“That isn't Wold,” the orb whispered.
“Who is it?” Nera was already struggling even at the distance.
“I will find out. You should turn back.” The remote raced away before Nera could respond.
* * *
“I hope you don't mind all of my questions, Berthantine.”
“Don't be silly. This is the perfect place for a historian, as I am making history.” She sat down her data pad and activated a much larger screen. “I'll have the languages decoded soon.”
“What is this over here?” Filn asked.
“Earth is comprised of many separate nations, apparently. Typically, the nation with the strongest military will have the one true leader.”
“One true leader? I've never heard that phrase before.”
Berthantine grinned as she always did when she was able to show off her vast knowledge. “When I learned of the Li tampering with human worlds I began an intensive study of their history, specifically their treatment of occupied worlds.”
“That sounds fascinating. I was tasked with documenting Sessik history primarily.”
“Yes, I know. I felt it wise to study our enemies with great scrutiny.”
“Wise indeed, Berthantine. None of us could have predicted the destruction of our home.”
“I did, in a way. I hoped it would never happen, of course. But I was no fan of our government so I did what I did.”
“I, for one, am very glad you did.” Filn delivered a specific bow. It was a Sessik sign of great respect. “We've gone off topic and I apologize. What were you about to say about this one true leader?”
“The Li are adept at exploiting greed. They prop up a citizen and supply them with wealth and knowledge. That citizen allows their corruption to spread. It is all closely monitored by the Li until they meet their goal.”
Filn stood silent, looking confused.
So Berthantine continued, “The goal was to sow dissent and division. To escalate war and armaments. To trick them into building nuclear weapons and all the while destroying the environment to allow for possible future colonization.”
“I'm sorry, but that seems a bit convoluted.”
“Filn, that is exactly what they did at Mertia. The galaxy thinks it's a total loss. It was all a Li trick.”
“You have spies, right?”
“I like to call them paid informants. The pieces of the puzzle were all there and I had been guessing what it all meant. When Sessik Home was destroyed, I knew for sure.”
Filn looked confused again. “How do you pay for all of this?”
Berthantine sighed and shook her head before replying. “Due to an odd array of marriages and terminations, I inherited the wealth of ten houses.”
Filn gave a wide smile.
Berthantine couldn't help smiling back. “You surely didn't think I charmed my way into all of this?”
Filn was struggling to find the right words. He sensed that even a sincere compliment might upset his benefactor. “I assume nothing. But I do feel your charm and beauty merit a footnote in the annals.”
“You're very sweet, Filn. But if you look, you will see my system has broken into that of the humans. It is a Li architecture. I have everything.”
“You know the identity of their one true leader?”
“His name is Lidseam. I will have his location shortly. What is more confounding is the presence of several beacons.” She pressed a spot on the screen and a projection of the planet appeared. “The beacons are highlighted.”
Filn studied the projection. “These are obviously agents of the Monster. They should be dealt with. But this one here is most worrisome.” He tried and failed to zoom in.
“Allow me,” she said. She zoomed in on the location of the island and chuckled. “The Rhoshe are here. Amazing.”
“I imagine that is of very little consequence at this point,” Filn offered.
“You're referring to Wold,” Berthantine replied. “He is an idiot. His purpose was primarily to transport my Centurion. Wold, himself, is delusional. He always has been.”
“I won't disagree with you there,” Filn joked. “I assume you will be sending your Centurions to eliminate the Monster's agents?”
“No. The Verullians will do that for me.”
Filn took a deep breath. “I must ask, why the Verullians?”
“They have been waiting in quiet desperation, Filn. I've weighed the strengths and weaknesses of all those vying for power and they are most likely to potentially cause me trouble. By giving them this planet, I remove them from the equation.”
“Brilliant.”
“Thank you. They held the Gotes for a short time, which is a feat itself. The lessons they learned from their failure will allow them to hold Earth indefinitely.”
“Oh, yes! I do not have the words. You're putting them far away from the civilized worlds.”
“Yes, Filn. They can practice their religion here. You know they've been here before, right?”
“They've been a lot of places.”
She smiled again. “There's already pyramids here. I'm opening the rift now. After I help them a bit with the language, I'll turn them loose upon this place. My Centurions will help them take the planet, but I get the nukes.”
* * *
“Is that a sword?” The Gote asked as he led Frank toward the warship.
“Yes.”
“I should probably have that.”
“No,” Frank replied in a flat tone.
“So it's a ceremony thing? Whatever. Do you have a gun?”
“I don't use guns.”
The Gote glanced over as if to try to locate some hidden weapon. He shrugged and led Frank by one of the drop ships that formed the perimeter. There were several other Gotes about with their heavy rifles shouldered at the ready.
“This human is here to discuss surrender,” Frank's escort exclaimed.
He was answered with cheers and laughter.
“You there, run ahead and fetch the Captain.”
