Galactic Forge

by Alex Guerra

  Kayton was listening but had a somewhat confused look on her face.

  “I guess what I am trying to say is, the stuff I did since coming here, are not things I ever thought was a possibility before. Honestly, even if I were to go back right now, I don’t think anything would go back to life as I knew it—as if nothing happened,” I said, looking into her solid black eyes.

  “Destiny has chosen you to be so much more than you ever imagined on Earth. You fail to see that you were meant for bigger things.” She stepped closer to me, her body nearly touching mine. She looked up at me. “Know this…what lies ahead is going to be far from easy. Great people are not simply born, they are forged by the trials they face every day, but I believe the galaxy has been waiting for someone like you.”

  I imagined my life back on Earth. I thought about my family, my friends, my job, and my home. How many people had I helped in my years of life so far? How many people did I just help in the conglomerate and those who are still under the imperial rule? The utilitarian side of me understood the correct path, but my heart was torn between staying and leaving.

  “I hope you can find peace with whatever you decide. I’ll be here for you either way,” she said.

  “Thank you, Kayt,” I said, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

  “Pardon the interruption, but you are needed on the bridge at once,” said Dotty over the room’s comms.

  “What is it Dotty?” I asked.

  “The council just received an urgent message. The Darkkon Empire declared war against the Galactic Conglomerate,” the A.I. reported.

  Kayton and I looked at each other, taking off in a sprint towards the bridge. The team immediately chased after us. When we got there, the council was already gathered together on the main screen.

  “What’s happening?” I asked, looking at the councilors.

  “We just obtained word from the empire; they’re gathering all their ships and preparing for a retaliatory strike on Vallus. It’s going to be all out war now,” answered Councilor Kol.

  “Has our fleet been informed?” asked Kayton, quickly.

  “We just now sent out the skip drones. We can expect the fleet to arrive within the hour,” she responded.

  “What can we do?” I asked, sneaking a glance at Kayton and the team.

  “If what the empire says is true, then our priority is to get you all out of the system and back towards the core conglomerate worlds,” said the councilor.

  “What about Princess Ellia?” I asked.

  “We’ve taken care of that. She’s currently on a ship heading offworld and leaving the system now. The empire won’t have time to react to the ship before our fleet cuts them off,” said Councilor Tul.

  “Councilors, we can’t just abandon Vallus,” Kayton spoke up.

  “I’m afraid that is exactly what you need to do, Kayton. You are my last remaining relative, and I will not lose you, my dear,” said her grandmother. “You did your part already, and negotiations failed with the Darkkon Empire. Arthur, you need to leave the system immediately. Head for the planet Fengar, in the heart of the conglomerate territory. You need to let them know what is happening,” the elder Codari leveled the statement at me, sounding more like an order than a request.

  “You wouldn’t want us to join a counterattack with the incoming fleet?” I asked, unsure how The Pillar would fair with its limited energy, however.

  “We cannot risk it. You all did more than your fair share of fighting. Please, Captain, you have to leave immediately,” Jan Kol pleaded.

  I turned to Kayton. It didn’t feel right to be leaving with the enemy on our doorstep, but the council was correct. We needed to live. “Kayton, I understand how you feel. This is not an easy decision, but that’s why I am going to make it,” I said.

  Kayton gave me a hard look but didn’t fight it.

  “We will leave the system right away, Councilors,” I said. “Stay safe.”

  “Kayton…” said Jan Kol. “Whatever happens, I love you, child. Be strong.”

  “I love you,” said Kayton, fighting back tears.

  “You look after that one, Arthur,” said the elder Codari woman, pointing a finger at me.

  “I promise,” I said.

  The transmission cut out. I looked back at the team who all wore grim expressions. They would be leaving their family and friends on Vallus as well. This was not going to be easy for any of them.

  “Dotty, take us out of the system,” I instructed.

  “Yes Arthur,” said the A.I. The ship pivoted gently, establishing our new heading and accelerating towards the nearest starlane.

  “I’m sorry everyone,” I addressed the group.

  Kayton left the bridge. Most of the others followed her out, leaving me alone with Ellar. I stared out one of the portside viewports, my periphery catching the green that was the planet of Vallus. I felt like such an ass; it was easier for me to decide something like this—I was an outsider. Had Vallus been Earth, I would probably be unable to make the same call.

  Ellar stepped up to me, looking out at the planet as well. We stood in silence for a moment together and just observed.

