by Lee Watts
Again, Mei said nothing.
"I said where is it?!" Crimson demanded angrily.
Mei gave a quick huff letting Crimson know his words didn't scare her. Infuriated he backfisted her, knocking her to the ground. She spat blood and wiped her mouth.
"Does that make you feel like more of a man, Crimson?" she said then one of the pirates roughly pulled her to her feet by her upper arms and held them tightly.
"You'll tell me what I want to know," Crimson said confidently.
"Oh, you're going to have to hit a whole lot harder than that," she said.
"I not going to hit you, Mei," he said then drew his pistol.
"If you shoot me, Crimson, you'll never find the treasure."
"Oh, I'm not going to shoot you, Mei, I'm going to shoot him," Crimson said then gestured with his eyes. Mei turned to see what he meant, and there was Jaiden with a gag in his mouth, one eye swollen shut, and two men standing behind him with guns drawn.
"Now, start talking, Girl."
Looking back to Crimson she pulled toward him, but the beefy man holding her biceps kept her from reaching him.
"Pitiful," he said with a huff. "Last time, Mei. Where is it?"
"There is no treasure, Crimson! It's the people. The people are what the Vault Keeper hid away from the Ramillie all those years ago," she said while still somewhat struggling to get free.
Crimson considered it for a moment.
"No," he finally said. "If there was nothing else here then you wouldn't have come back. Now, where's LaRouche, and where's the real treasure?"
Mei didn't answer.
"WHERE?" he demanded.
She responded by spitting in his face.
"You're going to tell me where it is, Girl, or you're gonna watch your friend get picked apart a piece at a time."
With that, he quickly leveled his pistol at Jaiden and fired. The blast slammed into him and blew Jaiden's left leg off at the knee.
"NO," Mei cried out as Jaiden's muffled scream of pain could be heard even though he was gagged.
Aiming at Jaiden again, Crimson repeated his question.
"...Where?"
CHAPTER 33
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.." - Matthew 6:21
Except for a minimum of ships left for defense, the super battlecarrier H.M.S. Dauntless II lead the entire might of the Realm fleet at lightspeed as they sped toward The Cloud and the final confrontation of the war. Cruisers, frigates, carriers laden with starfighters and transports packed with space troopers all flew in tight formation to minimize their sensor signature. Gunships bristling with cannons flanked the fleet to protect it from any attacks that might come from the side.
On the screens throughout the fleet, the image changed from the Realm symbol to show the war-worn face of the fleet's commander.
"All hands, this is Admiral Balin. We are approaching the exit point. Due to background radiation from The Cloud, sensors can't get a clear picture of what's waiting for us. We have reason to suspect a defection has occurred, and if the informant was able to relay a message to the Ramillie our surprise is out of the bag. Either way, our main objective is to gain control of the hypergate as quickly as possible so our fleet can enter The Cloud and begin the invasion of their core systems. The longer it takes to secure the hypergate is the more time the Ramillie can muster defenses and hamper the operation. Intel reports the control station built into the gate itself. In addition to any patrolling ships, the gate is equipped with its own defense measures. Mission objective priorities are: first, eliminate sentry ships, second, overcome the gate's shielding, third, deploy infantry to take control of gate operations, fourth, activate the gate and proceed with Cloud insertion. Ship commanders, initiate COMM SEC link with the Dauntless upon exit for positive C two. Fighter command and support craft, set IFF transponders to code Zeta Omicron. All chronometers switch to Zulu. No matter what, no one stops until we punch through. That is all and long live the Realm, Balin out."
As the floating HPT returned to displaying a rotating Realm symbol, Balin turned to face the king who was shaking his head.
"I don't know if even Aulani could translate the military jargon you just used to something the rest of us could understand."
"Majesty, I still don't think it's a good idea for you to be with the strike force."
"Admiral, what kind of leader would I be if I asked others to risk their lives for their nation, but I wasn't willing to do the same? One can only lead if in the front. Besides, what would it do to morale if I left the battle and expected them to stay?"
