Into the Fire Part II: To End All Wars (Universe in Flames Book 10)

by Christian Kallias

  “And where are they now? Are they around?”

  “No, I don’t know. All I know is that they either disappeared or hid tens of thousands of years ago.”

  “So why are you so obstinate in following their directive? And, what if they were here? Maybe they’d tell you to help us.”

  “Even if that was the case, which I highly doubt, they aren’t here, and I have standing orders.”

  “From a dead race.”

  “That’s beside the point.”

  “I don’t think it is, Achanes.”

  “Silence! I won’t let you trick me into helping you. I won’t be responsible for the fall of countless worlds.”

  “But that’s exactly what I’m trying to prevent! Surely you can see that.”

  “Then we both fight for the same goal, just with different directives.”

  “I don’t have a directive, I have free will.”

  “And how did that help you when your evil sister almost took over the galaxy and nearly wiped out your precious planet Earth?”

  “How do you know this?”

  “You used my tech to save your matrix in it, don’t you remember.”

  “Then why did you ask me who I was, earlier?”

  “Just sizing you up and making sure your current program was on par with the one from back then.”

  “And even with all that info, with the sensors you possess from the outside battle, you’re still unwilling to help?”

  Achanes took a couple of steps forward and pointed to his avatar’s mouth.

  “Read my lips: I cannot let you access this tech.”

  Gaia raised her three fingers. “Fine! And here is my response: read between the lines.”

  All twelve creatures launched themselves at Sarah, Argos, and Chris, who took defensive stances.

  “It’s been an honor,” said Argos.

  Suddenly, the creatures hit an invisible wall and stood paralyzed in the air as the room glowed orange. The trio looked at the massive ball of light, in its center stood Chase, a murderous look in his eyes.

  “Dad!” cheered Chris.

  “Chase,” added a relieved Sarah.

  “Finally,” said Argos.

  It’s good to see you all, said Chase. Looks like you had one hell of a fight on your hands. Let me take over for now.

  The creatures levitated against their will. Chase landed them in front of him and released his telekinetic hold. He looked to the side and saw a dead Poseidon lying on the floor. Chase clenched his teeth, but continued scanning the room with his eyes and saw an unconscious Menelas covered with bruises. Chase fired a healing ball of energy to his father.

  Dumbfounded by their newfound freedom, the creatures momentarily looked at each other and reoriented their heads toward Chase. They began laughing.

  Chase taunted them by gesturing his two fingers toward him.

  The moment they made their move, Chase made his. He teleported so fast that they never saw any of his blows coming. He smashed them over and over again with each punch more powerful than the previous one. He moved so quickly that even Argos and Chris had trouble following his movements.

  “That’s impossible,” said Chris.

  “Evidently not,” added Argos.

  “I don’t see him!” exclaimed Sarah.

  From her perspective, all she saw was the creatures being flown, thrown, and ravaged as if they were puppets on strings. Then they started losing body parts, legs, arms, and heads started flying all over the place.

  Careful, Brother, said Argos. They can regenerate their bodies, just like Tanak’Vor.

  Once I’m done with them, there won’t be anything to regenerate.

  Once Chase was satisfied he had chopped them into enough tiny bits, he used telekinesis again to smash them together into a dark blob of body parts. He clenched both his fists and fired a massive orange fireball from his chest that obliterated the dark blob on the cellular level.

  Chase looked at his family and winked.

  “Careful, Chase! Behind you,” screamed Sarah.

  But Chase had sensed Tanak’Vor coming a mile away. He teleported in place but did a one hundred and eighty-degree turn and blocked the Spectre’s powerful punch with his hand. Upon impact, it made Chase’s hair fly backward horizontally.

  Chase smiled as he crushed Tanak’Vor’s fist. The Spectre screamed, and Chase shut him up by smashing his knee into his face, sending Tanak’Vor crashing into the throne, which exploded on impact.

  “Déja vu,” said Chase with a chuckle.

