Backlash Rising

by Brandon Ellis

  Shae sat on his rear and let out a deep breath. “They were heroes in my life. I…I’m…” He bit his lips. Now wasn’t the time to mourn, it was a time to make them proud, to continue their journey, and save the rest of humanity.

  “When do we start the mission?” Shae stood, choking down his tears. He pulled Devon in, his arm around Devon’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. We’ll make this right.”

  Devon’s shoulders jostled up and down, doing his best to keep his crying at bay, though not successfully.

  “As a Chosen One, Shae, you must understand you serve the galaxy, humanity, and all Beings. It’s the Space Templar way.”

  Shae nodded and stood proud. “Yes.”

  “Okay,” said Sabra, turning and heading for the shrubbery. “To your new ship and your crew, then to Earth.”

  46

  Eden

  Starship Swift

  A chill stung Eden’s skin. She stood barefoot in the snow, and the white cold blanketed the ground all around her. Where am I?

  She’d left Starship Swift’s bridge more than an hour ago after they jumped into another star system, hopping closer and closer to the mythical Earth-place her people had originated from.

  After each Negative Matter Jump, the accumulators that powered Swift’s drives needed re-energizing. Systems would need to cool as power regenerated from the reactors, allowing the accumulators to build enough steam for another jump. It took hours, sometimes half a day. The perfect time to eat and sleep. The last thing Eden remembered was flopping on a comfortable bed in her sleeping quarters, and closing her eyes as she hit the mattress.

  She took a step, the cold crunch of snow sounding underneath her boots. She outstretched her hand to touch the cold, ice-packed bark on a frozen tree. She inhaled sharply and stepped back as a fog abruptly formed and swirled before her. The fog thinned, and there stood a man in a billowy robe, his back to her.

  “Eden, you beckoned me?” He turned, lowering his hood. He blinked his eyes as if adjusting to the newness around him.

  “Skye?”

  He tilted his head, his eyes narrowed. “You wish to train? Now?”

  She puffed out her bottom lip, shrugging. “I just want to know where the hell we are.” Snow sprinkled from a gray, clouded sky. Barren trees surrounded the area, and nothing more.

  “You’re getting better at the Sight, whether you know it or not.” Skye looked around, nodding as if impressed. “Nyx and my mentors can bring me into their dreams, but I’ve not even met a Sirian or anyone else that can do so. You’re more advanced than I thought.”

  “I didn’t beckon you.”

  “I’m sorry for butting heads with your belief, but you did. You’ve wanted more training.” He put his palms up. “I guess I’m here to deliver.”

  A sensation touched the side of Eden’s head, something she’d felt whenever her mom was about to throw something at her when Eden wasn’t looking. It came in handy, especially the time Eden ducked before a vase shattered against the wall above her head.

  Skye put his hands up. “Keep your heart central. We with the Sight seek the middle path, the one less traveled, the one less believed. With a calm heart, you can work wonders. With rage, you can create chaos.”

  Eden threw her fist upward and to the side, quickly moving out of the way as the center of an icicle broke apart against the back of her hand. She froze her eyes like saucers. “How did I do that?”

  Skye laughed. “One, it’s your dream. You can do anything you please. Two, it’s the Sight. From your memory, you’ve felt it before. Your dream is teaching you how to use it.”

  Out of the ether, a bow dropped at her feet, denting the snow. She blinked and jerked back, the shaft of an arrow now in her teeth. She spat it out. “What the Guild?”

  Skye snorted. “It ain’t my dream.” He lifted a brow, as if to say, bring it on. He went into a defensive stance, turning slightly, his knees bent and his arms by his side. “Hit me.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.” He pointed at the bow and arrow. “Pick up your weapon, aim, and shoot. It might surprise you at the intuition you have with a natural instrument in your hand instead of a gun.”

  “You’re serious?” She bent down, picking up the bow and arrow and shaking the snow off. “You want me to shoot at you?”

  Skye shook his head. “Never shoot at. Shoot through.” He bounced up and down in his stance, getting ready to move out of the way, or do something Templar-like, which usually included breaking the laws of physics. “I’m not the target, Eden. A meter behind me, through my forehead, is the target. Remember that when using a bow.”

