Equilibrium of Terror: Part 2

by Eddie R. Hicks

  “There’s that word again,” Xavier said. “Celestial Order. Those two Hashmedai in the brig spat some crazy story about the order indoctrinating their government and the union. Thought it was a load of bollocks at first. Didn’t want to believe them but the story Avearan told me, syncs with it. And now you all are singing a similar song, so someone please tell me. What the hell is going on?”

  Chloe, Jazz, and Destiny all exchanged glances with each other. One by one, they took turns explaining everything they knew of the order and everything they experienced at Rasi and Oyuri. Including the location of the wormhole they traveled through.

  “Onatiasha mentioned your name a few times with her story as well Johnson,” Xavier said to him.

  “All the truth yo, you don’t make that shit up.”

  “The navy officer in me says to keep you all locked up for now but we’re cut off from the rest of the UNE because of some bloody Hashmedai malware in our systems. Should the Hashmedai attack we’ll need all the help we can get. And if what you’re saying is true, you all are valuable allies in this war.”

  Destiny snickered and asked. “Are we free then?”

  “Tell ya what,” Jazz said to Xavier. “We got a shit load of info on the order like Chloe said earlier. We’ll share it with ya’ll in exchange for us not being locked up.”

  “The Silver Raven is on the flight deck,” Xavier said to Jazz and Destiny. “I want you two to remain aboard it for now. You can leave but only under escort, start any shit and I’ll toss yer arses out the airlock.”

  “I’m cool with that,” Jazz said to Destiny. “You cool?”

  “I’m looking forward to eating something other than rations.”

  “Don’t think this is a get out of jail free card,” Xavier said. “Sooner or later you all will have to answer for lives you’ve taken and the crimes you’ve committed. With that said, do a damn fine job at saving Earth . . . and human lives and maybe the judge at your trials will go easy on your sentence.”

  “As for me sir?” Chloe asked.

  “Boyd is currently the leader of EDF-1 and I’d rather it stay like that for now. Speak with him to see where you can fit in.”

  Chloe nodded. “Understood, sir.”

  “Dismissed,” Xavier said as he signaled to the two marines to remove their bindings. On their way out, Xavier called out to Chloe. “Welcome back Major.”

  She faced him with a victorious smile. “Thank you, good to be back, Captain.”

  Scathing Hand, Uranus orbit, Sol system

  The Scathing Hand remained in orbit around Uranus along with the Hashmedai fleet, three of them to be exact, each one free from the protection of their respective command ships. A single transport from the Leviathan latched into the side airlock of the Scathing Hand, providing access for Admiral Yominv Crossblade to board with his two body guards, plasma rifle wielding Hashmedai.

  He long put off dealing with T’esih and her actions which resulted in the lost a carrier, its fighters, several psionics and ground assault teams. Not to mention significant and unnecessary damage to the Night Hunter and Scathing Hand. It all delayed his plans for the invasion of this system as repairs had to be made while replacement forces had to be found and brought in via the wormhole. At this stage he had hoped to have had all the gas giants under control as well as the entire asteroid belt. But instead, the fleet spent the last five days around the only planet in the system they captured.

  “Admiral.” T’esih stood at attention as Yominv and his entourage floated onto the bridge.

  “T’esih, why would you do something so stupid like this?” he said to her.

  T’esih placed her hands behind her back and said. “I saw an opportunity and took a chance. Scouts reported the humans had a secret base on Titan.”

  “My orders were for you to wait for me to return,” he said. “Not take total control of operations. You’ve ruined our plans, the humans are more alert and we lost a carrier, its interceptors, dozens of warriors and irreplaceable psionics. I had to use the malware earlier in which the humans are no doubt working on a fix. You . . . you must be punished for this.”

  “Then I accept your punishment.”

  “Splendid.”

  He snapped his fingers and his two rifle wielding body guards shot and vaporized Martop the Scathing Hand’s shipboard psionic. Martop’s last action before the rapidly fired bolts of plasma hit him was sticking his hands out in a ‘no wait’ manner.

