A second priest took the egg and inspected it. “Ah. This one is a gold dragon. It is strong. If we are careful, its Power can hold a gate for many years.”
“Yes, if we are careful,” agreed a third priest. “But, we must use the energy in this egg wisely.”
The first priest took the egg of which Richard was a part and placed it onto the tip of the pyramid. But the priest didn’t shove the egg downward. When the outer shell of the egg touched the pyramid’s tip, Richard felt an ocean of pain, fear, and agony which was contained in the pyramid. The sacrificed dragons were dead, but their last agonizing emotions appeared to be the energy which formed the DNA gas.
As the four priests began chanting, energy from the pyramid rose upward and wrapped around the three parts of the three-headed dragon inside the egg. Richard remembered more than felt pain beyond measure as he shared the memory of the dragon’s life force being split into three separate parts. When the deed was done, Richard felt loneliness beyond compare.
Richard realized the egg was now gone. In its place were three spheres; one green, one orange; and one purple. With that realization, Richard’s mind was released from the memory. He was back in the tunnel. His legs gave out, and he fell to the floor.
They’re coming, said the green sphere. We were not careful enough. I’m sorry. They know someone is here.
The green sphere started glowing brighter. Richard sensed lines of energy reaching out to the orange and purple spheres. The connecting lines enlarged until a triangle 20,000 meters to a side began twisting the very fabric of time and space.
“What’s going on?” said the voice of a panicking Sergeant Ron “My instruments are going haywire.”
“Pick up the kids and go,” Richard said hoping the Defiant’s captain wouldn’t argue. “They’re coming. Get out of here now.”
“Not without you,” said Sergeant Ron. “I’m coming in for landing.”
“Negative,” Richard yelled back. “Do not land. Save the kids. That’s an order.”
Before Richard could argue further, the space between the physical and magical dimension was torn asunder. Something was trying to come through. And the something was big.
Chapter 39 – Jeena’s Promise
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When the tingling from the teleport stopped, Jeena found herself in a dark tunnel. Even without the dim glow of the blue gem at the end of the Lady’s staff, Jeena would’ve been able to see with her night vision. But she needed more than the greys and whites of her night vision for the task at hand. Calling to the blue gem, Jeena coaxed it to use some of its Power to brighten until the tunnel was illuminated.
True to his word, Brachia had repaired the Lady’s staff in short order. Since the repair, the Staff of the Lady of the Tree seemed more willing to respond to her requests.
Jeena began walking along the tunnel. Using the Power of the Lady’s staff to aid her, Jeena reached out with her mind seeking those she had been sent to find. After a time, she sensed something. In fact, she sensed three somethings.
Hello, said a voice in her mind. But it was not a word. It was more an emotion of greeting than it was a word. Along with the emotion, Jeena sensed the color green.
Are you the helper? said the voice using another emotion. You were foretold.
I have been sent to save you, Jeena thought back. Where are you?
My brothers and I have been waiting for you, said the green voice. We are all here. The hated ones are coming. Please help us. We have been used far too long aiding them in their evil. Please release us.
I am here to save you, Jeena thought trying to assure the green voice. But I cannot do it alone.
You will not be alone, said the green voice. A dragon-friend, the Elf Friend, is here as well. He will help you. But you must be strong. You must do what needs to be done when the time comes.
Jeena felt the desperation in the green voice. The voice was in agony, and it had been for a very long time. She sensed all the green voice wanted was peace. Something in Jeena yearned to help the green voice.
I will save you, Jeena promised. You’re no longer alone. I will save you.
Jeena felt another emotion from the green voice. It was hope. The emotion of hope spread and touched two other colors; purple and orange. Jeena sensed their hope as well.
The location of the green voice appeared closest. Jeena began running towards it. She had to help the voices. Somehow, she would use the Lady’s staff to bring them together. She would give them peace.
I will save them, Jeena thought. I must save them.
Chapter 40 – The Black Ships
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The last thirty minutes had been quiet. Tia continued to lead Matthew in a circling path above the quarry while providing cover for their wizard scout as best they could. Other than the anomaly Rick was recovering, nothing registered on her instruments. Even Rick didn’t show up. That didn’t surprise Tia. After all, Rick was a wizard scout.
Suddenly, things changed without warning. All three anomalies appeared on her instruments as they began sending out high levels of strange energy. A glance at her rear video cameras showed Tia what she feared. The triangular land mass between the three anomalies was starting to shimmer in and out of focus. Intermittently, she saw flashes of blackness with pinpoints of white light.
“Stars,” Tia said. “Margery, give me an analysis.”
The voice of the Commandant’s old battle computer immediately came over the zipper’s intercom. Although Margery’s primary processor was embedded within the Defiant’s computer system, she was also serving as the primary computer for both of the zippers as well as the two Warcats.
“Energy readings indicate the anomalies are forming a gate,” said Margery. “The energy being released is magical in nature. Recommend you climb to at least 20,000 meters. I would highly recommend you not be caught in the gate’s energy.”
“I hear you,” Tia said as she thought the command to increase the zipper’s speed. A surge of plasma energy shot out the back of the fighter. She was pressed into her seat. Tia could only hope Matthew was continuing to follow her lead.
