Behind his privacy shield, the commander’s lips trembled for an instant and his eyes glossed up.
“Very, well. Parejas out.”
The image dissolved into the white field as it descended and vanished into the floor.
Parejas stood and tugged on his coat. “Antiquity.”
“Yes, ommander.”
“Set a course for the Dranneaus Kor system.”
Kansec and Laurenell turned, stunned expressions awaited him at what that meant.
“Any objections?” Parejas asked.
The computer was first to respond. “Commander, shall I report on the obstacles and hazards that lay in our way before we get to the system in question?”
“I’m aware of them, Antiquity. Set course,” he turned to Kansec, “and set condition back to red.”
“Aye, sir. Shall I activate the constellation screen?”
“Not now, Kansec. I want them to know we’re coming.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Commander,” The Keeper said as she approached, “I don’t understand? We just saved the Earth and destroyed an entire Kryth fleet. Must we go back into harm’s way?”
The commander put his hands behind his back. “When an enemy makes a foolish mistake on trying to take out an entire star system and all the lives in it, whether they be Human or otherwise, it is at times like these that one has to remind them that playing with fire will get them burned.”
She had no further response and went back to her post.
“Kansec, prepare the jump towards Kryth space. On my mark.”
DATA CELL 69
Kercy drew her assault weapon, watching him approach. Bleeding from a wound in his shoulder, his battle-worn armor somehow making him even more menacing, Lintorth’s eyes blazed as he surveyed the shield between the Human and himself.
“Flame and ash, Issara. By the Four-Fold Gods,” Lintorth began, grinding each word out as a proclamation of destruction. “Your House is forfeit, Ascendant of Dal Karsis.”
Three Korin Shai spread out beside Lintorth Sar, their lithe frames overshadowed by his huge bulk. Wounded and battered from the thick of the fighting, he looked like an enraged beast, poised and ready to kill.
“I-I think there has been a g-grave misunderstanding,” Issara whimpered. “Surely our agreement still holds…” Kercy heard Issara’s yelp when Lintorth Sar walked forward.
“Be quiet,” Kercy snapped, walking up to the wall of the shield and staring at the Kryth on the other side. “He can’t get through.” Running her hand along the opaque surface, she pushed her fingers against the membrane. Dim ripples of light echoed from where she touched the shield.
“The Vrae is mine, Human,” Lintorth said with ice in his voice. “He is as good as dead. His word is meaningless, and I shall enjoy carving his heart out while he begs for mercy!” his cold voice rose to a shout as he slammed his massive fist into the shield, causing much brighter ripples across it. “I will strip the flesh from your precious heir and feed it to my aythras!” Continuing to pound at the shield, it flashed under each impact of his armored fists, dissipating the force. Issara’s eyes widened after each strike, flinching under Lintorth’s tirade as he promised Issara’s demise in dark detail.
“You’ll bleed out if you keep that up, Kryth,” Kercy interjected, indicating the blood now flowing down his shoulder and running in crooked rivulets, dripping on the ground.
Resting both hands on the shield wall, Lintorth glared at the Reaver. “I will carve you to pieces as well, Human.”
“You tried…and failed, I might add,” she stated evenly. “How many of your best Korin Shai died? I know I killed a few myself.” Kercy ignored Lintorth Sar’s response as a message from Ramek drew her attention away from the Kryth.
“Kercy, we need to extract,” Ramek said without preamble. “Kason is not able to make it back to the beam on his own. If we wait any longer, the ascent to the Mercador may kill him.”
“Acknowledged,” she replied, fighting down a surge of panic and watching Lintorth bark orders at his warriors. Kercy whipped her head around at the sound of distant weapons fire outside. The now-familiar crackle of Vrae weapons echoed in the distance.
“Summon the Dark Shard,” Lintorth ordered his Korin Shai, his patience worn thin by the interference from Issara.
∞∞∞
“You've betrayed me, Vrae,” Lintorth heard the Reaver say. He turned back to look at her.
