by Will Crudge
Jep now had a shield of flesh and metal to deter any weapons fire. There were a few poorly aimed shots that went wide, but then a chain of hand and arm signals went down the row of troops.
“What are you waiting for?! Engage!” Peterson shouted, followed by a series of concerned glances from his troops. They looked to him then to each other in confusion. Jep realized that the overzealous Peterson had little concern for his own troops… and he sensed a sort of betrayal in the air.
“So, this is how you lead? With no concern for your people? Oh how far has the Crimson Alliance fallen! I find solace in the knowledge that the Great War Master Kaylen is not among us to see its decline. You bring shame to his name!” Jep scowled at the ego driven man. The other troops still held their positions, but they hesitated to act.
“Ha! Unlike other Crimson zealots, I’ve never bought into your failed warrior cult, old man! Kaylen was a fool! He may have kept the alliance from falling into oblivion, but he was naive! He should have done humanity a service, and stopped the decadent corruption that the UAHC is ruled by! Hording their wealth… profiting on the helplessness of humanity that lie on the outskirts of its boarders! All he did was preserve us to suffer!” Peterson spat and then began slowly walking towards Jep.
“Suffer? How about these men and women that must suffer from your arrogance? How many have died to stoke the fires of your ego?” Jep’s tone came across as one might give a powerful speech.
Then he noticed Peterson look down at his forearm display for a moment, and then he raised his eyes back up. His narrow eyes revealed that he was pleased with what he saw.
Jep knew there were more troops coming, and he would be trapped on both sides.
“I supposed you have friends coming to hit me from behind, don’t you?” Jep calmly asked, but he already knew the answer.
Peterson just nodded with a cocky smile. “ETA, three… two…”
The one was interrupted by a blood curdling howl, and the screams of men. Then everything went silent.
“For a man who preaches about the supposed failings of a War Master, you don’t seem to know anything about us… or that we’re never alone.” Jep said with cool and emotionless face. The massive form of Growl rounded the corner behind Jep, and then slowly approached.
The troops to Jep’s front were all gasping in fear, and a few began to shake. The War Master just gave the big wolf a nod, and then launched his hostage forward and into the arms of his comrades.
It was a calculated maneuver. Now the only two troops with an unimpeded field of fire were too busy grasping for their comrade to open fire.
Growl jumped over the three disoriented troops and tore into the next fire team with break-neck speed. Pulse blasts rang out randomly, but they went wide and impacted the walls and ceiling without incident. Blood sprayed everywhere in a melee of primal carnage.
The remaining fire-teams managed to pull back into a make-shift skirmish line, and Peterson began directing the men to concentrate their fire on the wolf. With none of their fellow soldiers left alive, there would be no hesitation. Then Jep came running around Growl’s left side and intercepted a pulse blast with his sword.
The golden sheen and electrical arcs of the pulse blast was absorbed by the blade. Jep sliced thin air, and the absorbed energy discharged back at the soldier who fired the shot. The man died on impact, and then two more fell with a follow-up swing that went high. Two heavily armored heads went tumbling across the floor.
Then a pulse blast struck Growl in the side of the head, and caused the big wolf to drop to the floor in a motionless heap. Jep dropped to one knee, as he felt the pain of Growl’s wound. Another shot hit the War Master’s right forearm, and caused his sword to come lose. Another struck Jep’s chest and knocked him back onto one knee.
Jep covered the left side of his chest where the blast impacted, and lowered his head with moans of pain. Peterson stepped past his men, then began walking towards his vanquished foe with his heavy pulse rifle levelled.
“Ha! A man and his dog… bringing a knife to a gun fight! Pathetic!” Peterson laughed, and then he dropped his weapon. The cocky soldier drew back his left arm into a fist while reaching for the War Master’s throat with his left.
An expression of shock came over the Peterson’s face as Jep reached up with his own left hand, and interlaced his fingers.
The War Master’s grip tightened, and rolled Peterson’s hand back over his own wrist. The large man had to lean back slightly to plant his feet, and then he called upon all the force that his powered armor could muster… to no avail. Hydraulic lines began to shake violently under the layers of plate metal in Peterson’s armor, as he tried forcing back the War Master’s efforts.
Now rising to his own feet, Jep looked Peterson square in the eye. The taller Crimson agent was reduced to eye level against the super-human forces that his opponent was wielding.
“Your hubris is your weakness.” Jep said calmly, as he peered into Peterson’s eyes. Peterson was cringing under effort, and his face was flushed with shock and frustration.
“That’s impossible! how, arrghh!” Jep squeezed his bare left hand, and the sounds of bending metal and snapping bones filled the air. Peterson collapsed to his knees in agony, but was completely immobilized by the much smaller man’s grip.
“When you are strong… feign weakness. When you are weak… feign strength. Thus, I have taken your confidence… and turned it into terror!” Jep spoke in a lecturing tone.
