by C. Gockel
The battle cruiser following close behind could easily obliterate them. That one destroyed several of our decoy ships, has killed so many of my people, Cazz-ak thought, seeing images of the human vessel through dying Entho-la-ah-mine eyes. So far the battleship hadn't threatened them and was simply fleeing like everyone else. Cazz-ak hoped they would continue that way. Perhaps we will all choose different paths once we reached the distortion area. If the humans attacked, it would likely mean the complete destruction of his ship and crew, either from their weapons or from the impending shock wave.
Cazz-ak could feel the prevailing emotion on the command deck was one of guarded optimism though. Since the humans had yet to attack, everyone hoped they would continue to desire only escape and forget about the Entho-la-ah-mine ship.
Elth-eo-lan stood next to Cazz-ak, the new Queen beside her. She sent out gentle, calming messages to both Cazz-ak and the new Queen. He was glad to have her there, her comforts needed in this stressful situation. The Queen was eager to explore her surroundings, the newly formed connection to the Great Thought creating hunger for information and knowledge. She asked many questions of Elth-eo-lan. The guardian was doing her best to answer, despite the myriad distractions. Cazz-ak hoped the young queen's birth into the midst of war and turmoil wouldn't taint the naturally gentle and peaceful nature that was the species’ archetype.
When the Entho-la-ah-mine ship finally made it to the distortion area, Cazz-ak immediately set his Hax-ax-ons to the task of generating the warp. The unified force began encouraging the space to condense and fold, to warp and stretch, to form a tunnel. As they worked, Cazz-ak tried to think of the best place to go. He didn't want to lead the pursuing battle cruiser back to an Entho-la-ah-mine home world, and the lack of safe places in the galaxy left few options. The time was drawing near for him to specify the distortion’s end point, but he was unable to think of an acceptable answer.
I don’t know what to do, he thought, desperation threatening to overwhelm him. Then, a stray thought lodged in his mind. Not a thought of his own, but from outside him, from beyond the Entho-la-ah-mines and the Great Thought all together.
“We will be safe at Eishon-2,” it said, hopeful, positive. Cazz-ak saw lush forests and gently rolling hills. A small human contingent inhabited the place, but they were friendly, kind in heart and peaceful. Under all the images ran a current of serenity and safety. Cazz-ak couldn't tell who was projecting these images, but he could feel the person somewhere nearby. A human.
If Cazz-ak delayed any longer, the distortion would be incomplete and the Entho-la-ah-mine ship would disappear into non-existence. With no time left to consider, Cazz-ak passed on the images of the lush landscape and peaceful people to his Hax-ax-ons. They took the information, using it to carefully manipulate the distortion. With mere seconds to spare, they flew into the newly formed path between Haak-ah-tar and Eishon.
Before Cazz-ak could close the distortion behind them, the human battle cruiser entered it. If we smooth it now, we sentence the humans to timelessness. Cazz-ak knew letting the human ship follow posed a monumental risk, but he could not order his crew to doom the humans that way, even if they had killed so many Entho-la-ah-mines. They had not attacked his vessel yet. Perhaps they want peace. “Smooth the distortion as soon as the human ship is through,” he directed.
The battle cruiser cleared the distortion a moment later, and his crew began closing it. Just as they set the process in motion, however, another human craft darted into the pathway. We can do nothing for them. No way to stop it now. Cazz-ak, through the eyes of his crew, looked back at the doomed vessel. It was small and decrepit, hull pitted, and obviously in need of repair. Cazz-ak’s knowledge of human ships was limited, but this was the worst one he’d ever seen. It surprised him it was still capable of flight.
They aren't moving fast enough, Cazz-ak thought, sad it was at least partially his fault for what the humans were about to experience. To his surprise, the small ship managed to stay ahead of the quickly dissolving pathway. As he watched, the decrepit vessel shot out of the distortion just as the end unfolded and disappeared.
Cazz-ak and his entire crew felt relieved, happy they were not responsible for loss of life. The joy was short-lived, however.
