The System

by Skyler Grant

  "Meet the might of the Scholarium," I said, and killed the comm.

  This was an all-star lineup.

  Baron Boreas, Temporal Manipulation

  Baroness Vess, Ice Manipulation

  Baroness Jade, Telekinesis

  Baroness Vaka, Battle Frenzy

  Lady Nox, Dark Manipulation

  Lord Sear, Fire Manipulation

  Lady Vroom, Superspeed

  Lord Vorkhal, Exceptional Luck

  Lady Iron, Superstrength

  Lord of Masks, Illusion Projection

  They were the first wave of ten ships. I had thirty. Thirty of the strongest Powered in the Scholarium and the ships built to play on that expertise.

  I boosted their powers and the ships that Hex controlled froze. That would be Boreas, everyone was temporal-locked with us. More Orbs jumped in, wave two and then wave three, and I boosted the powers of each and turned them loose on the enemy.

  Even boosted, Boreas' ability to freeze time was limited and after a minute the enemy vessels moved again. What was left of them.

  The Teledi were no more, their ships just ruined hulks drifting in space. Some still coated in sheaths of ice, others burned, others felled by a perfectly placed shot.

  Hex was calling again and I ignored her. I didn't care what she had to say. It would just be more taunting and I was tired. That boosting had taken a lot of me, and the Scholarium lords and ladies were dead on their feet aboard the Orbs. I jumped them out. They were of no use to me anymore. In their place I jumped in the Juggernauts.

  I'd had time to install psi-blockers on all of them.

  I had no illusions that I'd won the day. Not yet. It didn't take long for me to be proved right.

  Another fleet jumped in, this one with ships of odd, glossy dark pyramids. Then another, of ships that seemed made of intricately carved bones, and another of some sort of great trees.

  I ordered the Juggernauts to launch all fighters and to defend the Starburn to the last. With the psi-blockers up I had no connection to my drones aboard. I wouldn't feel them die. They'd have no memories of this glorious last stand, instead having to rely on their last backup.

  A beam cannon shot fired from one of the council ships—in the wrong direction. It wasn't aimed at my Juggernauts, but at the new ships. Perhaps they were stronger than I'd expected, and a few of them must be exceptional enough to have regained control. To have manned their stations and do what they'd come here to do.

  The Starburn meanwhile had reached the required range from the sun and the beam had begun to fire, actually four beams of light that somehow twisted and entwined. In response the sun’s temperature was altering, the profile changing.

  I wished that I could stay focused on them, but I had another problem. There was another new arrival. A council command ship had just jumped to the rendezvous point and were opening comms.

  39

  "Sol Vessels. Your presence is detected in the interdicted system with the Scythe presence. Status report," came the demand.

  I'd prepared for the contingency that they might arrive. It helped to have them here, perhaps, if we were lucky. I wish I'd had one of the humans here to take the call. This required a diplomatic touch.

  "We're doing what you would have done, if you weren't completely useless. We are authorized council agents with a proven track record against the Scythe. We infiltrated the system, activated the Starburn and are attempting to purge the system of both Scythe and Jibali presence," I said.

  That got a long pause before a reply. I imagined they were checking their own records and any sensor readings they were getting from those ships still in the system.

  "Acknowledged. Agent vessels operating to a quickly escalating situation and utilizing their own initiative. Permission to continue granted."

  Great, they were going to allow us to continue dying to cover up their crimes. Still, if we were going to survive not just the day, but in the long-term, we needed that approval.

  I switched my focus back down to the planet surface and the drone I had there.

  Caya had led the way down into the maintenance section of the Library, and she and Anna had the power core half-disassembled and hooked into the dimensional projector we'd scavenged. A restored Hot Stuff was passed out against a wall, slumped near a confused-looking Crystal, who in turn was being glared at by Sylax.

  "I really hope you're half as capable as you think you are, and that we're on the same page with what you have planned. By my estimates you have two minutes and thirty four seconds," I said.

  Caya quickly keyed the numbers into her wrist device.

  "Sure, give us a time limit to work with the highly advanced alien power system," Anna said.

  "We don't have to understand it. Just use it. Where I'm pointing, fourth relay," Caya said.

  Anna bent down and attached a clamp.

  The council vessels weren't of much use. Their shots, initially irregular, were growing even more sporadic. However, with each shot fired a shot a Hex-controlled vessel died.

