Sci-Ops- Nova

by Jedi Reach

  “On it.” Scott veered off into another subsection of hallways.

  “Aiden help Xenia. Take Lars to his ship. Fallback to my position afterward. I’ll hold them off by the time.” Jace continued.

  “You sure buddy here won’t mind?” Aiden said.

  “Buddy’s not gonna’ have a choice.” Jace replied with a strict tone.

  Xenia grabbed Jace’s arm.

  “What?” she snapped upon noticing Jace still had a little limp. “Am I supposed to just watch you go out there and get yourself killed?!”

  “Get your brother to his ship. We can’t risk Adron leaving this planet.”

  “There are two tier one Scions and a tier zero Scion plus a warlord with a disease that can eradicate planets. I’m not letting you go out there alone,” Xenia turned to Aiden and handed him a small apparatus. “Take this, it’ll reveal the location of Daisha. Once you get on the ship, place it in the holo-terminal and leave Lars on board. I’ve set the autopilot to head to Federation space once you insert it.”

  Aiden looked at the gadget, confused.

  “Do I press something?” he asked.

  “No, once Lars is around you it will activate on its own.” Xenia replied.

  “Got it.” Aiden nodded.

  “Soon as you load him on the ship, get back out here.” Jace ordered.

  “You got it.” Aiden affirmed.

  “Aiden?” Xenia came close to him and touched the side of his face. Her striking eyes shone through her blindfold. “Please look after my brother.”

  “I got him, doll. Don’t worry.” the Viking said and left with Lars. Xenia and Jace glanced at each other.

  “You ready for this?” Jace asked.

  Xenia clenched a fist over her chest.

  Green bioluminescence coiled around her hand.

  “Ready.” she said.

  **************

  Jace and Xenia ran to the hangar facility where armed forces were locked in a crossfire against Sven and Victoria. Sven and Victoria weren’t only using their powers, they were amplified and changed by the virol. Victoria’s screams were directed like lasers while Sven’s flame blasts were etched with virol vines. The armor they received from the virol suits also protected them from small arms fire or swallowed the blasts of rockets.

  “Jace, you guys need to be careful. There are no teleporters active if your shields fail.” Scott radioed when the Nova Leaders arrived at the hangar.

  “Got it.” Jace replied.

  “Jace, I’m serious. You can die.”

  “I hear you. Now get those drones out here so we don’t.”

  “On it.”

  Three soldiers were hurled outside the hangar, a flame buffet erupting shortly after. Jace and Xenia looked at each other, nodded, and went in. Both Sven and Victoria were quick to notice the Nova Leaders once Xenia telekinetically hurled scraps of wrecked ship parts at them. Victoria unleashed a dreadful shriek that shook the ground and caused most of the soldiers to drop to the ground with seizures. Jace concentrated on quietness with all his willpower to nullify the effect while Xenia telepathically connected to his mind and did the same. Scott’s drones were inbound; a pair of sleek disc aircraft that descended from the sky and offered heavy rounds of firepower to the fight.

  **************

  A portal opened in the biocontainment facility of Site X. Adron and Lea walked out, turned their attention to the workers and the soldiers, and made quick work of them before the men had a chance to respond. Adron observed his surroundings. There were containers upon containers, filled with virol from Scott’s experiments in addition to prototype weapons, armors and suits still in the works. As Adron moved closer to the containers, the virol inside them began reacting to him. It was as if Adron possessed a gravity that called to the virus.

  “Oh, my children. You have learned so much.” he remarked, sliding his hand on a container. Soldiers rushed into the room with automatic rifles. Lea sensed them coming. She opened a portal, leapt into it and appeared behind the soldiers who were ready to turn the corner and fire. Lea’s arms became long vines and she struck at the soldiers, neutralizing them while they fired wildly.

  “How foolish of these creatures. They think because they understand part of your composition, they know how to control you?” Adron said to the containers. “Foolish.”

  A portal opened behind him and Lea hopped out. Adron held his hands out in opposite directions and dropped his head back.