  Yominv addressed them again once the shock that T’esih’s life was spared came to surface amongst the jittery bridge crew. “Your ship no longer has a ship board psionic, and you will not get a replacement. This ship will participate in all battles without one, just like the humans. All the limitations this ship will face will be on you T’esih. If it’s destroyed, the crew can have you to thank for their lives being wasted, much like that poor psionics family will have you to thank as you forfeited his life.” Yominv proceeded to exit via the lift he entered the bridge through. “Survive this war without a psionic, and you will have redeemed yourself in my eyes,” he said as the doors slid shut.

  Leviathan, Uranus orbit, Sol system

  Yominv returned to the bridge and admired the feeling of having gravity aboard a ship in almost all sections of it. He conjured a holographic window next to him as he began walking toward his commander’s chair. The current date and time on the far, left corner of the hologram forced him to stop walking as he was reminded of something critical.

  “Christmas isn’t too far away; we are running out of time.” Yominv faced Archmage Gayir. “Are the psionics ready for another push?”

  “We are,” the brawny and topless psionic said.

  “The malware we infected the humans with should have spread to all their ships by now. Assuming they haven’t come up with a fix, their mind shields should still be down. What’s the status of Neviana?”

  “She has not left her spot since our minds have last joined.”

  “I suppose it’s time we picked her up; she must be low on rations by now.” Yominv returned to his commander’s chair and sat on it, his holographic window followed him as he scrolled through the text that listed reports of the fleet and the battle readiness of the Leviathan’s weapons. “Thank her for the intel she’s provided the next time your minds join. I suppose one good thing did come from T’esih’s actions.” He switched the projection of his hologram to that of the red planet of the Sol system, the very same one Neviana spent the last several days scanning with her ESP. “The key to winning, lays here. This world the humans call Mars, where all of their civilians have fled too. We will attack it, draw out their forces.”

  “If I may sir,” Gayir said to him. “Why not hit Earth as per our plan? The battle at Mars could take days, we must bring Earth to its feet at Christmas, no?”

  “We will, oh well will.”

  Attacking Earth head on given the change of the battlefield was risky, as humans would launch every atomic weapon in their arsenal to defend it. Pad that with their normal attacks, fighters from the surface, planetary guns, and the orbital defense platform. If they were to attack as is, heavy losses would be taken, losses Yominv rather not have to deal with. After all, not all ships were loyal to the Celestial Order. It would be a pity if order loyal ships were to be all lost during the campaign. They needed to thin Earth’s forces out then demoralize them.

  Take Mars on Christmas Eve with heavy civilian losses along with destroying the entire UNE fleet in the process. Earth would fall the next day. The battle would consist of picking off the defense platform and fighters from the surface. And laugh as the remaining humans fight with hate rather than tactical cunningness.

  “Contact the command ships,” Yominv said to his crew. “And set a course to Mars as soon as we finish our cargo exchange with the Scathing Hand.

  Yominv checked the last page on his holographic report, the last two nuclear missiles recovered from the Uemaesce system were in the process of being secured inside the
cargo hold of the Leviathan.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Leviathan, Uranus orbit, Sol system

  Noylarlie rose from her bed inside her quarters, awakened suddenly by the frightening sound of a voice calling out to her. It wasn’t a dream, she knew this as she was in the process of having one, a pleasant one at that in which Akeia was alive and was giving her a good thrusting like old times. Then the voice called her name. It sounded like it came from inside her quarters, was something here?

  A fanatic search lasted two minutes in which every item in her quarters was pushed forward or levitated with her mind. Nobody but her was here. The intercom? No as there was no incoming message beep. The voice spoke again, and it was a woman’s voice.

  It wouldn’t fucking stop.