With a single motion, Growl leapt up to stand. He shook his head, and the big wolf stepped up Peterson’s face. An evil grimace formed around the wolf’s lips, and blood soaked fangs snapped mere centimeters from Peterson’s face. The Crimson agent’s eyes flinch shut, and all he could do was writhe in a visceral wave of pain and fear.
Jep pulled in close, and with a strength not privy to mere mortals, he dead lifted the large man over his head with both arms fully extended. Then Peterson’s horizontal form was dropped down onto Jep’s left knee in a single crack!
The War Master rolled the limp agent off of his knee, and onto the floor. His motionless body rolled once, and stopped just short of a soldiers boots. The remaining four troops were frozen in fear. At least one had wet himself, and the rest were shaking.
Growl grasped the mighty War Master’s sword, and then gracefully brought the handle in contact with Jep’s hand. Jep didn’t even look down, but rather kept his eyes fixed on the remaining soldiers. He slowly raised his sword, pointed the blade at the cowering troops.
“Drop your weapons… There’s no need in any more bloodshed.”
Assuming Destiny
Location: Earth, UAHC Headquarters, CIC
Date Time: Post Interstellar 08/01/4201
System: Sol System
The UAHC Fleet was now in wartime status. Darius had a full command staff of commissioned officers at his disposal. Consul Gerhardt was now the senior Consul, and could now fulfill his role as Commander in Chief of all UAHC Military forces… without the tight peacetime restrictions. The AI known as Lillian and her fellow AI staff were now liberated from the clutches of the Chimeras that had subverted them, but she would not fare as well as her peers.
Since she was more radically advanced than most military grade AI’s, she was left aware of the Chimera’s grasp nearly the entire time she had been infected. Not only that, but she had been derived from a human brain, and therefor couldn’t be repaired by even the most advance UAHC tech available. Sam had convinced Val to take her node back to Unum so Midas could find a solution.
Even though the UAHC Fleet was free from the attempted subversion of the Crimson Alliance, and their dark alien benefactors, the damage done at the UAHC HQ facility was substantial. The fleet forces were strategically stretched thin, and even Consul Gerhardt wasn’t sure how many were able to successfully enact Tightrope Protocol. That meant that the bulk of the UAHC Fleets were in the clutches of the Chimera, and completely severed from communications as a res
ult.
Fleet Marshal Darius had reached out to all the fleet flagships via QET, but only a few had answered the call… and only one full battle group had successfully enacted the protocols that would relinquish control from their infected AI’s.
It could take weeks for properly equipped AI nodes to be hand-delivered, and thus eliminate the Chimera threat. But the UAHC didn’t have weeks. There were three known Crimson Fleets that would bear down on UAHC controlled space regardless. With no coordinated resistance, the Crimson would make it to the first civilian population centers within days. Even with their advanced FTL capability, the Crimson forces wouldn’t be able to threaten the inner systems for months.
Unless they gained access to the network of Hyper Gate Stations that provided the UAHC with economic prosperity… and strategic maneuver.
Kara’s mission to Tangine would become ground zero in a new front. The Crimson Alliance wanted to end the war before it began via subversion… but it had lulled the UAHC government into a decades old false sense of security. Now with the advantage of strategic superiority, they would route any UAHC forces they would encounter, and could possibly threaten the soft underbelly of UAHC controlled space by use of hyper gates.
“Darius?” The voice came from behind. The Fleet Marshal turned to see War Master Jep Alba walk into the CIC. Darius then turned to look out onto the landing pad, and saw Death-Nail parked along-side Doom-Raptor and Blood-Reaper. He turned back to Jep.
“I’ve been lost in deep thought. I must not have noticed you landed. But I’m glad to finally meet you in person.”
“I understand, Cyrus.” Jep smiled and embraced his nephew. It was a firm hug, and Darius was grateful to be out of his infantry armor for once. The two men stepped back and smiled at one another.
“One day, you’ll have to explain this whole Cyrus thing.”
“Cyrus was a great king in the ancient near east. After the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem, they forced the Hebrew people… God’s chosen people, into exile in Babylon in around 586 BCE. A few generations later, Cyrus the Great came an invaded Babylon and liberated them. Cyrus himself was not of the Hebrew’s faith, but it is written that God was with him none the less. He later ended the exile and allowed the Hebrews to return to their homeland. So here we have a man who is not of my faith, but is here to deliver God’s people from the clutches of evil.”
“I have no idea what in the hell you just said.” Darius smiled. “But I’m sure you’ll have a chance to explain it to me one day.”
“Indeed, my nephew. I came here to bring back an institution that has been lost.” The War Master reached back and drew the massive curved sword from its scabbard that was strapped behind his back. He then skillfully placed the tip of the blade on the floor and knelt before Darius. His right hand held the ornate handle of the sword steady, while his left hand formed a fist. He placed his fist across his chest and then looked up at Darius.
“Fleet Marshal Darius. I am War Master Jep Alba… blood of the Great War Master Kaylen… son of the Prophet of Life… and I hereby pledge my loyalty and council to you, until death or dismissal, I will wield my blade in your defense, and my mount will wield his strength to the same!”