"Very well, Sire," Balin relented.
"Admiral we are approaching The Cloud," announced a crewman.
"This is it," Balin said. "Let's see what we're up against." Striding from the HPT to his command station he called out his orders.
"Comm, send out a fleet wide signal. Disengage lightdrive in ten seconds on my mark. Ready… mark."
In rapid succession, a host of Realm warships appeared in the space before the luminous dust and energy anomaly known as The Cloud. Activated, the near moon-sized hypergate ring floated perpendicular between the fleet and the barrier.
"Full scan," Balin ordered.
Quickly punching commands into the console, the sensor operator complied with the instruction. Seeing the information, he paused in confusion then repeated the process.
"What's wrong, Ensign?"
"It must be a malfunction, Admiral."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because... I'm only reading one ship."
"One?" questioned Alexander.
"I bet I know which one," Balin added. Turning to the king, he explained. "It must be the Tyrannus."
"Then that's good," Alexander said. "I've read the reports about that ship, but even as powerful as it is, it's no match for the entire fleet. We can dispatch it quickly and get inside The Cloud for the main assault."
"No, something is wrong," Balin said with concern. "Where are the normal sentry ships? Why would the Hegemony have one of their best commanders and most powerful warships pulling guard duty this far behind the lines? It doesn't make sense."
"We're receiving a hail, Admiral," reported the communications officer.
"Looks like we're about to get some answers. I'll take it at the HPT."
As the communication link was established, the floating holographic image of a Ramillie fleet warlord appeared above the table.
"Ah, Balin," the Ramillie said. Those listening couldn't determine if it was spoken in a tone of condescension, disgust, or annoyance.
"Ra'daq," the Realm officer replied with clear disdain for his nemesis. "Got your ship patched up in just enough time for us to blow it apart again I see. How courteous of you."
"Oh, you little Realm types. You do so enjoy your banter, but I'm didn't call to exchange repartee. I assume your king is there."
Alexander, standing beyond the projection range of the HPT was as surprised as the rest of them to hear the warlord ask about him. Balin, not wanting to divulge information, avoided the question.
"What makes you think he's with the fleet at all, Ra'daq?"
"Let's just say some... thing assured me of his presence. Oh, he's there. It's only a matter of if he's on the Dauntless or one of your other ships."
Deciding there was little point in hiding, Alexander took a step forward so his image would be displayed beside Balin's.
"And there you are," Ra'daq said with a coy smile of pleasure.
"What do you want, Ra'daq?"
The Warlord gave a half huff of a laugh before answering.
"What I want is irrelevant. What my orders are is all that matters, and my orders are to extend an invitation for you to enter The Cloud to meet with his Excellency, Potentate Nexos."
"And why should I deliver myself into your waiting hands?"
"To bring the war to its conclusion of course. That is why your here isn't it? Maybe it's simply not the ending you were expecting."<
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"What guarantee do I have you won't destroy my ship or kill me as soon as I exit?"
"Oh please," Ra'daq scoffed. "If I wanted you dead it wouldn't require an elaborate ruse to accomplish it." With that, he looked away and gave a slight nod.
In the surrounding space behind and to the sides of the Realm fleet, hundreds of hyperspace portals appeared, and Hegemony ships came pouring out by the thousands. Simultaneously, ships began streaming from the main hyperportal of The Cloud and taking up position beside the Tyrannus. Within a minute, the Realm fleet was surrounded and outnumbered at least three to one.
"Now," Ra'daq began again, "shall I relay a message of your willingness to negotiate for the cessation of hostilities, or shall I order the annihilation of your fleet and you along with them?"
"I still have no reason to enter The Cloud by myself for these... negotiations."
"Then allow me to give you one," Ra'daq said as he hit a button on his command chair causing the image switch from him to that of a beautiful young woman pacing anxiously in a Ramillie prison cell. "It would be a shame to have such an exquisite creature destroyed... especially when you could have done something to save her, and your fleet."
Alexander stared, fixated on the image of his fiancée in the Ramillie detention unit.