  “You’re serious? You want me to shoot you?”

  “Again, through me. Now, go.”

  She aimed, surprised she innately knew how to notch the arrow upward against the center serving nock point on the string. Nock point? Center serving? She didn’t know how those words entered her mind, but they did. She tightened her grasp on the wooden grip, aiming past Skye’s forehead, knowing if she shot true, it would stick in his third eye. This is just a dream, she told herself. Energy picked up in her, soaring up her spine and straightening her posture as she eyed her target. “Are you sure, Skye?”

  He gave a wide grin. “I’m sure.”

  She took a deep breath and pulled the string, the bow curling. Emotions boiled inside her; the time she pulled a hard side spin maneuver to win the Star Guild Academy Games while piloting her Thunderbird—elation. The time she stood up to the school bully when she was a young teen, getting bloodied and bruised in the process—fury.

  She blew her emotions outward, her breath touching the arrow as she let go. A scream followed from somewhere deep within her, sending an electric-blue force that only in her dreams she could see. The force spun around the arrow as it flew.

  Skye lifted his arm, catching the arrow before it split his skull, the tip millimeters from his forehead.

  “The Sight, the scream, the energy from within, is the secret with archery,” instructed Skye. “Nyx is a master, preferring the bow and arrow over any other weapon. The natural instrument is under your control, you choose its speed, even its direction.” He paused, studying the arrow, electricity passing through it and around it, circling his knuckles and fingers. “If I had been anyone else, even Nyx or Jantu, I wouldn’t have been able to catch this.”

  Eden rubbed her temple. “I felt that electric-blue energy come out of me. But it’s just a dream.”

  “Dream, reality. With the Sight training, it’s all the same.” He threw the arrow back at her as if he’d used a bow himself. She caught it. “Again, and again, until we get this right. Then hand to hand combat. In a dream, Sight training can last for days, weeks, or months, even though you’re only asleep for hours.”

  Eden notched the arrow and shot, the emotions more intense, the scream focused like the point of the arrow. Repeatedly, the arrow moved faster, and over and over again, Skye caught it. Until he didn’t. The arrow passed through his forehead like an illusion, and he faded, then illuminated, coming back to his original, non-translucent form.

  “Tell yourself you’ll remember this,” said Skye, the snow beginning to fall harder, big white flakes topping his hair.

  Eden flicked a flake off her nose. “I’ll remember.”

  “Louder.”

  She glared at the dark, gray clouds moving in, yelling at the top of her lungs. “I will remember.” The earth shook, the sky growled, and lightning struck a tree, singeing off a branch, sending smoke into the air.

  “Good, now you’ll remember.”

  She wiped the sweat off her brow. “How long has it been?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said in a dream a few hours of sleep can actually be days, weeks, or months.”

  He thought for a moment, nodding when the answer came. “Months.”

  It felt long, but not that long. “Months of shooting an arrow, over and over?”

  “In dream time, yes.�
�� He kicked snow to the side. “You’re good with the bow now, so let’s put that down and dance, shall we?”

  Eden dropped the bow and arrow, both vanishing before they hit the ground. “Dance?”

  “The Sight can be much like a dance.” He swiped his hand in front of him, and Eden’s feet lifted off the ground. She landed on her back on the soft snow.

  She pushed up, smiling, cocking a brow. “This ought to be fun.”

  “It will take a lot longer than a month, trust me. I hope you have a lot of sleep in you tonight.”

  Energy shifted inside her, her arms tingling and her lungs expanding. She threw both arms out, asking the energy around Skye to partner with her and instantly getting the confirmation. She pulled her arms back like she was pulling a sheet out from under his feet. He lost balance for a moment, then steadied himself. “Kinda weak, but good.”

  He dug his boot in the snow and charged. “We’ll add some hand to hand combat, too.”

  47

  Ali

  Starship Tranquil

  Ali couldn't sleep. At a time like this, how could anyone? She looked around Tranquil's bridge at the Bawn, and Daf, all conked out in their reclining chairs, slumbering, snoring, and slobbering.

