Alpha Nebula

  “Please, please help me! Don’t let me die here!” Jaroot begged.

  Vanakis just watched while the bastard sunk to his death. Jaroot’s body was being crushed under the surface as he struggled to breathe. To Val’s surprise, he thought of Laurelle in that moment. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he thought of Laurelle helping those around her. Jaroot continued to perish in what would be his sandy tomb. Vanakis grabbed his hand and pulled him up. With all his might, Vanakis was barely able to get him out. The two of them laid there and gasped for air.

  “Thank you,” Jaroot said, which surprised the prince.

  “Get moving,” Val barked. They hurried to their feet and darted for safety. The two of them ran faster than they ever had before. A pillar tumbled over and landed on them. Vanakis leapt forward and rolled out of serious harm’s way.

  As he looked behind him, all he could see was Jaroot’s hand poking out from the rubble.

  “Oh well,” Vanakis told himself. “I tried.” He was quick to sprint to the exit. He dove into the pool of water from which he arrived and tried to swim as fast as possible. He had to get clear of the ruins as they came breaking down. Soon, the ruins were out of sight, and Val began the journey to the surface. In that moment, he realised he never put his respirator on. Cold, dark, and desperate for air, the trip upwards seemed to go on forever—certainly, it seemed longer than the descent.

  Slade opened the boarding ramp.

  “What’s happening?” Laurelle asked.

  “We’re picking up massive activity down there,” the bounty hunter explained. “Something’s happening.”

  Then, he noticed Vanakis floating just below the surface, hopefully only unconscious. Slade saw visions; his fears of water took a tight grip on him. He knew he had to jump in to save Vanakis but couldn’t amass the courage. Fright held his actions back. Then again, Vanakis was just a man he had met in the jungles of Veeraan. He could just as easily leave the Tarian to his fate and take this ship for himself. Val was only someone who he had to work with to get off the planet which they had found themselves trapped on, and that was over.

  ‘Screw it,’ Slade thought to himself. ‘Just jump right in. Quick like a band-aid.’ But he still couldn’t move. His body was locked in place. Slade closed his eyes and tried to picture something else. The Veech saw a beautiful meadow covered in sunflowers. Slade dove into the sunflowers and awaited the soft blossom at the bottom.

  Suddenly, he was frozen. “Oh, fuck, this water’s cold!” he shouted to no one after getting back to the surface. He hurried over to Vanakis while trying not to think of the water. A rush of anxiety swept over his whole body. He had tingly feet, and an explosion of butterflies was twirling in his gut. Slade struggled to swim. He performed something similar to a doggy paddle.

  Before he knew it, he was back with Vanakis, onboard the Azura. He turned Val to his side, and the water escaped the Tarian’s throat. Vanakis coughed as he regained consciousness.

  “What just happened?” Vanakis asked, still disorientated.

  “Sunflowers,” Slade responded, laughing with a grin across his green face.

  “What’s a sunflower?” Vanakis wondered.

  “A human thing, I think,” the Veech thought.

  “You didn’t try to give me CPR or anything, did you?” Vanakis asked.

  Slade and Vanakis returned to the bridge where Laurelle was keeping the cat-bobblehead company. “We’ve got it,” Val explained with the prymus in hand.

  “It’s beautiful,” Laurelle thought out loud.

  “I’ll set a course for Rynok,” Val declared.

  TWENTY FOUR

  The burning sensation around Trydon's wrists was agonising. Dozens of slaves stood and watched. Atop a wooden stage, Mantis and Trydon were to be publicly executed. They were tied up, with their hands bound behind their backs and in a kneeling position before the chopping blocks which would hold them for their final moments. The bonds were so tight that Trydon tried to stay as still as he could. Just moving sent his nerve endings into a pain frenzy. The two captives watched as the many faces of the enslaved stared at them endlessly. The moonlight revealed their stale looks and the thousands of eyes.

  “Before us, stand two criminals who have committed the ultimate atrocities,” Zurey explained to the many spectators. “They turned on us, and they attacked those who protect you. Dozens of Avayans are now dead because of their selfish actions!”

