Equilibrium of Terror: Part 2

by Eddie R. Hicks

  Chloe was left in the dark on the plan, he felt there was something wrong with her, something that could prove to be a risk should they bring her on the mission. He couldn’t explain it other than she had become a different person. Even her sister Sarah sensed something was up.

  Chris gave Hijinks the thumbs up she was waiting for and the transport plunged closer to the Leviathan and searched for a plasma turret that was constantly firing. They found it and began an approach that put them half a meter above the overshields of the Leviathan. Gravity began to take hold as everyone’s floating bodies came back to the floor. There was a brief rumble as the transport struck the overshields. Hijinks quickly compensated for the added gravity and continued toward the turret.

  “Well that’s strange,” Hijinks said.

  “There’s a shit load of psionics aboard generating gravity,” Chris said. “It would make sense for this ship have gravity this far out.”

  The transport came to a full stop three meters before the turret. The weapon pulsed rapidly as tiny balls of plasma sprayed about toward Solaris fighters that got close. During which the shields and overshields irised, and formed a hole for the plasma to travel through, and it was that hole Hijinks was tasked with flying the transport through as it opened. Chris had full confidence the fiery red headed pilot was more than thrilled to take on the challenge.

  “Not too late to turn back, right?” Sarah said.

  Hijinks laughed then began to make engine revving noises as if they were in a race car. Scanners reported a Solaris fighter was getting close.

  Wait for it.

  Wait for it.

  Wait for it.

  The turret began to move, acquired a target, and opened fire. The shields irised and Hijinks moved the transport through quickly, the irising shields slid shut seconds after they cleared it. Everyone held on as the transport rumbled and rocked. There wasn’t much space between the hull of the Leviathan and its shields. The modified shields of the transport held out however as it scraped its way through the extremely tight squeeze and toward the nearest airlock. Sparks sprayed as they scraped the paint job off the side of the Leviathan. Two minutes later, they arrived at the airlock and came to a full stop.

  “This looks like it,” Hijinks said climbing out of her seat.

  Chris and the others moved toward the door, a door that refused to open. “We’re jammed in too tight, I can’t get the doors open,” Sarah said.

  “Fuck it, blow it open,” Chris said.

  “That might do some major internal damage to the interior of our ride,” Hijinks said.

  “Extraction is the last thing on my mind right now,” Chris said then grimaced as he realized his comment revealed that there was a slight chance this might turn into a suicide mission.

  P-4 was placed on the door and lots of it. They needed a blast big enough to rip open their door and the airlock doors behind it. “Kill the shields in five,” Chris said to Hijinks.

  Everyone armed themselves with rifles, activated their personal shields, and adjusted their helmets as their Hashmedai team members readied their plasma swords. They moved back as the P-4 countdown started. Green light flashed as the plasma explosions that followed blew a cavernous hole through the door and the airlock entrance. In addition the back fire from the blast ripped a hole in the opposite end of the transport exposing the cabin to space.

  They all held on as the cold unforgiving vacuum pulled debris melted metal out as well as Hashmedai that were unlucky enough to be next to the airlock as it blew open. Chris was satisfied as the seventh body was flung out of the Leviathan and ordered everyone into the darkened halls of the ship.

  After bypassing commands to force the emergency force fields to shut off, they ventured into sections of the Leviathan that was still pressurized. The Hashmedai crew they encountered didn’t live long enough to call for help as the Special Forces team combined with Hashmedai assistance from Onatiasha and Zhinbryo terminated with extreme prejudice. The Leviathan was a massive ship Chris needed few Hashmedai as possible to know of their invasion.

  Imperial Palace, Paryo, Uemaesce system

  Kroshka arrived in the throne room, she nervously stepped off the elevator and across the small footbridge toward the imperial throne. She looked down at her reflection in the small river underneath the bridge, the reflection that she saw was of a young woman about to do something she didn’t want to do, and didn’t have a choice.

