'Reverse engineer from what exactly?' Draethus asked, on edge. He may have brought the Rids back to this era causing all this devastation, but it was this scientist's action that attracted the enemy to attack in his era to begin with. He could say Scientist Spectalin caused the first wave, but they may have attacked Echelon, regardless.
'I call her the Dawn Eclipse,' Spect said enthusiastically, raising his voice and throwing his arms into the air as if proud of his announcement.
'You didn't!' Exclaimed Varican.
'Sorry Paladin Captain, but I'm a scientist and the lead engineer. Of course I'm going to create technology that I believe will help our race.'
'What is this Dawn Eclipse?' Draethus asked, flicking the Heridian blood off his glove.
'It's a ship, of course,' the glee in Spect's voice was unmistakable, 'and not just any ship. It's a vessel of mystery and intrigue. Our race has occupied Echelon for centuries; we even built the amazing Sky-Station you're standing in. Our technology has progressed immensely since we awoke here from our slumber pods.'
'Pods?' asked Draethus.
'Yes pods,' Spect continued. 'We don't really know where our race originate from, but we came from a colony ship that landed here thousands of years ago, sent out to populate other worlds. Over time, we dismantled it and built the station.'
The soldier was getting frustrated, 'and what has this got to do with the ship?'
'Well, the ship just appeared in one of the Sky-Station docks as if by magic. No one even saw it fly in. Security footage shows one frame the dock is empty, the next the ship moored, how fascinating!'
'Take me there, take me there now.' Draethus, the soldier from a future era, an era locked in a constant war, felt like he was finally getting answers.
Spect looked over to where Livant was busy sniffing a piece of armor. The little reptile slowly turned, feeling the scientist's eyes on him, and locked him in a stare. The piece of armor crashed to the floor as the lizard pushed it off and ran from the now angry, Spect, with a grin of reptilian teeth.
*
Minutes later Draethus, Varican and Spect were rushing through the crowds of people that swarmed over the busy docking areas. Market place keepers yelled out to passers-by the great deals they were offering on their latest exotic goods from the jungles below. Some offered self-protection weaponry and others strangely colored foods. One man reached out and grabbed Draethus by the arm and tried to coerce him into his stall and try some off world delicacies, found nowhere else, so he said.
'Ignore them,' Varican said, pushing the stall keeper away, 'they will hound you until your pockets are empty.'
'Lucky they are,' the soldier replied.
They came into a clearing that opened into a large arc of levitating stairs that rose, joining an above walkway horizontally across. Once up they veered to the right, and as he looked over his shoulder, Draethus could see docked ships in the distance. Most looked like merchant craft of various shapes and sizes, beaten up, aged and over used. One vessel looked so rusty he wondered how it even flew. It had attached panels of metal sheeting to cover structural holes and looked to fall apart at any moment. Spect noticed the soldier's curiosity and being the bearer of all knowledge, in his head at least, he was glad to fill in the pieces.
'That's the dockyards, well part of it anyway. There are twenty-three dockyards in total and house all kinds of vessels, most being the merchants. That's where a lot of our food comes from, off world from other colonies, as we consider the jungles below a little too dangerous for profit. You get the odd insane supplier that will try his luck at collecting the dangerous goods and foods, but they don't normally last long. Even the people that live, excuse me, lived in the city below wouldn't be game enough to venture too deep into the jungles. The jungles, are they still there in your era Draethus?'
The soldier turned, continued walking and answered, 'Hasn't changed. If the viruses don't kill you and you survive the carnivorous plants, the giant reptiles will finish you.'
'And is our race still here?' Varican asked.
Draethus gave him a blank expression, which was more than enough to answer his question.
'I see,' was all Varican could manage.
A short time later the group came to the end of the walkway, a large steel door sealed by yellow and black warning signs. Two Paladin soldiers stood on either side. Both stared straight forward, their weapons in hand, and made Draethus recall the statues in the main courtyard, back in his era.
