Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure

by Christian Kallias

  “The regen cycle is still running but it should be over soon. I wonder if we should get him out sooner.”

  “He’s your brother-in-law, so I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “I know. I’ve just had enough of waiting.”

  “You can always interrupt the cycle and then put him back in, if necessary.”

  “You’re right.”

  Ryonna pressed the cancel button. The cycle released the right medicine to wake its patient and soon Jonas blinked his eyes open. A minute after that, once the regen liquid had been flushed, he got out of the pod.

  “Hey, sis, so glad you got my message. I didn’t think I’d make it.”

  She took him in her arms and they hugged.

  “There’s a madman here, but I suppose you know that already.”

  “It’s okay, Jonas, he won’t hurt anyone anymore. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but why did you want us here?”

  Jonas sat on a nearby chair.

  “After you went on that mission with Alix to avenge Jax, I’ve been trying to locate who made those awesome suits. I thought they could be useful in these uncertain times. And it led me here. And a good thing it did too, seeing what happened to Droxia.”

  “So you know about the attack?”

  “Yeah, two cities had already been destroyed when I left to come here. In hindsight I should have waited for you before entering this facility.”

  “So this is where the suits are made?”

  “Yeah, that and much other interesting tech. I only managed to check the onboard computer for them when I was discovered and captured and . . .”

  “Tortured?”

  “Yeah . . .” Jonas noticed Keera. “Who’s your friend?”

  Keera came closer. “My name is Keera. Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  “What kind of other tech?” asked Ryonna.

  “Well, from what I gathered, they are all reverse engineered from very old tech, even the super-suit. The Brin clearly upgraded it since the one you used on Hathan Prime. According to the computer, the original tech dates from around twenty-two thousands years ago.”

  “If that’s true,” said Keera, “then this must be ancient tech. Perhaps Fury, Olympian or another ancient race.”

  “Which is why I thought it could be important to get our hands on it. I didn’t really expect a warm welcome, seeing how well hidden this place was, but I was hoping whoever ran it would be open to selling us some of it.”

  “I take it that wasn’t the case?”

  “Nope. I tried to tell the Brin that I could pay handsomely for it, but he was more interested in torturing me and making sure no one else was coming after me. I didn’t want you to walk into a trap so I kept my mouth shut.”

  Ryonna grimaced.

  “Do you know where the ancient tech is located?”

  “Yeah, it’s in a secure location on board the asteroid. It won’t be easy to access, but I’m sure I can hack my way through now that the path is clear.”

  “I’ll help you,” said Keera. “If you don’t mind, that is?”

  Jonas shot his sister-in-law a quick look.

  “She’s pretty good with technology. You can trust her with your life.”

  “That’s all the credentials I require. Very well then, let’s go,” said Jonas. He rose to his feet only to fall back into the chair.

  “Easy there. I didn’t let the regen tank finish your cycle. You may need a second trip.”

  “No, my head just spun for a moment. I feel fine considering . . .”

  Ryonna reluctantly called upon the holo-doc, who appeared out of thin air. “How may I be of assistance?”

  Saroudis was reviewing the defensive strategy they had put in place for the looming attack. The more they analyzed the data from their sensor probe, the less encouraging it was. The sheer power of the Fury destroyer’s shields alone would be a problem. They had no idea how to counteract it. And if the ship’s shields couldn’t be brought down, or if they couldn’t get around them, Saroudis didn’t see how they could defeat it.

  The Earth Alliance fleet was bigger than it had ever been, but the Droxians had taken more than half their contingent of ships back to defend whatever was left of their home world. Saroudis couldn’t blame them for doing so, even though he knew it was futile. If a single Fury ship decided to go there and finish the job, even every last one of their ships couldn’t do anything to prevent it.

  Saroudis hit the top of his desk with both hands in frustration.

  We don’t stand a chance.

  There was nothing more frustrating than trying to defeat a seemingly unbeatable enemy. Yet it had seemed that way ever since the Star Alliance had been nearly wiped out, and still they had prevailed. Somehow, with Chase’s help, they had always found ingenious, if somewhat ludicrous at times, ways of turning the tide of battle in their favor.

  While briefing the captain of the fleet earlier, he had wished for Chase to make a surprise appearance, or at least Ares. Anything, anyone, to give them hope. Because they were surely running out of it. And then the one thought that Saroudis didn’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole came front and center into his mind.

  Let’s assume we survive this attack. Then what?

  This was just a single Fury ship, with a strong Zarlack escort. This on its own was enough to worry about. But what would they do when three, five or ten of these ships, most likely already being constructed in orbit around Erevos, showed up? Then what?

  That brought up nothing but despair, which is why Saroudis had pushed the thought away for as long as he could.

  What would Chase do?

  Saroudis knew the answer. He’d been around the defiant lieutenant, his friend even, for long enough to know what he would do. And that was anything and everything possible; and even things impossible if needed. If he was here he would also tell him to forget about the next wave of ships sure to come one day soon. One problem at a time.