Tia pulled hard on the controls of her Zip fighter. The agile craft readily responded. Tia was pushed back into the thick cushion of her seat.
“Climb, Matt,” Tia said over her intercom.
“I’m right on your tail,” said Matthew. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Tia,” said Sergeant Ron over the communication channel the Defiant’s team was using. “My sensors are picking up something behind you. Evasive maneuvers.”
Tia didn’t ask questions. She kicked the controls of the Zip fighter hard to the left.
Several beams of multicolored energy passed through the point in space where she’d been.
“Matt!” Tia said concerned her friend hadn’t dodged in time.
“I’m still here,” said Matthew. “You can’t lose me that easily.”
“Analysis indicates the energy beams are magic based,” said Margery. “I calculate your fighter’s shields will be thirty to fifty percent less effective against magic. I’ve fought against magic before. I’m modifying the shield frequencies for both fighters to compensate.”
A blue beam of energy passed close to Tia’s left side. She was buffeted back and forth several times as her zipper was thrown to the right by the force of the beam.
“Shields are at eighty-five percent,” said Margery. “That was a glancing blow. Recommend you not allow a beam to hit you straight on.”
“I’ll take that under consideration,” Tia said as she moved her hands furiously across the zipper’s control panel. “Matt, are you still with me?”
“Affirmative,” replied Matthew. “My shields are only at thirty-five percent. Some kind of green ball of energy hit me dead on. I activated my zipper’s electronic countermeasures, but they had no effect.”
“They won’t,” said Margery. “The enemy
ship isn’t using electronics. It’s using magic. I’m trying to modify your countermeasures to affect magic. Recommend you descend to get closer to the enemy ship. I calculate its gunners will be attempting to lock onto you with their primary weapons within the next twenty seconds. The current fire appears to be the ship’s smaller anti-fighter weapons.”
Tia was about to ask ‘What ships?’ when she glanced at her rear videos. She saw two black starships behind her; a small one and a larger one. She noticed both ships had a black dragon with a red stripe down its side painted on their hulls. The smaller of the two black ships appeared to be about the size of the Defiant. The larger ship reminded her of one of the navy’s destroyers. Only the bow of the black destroyer was currently through the gate. Colored beams of energy were shooting out from her bow guns. The smaller ship was several thousand meters ahead of the destroyer. Tia got the impression the smaller of the two starships was a recon ship. The black recon ship was completely through the gate and heading their way.
“Recommend you expedite your descent to a lower altitude,” said Margery. “The black destroyer is only partially through the gate. If you can get close to the destroyer, their larger weapons may not be able to target you.”
Tia moved the zipper’s controls to initiate a high-speed descending turn to the right.
“By the Creator,” said Matthew. “Those are the pirate ships we’ve been looking for.”
Blackness filled Tia’s windscreen as she closed the distance to the destroyer. Her maneuver had caught the smaller recon ship by surprise. It was just now starting a turn back towards them.
As Tia flew her zipper alongside the black destroyer’s portside, she made out the details of over twenty gun turrets along its length. The design of the gun batteries was alien to her, but the purpose of the beams of blue, green, and red energy shooting out of them weren’t. They were designed to kill.
As she passed the image of the black dragon on the destroyer’s bow, Tia hit her decelerators and made a hard turn to the left. She was too close to the gate, and she had no desire to go through. From her current vantage point, she could make out a third starship behind the destroyer. The third ship was an immense mass of black metal which could only be a dreadnaught. Like its two smaller companions, the dreadnaught had a black dragon with a red stripe down its side painted on its bow. The dreadnaught hadn’t yet entered the gate, but Tia had no doubt it would as soon as the destroyer cleared.
“What are you doing?” said Matthew over the communication channel. He sounded concerned. “We’re going to be in range of the destroyer’s main guns again.”
“Look through the gate,” Tia said. “Would you rather be in range of that thing’s guns?”
Matthew must have seen the dreadnaught because he said, “No. I think I like the destroyer better.”
“Uh, not that I’m complaining, Margery,” Tia said, “but how come we didn’t disintegrate on the destroyer’s shields. Surely she has a force field of some type.”
“I calculate a fifty-seven percent probability the destroyer had to lower any shields before it could pass through the gate,” said Margery. “However, she’ll be clear of the gate in twenty-two seconds. I would advise making sure you’re not inside her shields when they come back online. Otherwise, you’ll be trapped inside. I calculate you need to be at least five hundred meters away to be safe.”
Tia made a quick calculation. As far as she could tell, the only reason the two zippers hadn’t been blown out of the sky already was because they were too close to the destroyer for its larger weapons to be brought to bear. But at five hundred meters, she doubted that would continue to be the case. On the other hand, according to Margery, if she stayed where Matt and she were currently located, they’d be trapped inside the destroyer’s shields.
A sudden thought crossed Tia’s mind that a starship the size of the destroyer was bound to have fighters of some type. Magic based or not, she had no doubt enemy fighters could destroy both zippers at their leisure once they were trapped inside the destroyer’s shields.
