by Odin Oxthorn
Garrett was about to follow behind when an announcement thundered over the ship-wide intercom:
HYPERSPACE DRIVE INITIALIZED. ALL UNITS PREPARE FOR EMERGENCY JUMP.
The GaPFed prison ship shrank to nothing as the Armored Wake accelerated. A low rumble tore through the artificial atmosphere, jittering his eardrums. Space tore apart with a piercing whine, a craggy bolt slicing through the stars. The seam opened into a violent torrent of blinding green and purple clouds, and the Wake willingly entered the ravenous maw, letting itself be consumed by the energetic blanket of hyperspace.
In a flash, the Wake returned home, only to find another score of guests awaiting them.
Chapter 14
##14.0##
Homeworld was being assaulted by an unknown force, a school of predatory creatures zipping in by the droves. Their flat faces and jagged teeth gnashed across the night sky, shining scales of choppy geometric shapes lit up with the pulse of ion weaponry. Predatory sensors homed in on their desires, the pack diving straight for the planet’s core. But the Ara’yulthr fleet remained steadfast.
A greedy cruiser dared too close to the surface, speeding straight for the orbital shielding. The planet reacted to the unwelcome guest, hurling tendrils of sticky light from its mass. The crackling web ensnared the frigate in its sweetened embrace, immobilizing their prey with its venomous tangle of energy. Others soon suffered the same fate, the carnivorous planet feasting upon the cells of its newfound food source. Specks of glittering explosions brightened the scene as the enemy fighters launched missile salvos against the shields, attempting to free their comrades from the sap.
Squadrons of Ara’yulthr capital ships folded their wings, speeding toward destroyers distracted by the plight of their brethren. Cones of static pulsed from their mouths, their breath speaking words of silence to the piranha ships. The enemy could not sustain their attack, drifting aimlessly as their engines choked out.
The largest of the capital ships swooped in and towed them away, pulling them out of reach of Homeworld.
“Tosk to Main Fleet,” the commander hailed from the bridge of the Wake. “What is your status?”
“Minimal casualties, energy stores optimal.”
Tosk examined the conflict, scrolling through reports of resource consumption. “Who are they?”
“Definitely not GaPFed. Records show closest build and technology to be Charon Clan pirate fleet. Onboard scribes are verifying flags.”
“Board who you can and get answers.”
“Affirmat—”
The void screamed a mournful wail, interrupting the communication with a surge of energy. Blackness extinguished the stars, swallowing their fires beneath its dark influence. The scream intensified to an ominous drone. The scene blistered apart in a scar of bruised light. Blood reds, violent purples, and sickly yellows swirled open, the infection spreading to a massive scale.
The visceral storm bellowed, and out from the shadowy clouds emerged three black-barbed spires. Time slowed as the mammoth ship emerged into Ara’yulthr territory, the vile beast dominating the space. The gruesome construct diminished the Armored Wake’s stature, its spiked carapace radiating an aura of power. Its engines belched an ocean of noxious venom, marking its path with pollution as it glided with a dreadful elegance.
“Flags confirmed. Charon Clan,” the Homeworld station reported. “Known planet killers in the GaPFed archives.”
“What are they doing here?”
Gravity churned around the behemoth, interrupting the conversation with a torrential inferno of vicious red light. The spiked fangs of the ship glowed, metal scalding inside a coil of jagged energy. The energy expanded to a head, molten light collecting in a pustule of fire. An abyssal war cry ejected from the monster, sending shredding waves of noise rippling out through space. The sound climaxed, and the growth burst into a concentrated flow of seething energy.
The core of discharge hurtled toward Homeworld, threatening to consume everything within its path. It radiated with the light of three suns, the refuse scorching the atmosphere as it sped toward its mark.
“Wake to Guarded Cloak,” Tosk yelled into the comms. “Evasive maneuvers at once!”
Engine fire exploded from the battleship as it turned its massive hulk, burning into overdrive to avoid the corrosive energy. But their flight was swiftly cut short. The acidic fire of the insatiable monolith lanced through the ship’s hull, warping and bending it as if made of clay. Unfazed by the obstruction, the malignant beam emerged from the other side, carving a hole through the ship’s belly. Support beams of the carcass melted, the heat twisting them out from out from the flesh of its hull.
Groans from the rending metal rang out the Guarded Cloak’s death throes. The bow peeled apart from its other half, the last strands of vertebra snapping under the pressure. Engines still burned at the aft, sending the mass on a collision course with its head. The gash widened as it traveled, the repulsive beam unmoved by the spectacle.
Fuel cells detonated with the excess heat, engulfing the magnificent creature in an unquenchable blaze. A concussive PWANG shattered space, a ring of fire launched from the decaying battleship. A moment later, the fires consumed their fuel sources and extinguished, leaving behind a melted husk drifting through the orbit of Homeworld.
The loathsome weapon raced on, its insatiable hunger tearing through the Ara’yulthr fleet. Searing plasma intensified at the head, planting itself on the edges of the orbital shield. The planet was engulfed with white as the weapon bared its full weight. Swirling storms of conflicting energies singed through the power generators.