“No!” Issara protested in a frightened voice. “I ordered my soldiers to withdraw and cease fire. You heard me say so. Stop firing, you fools!” he repeated across his communications channel.
The Reaver moved in a blur towards Issara, striking him with her fist. His head hit the ground from the blow as he yelled in pain from his now-broken arm. Groaning in agony, he reached with his good arm to hold his head.
Lintorth shouted, watching outside the cursed shield that separated him from Issara and the Reaver. He watched as the Reaver leveled a gauntlet blade at the back of Issara's head, feeling a knot of fear form in the pit of his stomach. He could not fail Xomes Si. Fear of failure washed away his rage and crystalized his thoughts, restoring his clarity.
“Spare him and safe passage will be yours, Human,” he promised with calm sincerity, praying to the Four-Fold Gods that she would execute the Vrae and end his chance to find the Humans’ new home world.
The Reaver did not change her stance or even acknowledge Lintorth for precious seconds, his heartbeat resonating in his ears in the silence. Her blade did not waiver. Fearing to antagonize her further, Lintorth waited.
“They still live,” the Reaver announced, turning her head to look at Lintorth. “Lucky for you, Kryth,” she said as her gauntlet blade retracted.
∞∞∞
“So. Safe passage for all of us, you say?” Kercy said, trying hard to conceal her relief. Cetan’s death flashed in her memory. The mission had distressed her more than she wanted to admit. The Reavers had always seemed to invincible to her. Fearless. Protected by their armor, skill, and absolute belief that they would always prevail and the mission history to prove it. More than half of the Reaver icons in her HUD were dark. Entire teams had fallen in this battle. Kason was injured, as were many others. The casualties for this mission had been more than anything Kercy had heard of, let alone experienced.
“Safe passage for you and the rest of your Reavers, Human,” Lintorth offered. “Generous terms under the circumstances.”
∞∞∞
“Kercy, move to the LZ now,” Ramek ordered over her channel, sucking in great lungsful of air as he ran across the ground outside the compound towards the thick wall of jungle foliage. Kason’s unconscious body hung over Ramek’s massive shoulder, bouncing as he ran. Selato and Lasko flanked him, the two surviving members of the Reaver team caught outside when the Kryth gunship was destroyed.
It was a few minutes before Ramek got any response.
“Get Kason to the ship. I’ll catch up.”
“You better,” Ramek grumbled.
Selato and Lasko ran fifty meters behind Ramek, acting as a rearguard for the exfiltration. They both still had ample nano-sprew remaining for ammunition loads as they hadn’t been as hard-pressed outside in the jungle after the initial ambush that had taken most of their team. Maddox and Keelan carved a path through the thick jungle foliage with their blades, their assault weapons depleted and slung across their backs. They scythed through the vegetation with powerful slashes, uncaring what might be in their way. It was all crushed beneath their armored boots as they all ran to the extraction point, where the beam would take them back up to the ship in low orbit above the planet.
Ramek crashed through the rough path, his wide shoulders breaking branches and widening the swath as he ran. He protected the Kason with his huge arm wrapped around him, his elbow and forearm knocking away everything in his path. The only sounds he heard were the crunching of underbrush and his own breathing. The comms channel was quiet for once. Most
of the Reavers were not accustomed to retreating…or suffering such heavy casualties. Their commander was dying and one of their own had been left behind, at her own insistence. Either way, it was a bitter loss to these warriors who had come across the galaxy to rescue one of their own.
“LZ sighted,” Ramek said, more relieved than he cared to admit. He could tell by the perfect metal ring on the ground, the surrounding brush cut with surgical precision from the beam. Maddox and Keelen stopped and turned, awaiting the incoming Vrae. Out of ammo, they took fighting stances. “The Mercador is inbound and the beam will be activated in five minutes. Selato, you and Lasko keep any pursuit off us.”