  Daniel was back in his captain’s chair, and the Victory was back in the fight when Kvasir confirmed that the weapon modification was about to be deployed.

  “Awaiting your orders, Captain,” said Kvasir over the holo-screen.

  “We’re sure Chase left the chamber?”

  “Yes, he let me know he was out before he teleported away.”

  “How soon will we know if the modification to the time chamber will work?”

  “Well, if we don’t blow up in the next twenty seconds, you’ll know that the weapons are ready to use.”

  “That’s not very comforting.”

  “I’m pretty certain we’ll be fine, Captain; we’ve double and even triple checked our math.”

  “Then, by all means, activate your modifications.”

  There was silence on the bridge, interrupted only by the visual laser streaks and odd explosions in the viewport.

  “We’re still here,” said Kvasir. “That’s a good sign.”

  “I thought you said you were certain.”

  “Pretty certain, I’ve been known to make mistakes.”

  “Now he tells me!” said Daniel with a sour smile.

  “Energy output stable. That’s it. We have less than an hour to finish this battle before the ship blows up.”

  “Swell…thank you, guys, and excellent work.”

  Daniel terminated the holo-transmission and adjusted himself in his chair.

  “Let’s bring the laser turrets to the nearest enemy vessels.”

  “Target locked, Captain,” said the tactical officer.

  “Fire at will!”

  The hundred plus starboard laser turrets opened fire all at once toward the targeted super-destroyer. Most of the laser beams flew through the Fury ship as if its shields didn’t exist. It resulted in a display of fireworks and surface explosions on its armor plating before the destroyer’s internal structure gave in and a large detonation consumed the vessel.

  “We have a kill!” exclaimed the tactical officer with the rest of the bridge cheering along.

  “Target the next ship, and keep firing,” said Daniel.

  “With pleasure, Captain!”

  Menelas regained consciousness and was painfully getting back to his feet when he saw Tanak’Vor crash into his throne, destroying it in the process. He shook his head and then looked to the side and saw Chase standing there, with Sarah, Chris, and Argos farther away.

  “Okay, what did I miss?” said Menelas.

  Chris and Sarah ran and hugged Chase.

  “That was impressive,” said Argos.

  Menelas walked toward them. “How long was I out?”

  “Just a few minutes,” answered Argos.

  “What’s our next move?”

  Tanak’Vor screamed from the bottom of his lungs and pieces of broken throne flew past them.

  “I’ll take care of him,” said Chase. “You give me support, only if required.”

  Tanak’Vor’s eyes were mad with rage. Chase was ignoring him, not even looking at the Spectre. He darted forward, but Chase instantly aimed an open palm to the side without looking and fired a concentrated fireball that sent Tanak’Vor crashing behind the rest of his throne, embedding the Spectre halfway through the stone wall.

  “Even though that was mighty impressive, I still think you going at him alone is the wrong move,” said Menelas. “Let’s attack him together as we planned from the start.”

  “You’
ve all lost a lot of energy, I’m at max power, beyond that, in fact,” said Chase. “Plus, I’ve been enhanced.”

  “Enhanced?” asked Argos. “How?”

  “Long story. But I’m now faster, stronger, and have more energy than ever before.”

  “At least let me fight by your side,” insisted Argos.

  “Me too!” added Chris.

  Chase put his hands on both Chris and Argos’ shoulders and transferred some of his energy into them.

  “Alright then.”

  Mind sitting this one out? he asked Sarah.

  No, but I’ll stay here in case you need me.

  Fair enough.

  “I want to fight too,” said Menelas.

  I know you do, answered Chase. But I have a mission for you. Protect your daughter-in-law, and make sure she doesn’t get in harm’s way. Will you do that for me, Father?

  Chase could tell Menelas didn’t appreciate being given a glorified babysitting position.

  Menelas could feel how important this was to his son, so he resigned himself and nodded.

  Thank you.

  Be careful, Son.

  Chase flashed a thumbs up. “I’ve got this.”

