The 13th Star: An Action Adventure Sci-F Apocalyptic Novel
Page 22
***
Dozens of prisoners were pardoned on the morning of the wedding, David among them. According to Coldor’s expressed order, all wore white festive clothing brought especially for them.
A special suit was prepared for David with a long, particularly elegant cloak, since Tula had managed to convince Coldor to bring David to the center of the Temple. “The person who married my parents will marry Coldor’s son,” she demanded decisively.
Coldor didn’t understand why she insisted on the crazy old man, but he wanted to avoid any unnecessary quarrels, especially now. He confirmed David’s pardon and had no choice but to approve his role in the ceremony.
The Temple shone with such bright white light—eighty times stronger than normal daylight—that it could be seen from other planets. Tula felt heavy-eyed due to the bright light, but said nothing. In general, once David’s attendance at the ceremony had been approved, she felt a sense of joy mixed with discomfort, but she couldn’t identify the reason and convinced herself it was simply pre-wedding tension.
“The audience is asked to stand up,” the announcer said. Heavy silence descended on the galaxy.
“The audience is asked to welcome the great commander,” the announcer said. The crowd bowed and then straightened. Tula and Bergin entered with measured steps. Tula felt the hand holding Bergin’s was damp, but she didn’t know which of them was sweating more. They sat near the enormous canopy. David sat at the corner of the canopy, alongside three other religious leaders who’d been selected in advance. According to the plan, the royal couple would slowly make their way past transparent, flat, cloud-like skiffs and thus reach the canopy.
Short-Armed Matison began to play his song, “Eighth.” The tune contained the sounds of distant bells, reminding all the listeners of his father’s home. Addictive nostalgia enwrapped the galaxy.
Only Short-Armed Matison didn’t continue playing, as five figures dressed in combat gear suddenly approached. Floating and permanent cameras captured their sure walk toward the canopy area. The audience’s breath was swept away, not realizing that the entrance was a surprise for everyone, including the event organizers.
The floating cameras approached and caught the figures more clearly. Viewers couldn’t yet determine who they were, but it was clear that each carried a Roll in one hand and a Jorash in the other.
Unseen by the viewers, the snipers froze. They weren’t sure if the entry of the five was planned and didn’t know exactly what to do.
Coldor stopped in his tracks and all the blood seemed to drain from his body.
Bar trembled uncontrollably.
The five approached the priests’ seats. Rettoul’s gaze met his father’s and they nodded at each another as a scream pierced the air. “Eliminate them!”
It was the terrified voice of Coldor, but the guards and snipers weren’t quick enough. Rettoul bowed slightly toward the crowd and, with a swift motion accompanied by a smile, clicked a remote control.
The hall had been surrounded with explosives disguised as fireworks, separating those sitting on the stage from the audience. Hundreds of guards and snipers were killed instantly when the charges were activated. Zoi had been careful to place a small charge next to each manned position so no one would remain alive up on the wall.
Within the Temple, a few dozen guards came running threateningly toward the five, who gathered in a circle facing outward and drew their Rolls simultaneously. Members of the royal guard ran toward them from every direction. The quintet stood firm.
“No!” Coldor shouted at the soldiers, recognizing the battle stance, but it was too late. They ran to their deaths. When the soldiers came to within range, the five drew their Jorashes in unison. Each Jorash stung two soldiers, so ten soldiers died.
They widened the circle and Zoi moved to the center. The area became a kind of chopped meat plant with four lanes and one crusher: each of the exterior four, in their own way, incapacitated one soldier at a time and threw him into the center of the circle, where Zoi finished the job. Rettoul combined a punch with a slash from a Roll; Thor boxed entire rows, as if moving his arms while swimming; Mattoui combined ground work with using his Roll to slit throats; and Berez ran toward a group of 20 soldiers and didn’t miss a single weak point, kicking, punching, and every blow kill's. It was a demonstration of the most amazing fighting seen, each in their own field.
When the center emptied of still-living soldiers, Zoi stepped out and kneed the first one facing him in his testicles and slit his throat, then continued with his elbow into the face of another. Mattoui combined low kicks to the hips and quick punches of any kind. Berez simply looked into the soldiers’ eyes and they fled for their lives.
The Jorashes they held stung guards, who collapsed one after another on the grass outside the hall. None of the five, except Zoi, moved from his starting point as the guards attacked them in droves and the Jorashes stung without stopping. The remaining guards feared the same fate and retreated out of range.
There was nowhere to run. Coldor, Bar, Bergin and Tula, as well as the other dignitaries who’d been allowed to watch the wedding ceremony close up, also froze. Rettoul looked at Coldor. Rettoul knew that all eyes were fixed on him, but it didn’t prevent him from saying, “I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty bad wrecking an event, and even more so, a wedding.” His words were somewhat dismissive, somewhat serious.
