“I’ll tell you later. How are we getting the troops up here?”
“There should be some rope ladders in the supply crates, help me find them,” he said, throwing open the first crate he came across.
They soon had several ladders secured, and troops were climbing out.
“I need you to get runners to the other vaults. I took out the carrier, but there are still several thousand Teifen in the city. I saw a large number of them retreating to the transport ships, but there were at least as many still organizing for a battle. I’m going to go ahead and soften them up, but we will need some clean up on the ones that get away. Can you take it from here?” she asked, pulling a trooper up over the lip of the hole.
“Yeah, we got it. Go do your thing, but be careful—you’re not invincible.” He paused, looking at her. “Are you?”
She laughed. “Not exactly, but right now, I feel like it. Keep me informed.”
With that, she shot into the air. She spotted the largest group of Teifen still against the wall, surrounding the hole that their Aether cannon had blasted through it at the beginning of the battle for the city. Forming a shield, she rocketed into the center mass of the troops. She impacted the ground like a meteorite, blasting stone and dirt in all directions.
She stood and, breathing in, took in her foes.
The closest Teifen had been thrown to the ground in heaps. Blue blood smeared the bottom of her shield where she had smashed troops to bloody pulp. They stared, not moving with the shock of her arrival.
Sara roared out an animal sound, her fists clenched and glowing with power. The hulking Teifen standing closest to her actually took a step back in fear.
She struck without pause. A blast of fire spewed from her left hand, incinerating anything in its path. Then her hand sent blades of force slicing through men and armor like they were made of tissue paper.
For a glorious moment, she poured death and destruction on an ancient enemy that had showed her and hers no quarter.
Then they started firing back.
She threw up a shield, absorbing the fire from a hundred weapons like it was nothing. The Aether was flowing from her in waves, ripping tanks to shreds with force, burning Teifen in their armor, freezing bodies solid as she moved from one foot to the other. It was a dance she knew she would only be able to do once, and she was going to make the most of it.
She tore from one end of the wall to the next, and soon she was chasing them as they ran from her in droves. Soaring over the battlefield she rained destruction, then swooping in to thick groups of Teifen she blasted them with fire and ice, smashing them to the ground with force hammers. She was a goddess of death.
She may have fought for minutes, or days—she had no clue—but eventually there were no more enemies. She stood in an open square, the stones charred and smeared with blue blood. Nothing moved but the smoke. Her breathing was heavy, and she could taste the blood running from her nose, but she was not done. Not by a long shot.
She streaked into the air, and turned out over the open field, where the transports were warming up their engines. Smiling cruelly, she rocketed over the swaying grass, and fell upon them with reckless abandon, ripping the large ships to pieces or imploding them with crushing balls of force. All ten transports lay in ruins, their dead occupants scattered across the ground like discarded peanut husks.
The Aether raged. She needed to do more. To channel more. She needed to mash her enemies to a bloody pulp. She searched for more Teifen, but found only the dead.
There was a tickling in her mind.
Ignoring it, she flew to the city and scanned for more of the enemy, but found none. She finally spotted a group of armored soldiers, and dove in for the kill. She craved their blood. The Aether begged to be used.
She reached out to smash them with her powers, but the spellform didn't come. She tried again, but there was no spellform to channel into. She realized that she was falling, not flying anymore. She tried again, but nothing.
Her head cleared slowly as the wind slapped and buffeted her. The fog of battle and bloodlust gradually washing from her mind as the Aether reluctantly receded back to its well. With a scream of realization, she saw that the enemy she had been trying to crush were her own troops.
She was still falling, the wind whipping past her in a rush.
At the last second, a spellform appeared, and she fed it. A shield popped up around her seconds before she slammed to the ground, sending clods of dirt and stone in all directions.
She lay there groaning and wondering what had happened.
Baxter’s face leaned into view. “You okay? I’ve been trying to reach you for twenty minutes,” he said, concern in his voice.
“I’m… I’m fine. Sorry, I was a little caught up there for a minute,” she said, groggily. She could feel a trickle of disappointment and fear coming from Alister.
“I think I owe you that drink, Captain,” Baxter said, and he offered her a hand up.
Chapter 44
The Teifen scout stepped into the throne room, his head lowered in respect and fear. He was guided to the opulent room that soared four stories above to a glass ceiling that exposed the vastness of space; a reminder of what their God Emperor ruled over. The scout tugged at his curled horn with nervousness, but he would fulfill his duty to his Lord.
The guards stopped him at the foot of the dais, and stepped back, one hand still on their weapons. The scout slowly looked up at the magnificent throne, inlaid with gold and silver. Huge tapestries hung from the soaring ceiling, framing the throne to perfection.
The Governor had a bored look on his face. His massive frame was slumped in the throne, and he didn't even glance at the visitor.
Flipping a hand in a lazy manner, the Governor boomed, “My advisors tell me you have something to report. For some reason, they seem to think you need to tell me in your own words what you saw.”
The Governor’s eyes slowly turned and focused on the scout, whose legs began to tremble under their intense scrutiny. He had to make an effort to keep his hooves from tapping on the stone tile.