  The two captives awaited their deaths. They silently anticipated the arrival of the axeman.

  “They must be punished,” Zurey continued, “and they will feel the justice of the Avayan empire! Begin the execution,” Zurey ordered.

  The headsman approached, with axe in hand. He stood before Trydon and Mantis, ready to kill, ready to take life. The headsman lifted his enormous axe above his head, about to slay Trydon.

  “No!” Trydon suddenly said.

  The headsman looked to Zurey with a confused look. “He said ‘no.’ Should we still do it?” He asked.

  “Of course, you idiot! Do it now!” Zurey ordered.

  Mantis looked over at Trydon, then to the crowd. “Rise, and rise again until lambs become lions!” He shouted.

  The headsman once again lifted the axe as high as he could, ready to get this public execution over with. Again, he hesitated and then lowered the axe once more. Only this time, he noticed something fast-approaching. A sea of slaves charged, moving like a swarm of locusts. Thousands of them rushed onward with makeshift knives and daggers in hand.

  “Sir!” The headsman shouted.

  Zurey was stunned at the sight before him. The attacking slaves barged past the spectators and up onto the stage. They slew the headsmen and freed Trydon and Mantis. Trydon’s first move was to pounce on Zurey.

  “We are not your property,” Trydon told him before he took his life; lodging a dagger into his throat sure did the job.

  An incredible satisfaction overtook Trydon’s body as he rid the world of that pest. The adrenaline consumed him moments later as the tailless Tarian quickly joined his fellow slaves in their fight for freedom. The guards were completely overwhelmed. Unprepared for such an event, they quickly panicked and struggled to maintain order. The Tarians ran everywhere. They climbed the walls and broke down the doors while mauling every Avayan they could find.

  Fires had lit up the compound. Trydon and a large group of slaves rushed to the wire fencing that closed off one section from another. They climbed and pushed the fence, almost like a massive collective of ants trying to traverse over it. The fencing started to lean over and tumbled under the weight. The Tarians were now free to move about the facility. One by one, they broke each fence of each sector.

  The Tarians threw Molotov cocktails onto the facility. Bodies were everywhere. Avayan guards failed at their defensive attempts but managed to wipe out several slaves before they were overrun and slaughtered by dozens more. Some Tarians fell in battle, too, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed the opposition. Dead Avayans had their weapons stolen. Slaves armed with guns lowered the guards’ survival rates even more.

  Trydon reunited with Mantis, who had Fleiss by his side. Together, they led the charge into the structure with hundreds of slaves behind them. A united force of slaves broke down the doors and rushed inside. A clusterfuck of slaves burst in.

  That wasn’t actually in the script, I just added that. I just really like that word. No one ever said I was a very good narrator.

  The Tarians were horribly shocked upon entry; Trydon felt the searing heat as explosions and gunfire went off everywhere. Mantis and Trydon managed to dart out of harm’s way, but Fleiss took a shot to the arm.

  Trydon ran to her aid as panic travelled with him. “You okay?” He yelled over the chaos.

  “I’ll be all right!”

  Trydon watched as other slaves continued to run inside, and they fell to their deaths once through the doorway. The Avayans had set up a defensive line. Soldiers let loose as Tarians ran through the do
orway and into a small corridor inside, herding them into a choke point. Fleiss acted quickly; she rolled stolen explosive barrels down the corridor, and they were set alight before they rolled to the guards. The guards panicked and scattered as the barrels ignited and exploded. The defensive line was broken. The Tarians had their entry point. Mantis led a charge deeper into the facility.

  “We need to hack a terminal, get the layout of the building,” Trydon reminded them.

  Many slaves barged into the communications room, and the radio personnel put up little fight. One Tarian entered the security codes which had been acquired by Fleiss. Using these, all communications were cut off, eliminating any chance of reinforcements coming to save the Avayans.

