“That’s about the gist of it, yes.”
“So, let me get back to my original question, Emperor. What do you need me to do?”
“Use Argos’ device to force the Gorgar into compliance by locking in a new command. I need you to do this on the down-low, and this time with as much stealth as possible. That’s why I think sending you solo is probably safer for everyone involved. You’ll have a transmitter to call for an evac, should you need one.”
Ryonna couldn’t blame the Emperor for that last point. She had been anything but subtle the last time they went to the surface of the planet, and if it hadn’t been for the Emperor’s courage and crazy tactics, Ryonna and her friends would have perished. Ryonna had learned from that mistake.
“When do I leave?”
Emperor Altair handed her a holo-pad.
“Whenever you’re ready. But first, take a look at this. It isn’t much, but hopefully, it will help you determine your entry point and tactics. Here is all the information we have on the planet, scans, schematics, and where we think their queen could be located.”
“Why do you think I need to know the location of the queen? By sending the new mental command and locking it in place, I will override her orders.”
“Normally, I would agree, but in the very short time between our visits, the planet has dramatically changed, including their political structure, from a multi-queen government to a dictatorship, and from working ants to soldiers armed to the teeth. I’m not sure that anything is as it seems and you’d better be prepared for some improvisation on this one. We’ll keep repairing the fleet, and hopefully, we can provide support from orbit should things go awry and we need to take the world by force. Though, I’d like to avoid this no matter how adamant Chase was on the matter.”
“What about Tar’Lock and Keera?”
“You could take them, but I think it’s best Tar’Lock stays out of it; I don’t doubt his allegiance to Earth Alliance, but your— Keera’s report mentioned that in your previous visit you encountered a direct member of his family.”
“We did; his sister.”
“That could complicate things, plus I might have a mission for Keera.”
“What mission?”
“Following Chase’s request, we’ve been trying to contact Spiros Malayianis, but he’s not responding. Do you think Keera is up to investigating and finding out what’s going on with him?”
“Keera is a capable bounty hunter; she has the required skills to get to Spiros and get him out of trouble if need be. As for Tar’Lock, I think I can convince him to go with Keera.”
“Unless you’d like him to come with you to the planet.”
As much as she appreciated the little guy, Ryonna knew that he could become a liability on this mission. Not only would he question what they were about to do, and probably with good reason, but he could endanger the outcome. And, if he decided to split mid-mission, there was nothing Ryonna could do about it, especially since Tar’Lock’s super speed could prove dangerous.
“I’ll talk with Tar’Lock, but let’s go ahead and assign him to the mission with Keera. How many super-suits do we have on board?”
“Just the one. And I’m making it an order that you take it; this mission is paramount and could win us the war. I know that you would give the suit to either Keera or Tar’Lock given a choice, so I’m removing that choice from the equation.”
Now that she no longer wanted to kill the Emperor, Ryonna could appreciate what an astute and level-headed being he was. Ryonna made a mental note to learn from her mistake in judging him for the sins of his past. From now on she would give people the benefit of the doubt, as Emperor Altair has shown that one could change for the better.
Did that mean Ryonna had to try and forgive Argos and try to get along with their new ally? The thought disgusted her, but then again, slaying the hologram version of the Fury in the holo-room had released some of her pent-up anger and helped her better focus her aggressive feelings.
“Understood; I’ll take the super-suit.”
Chris felt exhilarated. Flying the soul ship in space was like nothing he had experienced before. The ship made a direct link with his mind, and all he needed to do was think about what he wanted to do, and the ship would obey without delay. It was similar to how the Earth Alliance incorporated a mental component, which allowed them to remotely control StarFuries, but the big difference with the soul ships was how Chris not only controlled the ship with his thoughts, but in doing so, he could feel the ship’s status, as well as its state of mind. It was clear the onboard AI was very advanced, perhaps as advanced as Gaia herself.
“Well, thank you,” said Tigris.
And there it was, the ship had sensed his thoughts and answered. There was a symbiosis in piloting Tigris that was absent in remote controlling StarFuries.
Is everything okay, Son? asked Chase mentally.
Perfect, Dad. This ship is something else. You gotta get into yours and experience it for yourself.
Argos is making contact with his ship at the moment. I imagine he’ll join you in space shortly. Gotta go; I’m next.
Another soul ship transported into space not too far from Chris, and it looked different from his. Although clearly of a similar build and design, with both ships looking organic in nature and shape, Chris’ had green overtones, while Argos’ had red ones, resulting in a more aggressive looking cockpit.
“What’s your ship’s name and animal?” asked Chris.
“Its animal spirit is a snake, and its name is Python. It won’t shut up, though.”
“It’s trying to bond with you; it’s an important part of the process. My ship was vocal too, at first, but it learned to read my thoughts, and I sense hers. We now communicate mostly via an exchange of thoughts rather than speech, so give it a few minutes; I’m sure you’ll get used to that as well.”
“In the meantime, and while we wait for your father, what do you say we test the ships in a dogfight?”
“I’m all for it, but we need to make sure they have a training setting first.”
