The Complete Void Wraith Saga

by Chris Fox

  “Just let me tidy up a bit down here first, then Rex and I would be happy to take you for a little drive.” Edwards took another planetstrider at the knee, knocking it to the ground. Mechs swarmed it, zipping past flailing limbs as they converged on the control unit.

  It was shaping up to be a great day.

  42

  Yippee Ki Yay

  Khar flipped back to his feet, parrying another slash from the Judicator in front of him. Four more clustered behind it, all attempting to maneuver their way closer. He risked a brief glance behind him, relieved to see that both Yulo and Zakanna were holding their own.

  They fought back to back, surrounded by endless foes. It was the kind of end every Tigris dreamed of—a legendary stand against an implacable enemy.

  Sparks flew as his plasma dagger met his foe’s, but this time Khar knocked the Judicator’s arm aside. His blade rocketed forward, plunging into the Judicator’s heart. Khar swept the Judicator’s legs, knocking it to the ground. The blow had been enough to trigger the self-destruct.

  He seized one of the Judicator’s legs, slamming it into three of its companions. They went down in a tangle, then detonated. Robotic limbs and orange liquid were flung in all directions, coating Khar.

  “Ugg, this goop is disgusting,” Zakanna called. Khar turned in time to see her leap a meter into the air. Her foot blurred, slamming into the side of a Judicator’s head with so much force that the blue, metallic head crumpled.

  The momentum carried the body into another Judicator, tripping it. Zakanna leapt on her foe, ripping off an arm with a tremendous yell. She raised the arm like a club, bringing it down on the Judicator’s head. It went down, just as the first detonated.

  Zakanna was knocked backwards by the explosion, but somehow rolled to her feet next to Khar. Her robes were stained, her fur singed, but her expression remained resolute.

  “The Alphas have finished off the last of your warriors. They’ll be coming for us next,” Khar called, parrying a blow from the next Judicator. He fell back a pace, his back bumping into Yulo.

  “We’re out of room to maneuver,” Yulo said. He darted forward, smashing two Judicator heads together with a sickening crunch, then darted back, his back once again nearly touching Khar’s. “We cannot maintain this position.”

  Something rumbled above. Khar glanced up to see stone raining down. The uneven chunks fell from a hole in the spire itself, hundreds of tons of rock raining down on the far side of the island. Dozens of Judicators were crushed, and the resulting detonations killed dozens more.

  A shadow appeared over the hole above, then the high-pitched whine of engines drowned out the sporadic weapons fire. The vessel descended through the hole, above the trio of Harvesters. The grounded vessels were easy targets. The cruiser opened up with a hail of Ganog plasma fire, tearing into the first Void Wraith vessel.

  “Allies of yours?” Khar called over his shoulder.

  “I do not recognize the vessel,” she called back, deflecting another blow from a Judicator.

  “Nor I,” Yulo called. He head-butted a Judicator, then dropped another with a low kick. “At least they are not more of these twisted, blue Nameless Spawn.”

  The second and third vessels were beginning to lift off. The cruiser spun, dipping its rear toward the Void Wraith. A ramp lowered, exposing the ship’s cargo bay. Dozens of missiles streaked out, peppering the engines on both Void Wraith vessels.

  The shots unerringly targeted the most vulnerable parts of those engines, the welds where they met. Those engines detonated, and both Harvesters crashed back down to the island. One landed near the edge, tottering for a long instant, then plummeted over the side with a screech of metal on metal.

  Khar ducked under a wicked swipe from a Judicator, momentarily losing sight of the cruiser. Something punched into his back, and he staggered to one knee. Red warning indicators flared in his lower back. He roared, lunged backwards with an elbow. It knocked the Judicator back a step, but another stepped into its place.

  Zakanna stepped behind it, sweeping its legs, then finishing it with a blow to the head. She flung the body into the cluster of Judicators behind her; the resulting explosion filled the area with smoke and flame.

  Khar took advantage of the momentary reprieve to stand up and move back into position with the others.

  Explosions sounded from the far side of the island, growing closer. Then Khar heard a sound that drew a fanged smile: the whirring of hydraulic limbs. “These are allies. I recognize that sound. Those are Coalition mechs—our Linebacker class. I do not know how, but my people have landed a strike team.”