The warship was parked in a sparsely wooded area very near the city. Frank mused that it might have been some kind of park. The Gote motioned for him to stop. They were about thirty feet from the large ramp of the massive ship. There was a visible crack in the hull. After some time waiting, Frank found himself looking around. Trees were trees. There was grass under his feet. Other than the extra moon, Mertia could pass for Earth. The capital city itself didn't have skyscrapers. It was densely packed with flat-roofed buildings that stretched farther than he could see.
Finally, the Captain emerged from the ship. He was carrying a human female by the back of her neck. Her feet dragged the ramp as he descended and when he reached the bottom, he discarded her as if she was refuse. Straightening his ornate armor, the Captain turned to his left to hear a report from some underling.
“Hey, stand still!” The escort stood dumbfounded as Frank jogged over to the young lady.
Ignoring the laughter of the Gotes, Frank knelt down and rolled her over to see if there was anything he could do. One of her eyes was swollen shut but she was pleading with her other. He glanced down to where her clothing had been clawed away. She was bleeding out.
“I am so sorry I was not here to stop this,” he said in a low tone as he unzipped his hoodie. Setting his sword down, he removed the garment and wadded it into a makeshift pillow. He raised her up and laid her head on it.
She was gasping for air, unable to speak.
“I will avenge you.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead before removing his sunglasses and setting them near her head. Grasping the sword by the sheath in his left hand, he stood to face the Gotes.
The Captain had made his way to the escort and was chuckling over the news of surrender. He looked over to see Frank glaring at him.
“Where did you learn Gotian?” the Captain asked.
Frank was looking at the ground before him. “I've been around.”
“I'll hear your terms for surrender, but th
e odds are I won't accept them.” The Captain joked. “What is your title?”
“I have lots of titles.”
“If I am to accept any terms, I must know your title.”
“I was actually going to listen to your terms,” Frank replied, still looking down. His anger was consuming him. “But I think I will kill you all instead.” He looked up so they could see his blank eyes. “My official title is Custodian, but I am known as the Monster, of Earth.”
“To arms!”
Frank reached into his shuriken pouch as he gave them time to form ranks. They came together in a group with the Captain at the rear shouting orders. The shots started as Frank began his charge but they had no effect. He was somehow pushing the shield forward through the heavy rounds and when he felt he was close enough, he pressed down to assist his jump. They lost track of him as he soared high above their heads, dropping an exploder in their midst.
Rotund mammalian bodies and parts were flying in all directions as Frank landed in front of the Captain, who was reaching for his pistol. The sword came out in a flash and after two strokes, the Captain's hand went flying, still grasping the gun.
The Captain looked at his wounded arm first before shifting his gaze down to his midsection. His armor had a horizontal slice and blood was pouring out. He looked up in time to see Frank's fist. The blow made no sense to him. None of it did. No human should be able to cause such pain. But he fell nonetheless. He tried to cry out for help but was only able to scream in pain.
“You must watch,” Frank said. “You must watch like she does.”
* * *
There had to be some way out of this. Ebry had played all of his cards right up to this point. But this human killing machine was tearing through his soldiers. Glancing down in an act of defiance, he realized the armor was holding his guts in. He was about to die just like the female human he'd just used. His voice was no longer working. He wanted more than anything to call out to his Gotes to surrender. They were now flooding out of the warship only to meet their death. Could it be they have been wrong this whole time? More explosions and the screams that followed tore through his ears as he tried to pull himself up. It didn't work. He fell back and looked across the way to see the human female staring back at him. Her gaze was the last thing he saw.
27.
Frank wasn't winded but he fell back to locate some clear ground. The bodies were piling up and he didn't want to trip over them. Gotes were still coming down the ramp. He gave them a chance to form ranks before launching another exploder. Those who survived the blast soon met their end by Frank's blade as he systematically killed every invader he encountered. The sound of gunfire signaled the approach of the humans. Their bullets had little effect on the Gotes but Frank was glad to see them at least trying. They were coming in through the trees beyond the front of the warship. Frank scanned the area to make sure they were clear before checking on the young lady.
“Gelan was not joking.”
Frank was kneeling beside the now dead girl when he heard the voice. He reached down to close her eyes before lifting her head to retrieve his hoodie. His anger was still burning inside him as he gently lowered her head back to the soil. After a few moments, he stood.
“Are you the Commander here?” he asked.
“Yes, we came as soon as we could regroup.” The officer looked over the carnage.
“I suspect there are more of them inside their ship. I would like you to wait here and kill any that try to get away.”
“I am afraid our guns are mostly useless against them. We used all our larger ammo taking down the smaller vessels.”
Frank looked around. He located a Gote pistol and handed it to the Commander. “Use theirs. I imagine it has quite a kick.”
The Commander signaled for his troops to start picking through the dead to retrieve weaponry. “We will take care to not shoot you by mistake, sir.”
“My name is Frank. You do not have to worry about shooting me. But I am afraid there might be some of your people in there. If they are alive, I wish to keep them that way.”
“Understood. Would you like a gun for yourself?”