  “Thank you,” he said, finally, still looking out at his home.

  “There’s nothing to be thankful for,” I said.

  “You’re wrong, you helped out more than you needed to. From the moment you got here. This—” he gestured to the planet, “this is not your fault. Unfortunately, this will most likely not be the last difficult decision we will need to make, so long as the conglomerate and the empire are fighting. I thank you for having the courage to push through,” he said, with finality.

  I pursed my lips and gave him a nod while placing my hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Ellar. For understanding,”

  “Of course, Captain,” he said.

  “Art is fine,” I extended my hand and he shook it in the spartan manner, then left.

  Alone now on the bridge, I slinked over to the captain’s chair and sat down with a sigh. I rested my head in my hand and fiddled with some of the on-screen commands, bringing up a map of our itinerary. Our trip would take just over three weeks, spanning across more than nine different starlanes. Meanwhile, I was stuck on a ship full of people whose homeworld the empire was about to attack and three others still recovering in the medical pods. Seya had quite a few things to catch up on. I hoped I made the right decision.

  Dotty displayed imperial ship movements, the majority of those in the system were beginning to amass and converge on the planet.

  We truly kicked the hornet’s nest on this one, I thought.

  I also thought about how the universe seemed to be throwing everything to prevent me from ever getting back home. It looked like I was going to stay here for a while. I pushed the thoughts of home aside and concentrated on the present.

  It would take just over half an hour to leave the system and enter the starlane, at which point I would allow myself to get some proper rest. Once I woke up, I would tend to the team and get them settled into their new home for the next couple of weeks.

  I didn’t know what waited for us in the core worlds or what the conglomerate was planning for us. I decided to do what I did back home when things got tough: take it easy, one day at a time. It’s all I could do.

  This was my destiny.

  EPILOGUE

  In the throne room, on the Darkkon capital world of Ilo, a young prince sat drumming his fingers on the armrest of his seat. A frail, skeleton of a man stood nearby with a dataslate in hand. The prince half-heartedly listened to the elder Darkkon advisor drone on about logistics and updates from the frontlines, but he cared little about these trivial matters. The empire was strong and plentiful, but what bothered the prince more than anything else was this new threat. This mysterious ship and its crew who stole back his traitorous sister right from their very grasp.

  Dismissing the advisor, he brought up a screen from within his throne. He played through the last footage received
from the ships. The long and rounded ship was very familiar to him, recognizing its Yau origins. He watched as the two green orbs ignited, consuming the ships just before the footage stopped, due to the ship’s sudden loss of power. The video played over and over on a loop. The scene changed to the recovered footage of the carrier’s hull. The camera was destroyed upon the enemy team’s entry, but the nearby frigate was able to capture the mysterious enemy’s exit.

  The group of conglomerate troopers and armored suits left the carrier’s interior, disappearing into a cloaked ship.

  The conglomerate has a few new toys it seems, he thought.

  He stressed the video to zoom in on the enemy as best as he could, noticing something different about one of them. Towards the front of the formation, carrying one of the prisoners, the being was wearing armor completely different than the rest of the troopers. There was nothing in the database showing anything quite like what he saw.

  Studying the still footage, he noted that there were no insignias on the trooper in question. Built like a Darkkon man, the stranger stood a bit taller than what he presumed were Codari that accompanied him.

  Everything he watched in the video didn’t sit well with him, from the strange being to all the new technology, to the incredible feats performed. His wife was kidnapped, his sister retrieved from within a heavily armed carrier by an elite group and the first major open conflict on Vallus by the conglomerate. Additionally, just a week prior, the city of Tudok was liberated.

  His instincts told him that this mysterious trooper was the primary connection between all these recent events. The conglomerate chose the worst time to begin lashing out, and the prince would not have anyone stand in the way of achieving his goals

  And he swore his vengeance on this new foe, no matter the costs.

  About The Author

  Alex has spent time in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked as a Surgical Technologist for four years. He is an avid and long-time sci-fi reader, beginning in his early teen years and into present day.

  He currently lives in Naples, Florida with his family.

  Galactic Forge is his first novel, but it certainly will not be the last.

  Alex posts updates, official art, previews, and other awesome stuff on his website at https://alex-guerra.com For updates about new releases, as well as exclusive promotions, visit the author’s website and sign up for the VIP mailing list: Official Galactic Forge Mailing List.