Her belly grew icy cold and it startled her. She sat up and put her hands on it.
She felt a tremendous sadness permeate her entire body and it flash froze her blood.
Then she heard his voice in her thoughts. I love you, Sarah.
She didn’t know how it was possible, but she instantly knew that Chase was at death’s door.
She fell to her knees. Tears flowed like rivers, and she cried uncontrollably. “Chase! No! I beg you, no! Please god, no . . .”
End of Book IV . . .
Rise of the Ultra Fury
By Christian Kallias
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Christian Kallias
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
First Printing, 2016, Version 1.2
Cover artwork by Christian Kallias (StarFuries pair by Adam Burn)
Christian Kallias
[email protected]
www.christiankallias.com
www.facebook.com/ChristianKallias
www.twitter.com/kalliasx
Dramatis Personæ
Earth Alliance
Lieutenant Chase Athanatos – Earth Alliance Fury hybrid (formerly Star Alliance Lieutenant Commander)
Commander Sarah Kepler – Earth Human (formerly US Navy Commander)
Chris Athanatos – Fury Human hybrid
Commander Daniel Tharraleos – Earth Alliance Human (formerly Star Alliance)
Commodore Adonis Saroudis – Earth Alliance Human (formerly Star Alliance Captain)
Chief Engineer Yanis Tixichos – Earth Alliance Human (formerly Star Alliance)
Ryonna Isch’ys – Droxian Warrior (a fugitive Droxian smuggler)
Tar’Lock – Gorgar (Insectoid & formerly a Hellstar prisoner)
Commander Fillio Steriopoulou – Earth Alliance Human (formerly Star Alliance)
R&D Engineer Spiros Malayianis – Earth Alliance Human (formerly Star Alliance)
Argos Thanatos – Fury and Chase’s twin brother (formerly head of the Zarlacks)
Rae Kwan – Earth Alliance human (formerly US scientist)
Olympians
Aphroditis – known to humans as the goddess of love
Ares – know to humans as the god of war
Athena – known to humans as the goddess of wisdom, craft, and war
Zeus – known to humans as the god of the sky and mighty ruler of Olympus
Hades – known to humans as the god of the Underworld
Asclepios – known to humans as the god of medicine
Apollo – known to humans as the god of Music, Truth & Prophecy
Furies
Arakan – Supreme Commander of the Furies
Miseo – Arakan’s son and right arm
Arkoolis – top Fury General (deceased)
Timoros — Fury assassin
Other Characters
Cedric – Earth Human Scientist
Keera Hawking – Humanoid Bounty Hunter
Jonas – Ryonna’s brother-in-law
Gaia – Artificial Intelligence created on Earth, speaks for the planet
Menoitios — Titan
The Story So Far
Warning: If you haven’t read all the previous books in the series, you’re exposing yourself to SERIOUS spoilers by reading this part.
This section was created for readers of this series to refresh their memories (should they need to) before reading this new book. It can, of course, be used by new readers but I’d recommend you start reading the series at Book 1: Earth – Last Sanctuary (it’s free).
Volume I: Earth - Last Sanctuary
Following a devastating attack by the Obsidian Empire, helped by the mighty Zarlacks, a band of survivors led by Chase Athanatos from the Star Alliance blind jump away from their home world (Alpha Prime) and end up in an uncharted part of space, near a planet called Earth. Guided by the Olympian goddess of love Aphroditis, Chase and his friends rescue planet Earth from an alien attack and form a new alliance (Earth Alliance). But soon the Obsidian Empire tracks them down and decides to launch a full-scale attack on the blue planet. In the midst of the epic battle that ensues, the leader of the enemy forces captures Chase’s new love interest, Commander Sarah Kepler. He reveals to Sarah that he is Chase’s brother.
Volume II: Fury to the Stars
Chase learns of his Fury heritage and starts developing powers while he tries to rescue Sarah from the hands of his evil twin, Argos, currently torturing her for information. Another Olympian, Ares, trains Chase and helps him harness his emerging powers. Meanwhile, Earth is suffering random terrorist attacks that put the new Alliance’s frail status in jeopardy. After going to Hellstar Prison to get Ryonna out, Chase fights Argos and is finally reunited with Sarah, but something is off. A long-range distress call from a former Star Alliance scientist (Spiros Malayianis) brings Chase and Argos on yet another collision course. Chase is put into the impossible position of choosing between preventing sensitive weapon schematics from falling into Argos’ hands or saving Sarah’s (and his unborn son’s) life. She has been brainwashed to do Argos’ bidding and is also responsible for the wave of terrorism back on Earth. Chase reluctantly destroys Sarah’s ship.