  She never figured out what ship-related skills the crew had. In Star Guild, that was a necessity. Here on Starship Tranquil where the ship practically flew itself, there wasn’t a need. The crew could more or less call themselves passengers.

  They followed Swift into a new system, and like Swift and apparently Ali’s crew, Tranquil needed rest and recharge. Heck, Ali needed rest and recharge. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, and of course, she couldn’t.

  She viewed Eden’s vessel on the holovid, mesmerized by Swift’s incredible design, noting Tranquil donned the same design. The starship’s orbed front, long midsection carrying giant boosters on the sides that extended back to the orbed stern, made the simple design somehow look complicated, high-tech, and badass.

  Earlier, over the vidscreen, Nyx had briefed Ali. She gave Ali the rundown on the Anunnaki and their allies heading like a hot comet toward Earth, and it burned her soul. If Ali could go back in time, she’d make sure she’d put enough bullets in Enlil he’d never get up.

  “Screw with my fellow Earthlings, pal?” She shook her head. “Not on my watch.” She’d focus on Enlil’s ship first, if possible, and blast the bastard out of the cosmos and into the stars. Since she couldn’t fight Enlil at the moment or sleep, she needed to do something, or she’d die of boredom.

  She walked to the bridge’s exit and the door opened with a whoosh. Her thick boots squeaked on the floor as she made her way down corridor after corridor, and finally into the midsection where landings upon landings attached to the walls like shelves. On the landings sat domes, thousands upon thousands of them.

  She bit her cheek. “Where are my quarters?” Maybe the captain had a special dome, one twice the size of the others, with a pool, maid-bots, chef-bots, and massage-bots.

  One could dream.

  She walked up a few stairs to the first balcony, passing an empty dome. Maybe this was it? No pool. No maids. No name engraved on the door. She moved onward, thinking maybe someone labeled her quarters. She passed a dome, making sure not to stare through the open door at a large man lying on a bed.

  “Hey,” came a male voice.

  She stopped and turned. She stiffened, then let down her guard, sighing. “Hank, I can break your nose again.” What the hell was he doing on this ship? Did he switch ships? The answer stared her in the face. He did.

  He touched his belly as he sat up. “I’m losing some weight.” He dropped his chin to his chest as if he didn’t want to say that. “You know, I’m trying to change a little.” He looked down, stubbing the front of his shoe on the floor at the foot of his bed. “We worried about you and Daf after you left Sirona. From what that Chan guy said, you may be the one who saved all of us from a grizzly death.”

  “Did Chan let you on this ship?”

  Hank bobbed his head up and down. “Yeah, he said they needed me here. What I’m needed for, I don’t know.” He looked around, tilting his head back and peering through the clear roof and at the landing above him. “This ship is amazing. Have you checked it out at all? It’s nothing like Sirona or any vessel in our fleet. I mean, the synapses fire—”

  Ali held up her hand. “What do you want? Just to chat?”

  Hank patted his bed for her to sit next to him.

  Ali’s shoulder’s drooped before standing erect again like a true captain. The guy didn’t change. “Hank, I’m this ship’s captain. Do you understand? I have the authority to throw you in the brig. Hell, I have the authority to throw you off this ship.”

  “No, please. It wasn’t a pass at you. I just need to talk.”

  Ali looked him up and down, pursing her lips. Something in his look and tone told her he spoke the truth. “All right. But any funny stuff, and I’m not kidding, I get a Bawn to throw your ass in the brig.”

  He crinkled his brow. “Bawn?”

  She made her way to his entrance and leaned against the crystal-like door frame. “Yes, the little guys. They’re all over this ship if you hadn’t noticed. They’re stronger than a bear and—”

  “Bear?”

  Ali threw a dismissive hand. “Never mind.” Bears lived on Earth and were an animal Hank knew nothing about. “So, Hank, what is it?”

  He put up his index finger. “One, and I'm sincere when I say this, I'm glad you're alive.” He put up two fingers. “Two, I’m scared out of my mind.”