“No thanks.” Frank made his way toward the ramp and marched into the dark ship.
* * *
“I sent them on,” Pock said as he scurried up the ramp of the landing boat.
“Why didn't you go with them?” Phildan asked.
“You're my friend, Phil. I'm not going to leave you alone now. Show me what you got.”
“I don't know what to say.” Phildan turned the data pad so Pock could see. “Thank you.”
“I don't know what the fuck I'm looking at. How do you guys use that shit?”
“It appears to be Verullians.”
“Those assholes?” Pock chirped. “How many?”
“It looks like all of them.” Phildan presses a spot. “Oh no, they are carriers. One is unloading.” He rushed to where he had set his phone and picked it up. “I need to call Robert. He'll know who to contact.” He was shifting his focus between the phone and the pad. “Shit!” He set the phone down and began frantically pressing more spots.
“What is it?” Pock asked.
“Two fighters are dropping in right over us.”
“Let's get the fuck out of here!”
Phildan seemed to relax a bit. “We're away. Those guys are pretty fast.”
“Hold on,” Pock said. “How did they know to drop in on the island? There's plenty of dry land on this rock.”
“They are tracking us,” Phildan reported. “They've fallen into pursuit.”
“There's no fucking way!”
“Three more dropping in. They're trying to cut us off.”
“Dammit, Phil, how are they tracking us?”
“I'm kind of busy at this moment, Pock.” He was taking the boat through a series of maneuvers the insect was unaware of.
“Big fucking cloaked ship shows up. And then the Verullians pop through a rift.” Pock was thinking out loud, trying to make sense of it all.
“The Verullians didn't have irrelevancy drives the last I heard,” Phildan replied. “The cloaked ship obviously opened the rift for them.” Phildan followed his thought to its conclusion as he worked to evade their pursuers. He glanced at his wrist. His bracelet wasn't a velocity shield but it did house his beacon. “They're tracking me.” He quickly deactivated the beacon and then took a hard left.
“I am so confused,” Pock admitted.
“I disabled my beacon and they lost track of us.” Phildan stood and thought it over for a moment as he studied the pad. “Shit!” He picked the phone back up.
“What is it?” Pock asked.
“They're going after beacons.”
* * *
“What is it?” Michelle asked.
“Alien invasion,” Robert said as he dialed his phone.
“Not again.” She pulled her phone from her back pocket and tried to find some news.
“Dave!” Robert yelled into his phone. “You guys have to destroy your beacons.”
Michelle paused and listened but she was only hearing one side of the conversation.
“You're wearing your suits? Shit. There's a small lump that will be on the back of your neck. Pinch it out and crush it with something.”
“Robert, where is your suit?” Michelle asked in a panic.
“It's back at the apartment.” He shifted his focus back to the call. “Expect incoming. They'll probably hit your last known position.” He looked to her. “Call real quick and try to get our building evacuated. We need to get over there.” Pulling the phone back up, he continued to speak into it. “Phil is calling Hiro. Get somewhere safe then get ready because it's about to be on.”
* * *
Another explosion rocked the warship.
Five Gotes ran down the ramp only to meet their end from their own armaments.
“These guns hurt, sir!”
“I know. But they work. Stay sharp.” Commander Geln was ou
t of his element so he relied on his training to carry him through. Shots from behind him startled him. After he realized they weren't aimed at him, he sent a runner to check it out. He knew the most important thing right now was to appear confident so his men would be too.
“Sir!”
Geln turned back to see a Gote treading down the ramp. He was carrying a girl in one hand with a pistol pointed at her head. And he was yelling gibberish.
“Hold!” Geln shouted. He really didn't know what to do.
But Frank then emerged. He shouted something at the alien who turned to shoot. The bullet somehow didn't meet its mark. Something metallic flew from Frank's hand and struck the alien. Geln was confused until the Gote turned slowly with the star lodged deeply in its forehead. Death claimed the alien as he slowly sank to the ground, pulling the girl with him. She pushed the fat arm away from her and rolled away, screaming all the while. Frank then walked down the ramp to her, knelt down, and seemed to try to comfort her. After a moment, he scooped her up and carried her forward.
“May I ask for a report?” Geln watched as Frank set her down and supported her in a standing position. He finally let go of her and with a nod of his head, she let herself be led away to safety.
“She is the only living human I found,” Frank replied. “It is very dark in there though. You need to stay vigilant in case any Gotes were hiding.”
“Gotes? And what do you mean only living human?”
Frank cast the gaze of his blank eyes upon Geln and the soldier was reminded he wasn't dealing with an ordinary man. The very air around him felt ominous.
“There are a lot of dead people inside,” Frank said. He didn't try to hide his pain.
Geln looked around and noticed several soldiers staring.
“Eyes on that ramp!” They all turned their attention back to the warship as Geln gestured to Frank to step away for a word. He led Frank toward a drop ship and looked around. “I think these belong to you.” He presented the sunglasses. “My name is Geln.”
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