“Training mode engaged,” said Tigris.
“Never mind, my ship just entered it,” said Chris.
“So did mine. Apparently, it will register hits on our instruments, but no real damage will be inflicted.”
“This sounds like fun.”
“It does; ready?”
“I was born ready!” cheered Chris.
Chase was only half-surprised when the sphere of white energy morphed into a flame-colored dragon and started dancing around him. It reminded him of a weapon he had used to bring down the Titan protecting the stone Argos needed to make the inter-dimensional machine function. And Aphroditis’ sacrifice.
Aphroditis…Chase hated not being able to grant her wish of passing away. Perhaps it was cruel of him to have put her in suspended animation. But Chase wasn’t yet ready to let his aunt die; not when both he and Argos were responsible for the state she was in. They both needed to find a way to atone for that. While letting her die would grant her wish, Chase preferred exploring other options, which might have to wait until they dealt with the Furies first.
Part of Chase wished Aphroditis were here to guide him.
The dragon roared and darted back into the ship and, soon after, Chase was in space aboard his fighter, feeling a link between the ship and himself. In fact, Chase felt he was powering the ship with his own energy.
“You are, in a way,” said a voice inside the cockpit. “I’m Drakos, your soul ship.”
“I’m Chase.”
“That’s not the name given to you at birth, pilot,” protested Drakos.
How did the ship know that? And why did it care?
“What is it to you?”
“To establish a perfect mental and biological link with you, I need to call you by your true name.”
“My true name is Laiyos,” said Chase, hesitantly.
“I can feel you’re not happy with that name. It’s a good
warrior name; you should wear it proudly.”
“Fat chance of that happening.”
“Let’s go with the next best thing then; a pilot’s call sign, perhaps?”
“Can I choose my own?”
“No, as your ship I will choose one that rings true and possesses the essence of your actual name. Your mind is in turmoil; I can feel it. You mean well, and you have a high sense of morality and indomitable courage. These elements are factored into your call sign. Henceforth, I’ll address you as Dragonheart.
Dragonheart?
Chase chuckled. He didn’t feel like being called Laiyos, that was for sure, and the Dragonheart call sign seemed to suit him as if he had chosen it himself.
“Your fellow pilots are engaged in a combat simulation. Would you like to join them? Should I activate training mode?” asked Drakos.
“They aren’t just my fellow pilots; they’re my family. Yes, activate training mode, but…”
Chase could feel he no longer needed to talk with the ship or the ship with him, and he could sense that Drakos knew that he would wait for Sarah before testing the ship’s combat capabilities.
And, sure enough, the last soul ship teleported into view.
“This thing is wicked!” exclaimed Sarah through the comms. “You’re never gonna guess what my soul ship spirit animal is?”
“If I had to guess…I’d say a Phoenix.”
There was a moment of silence followed by a sigh.
“You’re a buzz kill. How the hell did you know?”
“Well, it seems the ship senses something in us and assigns a spirit animal, be it real or mythological, that closely corresponds to our nature.”
“So, the animal spirits are provided based on the pilot’s thoughts and not preprogrammed into the fighters? How do you explain it, though?”
“Think about it; Phoenix is the call sign you had selected for yourself as a US Navy pilot. With what had happened with Argos and you dying and coming back to life…”
Three simulated hits smashed into Chase’s port shields. Chase realized Sarah had engaged him in training mode. He smiled.
“Oh, it’s like that,” he said before putting his fighter into evasive action.
Soon, Chase and Sarah were engaged in combat. The last time they had fought against one another in this fashion had been at the very beginning of their journey. The nostalgia helped Chase feel better.
Chase also noticed he had a much harder time acquiring a lock and scoring hits on Sarah’s ship. She had always been a very skilled pilot, but her focus seemed better than ever before. Chase wondered if her growing Fury powers were helping her fly the ship with more proficiency.
“And what does the ship call you, flyboy?” asked Sarah.
“Dragonheart.”
“Heart of a dragon, hmm…I can see that.”
“I like your version better.”
“Yeah, but that would make for a lousy and rather long mouthful for a call sign. I mean, can you imagine yourself saying: ‘Heart of the Dragon to the fleet, open fire’.”
Chase chuckled. “Good point, but I still like it.”
“Now that I said it out loud, it’s not that bad. But call signs should be short and sweet, Admiral Dragonheart.”
They both laughed.
“Your flying is impeccable by the way,” commented Chase.
“It always was,” said Sarah in a slightly sharp tone.
“Yes, that’s what I meant. I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Relax, Chase. I’m just giving you a hard time. As a matter of fact, I have noticed that my focus is sharper and fiercer. Maybe it’s the Fury powers, and maybe it’s the connection with the ship. Have you noticed how much stronger the mental link is and more reactive than the neuronal interface was on the StarFuries?”
“Like night and day; it’s like the ship knows you better than you know yourself and anticipates thoughts even before they’re fully formed.”
“Exactly! I can’t wait to do my first kills onboard this ship.”