The pink influence weakened with the strike, its vibrancy flickering as each second passed. Forced to relinquish its hold on the ships imprisoned within its grasp, the shielding righted itself, focusing on dissolving the corruption eroding away at its lifeforce. With the redirected fuel sources, the shield compensated, healing its flesh as the pestilence dissipated. A moment later, the poison vanished, leaving its scar on the guardian.
The bridge crew of the Wake stared in awe at the destruction. The impact of kindred lost resonated through their spirits.
Tosk could not afford to hesitate further. “Homeworld, status!”
“Shields holding, need to recharge,” The planet responded. “Several power stations disabled. We won’t be able take another hit like that.”
“All units, deploy Carrion squadrons! Take that ship out now.”
Friendly battleships released their brood at the fanged creature. Gnashing teeth rotated around implements of destruction, the squadrons sizing up their hunt. They traced geometric shapes in space, calculating the most efficient pattern to take on the beast.
The blistering giant recoiled, weary from the spent energy. It savored the attack, gliding nearer to the planet while it recuperated. Red tendrils began to wrap around the spires, charging up for another strike. It grinned as it anticipated the interceptors speeding toward it, hacking out a cloud of mines at the oncoming carrion feeders.
Hunger fought against hunger, the carrion ships proving their agility as they weaved through the spined countermeasures. The behemoth was not impressed, igniting the mines with its own weapons batteries. Bubbles of light pocked the battleship as it downed as many carrion ships as it could.
But the carrion feeders craved more, tearing through the defenses for a taste of flesh. One by one, the feeders sank their teeth into the hull of the mammoth. Screeches of tearing metal rippled through waves of sparks, the squadrons masticating the flesh with greedy delight. Their work started on the spires, each consuming, tearing. Devouring.
Pieces of the behemoth began to break apart, the weaponry rendered useless. Once the carrions had their fill of this structure, they moved on to other delicacies, ripping through weapons and communications arrays. Flesh stripped from bone, crumbs trailing from the feast into the beyond.
A tear in space interrupted the meal. Fleet Admiral Rothgar and her entourage entered the battlefield, her
eyes set on the Armored Wake.
“Rothgar to all Ara’yulthr ships. You are to cease all activities and surrender at once.”
Tosk responded to the hail, letting their fury saturate their tone. “Call off your attack squad then.”
“They are not under our orders.”
They were through with her demands, having seen enough of GaPFed’s idea of alliance. “Then you have two choices. Leave at once. Or join them.”
Rothgar watched as the eviscerated planet killer floated away. The carrion feeders finished their meal and headed to the aid of the Wake. She held her ground, jabbing a hand at Tosk. “GaPFed will not tolerate threats upon their citizens, nor the tampering of high-profile security ships.”
“So be it.” The Wake turned to Rothgar’s ship, the point of the bow crackling with violent energy. “This is your final warning. Leave at once.”
Rothgar ground her jaw, not wanting to show weakness to an uncooperative force. But she was not a fool either, and she had to accept her disadvantage. “This is not the last you will hear from us.”
“And when you change your tone,” Tosk added, “we just might consider your voice.”
They cut the channel, not interested in witnessing GaPFed’s retreat to their higher powers. There was so much to recover from.
##14.1##
It had only been a few weeks since he landed on this planet, but Garrett felt as if he had aged several years. Despite how slow this civilization naturally ran, they reacted with such swiftness when forced under pressure.
He looked at Nara on the medical bed, the chimes and whispers of her status a poor mimicry of her presence. She had been asleep for days now, and he feared the worst. Guilt overwhelmed him. He had no context for what she was going through, but the glimpse of violence he had witnessed on the battlefield gave him enough to piece together a fragment of context. He would never be able to understand who she is, but if he were given time, perhaps they could find common ground.
Bellanar quietly approached the side of the bed. His pensive stare spoke volumes of what he was thinking. But the flickers of his mind were too fast for Garrett to keep up with. “Are you all right?”
The man hesitated, taking in a deep breath of air, savoring it, then releasing it in a meditative stream. “We have always been told to fear those afflicted by Fever.” He reached out and brushed a finger over Nara’s hand. “They cannot recognize reality, cannot distinguish friend from foe. They can never return. Though I have never witnessed it firsthand.”
Garrett looked at the ground, memories of a previous conversation with Nara echoing in his mind. “I am not sure I understand.” But he had an idea. A terrible, dreadful idea.
Bellanar continued, his posture disengaged as if he were conversing with himself, detached from Garrett’s addition to the conversation. “It is unheard of for one so young to experience it. They had said she was afflicted. And yet… it just cannot be. There is something else going on.”
The man’s implications pained Garrett. He had nearly lost her several times before. He would be beside himself if he were to lose her again.
Bellanar snapped back to reality, brows furrowed with concern as he watched Garrett’s reaction. “I… I am sorry. I should not trouble you so.” With a bow, he departed, leaving a hollow emptiness behind.
He sank into the guest seat, his head weighing him down. It wasn’t fair. No one deserved to feel this way, least of all her. The enigma of Bellanar’s words rippled through his mind, summoning tears against his will. A sob escaped his clutches as he struggled to maintain his composure. The ache in his chest swelled to an agonizing throb.
