'Through here,' the stranger said.
The two men entered through another door. It hissed open automatically as they approached, and a gush of hot and muggy air washed over Draethus. He rushed forwards and stared out over the balcony.
'How am I still on Echelon?' Draethus asked. 'My people should be here, not whatever you are.'
'I do not know myself, friend, however there is a person who could help.'
'Then we must go,' the soldier replied, eager for answers.
The stranger held up a hand, 'In good time. My reason for bringing you here is for something different.'
The nameless man looked out over the balcony and took a moment to take in the sight. The fortress they stood on floated two kilometers above the surface.
'Look out further beyond the jungle below, look out towards the city,' the man asked.
Draethus pressed a button on the neck of his armor that activated his helmet to flip over and cover his head. It clamped shut and sealed the soldier inside as he activated his optic sensors and zoomed in on the horizon above the tree line.
'Those are the buildings I found myself in a few days ago. They're still burning,' he said.
'That's right; the Heridians have taken the city. We've lost many troops and the civilian population is all but wiped out. The only question I have for you, warrior, is where did you and this menace come from and why?'
'Like I answered the interrogator,' Draethus started. 'The Heridians invaded our world, the Echelon where I am from, and we have been at war ever since. I was at an outpost, guarding a device hidden beneath the surface. The Rids attacked and used some kind of drilling laser from the surface. They breached all our defenses and killed everyone in my squad, I was the last standing.'
'So how did you end up in the city?'
'Before the attack on the outpost, one of our technical professionals instructed me on where to place explosive charges on the device that could do the most amount of damage.'
'You intended to detonate this device even though it would cost you your life?'
'That's correct, stranger. To save our forces from this menace many of us have taken our own lives, to destroy them of course.'
A man carrying equipment walked onto the balcony, saw they occupied it, tipped his head in apology and retreated by closing the door behind him.
The stranger returned the politeness then continued, 'So you were successful in activating the device?'
'Yes,' Draethus responded. 'All I remember is a blinding light, roaring noise, and then it was as if every particle in my body was being ripped apart. The next thing I recall, I was in the city surrounded by screaming civilians, Heridians and that robot that brought me here.'
'So you brought the enemy here.'
Draethus marveled at how far away the surface was below and sighed, 'It was not my intention, stranger.'
There was a silence between the two warriors. The stranger looked into the glowing green eyes of Draethus' helmet but could not see the warrior's face.
'What will your superiors do when they find out I'm responsible?' asked Draethus.
The stranger let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. 'I don't know, my friend. Some will hate you for it because we have lost our city, not to mention the casualties.'
'And the others?'
'They will see you as an ally against this enemy and will request your help, I would imagine.'
'I understand, so there is still hope of a resolution.' Draethus disengaged his helmet and let it fold back into his armor. 'If I help you defeat this menace, will you help me return?'
'That is what I had planned, friend. May I refer to you by first name?' the stranger asked.
'My name is Arcilous Draethus, you may refer to me as the latter,' the Soldier responded, looking down at his new comrade. 'You have helped me so far, and for that I am grateful. What is your position here?'
'I am a Paladin Captain in the Home Guard Legion. At the Great Senechal's request, I am to retrieve as much information from you as possible. Primarily I need to learn the enemy's weakness.'
'I see, and your name?'
'My name is Varican.'
'Varican?' Draethus said in surprise.
'You look surprised, do you know this name?'
'Yes. Although I have never met him, there is a Soldier of the Void with this name.'
'That is interesting, warrior Draethus.'
'Draethus will be fine, Captain.'
Varican laughed, 'As you wish, Arcilous Draethus. Now we need to locate a scientist by the name of Spectalin. With the information you possess, we may discover some answers. It will be an excellent opportunity for you to share any Heridian weakness that you are aware of and of course their tactics.'
'Understood, Captain Varican, lead the way.'
Varican took one last look over the balcony. The massive fortress, floating in the sky, could make one feel small amongst the many wonders of Echelon. Far below the Sky-Station, on the distant horizon, the fires in the city still burned. Smoke belched clouds of darkness and turned the beautiful Echelon into a twisted, nightmarish creation.
'If it's alright with you, Arcilous Draethus,' he said in a less enthusiastic tone, 'our Commander would like to meet you.'
'You called him Senechal, correct?' Draethus replied, joining Varican in watching the atrocities happening in the distance.
'That's right, Great Senechal Praefectus.'
'It would honor me, Captain Varican.'
The two warriors walked back through the corridors of the Sky-Station. Their conversation became lighter with brief mention of the stressful events that had taken place since the enemy had arrived.
Varican smiled, 'You spoke of a blinding light before?'
'That's correct. I would imagine the city illuminated in the same manner when I arrived, correct?' Draethus was curious to know where his new friend was going with his question.
'When you first arrived,' Varican said inquisitively, 'There were multiple flashes of light as more of the menace appeared in the city, but not all at once.'