∞∞∞
Lasko shrugged off the shrapnel exploding in the foliage around him. The Vrae soldiers pursuing him had a renewed sense of courage now that the Reavers were retreating. They fired while running, ducking behind some of the larger trees as they sought cover from Selato’s and Lasko’s return fire. Lasko laughed as he fired a gyro-rocket at a thick tree trunk and watched as it exploded, Vrae jumping out from behind and some taking hits from large splinters. Selato, ever silent unless prompted, targeted Vrae soldiers one after the other, each dropping to the ground with holes between their eyes.
“Mercador is coming in to pick us up,” Ramek relayed again to Lasko for the second time. “Quit playing around,” he ordered.
“I’m not leaving Kercy behind,” Lasko said.
“Not asking you to, Lasko,” Ramek responded.
Selato fired a couple more precise shots, dropping two more Vrae.
Ramek continued, “She’ll make it out. She’s smart. And once we get Kason off this planet, we will come back and get her.”
A few tense moments passed. Selato looked at Lasko, who slid his visor up with a hiss of air, exposing his face. “We will get Reaver Lead out and I will go back for her myself.” His eyes blazed and said that he would not be swayed.
“Agreed.” Selato fired again at Vrae soldiers as he trotted backwards towards the metal ring a couple dozen meters away.
∞∞∞
Lintorth smiled as Issara’s shimmering shield melted away from the top to the bottom. Kercy stood behind the now-standing Issara, pointing her gauntlet blade at the back of his head, the blatant threat reminding Lintorth of his need for the Vrae’s knowledge. Kercy knew that he needed Issara alive for the information he possessed. Ramek and the others were at the evac site. The Mercador had moved into position to reactivate the beam to transport the Reavers back to the ship. There had been a critical moment when the Dark Shard had and taken position in higher orbit above the Mercador. Kercy’s hasty communication with Captain Jessar had stopped the imminent battle.
“It is only a matter of time before we match your capabilities. One of your ships will be captured or damaged enough to salvage your technology,” Lintorth gloated as Issara walked towards him at Kercy’s prodding. “It is inevitable, Human.”
“Perhaps,” Kercy agreed, stepping back from Lintorth and the three Korin Shai flanking him.
The grenade on the Gashnee shield-generating device, the ornate belt on his waist, detonated, throwing the Vrae backwards and knocking all the Kryth to the ground. The concussive blast surprised everyone except Kercy, who sprinted towards the falling Kryth bodies and closed on Lintorth Sar with twin blue swords in her hands.
Lintorth slammed into the floor, having taken the brunt of the blast, he lay stunned and blinking as he tried to to communicate to the Dark Shard with empty lungs. His mouth moved, but nothing came out. He saw the Reaver driving a sword down towards him and raised an arm to block, knowing he was too slow.
“For Jens Dryden!” Kercy yelled as she thrust down with her swords. Lintorth’s hand swept to block the sword aimed for his face, but not before it made contact, slashing through his left eye and down his cheek. Lintorth yelled as his blood ran down his face. His yell turned to a scream as the other blade pierced his hip, where the red Reaver sash was tied in an elaborate knot. Kercy sheathed her sword by Lintorth’s head and grasped the sash, balling it into her first. The three Korin Shai were still stunned from the blast, but were trying to stand. Lintorth lay there, one hand on his eye and his mighty fist beating the ground. Sheathing her left sword, she walked over to the Vrae, who was staring up at her in horror. She stood above him for a moment, then drew her pistol from her thigh and shot Issara three times in the heart. The armor-piercing rounds passed through him as he lay there, his hand to his chest as blood began to stain his elegant robes. She knelt beside him, her hand on his gaping chest wounds, and whispered in his ear, “For Cetan.”
Then, she sprinted towards the breach in the far wall, the battle drugs singing in her blood and augmenting her run.
∞∞∞
“She’s heading this way!” Lasko exulted, easing the grip on his weapon as he watched the trail behind him. Ramek and Kason had already returned to the Mercador. Selato was crouched by the base of the beam, providing support if anymore Vrae ventured into the clearing. Four more Vrae lay dead on the trail, the rest held their positions as they remembered who they fought.