  “It is time, my children. Time for us to be one again.” he announced. The lights dimmed in the room and a small tremor passed through the ground. Virol from all containers coiled into miniature whirlwinds and shattered the containers holding them. Every bit of virol in that facility, even the strains attached to armor and weapons, targeted their main host, Adron, and gravitated toward him like an irresistible magnet. As the reconnecting virol attracted to Adron, each piece made the overlord grow in power.

  “Yes, yes, yes!” Adron howled. “I can feel it. All you have seen. All you’ve learned.”

  A blackness darker than night wrapped around Adron as he grew bulkier and bulkier. Lea stepped back and noticed the virol covering her body began trembling. She remembered Adron in his vision back on the other world.

  Am I going to see his true power at last?

  **************

  Aiden carried Lars outside the main base, past the outer compound into the surrounding nature. The apparatus Xenia gave him beeped and beeped, eventually leading Aiden underneath a waterfall. The Viking looked around. He couldn’t see anything.

  “The hell?” he said as he sat Lars comfortably against the wall. Aiden played with the apparatus, even biting it with his teeth. Daisha suddenly appeared to his side, the invisibility cloak fading. A hatch opened underneath the spaceship and turned into stairs.

  “Alright pal, time to get you home.” Aiden helped Lars up and walked him to the stairs.

  **************

  Jace opened his palm and an array of short electrical bursts smacked into Sven and Victoria. This gave the armed forces and Scott’s drones an opportunity to close in on the enemy Scions while Xenia recycled ruined scraps of metal and ship parts as telekinetic projectiles. Sven and Victoria hid behind rubble and waited out the combined firepower. Once they got a clearing, Sven opened with a pyrokinetic blast that scorched all remaining soldiers on fire, including Scott’s drones, while Victoria used her psychic screams to hold them still for the burning. The sheer force from the scream shattered Scott’s drones into pieces.

  Xenia pushed a telekinetic wave that smashed Victoria into the wall. Sven turned his attention to the alien and unloaded all his force at her. The pyrokinesis was overwhelming. Xenia had to find cover. Sven noticed the alien’s distress and used it to his advantage until Jace uncloaked from invisibility behind him, reached out and touched his head. Sven instantly froze in a telepathic stasis and this gave Xenia the clearing she needed. Xenia pushed am invisible wave at Sven that lobbed him into the wall. Both enemy Scions were seemingly down.

  **************

  Adron continued absorbing virol and through the plague communicating over the distance, felt Sven and Victoria’s pain. Lea felt it too the more Adron absorbed. It began connecting all virol users into a hive mind.

  “Let me take over.” Adron growled.

  The overlord howled and his scream echoed throughout all of Site X. Virol all over the base, even little scraps and pieces, including those attached to armor and weapons as countermeasures, ripped from their binds and raced toward the call. Lea shivered at Adron’s immense power. She wondered if there could be anything that could stop it.

  **************

  Aiden sat Lars down on-board Daisha and went to the ship’s control panel. He grew agitated trying to figure out the slot Xenia was referring to for the apparatus’ insertion.

  “Freakin’ blonde! How the hell did she expect me to work this?” Aiden said to himself.

  After looking around despera
tely, he finally found the slot.

  “There it is.” he said.

  A cold, familiar presence crept behind the Viking.

  What’s that?

  Aiden turned around, the apparatus still in hand, and found Lars standing on two feet, hunched over, breathing like a vicious beast. His eyes were completely black, and his face, wrought with rage. Lars growled then charged at Aiden and tackled him into the ship’s control panel. Aiden fended the alien off and threw him to the side.

  “Oh no, not you too.” Aiden said upon realizing the heightened strength reminded him of Royce.

  ‘Bring me the ship.’ Adron’s voice echoed in Lars’ mind.

  Lars charged at Aiden again and the two erupted in a brawl. Aiden struggled to keep the apparatus out of Lars’ hands, using his superior strength to keep the alien at arm’s length. As the fight went on, Lars became gradually coated with virol until the possessed hunter could match Aiden’s strength blow for blow. The apparatus eventually slipped out of Aiden’s hands and once the Viking tried to retrieve it, Lars was completely taken by the virol. The hunter unleashed waves of black vines that pinned Aiden to the wall.

  “Son of a bitch!” Aiden yelled.