  The whine of engines grew louder, and the hot rush of thrusters blasted away the remaining smoke. The cruiser hovered twenty meters above them. A single figure with a rifle stood at the edge of the ramp, and she aimed the rifle in his direction.

  The weapon discharged, and a harpoon sank into the ground at Khar’s feet. The cable at the end snapped taut, leading back into the ship. The soldier clamped the other end to a bracket just inside the ship, then turned back in his direction. “Get in. Move, soldier!”

  “Zakanna,” Khar roared, kicking a Judicator from his path. “You first. Go. Now.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but Yulo darted forward. He seized Zakanna, hurling her into the air. She sailed toward the ship, grabbing the cable just a few feet below the ramp.

  “You next, Yulo.” Khar gestured at the cable, snapping a kick behind to knock away another Judicator.

  “Oh, please.” Yulo looked at him as one would a kit who’d just stated something ridiculous. Yulo leaped, easily grabbing the base of the ramp. He flipped inside, disappearing out of sight.

  Khar grabbed the cable, climbing hand over hand toward the ramp. A Judicator leapt toward him, slashing into his leg with a plasma blade. He grunted reflexively, even though there was no pain, and climbed faster, finally getting a hand on the ramp.

  An armored figure stepped into view offering a hand. It was the human who’d fired the grappling hook.

  “Nolan?” Khar accepted the hand, and the human pulled him into the ship.

  “Nope, he’s down there wrecking shop in one of the mechs,” a female voice said. Khar didn’t recognize her. “Why don’t you and your, uh, guests settle in while I go back to work?”

  The woman picked up a particle rifle large enough to be mounted on a mech, then quickly set up the bipod.

  Khar turned to look down at the island. Three mechs and a single Ganog warrior had engaged the Void Wraith. One of those mechs moved with a prescient grace. It was as if the pilot knew where his enemy was going to be, before the enemy moved.

  Every missile found its target. His particle cannon ended Alpha after Alpha.

  “Who is that warrior?” Yulo asked, nodding down at the mech.

  “That,” Khar boomed, grinning, “that, my friends, is Nolan, the man the Void Wraith most fear.”

  43

  Audacity

  Nolan walked his particle cannon down the line of Judicators, surgically targeting which ones he wanted to detonate. The resulting explosions destroyed every Judicator on the line, opening a sizable gap in their ranks.

  “Mmm, Captain Nolan?” Aluki commed. “Your ally and his companions are safely aboard.”

  “Companions?” Nolan asked, leaping backwards as he fired another volley of missiles. Another line of explosions, followed by the secondary detonations of Judicators self-destructing.

  “He brought two Ganog with him,” Aluki supplied. “Mmm, I recognize both. Master Yulo, and the empress herself. Both are extremely dangerous.”

  “Noted.” Nolan turned his mech forty-five degrees. Annie had just opened up with a missile volley, tearing up the left flank. Nolan added a volley of his own, devastating their already weakened line.

  T’kon took aim with a plasma rifle, coring an Alpha who’d survived the volley. “Nolan, you are killing five to my one. Even Annie is out-killing me.” He sounded supremely offended
.

  Annie’s rough voice broke over the comm. “Well, you gotta understand, darlin’.” She paused, her mech belching another volley of missiles into a sea of Judicators. “Every bit of training we received was against the Void Wraith. When they taught us to pilot these things, it was against simulated Void Wraith. This just ain’t a fair fight.”

  Hannan’s booster mech shot into the air, and missiles rained down onto the disorganized Void Wraith. They gave back sporadic fire, but the shots washed harmlessly over Hannan’s armor.

  “Why don’t their weapons touch you?” T’kon demanded, as he cored another Judicator.

  “Because we have modulated shields designed to disperse Void Wraith plasma fire,” Nolan explained. He emptied the last of his missiles into the crumbling southern flank. “I’ve gotten confirmation that Khar is safe. Let’s get the hell out of here, people. Fall back to the ship.”

  The squad retreated in good order, Lieutenant Hannan delivering several small salvos of missiles to discourage pursuit. It really did feel like an unfair fight, especially after having to deal with the Ganog’s superior technology.

