by Richard Fox
The Xaros Reckoning
The Ember War Saga Book 9
by
Richard Fox
For Sharon,
whose touch is on every page
Copyright © by Richard Fox
All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.
ASIN:
Table of contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
FROM THE AUTHOR
IRON HEARTS
THE QUEEN OF SIDONIA
Chapter 1
Keeper watched a solar system die. His drone armada swept across a terraformed moon orbiting a gas giant and into the deep caverns once inhabited by over nine billion Vishrakath. The final pockets of resistance would fall in the next hour. He reached out to the drones and directed some of their number toward vaults hidden within the planet’s other rocky moons where a vast number of juvenile Vishrakath and egg layers had attempted to hide.
He knew of the General’s methods: annihilate all armed resistance before scouring away the populace at leisure, but Keeper had a different opponent to defeat first.
Hope.
Keeper turned his attention to a battle raging above the fifth planet, an icy world at the far edge of the system’s habitable zone. Millions of Xaros drones battled a Vishrakath fleet that once numbered in the tens of thousands. Now, crashed hulks scarred the planet’s glaciers and the defenders struggled with but a few hundred vessels.
The Xaros master picked out a Vishrakath battleship and ordered his drones to dispose of the ship’s crew, but to seize it intact.
+You’re wasting time.+ The Engineer appeared in the void next to him, the other Xaros Master taking the form of an ever-draining hourglass. +Malal is here or he is not. Let the drones do their work. They know what they’re looking for.+
+Your drones are such crude instruments. They will destroy any form or trace of living intelligence—that includes Malal.+ Keeper looked to the Vishrakath home world. The surface was expansive jungles with wide polar caps. The entrance to subterranean cities boasted energy cannons and many hangars for their void fighters. Orbital stations guarded the high orbit, each built around a massive laser. The Vishrakath would resist. Keeper estimated the planet would fall within three day cycles, unless he brought in more drones. The loss of scores of drones meant nothing, not when he could fabricate more by the billion.
+I designed their intelligence matrix. They will not harm our prize,+ the Engineer said. +You tarry. Unleash the rest of the force and be done with this. Being in the presence of a failed species sickens me.+
+Finesse was never your strength. The Vishrakath were prepared for us. Their information network was scuttled. The drones have found nothing but books bound in polymers, quaint. If Malal is here, he only just arrived. If he isn’t, there will be no record for us to find and aid our search.+
+The logical conclusion to your scenario is…vile.+
+We have already broken the prohibition against using wormhole technology. What is contact with a lesser species compared to that?+
The Engineer’s form flipped upside down.
+There must be no record of any of this,+ the Engineer said. +If the Masters learn of this…+
+We can correct the record. Lay any blame at the feet of the General—not that he can complain or contest.+
The drones within the Vishrakath battleship signaled that the vessel had been seized and the crew annihilated. Keeper watched as the last of the fleet made a suicidal charge toward a drone leviathan. Disintegration beams lashed out and smashed the final ships into fragments.
+There. That should suffice.+ Keeper shifted into his photonic shell. +Care to partake? The experience may be informative.+
+No. You may sully yourself. I will not.+
+Yet you are eager to meet with Malal. Hypocrisy is unbecoming of our kind.+
The hourglass broke open and the grains of sand became a model of the Milky Way galaxy. Tiny runes appeared over stars, concentrated on the opposite side of the galaxy from the Vishrakath world.
+Malal’s species once occupied much of the galaxy,+ the Engineer said. +I’ve examined some of their technology, but it will take time to gain a full understanding, and there are others who can complete the task faster once the Apex arrives. I am certain Malal’s race ascended from this galaxy. They defeated the great void. They moved beyond death’s reach. We almost had our own escape when the annihilation wave drove us out of our home. Malal can lead us to his answer.+
+You have no faith that we can answer the question on our own?+
+Why wait for immortality? The General’s destruction proves we are vulnerable. If Malal has the solution, we must take it.+
+At least we agree on something.+ Keeper sped through the void to the captured Vishrakath ship. Metal strands crisscrossed the converted asteroid, running between weapons emplacements and docking bays. Keeper considered the unfinished surface of dust and craters that spoke of an aesthetic choice of the Vishrakath builders…or a sign of haste from a species railing against certain doom.
Keeper appeared on the ship’s bridge. The polished rock walls bore tracks between the workstations on the walls, ceiling and deck. Xaros drones moved away from Keeper, their stalks high and charged in case the Vishrakath had left some sort of trap for their master. Keeper whisked the dusty remnants of the bridge crew away and willed a drone over to operate a communication station. Keeper shifted into an armored body, reminiscent of the General’s preferred form.
The drone opened a channel to the Vishrakath home world, calling upon a certain member of the species.
Keeper absorbed more data from the invasion force as he waited. The outer system colonies had been eradicated, shipyards in the system’s two asteroid belts destroyed, the defenders of the ice world dead. Keeper sent his armada toward the home world…then his hail was finally answered.
