"Does that means we can't launch a counter attack?" Katie asked in fear.
"They have crippled us Officer Mitchell. We are now helpless against their bombers." Charlie answered.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Katie said with desperation.
"No. We have played all of our trump cards and we've lost. It's only a matter of time before they hit something vital."
"General, four bombers just entered the axis tunnel." Announced Whitely.
Charlie looked up at Katie's frustrated expression. "Now is time to start praying."
********************
The bombers swooped into the tunnel and made with all speed to the main energy source that appeared on their scanners. They ducked and dodged the numerous pedestrian access tubes with the relentless drive that pushed them to their goal. Each of the pilots could taste the sweetness of victory and their large hearts increased the flow of blood as the adrenalin surged it on. Faster and faster they went until the target on their scanners was in sight. The bombers manoeuvred themselves so all had a clear shot at the target, then with green scaly fingers poised over the triggers, they prepared to fire.
********************
Ryan was hurtled through countless walls with no power to control his passage. Impact after impact, he was thrust through the superstructure of the Kron unable to muster the strength to stop himself. The destructive flight of his body came to an abrupt halt several kilometres away as he became embedded in a wall of solid carbon alloy. He opened his eyes and in amazement, he found himself in one piece. Somehow the Rings of Karn still possessed enough energy to shield him against the massive explosion that tore apart the ship.
He looked at his forearm and found the bracelets still glowing with magic. The energy began to flow back into him as the Rings of Karn accessed the endless resources of the universe to replenish itself and the wielder. The effects were instantaneous as Ryan was revitalised to a level of strength that he had not possessed since the arrival of the Warrians. He sucked in a deep breath and extended his mind to survey the immediate area, but something was missing? The sickly feeling that he had in his stomach and the migraine that inflicted his brain had passed. The ether was calm as a pond and the smell of evil was no longer in his nostrils. Zardon had disappeared.
Questions began to fill his mind - where was Zardon? Why could he no longer sense his presence? The blast should have had little effect upon him and yet he was nowhere to be seen. By now his evil might should be crushing him with a greater vengeance and what caused the mysterious explosion?
He suddenly remembered the Endeavour's blast that Zardon had suppressed. His total devotion to killing him must have resulted in the release of the suppressed explosion. That still didn't explain why Zardon had disappeared? Ryan's thoughts spun around and around in his head with no prospect of a solution. Amongst the mental turmoil arose the vision of his love, Katie. Suddenly he realised his foolishness. He was free to utilise the power of the Bracelets to their fullest and yet he was standing here thinking instead of acting. Zardon was out of the way, but for how long? He must move while he still can. Now was the time to save the Earth!
"Nooo! Destroy them now while they are weakened." Cried Valour.
"Zardon can wait. My people come first." Ryan responded.
"Now is the moment to act, don't waste it." Valour pleaded.
"Thanks for the advice, but I don't plan on wasting it at all." He raised himself through the levels of the ship like a ghost moving through a haunted house until he stood upon the outer-hull of the Kron. The ship stretched out in all directions like a barren planet surface while far to his left the fires from the explosion continued to blaze. He gazed about at the numerous Cruisers that surrounded the Flagship and beheld their insurmountable power and formidable presence. With a mental command he drew in the vast total of forces and energy that created the universe, then held them within his tiny body. "Hear me now Zardon. For the death of my father and my people, for the destruction of my home and countless lives. Witness the fulfilment of my revenge, the annihilation of your precious fleet." He extended his mind's eye to engulf all the Cruisers. He felt ever bolt and panel, every thought and heartbeat of the thousands of Warrian crew. Then, he pushed his mind further out to behold the Warrian Spaceforce and their bombing runs upon the Endeavour. Ryan felt everyone and everything, simultaneously. The vast supply of information filled his neurons to the point of bursting, but the Bracelet's measureless power kept his sanity intact.
From a single mental command, Ryan sent out a wave of devastation that humbled the power of the advanced technology about him and accompanying the wave was the sound of a word that rode the crest of the wave. The word that channelled all of his pent up grief and anger, the word "Waste!" It annihilated the Cruisers about his small form, shrouding him in flames and heat comparable to the centre of the Sun. Large hunks of shrapnel ripped into the Kron's hull like bullets through flesh as her shields failed to deflect the impaling objects. All about Ryan was death, detestation and hideous calamity, though despite it all he stood firm, unmoved and unaffected.
The wave continued at an incredible rate to the asteroid belt and pierced the extensive world of moving rock without incident, until it met the conquering swarms of Warrians fighters. The squadrons of Warbirds erupted in a flow of flashes, like a deadly fireworks show for the amusement of the Endeavour's crew. As the last of the fighters clashed with the lethal wave of magical destruction, it quickly dissipated into the ether leaving no trace of its existence.
Finally, silence draped its peaceful cloak over the solar system as only one Warrian vessel threatened to sever the silence once more. Ryan bowed his head in exhaustion and relief - the battle was finished. His magical vision pierced through the ship to the location of Starfighter One and beheld its undamaged fuselage. About it was shattered beams and torn structures that littered its surroundings. He commanded the bracelets to propel him back to his ship and with their customary obedience, they performed their wielder's wish.