  Lars grabbed the apparatus and inserted it into the ship.

  **************

  ‘Arise.’ Adron’s voice echoed in Sven and Victoria’s heads. Sven and Victoria rose from underneath the rubble covering them, both Scions screaming and holding their heads. They no longer had control over themselves.

  Now, they belonged to Adron.

  “Jace!” Xenia called.

  Sven and Victoria levitated in the air. A thick swarm of black, gooey vines unleashed from the Scions and rushed at Xenia and Jace, knocking them away. Jace held his palm out and concentrated on creating an energy blast to smack the enemy Scions out of the air but another virol wave smashed him into the wall.

  “Shields depleted.” Jace’s suit said to him.

  “Scott?” Jace called.

  “I’m working on it. Getting another bird up.” Scott replied.

  The Nova Leader stood up and ripped his bio-mask off; the systems were fried. Xenia hurled debris at the Scions but the virol absorbed the attacks and flung it back at the alien. Xenia narrowly dodged the debris that almost sliced her head clean off. A dark wave moved through the room and socked Xenia in the chest, tossing her like a ragdoll. Xenia coughed up blood as she struggled to get to her knees.

  “Xenia!” Jace rushed to her, only to be smacked away by another virol wave. Xenia clenched her fists and rose to her feet, Sven and Victoria hovering a short distance from her, readying another attack. The alien ripped off her blindfold, tossed it aside and recalled the words Jace had told her about unleashing her full power. A green aura formed around her, and she levitated in the air.

  Sven and Victoria fired another wave of virol at Xenia. Xenia held her hands forward and the virol stopped inches away from her. A tug of war emerged between the three, both sides gnashing their teeth, pushing with all their power and all their might. Jace picked himself up, opened his palm and fired short bursts at the enemy Scions, using what last remains of his energy he had left.

  Xenia reached deep into her consciousness and remembered the dark history that unfolded because of the virol. It motivated her to push even harder – she couldn’t let the same fate happen to earth. She couldn’t let Jace be killed. Xenia forced all her power against the virol wave, screaming her lungs out as she did. Sven and Victoria struggled to keep up by the vehement force. Xenia’s power gradually proved overwhelming and overcame the possessed Scions. Both crashed into the ground, finally defeated. Xenia collapsed midair from exhaustion and fell on top of Jace who was prepared to break her fall.

  “Xenia? You okay?” Jace asked, barely breathing himself.

  Xenia groaned. She could hardly keep her eyes opened.

  Suddenly a portal opened between the downed enemy Scions and the Nova Leaders, sending heavy gusts across the hangar. Adron walked out, followed by Lea who closed the portal shortly after. Jace moved in front of Xenia who was holding him as well, the two exhausted and fearful for each other’s lives. Adron looked at Victoria and Sven.

  “Well done, Scions. I’ll take it from here.” he said.

  Fire from the battle burned the piles of rubble around. Jace stumbled as he got to his feet and held his palm out threateningly.

  “Why do you still fight, even when you have nothing left?” Adron asked.

  Jace tried to fire a blast from his hand, but nothing came out. He was completely dry, and his suit; badly damaged. The Nova Leader clenched his fists, gnashed his teeth and rushed at Adron. Adron easily smacked Jace aside before the Scion could even come near. Xenia couldn’t get off her knees, yet she hurled a telekinetic wave at Adron. The force was so weak that Adron only stumbled a few feet back.

  “Why?” Adron asked again.

  The overlord stretched his palm at Xenia and black vines wrapped around her, pinning her to the floor. The ceiling caved in, Daisha descended into the hangar and unpacked stairs underneath the spacecraft.

  “It’s time to go.” Adron said to Lea.

  Lea felt conflicted. Seeing Jace and Xenia give their all only to be defeated triggered something in her.

  “What about the others?” Lea asked.

  Jace used the distraction to close the distance on Adron and strike again with a punch. Adron transformed his arm into a sword and ran the blade through Jace’s chest before Jace could land the hit.

  “JACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Xenia screamed in horror, tears flowing down her cheeks. Adron pushed Jace into the nearby wall, the blade still penetrated through the Nova Leader.