'As the device affected us simultaneously, I assumed we arrived together. It would seem we shared the end destination but at variations in time.' Draethus was careful to not injure any of the people that were rushing around him. 'When I appeared here, the battle had already begun, so that would make sense.'
'It was the light itself that makes me curious,' said Varican, waving at someone he knew in the crowd. 'I'm sure that I have seen it somewhere before.'
CHAPTER 04.
Intentions of Matter.
Standing on the deck, high above the docking bay, the Great Khan, leader of the Cygnian Pirates, gazed upon the small fighter entering his vessel. He had been in command of the pirate forces for decades, and the fury of his people's slaughter drove him onward with a passionate hatred. Single-minded, meticulous and utterly obsessed, the Khan had led his fleet to rampage any foe that stood before them. The Heridian menace was the enemy at the forefront of his mind, as no other threat could match such a malicious race. He stepped away from the window and ran his hand through his dark beard.
'Have that pilot report to me immediately,' he said over his coms, using a small communication device that clipped on his lower jaw.
'Yes, my Lord,' a voice replied.
'So what of my son?' a female voice from the corner spoke out to him.
'I have further plans for your son.'
'You always have plans, Alexon Hayreddin, even before you were the Khan,' she replied.
The pirate Khan laughed, stretched out his hands and placed them on the woman's shoulders. 'That is the reason I lead the fleet, Zelene Raeson.'
He took a step back and looked into the Elismorus woman's icy white eyes. Even though she was at least eighty to ninety years old, she still looked young and vibrant. Hayreddin had known the woman from the time he was a fighter pilot and had competed for her affections many times, however she chose another.
'some despise Your son
amongst the pirates. I wish to put him in a position of power so he can earn their respect.'
'Few will follow him into battle.'
'You are right, Zelene. But with each successful mission he has achieved, I have no reason not to give him a greater command.'
'Like his father?'
The Khan nodded and then said, 'There is a corvette in the fleet that needs a good crew and I think it would be a way for him to earn some respect from the fleet.'
The older man walked over to the viewing window and folded his hands behind his back. The vessels outside were repositioning themselves into a unique formation whilst smaller ships raced past the view port and began docking.
'We both know what the associate did for this fleet and the sacrifices he made. It is unfortunate that Xain has to pay the price for it,' said the Khan.
Zelene dropped her head and stared at the floor. 'Yes, I live with that price and it's better Xain live with his, the way he does.'
'He will be here soon. You should leave.'
'As you wish, Alexon and thank you.'
'Thank you?' the Khan said, confused.
'Yes, for helping my son when most would not have.'
'If most men were like me, there would be too many Khans, yes?'
Zelene gave a little laugh, turned and left.
*
Slin was still; his body was in agony as he lay on the medical recovery bed. He gradually opened his eyes and tried to let light in from the ceiling above. Something stirred next to him, followed by a muffled voice.
'Slin, are you awake? Slin?' said the voice.
His lips were dry and all he could manage was the word, 'Who?'
'It's Nash, it's me.'
'Nash, what happened? I remember going after a Rid but…'
'Another Rid hit you from the flank. It doesn't matter now, you're safe. I was so scared that we'd never find you.'
'I can't feel all of my body,' he replied as he peered under the sheet.
Slin had seen many atrocities in his life, but what the Rids inflicted was incomparable. His body was a mess, skin torn from muscle, and he barely recognized himself. Cybernetic enhanced limbs had replaced his arms and left leg where the skin would eventually grow over, that currently were raw.
'This can't be,' he said in horror. 'My face, I can't touch my face.'
Nash quickly leant over him.
'It's alright, there's no damage there. They did have to replace your eye though; it was full of shrapnel from the canopy.'
Slin tried again to move his new arms, 'Were we successful? Did the convoy survive?'
'Yes. Don't worry about the details, for now you need to rest.'
She stood over him and gently placed her hand on his chest until his eyes closed and relaxed. The floating orbs at the head of his bed dimmed to a soft light to signal that he was falling asleep. When the light completely faded, Nash gave him a kiss on his forehead and sat back down in the chair beside him.
'Rest my Slin, tomorrow will be a hard day.'
*
The small lizard creature jumped from each desk as the scientist, Spectalin, chased after him, trying as best he could to hit the reptile with his long measuring device.
'You annoying little creature,' he yelled. 'Stand still so I can swat you!'
Livant, the name given to the lizard, giggled and hissed in hysterics as he bounced around the room holding the plans that Spectalin had been working on for the last two hours. Livant jumped to the top of the bookshelf at the end of the room and hopped from foot to foot. Sticking his forked tongue out, the creature taunted, Spectalin gave a death stare and felt as if he was going to explode. He darted over to the bench and with a heavy gasp of breath picked up an oversized rifle that he had been previously working on. He flicked a switch, and it began charging. Spectalin's face changed to an evil smile.
His finger poised on the trigger, he aimed and as he went to fire; the door burst open and Livant made a yelp. The lizard threw the plans on the floor and jumped down onto the shoulder of the visitor.
'It seems I was just in time,' Varican said, smiling as he looked across at his small servant creature cowering behind his head.