  My last Juggernaut was felled with seventeen seconds left on the clock. At six seconds the Starburn was destroyed, but by that point it was too late for the Hex ships to prevent what was about to happen.

  When the star swelled outwards it was the fleets that were destroyed first, the Hex ships dissolving into superheated plasma and the council ships quickly thereafter.

  In the overwhelming swell of energy the council observer wouldn't be able to detect the tiny dimensional shift. The Library and its occupants on the planet’s surface being surrounded in a rainbow bubble that rippled, pulsed, and transported them to a pocket dimension.

  I jumped the Graven out at the last second as well.

  Nothing else in the system made it. I didn’t know if an exploding star would actually kill Hex, I doubted it.

  We were triumphant, by some terrible meaning of the word.

  40

  "In recognition of bravery and loyalty in service to the Galactic Council we award you with the Order of Dinaxis," rumbled the Glenox, which looked something akin to a nine foot tall greenish goat.

  Anna dipped her head, a rippling holographic aura appearing above her head representing the achievement.

  After I'd retrieved her and the others from the pocket dimension they'd undergone a solid week of questioning from the Galactic Authorities. They'd gone there to make sure a secret died and they wanted to be sure it was dead. Fortunately, everyone they could confirm was present had a greater crystal and was resistant to mind probes. In the end they'd determined us heroes, not traitors.

  They couldn't have been more wrong.

  Already in a pocket dimension Omega Prime was under way. We'd kept the Library we'd stolen from beneath the council's noses, put it somewhere they’d never find it, and we were learning fast. The research complex there was already the size of Earth, and it was growing.

  "For losses suffered at the hands of the Scythe we also choose to reward Sol with one boon from the council. We are sure you'll want to consider carefully what you request," the Glenox announced.

  "We already know what we request. We seek Special Agent status to deal with the Scythe and extra-dimensional threats and, once we have proved our value, placement in the council development program," Anna said.

  That got a reaction from the gathered audience of luminaries. Gasps, gurgles, and emissions of psychedelic fumes. They were startled—it was a big ask. The Council Development program was reserved for truly exceptional species that over millions of years had proved to be contributing members of the galactic society and were not pursing ascension.

  We understood now why that made sense. Ascension was death. Special Agents of the council were also trusted with a lot of authority. With that status Earth wouldn't be denied access to anything, for all that we might have to answer to our superiors later for what demands we made.

  We didn't expect to get either, but this put the council in a difficult position. They'd have to give us somet
hing. It also made us appear loyal, and ambitious.

  We were too connected to forces that opposed the council. Eventually they'd figure that out, and eventually they'd come for us. The empire was the quiet rebellion in their midst. We didn't know how yet, but we were going to tear galactic civilization down around us. We just needed time and resources.

  "Granted," said the Glenox. The expressions from the audience were even more startled this time.

  Anna's lips quirked into a half-smirk.

  In the audience Sylax wore a black gown baring one shoulder. Beside her Crystal wore one in white. They shared a look, they knew what it meant too.

  The council was onto us, there was no other reason they'd agree. Keep your enemies close, it was something we understood well. That and playing nice until it was time to go for the throat.

  The hunt was on.

  Coming Soon

  The Stellar Rebellion

  As Special Agents of the Galactic Council the forces of Earth hunt dissidents and threats across the galaxy. Yet, peace and order is not in the interest of Earth, and the Galactic Council is no friend. The seeds of war may be their only hope of survival.

  Afterword

  This was a fun one to write. When I wrote The Laboratory I never knew if it would be popular enough to make it all the way to space opera, although I had the ideas in my head. The goal has always been that the borders keep getting pushed a little further out.

  I’ve another recent Space Opera out in Centauri Bliss although that one is a bit more serious in tone (and has sex, for those who love or hate that sort of thing). The tone is a good bit more lighthearted in these, and yet all the main characters are also struggling with their newfound power and responsibilities.

  If you’ve read through to this book you’ve read a lot of what I’ve written and seen my journey as an author. Something that fans often mention enjoying, and something I think has become one of my hallmarks, is the lack of sides in my writing. There are always options of who to side with, all sides do right and do wrong. Choices are difficult, consequential, and frequent.

  The next book is really going to start pushing all the major characters to consider what is important to them. What sort of legacy they want to leave behind when finally the fighting is done.

  For SCIENCE!

  Skyler Grant

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