Kercy burst through the foliage next to the cleared path, almost stumbling over the underbrush as she slowed to a walk. “Too many on the trail you left,” she said to Lasko, as he clapped her on the shoulder, pleased to see her again. “Let’s get out of this miserable place,” she said, breathing hard. “I got what we came for, at least.” She looked back at the stone edifice, looming over the jungle, with some regret. Doubt gnawed at her insides as she hoped she had made the right decision.
∞∞∞
Issara lay dying on the ground. He felt his lungs filling with blood and he coughed, gasping for air. He heard boots crunching on the small bits or rock and debris that littered the stone floor, drawing closer. He scrabbled at a glyph-covered pouch on his belt, his fumbling hands clumsy and cold. He pressed the glyphs and one of the gods must have spared some benevolence for him as it opened with a click. A small, translucent ball rolled into the palm of his hand. He willed his hand to close around it and crush the delicate orb, to deny Lintorth the prize that he sought.
Rough fingers closed around his wrist, keeping his hand open, as another plucked the orb from his dying grasp. Issara tried to curse Lintorth, but only succeeded in coughing up more blood. He raged in silent agony, unable to move as he suffocated beneath the dismissive gaze of his enemy.
“The Humans escaped, my lord,” a Korin Shai reported. “The Dark Shard engaged them and inflicted some damage, but the Humans eluded pursuit.”
“No matter,” Lintorth said, rolling the glowing orb delicately in his palm. The whines of Kryth gunships grew louder outside. Plasma cannons erupted, masking the cries of the Vrae soldiers caught in the attack. Lintorth stopped at the breach in the wall, watching the massacre of the Vrae under a relentless barrage. Two gunships swooped off, heading towards where the beam had extracted the Reavers minutes before.
“This will be the last time they escape us, my bothers.” Stepping through the breach in the wall, he walked into the killing ground, where the Vrae lay scattered, dead, and burning. “We will find them and burn both of their home worlds. We will leave nothing of them but flames and ash.”
Data CELL 71
The great expanse of space reached out over the never-ending sea of stars.
A large asteroid left the confines of its host galaxy, the Milky Way, and journed on into eternity towards another, farther harboring spiral of stars.
Traveling over this path of time and space, it reached the outer limits of the Andromeda galaxy.
The cluster of stars here are dense, one standing out within a spiral arm.
A larger star was in the process of devouring its smaller dwarf sibling.
An indigo contrail of plasma was leaving the smaller star towards the larger gravitational pull of the giant, but was being intercepted by an alien superstructure that sat between them.
Underneath the enormous structure, in a clear globe housing
, was the collection of this star’s energy that swirled and condensed into an enclosed sphere.
The superstructure itself was a black heptagon construct reflecting all incoming light; a mirrored image of its own surroundings. For all those to see, the energy sphere may have been another star and the superstructure, mirroring its surroundings, invisible to the eye.
∞∞∞
The center of the construct was just as dark as its outside shell, save for a massive cobalt crystal that sat in the middle of a grand chamber.
White pulsating tubes fed into the crystal from the ceiling and the circular mount it rested on upon the floor.
Energy coursed through the tubes, undulating with intense power .
A panel folded open along a black glass wall as a tall armored figure with a sweeping robe moved through its arches.
The being walked to the front of the crystal.
Kneeling, the armored figure sat back on its legs, bowing forward with its arms out wide, palms up, with its clothed hood covering its head. “One in the time, many.”
A deep, echoing voice resounded within the chamber from behind the crystal, “What prevision does the Insight bring forth?”
The bowing figure lifted to face the shadowed being behind the gemstone. “The Advocate is known and will contact us completing the circle of stardust, preparing the vessels of our salvation.”
“And what of the Human captured near the temple, Gnotok?”
“The Insight said his knowledge will lead to the final prevision on what is to come.”
“Is that all?” the ominous, disembodied voice questioned.
“No. That was the last transcended thought from the Insight. The heart core has stopped functioning and our connection to the temple has been severed. We don’t know why.”
There was a pause.
Annals of the Keepers - Rage Page 42