It’s turning, Cazz-ak thought, watching the battle cruiser move on a heading he knew meant impeding attack. Beside him, Elth-eo-lan grew nervous, her stream of comforting thoughts interrupted. The new Queen, rather than being frightened, grew more interested and exhilarated by this development.
Cazz-ak, along with Elth-eo-lan and the entire crew, knew their lives were nothing compared to that of the new Queen. With the elimination of the crystal temple on Haak-ah-tar, it was even more imperative they keep her alive. If our species is to have any hope, her health must be preserved.
Knowing he had no other choice, Cazz-ak, through his Hax-ax-ons, began to lay the foundation for the newly developed Entho-la-ah-mine weapon. He was reluctant, but the humans were forcing him. He gathered strands of the Great Thought, using the Hax-ax-ons to magnify his strength. Cazz-ak could feel the entire Entho-la-ah-mine species watching the situation unfold. Every individual in the galaxy stopped what they were doing, adding their concentration to the effort.
The battle cruiser continued drawing closer and closer. We will soon be within range of the metal throwing weaponry. This was not his first time in this situation, but he had the sinking feeling it might be his last. It easily destroyed our diversion ships on Haak-ah-tar. The Entho-la-ah-mine weapon had never been used on a ship of this size. Will we even have enough power to damage it? The opposing ship grew larger and larger, and Cazz-ak's optimism for bringing the Queen through the engagement shrank proportionally.
He redoubled his efforts, gathering strands of power in the Great Thought, his Hax-ax-ons doing all they could to help. He wove the fibers together, the thread growing from a string to a rope, then to a cable. Cazz-ak knew, at any moment, the human ship would be within range to use its weapons. I’m working as fast as I can! If he attacked too soon, it would be ineffective, and he would have to start over.
In the next instant, the battle cruiser fired. Bright trails of color streaked towards them, signaling death. The sight was as beautiful as it was fatal.
Quickly melding the many strands of Great Thought together, Cazz-ak formed a rod. He carefully folded the rod back onto itself several times, creating a gigantic shard of mental energy. Once he’d formed it properly, Cazz-ak took a steadying breath. With his mind completely focused and fully aware of the lives he was about to end, he thrust the shard at the oncoming ship.
The effect was instantaneous and devastating. It was as if a massive sword had cut the human vessel in half. The severed segments began flying along differing courses, explosions and venting atmosphere propelling them in ever-changing, erratic trajectories. Cazz-ak immediately ordered evasive maneuvers, hoping to avoid the rapidly approaching weapon rounds and ship debris.
We aren’t moving fast enough, Cazz-ak thought, helplessness engulfing him. The metal slugs fired from the human ship slammed into them, punching massive holes through the lightly armored hull. The impacts and subsequent venting atmosphere caused the bi-pyramid to jerk and shudder, knocking many of the surrounding Entho-la-ah-mines to the floor. Cazz-ak, already weak from his massive use of the Great Thought, flew into one of the walls.
As he was rising to his feet, Cazz-ak saw Elth-eo-lan and the new Queen a short distance away. Looking past, he saw the oncoming debris of the human ship. While most of the larger pieces had spiraled off in different directions, one distressingly large fragment remained on a collision course. Cazz-ak knew instinctively the current state of his crew would prevent further maneuvers, leaving them dead in space. The damage and death caused by the human weapons were too severe to overcome in such a short time. The impact of the fragmented human ship will finish the destruction of our vessel.
Small jets of venting gas drew Cazz-ak's eyes to the foremost chunk
of the human ship. At first, he couldn't tell what was happening—Perhaps some of their supplies exploding? —but then he realized it was some sort of escape system. He had never seen such a thing before, but he immediately understood that having such a system would save many of his crew.
When he looked back down at Elth-eo-lan and the new Queen, he immediately sensed their terror, and more deeply, an unfaltering trust in him. I cannot help them, he mourned, feeling like a failure. Had the Queen not been aboard it would have been a terrible loss, but with her death, he would be responsible for the extinction of his species. In that moment, he felt a grief and pain so intense his connection to the Great Thought began severing.
