumed the Whalorian must be piloting the ship. "Mmm, remember these Void Wraith were all created from the warriors and leaders among your own species. These Void Wraith are, ultimately, your ancestors."
"What will they do now, do you think?" Khar rumbled, thankful that the Void Wraith had no way of detecting their superior cloaking. If they had, odds were good they'd already be dead.
All three Omegas were firing torrents of white plasma into orbit, detonating dreadnoughts as Harvesters swarmed around them like piranha. For some reason, the Kthul fleet was unable to warp. That meant their utter destruction. If not for the cruiser's cloaking, they'd likely be meeting the same fate.
The cruiser rose above the city, rattling as it fought against the world's gravity. Finally, they punched through the atmosphere and into orbit. Below, the signs of battle were now difficult to see. But they were still there. F
lashes from the Omegas occasionally shot skyward, and large explosions came from the city as vessels were shot down trying to flee the world.
The explosions below gradually died down, as did those in orbit. Within a few more minutes the Kthul fleet had been destroyed, and the city presumably pacified.
"Wait, what's happening down there?" Zakanna asked, peering through the viewport.
Khar didn't know, but something strange was happening. The world was beginning to crack apart, deep fissures running across every visible continent. Oceans drained away, though Khar had no idea where they were draining to. The spires of Imperalis disappeared under a tide of lava, swept away as if they'd never been.
A cloud of earth, stone, and dust burst from the world. When that cloud began to clear, Khar could only stare.
A smooth, blue sphere sat where Imperalis had been; as they watched it began to reconfigure itself. It elongated, metal rippling as its form shifted.
Khar rested a paw against the viewport, in awe. "By the goddess, that's a ship."
"Indeed," Fizgig said, showing little emotion. She stared impassively at the planet-sized vessel. "I'd wondered who constructed the cities here. Now we know. Imperalis must have been built by the first Void Wraith, at the direction of the Nameless Ones."
"The entire world was a weapon," Zakanna whispered. "A weapon we just gave to the Void Wraith."
The ship's moon-sized engines flared to life, and it began moving toward the sun. At first, Khar believed that it must be a Helios-capable vessel. But the ship stopped, going into stationary orbit just a few AU from the star.
"What are they doing?" he asked.
"Mmm, charging perhaps?" Aluki suggested.
They all watched, speechless. After a few more minutes the ship winked out of existence. The cloud of Void Wraith Harvesters winked out as well.
"Where did they go?" Khar wondered.
"We may never know," Fizgig said. She began to purr. "I suspect that, wherever it is, the Nameless Ones will not be happy about it."
"Mmm, Admiral we're receiving a communication from Nyar," Aluki said, tapping a sequence on the pilot's console.
Nolan's face sprang up on the holographic projector. "Admiral! Great news. We've brought the Nyar into the war, and have successfully liberated the planet. We managed to kill a Nameless One, too."
"Well done, Nolan. I have news as well," Fizgig said. Even from several feet away, Khar could hear her purring. "The Kthul fleet over Imperalis was destroyed, along with every Ganog loyal to the Nameless Ones. The Kthul have few military forces remaining."
"T'kon warped in to help mop up the last Kthul here, so I think you're right about that," Nolan said. He took a drink from a tak horn, and Khar realized Nolan was smiling a great deal more than usual. "T'kon's got four dreadnoughts remaining, plus three more that have rallied behind Kokar. The Demetrius can fly, but she's going to need time in dry dock."
"Izzat the Admiral?" came a male voice from off screen. Burke came into the picture, wearing an even bigger grin than Nolan. "We frakking did it, Admiral. If you were here, I'd raise a glass to you." He drank deeply from the horn.
"Are the two of you drunk?" Fizgig asked, her tail swishing with disapproval.
"Not as drunk as we're going to be," Nolan said, grinning at the camera one last time. "Nolan out."
Khar boomed with laughter. Somehow, they'd won. A nameless one killed. The Kthul military wiped out. There were battles yet to come, but for the time being, they could finally rest.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
The Ganog Wars have come to a close, but clearly there's more story to tell. What happens with the Nameless Ones? What about Nolan and the Omega?
I will be doing a followup trilogy, but in the mean time I've been working on something new. I've included an excerpt from my next novel, Tech Mage. If you enjoy it, or don't, please let me know. You can reach me at [email protected]. I'm always looking for beta readers. =D
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PART I
TECH MAGE
1
CARGO HOLD
I raised my chin from my chest, glancing around groggily. Thought came reluctantly, each purchased with a great deal of effort. Where was I?
A man sat on my left, a woman on my right. Glowing blue manacles bound my wrists together, and I wore the same simple white garments as my neighbors. We were part of a row of people, and there was another row in front of us. Before us lay a blue membrane, its slightly warped surface showing a star field beyond it.