  Trails of smoke now polluted the sky. The moonlight had vanished behind clouds of darkness. Many of the compound’s lights were shattered as rocks had been tossed at them, and some of the lights had been hurled off the walls. The fighting took place in an almost-black compound. Fires lit up certain areas, but most guards who were still alive never had the chance to see their enemy coming.

  Inside, it was a different story. As it was well-lit inside, every drop of blood was easily seen. Trydon had reached the fourth floor, along with dozens of his enslaved brothers and sisters. An Avayan commander, accompanied by his entourage, stepped through a door to greet them with a minigun. Trydon immediately went into a panic-stricken state. A dozen of the best troops made short work of the slaves. Mantis and Trydon bolted through another door to escape the onslaught. Trydon and his Zantian friend ran out into the darkness outside. Trydon looked over the railing of the large balcony, which left them with no means of escape.

  The Avayan commander joined his fellow guards and stormed outside. Trydon desperately fired his stolen rifle to do what damage he could before they perished.

  The commander took aim to eliminate them both; his minigun would tear them apart into mulch as his armour kept him relatively gun wound free.

  Trydon was blinded by the lights on a grey ship that had swung around the corner of the enormous structure and let loose on the Avayans. Blue bolts of Neo-Plasma destroyed the guards. Trydon’s nerves dropped a great deal when Fleiss caught up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

  The ramp opened, with Vanakis and Slade prepared to make their exit.

  “She’s going to be all right?” Slade asked Val.

  “Laurelle will be safe in the ship, the VI can pilot just fine,” Vanakis assured his Veech friend.

  The ship dropped them off to join the fight and then took flight once more.

  “Things have changed around here,” Vanakis mentioned. Somewhat ecstatic about the fact it would make their job easier with the place in chaos.

  “We decided to take matters into our own hands,” Mantis told him.

  Slade pulled out the prymus from his coat. “This artefact can wipe them all out,” he explained. “We just need to find the comms array to dispense the energy.”

  “How does that help anything?” The tailless tarian asked.

  “Chips in their heads. Overloaded. Go boom,” Val told them.

  “The communications array is likely on the top of the facility. Why not fly your ship up there?” Mantis asked.

  “There’s a lot of relays up there—and all over, by the looks of it,” Slade explained. “Won’t be much good unless we find out which one we’re looking for.”

  “We were just on our way to a terminal to acquire the base’s floor plans,” said Mantis.

  “Then let’s find that terminal,” Vanakis replied.

  Mantis, Trydon, Fleiss, Slade, and Vanakis all went back inside and worked together to reach their goal.

  So, we’ve now reached the big finale, the climax. And I’m going try to get through this while making as few sex jokes as possible.

  TWENTY FIVE

  They fought their way through guards and continued to push forward. Slade was on point as he slashed Avayans with his trusty daggers. Vanakis put them down with his sword, and Mantis tossed them aside with his telekinesis. Soon, they came face-to-face with a closed-off door. Trydon’s agitation levels were quickly reaching new heights. His hands were shaky and his feet were the host for pins and needles. The lump in his throat was growing and didn't go anywhere after he tried to swallow in down.

  “Get it open!” Vanakis shouted over the gunfire.

  Val and Slade pulled their firearms out. Avayans attacked from behind, which left the group pinned down at a dead end. Slade knocked over the spare tables that sat beside them, and the steel served as the perfect defensive cover. Mantis was hard at work to override security protocols.

  “Any day now!” Slade yelled.

  “The door’s jammed!” Mantis shouted back.

  “What?” Fleiss asked.

  “It’s stuck!” Mantis replied.

  “Well unstuck it!” Vanakis told him.

  Trydon leaned out of cover for a clean shot, but it backfired. The young Tarian took a hit on the arm. He screamed as the pain shocked all his senses. Suddenly the nerves were a thing of the past, he now had to battle the profuse pain. Trydon was ever so slightly chocked as Vanakis pulled him by the collar, moving him out of sight and into cover. More guards seemed to appear as if from nowhere.

  “How’s that door coming?” Slade shouted.

  “Almost there!” said Mantis.