"Aulani," he whispered. "Alright, Ra'daq. I accept your invitation."
"Excellent," Ra'daq said with a smile reminiscent of the look a spider gets when it feels new prey has become trapped on its web.
Balin waited until the transmission faded into nothingness before protesting.
"Sire, I must object to this course of action. We have no guarantee the Ramillie will honor a flag of truce, and once they have the leader of the Realm in custody, they'll try to use you to force our surrender. It's a trap."
"Of course, it's a trap," Alexander conceded. "But the longer I can delay them with these negotiations, the more time it buys for the rest of the Coalition fleets to get here."
"If they come at all," Balin grumbled.
"They'll be here," Alexander assured him. "By the look of what the Ramillie have waiting for us, we're going to need their help. If I don't come back or am under duress then let it be known I name the Marquis of Estrada to succeed me. He's a good man and has what it takes to see the Realm through whatever is ahead. I have full confidence in him."
"The entire Realm admires the Marquis, Excellency, but this isn't about him. It's about losing you," Balin pleaded.
"Admiral, during those three days I was dead, I promised the Elder if He sent me back, I would be willing to give up everything to save the Realm. If it costs my life to buy us a few more hours for the Coalition fleet to get here so we can win the war then so be it. I've always known I was operating on borrowed time. My destiny is inside The Cloud, and yours is to win this fight."
"And my place is by thy side," said Caedmon as he took a step closer to his sovereign.
"As it was in the beginning," Alexander said with a nod "so it should be at the end."
The moment seemed surreal to Balin. He almost couldn't believe what was happening.
"It's..." words nearly failed the old warrior, but he pressed on. "It's been an honor, Sire."
"No, Admiral. The honor was mine. It has been my privilege to know and serve alongside you. Long live the Realm."
"Long live the Realm," Balin replied then saluted.
Alexander returned the gesture then he and Caedmon silently left the bridge. Balin doubted he would ever see the king again. As the royal shuttle lifted from the deck of the docking bay, it gently turned to face the magnetic shielding protecting the bay from the great vacuum. Easing the thrusters forward, the ship entered the void. Alexander was at the controls and set the ship on a heading toward the hypergate and waiting Tyrannus. As they approached the gate, a quartet of Ramillie fighters broke formation and took up escorting positions at the left and right of the shuttle. Balin watched in silence as the king's ship slowly disappeared into the swirling energy of the gateway. When it wholly vanished, all it left in his field of view was the thousands of Ramillie warships hanging motionless in front of him. He knew there were twice as many to his back and wondered if the Ramillie even yet had reserves waiting in hyperspace.
Exiting the inward hypergate, a set of coordinates were transmitted to the Realm shuttle. Inputting them, Alexander set the ship on course for a planet near the center of The Cloud. The king and holy man passed the journey in silence - neither man needing to voice the unsaid as they had long since made their peace with the other and with their God.
Alexander wondered how many worlds were encased inside The Cloud. Instead of a backdrop of black with glittering pinpoints of light, the sky was full of the wispy, illuminated multi colors of the all-encompassing Cloud. Reaching Kohath, they were directed to the capitol complex and sat down on one of the twin capitol towers' massive landing balconies. Koraden's personal ship, the Neovenator was in geosynchronous orbit high above the city.
An honor guard of four troops was there to meet them and led them toward a lift, which took them upward several levels. When the doors parted, it revealed an open-air causeway lined with tall statues. The sun hung low on the horizon as they traversed the path. More ceremonially clad guards stood on each side of the far doorway. Helmeted, their expressions were inscrutable. As the doors opened, it revealed the ornate interior. Dark magenta pillars led the way toward the elevated platform at the far end where were two thrones. Seated in one identical to the former throne of the Realm was the king's half-brother. Alexander noted how Salazar was apparently healed from the caryon and assumed he used this new Plyeecian transfer device. He noted the throne was glowing and the infamous bracer that powered it was now inset into one of the arms of the grand chair. On the other throne was a muscular man who seemed vaguely familiar, but Alexander couldn't place him. The Ramillie high priest Jambrek stood behind and between the two seated men. On the ground level stood Saqir Nexos and there were sets of guards flanking each entryway to the room.