The Queen's voice brought him back, both to reality and the Great Thought. “Cazz-ak-tak, you were chosen for this duty because you will not fail.” Her voice was light and soft in his mind, encouraging, yet firm. Cazz-ak almost responded that he was already failing, that they were already dead, those on this ship and eventually the rest of the species. Experiencing the Queen's trust and Elth-eo-lan's hope made him push aside his despair and self-condemnation. I am still alive, and I will fight until all strength has departed.
He had no idea how to save the Queen, but a look back at the human escape system gave him a flash of inspiration. He set about implementing his plan, knowing he had no time for mistakes or delay. It would be a matter of minutes before the fragments hurtled into the Entho-la-ah-mine vessel. Cazz-ak had much work to do.
31 - Wake
It was taking days for the Ashamine's Bane to jump from system to system, stopping each time to decoy its worm impression. As he waited for them to reach their final destination, Wake often found himself deep in thought, trying to come to terms with the new life he’d chosen. His thoughts felt like a black hole, threatening to suck him in. Since the small ship held little entertainment, he needed other ways to occupy himself.
The crew didn't need his help, so that option was a dead end. All the ship's systems were up-to-date and in good repair, so Wake couldn't pass the time in technical pursuits. Talking was a good diversion, and he struck up conversations whenever possible.
“Where are we headed, Captain?” Wake asked on the second day.
“Eishon-2,” Malesis replied. Wake had never heard of it. “It’s a wild place,” Captain Malesis continued. “Several political and religious factions are based there. They run the spectrum from ambivalent to hostile in their feelings towards the Ashamine. The Brotherhood maintains a large complex on the planet. Our leader, Parick Olvold, should be there when we arrive. He moves from world to world, staying ahead of the Ashamine. Eishon is a relatively secure location, so he spends his downtime there.”
By the end of the second day, the crew grew more accepting of Wake and started including him in conversations and banter. Soon, he realized they were just as bored as he. They eagerly swapped stories and told him everything he wanted to know about the Brotherhood.
“Alnos Azak-so started the group,” Ralen said, voice taking on the tone of an experienced storyteller. “He was a minor merchant who lived thousands of years ago. When all his fellow merchants formed a guild to protect their interests, Alnos gladly helped in its organization and funding. After a few years however, some larger guild members started price fixing and enforced it amongst the members. Common goods became expensive, creating shortages and protests by the poor.
“Alnos Azak-so spoke against the tactic, arguing it was unfair to the buyers and unnecessary for the merchants. The leaders of the guild threatened him, promising to kill his family if he did not get back in line. For a time he was silent, not scared into passiveness, but devising a plan. When everything was in place, Azak-so struck and the guild leaders were dead, their entrails spilled by his small blade. The price gouging stopped and Azak-so was the people's hero.”
Wake wondered if Azak-so had been a real man or just a legend, but in the end he supposed it didn't matter. The principle of the story remained true.
After having time to reflect, Wake felt he’d been hasty in joining the Brotherhood, but he was still happy with the decision. He was impressed by Captain Malesis, Ralen, Carson, Qul, and Terron, both for their selfless effort to rescue him and their skill in doing so. If they were any representation of the Brotherhood as a whole, he was content to be part of the organization. Besides, I can always leave if I don’t like it.
After a few more days in empty space, the group conversation died off, leaving Wake with free time he had no idea how to fill. He didn't want to fall back into the trap of over-thinking, so he once again looked for something to occupy him. Since he yearned for a technical pursuit and the ship needed nothing, Wake began examining the Clothing of the Iconoclast.
Upon closer inspection, he determined it was ancient, but had no way to figure out exactly how old it was. Its crimson exterior was decorated with ornate, finely detailed silver scrollwork. Maybe it was made for someone in a position of power? Wake's attention was drawn to the fact this environmental nominizing suit contained many electrical components, but none functioned. He also discovered it was armored, something rare in an ENS. Fascinating...