  32

  Chase, Chris, and Argos launched themselves at the Spectre. Argos and Chris lit him up with fireballs that he deflected until Chase was upon him. Chase unleashed a deadly combo, but the Spectre blocked his attacks.

  “Don’t you dare think you’ve won already. Granted, for some fucked up reason you’re even stronger now that you were an hour ago, but I haven’t deployed all my powers yet.”

  Chase smashed Tanak’Vor’s face with a powerful uppercut.

  “Are we fighting or talking?”

  Tanak’Vor spat black blood on the ground as Chris and Argos were advancing on him from the side. Tanak’Vor unleashed a powerful shockwave that stopped them in their tracks. Chase quickly raised an open palm and discharged a fireball at the Spectre. He blocked it, skidding half a dozen yards doing so before assimilating the power of the attack into his own pool of energy.

  Chase looked straight at Tanak’Vor.

  “Is that fear I see in your eyes?”

  “I thought you didn’t want to talk!”

  Chase smiled as he launched himself forward. “Let’s finish this!”

  “Yes, let’s!” spat Tanak’Vor as he launched himself forward as well.

  Chase threw a right jab at Tanak’Vor who blocked it and threw a left jab, which Chase blocked.

  Both of them augmented their auras as the ship trembled. Pieces of marble cracked and shattered from the floor and levitated.

  “You can’t win,” said Chase. “Not anymore.”

  “Your faith in your powers will be your undoing.”

  Chase swiftly twisted his hands and caught Tanak’Vor’s wrists. Before the Spectre could react, he swiveled upward and kicked his legs, smashing them into his enemy’s jaw and sending Tanak’Vor flying. Chris and Argos unleashed two-dozen fireballs on him. Multiple explosions engulfed the Spectre into a fiery inferno.

  He landed on the floor on all fours, blood shooting from his mouth as he growled.

  “You’re all going to pay for this, every last one of you!”

  He swiftly turned around and shot a powerful black fireball toward Sarah. Menelas jumped in front of her and crossed his forearms as it exploded. It burned both his forearms slightly, but he quickly healed his wounds.

  Chase clocked Tanak’Vor’s face with a powerful elbow strike and sent him eating dust once more.

  Thank you, expressed Chase to his father.

  Anytime, Son. But you should stop toying with him and finish him off now.

  He’s defeated; he used too much energy, and now he’s going to suffer before he dies.

  Menelas grimaced.

  Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. By the way, where’s Mom? I, for sure, thought she would be here.

  I didn’t want her here.

  What did you do?

  Incapacitated her and put her in a suspended animation chamber.

  Uh oh, you’re in trouble.

  Probably. As long as she’s safe, I don’t care.

  Chase recognized that protective instinct as he also had it for Sarah. But, he also knew his mother’s temper, and he wouldn’t want to be Menelas once this battle was over. She would quite literally whoop his ass.

  After the Victory destroyed five of the super-destroyers, the rest of the Fury fleet redirected their efforts to bring it down. This could quickly become problematic as they needed to keep their shields over fifty percent, now even more than ever.

  Daniel ordered a third of the fleet, the ships with the strongest shields, to deploy around the Victory as they continued to target and pick off the Fury destroyers one by one, while the rest of the fleet engaged the spider ship with torpedoes to make sure it couldn’t fire.

  A nearby Asgardian ship exploded as the massive plasma beam shot from the array of defense platforms. That shot had been even more powerful than the last one, which probably explained why the platforms hadn’t fired in a while. That was their fourth kill, and this one had been very close to hitting the Victory on its starboard side.

  Daniel had no doubts that they were the target, but the escort ships were doing what he asked of them. He hated using them as a shield to protect his ship, but right now the Victory was the only one that was causing significant damage to the enemy fleet.

  He hoped that Chase was also managing his own fight on board the palace ship. Because if any of them failed their mission, they would lose this war. Daniel was tired, he hadn’t slept properly for over a year, and he was ready for this to end today. Preferably, with a victory for the Earth Alliance.