Volume III: Destination Oblivion
Having had to kill the woman he loves as well as their unborn child plunges Chase into a spiral of hatred and self-destruction as he leaves the Earth Alliance. After meeting a bounty hunter (Keera), Chase joins forces with her in order to track the one man he hates more than anything in this world: his twin brother Argos whom he holds responsible for Sarah’s death. Argos resurfaces on their radar after killing Ares in cold blood. When their paths cross, Chase nearly kills Argos after an epic fight in Tokyo, but only spares his twin brother’s life when he reveals that Sarah is alive and the person that Chase killed was a clone. Meanwhile, a dangerous Artificial Intelligence (Gaia) is born on Earth and threatens humanity as a whole, but in the end Spiros Malayianis convinces her that she has nothing to fear from humans. In order to rescue Sarah, Chase has to reluctantly team up with Argos in order to defeat a Titan that holds a piece of tech Argos needs for his nefarious plan. When recovered, Argos requests Aphroditis to enter the piece of tech that will free his brethren, once thought to be extinct, from their dimensional prison. Aphroditis enters the machine willingly in exchange for a promise from Chase to rid the world of Argos and the threat he poses. The Fury home world (Erevos) is brought back into their reality as a result. The enemy of old (Furies) is back in play.
Volume IV: The Beginning of the End
Argos’ reunion with the Furies turns sour as he refuses to kill Chase when ordered. Back on Earth Chase trains for months with the help of Gaia and Spiros to increase his powers tenfold in the hope of defeating the Furies. Argos and two highly trained Fury warriors (Miseo, the son of the Fury Supreme Commander Arakan as well as General Arkoolis) are sent on a mission to wipe out the Droxians in retribution for their joining the Earth Alliance after the battle around Earth orbit (Earth - Last Sanctuary). Ryonna, with Keera’s help, tries to save her son when he gets tangled in the massacre that ensues on Droxia. Chase arrives on Droxia and defeats Arkoolis but Miseo proves to be too powerful for him. Argos intervenes near the end of the battle, mortally wounds Chase and leaves him for dead before they (Miseo & Argos) have to flee when reinforcements arrive.
And now the continuation . . .
1
Sarah lay on the floor, her eyes filled with tears.
Chase, please don't die!
That was when she felt a strong pain radiating from her belly, forcing her to close her eyes. She assumed a fetal position to try to find relief.
Then she heard him in her thoughts.
I'm so sorry, Sarah, I . . . I failed you. I failed all of you.
It was Chase's voice and she could feel the depth o
f regret behind his tone.
Chase, please don't die. We need . . . I need you!
There was no answer.
Chase?
The pain in her belly diminished and she opened her eyes. She was no longer on board the Hope. Neither was she lying on the floor. She stood tall on the surface of an alien planet. She stood near a cyan ocean, the purple sky reflected in its surface. Above the horizon three moons dominated the sky, which was filled with a magnificent, red-orange aurora borealis. The place was breathtaking and had a calming effect.
“Chase? Please answer me.”
“He can’t anymore,” said a familiar voice behind her.
She turned to see a tall, lean man with long, crimson hair.
“Hello, Mom,” said Chris.
“Chris, what’s happening to Chase?”
“He’s dying.”
“There has to be something we can do to save him.”
“There is. That’s why I brought you here.”
Sarah’s heart felt a little lighter, but it didn’t last long.
“However,” continued Chris, “there is a price to pay.”
“I’m listening.”
“I can save Dad now if I give him all of my life energy. It should be enough to save him.”
“Why do I feel a but coming?”
“I’m too weak myself, Mom. I already sent the lion’s share of my life energy to help him in his fight with General Arkoolis. If I do this . . .”
He let the words hang.
Sarah shook her head. “You’ll die?”
Chris’ expression hardened as he nodded.
Sarah felt trapped in her own mind. These weren’t options she was willing to consider. She couldn’t lose Chase, but at the same time she couldn’t lose her unborn son. She was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Her mind refused to go down either path. Then it hit her. That was how Chase had probably felt when he had to decide whether to shoot the starfighter with her clone on board, thinking it was her and Chris, or let Argos get his hands on possibly war-winning technology. Neither option was acceptable but he chose nonetheless. Sarah didn’t know if she had the strength to do the same.
“I can’t decide this. There has to be another way.” She looked down, too ashamed to look at Chris.
“I understand, Mom. I could make that decision for you if you like.”
She raised her eyes and gazed at him. He looked peaceful enough under the circumstances, but that told her what his decision would be.
“I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself. You may be the key to everything.”
Chris winced. “We don’t know that.”
“Look, I don’t want to lose Chase, but I can’t lose you either. You’re not even born!”
“What if we knew if my sacrifice would bring the defeat of the Furies?”
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“It’s clear that one of my powers, at least in your womb, is precognition. I see the future before it happens, so perhaps there’s a way to amp up that ability.”
“Is that even possible? You just said you’re running out of energy. How do you propose to amplify your ability?”
“That’s where it becomes dangerous, and risky for you and your own powers.”
“My what now? I don’t have powers, Chris.”
“Not yet, but bearing a Fury child you’ll most likely develop some in the future. My DNA has leaked into yours, which is normal in most hybrid pregnancies. I suspect the leak has been even bigger than usual because of the first torture session we had to endure at the hands of Argos. I can sense a lot of Fury DNA surrounding me. It must be from you, Mom.”