  Ahead of her were dozens of attendees for the ceremony, mostly nobles and guards. Y’lin sat on her throne wearing an elaborate black lace gown. While Eeladen stood in front of her, wearing a snappy v cut outfit that exposed his brawny upper chest. Eeladen was looking at the throne next to Y’lin’s the one that was meant for the emperor, nobody had sat in it for decades.

  Eeladen looked away from the throne and toward Kroshka as she approached. She still felt disturbed about what she went through with him. The sight of his chest placed horrible flashbacks of the last few nights when he forced himself on then in her. She wanted to run, she wanted to get out of this, but where would she go? Jazz wasn’t here to save her this time.

  Jazz . . . she thought. Was he still on Earth? It was Christmas day there, the last day for the human race to be free and the last day for many human lives as the imperial navy pushed on. What did her efforts over the last two months achieve? Nothing, she couldn’t prevent the war, just like how she couldn’t prevent herself from carrying Eeladen’s child.

  She forced herself to take another step closer to her mother; it was the point of no return, and she had to commit to this now. Kroshka went over in her head what was to happen next, her mother was to make a small speech as Kroshka and Eeladen stood next to each other. Y’lin would offer the two a goblet full of wine. To finish the ceremony, the two would have to share and drink from the goblet. Once the last drop of the wine was consumed they were to hand it back to Y’lin where she would declare the two of them to officially be partners and accept Eeladen as a member of the imperial family.

  Y’lin approached Kroshka with the goblet in her hands. Kroshka’s heart started to beat faster the closer Y’lin got. It began to beat so fast it was the only thing she could feel at one point. Mother and daughter made eye contact, one looked pleased, the other looked hateful. Breathe, focus, you can get through this, you can do this.

  “At last the time has come for you to accept your place and role as a member of the imperial family,” Y’lin said.

  “Yes mother,” Kroshka said. “You are right.”

  Nobody saw it coming, not even Kroshka, she was far to detached from her emotions after she said those words. Kroshka quickly reached into her handbag, held on to the hilt of Phylarlie’s dagger and plunged it directly into Y’lin’s heart.

  Two extra thrusts followed to ensure there was no chance of her pulling through. At least she won’t suffer long, Kroshka thought as Y’lin’s blood-soaked body fell to the floor holding her chest. The goblet crashed into the floor, the red wine that was in it splashed across it side by side with Y’lin’s blood.

  Shocked expressions covered everyone’s faces as they raced over to check Y’lin’s flat vitals. The guards were confused as to what to do as Kroshka dropped the bloody dagger on the floor next to her. The guards were trained to attack and kill someone during an event like this, but it was Kroshka, they couldn’t and wouldn’t. They all hesitated as Y’lin’s took her last breath.

  Kroshka gazed down at Y’lin having watched her take her last breath of air. “Goodbye mother.”

  Eeladen held onto Kroshka’s slender shoulders and yelled. “What have you done!?”

  There was still no emotion on Kroshka’s face, the trance she had put herself in shut it off as if there was a switch to it.

  “She’s dead!” Eeladen yelled after checking Y’lin’s pulse.

  “Guards,” Kroshka said. “Arrest Eeladen.”

  “What do you mean arrest me?”

  There was hesitation, the guards looked at Y
’lin as if she was going to rise and fix the situation, then back at Kroshka.

  “What are you doing?” Kroshka said with a raised and angry voice. “I am your empress now, carry out my order!”

  “Uh, yes, at once Your Majesty,” one of the guards said.

  A firm armor covered hand grabbed onto Eeladen’s arm, a second followed then a third. He didn’t resist, he simply looked at Kroshka with hatred burning in his face. “You can’t do this! We’re supposed to be bonded!”

  “But we were not. Mother is dead, I am your empress,” Kroshka said. “You are not an emperor, and never will be.”

  The guards dragged Eeladen away while he kicked and screamed. His annoying noises went unanswered as Kroshka took her place on the imperial throne. It was still warm from when Y’lin had been sitting on it not long ago. She crossed her legs and began issuing her second set of orders as the new ruler of the Hashmedai Empire.