A curved screen rose from work station and a Vishrakath appeared. Wexil’s bulbous head had nine eyes, all formed differently to take in much more of the energy spectrum than most species in the galaxy. Ivory-colored segmented legs stretched from his thorax and abdomen. The glowing eyes of onlookers filled the space behind Wexil.
“On behalf of the Vishrakath Imperium, we offer our unconditional surrender. Please, spare us. We will serve you in any matter you choose…just let us survive.”
Keeper ordered the armada advancing toward the last surviving world to slow down and then held up a hand. Dust from the Vishrakath remains swirled into his hand and formed a diorama. A silent loop of Wexil and Malal speaking on Bastion played.
“I’ve had contact with Malal,” Wexil said.
The dust reformed into a perfect replica of Wexil’s home world. Yellow dots pinged from each of the subterranean cities.
“Malal…is not here.”
Keeper crushed the world in his grasp.
“But I know where to find him! Please, I will tell you, but I ask you to promise to l
et us live.”
Keeper sent the armada toward Wexil at full speed.
Two of Wexil’s eyes darted aside, no doubt learning that the Xaros advance had begun again.
“The Qa’Resh took Malal. Along with the human ambassador, Stacey Ibarra. Qa’Resh’Ta vanished, jumped through a wormhole. They went back to Earth—I’m certain of it.”
Earth. Where the General perished. Where the entire Xaros force sent to destroy the humans must have been destroyed. There was only one place in the galaxy that Keeper feared to tread, and it was Earth.
Keeper directed a deep scan of the Vishrakath world and found a fluctuation in quantum space hidden deep within the planet: a dome-shaped vessel with a jump engine. Keeper created a new diorama in his hand. The dome ship left the planet and went straight into the system’s star. The diorama shifted back to the home world, then to the ship jumping away. Drones swarmed over the planet.
“You want us to destroy our jump engine. As you wish. Let us unload the children and eggs aboard and we will do so at once.”
Keeper brought up a timer, just enough for the jump ship to reach the sun if it left within the next few minutes. The drones overwhelmed the world again.
“As you wish.” Wexil’s eyes went pale. Keeper did not care to learn the Vishrakath’s body language. He needed nothing but their immediate compliance.
Keeper ordered the armada back to the ice world and directed his drones aboard the Vishrakath ship to send it on a collision course to the surface. He morphed out of his armor and returned to the Engineer.
+They cooperated. Malal is—+
+I listened. Curiosity got the better of me. Destroy them. Now.+
+They cannot answer questions if they are all dead. The drones will remain and construct a Crucible over this world. We have our next target: Earth. Once we have Malal, we will cleanse this system…and the rest of the galaxy.+
Chapter 2
Across the wall of the Marine rec room, a holo of the Breitenfeld soared through the vastness of space, trailed by the gargantuan Canticle of Truth. A crescendo of bombastic music filled the room as credits rolled up the screen.
Weiss jumped off a metal and plastic chair, clapping wildly.
“Woo! Gets better every time I see it.” He snapped his fingers twice and the room’s computer stopped the movie, The Last Stand on Takeni. Lights rose, illuminating several more Marines: Orozco, Egan, Bailey and Standish. The last sat hunched forward, his face buried in his hands. Orozco grinned from ear to ear. Bailey shook her head slowly while Egan frowned, a finger pressed to his lips.
“I honestly can’t believe none of you have ever seen that movie,” Weiss said, rubbing his hands together quickly. “So many questions right now. OK, did Captain Hale really make that great speech on the walls of New Abhaile before the first banshee attack?”
“That never happened,” Bailey said. “The boss spent most of his time trying to get the city’s defenses organized, showing the Dotok which way to point their rifles.”
“What?” Weiss tugged at the collar of his shirt, revealing a tattoo of flowing script. “You mean I have to get it changed?”
Standish groaned into his palms.
“Get it removed, chunderhead,” Bailey said. “In case you haven’t noticed, Hale doesn’t waste time with big speeches before a battle. Cherries like you will be too scared to remember it when the shooting starts and salty old farts like me know hot air when we hear it.”
“Didn’t you all run through a burning forest or something?” Egan asked. “I saw the repair logs on your armor, been meaning to ask about that.”
“That happened,” Orozco said. “Hale told us to button up and then went running into an inferno.” He shifted in his seat. “My codpiece got knocked loose during the landing. I still feel the heat on my huevos.”
“What about loading all the Dotok kids onto Mules when the banshees were coming over the walls?” Weiss asked, his face growing pale.
“Kind of happened,” Bailey said, frowning, “but we did that way out in the boonies. Not the city.”
“And Oro rescuing that little girl from the collapsing house?” Weiss began to take several short, quick breaths.
“No,” Orozco said, shaking his head, “but let’s watch that part again. I looked good.”
“Franklin fighting with a banshee on the Breit?” Weiss asked.