So a cargo hold then, for a medium sized starship given the size of the room. I shook my head again to clear it, and it was a mistake. A spike shot from one temple to the other.
"The pain will pass soon," the woman next to me whispered.
I shifted to face her, slowly this time. She was pretty, with long, dark hair and light blue eyes. Older than me, by a few years. Her hands were folded in her lap. "You're not wearing manacles. Why aren't you bound?"
The question seemed to catch her off guard, and she dropped her gaze to her lap. Her cheeks heated. "I'm a debt slave. If I survive the catalization, my time will be reduced by two thirds. I'll be free in just two years."
"Catalization?" I asked. The other questions piled up behind it, and I had to restrain myself from asking them all at once.
"Do you see that?" she asked, pointing a slender finger at the membrane. I peered through it, trying to make out what she was indicating.
A large dark blob grew slowly larger. Twin pools of hellish purple might be eyes, and below them lay thousands of spiky teeth. "What is that thing?"
"That is the Skull of Xal. It's a catalyst." She infused that last word with a great deal of reverence. "A catalyst is the body of a dead god. Those bold enough can rip power from their bodies. Do it enough times, and you could become a god yourself."
"Then why do they have to force us to go to this...catalyst? Wouldn't people jump at the chance to get power like that?" I raised my manacles to show her I was bound.
"Because journeying to a catalyst carries many dangers. Their divine power draws primals, and the energies of the catalyst shape them into a form that the god would have found pleasing. In the case of the Skull of Xal, that means demons. Not just any demons, either. Xal was a builder. These are techno-demons," she explained, staring through the membrane as she brushed a lock of hair from her face. "That isn't the only danger. If we survive the demons, we'll peer into the mind of the god itself. We'll see what it sees, and not every mind can survive it. Many will be burned out, like a spell-drive pushed past limit."
"Oh." I wasn't sure what to say to that. I looked around again, this time at the people behind me too. Almost everyone was bound, but a few had their hands free, like the woman next to me. I turned to her. "What's your name?"
"I'm Nara. What's yours?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously when she asked the question. Not in a flirtatious way, but like a child who'd just done something wicked.
"I--" What was my name? "I don't know. The last thing I remember is...I can't remember anything before waking up here." My chest tightened, and I couldn't breathe. I fought the urge to stand up and run. There was nowhere to run to. Where could I go? I didn't even know who I was.
"Nor can any of the others, most likely. The slavers mind wiped you. It's a powerful spell, and casting it on this many people means either several mages, or one archmage." She sounded like she envied the archmage.
"If we live, what happens to us then? You called them slavers," I asked, grateful not only for the information, but as a distraction from the moon-sized skull floating outside the membrane. It continued to grow as we'd spoken, and now dominated the view. It was even more terrifying up close. Thick, black horns curled out from points on either temple, and the hellish glow was most definitely eyes.
The head slowly rotated, an asteroid the size of their ship careening off a horn. The rock exploded, the horn untouched
by the impact. What had been powerful enough to kill something like this?
"If you survive, you'll become god-marked," Nara explained. "The slavers will sell you at market, and whoever purchases you will probably have you trained for combat. The Skull is a void catalyst. The energies it imbues will be of a destructive nature, easily bent to battle magic." She licked her lips, staring at the skull hungrily.
The ship shuddered as the spell-drive disengaged. We drifted toward one of the eyes, the hellish glow drowning out the stars around us. The ship slowly descended into the socket, finally coming to rest against the bony ridges of the inner eye.
A hatch opened behind us, and I twisted to see guards coming into the room. They filed to the edges of a catwalk, guarding two narrow stairwells that led down to cargo bay. Each guard carried a spell-rifle, meaning they had at least some magical ability.
Behind them strode a tall slender man carrying a spell-stave loosely in one hand. He wore jet black environmental armor, a stylized helm clutched under his free arm. One eye had been replaced with a glittering ruby, and his bald skull had been oiled to a mirrored sheen.
He handed his helmet to one of the guards, then leaned on the railing of the catwalk above. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Baldus. You'll have to forgive the theatrics, but they were necessary." Baldus smiled, a friendly, grandfatherly smile. "I have bad news, I'm afraid. Odds are good that in a very little while you will be dead. A handful might survive, but no more than that."
2
INTO THE EYE
"Seriously?" I whispered to Nara. "His name is Baldus. I mean, come on." Nara shot me a brief glare.
"Not into puns, then." I sighed, glancing at the people around me, finding a mixture of fear and resignation. These people weren't ready to fight. They were scared and confused, panicked animals with nowhere to run.