“And understand something too, Ares. If that’s what it takes, then a fight he will get!”
Ares continued telepathically. Chase, I understand you’re pressured and this is not the best time for the Alliance right now. But please be careful. Zeus is a formidable opponent, one I’m not sure you can defeat on your own, no matter how powerful you are now. We’ve been led to believe that he is stronger than all other Olympians put together.
Then I won’t go alone. If I’ve learned one thing these past few days, it’s that this is not my personal war, and that I don’t have to go at it on my own. Anyway, that’s probably just a myth Zeus keeps alive to make sure no one ever rebels and tries to dethrone him.
“Are we bothering you two?” said Argos, his arms locked across his chest. “I think we’ve discussed this long enough. Whatever we need to do, we’d better do it soon. Time is something we don’t have much of as we orbit around Earth.”
“Much as it pains me to admit it,” said Ryonna through grinding teeth, “Argos has a point. We need to get the hell out of here and regroup. I propose you come to . . .” She paused and blinked twice. “. . . whatever is left of Droxia. We clearly need a new base of operations. We also need to figure a way to transport Spiros and Cedric to Earth. We can’t exactly power down the planet’s shields.”
“I second that,” said Yanis. “If we did, we might not be able to bring it back up. Not with Gaia 2 waiting for such an opportunity.”
Chase slid his hand over his face in frustration. “Very well. Ares, any chance you could help with that? Can you teleport with the shield up?”
Ares seemed perplexed. “I’ll have to try it. Having the specs on the shields could prove useful, though.”
“Consider it done,” confirmed Yanis.
“Alright, you two only have a handful of minutes to make this work. And while you’re at it, Ares, please bring Tar’Lock back with you.”
“Say no more,” said Ares as he disappeared from the bridge.
“Now,” said Chase loudly to the rest of those on the bridge. “While Ryonna’s proposal is generous and has some merit, I think we all know what would happen if we did that. The Furies would come to Droxia and finish the job. I think it’s best we retake our home world for good. It isn’t occupied anymore. All we need to do is create a perimeter and start building new infrastructure on both the planet and in orbit. The time has come to return to Alpha Prime.”
“There isn’t much of a world left, Chase,” said Commodore Saroudis on the holo-screen from the Destiny. “It’s going to take quite a while to rebuild.”
“We’re not going to rebuild our entire world, Commodore. We’re just going to go back home and use every resource to build ships and defenses, fast. I’m sure the Furies have been shaken by their defeat against Gaia 2. This could work to our advantage. They’re sure to try and attack Earth again. I don’t see them accepting defeat, being an overly proud race. But it’s likely they won’t attempt it until they have a larger fleet of ships ready, which should provide us with enough time and a window of opportunity to also build more ships.”
“To do what, exactly?” asked Argos. “Don’t get me wrong. Fury pride is legendary. I’ve suffered from it myself. But what good will it do to just build a fleet of inferior ships?”
“Who said anything about inferior ships? Listen to me, all of you. I’m not gonna lie to you. Today it feels like we’re back to square one, when the Obsidian chased us away from our home. We’re again low in numbers, we have suffered many losses, our ships are damaged and we’re on the run. But we need to use every edge we can get. And if that means we have to convince the Olympians and the Asgardians with the power of our resolve, then that’s exactly what we’ll do. We have to convince them that we either unite or be destroyed. So we’ll reverse-engineer the tech we got from Ryonna. Argos will provide information on Fury tech as well, so we can build new ships designed to defeat them.”
Argos frowned. “I’m no engineer.”
“Yeah, but you’re a resourceful Fury, and you still must have bases of operation that you kept secret from the Furies. Or am I wrong?”
“No,” said Argos with an uncharacteristic smile. “I can get you what you need, but what’s in it for me?”
“What about your life?” said Chase sharply, his eyes blinking purple for just a moment.
“When did you get so feisty, brother?”
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”
“Right. We’ll do it your way, Chase.”
Chase walked towards the holo-screen with the image of Saroudis fiddling with his beard nervously.
“Commodore, if I may have a word in private?”
Saroudis nodded and Chase walked into the ready room of the Hope’s captain. He transferred the holo-transmission to his personal holo-screen.
“Adonis, in order to make this work, we’ll have to separate. I think you should lead most of what’s left of the fleet to Alpha Prime. You should probably stop by Droxia and load up as much quadrinium as the ships can carry. You’ll need it to start building new ships and defenses around Alpha Prime the moment you get there.”
“I guess there’s no need for me to point out that I’m apparently no longer in charge of this Alliance?”
Chase chuckled. “You know me and how I feel about ranks, sir.”
“Oh yeah, I’m painfully aware, Lieutenant, of your lack of respect for the chain of command.”
“It’s not so much a lack of respect. You know I don’t mean any disrespect. So let me rephrase then, Commodore. What do you think of my proposal?”