As the quartet of escorting guards came to a halt, the two Realm visitors followed their lead.
"Welcome," said the brawny man on the throne. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Koraden."
Koraden, Alexander mused over the name. He knew he'd heard it before, but in that split-second, he was unable to recall when. He decided to formally introduce himself as well.
"I am-"
"Oh, I know who you are," Koraden said. "He who fights with rocks."
"Rocks?" Alexander repeated inquisitively.
"Yes, the rocks of Oosay, the rocks of a shattered moon, the Plyeecian stones. I've been waiting a long time to meet the other son of Darius, and I believe you already know Potentate Nexos."
"We've met," Alexander replied coolly.
"And this must be the Faithful Voice," Koraden said almost hungrily. "What a delicious bonus that you've come." Turning his attention back to Alexander, he continued, "Let us begin our discussions."
"I'm not discussing anything until I see Aulani. What have you done with her?"
"She's not been harmed," Koraden assured.
"I want to see her."
"Very well," Koraden said then hit a switch on his throne and spoke into it, "Bring that fiery Realm beauty the throne room."
Within a few moments, one of the side doors opened. First to step in was Imenand. It wasn't the memory of Imenand killing him that most chaffed Alexander but how the Dirdmor had deceived him so completely. Imenand's long hair flowed loose, and as usual, he wore an extended jacket and gloved hands. He smiled wickedly as he noticed the Realm king. A few steps behind him, Aulani was roughly ushered into the room by the traitorous Commander Rayne who held her by the upper arm. As Cale came to a halt, she jerked free then turned to see who was in the room.
"Alex," she said in a mix of emotion. In one way she was overjoyed to see him, but in another knew if he was there, it meant he was in trouble. A pang of guilt pierced her as she realized the only reaso
n he would give himself up to the Ramillie was because of her. It was her fault he was there.
"Oh, Alex, you shouldn't have-"
"I had to, Aulani. Have they hurt you?"
"Nothing I can't handle," she said with a leer at the one who captured her.
"Cale, you traitor," Alexander accused. "You've been an agent for them all along, haven't you?"
"You are slow, Alex. You really should have figured this out years ago. The Ramillie are unstoppable. I'm just ensuring I have a place in the new regime."
Alexander knew he couldn't do anything at the moment, but resolved to somehow make Cale pay for what he had done to Aulani and to the Realm.
"Now that everyone is accounted for," Koraden said as he stood and began a slow walk down the platform stairs, "shall we begin our talks."
"Yes," Alexander said in agreement. "You could have killed me on the Dauntless outside of The Cloud so you must have some other intent in mind. Why have you brought me here?" he demanded.
"Bold," Koraden said in surprise now standing right in front of Alexander. "Here you are in the heart of enemy territory, your fleet surrounded by superior forces, your love my prisoner, and instead of cowering you act as if you have the upper hand. What gall!... I like gall. You're here to bring an end to the war, Boy."
"If you think I'm going to surrender and just hand the Realm over to you then you're fooling yourself."
"No, no, nothing like that. I have no intention of asking for your surrender. I intend to destroy your entire fleet today then proceed to your worlds and extinguish every living thing there."
"The Ramillie have been trying to do that for years, without success I might add."
"The Ramillie have, yes, but I have not. See, it's not the Ramillie you need fear, it is us," Koraden said as his eyes changed to dark pools. It was then Alexander recalled where he'd heard the name before. This was the Dridmor on the Chariot that day of the ambush. He was the one who Merrick battled.
"Dridmor," Caedmon said in recognition of the demonic creature.
"Yes," Koraden answered, "and because of your help," he said looking at Alexander, "within three hours a portal to our plane of existence will be stabilized, and the legions will pour through to this universe and burn across the galaxy to wipe out you, your precious Realm and everything."