“Tia! Matthew!” said Sergeant Ron over the com-link. “I’m on the far side of the planet. I’ll be at your location in two minutes. Hold on!”
Tia was about to tell her captain she wouldn’t be alive in two minutes when someone else beat her to the punch.
“They haven’t got two minutes,” said Richard over the com-link. “Tia, I’ve got you on my passive scan. Your best bet is to engage the recon ship. You need to alternate fire between your plasma, phase, and 30mm chain guns. Matthew, stay at a distance and fire your torpedoes. Tia can guide them in with her telekinesis just like a bongo ball. Do it just like we practiced.”
“My chain guns are for use against ground-based armor, Rick,” Tia protested. “We’re in space.”
“Trust me, Tia,” said Richard. “The recon ship’s shields are magic based. If you can confuse it by alternating attack forms, you may be able to get some fire through.”
Without arguing further, Tia turned her zipper in the direction of the black recon ship. It had almost completed its turn. Surprisingly, Tia noticed the fire from the destroyer slacken considerably as she lined up on the smaller ship.
“The destroyer’s gunners must not want to risk hitting their recon ship,” observed Margery. “I recommend disabling the recon ship’s guns before it completes its turn.”
Tia turned towards the black recon ship even though instinct told her it was a bad idea. But she trusted both Rick and Margery. Tia only hoped her trust was warranted. She had a feeling the next few minutes would prove her trust one way or another.
With a silent prayer to the Creator, Tia began her attack run.
Chapter 41 – The Helper
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Sergeant Ron stared at the holograph. The images for the two Zip fighters were turning to attack the black recon ship. A sense of fear for his grandson rose up in his mind, but he forced it back. He’d been in enough battles to know a little fear was good, but too much could make a soldier indecisive. Hatred for anything sporting the black dragon insignia took the place of his fear. Sergeant Ron forced it out of his mind as well. Too much hatred would cloud his judgement. He needed a clear mind if he was to save his grandson and Tia.
If you hurt them, I’ll kill every one of you, Sergeant Ron swore. I’ll kill you if it’s the last think I do.
“Margery!” Sergeant Ron said. “Time to target?”
“The Defiant’s primary weapon systems will be within range in one minute and twenty-one seconds,” said Margery over the cockpit’s intercom system. “The destroyer’s shields will probably be up by then. I highly recommend you abort your attack run and activate your hyper-drive to make your escape.”
“Well, you know what you can do with your recommendation,” Sergeant Ron said. He increased the Defiant’s speed to the maximum velocity it could take while continuing to stay in orbit.
“Terrie! Charlie!” Sergeant Ron said. “Get out of those Warcats and man the portside weapons. Daniel, you handle the rear weapons. Angela, you take the starboard-side guns. I’ll handle the forward guns and torpedoes. We’re going in with everything blasting at that destroyer.”
“No!” came Richard’s voice over the com-link. “Don’t be a fool. The kids aren’t dead yet. But they will be if you don’t use your head.”
Sergeant Ron barely heard his friend’s words. His hatred for anyone with the black dragon insignia was rising again and pushing all thoughts out of the way except those of revenge.
“One minute and ten seconds,” Margery said over the Defiant’s ship-wide intercom. “The destroyer has activated her shields. I calculate only a twenty-seven percent chance you can penetrate her force fields with the Defiant’s weapons. The destruction of the Defiant is near one hundred percent given your current course of action.
“Sergeant Ron!” said Richard. “Abort your attack run. The destroyer is through the gate. Help the kids with the recon ship.”
* * *
Richard was growing desperate. Although he was only an arm’s length from the green sphere, the connecting lines of energy to the other two spheres and the resulting gate was located on the other side of the green sphere. While Richard’s feet were on solid rock on his side of the sphere, just two meters away on the other side was the blackness of deep space. It was very disconcerting.
Richard could see the hull of the black destroyer as it continued to exit the gate. Its front half was already through, but the ship was large enough its back part was still in the magical dimension.
Help me, Richard said to the part of the dragon which was the green sphere.
I cannot, said the green sphere. We are the gate, but we cannot control the gate. The Dragars control the activation of the gate. They won’t close it until their starships are through.
Richard sensed a strange emotion from the green sphere. The closest word Richard could find for the emotion was the word perhaps.
Perhaps what? Richard said.
Perhaps you could close the gate before all the ships get through, said the green sphere.
Desperate for anything, Richard said, How?
A thought came into Richard’s mind. The thought was alien in nature. It was a dragon thought. But somehow Richard understood. He now knew how to open and close the gate. There was only one problem.
I don’t have the kind of Power necessary, Richard said losing hope. It would take a hundred times more Power than is in my reserve to do what’s needed.
Yes, it would, replied the green sphere. But you won’t have to do it alone. There is another. She is an ally. She has the Power to close the gate, but she doesn’t have the knowledge or skill.
Richard looked around. He saw no one. But what he did see was that only a small portion of the tail of the destroyer was still within the gate. Even worse, the immense form of a black dreadnaught loomed behind the destroyer. Richard had no doubt the dreadnaught would enter the gate as soon as the destroyer was completely clear.
Wizard Omega (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 4) Page 41