  “Man, I still remember being terrified of those blue bastards. I definitely like having the edge, for once.” Hannan laughed over the comm. She fired a final salvo, then gracefully guided her mech to the cruiser’s ramp.

  Annie leapt in next, and Nolan leapt after. He grabbed the side of the ramp, pulling his mech inside the ship. A desultory scattering of shots came from the Void Wraith, but his shields held. The ramp began to slide close.

  “I have never before seen such ferocity or bravery,” Khar boomed. He walked up to Nolan’s mech, his broad Tigris face grinning out from that thick golden mane.

  “Indeed,” a purple-furred Ganog said. She wore an adept’s gi, and walked with enviable grace. “I doubt anyone has ever mounted such an assault on a Ganog spire. The audacity is…impressive.”

  T’kon barked out an amused laugh. “It’s not as original as you might think.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining when we pulled your furry butt out of that spire.” Nolan pointed out.

  “True,” T’kon allowed. He gave Nolan a smile. “And the empress is right about the audacity.”

  “I do not care if you perform such rescues daily. Thank you for my life,” a white-furred Ganog said. He gave a graceful bow, settling into a lotus position. “I am Master Yulo, and this is her highness, the Empress Zakanna of the Yog clan.”

  Nolan was thankful he was inside the mech. Yulo’s muscles bulged, and while not so large as a full elite, he could have torn apart an unaugmented human. Nolan was numbed by the revelation. They had the Ganog Empress on board? What the hell was he supposed to do about that? Imprison her? Work with her?

  First, he needed to find a way off-planet.

  “Aluki, what’s the aerial deployment looking like?” Nolan asked, allowing the question both on the comm and the mech’s loudspeakers.

  “Mmm, not good. There are dozens of those Harvesters hovering over the city.”

  “His name is Nolan?” the empress asked Khar. Then she turned to face Nolan. “Nolan, if you can find a way past the Void Wraith, I have a dreadnought in orbit.”

  “We’ll see what we can do. Hannan, how do you feel about going for a little joyride?” Nolan asked. He checked the status of her mech. The armor wasn’t too badly scored, but she was down to a handful of missiles.

  “I’ll give em hell, sir—just keep that ramp open so I can get back inside before you all zoom away into the sunset.”

  “Not just yet. But I want you to stand by to be deployed, in case we get into the thick of it.” If it came down to combat with the Harvesters, their survival was unlikely. But goddamned it, they weren’t going down swinging.

  44

  Trust

  Nolan dropped into the copilot seat next to Aluki. The Whalorian had proven to be a surprisingly adept pilot, expertly guiding the cruiser through the hole they’d made in the spire. She continued to surprise Nolan, and he was beginning to wonder if the cute bumbly alien thing was merely an act.

  “Mmm, we are not going to break orbit if we have to deal with those Void Wraith.” The cruiser slowed to a hover, just inside the hole.

  “Lena, are you on comms?” Nolan asked.

  “Yes, Captain.” Lena’s prim voice came back. “What do you require?”

  “Can you give our cruiser a Void Wraith signature and ident?” he asked, unsure if the idea were even possible.

  “You want to make us look like a Void Wraith?” Lena asked. “It’s an interesting idea, but what if they have some way of detecting us? If they fire, we’re dead.”

  “They won’t. The Void Wraith have been in storage here for who knows how many centuries? There’s no way they’ve been modified to deal with Coalition tech. And that means we know how these things operate. We should be able to slip right on by,” Nolan insisted. “How quickly can you do it?”

  “Give me a few moments. It won’t take long.”

  “Mmm, Captain, a pair of harvesters are inbound.” Aluki pointed at the approaching vessels, their sleek blue forms quickly growing larger.

  “Lena, not to be that officer, but we’re out of time.” Nolan rose slowly from the copilot’s chair. He was tempted to go back to his mech, but that wasn’t going to help against harvesters. They needed the cargo bay closed to break orbit. Nor did he want to deploy Hannan. If Lena’s plan worked, it wouldn’t protect Hannan.

  “I understand the need, Captain, but I cannot hurry this. You must find a way to deal with the harvesters. I’ll inform you when I am finished. Lena out.” Her connection was terminated.