“My Lord, our ship came under attack on the outskirts of your province, in the Elif empire.” he began, but was cut off.
“Former Elif empire. It is a victory the Emperor will be pleased with, I am sure.” The Governor’s voice dripped with his lust for approval from the God Emperor.
“Forgive me, Lord. We were attacked on the outskirts of the former Elif Empire. It was a single ship that came out of nowhere. We had reports that the area was empty of Elif star cruisers, so our captain was not prepared when they arrived. There was a fierce battle, but in the end, the carrier was destroyed. We could not get a transmission off in time, but I happened to be in my ship from an earlier scouting mission, so I was able to escape.”
He realized his actions may be seen as cowardice, so he quickly amended his last statement. “Uh, so that I may report to your Lordship.”
The Governor’s face tightened in annoyance. “Why does one ship’s fate merit my attention? I have millions of ships entrusted to me to help with the control of my sector.”
“My Lord, the loss of one ship is of no concern to you, I am sure, but the enemy may be,” the scout said, bowing his head.
“Continue. You have my attention,” the Governor growled.
The scout quickly resumed. “My Lord, the scans of the ship revealed an ancient design. A human design. The ferocity with which they fought was nothing an Elif-controlled ship could hope to achieve. They were humans, my Lord, I swear it,” he said, bowing low.
The Governor sat unmoving, taking in the news. The war with the Elif had been tedious, but nothing his vast armadas could not quash in time. The Galvox were stupid beasts. Barely more than a slathering hoard that won the occasional battle with sheer numbers, not tactics. Their push into his sector was nothing more than an itch.
But a human enemy.
The stories his ancestors told were of an enemy worthy of the Teife
n.
“Humans,” the Governor said. A smile spread across his face. Finally, an enemy worthy of my greatness. “Have my dreadnought made ready for battle. We leave in the morning,” he bellowed as he swept from his throne, his long leathery tail snapping as he headed toward his war room.
“Should I continue on to the Capital to pass word to the Emperor, my Lord?” the scout asked, still bowed.
The Governor stopped and turned back, “No. I will handle this in the name of our great God Emperor. No need to trouble him over such a trifle.”
“Yes, my Lord,” the scout said in obvious relief at not having to deliver the news to his god.
Chapter 1
Sara lay on her back in the shade of a stubby tree. She had her arms crossed behind her head, her carnelian red hair splayed out like a fan all around her to let the cool breeze tickle the back of her neck. The long grass of the central park in the ancient human city was matted down to form a nest that gave her a little privacy in the bustling grounds.
She could still smell the smoke of the previous day’s battle, but laying on her back, she could at least block it from her vision. The sky was a deep blue, with fluffy white clouds scuttling across it, unaware of the carnage that had taken place beneath it the day before.
Alister lifted his head from Sara’s chest, coming awake from his cat nap at the sound of grass swishing against legs. He was laying down, spanning the length of her sternum, his black tail swishing across her belly, and his paws between her breasts. Sara didn't move, knowing full well who was approaching.
“It’s a beautiful day, Captain,” Sargent Major Baxter said, stopping just inside her peripheral vision and taking a deep breath through his nose, looking to the sky along with her. He had left his Aetheric armor back in the command tent, and was wearing the same skin-tight black battlesuit she was.
Alister settled his head back down on his paws, and with a few smacks of his lips, closed his yellow eyes and feigned sleep once more. Through their new empathic link, Sara knew he was miles from sleep, just as she was. Her actions at the end of the battle weighed heavily on both their minds. She had tried to kill her own men in a berserker rage; if not for Alister, she would be laying here all alone on this planet, covered in the blood of her own people. She shuddered at the thought, and felt a sympathetic feeling of regret from her familiar.
Pushing the dark mood to the side for now, she turned to Baxter. He was tall and strong, and cared deeply for his men and their well-being. She admired him greatly for that, and for other things.
Hours ago, you tried to kill this wonderful man in a rage you could not control. She felt a guilty pang try and slip in, but she quashed it. ‘Control’ is just one more item I need to add to my ‘Things Sara Doesn’t Know How to do Yet’ list.
“Hello, Baxter. It sure is. Any word from the Raven?” Sara asked, shading her eyes from the sun behind Baxter’s head.
He looked down at her, giving a halfhearted smile. “The repairs are done, and the reactors are back online. The ship seems to be in fully working order, but…” He trailed off and ran a hand over his short-cropped, white hair that was such a contrast to his dark brown skin. His deep brown eyes wandered away from her gaze.
“Cora’s still not awake?” she guessed.
He gave a nod, putting his hands to his hips and taking a deep breath through his nose. He indicated a spot next to her. “Do you mind?”
She smiled and patted the ground on her other side, “Over here; that way the sun won’t be in my eyes. This tree is shit for shade.”
Baxter, ever the practical thinker, took a large step over her prone form, causing Alister to twitch in surprise. Sara put a hand on his back to calm him, and, after judging the situation, he closed his eyes once again.