  A grenade suddenly flew around the corner and came hurling towards them. Luckily, it landed just in front of the steel tables.

  “Shit! Grenade!” Slade yelled. They all ducked down as low as they could, and they simply hoped for the best. As it went off, Trydon felt the heat wave. Even after the flames disappeared, the heat was still strong. The tables had kept them relatively safe.

  “Got it!” Mantis informed them. They all bolted inside and away from enemy gunfire. Trydon was struggling with his wounded arm. They were sure to seal the door behind them.

  “That was too close,” Fleiss remarked.

  “Can’t remember the last time I had this much fun,” Vanakis chuckled.

  “I’ve got a terminal,” Mantis said.

  “Let’s see what we have,” said Trydon.

  It was no time before the Zantian gained full access to the system. “The comms array is on the eighty-fifth floor,” Mantis explained.

  “Any other useful intel?” Slade wondered.

  “That’s odd,” Mantis noted. “There’s someone in the detention level.”

  “So, what?” said Trydon.

  “No, what’s odd is that they’re listed in the system as a Tarian prince,” the Zantian concluded.

  “Akrillis,” Val realised.

  “It says here that they attempted to sabotage the comms relay,” said Mantis.

  “Where?” Vanakis asked.

  “On the forty-third floor,” Mantis told him.

  “You guys go on to the comms array,” Vanakis suggested. “I’ve got someone else to deal with.”

  “We’ve got a job to do, Val,” Slade reminded him.

  “He’s my brother,” Vanakis said as he began to leave. “You guys get to the eighty-fifth floor and finish this.”

  Vanakis left to confront his brother, while the others pushed onward.

  “There’s a massive staircase to the west. An elevator at the top will take us to the right floor,” Mantis explained.

  “Let’s move,” Fleiss checked the ammunition in her handgun.

  “I’m opening a door on the far side of the room, but be ready. I’m reading hostiles on the other side,” Mantis informed them.

  As the door slid open, a wave of telekinetic energy raged towards the guards. They were thrown off their feet and across the hallway. While the Avayans struggled back on their feet, Slade and Fleiss hastily took them out with gunfire. The group then rushed towards the staircase.

  “Whoa, whoa. Stop,” Trydon shouted when he noticed Tarian slaves were pinned down at a T-intersection. Around the corner, the Avayans held a highly defensible position along that corr
idor. Constant fire kept the Tarians at bay.

  “He’s got a fucking minigun,” Slade noted, his tone revealed his current frustrations.

  “What do we do now?” Trydon asked when he realised he had no clever ideas, or really any ideas.

  “We improvise,” Slade told him. The bounty hunter grabbed his lighter, climbed on a barrel, and held the lighter up to the sprinklers. As they went off, the Avayans were caught off-guard. They panicked at the surprise. Slade bolted down the hall during their confusion, he pounced on them and slashed throats and arteries with his blades.

  “Let’s move! Hurry!” Slade’s shouting voice shot into Trydon's brain.

  The doors slid open, and Vanakis entered the detention block. The cell which held his brother was now open and empty. Vanakis wandered ahead to find an open door. He quickly discovered it provided roof access. There stood Akrillis as he fiddled on a relay. Smoke filled the sky; the fire and ash made Val cough as it polluted his lungs.

  “Look around you,” Akrillis told his brother. “Look at all this chaos. You always were good at starting a mess and leaving it for someone else to clean up.”

  “Let’s not forget this whole thing was your idea,” Vanakis reminded him. “You were the one hell-bent on freeing the slaves, determined to fix a problem that wasn’t yours to deal with in the first place.” The very sound of his brother's voice was now infuriating to Vanakis.

  “Don’t bullshit me,” Akrillis responded. “You’re not here to free slaves, and you’re not here for the good of others. I know you too well, brother.”

  “Not as well as you’d like to think,” Val told him.

  Akrillis laughed, “You came here to obtain your revenge on me—as if taking her life wasn’t enough.” He became noticeably more agitated, referring to Mera.

  “Maybe it’s not about you,” Val suggested.