The Fight for Creation: Book 01 - Life Warrior

by Saxon Andrew

  Jon said, “Teg, I need you to come here now. I’ve deactivated the weapons systems and the coordinates are now on your unit. Get here quick.”

  Jon watched as Molly moved around the long hanging rows and he followed her until she stopped and put her hand on a suit. She turned and said, “This one is mine.” Jon looked at her and then heard it. He reached over and touched the suit next to hers and said, “This one belongs to me.”

  Molly looked at Jon and said, “Why do we need this armor?”

  “I’m not really sure. I hope my brothers can help me answer your question.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Newton looked at Vremel and Pride and said, “It appears the Megat have partnered with the Dremor.”

  “What!”

  “One of our fleets was attacked by Dremor ships while conducting landing operations on a planet the Megat had taken. They destroyed half of our ships before the others teleported out.”

  Vremel said, “Did they then attack the planet and kill everything?”

  “No, they left and didn’t return.”

  Pride said, “This is not like their normal tactics. They’ve never confronted a fleet and they’ve always destroyed all life on planets they approached.”

  Newton lowered himself to the floor showing his agreement and said, “We are of the opinion that the Megat have been able to acquire their assistance. We were still fighting on the planet’s surface when the Dremor attacked. We’re of the opinion that if we had killed all the Megat before the Dremor showed up, they might have moved on the planet.”

  “Did you get any information about the Dremor?”

  “Our videos don’t show them and our scanners couldn’t detect them. Those ships that saw them said they looked like a very fine mist or cloud. It appears they are not solid creatures.”

  Vremel said, “The hull material of your ships didn’t stop them?”

  “No it didn’t which also tells us that they are not made of energy. We have no effective defense against them.”

  “Why would the Dremor team up with the Megat?”

  Pride looked at the Zord and said, “Evil knows evil and finds comfort around it. That doesn’t mean this unholy alliance will hold up in the long run, but it does pose real problems for us.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “What if the Megat have a self-destruct signal they’ll use if we defeat their forces on a planet? They’ll call in the Dremor and everyone and everything will die. We can’t afford the kind of losses that would entail.”

  Newton stared at Pride and said, “So, what do we do?”

  “We’ll send you after other evil civilizations while we try to come up with a plan to handle this problem.”

  “That gives the Megat free rein.”

  “It does but until we find an answer, any planet we come to save will be destroyed if we’re successful. We can’t allow that to happen.”

  Newton stared at Pride and the huge cat said, “It’s the best we can do right now.”

  • • •

  Tegen teleported in and immediately looked around. He walked out into the rows of armor and put his hand on a giant white suit. He turned and looked at Jon, “This armor is mine. Why is this ancient armor mine?”

  “I was hoping you could answer that question.”

  Teg stared at the large white armor and reached forward and activated his armor. He lifted his arm and then lowered it. “Jon, my armor is no longer powered by the music.”

  “What!”

  “Try it.”

  Jon activated his armor and immediately discovered that it did not respond at the accelerated rate. He turned it off and looked at Teg. He turned and looked at the ancient armor and closed his eyes. Molly stood to the side and watched the two brothers. She hoped she would learn what was going on before they clammed up in her presence. Jon said, “Teg, what is the major difference in the old armor and our modern unit?”

  Teg thought a moment and said, “The way they’re powered and the force field they use.”

  “Explain the difference.”

  “The old armor was powered by a device called a Coronado Power Cell and the entire covering was made from those cells.”

  “Go on.”

  “The force field is not an electronic screen, but is an extremely hot field that is very similar to a blaster bolt.”

  Jon said, “I believe that one of the communications said that they were affected by blasters.”

  Teg slowly nodded.

  Molly looked at Jon and said, “Who was affected by blasters?”

  Jon looked at her and said, “The Dremor.”

  Molly’s heart went into her throat. “Are you thinking about taking on the Dremor?”

  Jon smiled and said, “No.” Molly started to relax until he said, “We’re not thinking about it; we’re going to do it.”

  Molly thought, “Jeremy, I’ll be joining you shortly.”

  • • •

  Dremor; a word that struck fear in any civilization that knew of them. No planet had ever survived their invasion and, except for one instance, no being had survived once the invasion began. It was speculated that their choice of targets was made based on psychic ability to know which one could not be defended in time to stop them. Defenders always arrived too late. Sometimes days; other times hours; and in one instance, minutes. No one had ever seen a Dremor or a Dremor ship. They were a complete unknown.

  What was known was that they made Vampires look like baby kittens compared to full grown tigers. Any life form touched by a Dremor was sucked dry of any organic compounds. All that remained was a dried out husk of inorganic minerals. It was also known that the process happened instantly. Billions were killed in such short timeframes, that it had to be instant.

  It was also known that force fields didn’t stop them. The most heavily defended installations on the invaded planets were killed and the force field was still active when the rescuers arrived. One short broadcast for help from a planet said that their energy beams had slowed them down. The broadcast ended abruptly. This was one of the most deadly forces in creation; a psychic killer of unbelievable ferocity that had never tasted defeat. The three brothers were going to take them head on.