  “Contact the fleet in Sol and order them to withdraw at once.” More hesitation from the remaining people in the throne room. A loud, “Now!” from Kroshka’s lips forced everyone into action, some bowed and asked for forgiveness for their delay.

  “Yes, Empress, at once,” one of them said, and ran off to find a psionic to speak with.

  “And you,” Kroshka said, cocking her finger at a servant. “Bring me anti-pregnancy chems at once.”

  “Yes your majesty.”

  “One last thing,” Kroshka yelled. “There are three servants facing execution, I want them released at once.”

  Radiance Council delegation chambers, Aervounis, Luminous system

  Iey’liwea and Marchei sat on opposite ends of the Radiance council desk. Ure Kuei arrived dressed his gold psionic robes ready to telepathically transmit important messages across the union in response to the new changes and decisions that were made.

  Iey’liwea rather enjoyed the change of events as it was now just her and Marchei running the union, nobody else. She wondered if their situation was comparable to the UNE in which a President and Vice President ran their government, or perhaps the Hashmedai Empire where typically an emperor and empress ran things. On top of all that she was an exile at least born as one, and she had every intention of making sure her voice was louder than that of Marchei. A born exile controlling most of the union’s decisions? The spirits of past council members must have been groaning loudly in the afterlife. Replacement council members would be found and voted in as time went on, she hoped that there was a way to prevent that, or delay it. But not everyone got what they want when they wanted.

  “Inform the Viceroy of our recent . . .” Iey’liwea looked around at the current setting of the council, “. . . changes.”

  “Stand by,” Kuei said as he used his telepathic to link with Crimei. “I have him, he understands, and is joyous about it.”

  “Is that so?”

  “The Hashmedai are close to Earth, our people there still haven’t evacuated.”

  “Sounds like he’s got his next assignment,” Iey’liwea said. “Stop the Hashmedai.”

  “Might I remind you we have no capital ships in that system,” Marchei said to her.

  “No we don’t, but the humans do.”

  Kuei continued to relay the information to Crimei as Iey’liwea sat back in her chair grinning. She was happy she reached out to Queenea. Iey’liwea always had an eye for opportunity, whether it was business, escaping order indoctrination, or getting elected. If she saw something she could benefit from, she went after it, and it always worked in her favor.

  Now if only there was to keep myself as the sole ruler of the union, she thought.

  Earth Cube, Geneva, Earth, Sol system

  Crimei made a dramatic appearance in the war room deep within Earth Cube. He couldn’t wait for the transport that took off from the Earth Cube to land, so he teleported inside. Most of the staff and guards inside weren’t very happy to see him appear as they watched live feeds from the battle at Mars.

  President Mariana Salamanca simply said. “You still here?” While she motioned her hands in a stop motion, to the armed marines ready to detain Crimei.

  “When were you planning on letting my people know of the impending doom coming to this world?” Crimei asked. “Don’t answer it, I understand why.”

  “You got some nerve!” Vice President Joseph Xiao said.

  “The council wishes to help,” Crimei said. “There’s been a change in the leadership.”

  “You’re late to the party,” Salamanca said.

  “Better late than never as your people say,” Crimei said. “Now I got transports full of rangers and psionics awaiting new orders, where do you want them?”

  Leviathan, Mars orbit, Sol system

  Yominv removed his hand from his face after learning of the psionic broadcast that was sent to the entire fleet. Kroshka had taken the throne and demanded they all withdraw back to the wormhole. Without delay all the imperial ships stopped firing and followed as the loyal devoted followers of the empire they were.

  Yominv shook his head. “This can’t be! Contact all the ships, tell them to ignore that order! Stand and fight we can and will win this!”

  Scathing Hand, leaving Mars AO, Sol system

  “The admiral wants us to keep fighting.”