Please. I can’t do this again.
From the other side of the med bay observation glass, Tosk regarded the interaction, still uncertain about their actions against the GaPFed fleet. History morphed by these moments, the voice of one altering the path of another.
The commander had maintained the flow of status quo for their entire career, the cost of breaking the chains of stagnation far too unsavory. But if one is to lean on Fate to draw the road, to remain an observer while the universe moved around them, someone else will seize their choices away.
Tosk stepped away from the observation room, setting off to resume their duties on the bridge. Resolution would be a long, arduous journey.
“Ӧtmarr’s trust, Savant.”
Epilogue
## ADDENDUM ##
Present Date: Era 0987
With the events of the conflict involving Homeworld, GaPFed, and the unsanctioned Charon fleets, a new charter regarding the development of the star fleet has been established.
The main screen in the Council Chamber Hall slowly scrolled with words, the neutral tone of the text-to-speech functionality reading the document out loud.
Terms of the New Galactic Accord are as follows:
—Due to the unestablished power shift of the naval fleet, discussions with GaPFed or any other galactic power are hereby withheld until internal structures are solidified.
—The primary purpose of the naval fleet is for planetary defense, therefore, at least seventy percent of the force is to remain on Homeworld.
—With this and the potential threats of outside forces increasing, the other thirty percent is to be dedicated to exploration and intelligence gathering.
—Control of the fleet is to be divided thusly:
—The Council of the Future maintains control of the ships and maintenance for further research.
—The Council of the Present is in charge of crew and strategies regarding planetary defense.
—The Council of the Past is in charge of all exploration missions, and all new information is to be reported to them with the highest priority.
—This structure will remain until it has been proven that a new branch is required.
—No disciplinary action will be taken against the Separatist movement. However, since personnel planning is the responsibility of the Present, it is under the current regime’s discretion to integrate the Separatists into the new fleet with formal training in ship functionality.
—The terms of this treaty are to last 100 years, where the New Galactic Accord is to be reassessed for potential weakness in policy.
“Since this is a Global Priority issue, a decision cannot be made until we are all at a consensus.” Prism addressed the crowd with a firm gesture, the flutter of their braids emphasizing punctuation. “With that said, the New Galactic Accord is written to be amended at any given notice, presuming the movement to amend is voted upon. Now as it stands, do we all accept the terms of this treaty?”
The conversation dulled to a contemplative murmur. Green lights began to spark over each councilor’s seat. A peaceful emerald glow overtook the chambers, reflecting in the eyes of all participants. It was decided.
“Excellent. Let us now move on to our next subject, the memorializing of those lost as a result of this conflict.”
It was easy for her to slip off the Armored Wake. A ship that size was riddled with pathways. She could have left then, seizing the opportunity as the planet recovered from the wreckage. But there were loose ends to tie off, obligations to perform the formalities.
Nara soaked in the sounds of her footsteps over the marble-like floor, evoking memories of quiet times reading during her youth. Gilded vines curled around the carved stone trees that supported Loremaster’s estate. One of the oldest buildings was created from traditional materials, a monument to tranquility in the pursuit of knowledge. Stained glass domes sheltered the building from the elements, a watercolor gradient of leaves glimmering with the sunlight.
Warm light followed her as she moved up the coiling bloom of the stairwell. She used to consider these walls a sanctuary, instilling a sense of tenuous peace inside the beauty of the structure. But now she was unwelcome, trespassing through foreign territory.
The floral webbed gate to Loremaster’s office was open, and he sat behind his desk with a tea tray prepared. He regarded her
warmly, a steady wisp of steam tracing over his smile. “Greetings, child.”
“I have come to rescind my title,” she announced.
“Of course. But…” He averted his eyes, the shame in his voice creeping through. “There may be a problem.”
“What?” Her heart seized, her suspicions firing inside her brain.
“Loremaster must be of sound mind to relinquish that post. And as of late… that has come into question.”
She clamped her jaw shut, grinding her molars as she contemplated the implication. She should have known better. It always ended up this way.
“You withdraw this plague you have infected me with.” Her voice was a hiss, her severe eyes slinging venom.
He raised a hand up and exhaled, barely able to contain his voice. “I wish I could, child. But…”
Enough. “I am leaving. And you will not stop me.” She turned her back to him, heading for the door.
“I understand.” His voice wavered, a thousand pleas scarring his words. “But please return soon. There is not much time left.”
She glared at him over her shoulder. Did he plan this the entire time? This deceit was far beneath him.
He swiveled around in his seat, staring off into the horizon, watching the oceans ebb and flow. “Farewell, Lev’anet.” Catalyst. Earthshatterer. A force of nature resulting in violent, but necessary, change.
She froze at the title, her fists clenched until they were quaking. She did not want this. She did not ask for this. All she wanted was peace. To be left alone. Pain lashed at her insides as she restrained her fury, departing from the accursed ivory palace.
The cell window dissolved to transparency, the former Councilor of the Present inside tending to their small cultivation plot. Nara slid into the visitor’s chair, waiting for the questions to formulate in her brain.