  Saroudis’ brooding was interrupted when Daniel called in with the news about a dead officer around one of the ships. Upon checking the records, the commodore noticed that the officer in question had been assigned to deliver supplies to the Hope.

  “This doesn’t make any sense, Commodore, unless . . .”

  “Unless someone took his place. Let me check with his commanding officer. Hold the line.”

  Saroudis opened another channel and asked for a status report on the missing officer. His direct superior informed the commodore that not only had he been seen just minutes ago, but he had suddenly disappeared. He closed the channel and got back to Daniel, who had heard the commodore’s second conversation.

  “I don’t like this. I think we have an intruder,” said Daniel.

  “And if he’s on board the Hope?”

  “He must be after Chase! Somehow the Furies know he’s still alive and they want to make sure he’s eliminated.”

  “We can’t let that happen.”

  “No shit. Vectoring towards the Hope now. Have as many guards as you can secure his location.”

  “Do you think it will make any difference if we’re dealing with a Fury?”

  “We can’t just stand by and hope for the best. Ares could come back any minute with ways to revive Chase. We need to buy Chase as much time as we can, no matter the cost.”

  “Very well. I’ll inform Sarah and deploy all available security to protect med-bay two. I’m sending additional backup from other ships as well.”

  “I’m also going in, Commodore.”

  “Daniel, I don’t know that you can do anything.”

  “I don’t care. I’m not standing on the sidelines while someone tries to murder whatever family I have left.”

  “Understood. Godspeed, Commander.”

  “To us all, Commodore.”

  The transmission ended and Saroudis placed all the calls he had to. When he was done he got up and checked the charge levels of his side arm. He hadn’t fired that thing in years, but today
could be the day. He put it back in his belt holster, took his jacket and walked out of his ready room. He still needed to call one person.

  When Ares and Argos arrived back aboard the Silver Arrow, Argos was furious.

  “What the fuck took you so long?”

  “What? You said you could deal with that Fury. I thought you enjoyed fighting.”

  Argos spat a large quantity of blood on the floor.

  “Your teleporting ability is almost instantaneous, yet I had to fight for quite a while. I just want to know why. What sightseeing did you do?”

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you, but if you must know, I was on board the Fury ship, which is on its way towards Earth, by the way.”

  “Why?”

  “I wanted to see Aphroditis. She had something to tell me.”

  “Spit it out, old man, what was so important?”

  “The Furies have sent an assassin to kill Chase while he’s still in stasis.”

  Argos’ face changed completely. Ares thought he saw concern among the mixed emotions his revelation had triggered.

  “They would only select one Fury for such a job. The Shadow Hunter. And if that’s true . . .”

  “What?”

  “Chase is as good as dead.”

  “You need to stop him!”

  “I can’t! At best I can delay him, but I used a lot of juice back there, thanks to you. Even at full power I could never dream of defeating him. He’s at least as powerful as Miseo. We need that elixir, now!”

  They teleported from the empty bridge to the ship’s med-bay.

  “How long do you need for the elixir to be ready?” asked Argos.

  “I’ve run into a little problem. Maybe another hour?”

  “You don’t have even a fraction of that time. Work faster!” said Argos.

  “Look, I’m trying my best. I haven’t worked on this formula for thousands of years, and my body has grown old and weak. I haven’t slept in so—”

  Argos didn’t let him finish his sentence. He slapped the old man instead.

  “What the hell? Is that supposed to motivate me?”

  “No, but this might.” Argos put his hand on the man’s shoulder and used his healing abilities to recharge the man’s tired body.

  And just like that Asclepios looked and felt ten years younger.

  “We need that elixir as soon as possible. Do whatever it takes or I’ll take back what I’ve just given you, with interest.”

  “Argos,” Ares tried to interrupt.

  “What the fuck are you waiting for, Ares? Teleport me directly in front of Chase’s stasis pod.”

  Ares knew better than to argue.

  Sarah stood in front of Chase’s pod, her hand on the glass separating her from the love of her life.

  “We need you, Chase. Our son . . . Chris is very powerful, but he needs his father and, truth be told, I need you back in my arms.”

  Sarah stared at Chase’s flash-frozen body, his eyes closed, his pale and pained expression a sad reminder of how near death he had been when he was put into this pod.

  “Chris will be a great fighter. I think he can even become stronger than you. But as soon as you’re out of this frozen prison of yours, we need to find a way to help him. You hear me, Chase? Or he won’t live for long—”

  She received an incoming call from Commodore Saroudis.

  “Where are you, Sarah?”

  “I’m with Chase. Can I be of assistance, Sir?”

  “Listen to me very carefully. There’s someone coming for—”

  There was a burst of static, and at almost the same time the door of the med-bay slid open and an officer entered the room.

  “Come in, Commodore? I didn’t get your last transmission. Saroudis, please come in.”

  But the communication had ended. Her heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong, but she had no idea what. Soon, the officer was nearly upon her.

  “What can I do for you, Major? This is a restricted area.”

  When the man didn’t answer, Sarah didn’t hesitate. She drew her side arm and pointed it at the man who was still walking towards her. His face had no expression and he looked like a robot.