'He stole my plans, Varican. He's always stealing my things!'
'He means no harm, he's just being… playful,' the Paladin Captain responded.
'Well, I was about to be… playful,' Spectalin replied as he struggled to put the rifle back on the bench.
Draethus stepped into the room and watched the scientist struggle with the enormous gun. He walked over and with one hand lifted the rifle from the white lab coated man and gently placed it on the bench.
'That armor? You're the man who appeared with the creatures in the city, right?'
The scientist took a step back to admire the soldier.
Draethus took a moment to get his bearings around the lab. He walked over to a large blueprint encased in glass that hung on the wall and closely studied its contents.
'You studied my armor, scientist?' he asked.
'That's right. During your interrogation I studied your equipment and see if I could determine where you came from and if we could benefit from the technology,' Spectalin replied as he slid a finger over the top of his glasses. 'The blueprints you see on the wall are my findings. I guess you could shed some light on how close I am in the design.'
Draethus grunted, 'I am no technician and don't meddle in such workings. I use the equipment to defend or kill; I need not know how it works.'
'Oh, I see,' Spectalin said, disappointed. He hoped with the soldiers' co-operation he could discover more about the design and technology.
Varican stepped forward. Livant hopped onto a desk, picked up a shiny tool and examined it with great fascination. The halogen from above created a reflection in the lizard's eyes. Spectalin watched him intensely, was about to leap after the little creature before Varican waved his attention back and continued speaking.
'We are to meet the Senechal soon and before I do, I would like some answers to the questions they will ask me.'
After a brief pause, a second death stare aimed at Livant, Spectalin responded. 'Of course, I am as curious as anyone about the matter.' He turned to the soldier and looking up, he introduced himself.
'My name is Spectalin; I am the lead scientist and research developer here on the Sky-Station. You can refer to me as "Spect" if you like.'
'Draethus,' the soldier replied with a nod of the head. 'Are you the only scientist here?'
'At the moment I am, all the other scientists are down on the surface working on the machine. Well, they were working on it,' he said. He turned away and his shoulders dropped. 'They are probably dead by now though.'
'Heridians,' Draethus said.
'Is that what you call the creatures you brought back with you? I haven't viewed your interrogation logs yet, so I'm a little behind on the latest news.'
Draethus felt a rush of anxiety pump through his blood, 'What is this machine the scientists were working on?'
After keeping silent, it was Varican's turn to answer some questions, 'The machine is what we are calling a Chronological Displacement Device.'
'That is insane!' Draethus yelled as he motioned forward, taking the others by surprise and causing them to retreat a step. 'If the Rids capture that machine, they will have access to anywhere of their choosing!'
Varican held his hand up and interrupted, 'The machine is not complete and the enemy cannot use it. We are still wondering if you appeared here through the device, even though it's inactive.'
Draethus straightened and looked down at the two, 'If this machine is the same then we are at a significant risk.'
'Well, for now it doesn't operate,' Spect added. 'I've been overseeing the development of the device and it's not even close to complete. What I need from you, Draethus, however, is the details of where you came from.'
Reaching into his armor, near to where his helmet folded into his back, Draethus pulled out a slim crystal covered
in circuits. It was pale blue in appearance and illuminated at his touch before dimming as the electrical current faded.
'When first arriving here, I had my armor run a localized map of the stars above. It converted the details into charts on this crystal, I'm sure you will understand them. I need you to compare the information to your current charts and search for position displacement,' Draethus asked.
'Where was your starting location before you appeared in the city?' Spect asked.
'He was in the city,' Varican interrupted.
Draethus handed over the crystal, 'I need you to find out when I am from, Spect. Judging by the status of the Sky-Station, that it is entirely intact and the theories about the Displacement Device, I would imagine I am from your future. But this is just an educated guess, I may just be completely insane.'
'The status of the Sky-Station, what do you mean, Draethus?' Varican asked.
'We shall discuss it another time, my friend. Let's meet this leader of yours; I would be interested to see what he has to say.'
*
It wasn't long before Draethus and Varican were nearing the home command of the Senechal. The two men walked along a large walkway suspended by giant black rails above the key area of the marketplace. Dark transparent marble covered the floor and as Draethus looked down, he noticed other walkways branching in multiple directions, flooded with hundreds of busily rushing people.
The pair walked off the gantry and approached a door guarded by two soldiers standing on either side. Draethus made note of their armor, heavy and covered in pictograms. One soldier held a large axe weapon which connected to his armor via a cable. The other armed with a laser rifle Draethus had seen equipped on similar men along the way.
'I am here to see Great Senechal Praefectus as requested by the Senechal himself,' Varican announced to the guards as he put his arm across his chest in a salute like gesture. The guard held the Paladin Captains' gaze then spoke. 'You have authorization, proceed.'
The small door opened, the two visitors walked through and as the door closed the elevator quickly ascended. Looking up, Draethus could see the destination through the transparent ceiling.
A Dark Oceans Descent: (Heridian Saga, Book 1) Page 5