Darius was stunned, but dared not show it. He’d heard stories of a War Master’s pledge, but it was surreal to receive in in the flesh… even if his own flesh was that of a War Master as well. He knew there was only one thing to do, and he prayed that he’d say the words correctly.
“Rise, War Master Alba! And as you rise, so shall I!”
There was a slow clap, then another, and soon the entire command staff were on their feet with thunderous applause. Darius looked to see Val and Shadow enter the room, both with smiles. Then the massive creature followed in closely behind them. Darius recognized it as Jep’s mount, Growl. The massive grey wolf was nearly as large as Shadow, but with fangs that were even larger than his own mount could bring to bear. Growl stepped up to Darius and gave an approving bow of his gigantic head. The Fleet Marshal bowed to return the gesture.
Unlikely Accolades
Location: CSS Cerberus, CIC
Date Time: Post Interstellar 08/03/4201 0934HRS Crimson Standard Zulu Time
System: Interstellar Space, Contested Region, 12 Light Minutes to the edges of UAHC Controlled Space
“Captain Zedd, by the authority of the Crimson Fleet Admiralty, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Commodore, effective date zero eight – zero three – forty two ‘O’ one!” Vice Admiral Vega pinned the new insignia onto Commodore Zed’s uniform, and a round of applause erupted in the CIC.
Zed’s face was flushed with satisfaction, and he whipped out a sharp salute towards the Vice Admiral. The salute was returned, and the two mean shook hands. Small talk abounded, as the new shiny star-wearing man received congratulatory greetings from several attending officers.
The pomp and circumstance of the promotion ceremony eventually ran its course, and the attendees eventually all trickled out. The only people that remained in the CIC was Vice Admiral Vega, and the newest flag officer of the Crimson Fleet.
“I was surprised to take command of the First Crimson Fleet so suddenly… and even more so to be able to preside over your promotion as my first official act!” Vega smiled. The man was slightly older than Zedd, and less intimidating on the surface. His dirty blonde hair, and non-descript features did little to establish authority on their own, but he was a consummate military professional… with a ruthless resume.
“I was surprised to hear that Fleet Admiral Dormont blundered as he did! The hubris of exposing the location of an entire fleet!” Zedd shook his head.
“Well, I may have been promoted by position, but my own promotion ceremony may have to wait. I may be in the role of Fleet Admiral, but the red tape that goes with senior promotions is slow, of course.” Vega just muttered, and then took another sip of his whiskey.
“So, what of Rear Admiral Peralta? He was the Commander of the Advanced body of the First Fleet, so naturally he’ll move up as well?” Zedd asked. He already knew the answer, but he himself had not gotten word of his own assignment, and was prodding.
“Peralta will be my Chief of Staff, as I was to Dormont. Commodore Elkins lacked your credentials and experience, so I laterally moved him into a staff position as well.” Vega took another sip of whiskey. “Leaving you to command the advanced body.”
“I – I don’t know what to say?” Zedd was more surprised that the monk named Val had predicted this, even more so than the news itself.
“You don’t have a say, Commodore!” Vega smiled. “Yours is to comply, and then assume command with the authority reposed to you!”
“Yes, Sir!” Zedd replied enthusiastically.
“And then there’s another matter… the matter that cemented my decision to promote you.” Vega’s smile turned into a more serious expression. Zedd nodded in anticipation. “The data you brought back from the Celeste System is priceless. This fleet of massive ships is an unknown quantity. None of the Chimera infected UAHC AI’s had any INTEL on them whatsoever, so I can only assume that these ships are classified so high, that they’re not included in any digital records.”
“The UAHC Fleet may not be aware they even exist either. That’s the simplest explanation.” Zedd pointed out.
“That may be. However, these hull types appear to be radically advanced, and a significant threat regardless. With the timeframe of the invasion accelerating by the minute, we can’t afford to allow this mystery fleet to remain in play.”
Zedd nodded. “Well boss, you want I should go take ‘em out for you?”
The End… for now
The adventure is far from over. There are many unanswered questions to be answered, and so many new characters to meet. Dive deeper into the Humanity Weapon Universe with Book 2 of the Humanity War Saga, The Battle of Tangine. But I invite you to explore this companion short novella, Kara’s Flight. In this companion to the Humanity War Saga, we follow Kara, Jimma,
and Sasha as they traverse the stars in order to make it to Tangine Station. But along the way they have to fight off pirates, Crimson agents, and may have to find a way for a warm fluffy kitty to use the warm fluffy toilet! The Battle of Tangine can be read without reading the companion story, but it will make for a smoother transition between the installments, and also fill you in on more background information. I have a non-fiction title I used as inspiration to build my mythos. It’s not part of this saga, but perhaps you may be curious. You can snag Universal Truth: Achieving Enlightenment In the Modern World now! For news, updates, and release information, follow me on Facebook. Thank you for reading, and feel free to give Doom-Raptor an honest review!
- Will Crudge