  “Last warning. Stop right there or I’ll shoot.”

  Since her verbal warning had no effect, she opened fire. The first bullet ricocheted from his torso and she saw a brief red flash.

  What the hell?

  She emptied the clip of her gun but none of the bullets found their targets. Most were deflected by a shield, while the last was caught in midair by the major.

  He looked at it.

  “Such crude and inefficient weapons. Move aside. I have no grievance with you.”

  “Who do you have a grievance with? And who the fuck are you? I refuse to believe you’re a member of the crew.”

  The man touched something on his arm and the holo-field projector turned off to reveal a Fury in full combat armor. He was taller than the man he was impersonating a second ago.

  “Move away, lady, or I’ll be forced to remove you.”

  “No way. You’ll have to go through me to get to Chase.”

  “Easily arranged,” said Timoros as he grabbed Sarah by the throat and lifted her off the floor.

  She tried hitting his forearm with her fists but that achieved nothing. After a few seconds she was gasping for air and getting dizzy. An entire platoon of soldiers stormed the med-bay and shot at the Fury’s back without warning. Without turning he lifted his free hand and they all levitated. When he made a fist, they exploded from the inside out, painting most of the med-bay’s entrance red.

  Sarah was suffocating and about to lose consciousness when someone kicked her assailant in the face and sent him flying against the far wall of the med-bay. Sarah fell on the ground and much needed air finally entered her system. She wheezed heavily.

  When she looked at who had intervened she couldn’t believe her eyes. She must have been hallucinating from the lack of oxygen.

  Argos!

  18

  It took a while for Keera and Jonas to defeat all the security protocols protecting the ancient tech, but after several hours they finally broke through the last lock. The doors to the heavily secured room split open.

  “Good job you two,” said Ryonna.

  The room was so dark they couldn’t see anything inside. But then a scanning beam hit them from head to toe.

  “Unauthorized personnel detected,” said the onboard station computer. “Security protocol ninety-nine activated.”

  Two yellow, animalistic eyes turned on against the darkness of the room, not far from them.

  Lights came on and revealed a feline-looking, four-legged battle droid in front of a large glass cylinder. Its giant mouth opened and unleashed a synthetic roar that froze everyone’s blood.

  Ryonna was the first to react and started shooting at the mechanical beast with her freshly charged blaster, but the shots were deflected by the droid’s heavy shields. It reacted to the attack nonetheless and thrust its large, metal paws at Ryonna, who barely managed to dodge the attack by rolling to the side. Jonas wasn’t so lucky. He was thrown against the corridor wall with so much force that the wall bent upon impact. Blood shot from his mouth.

  Keera went for her battle rifle and opened fire on the beast while running towards it. It tried to slash her too but she dropped and slid under it and rolled to the side. By that time Ryonna had resumed fire, but the droid’s shields were holding.

  “This is not happening,” said Keera. “Its shields are too strong.” She used her combat rifle in grenade-launcher mode. Again to no avail, other than illuminating the droid’s shield and making sure she kept its attention on her.

  Ryonna caught sight of one of the super-suits.

  “Distract it just for a few more seconds,” she said. “I’ve got an idea.”

  The droid’s gaze turned to Ryonna so Keera resumed firing rapid, heavy laser shots at the beast, which once again turned its attention towards her
.

  She ran around the room, still blindly firing at the droid, which was in full pursuit. She almost dodged the beast’s next slash of its metal claws, but the tip slashed through part of her light body armor. Before she could register the pain, the metallic tail of the beast hit her squarely in the jaw and sent her crashing yards away.

  When she blinked her eyes open, the beast was above her, on its two back legs, ready to strike the final blow that would carve her into human sashimi. She tried moving away but her body refused to obey.

  Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as the fully extended claws came towards her. But then a dark, armored silhouette jumped at the droid beast and pushed it out of the way. One of the droid’s claws passed near Keera’s eyes, cutting some of the green hair that hung down in front of her forehead.

  Keera managed to get back on one knee as the droid beast and the armored silhouette tumbled, rolled and crashed against the nearby wall, destroying much of the room’s equipment on their way. Sparks flew from the dented walls. Small pieces of glass from a nearby wall monitor were thrown all over the place as it exploded shortly after the impact. Keera protected her eyes as many of the glass shards flew her way.

  “Keera!” That was Ryonna’s voice.

  Keera realized the armored person was Ryonna.

  “Enter the other combat suit! It’s our only chance,” yelled Ryonna.

  Keera ran towards it without hesitation. For a fraction of a second she didn’t know what to do, but there was one big, green control button next to the glass holding the suit. When she pressed it, the cylinder turned on its vertical axis and the back of the suit melted away. She didn’t really know what she was doing, but the adrenaline pumping through her system compelled her to enter the suit from the back. Soon a holo-display appeared in her field of view and she felt the back of the suit close on her backside.

  “Pick on someone your own size, Shadow Hunter,” said Argos.

  Timoros got back up and swiped a little blood from the cut in his right cheek before smiling.

  “This must be my lucky day. Both my targets in the same place. This will make my job easier.”