  That cinched it. “Hannan, I need you to deploy. Do whatever you can to slow those harvesters. Nuchik, get your extra oxygen tank and go with her,” Nolan ordered. He ducked through the hatch, sprinting toward the cargo bay.

  “Sir, Khar is a better pilot than I am. He should be the one that goes,” Hannan said.

  “No time. You’re already in the cockpit. Get out there. Now!” Nolan roared, skidding into the hangar bay.

  The ship lurched violently, and Nolan was tossed from his feet. He slammed into the wall, then into the ground. Mechs were tossed around, but thankfully their harnesses kept them from tumbling about the cargo bay.

  “Aluki, what the hell was that?” Nolan demanded, climbing to his feet.

  “Mmm, one of the harvesters fired upon us. I’m doing all I can to keep away, but they are faster and more maneuverable. If they hit us again, we will not survive.” The Whalorian’s tone was matter of fact, maybe even a bit cheerful.

  Lena’s voice came over the comm, her tone urgent. “Captain, please engage the cloak. Quickly.”

  “Aluki?” Nolan asked.

  “Done.” There were several moments of tense silence. “The Harvesters have broken off, Captain. Shall I plot a course to the dreadnought?”

  “No. Head for the planet’s nadir, and ready a jump to the coordinates I’ve reflagged in the system.” Nolan leaned against the wall, removing his helmet now that there was no need to open the cargo ramp. He was relieved that he didn’t need to send Hannan out there.

  “Captain, what is the meaning of this?” the empress demanded, striding boldly up to Nolan.

  “Uh-uh, fuzzy.” Annie leapt to her feet, aiming her shotgun at the empress. “Take a couple big steps back from the captain. Would be a shame if I had to mess up that pretty face.”

  “It’s all right, Annie.” Nolan rose and walked to the empress.

  Annie shrugged, then walked off to stand by her mech.

  “Listen,” Nolan started, then said, “what should I call you, anyway?”

  “I am Empress Zakanna of the Yog Clan, and it is the fourth year of my reign.” She delivered the words with a regal air that somehow avoided straying into pompous. “You may address me as Empress.”

  “All right, Empress. Here’s what’s happening. Your people have invaded Coalition space. Even as we speak, they’re ass
aulting our shipyards. As of right now, we are at war, and I am taking you prisoner.” Nolan slid into a combat stance. Annie raised her shotgun again. The arm of Hannan’s mech swung around to cover Yulo. T’kon aimed a weapon at Khar, and Nolan realized that Khar had stepped protectively in front of the empress. Lovely. “Khar, you are still a Coalition officer. I don’t know what’s gone down during your captivity, but we have the enemy commander in custody. I’m taking her to Fizgig.”

  “I would never betray our people.” Khar relaxed, moving away from the empress. He eyed Nolan pleadingly. “Nolan, we need her alive and cooperative if we wish to stop the devastation at Atreas. She can do that with a single word.”

  “Nolan.” The empress’s voice dropped the temperature a good twenty degrees. “I know you believe you have the upper hand, but if you force me to fight, you will find out that you are sorely mistaken.”

  “Zakanna,” Yulo snapped. He moved to stand before her, his fur going pale grey as he frowned at her. “Do not let your pride blind you. These people recognize the guardians Utfa has used to seize your capital. They know, and have defeated, these Void Wraith. We must sue for peace, and quickly. If you ever wish to retake Imperalis, you will need this Coalition to do it.”

  Zakanna deflated, her fur going a soft blue-white. “Very well. I will be a prisoner, for now. Take us to this system, and I will order Takkar to cease the assault. Then, perhaps, we can meet to discuss what comes next. However, before we depart this system we should dock with my flagship. Its firepower will be useful in the days to come.”

  He eyed her carefully, trying to understand her motive. A dreadnought was a powerful weapon, but if he went there he’d be surrendering himself to her power. If she really wanted to take her world back, she’d need the Coalition. But could he trust her?

  “Mmm, Captain, you must see this,” Aluki commed. A video feed sprang up on the wall-mounted holoprojector. The image showed the surface of the planet—specifically the capital city. The spires had all begun to glow.