“That was me!” Standish snapped to his feet, his hands balled in anger. “I was the one going hand to hand with those walking nightmares. I’m the one that carried those elderly Dotok up the Mule ramp. I’m the one that gave up his rations so the orphans could eat. I didn’t make Franklin’s ‘for the good of all free people’ little pep talk but I’ll take credit for it. I can’t believe they replaced me.” He looked to the ceiling and pounded his fists against his chest. “Cheated out of my moment of glory!”
Weiss’s breathing became high-pitched and strained as hyperventilation set it.
“It’s all…a lie?” The young Marine backed into the holo wall and sank to the floor.
Bailey grabbed him by the back of his neck and shoved his head between his knees. She fanned him with her hand and rolled her eyes.
“It’s a propaganda movie, pup. I watched the same kind of stuff growing up about the Chinese taking Darwin. All a whole bunch of feel-good crap,” Bailey said.
“Wait a minute.” Egan raised a hand. “What about that Torni…person? The one that found us on—”
“Bastards cut her out too!” Standish kicked a tray table, sending plates and mostly eaten food flipping through the air.
“Who?” Weiss looked up, his breathing more controlled.
“I was the last person to ever talk to her,” Standish said. “She stayed back, gave up her tanks so we could get a few more women and children off world. God, I still haven’t had a chance to talk to her since…” He stormed out the door, slamming it behind him for good measure.
“What’s that all about?” Egan asked.
“I wasn’t there,” Orozco shrugged.
“I was bleeding to death in the back of a Mule when all that happened.” Bailey’s hand went to her side, touching the place where a hunk of shrapnel had ripped her open.
“What’re we…supposed to do…now?” Weiss asked. He took a deep breath, then leaned against the wall. “You guys know everyone in the solar system’s seen this movie?”
“I’m OK with it.” Orozco took a data slate from a pocket and brought it to life with a swipe. “Especially that shower scene. I get almost a hundred e-mails a day from the ladies.”
His eyes widened as he flipped the slate toward Egan.
“Good lord, she’s naked,” Egan averted his eyes. “You get a lot of those?”
Orozco answered with a greedy laugh.
From just beyond the door, Standish yelled, “It’s bullshit!”
Orozco laughed harder.
“All right, lads,” Bailey said, putting her hands on her hips, “we’re all going to let this movie stay fair dinkum bollocks. Nobody gets on the telly and tries to set the record straight or a billion people will get their knickers twisted. Bad enough trying to deal with Weiss getting a peek behind the veil.”
“Fine by me.” Orozco swiped his screen to the right, frowned, swiped again and smiled.
“I’ll have a chat with Standish,” Bailey said.
The door to the rec room opened with a bang. Steuben, their executive officer, loomed in the doorway.
“Combatives training in nine minutes,” the Karigole said, “everyone.”
“But Steuben,” Orozco said, “we just finished overhauling our armor and servicing the Mule turrets.”
“I allowed you one hundred seventy-seven minutes of leisure activity,” Steuben said. “Perhaps I was too generous?”
The Marines grumbled as they left the rec room.
****
Captain Hale sat on a long bench within a Mule, staring past the open ramp to a ground car on the far end of the landing pad.
Three figures clustered near the self-driving vehicle, which was little more than a pod on wheels. The sun broke through fast-moving clouds, stretching bands of light over the concrete expanse. Hale shifted against the bench, unused to both the Mule’s personnel transport setup and wearing just his service fatigues.
In the past years, he’d been in Mules that had crashed, been shot down or dropped him onto a hot landing zone. The idea of a Mule taking him anywhere but the fires of combat felt unnatural. His hands opened and closed as he rolled his shoulders back, wishing for the feel of his power armor against his body.
Hale glanced at the clock on his forearm screen, then to the distant figures.
First Sergeant Cortaro stepped out of the doorway leading to the cockpit and walked over, carrying a greasy paper bag.
“Seems our wheels-up time got pushed back another twenty minutes.” Cortaro sat next to his commander, opened the bag and fished out a hamburger in a red and white wrapper.
“Eat while they’re fresh, sir.”
Hale’s nose took in the aroma of cooked meat as his mouth salivated.
“I’ll wait until we’re back on the ship. Make sure everyone’s got some,” Hale said.
“We’ve got almost a hundred more in the cooler—minus the five I had to give the flyboys to delay our departure. There’s still more than enough for the company. Even Orozco can’t eat that many.” Cortaro shook the hamburger at Hale.
Hale looked at the offering out of the corner of his eye then snatched it from the other Marine’s hands. He ripped the wrapper away and took a huge bite.
“Tastes just like I remember,” Hale said through a full mouth.
“Unchanged since 1948.” Cortaro set the bag between him and Hale and started munching on his own burger. “I don’t know and I don’t care how or why Ibarra brought back some of the old restaurants. I’m just glad we’ve got a little piece of home again.”
Hale wiped a bit of ketchup from the side of his mouth and took a deep, satisfied breath.
“Our Marines will love this,” he said. “You think Standish will eat his or sell them?”