While digging around inside the suit's systems in an effort to make them functional, a module caught Wake’s attention. It was discordant, newer than the surrounding parts. Its connection to the suit was brutish, out of place in the intricate circuitry. Curious of the module's function, he carefully disconnected it. Initially, Wake saw no difference, but after a while he heard a light rushing noise coming from inside the suit. Tracking it down revealed the ENS was now processing air. The Ashamine disabled that to turn it into an execution chamber. Wake smiled. One step closer to being able to use it as a fully functional ENS.
Another thing he noticed was an inscription on the back of the helmet. It was worn and old, just like the rest of the Clothing. It was hard to make out exactly what it said because the script was odd and flourishing. Callhis Hnghlwing was his best guess at the first line. The second, after much scrutiny, read: By this, you will know honor . Wake went back to the first line, puzzling over it for some time. It’s probably a name, he decided.
Having never heard of anyone named Callhis Hnghlwing and thinking it was a strange name—Did I get some letters wrong? —he wrote it on a portable terminal and set out to find Captain Malesis. Not seeing him on the command deck, Wake knocked on the door of his quarters.
“Come in,” Malesis said. Wake did so. After some small talk about how Wake was finding his accommodations on board the Ashamine's Bane, Wake showed him the name.
After looking at what Wake had written, Captain Malesis' expression grew puzzled. “You say this was on the helmet of the suit we picked you up in?” Wake nodded his confirmation and Malesis thought for a moment. “Would you get the helmet, so I can take a look?”
Perhaps the ENS is interesting for more than just its technical aspects, Wake thought, getting the helmet and returning to the captain’s quarters. Captain Malesis studied it, turning the crimson sphere over and over, pausing to look at the inscription now and then.
“I think you wrote the name wrong, even though it matches perfectly. Some letters are worn through or scratched.” His voice contained a bit of a quaver, although Wake could see no cause. “The name is Calthis Brightwing.” He paused, looking at Wake expectantly. When he said nothing, Malesis spoke again, breaking the silence. “You've never heard of her?”
“No,” Wake replied, “I didn't even know it was a woman's name, let alone who she was.”
“Calthis Brightwing was Orick Brightwing’s wife, the legendary leader of the government preceding the Ashamine. She was his battle commander, a genius of warfare and master of tactics. Legend says she wore a cobalt blue battle suit, not crimson. I suppose this could be coincidence, but that seems unlikely. What you possess is very valuable.” Wake was speechless, thinking through everything Malesis had said. “Many would seek to take this artifact from you,” Captain Malesis continued, “but I promise you none of the Br
otherhood will do such a thing. I will have to report to my superiors, but they will allow you to keep it, especially due to the circumstances by which you came to possess it.”
“Thank you,” was all Wake could say.
“If you would, please continue to study and report anything you find to me. And if you desire to sell it, give the Brotherhood the first chance. This is an important artifact, assuming it’s authentic. It is especially valuable to our order. More so than you probably understand at this point.”
Wake regained his composure somewhat after his earlier astonishment. “For now, I would like to keep it and see what it can do. It's unlike any ENS I have ever seen.”
“Of course, of course, take as long as you like. The Brotherhood would love to hear anything you can tell us.”
So Wake went back to his quarters and began working in earnest, trying to determine what the suit’s individual components did. It was slow going due to the fact most of the technology was unlike anything he’d seen or studied before. The suit appeared to lack anything but an emergency power supply, so Wake rigged up a small battery to fully energize it. Only the most basic systems came online, and the more advanced features continued eluding him. When he tried to access them through the face plate interface, the whole system simply shut down. Wake speculated several sub-systems were combat related, but he couldn't determine how they operated. Their presence confirmed some of what Malesis had said though, and for that, Wake was grateful. Before he could learn more, they neared the final worm transition and Captain Malesis asked Wake to operate one of the ship's stations.
When they entered the worm area near the Eishon system, Ralen let out a startled shout, jumping in his seat. Even the silent Terron cursed loudly at the sight unfolding in front of them. A huge Tarton class Ashamine vessel was pursuing one of the strange Entho bi-pyramidal ships, both vessels still inside the worm area. A transition was closing behind the enormous human ship. As it did, Wake noticed a battered little vessel speed out.