No one responded. Coldor barely swallowed. Suddenly there was a noise above the Temple. A silver Kaiser with a blue stripe landed near the canopy. Rettoul didn’t move, his eyes fixed on Coldor. One could easily assume that they froze the moment they gazed at each other. Mattoui, standing next to him, scrutinized the honor guard without looking away.
The door of the Kaiser opened, but no one got out.
Coldor didn’t say a word. His face was expressionless, but fury was clear in his eyes.
Moses’ head peeked out. “Do you want to wait for dessert?” he called to Rettoul and smiled at them. “It’s not very pleasant here now. Do you want to get on now or shall I come back later?”
Interesting, Zoi thought, how he can joke now. One direct shot and they’d all be lost.
“Wait,” Mattoui said. “I haven’t closed the account here.” He advanced on Bar and punched him in the stomach. Bar folded over and collapsed. None of the guards approached; they were even more scared. Mattoui bent over Bar and turned him on his back. Bar remained curled up in pain.
“I don’t plan to humiliate you any further,” he said to Bar, who could barely breathe from the pain, “but I don’t plan to leave you alive.” He put his hand on Bar’s neck. The man squirmed for a moment and then was quiet as the Jorash did its job.
A murmur of panic passed through the huge crowd who watched what was happening. At that moment, it seemed that no one in the galaxy breathed.
Coldor looked on, unable to collect his thoughts into taking a step. The guards didn’t move, and it looked as if no one would stand by Coldor’s side. The entire galaxy watched Bar’s death and Coldor remained still, his gaze fixed on Rettoul, who seemed more than anything to want him dead.
“How do we resolve this?” he asked Rettoul, attempting to conceal his feelings.
“There’s no other solution,” replied Rettoul. He walked up to Coldor, took hold of his face, and commanded him to kneel.
Coldor didn’t understand why and only bent slightly.
“What’s not clear? I told you to get down on your knees,” Rettoul demanded bluntly. Coldor obeyed silently. “You should leave here now,” Rettoul said to Moses.
“But what about you?” Moses didn’t understand.
“I’m far less important than what’s on the Kaiser. Go out now to runway eighty-three.”
“Eighty-three?” Mattoui echoed, knowing it was the most distant runway in the galaxy.
“Eighty-three,” Rettoul repeated.
The Kaiser left the Temple, taking with it the four fighters, Moses, David, and Tula. She, at David�
��s request, had brought the scrolls with her to the Temple and brought them onto the Kaiser. Tamar and the two children also sat in the Kaiser, looking out the small windows until it was impossible to make out figures, only the intense light.
***
“And now it’s just the two of us,” said Rettoul to Coldor even your master run away. “I want you to see something before you leave us.” He clicked the remote control in his hand.
Coldor shrank away. He understood Rettoul had readied everything well before arriving. “What do you want, Rettoul? I can give you everything you want.”
“You’ve got it wrong, great Rod Coldor. I don’t want anything from you, I don’t need anything from you, and, most importantly, anything I really want, I have.”
Coldor swallowed with a grimace. “I will give you more.”
“It’s not up for negotiation, Coldor. I don’t need anything. You know,” he continued quietly and calmly, “I dreamed of this moment for a long time, and I don’t need anything.” Rettoul pressed the third button on the remote control.
A loud explosion sounded and lights of fireworks could be seen from afar as falcon exploded from Bar’s nitrogen bomb. The radiation was so intense that the glaciers on Levi melted immediately, the planet becoming blue instead of white.
.
***
Everything was seen from the Kaiser. The explosions were tremendous and shook the entire galaxy. They moved out to Runway 83, where the echoes of the explosion didn’t reach, but the darkness that suddenly enveloped the galaxy was clear—Rettoul had blown himself up along with all the infected planets. All eyes teared.
“Please let us off on Levi,” said Tamar.
“Why Levi?” Moses didn’t understand.
“Because that’s what Rettoul asked before we set out,” she answered. No one said a word until the Kaiser touched down.
***
On Levi, it was evident that the planet had a huge absorption capability. It was the only planet that had once supported dinosaurs. After them came the last ice age, and finally, the Big Bang.
The two children continued the dynasty that had threatened to become extinct.
Before long, the two children would bear two children—Cain and Abel. Cain would find a girl named Seth living in a cave on the planet and they would have a boy named Noah. You probably know the rest.
Back Cover
In the seventh year of choice, while the 12 tribes would try their strength against each other, an infertile woman would give birth to another baby that Jorash wouldn’t kill. The child would be marked with a scar on his face and he would be the one to lead to the renaissance of the 13th star.
This child would not be the ruler.
EBook Details
Title : The 13th Star
Author: Adam Peled
Publisher: Adam Peled
| SKU: 001-2620-001 | First Edition: 2016-05 | Print Length: 275
2016-05-12T20:33:35.594+03:00 | mend_en.3