  Noylarlie had no idea how to deal with it, or what they were trying to say. She began to get more and more upset about it as minutes passed. She had no idea how she managed to resist the urge to rip her quarters apart, bulkhead by bulkhead. Pulling apart a storage cabinet would have to suffice for now, her psionic mind had no problems adding to the messy chaos on the floor below her.

  She returned to her bed, what was left of it, the mattress was flung across her quarters during her search. She started to take slow deep breaths out of fear she would lose it and get in a lot of trouble with the psionics aboard for causing major damage to the insides of the ship. The gem may have made her a powerful psionic, but she wasn’t indestructible, everyone ganging up on her would be the last battle she’d ever fight in.

  Her deep breathing continued, it allowed her mind to calm, relax, and become focused. More focused than normal as it allowed her to filter out what was going on around her. The voice became clearer, clear enough to track its source. It originated on Paryo. Her hands clasped together as her eyes shut. Minutes later she felt her mind seemingly touch random psionic minds all across Paryo and gained the ability to connect her thoughts with some of them. A new group of students arrived at the psionic training facility. The teachers there still molest their students. She grimaced.

  Noylarlie slowly began to filter out all the psionic minds that had little to no relevance to her. She started to zero in on the one mind she wanted to link with, the mind that was reaching out toward her across the stars, wishing to speak with her. It was a mind within the towers of the Imperial Palace.

  It was Kroshka.

  “At last,” Kroshka’s voice beamed into her mind.

  “Is this telepathy?”

  “Yes, it is,” she said. “Have you never performed it before?”

  “No. And speak not a word of this to anyone.”

  “I have a request to make,” Kroshka said. “Join me in aether space so that we may speak face to face.”

  Imperial Palace, Paryo, Uemaesce system

  Darkness veiled the naked bodies of Y’lin and Eeladen as her lustful moans echoed throughout her sleeping chamber. Eeladen held onto Y’lin’s hips as she rode him and created intense vibrations throughout the pristine canopy bed that belonged to her. She dragged her claws across his chest as her body began to quiver with ecstasy for the third time during their session, officially bringing it to a close, for she’d had enough pleasure for one night.

  She rested next him, huffing, and puffing in the same manner he was. After several minutes of silence she caught her breath, while Eeladen faced his dear empress. She looked at him with her yellow glowing eyes, there was something on her mind.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked her.

  “I sense you have not copulated with my daughter yet.”

  “I have not your majesty.”

  “You have my permission to. You have proven yourself to be a worthy lover in her bed many times with me already.”

  “She resists me, resents me.”

  “You must be with her. She may change her mind about you afterward.” She reached out, and gently brushed her fingers across the scratched areas of his chest her claws drove across not long ago. “I most certainly did.”

  “Perhaps she will open up after the ceremony; it’s not long from now.”

  “No, you must bed her before it. I need her negativity to dissipate before the ceremony; I think your cock will do the trick.” She smiled then rolled on top of his body and placed her lips next to his ears. “Besides, she must bear your children as soon as possible. The sooner you make her pregnant the better.”

  Eeladen began to grin in an evil manner as Y’lin stuck out her tongue and began to brush it across his neck, and slowly move down across his chest.

  “So I have permission?”

  She lifted her head back up to face him. “Do whatever it takes; I don’t care what it is. She needs to grow up.”

  Eeladen looked up at the ceiling as he felt Y’lin’s lips move lower and lower down his body. Y’lin giving him full permission put him in an excellent spot. The order needed Kroshka’s gem, and he needed it to be out of her hands so that her power would fade and no longer be a threat to him if he gets too close.

  Y’lin stopped her pleasuring actions across his body as he became aroused once again. He was ready for another thrusting session, and so was she, just not with her. With her daughter.

  “Whatever it takes,” she said stroking his shaft.

  Aether space, Lower Realm

  Noylarlie’s likeness appeared in aether space via astral projection guided by the help of Kroshka’s thoughts. She was impressed at how much easier it became for her to travel here, it was as if it were second nature. Her appearance didn’t change of either as she looked down and saw herself wearing the same psionic attire she wore in the normal world.