********************
Zen clung to the helm of the Kron as he witnessed the destruction of the Warrian Fleet. Instrument panels erupted into flames and beams shattered through walls and floors. Around him, total chaos reigned but his mind remained steadfast. He was not to be swayed by the calamity. Instead, his temper was directed at the one cause of such a force of devastation. As the clamour settled, he drew his bulk from the floor and strode from the Bridge leaving a confused and baffled crew. Only one thought possessed his mind and no amount of magic was to stimulate his primitive fears. Zen knew where Ryan would be headed and he was going to make him pay for his actions.
********************
Ryan's feet met gently with the cluttered floor of the dock as the Bracelets completed his command. He scanned the floor for his helmet, but it was nowhere to be seen. Maybe the Warrians took his helmet for later examination, though such an act was unlikely. There was nothing special about his helmet that their own helmets would possess. What they would be more interested in was the Starfighter One and it was sealed under its shields. Without his helmet, Ryan could not deactivate the shields for it was his only communication link. He could command the Bracelets to transport himself to the Endeavour, but he refused to leave the Starfighter One behind. Despite everything, he was still a pilot and he had his loyalty to his fighting ship.
A familiar voice interrupted his search. "Looking for this?"
Ryan spun around to see Zen holding his helmet in one hand and an energy sword in the other. "Zen! Drop the helmet and I'll let you live."
"Have you forgotten our prearranged meeting? A fight to the death!" He replied.
"You dared to call me a fool and here you are challenging me. You know very well what I am capable off."
Zen scrutinised his opponent before him and announced his deductions. "If I didn't come, you would have killed me anyway. Remember you are a Federation soldier and are bound by the Codes of Honour. Fight me like a tr
ue warrior instead of the coward’s way, with magic."
"I was a Federation Captain, bound by the Codes of Honour until you exterminated my race. With my own eyes I saw your fighters cut down unarmed transporters while they fled from Carillia. What perverted code does your race follow? A Warrian knows nothing of honour, only how to destroy. You deserve to die as they did, dishonourably."
The words of truth cut deep into Zen's proud heart. He strongly objected to the Emperor's methods of battle against the Federation. It went against his basic codes of honour as well and if it weren't for the Emperor's title, he would have had Zardon executed. It was a shameful fact that he could not deny and the frustration turned to anger causing him to drop the helmet and lunged at Ryan's throat. Despite his size, he was extremely quick and agile and covered the ground between himself and his opponent in less than a heartbeat. His newly acquired energy sword flashed towards Ryan's neck with deadly accuracy.
Ryan's retaliation was executed in a millisecond as the command passed from his brain to the Bracelets. Zen collided with a repelling force equal to that of a charging locomotive that shot his body back towards the dock wall behind him. Zen impacted with the wall with such force that his body disintegrated like a bug on a windshield, spraying the dock with his dark blue blood.
Ryan picked up his helmet and replaced it over his head. He turned to the Starfighter One and deactivated the ship's shields, then boarded the sleek fighter. He activated all the ships systems as well as the onboard computer - Becky. The familiar voice was a welcome sound to his ears. "If you do not take evasive action, I will have to activate the pilot override...how did we get in here?"
"Don't ask questions Becky, let’s just get the hell out of here."
"Yes Admiral. All mental guidance systems are operational." She replied.
The Starfighter One's engines increased to flight speed and with Ryan's mental guidance, it lifted from the littered dock floor and turned to face the closed dock doors. He activated the weapons system and selected two proton missiles for arming, then sent the command to launch the missiles. Two projectiles launched at the doors and impacted with an intense explosion, ripping a hole several times the size of the Starfighter in the large doors. Fragments from the blast shot past the fighter, then as the air expelled through the hole, they were sucked back out with the other loose debris. Ryan gave the full forward thrust command and the Starfighter One leapt out into the cold, dark of space.
When he reached a safe distance from the Kron, he instructed Betty to engage the auto pilot while he concentrated on the final destructive blow to the conquered Warrian Fleet. He relaxed his body as best he could and extended his mind to engulf the Flagship. The perception developed by the Bracelets was phenomenal; every beam, bolt and joint of the ship was touched by his senses. It was all so clear that without the magically induced perception, he felt blind and deficient. It made his natural abilities feel inferior and that they were never developed to their full potential. The sensation was disrupted as four intense pulses of energy dashed passed his ship and impacted with the vast structure behind him. It startled Ryan causing him to retreat his mind from the Kron and investigate the source of the powerful gunfire. He gazed at the forward monitor to see the Endeavour approaching at attack trajectory.
Another cluster of destructive energy passed by his fighter and once more impacted with its target. The Kron retaliated with its own main battlements that impacted with the Endeavours shields and dispersed harmlessly over the ship's surface. The greater firepower of the Endeavour took its toll and the Kron's defence systems were quick to fail. The main battlements were first to be destroyed causing the Flagship to shudder from the resultant explosions. The next cluster ripped away the starboard engine structure and the following struck at the Kron's engines. The burst of energy tore the superstructure apart, annihilating it from existence.