“Chase, you and I both know I might just as well appoint you admiral at this point. 'Cause, let’s face it, you’ve been driving most of our moves from the very start. Since Aphroditis contacted you, I can hardly remember a time when you haven’t been making, sometimes unilateral, decisions. But you haven’t failed us up until now, so, yes, son, I agree with your proposal, and I sure hope you have a plan. I take it you’re not gonna join us on Alpha Prime, Captain Athanatos?”
“Captain huh? What happened to admiral?” said Chase with a wide smile.
“Don’t push it, Chase.”
“Sorry, Adonis. Thanks for the promotion. You do know I couldn’t care less though, right?”
“I know. And out here, alone with the old Star Alliance a distant memory, I think I’m starting to see why. We’re fighting to survive, and right now there’s not a single person with a higher rank that will make one heck of a difference anyway.”
“Yeah, it’s something I’m now very aware of as well. And about me having a plan . . . Well, let’s just say something’s brooding. It’s time we restacked the damn deck. I’m through playing with a losing hand.”
2
Miseo looked grave. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the hyperspace lights casting blue and purple shadows on him since they had been forced to retreat. He’d already refused to take two calls from his supreme commander and father, not sure what he could say that wouldn’t result in a very unpleasant conversation.
Of course he knew it was coming anyway. It was unavoidable, and he dreaded that moment. His father had been quite unstable in the last few months, with no sign of improvement on the horizon. He’d never been a picture of calm even long before then, but he seemed more volatile than ever. Miseo wondered if, perhaps, now was the time to take his place on the throne that he so coveted.
These ships, though, what the hell were they? And where did they come from?
It was the first time the Furies had seen those ships. Granted they had been absent for millennia, but Argos had given them all the specs on every type of ship in this part of the universe, and they matched none of them. Their power signature was a mixture of Droxian, Star Alliance and Obsidian design. This made no sense unless the new Alliance had started building hybrid ships. This was not information that Argos had provided.
Just thinking of Argos elevated Miseo’s anger. How could he have been so
easily deceived by that lower Fury? It was a tactical mistake he vowed never to repeat. But he should have known that blood is thicker than water.
What was he to do now? Earth was still protected by its powerful shield, a shield Miseo’s flagship had almost brought down. But their new protector, whoever they might be, and who didn’t seem to be linked with the Alliance, was willing to sacrifice ships as if they were mere missiles. This would make another attempt on Earth all the more difficult.
Only a full-scale fleet of Fury super-destroyers could get the job done, and that was only if the numbers of this new faction didn’t grow as fast or, worse, faster than the Fury fleet currently being assembled. Miseo did a quick mental calculation. It would take many weeks if not months to have a fleet ready to re-attempt the destruction of planet Earth.
Miseo’s anger crystalized outside of his mind and into the real world. The ship trembled and equipment all around him was struck by red lightning bolts, randomly shooting from him. Only a micro fissure in his personal ready room, breaking the viewport and setting off a wailing alarm due to loss of containment, forced him back into the present, putting an end to his fit of rage. The alarm stopped when an automatic force field was erected and the pressure in the room was brought back to normal.
For a moment he wondered what it felt like to let a Kyrian snake bite him. He wondered if this was how Argos was able to contain his inner demons. Furies were a proud people. They lived under the self-imposed illusion that they were mentally superior in many ways to every other species in the universe. They lied to themselves when they claimed they didn’t lose control over their emotions. Nothing could be further from the truth. While Miseo could control his emotions well during combat, when something really troubled him, his loss of control could be dramatic compared to lesser species. Could that be their ultimate weakness? He wondered.
Before his assassin was killed by Laiyos—who Miseo had thought was a lesser Fury—the last images of the battle between them was troubling. A legion of weaklings had interfered and thrown themselves to protect that traitor. They didn’t seem to mind giving their lives for him. Worse yet, when Laiyos recovered his life force, he had seemed dramatically changed and way more powerful than before.
The fire of determination that Miseo saw in Laiyos’ eyes moments before Timoros was killed was something he had never witnessed before. In that moment, Laiyos—a not-so-lesser Fury, after all—seemed imperturbably stoic and confident that he could do anything he put his mind to. That he defeated Timoros in just a few moments worried him.
That last thought sent a series of shivers up and down Miseo’s spine.
Damn that treacherous Argos! I should have killed both brothers when I had the chance on Droxia!
Miseo focused on the spiderweb-shaped crack in the glass of his viewport. That one mistake could potentially be the most damaging one he had ever made. Just like the crack in the viewport, it could extend and ripple and bring dire consequences.
Chase focused on the holo-projected 3D star map. He looked at Alpha Prime, once his home, the one place from which he had memories. He might have had a completely different life before, one where he was perhaps not the same person at all. Since Argos had decided to wipe his memory at one point then it probably meant their paths started diverging back then.
Still, part of him wished he knew what his life was before waking up with no memories on Alpha Prime. Argos had proposed to grant such a wish. But something bothered him. He had the gut feeling that it would only bring grief, something he didn’t need and probably couldn’t afford right now.
The doors of the captain’s ready room split open and Argos entered, his expression blank and devoid of emotions, at least on the surface.
“Captain Athanatos,” said Argos.