  She looked across and saw she was standing on a beach next to an ocean below a blue swirling nebula. The waters that brushed across the shore lines of the beach were familiar. Kroshka and Noylarlie’s mother Iolysta stood at the beach, waiting for Noylarlie to join them.

  She’s found her at last. A smile appeared on Noylarlie’s face, a rare sight as the two stood in front to of each other. “Mother,” Noylarlie said to Iolysta.

  “Why have you not told the Hashmedai people about the truth?” Iolysta asked. “About the goddesses?”

  Iolysta’s words weren’t the ones Noylarlie was expecting during this reunion. “I brought Danyal to the empire and was made a fool of,” Noylarlie said. “I wasn’t sure what to do next.” She sighed, for she felt she let her down. “Next time tell me exactly what you want done!”

  “Right now I need you to distance yourself from the order, stop aiding them.”

  “I thought you were supportive of their ideas?”

  “Things change.”

  “Tell me,” Noylarlie said, then took a deep breath. The question she had been meaning to ask her was about to slip away from her mouth. “Was the order responsible for Akeia’s death?”

  “They were responsible for a lot of things. Yes his death as well.”

  Kroshka looked away from the two as the news was revealed visibly saddened by it. Any mention of her brother’s death always tore her up on the inside. That same tearing up was happening to Noylarlie as well, the Celestial Order, the group she aided, plotted, and killed Akeia. Someone was going to die.

  Iolysta walked along the beach and offered Kroshka and Noylarlie to join her as the light from the nebula above continued to radiate down above them, painting the sands a light sky blue.

  “Who do I trust now?” Noylarlie asked Iolysta.

  “Humans.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “The order controls a lot of the Hashmedai navy as you know.”

  “They’re moving toward the human home world.”

  “If they are successful, they will force the human race to join the union, in which order members there will guide them toward becoming tools needed to complete the celestial ascension.”

  “And that is?”

  “Hannah plans to convert humans in wraith and send them here to aether space to kill the gods and take over.” Iolysta sto
pped and stared upward into the sky, or whatever counts for a sky out in these parts. “Prevent that.”

  They killed Akeia; I’ll do more than that. “I’ll fucking obliterate the order.”

  “Obliterate? I’d say that’s a last resort,” Iolysta said. “The order just needs to fail in their mission.”

  Kroshka’s likeness vanished instantly, it prompted both Noylarlie and Iolysta to turn around and stare at the sandy section of the beach she was once at seconds ago. Kroshka’s link to aether space was broken, that much they could sense.

  And it was against her will.

  Imperial Palace, Paryo, Uemaesce system

  The vision of aether space was swapped out with the ceiling of Kroshka’s bathing chamber. She rose from the ice-cold waters of her bath panicking. Her gem, it was missing. There were uninvited people inside her chambers as well, one of them was Eeladen.

  Kroshka got to up to confront him, not caring she had no clothes on, a telekinetic push would teach him a lesson, repeated ones would force answers out from him, like what was he doing and how did he get in without her letting him in? She stretched her arm toward him, focused her mind and saw Eeladen lose his balance, slightly. Her gifts, they weren’t effective, and she felt them slowly diminish as the two mysterious people that were with Eeladen exited her chambers, running. They had her gem. The further away they ran the more her gifts rendered down to the level of a psionic with no training or cybernetic upgrades.

  She was powerless in his presence without the gem, especially as he placed his hands around her skinny arms and dragged her into the bedroom.

  Crimson sunlight entered her chambers the next morning. Kroshka lay on her bed, unmoving with her eyes wide open, terrorized, traumatized at how Eeladen forced himself inside her the previous night. He sat at the end of the bed opposite her as he dressed himself. He offered to grab some clothes for her to put on, but she remained silent. She’d lost the will to speak, move or have a positive mind set.