The shock wave rattled the Starfighter One as its shields stopped the force from crushing the small craft. Ryan held still as the wave made its course past his ship and shortly the tremor ceased. Following the cataclysm, Ryan studied the calm ether and as before Zardon's presence was nowhere to be felt. The mystical voice of Lord Valour spoke to him through invisible lips. "You have done well my Liege. Forgive me for my previous foolishness."
"You're forgiven. By the way, thanks for the help back there. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead by now."
"You are my Liege, it is my duty to serve you."
"I still owe you one."
"If you insist, my Liege."
"Where do you think they are? I can't feel them no longer."
"They may have returned to the future."
"Do you think they will be back?"
"You have struck a terrible blow to their legion as well as to the wielder of the Rings of Venal. They will not return until they have replenished their forces."
"Good! I've seen enough of those two for one day."
"Now that I have seen what we are up against my Liege, we definitely need to refine your swordplay. This time luck was on our side, but next time they won't be so clumsy and will be better prepared. We will start training tomorrow."
"That's fine with me, because tonight I'm taking a break." He commanded the deactivation of the magical Bracelets and his senses quickly returned to normal. As his concentration focused on the navigation of the Starfighter One, he piloted the ship at maximum speed back to the landing bays of the Endeavour.
********************
Katie waited with Charlie at the landing bay in anticipation of Ryan's return. The bazaar events of the last hour had confused and numbed her inquiring mind to the point where she cared no longer to comprehend them. How Ryan escaped from the Flagship and how the fleet suddenly self destructed, she couldn't begin to fathom. The only thing she cared about now was to have Ryan safe in her arms again.
Charlie's heart continued to pound as if the battle was still under way. He could only guess at the repercussions of a magical battle upon the frail mind and body of one man. Was Ryan still the man that he knew? The battle may not have affected him physically, but what of the psychological damage that may have resulted? His fingers agitated at his side as his mind pondered over the possible condition that he may return in.
The landing dock was cluttered with fighters and the dock crew as they extracted weary pilots from the battle scarred ships. The medical staff dashed back and forth from ship to ship in an effort to carry the injured and physically exhausted from the landing bay to the infirmary. Out from the star studded darkness came the sleek contours of the Starfighter One as it gracefully traversed the bay entrance and lowered to the floor below. The moment the ship met the floor, the engine pitch decreased slowly to a halt and the canopy abruptly slid back. From the cockpit jumped the pilot and with anxious hands he removed his helmet. Underneath was a weary face whose expression gave an insight to the incredible ordeal that the owner had been through. Ryan's eyes met Katie's and immediately the weariness drained away as that familiar, infectious smile took over.
Katie ran to his out spread arms falling into them in a display of intense joy. Ryan felt all the anguish and pain disappear as the warmth of Katie's hug banished the adverse emotions. Their lips met with a passionate kiss and an embrace that was wished by both to last an eternity. That smile of Ryan's was all that Charlie needed to see that he was okay and slowly he approached the couple. When their lips parted, Ryan noticed Charlie at his side. He released Katie and Charlie hugged him.
"I knew you could do it son." Charlie said proudly.
"I hope you took good care of everything while I was gone?" Ryan said as their embrace ended.
The words quickly changed Charlie's expression. "Ryan...We lost most of the Spaceforce, only a handful survived." He said regrettably.
A great weight of remorse fell upon him as he comprehended the massive loss of lives. Amongst the many faces that flashed bye in his mind, one stood out from the rest - the face of his long time friend. "What about Ada
m?" Ryan said cautiously.
"His fighter was destroyed by a squadron of Warbirds while preventing a bombing run."
Ryan looked to Katie and the expression upon her face confirmed his worst fears. "Was there any evidence that he ejected?"
"Yes but nobody was ever found." Charlie said regrettably.
Ryan's head slumped to his chest in remorse and turned around and hugged Katie again.
One of the medical staff approached Ryan with the sense of urgency in his steps. "Excuse me Admiral." He said cautiously as he terminated the couple’s embrace.
Ryan turned to the young man. "Yes Lieutenant, what is it?" He said with a tone of reluctance.
"I sorry to disturb you sir, but there is a pilot that keeps asking for you by name."
"Who is it?"
"We don't know yet, he fell unconscious again before we could identify him and the wrist terminal on his flight suit is smashed. So we can't patch in to find out his credentials. He kept asking for you over and over. I thought that maybe you could help?"
Ryan looked at Charlie in surprise then turned back to the Lieutenant. "Where is he?"
"This way." The Lieutenant turned around and walked towards a rescue craft that was docked nearby. They approached an unconscious man upon a hover-stretcher who laid in his battered A.A.E.E.V. suit.
"It's Adam!" Ryan cried. They surrounded his limp form as Ryan questioned the Lieutenant. "Where did you find him?"
"You won't believe it but he was jammed inside a service vent that accessed the axis tunnel. One of the maintenance crew made a report of the blockage, that's how we found him. How he got there I have no idea."
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