Stomping down a section of grass, Baxter sank to a cross-legged position, his back straight and strong so he sat high enough to block the sunlight hitting Sara’s face. He plucked a long piece of grass and began to chew on the end while contemplating his next words. With a grimace, he spat out the grass. Then after a moment spat again, to clear the bad taste.
“It may look like grass, but that stuff tastes like rotten fruit,” he said in explanation before spitting again. “Sorry,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Sara shrugged, sliding her hands back behind her head. “That’s okay. I did the same thing half an hour ago.”
“And you let me do it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I like the solidarity of bad experiences. Years from now, we can say something like, ‘It’s not good, but it’s not as bad as the grass on Colony 788’, and we will laugh while everyone around us scratches their head.”
Baxter’s eyebrows came together. “You’re an odd one, if you don't mind me saying, Captain.” He leaned back on an outstretched arm. “So, you think we will be working together for years?”
Sara kept her eyes closed, but smiled. “I’m counting on it, Baxter. We will go out among the stars, and have countless adventures. Didn’t you know the Navy is all about seeing far-off and exotic places?”
Baxter grunted. “That hook didn't work back on Earth. Their line should be, ‘See exotic places, where everyone will try and kill you’.”
Sara gave him a chuckle.
A silence built up between them as they enjoyed the short break from organizing the evacuation of the Elif researchers and their security force. The sound of people moving equipment and tearing down temporary structures sounded far away from her grass cocoon, and Baxter seemed to be enjoying the distance, as well.
They had received word from the United Human Fleet Command (UHFC) after the battle: the Elif had packed up and left the Sol System, saying that they were needed to defend Effrit, the Elif homeworld. No one had heard from Admiral Setti or the High Council in the days since. Fearing another attack on Colony 788 by the Teifen, the UHFC decide to evacuate the Elif themselves and take them to Earth until communications could be re-established. A scout ship had been sent to the Elif home system to determine what had happened, but the ship was not due back for a few more days.
A destroyer, two cruisers, and a transport ship would be arriving any minute to begin the evacuation. Then Sara would be able to leave this place—and all her guilt—behind. More importantly, she would be back on the Raven, able to figure out what that core had done to her sister.
Sara’s comm buzzed, and Ensign Mezner’s cool voice broke her contemplation. “Captain, we picked up four ships jumping insystem. They have been verified as UHF through their transponders. They should be arriving in orbit in two minutes.”
Sara tapped her earpiece. “Thank you, Mezner. How’s the ship doing?” she asked, unable to help herself. She knew exactly how the ship was doing; it was Cora she wanted to know about.
Mezner knew what she wanted, too, and her voice took on a slightly somber tone. “No change, ma’am.”
Sara sat up, making Alister jump to the ground and give her a slightly dirty look. She mouthed ‘sorry’ to him, and he flicked an ear in response before cleaning an already immaculate paw.
“Thank you, Mezner. We should be up shortly,” she said, tapping the comm to end the call. “You ready? The transport should be here in a few minutes,” she said, looking at Baxter.
They pushed themselves to their feet and began the short walk to the command tent, which was being taken down a section at a time. She could see that both hers and Baxter’s Aetheric armor had been moved outside, along with a small mountain of crates holding the command center’s hardware.
A streamer of fire and white smoke dove through the atmosphere like a meteorite. Unlike a meteorite, the object slowed until the fire abated, and then it swung low over the open plain that surrounded the ancient city. Its belly glowed orange for a brief time, then cooled to a white finish streaked with soot. The rumble of the gravitic drives became a tickling in her chest, as the transport ship crossed the ruined city wall.
Sara could see the broken and still-smok
ing heaps of the Teifen transports she had smashed in her final assault, and gave a shudder at the feelings that stirred in her. She had killed thousands, and felt nothing but the joy of battle. No remorse, no fear, just pure elation at what her powers had done. Now that elation was replaced with fear and shame. Fear that she would not be able to stop herself next time, and shame that she’d had to be stopped by Alister against her will.
Alister hopped up onto her shoulder and nudged the side of her head as if to say ‘It’s okay. I’m here for you.’ She smiled and gave him a scratch under the chin.
The transport came straight in, its stubby landing pads extending from the sleek body like legs of a malformed beetle. A rush of air washed over her and Baxter as the huge transport settled on the grassy field in front of them.
The ship was five stories tall, with a bank of windows overhanging the top lip, where the bridge was positioned. A hissing sound preceded the entire front of the ship splitting open to reveal three floors of cargo space. A ramp extended slowly to the ground as the gravitic engines cut off, leaving a deafening silence in their wake.
Baxter opened his battalion-wide comm channel. “All right, people. Let’s get this boat loaded,” he said, whipping his hand over his head in a circular motion. He marched off toward a group of Elif and continued to bark orders.
Sara muted the channel, not needing to hear what should be loaded first and who was going where. Instead, she looked up to the sky and spotted the three silvery flashes: the destroyer and two cruisers, flying in formation. She then looked to the small moon just coming over the horizon. The Raven was on the surface of that moon, and she couldn't wait to get there.
Don’t worry, Cora. I’ll be there soon. I can fix this, she thought, hoping she could.
Chapter 2
War Mage Chronicles- Part One Page 26