Sarah didn’t know what to say. She knew from the doctors that she would probably acquire a little Fury DNA, but she had never stopped to think she could actually end up wielding any kind of powers like Chase or Argos. The thought frightened her more than anything. She knew how tormented Chase had been since he had come to grips with his powers and the weight of responsibility that came with them.
“Mom, you are two different people. You having powers is actually a good thing. In fact, I think it could solidify your relationship with Chase.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“I’m in you, remember? I feel everything you feel.”
“Right . . .”
“Look, Mom, I wish we could debate this, but we need to make a decision. Sooner rather than later.”
“So you can use my own—what do we call them? Powers?—to amplify your own and see further into the future?”
“That’s the theory. I might succeed and I might fail.”
“In which case we’d be back to square one.”
“Not quite.”
“Why not?”
“If I attempt this, there’s a good chance I’ll consume the life energy in these newly born, still developing Fury cells of yours. I might strip you of your future powers just by attempting it.”
“I never intended to have powers, Chris, so I don’t care if I lose them.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
Sarah really didn’t care about powers. In fact, their mere mention raised her stress levels. Her life was already complicated enough. But she also knew that every action had consequences. In fact, she was getting a better understanding of what Chase had endured up until now, only to lie dying on the surface of Droxia. Still, what if her powers were important, whether she liked it or not? She hated this. None of the paths she was presented with offered a clear advantage. But in a situation like this, she decided to go with the lesser of all evils.
“I don’t want to lose Chase, and I don’t want to lose you to save him. Let’s see what we can learn from the future. Use whatever power you think I have and let’s see what happens.”
“Very well, Mom. This might get uncomfortable. These Fury cells aren’t yet fully developed. When I access them and merge my own life force with them, they will probably react.”
“Do what you have to do, Chris.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. Soon his face was distorted with pain and he clenched his teeth.
Sarah wanted to ask if he was okay but she knew better than to interrupt his focus and intense effort.
Jesus, this sure isn’t what I had in mind for my life.
Soon the planet they stood upon started to disintegrate around them. The horizon faded into nothingness and, in a matter of seconds, all that was left was a patch of blue sand upon which they stood, floating in space. It was a vision, but Sarah’s brain still had a hard time dealing with the fact that if she were to take five steps in any direction, she would step into the void of space. The laws of physics clearly didn’t apply here.
Then two crackling balls of energy formed between them. Bright white lightning bolts shot from their centers and the energy morphed into oval-shaped portals. A wavy field of energy radiated a blue-purple light from each of the portals.
“What’s happening, Chris? What do I do now?”
“These are doors for your mind. You can visit them both. I’ll do my best to amplify my abilities to their maximum so you can gain as much information from these timelines as you can.”
“Timelines? I’ll need a little more explanation.”
“There’s no time, Mom. You need to trust me now. The left portal will show you glimpses of the future in which I sacrifice my life now to save Dad. The right one will show you what happens if I don’t.”
“Simple enough.”
“Not quite. I have no way of controlling what you will see. It might be relevant or it might not. In any case, you must hurry. The sooner we get this over with, the better the chance that I don’t strip you entirely of your own Fury powers.”
“Alright then. Left portal first.”
Sarah walked inside the glowing portal and the moment she was through she felt as if the entire universe had swallowed her. She didn’t feel her body anymore, and that was the strangest sensation. Then flashes burst into her mind, like one big, 360-degr
ee holographic projection.
A fleet of ominous dark ships approached Earth and engaged in a terrible battle. Alliance forces were helpless to defend the planet. They fought with courage and desperation, but the enemy was too strong. Then the image changed and she stood on board an Alliance ship in the middle of the battle. The ship was exploding. An intense dread permeated her entire being. She died in this timeline. While she had no body in this place, she felt the mental equivalent of a shiver, the strongest she had ever felt.
Another set of images flashed before her eyes. Inanimate bodies. The dead bodies of all her friends. Daniel, Keera, Ryonna, Ronan, Tar’Lock. They all lay on the ground in different places, but they all ended up dead. Her consciousness was overwhelmed with grief, pain and sadness.
The image changed and she stood in a large, dark room where two figures stood. At first they were only shadows but soon she recognized one of them.
Chase!
He stood in a fighting stance, covered in blood, a look of total hate in his eyes. He was facing another Fury, the tallest, most imposing man she had ever seen. He was scarred and covered in blood. Chase spoke. “Arakan, you have taken everything I hold dear in this life. You’ve killed billions and brought nothing but pain and despair into this universe. But now your time has come.”
The Fury was panting heavily, clearly exhausted from their fight. He answered, “You have lost. Your planet Earth is no more. You’re all that’s left of the opposition. Look at you. You’re beaten as well. It’s time for you to rejoin your friends.”
“I don’t think so,” answered Chase, with more hatred in his voice than Sarah had ever heard. His eyes glowed orange and his hair shot upwards as his aura intensified.
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