'Gentleman,' Spect said waving his hand forward motioning to open the doors. Annoyance crossed the face of one guard, and then begrudgingly he turned and accessed the panel behind him. The large security doors slid apart and light blinded the group for a moment as the most amazing sight anchored before them.
*
The enormous engines of the Vidar flared bright blues and whites as the pirate flagship raced away from the battle. Fires burned across its gigantic hull, pieces of armor fragmented and blistered away, and hot plasma melted its way through. Scourges and burn marks painted dark patterns across the vessel's port side as its weapons engaged the pursuing Heridian force.
The pirate fleet, now half its original number, was on the retreat and keeping its distance. Destroyers, battleships, cruisers and other escort craft kept pace and valiantly took damage, acting as shields from enemy fire in a disciplined formation. The enemy, a wave of dark reds, kept up the pressure as the smaller, faster craft persisted, trying to slow the pirates so that their main capital ships could get into range.
On the bridge of the Vidar the Khan stood calm, hands clasped behind his back and looked out into the darkness, through the transparent armor screen. A purple and pink nebula filled most of his view, stretching across the void like an eel through the water. The ship rocked again as a laser from a Heridian ship cruiser glanced off the armor around the docking bay.
'Status on the nanite shielding?' Khan Hayreddin asked in a level tone to his bridge crew.
This wasn't the first full scale battle he'd seen and hopefully not the last. From his raids on the Common Worlds, interception of merchant fleets around the Trade Cluster, to increasing his numbers by breaking out thousands of prisoners on Colman. The Heridians had always proven the most horrific. Inhuman, insect like and robotic monstrosities, the creatures inflicted the greatest death toll. The pirate fleet had resorted to hit-and-run tactics as opposed to full scale assaults because of the overwhelming numbers and pure firepower presented by their enemy. He didn't enjoy running; he hated running.
After a few moments one of the crew checked the damage report, fed to him by the live system integrated through his ear implant to the panels in front. 'Systems report we are at sixty percent nanite capacity overall, although the port side is at thirty and slowly dropping with the Rids faster craft close by.'
'Any breaches?' The Khan asked, looking over.
'None so far, my Khan and engines are still functioning correctly.'
The gunnery station of the bridge was at a raised level to the back left; its staff busy controlling and manipulating holographic controls as they focused on fending away the attackers. One of the crew stood barking orders, 'Get someone down to the port side gunnery array and get eyes on why it's not responding!' The man then turned to the Khan and with panic on his face stated, 'The side guns are malfunctioning, my Khan.'
'Move a destroyer to our port side; get it between us and the enemy.' When the Khan gave an order, his crew were compliant.
'Talon Commander Raeson to see the Khan,' a voice from a crew member yelled out from the background.
'Approved, he may enter.'
*
Raeson was furious, enhanced by his elevated heart rate from the run through the flagship and questions relating to Stark. As he entered the bridge he composed himself, slowed and steadied.
'Commander Raeson,' the look on the Khan's face was flat and emotionless as the younger commander walked out onto the massive platform.
Xain felt t
ruly out of his depth, surrounded by dozens of people operating on different levels behind large panels and controls.
'My Khan,' Xain gestured with a small bow of the head and noticed the nebula in the view behind.
'What do you have for me, Talon Commander?'
'We encountered a Heridian leader aboard the damaged destroyer. He gave us information regarding their home world, information I would rather tell you in private.'
'Very well,' replied the Khan, turning his back and looking out into the void once more. 'What was this Rid leader like?'
Raeson felt sick as the memory of his encounter surfaced back into the front of his thoughts. 'Huge, violent, sadistic and called himself Skylord Theradin. He tortured one of my crew and I for information about some core I believe Stark stole.' Xain ran his fingers through his messy dark hair and said, 'I wish to have him placed in holding, my Khan, for acting against the interests of the fleet.'