  “He’s gone mad, upset he failed” T’esih said grinning. “Keep retreating, the empress’ wishes are final.”

  “Not all the ships are moving.”

  Captain T’esih’s face flinched after processing the words Delin said. She changed the imagery on her holo screen to show what the rear of the Scathing Hand’s exterior cameras saw. It only confirmed what Delin said the Leviathan along with several other ships seemed to have disobeyed a direct order from the empress. Rather the new empress. T’esih wasn’t fully versed on the details that led to Kroshka taking the throne, but orders were orders, they had to be followed and obeyed to show their loyalty and devotion.

  “Put me through to the fleet,” T’esih said.

  “You’re on.”

  This was the opportunity T’esih had been waiting for. A second chance to prove she was better suited for the role of Admiral in the imperial navy. And this time she’d have the support of the empress for defying the Admiral’s orders.

  “All ships, this is Captain T’esih of the Imperial Destroyer Scathing Hand. The empress has asked us to withdraw, do it at once!” She made sure her posture was perfect for her hologram likeness would appear on the bridge of all ships that would receive the communication broadcast.

  In response, Admiral Yominv’s hologram appeared in a similar manner as he sat on his gravity comfortable bridge of the Leviathan. “I, Admiral Yominv, gave you all including T’esih a direct order, stay and fight.”

  “We are well above acceptable losses and that number will continue to grow if we stay, leave at once!”

  The volume of Yominv’s voice increased. “Those that follow T’esih will be punished!”

  T’esih upped the ante with the tone of her voice, it was a fight she wasn’t going to back down from. He’d have to kill her this time if he planned on getting his way. “This man has gone mad can you all not see it? Follow him and you would be committing treason for disobeying a direct request from the empress! If you value your heads and the lives of your families, you should follow me back to the wormhole.”

  Their shouting match ended as the two bared their fangs at each other and shut down the broadcast. The Scathing Hand along with two thirds of the fleet entered their respective command ships in preparation for their retreat. The remaining ships stayed with the Leviathan as it continued its losing battle against the human battle ships.

  ESV Sun Tzu, Mars orbit, Sol system

  “This has to be a joke,” Commander Todd said as he and the bridge stared in awe as most of the Hashmedai fleet pulled away.

  As nice as it was to see the unexpected turn of events, Admiral Stone remained at her post. There were still Hashmedai ships in the AO, one of them being the
massive dreadnought that was getting close to shattering their shields. All the while they were no closer to taking out it’s overshields, she shuddered to think of the amount of effort that would be required to disable its regular shields that remained mostly untouched.

  She nearly lost her balance as the Sun Tzu took a substantial hit from behind, lucky shot from the Leviathan. Aft shields were gone, another hit from behind and there were finished. Proximity warning alarms began to blare.

  What is it now? She thought as she reviewed the new data on the central hologram. There was a small group of ships in bound.

  Gladius squadron, Mars orbit, Sol system

  Bright light from Aura’s most recent plasma missile strike subsided as she pulled the nose of her fighter down toward her dance partner. The psionic fighter was mocking her, it performed a pointless aileron roll for every attack it deflected away. Aura suspected it got bored as their fight turned into a close quarters chase between UNE battleships exchanging shots with the remaining Hashmedai fleet.

  Yep she’s done with me, Aura thought as the psionic fighter pulled up, and shot down two Solaris fighters.

  Aura refused to give up, continued her pursuit, and gave it her all. Anything she could do to keep the psionic fighter on her and away from the fleet saved lives in the end. Aura had the psionics moves down locked, she knew how to evade, when to attempt a strike, and nobody else did.

  The Leviathan crossed her path sometime later, its main guns lit up the inside of her cockpit with green light as it chased the ESV Benjamin Franklin. How does that bloody ship move so fast and gracefully? She thought. Leviathan’s speed and maneuverability was astonishing; it pivoted around as if it were a fighter or transport. Defensive turns, rolls, quick one-eighty spins, it was mind-blowing.