  • • •

  Jon, Dern, and Tegen sat in the conference room on board the Creator’s Song. Jon said, “It’s time we move forward.” Jon saw his brothers’ expressions, “You knew it was coming.”

  “I don’t think we’re ready?”

  Jon nodded, “I know; but this is not something that can be delayed.”

  Dern leaned forward, “How do we know when we’re ready?”

  Jon shrugged, “I’m not sure.”

  “Admiral, please report to the Bridge.”

  Jon looked at them and they jumped up and rushed up to the bridge. The Creator’s Song was firing its massive main beams and secondary beams at an incredible rate. Jon listened and heard the music. Jon turned to his brothers and said, “The ship is ready, even if we’re not.”

  • • •

  The Cat and Admiral Mandel looked at Jon from a display at Fleet headquarters. The Cat spoke saying, “I don’t like that you’re taking all three battalions.”

  Mandel flinched and the Cat quickly looked at him. “I’ve never heard you actually talk before. It surprised me.”

  “Telepathy doesn’t work with them unless I’m close.”

  Jon said, “We agree, but we’ve seen that all of us are being called for this mission. I really can’t explain it but all of our warriors and ships are hearing it.”

  The Cat said, “All of you could die in this. Nothing has survived them.”

  “Then we’ll die. This is an issue that must be faced or there will never be a victory.”

  “They’ll know you’re coming.”

  Dern said, “No they won’t, Admiral. Psychic talents don’t work with us. We are outside their psychic abilities.”

  “Our Warriors don’t know where we’re going. If they did
, I suspect you might be right.” Jon paused, “However, my Warriors are hearing the music and I suspect that insulates them as well. This question will be answered when we make an appearance.”

  “But no one has ever survived an attack and no one has ever arrived in time to save their victims.”

  Jon slowly shook his head, “I think I know that better than most.”

  Mandel slowly nodded his head, “I wish I could at least tell you what to expect, but we know nothing. You’re going in blind.”

  “We do know from the calls for help that they can be killed by energy.”

  “No, the sender said they were delayed. We also know they move at a speed the victims described as unbelievable.”

  Jon smiled, “Then whatever happens, it should be over quickly.”

  The Cat said, “I think if the Queen knew what you’re planning she would order you not to do it.”

  Jon took a deep breath and blew it out, “Then you need to make sure she doesn’t know.” They stared at Jon and he said, “I’ll ask forgiveness afterwards.”

  The Cat muttered, “If there is an afterwards.”

  Jon smiled, “There is that.” Jon saw their reluctance and looked at the Cat, “If your mother told you to do something that we thought was foolish; what would you do?”

  “This is different.”

  “How?”

  The Cat started rapidly pacing back and forth and he said, “Damn it Jon, I just don’t see anything about the outcome.”

  Jon slowly shook his head, “You’ve been so accustomed to being able to see everything that you are weakened by the loss of that certainty.”

  The Cat stopped his pacing and then sat on his haunches. The Admiral stared at him and the Cat lied down and started purring. He licked a paw and brushed it over his whiskers and said, “Touché; you’ve wounded me.”

  The Admiral looked at the giant feline and said, “What?”

  “Sit down and enjoy the show. When you don’t know what to do; you get out of the way and watch what happens. Every cub knows that.”

  Jon laughed out loud and said, “I think I’m starting to like you.”

  The Cat wet his paw again and said, “You don’t have to insult me. No one likes us; we’re too bossy.”

  Mandel tried to hide his smile but couldn’t. The Cat looked at him and said, “You know it’s true.”

  Mandel put his hand over his mouth to hide his grin and turned back to the display, “Good luck and please let us know what happens.”

  “If you don’t hear anything, you’ll know. We’re not ready yet. We need to do some work on the weapons we’re going to use and that will take some time. Admiral, remove us from the active roster while we prepare our forces.”

  Mandel nodded and ended the call.

  • • •

  Jon looked at Tegen, “Have you determined how we can use this old armor?”

  “I have; I think.”

  Jon laughed, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “We are going to take the old armor and move the power cells inside the skin of our new armor.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “It’s really not that hard. Our new armor will fit inside the old. We’ll absorb the old armor into our new armor’s skin and it will come out just like any of our other weapons when we activate it.”

  “Our armor doesn’t function like it has before.”

  “It does if the old armor is absorbed.”

  Dern jerked his head back, “How do you know that?”

  “I’ve already done it with my armor.” Teg paused and said, “However, we are going to have to charge the old armor’s power cells before we absorb them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that old armor will suck our power packs dry as soon as they activate. The old power cells can hold an unimaginable power load.”

  Jon leaned back, “How do we charge them?”

  “The quickest way is to teleport them out close to a star and let them absorb as much energy as they can hold.”

  Jon stared at Teg and said, “Why did we quit using this technology?”

  “The armor was developed before the Realm learned how to teleport. The armor was big and bulky and didn’t move as fast as our new units. However, they were, and still are, one of the most powerful weapons the Realm ever created.”