'Leave this individual to me, Commander; I will see that he receives his dues. How did you escape this Skylord?'
'I'm… uncertain. We awoke outside the Skylord's domain to the sound of a fight inside.'
'Interesting,' was all the Khan replied. 'I want a report on this urgently, it could turn the tide of the war.'
'Yes, my Khan,' Raeson gestured. His vision blurred, he thought he heard the Khan say something incoherent and without warning Raeson collapsed. Darkness filled his head, the color of red crossed his minds' eye, pain roared through him and the screams, the screams were too much…
*
Majestic was the first word that came to Draethus when his sight adjusted and the visual beauty of the mysterious vessel, the Dawn Eclipse, filled his eyes and his mind with awe.
So much unlike any craft he had ever seen, reflecting shades of gold and bronze like an ancient treasure discovered at the bottom of the ocean. Smooth curves travelled the length from bow to stern, bringing with it sleek armor plates, layered in stylish patterns that criss-crossed over each other, creating visual illusions. It levitated, sat motionless, soundless, massive though sleek and all Draethus could do was stare.
He could feel it calling him, reaching out to him, luring him to come closer. Darkness and light entangled and interwoven into something his mind could barely understand on the edge of comprehension. The soldier could barely make out what those around him were saying as he approached it. He felt himself answering the ship's call and ignored the muffled warnings to him.
'Let him pass!' Varican ordered the guards, breaking Draethus from his trance.
Now aware of the commotion, Draethus found himself on the walkway next to the Dawn, the guards nearby had weapons draw and aimed at him.
Spect ran up and inspected the soldier who, with a look of disgust, pushed the smaller biped aside.
'What are you doing, scientist?' Draethus asked, brushing the pesky white coated man away as he again attempted to breach the soldier's personal space.
'That was very interesting behaviour. Very interesting,' Spect replied, backing away.
The guards nearby lowered their weapons as the soldier walked up the platform, linking to the great ship and ending near its hull.
'How do I enter?' Draethus yelled to the scientist eagerly waiting at the base of the gantry like an excited child.
Running a finger over the top of his glasses, Spect shrugged, 'No one has entered, or found a door. We even tried cutting through, but nothing breached the hull, like I said a mystery. It wasn't impenetrable to my scans though, which is how I reverse engineered part of it'.
Still the vessel called to Draethus like an electric impulse in his head, a siren calling over the waters of consciousness, a dark ocean that descended into an endless madness.
Ever so closer he stepped, the impulse increasing, and the quiet voices grew louder, surrounding him in whispers. Frightful yet enticing, this vessel of uncertainty seemed alive. Before he realised, Draethus reached out to it, connecting with something so ancient it may even predate the stars themselves. Through his armored glove, the ship felt warm to the touch, vibrating with an exotic energy that now flowed through his body. He closed his eyes and for the briefest moment could feel everything in the universe, every molecule, every particle and the power to destroy or create with it.
The ships' hull activated with golden glowing runes, pulsing ever so slowly; woven patterns of intricate lines appeared and flashed over the armor plates. Great engines roared and illuminated, sending ripples of heat and shock waves over the docks that knocked the nearby guards to the ground. The once silent and still vessel was now alive with activity as something ancient awoke.
Plating around Draethus' hand shifted like a puzzle and created an entranceway at the end of the platform. Without a word or hesitation, the soldier walked through and the world around him vanished. Screams filled his ears, burning his nostrils and the pain, the pain in his mind was unbearable. Collapsing to the floor, Draethus clutched his head and roared in agony.
'Make it stop!' He cried out.
Flashes of crimson blinded his eyes, creatures clawed at his sanity and threatened to breach into his soul. Scraping and scratching, he tore at his skull and let the pieces float into his hands as if by magic. The ground beneath him became dirt as the surrounding darkness drew closer; containing him into the smallest of spaces, yet still he clawed at his flesh. The screams grew louder, the blood in his hands fuller and his sanity on the verge of breaking. As quickly as it started, the visions subsided. Draethus lay on the floor in the entranceway of the Dawn being helped up by Tremon.