  “You don’t know how to give up.” Adron commented. Jace coughed up blood and panted as his breath grew shorter each gulp. “This is a good death,” Adron continued, resting his hand on Jace’s shoulder. “We mustn’t fear the inevitable.”

  Xenia shrieked and cried. Her wails terrified Lea. It made the rogue Scion question everything she was doing. She could hear her father’s voice playing in the back of her head, reminding her not to follow his mistakes.

  “Nooooooo!! Jace!!” Xenia wailed, tears running down her eyes profusely.

  “I didn’t want it to come to this. You’re a good leader with a good heart. I’ll remember you.” Adron said to Jace as they looked at each other, Adron’s flaming eyes the last thing Jace would see as life left his body. Jace breathed his last breath and collapsed. Adron rose to his feet and tried to pull out the blade.

  What? He wondered to himself.

  The blade wouldn’t budge.

  He tried again.

  This time Jace grabbed the blade.

  What?! Adron shook.

  Virol covered Jace’s entire body until he himself became a shadowy apparition like Adron. Jace rose to his feet, his hands fastened on the blade, spun Adron around and tossed the overlord into debris of a destroyed aircraft. Adron, Lea and Xenia were shocked and dumbfounded. Not one of them had a clue what was unfolding. Jace held his hand out at Xenia and called the virol subduing her to come to him and be absorbed. Daisha turned its attention at Jace and readied its particle beam cannon.

  ‘Lars,’ Jace reached into the hunter’s mind telepathically and froze him. ‘Don’t do this.’

  Aiden broke free of his virol restraints and tackled Lars again. The Viking delivered a series of heavy blows at the hunter until the two locked arms.

  ‘Break free of his control.’ Jace spoke into Lars’ mind again. Lars shook his head, confused, the blackness in his eyes slowly dissipating. Aiden noticed the hunter’s deteriorating strength as the virol control slowly left him.

  Adron got back to his feet and a dark wave coiled around him. He fired the virol blast at the shadowy Jace. Jace held his hand out and the virol blast moved around and flowed behind him. Lea extended her arm into a whip and hurled it at Jace, but it froze midair by a telekinetic force. It was Xenia holding Lea from moving. Daisha turned its attenti
on at Lea and Adron and fired giant beams of plasma.

  Lea was struck and instantly knocked out from the spaceship’s firepower. Adron, however, tanked the shot directly to the back and stayed standing, firing a continuous stream of virol energies at Jace. The overlord turned one of his arms into a whip and smacked Daisha out of the hangar.

  Adron exploded with rage. Violent waves of energy emanated from him as he called upon all the virol around him. The virol from Lea, Sven and Victoria was ripped from their bodies and hurled into Adron. The continuous stream of virol against Jace became stronger.

  ‘Look around you,’ Jace spoke into Adron’s mind. ‘Is this what you really want?’

  ‘You know how to control it?’ Adron spoke back.

  ‘We are connected, I see all.’ Jace replied.

  Daisha moved to intercept again, its cannon readying to fire, only this time, at Adron’s Scions. Adron looked at Lea. She was defenseless. The next shot from Daisha would fry her to bits. It was in that instant Adron remembered Yrei.

  ‘I can’t shake it, remembering the fact that you led your crew to die.’ Lars’ voice played in Adron’s mind. ‘How long is it going to be until your earth friends join the same fate?’

  Adron closed his eyes.

  So be it. He said to himself.

  The overlord stretched his hands at his Scions and transferred his virol to them as Daisha unloaded its cannon. Adron’s virol completely left him, leaving the overlord only in his old, ruined armor. Xenia used the last of her energy and hurled sharp metal debris at Adron that stabbed the overlord through his chest and arms, pinning him to the ground. Daisha landed and both Lars and Aiden ran out and went to Xenia.

  “You alright?” Lars asked his sister as he helped her up.

  Xenia nodded, the glow in her eyes, dim.

  Jace moved to Adron alone, the virol still covering his body. He called upon the remaining virol from Sven, Victoria and Lea and they rushed into the Nova Leader.

  “What are you waiting for?” Adron said, blood leaking out his lips. “Finish it.”