An alarm resonated inside Chase’s mind and the ship telepathically let him know that it detected an enemy fleet on its ultra-long-range sensors.”
“Uh, Chase,” Sarah inquired.
“I’ve received the same warning. I wonder if your ship didn’t look for a fight from your comment and then synced it with the rest of your thoughts.”
Chris joined in the conversation.
“Guys, my ship informed me about three Fury destroyers.”
“Mine, too,” added Argos.
“We all got the alert,” said Sarah. “The enemy fleet is in a part of space they had shown no interest in up until now. Should we check it out?”
Chase wondered if they should indeed check the new capabilities of their starfighters, but three Fury destroyers packed a lot of firepower, and they would be carrying multiple squadrons of fighters each.
Before Chase could voice his concerns, the ship displayed mission success odds on his mentally projected HUD. It also overlaid a tactical map and potential attack approaches, and most scenarios resulted in an eighty-five percent chance or higher of success.
“I was worried about the lack of firepower to engage such a strong force without reinforcements, but…”
“Yep, it looks like we could handle our own against the fleet; how strong are these starfighters?” added Chris.
“I guess we’re about to find out,” said Argos. “And from what Menelas told us, it draws power from us, so I’d imagine that’s what makes them so powerful. Shall we set a course?”
Before anyone could answer, all the ships synced their destination coordinates, and the four soul ships entered hyperspace.
5
Ever since taking control over Arakan’s body, Tanak’Vor felt even more sick and impure for having to merge his DNA with that of a lesser species. But it had become unavoidable, after witnessing in frustration how the Supreme Commander was making one poor decision after another.
At least Arakan had killed Zeus and most of the Olympians, which was one less race the Spectres would have to deal with in the future. But before the rest of his people could enter the impure dimension and cleanse it, Tanak’Vor had to remove the Ultra Furies from the equation and get rid of the Earth Alliance in the process.
While their technology was far behind those of the races inhabiting Tanak’Vor’s dimension, they still had managed to adapt quickly to the Shadow’s spider ship that had been trapped with him when Erevos rematerialized.
Tanak’Vor sat on what was now, for all intents and purposes, his throne. At the very least, he wouldn’t need to use a large amount of energy to project a holographic image of Arakan as he had in the past when he dispatched orders to Arakan’s generals.
He had masqueraded as the supreme commander for a while now in order to build his own fleet of ships, making sure a destroyer or two went missing from each delivery and assembling fleets he would later control at the right time. And that time had come.
He had already sent one fleet to Thanos Five. Tanak’Vor would do things differently, unlike Arakan, who had only been interested in destroying everything and everyone who stood in front of his Fury delusions of grandeur. Once the space defense around that world fell, he would enslave the population, use their resources, and have them build more ships for him, which would enable him to crush any resistance.
It was time to get the other fleet commanders in line and make sure they were ready to do the same on other distant worlds. Arakan had been obsessed with going after the stronger races; the Droxians, the Asgardians, and the Olympians. Tanak’Vor would not repeat this mistake. He would divide and conquer the rest of the universe little by little, with superior forces applied against worlds which could not defend themselves and weren’t part of any alliance.
Each new world that fell would provide an increasingly larger slave workforce that would allow the Spectre to build himself an empire that Arakan could never have dreamed of in both scope and sheer power.<
br />
A control near the armrest of the throne bleeped. Tanak’Vor answered an incoming transmission from the fleet commander he had sent to Thanos Five.
“Report, Fleet Commander Gar’hek.”
“Supreme Commander Arakan,” said the Fury with a bow, “it’s a pleasure to see you, as always. You…” the Fury hesitated. “You look different somehow, is everything alright?”
Fleet Commander Gar’hek hadn’t been the first to notice the physical differences now that Tanak’Vor was in control of Arakan’s body. But he was the supreme commander, and his minions would believe anything he told them without question.
“The battle with the intruders on Erevos has left me with many scars and permanent deformities, but fret not Commander, I’m stronger than ever.”
“That’s good to hear, Supreme Commander. The fleet is engaged with the enemy; as you predicted their pathetic forces are no match for three of our brand new destroyers. They keep sending ships from the surface in a desperate attempt to bring us down, but some ships don’t even have weapons, and they’re just trying to ram us.”
Tanak’Vor thought that was brave, if futile. He gave the many races in this dimension credit, though. Even when faced with insurmountable odds, there would always be some that rose to the challenge and were ready to die for what they believed in. Was it courage that motivated these pathetic beings? Or mere desperation?
In any case, that was a trait he had witnessed multiple times while here, and that’s why he had to make sure that those who actually had substantial power, like the Ultra Furies, were eliminated.
“At this point,” continued Gar’hek, “most of their heavy military craft have been taken care of or disabled when possible, as per your directive. What are we to do with their ships once we capture their crew?”
“We either enslave the crews or turn them to serve us, repurpose their ships, and add them to our fleets. Whenever possible, we upgrade their technology with our own.”
“Understood, master.”
Into the Fire Part II: To End All Wars (Universe in Flames Book 10) Page 6