'You really are trouble,' Tremon said.
*
Raeson stirred as the medic jabbed him with a needle the size of a small animal into his arm.
'That should keep you going, Sir,' the man said, his bedside manner dull. 'You might consider more sleep, you're exhausted.'
Raeson nodded, 'Sleep won't kill the Rids though will it?'
The medic huffed, fiddled with some tools on his tray and walked off.
Lying back, Xain stared at the ceiling and recalled what he had seen. Such death and pain had flooded his mind, and made him collapse. Those noises, the screaming, was he hearing himself?
What did that Skylord Rid do to me? To collapse in front of the Khan. How embarrassing, he thought.
CHAPTER 10.
To Fell a Leviathan.
Gazing up at the gray clouds of the heavens, Captain Wrath felt the icy rain against his face as droplets fell into his eyes. The cool breeze merged with the warm exhaust from the arbalest tank as he sat, a moment of bliss before the battle ahead. There was always a calm eeriness before a fight that Wrath loved, a strange serenity. His tank company sat motionless, hidden in the tall grass and mud, waiting for his command to power up and strike. Even though the machines were massive, Wrath could make out only a few under his command as the mixture of camouflage and submersion in the mud worked perfectly to plan. He took in another breath and another moment.
It was time. Wrath shook the water off his face and lowered the hatch.
'Forward scouts report a Heridian patrol approaching from the west sector, Sir,' Lieutenant Camerous stated as Wrath strapped himself into his command chair.
'Perfectly on time. Notify the rest of the group but keep primary systems powered down,' Wrath ordered.
In the darkness of the arbalest tank the Captain switched on his forward monitor and saw a large squad of Heridian soldiers approaching, escorted by an array of walking armor, guns on legs.
'We'll make quick work of these soldiers,' he said, looking around the dark to his men manning the drive and guns.
His crew on the lower level looked around, nodding as they readied themselves and began a quick diagnostic of their station's systems. Serenity of the pre-battle vanished, replaced by fury and a taste of anxiety, then silence. The only sound was the rain hammering down from above. The men waited.
'Power up! All armor is to engage the Rids to the front and focus fire on the lead walker,' th
e Captain roared, now in his element.
Thunder replaced the sound of falling water as sixty-seven of the largest tanks ever to roll the surface of Echelon fired their massive turrets at the unsuspecting Heridian squad. Armor plating, wires, gears and blood erupted from the enemy forces as they scrambled in response. The lead five walkers evaporated in an instant, covering the landscape in red metal debris before turning the road into a smouldering mess. The ground troops at the rear of the enemy column veered towards the tank group and fired aimlessly at the mass of armor. They cut the remaining Heridians down with anti-infantry fire.
'Time to get this done, boys,' Wrath said over the coms. 'Fall in.'
The behemoth armored tanks drove forwards and lifted themselves out of the mud. Stopping at the tip of the spear formation, Wrath exited through the top hatch and made his way over the vehicle and down to the surface. Inspecting a torn up Heridian wreck, he ran his gloved fingers over some armor and felt the bloodied oil, smooth, frictionless and wet.
'Have as many of these parts strapped to each tank,' he ordered over the coms. 'If these things have some sort of identification system, maybe we can mask our approach'.
Wrath peered down the road and took in the smell of mechanical death around him.
We'll need every advantage possible if we're going to win this fight, he thought to himself.
*
His long metallic claws tapped across the steel railing, creating sparks that lit up the dark control room in the complex. Silently, though quickly, Heridian soldiers busied around the different computer panels pressing holographic buttons that changed color and vibrated to the touch with haptic feedback.
A Dark Oceans Descent: (Heridian Saga, Book 1) Page 13