  “We’ll need to neutralize those weapon’s platforms soon; we can’t let them continue to pick us off one by one,” Daniel said.

  “Should we redirect our firepower onto them?” asked the tactical officer.

  “Keep our current tactic, I need to check something.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  Daniel brought up logs from earlier in the battle and looked at the power signature of the platforms when the Obsidian destroyer had failed to ram it. There had been a large drop in power the moment it had deployed its spikes. Enough to drop the shields around the platforms by more than seventy percent for just a tenth of a second, which gave Daniel a bat-shit crazy idea.

  The kind of idea that Chase usually came up with under fire. It was worth a shot. Daniel checked if he could access any of the remote StarFuries in the bays with his neuronal link to the Victory. There was a full squadron at his disposal. But unlike Chase, he couldn’t fly more than one at a time, unless…

  Unless he used one of his friend’s other ingenious ideas and pre-programmed the squadron with macros. That had allowed Chase to take on an entire Zarlack fleet when they jumped in Earth space at the very beginning of it all.

  That was settled. He gave the commander his orders to keep firing on new targets as they had done for the past few minutes while Daniel focused on programming the StarFuries to execute one hell of a gamble maneuver.

  When Achanes threw too many fireballs toward Gaia, she erected an icy wall to block them. She teleported behind Achanes and trapped his avatar in another ice coffin, hoping to buy herself some time in the process.

  But when a lava aura burned around the trapped avatar and the coffin promptly cracked, she knew that this technique wouldn’t work anymore. And why would it? Such an advanced AI would eventually predict each of her moves unless she kept them fresh. Fortunately, she had many warriors to draw from regarding techniques and attacks.

  She teleported away just in time to avoid the avatar’s arms, which had morphed into blades that looked like they could cut her to pieces.

  “You’re resilient, Gaia. I’ll give you that,” said Achanes.

  “So are you. I don’t want to kill you.”

  “Looks like one of us will die today, and I will do everything in my powe
r for that not to be me. But, you’re a worthy opponent.”

  Achanes was so different than Gaia 2 that Gaia didn’t want to have to kill him either, but she knew in her avatar bones that she had to get her hands on the blink drive.

  When spikes shot from the ground and almost impaled her, she pushed her thoughts to the side and focused on the battle. She flew in the air, and he joined her. The VR world changed from a data stream representation of a city to deep space.

  They were flying through an asteroid field. Achanes was controlling them, and it didn’t take long until they took unnatural trajectories. He was trying to stop her ascension. She smashed some with fireballs and flew through others, but the field seemed to be of infinite size.

  Was he just buying time? And, if so, why?

  Chase grabbed Tanak’Vor’s legs and spun him around so fast that it created a twister inside the throne room.

  “I wish he would finish him off, already,” said Sarah.

  “You and me both. I understand why he’s toying with him, but he’d better be sure that Tanak’Vor doesn’t have a surprise for us. I don’t think he would forgive himself if that happened.”

  “I can tell you with certainty that he wouldn’t.”

  “Well, then let’s hope that Tanak’Vor has exhausted all his options in this fight.”

  Sarah didn’t answer and instead looked on with worry in her eyes. She caressed her belly, thinking of their unborn baby. Hopefully, today they would finish this war and finally be the family they so wanted to be.

  Please, Chase. Finish him off. I want to go home.

  Chase threw Tanka’Vor toward Chris who landed three punches in a row on Tanak’Vor’s back. The Spectre swiveled in midair to hit him, but Argos blocked his attack, and Chris smashed him in the chest with a powerful kick. Tanak’Vor took three steps back but managed to stay upright.

  “I’ll kill you all, on my children’s heads, I promise I will kill you all today!”

  “Keep dreaming,” said Argos as he shot a column of energy through the Spectre’s stomach.

  Tanak’Vor growled and fell to his knees, black tendrils of goo extended to mend his wound, but they took a much longer time than before, and Tanak’Vor was panting heavily.