  Finally, something she could relate to. “I am too. And thank you. Strangely enough, it’s actually nice to see you…sort of.”

  “Please sit.” He gestured to a chair in the room.

  “Good choice.” She walked in and sat down, rubbing her blurry eyes and yawning. “I can't sleep.”

  “I haven't slept in weeks.” He moaned, yawning as well. “Well, a little here and there, but I've spent most of my hours since the attack wondering if I’ll die tonight or tomorrow.”

  “What's the change?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You were Mister Cocky-pants on Sirona. Now you're acting vulnerable.”

  He shrugged. “Other than being scared shitless? Maybe I'm growing up.”

  “You almost died, didn’t you?” That would grow someone up in a hurry.

  He lowered his chin, his eyes going to his lap. “Yes, and I saw…heard…” He let out a hefty breath. “I witnessed deaths I can’t ever erase out of my mind.”

  Ali dipped her head. The last month, maybe longer, had filled her mind full of horrors she’d never wish on anyone.

  “Ali?” asked Hank. “Where exactly are we going?”

  “Earth.”

  “Earth?” He gave a pinched expression. “We’re heading into battle, aren’t we?”

  “Yes.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them wide. “I was afraid of that. We need to find someone then.”

  “Find someone?”

  “Sleuth.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s not working for our side. He’s working for the Anunnaki.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “If you don’t believe me, ask Eden. She knows. She dealt with him.”

  “You said we needed to find Sleuth. Again, why?”

  Hank leaned forward. “I don’t know what ship he’s on, but I saw him on Starship Swift’s launch bay when we evacuated.”

  Ali put her hands out. “What can he do? Hide?”

  “I think…” Hank lowered his voice. “I think he’s got more than just an in with the enemy. I’m confident he’s directing some of their moves, letting them know where we were at. He’s their inside guy. Listen, the guy is a wizard on the holocomps. He can figure out any system. Now, I know little about these starships, but if anyone can figure these ships out, it’d be him. We need to throw him in prison or kill the piece of ebb. He can�
��t remain unattended on one of these ships for long. He’s a virus. He’ll infect everything.”

  “Then it’s settled,” said Ali. She stood.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m alerting the entire crew on both ships. We’ll find him and throw him in the brig.”

  “That won’t do.”

  “It’ll have to do.”

  Hank gathered himself, his face flush. “Listen, he isn’t just some nerd that’s good with holonets and holochannels. He practically orchestrated the entire attack…or helped…I don’t know for sure. I’ve been piecing the puzzle together these last few days. He’ll figure out how to destroy these ships from the inside out.”

  An alarm sounded. “Captain Ali Johnson,” came Daf’s voice. “You’re needed on the bridge.”

  Hank threw his hands up. “Let me come. Whatever it is, it’s probably Sleuth. I can un-hack what he’s hacking.”

  The ship shuddered, and Ali went to a knee, holding onto the edge of the doorway. She looked up, her eyes narrowed. “Then let’s go.”

  48

  Enlil

  Unknown

  Enlil stood, his body restrained by straps connected to the command console surrounding him in a half-moon orientation. He looked at the rest of the crew on the bridge. They sat at stations, pressing buttons and monitoring data and holomaps.

  Enlil eyed the holoscreen. They’d just hyper hopped into another system, and there was an asteroid field in front of them.

  “Where are we?” Spit came out of his mouth, his body adjusting to the space warp that a Negative Matter Jump created.

  A female Anunnaki turned, her hair in a bun, wearing the make-shift Enlil Monarch black and gold jumpsuit he created for his own fleet—a fleet his father, King Anu, would never approve.

  “Elipsus system. Next jump, Earth’s Solar System,” she said.

  A flash of light erupted on the holoscreen and blinked out a moment later. A Graxic ship had jumped in, its signature dragon-head bow, and long, bat-like wings flaring outward on the dreadnaught. Four boosters pushed the ship forward, two each on the port and starboard, extending past the stern. Pulse cannons littered the dreadnaught’s exterior.