  “So our armor will become a hybrid of the two?”

  Teg tilted his head, “Something like that.”

  “What has you worried, Teg?”

  “What if the power cells force field doesn’t kill them but only slows them down?”

  Jon sighed, “I guess that’s something we’ll have to find out.”

  Teg said, “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

  • • •

  Molly stood in front of her platoon and said, “I know you can hear one of these old suits of armor calling out to you. Activate your armor and go find the one that’s yours. Once you find it, take it and put it one the sled behind me. Once it’s charged, it will be teleported to your quarters. Step into it with your armor activated and absorb it into your armor’s skin. Do you have any questions?”

  Belwen said, “Why does my armor no longer respond properly?”

  “It will perform normally as soon as you absorb the suit you select. Now make your selection so we can get back to business as usual.”

  Johanson said, “What’s the purpose of this old armor?”

  Molly smiled and said, “You’re going to need it to survive our next mission. Now get moving.”

  Molly watched her platoon move into the long rows of armor and they were back in less than two minutes. “That didn’t take long.” She watched as they placed their selections on the sled and she nodded to the technician. Belwen said, “How long is it going to take the armor to charge?”

  Molly smiled, “It’s being teleported close to the star in this system. It should be charged in three days.”

  Belwen did a double take, “How much of a charge does it hold?”

  “It would take twenty power packs to fully charge one, private.”

  The platoon looked at each other and Belwen muttered, “It must be some mission we’re going on.”

  Molly thought, “You have no idea.”

  • • •

  “Jon, all of the Warriors have their armor back.”

  “Assemble your units and make sure they can make the transition quickly.”

  Teg said, “You don’t have to worry about that. Their regular armor is back to performing at the normal standards.”

  “I don’t care. What happens if the music is blocked by the Dremor? I don’t want to take any chances. We don’t know what we’re going to face when they come at us.”

  “I’ll let Dern know and we’ll start practicing.”

  “Plan to move out within the week.”

  “Do you know something?”

  “My sword is starting to have a small vibration. I think that means something serious.”

  “I’ve wondered about that. We need to hurry. What about the ships?”

  “They will have to take care of themselves. I sense they’re about as ready as possible. I’ll keep you updated on anything that happens.”

  Thanks, Jon.”

  Jon went to his office and pulled up a star map and pulled his sword from his shoulder. The violet light filled the room and a star in the middle of the map increased in illumination. It was slightly brighter than the day before. Jon put the sword away and thought, “Not much longer.” He entered the star’s coordinates into his wrist unit and sat back in his chair. He couldn’t think of anything else he could do. He thought about Juliette and wondered what she was doing.

  • • •

  Juliette read six more messages from William Dodd and erased them from her mother’s mail. Something was going to have to be done. She knew that Dodd was not going to allow this to go on much longer. She thought about what she should do and wondered where Jon was. She wish
ed she could talk with him. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jon saw Teg and Dern appear in his office and Dern said, “Our Warriors know the plan. They’ve made formation in less than ten seconds on arrival.” Jon nodded and motioned them around his desk. They walked around and saw a star map on Jon’s display. Teg said, “What’s that?”

  “That’s where the Dremor are going to attack.”

  “How do you know?”

  “My sword picked that planet. It’s been slowly flickering on my display for the last month.”

  Dern shook his head, “Well, it’s not flickering slowly now.”

  Jon nodded, “No it’s not and when it turns solid, the Dremor will be there.” Jon looked at his two brothers and said, “We have one day, possibly two, before they arrive. I want all our Warriors moved onboard their ships now. The battalions will be on action standby and remain ready to go on a moment’s notice.”

  Teg looked troubled and Jon said, “Link with me now.” The three brothers closed their eyes and, after a minute, Teg opened his eyes and smiled, “I understand. We’ll be ready, Jon.”

  Teg and Dern teleported out to their units and Jon looked back at the display. He took a deep breath, blew it out slowly, and knew it wouldn’t be long before he was going to face off with his parents’ killers.

  • • •

  The First Spirit looked at the planet below his fleet and felt his satisfaction. There were billions of life forms on it and he could see the glow from fifty thousand miles away. His ships were more difficult to see. They were light grey and almost transparent. The Dremor were the only life form in Creation that seemed to be made of a spiritual mass. They existed just on the edge of the physical universe. They barely made contact with the universe around them but that contact was deadly. Any life form they touched died horribly.

  They evolved on a planet that circled a weak red star. The high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere blocked most of the sun’s light but was heated such that the planet’s surface temperature averaged a hundred and ten degrees. It was in the perpetual darkness of the clouds covering the planet that the first Dremor came into existence. Two thousand years later, all life on the planet except for the Dremor was gone. They lived in perpetual hunger for centuries until they discovered they could create the forms that moved them off the planet to feed on other worlds. Their growth began rising and now they numbered in the billions. They called no planet home but existed in the insubstantial ships that moved them from one meal to another.