“News travels fast. Thanks for coming so quickly.”
“I don’t have much to do for the time being. What did you want to talk about?”
“Did you find a solution to Chris’ fast-aging yet?”
“I’ve barely completed my scans of the boy. I will require a little more time to determine what he did to his genetic makeup. It wouldn’t hurt to grab my chief of bio-engineering as well. While I have a basic understanding, some of the more advanced subtleties of the subject still elude me. It would also help if I could access one of my clones.”
“Are we feeling the effects of withdrawal? You need one of your snakes?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Laiyos, I’m not an addict. Granted, the snakes are for recreation mostly, but I can do just fine without them. I was thinking more along the lines of Admiral Thassos.”
Chase’s eyes widened. When Argos mentioned her name he realized why she had been acting so erratically before she was arrested and imprisoned. Another thing caught Chase’s attention. When Argos was on the defensive, he still called him Laiyos. Not that it mattered anymore. Chase had grown used to hearing his birth name. He no longer rejected it mentally as he did before.
“Is the original . . . ?” Chase let the word hang.
“I’m afraid not. I couldn’t break her, so she was of little use to me.”
Chase’s look grew serious. “I sure hope you are honest in your willingness to bind your allegiance to us. Brother or not, with all the blood on your hands, at the first hint of deception on your part, Argos, I will kill you.”
“Get off your high horse. I don’t require your forgiveness. As for my potential punishment should I get out of line, it is duly noted. Now, do you want to continue to assert your painfully obvious superiority over me, or should we get back to the topic at hand? I need her clone if she still lives.”
“She does. Granted we all but forsook her, but it’s not Earth Alliance policy to execute prisoners.”
“Yeah, I got that when the Obsidian emperor joined the fight on your side. I thought for sure you would execute that snake on the spot after you took possession of my Zarlack flagship.”
“Believe it or not, we weren’t even aware we had him amongst the prisoners at first.”
“I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry at that. Still, the past is of no interest to either of us right now. Only the future matters.”
“Finally something we can agree on. I’ll get you the admiral’s clone. You only have a few days till Chris reaches adulthood. Please make sure you have a solution by then. Use any resources necessary.”
“You will need my help if you intend to meet Zeus. He could be a formidable opponent, one you might not be able to bring down alone, should you be foolish enough to fight the head of the Olympians. Something I would strongly discourage after Ares’ warning. But something tells me you’re already intent on going through with it.”
“Then make sure you’re done by then. Otherwise I’ll face Zeus alone, if that’s what needs to be done.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll need the other two Furies by your side.”
“I’m not risking my son’s life for an unlikely alliance, Argos.”
“Have you learned nothing from your near-death experience? Sure, you seem more confident, and I have no doubt it’s genuine and not just a façade or a lie you tell yourself. You seem, for lack of a better word . . . transformed. But the only reason you’re still breathing and amongst us is because everyone around you was willing to lay down their lives so you would survive. You need to let whoever wants to be part of this prophecy of yours make their own decisions.”
“Let Chris decide?”
“Not only Chris. In fact, I want something in exchange for saving your son’s life and stopping his current fast-aging conundrum.”
Here we go. Why am I not surprised?
Chase exhaled deeply. “Let’s, for the sake of argument, say you’re in a position to bargain with me. What do you want?”
“Well, I want to be there if you meet Zeus. And—”
Chase cut him short. “Oh, there’s more than one demand then? And, what?”
“And I would like you to . . .” There was an uncomfortably
long pause. “Train me.”
What?
Chase could only imagine how difficult such a request must have been for someone as proud as Argos to articulate. But whatever he sensed in him—that conflict, that fear buried deep inside him—it was there for a reason.
There might be a chance of redemption for you yet, brother.
“So?” Argos insisted when Chase didn’t answer.
“Alright. The first chance we get, I’ll train you; but after you’ve stopped Chris’ aging problem.”
“That goes without saying. Will there be anything else, Captain?”
Chase smiled. “You do realize that not being officially part of the Earth Alliance, you don’t need to call me by my rank?”
“Alright, Chase then.”
“How difficult is it for you to call me that?”
“Not that hard really, but I might call you Laiyos from time to time, you know. Force of habit and all that.”
“I noticed. That’s fine with me, Argos. You can go now. I’ll have the clone sent to you.”
Argos left the room without another word, and Chase made the call to have the admiral’s clone sent to Argos.
As Argos left the ready room and took the turbolift to the lab Chase had set up for him on deck five, he started feeling dizzy. His head spun, he lost his balance and crashed into the wall.
What’s happening?
Could Chase have been right about the Kyrian snake? Then a burning sensation, not unlike the one he felt when getting high, ran up his arm. But that was only the pain part. It was usually dulled by the very soothing high that came with it. Without it, the pain was way stronger than he expected.
This is not good. What if it happens in the midst of battle? Should I tell Chase?
Argos was just starting to get along with his brother, something he needed to cultivate. Going back now and asking his help as a junkie would undermine whatever trust he had managed to build up.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 169