“You can’t run forever, Naero. I can track you now. Even if you manage to get away for a time, I can find you…anywhere.”
Khai closed with her, impossibly fast–speed to rival her own.
He blasted her with a single, massive punch that almost knocked her out. Her face, mouth, and nose bled.
Khai nearly took her down with one blow.
She staggered and fell back again, startapping and regenerating.
Right into the heavy defensive batteries of the secret alien base perimeter.
Naero dodged, as their enemy’s weapons cut loose. They batted Khai around for a few seconds. Their barrage just barely missed her as she cloaked and transported.
Khai summoned Yii to his hand, and the destruction began.
Three more enemy battle groups swept in to join the attack. Khai would make short work of them, and he would destroy the enemy base, but doing so would still delay him.
In the resulting confusion, Naero transported and slipped on board The Darkstar. She immediately ordered Ty and Alala to get them all well away from that place.
34
For days they swung around, retreating back through the Gigacorps’ Unknown Regions. They evaded and changed course multiple times.
Finally, after leaving behind a dizzying campaign of numerous false trails and clues to confuse any pursuit, they made their rendezvous with Baeven, Jia, and the crew of The Shadow Fox.
Baeven’s ship was still faster, and would tow them the rest of the way back toward Corps Space proper, while Ty conducted some further experiments on the new leap drive tek they were stymied with.
Jia’s soul re-merged with her ship at some point. Yet Baeven was still recovering from his ordeal. He finally revealed just how close to death he had been.
Naero understood now that it was his link to Jia that helped him maintain control of himself and his sanity. For him, Jia’s love for him and their link was a calming, stabilizing force.
Jia was Baeven’s harmony–the positive energy in his life that kept his own Darkforce demon at bay.
It frightened Naero what her uncle might become without such a positive force in his life. Just as she terrified herself with her own fears, of Dark Beasts, and lethal Cosmic diseases.
Naero knew that she must find for or within herself, such a stabilizing force of her own to heal and sustain her. Otherwise, all of her Cosmic powers would eventually conspire to destroy her–one way or another.
And if she faced these problems, at some point, she still feared what might become of her siblings, Jan and Dan.
But first, before she could save anyone else, she had to save herself. Naero had some recovering of her own to accomplish.
As soon as there was time, she would take counsel with Baeven and Jia, and try to decide what their next course of action should be. Could Khai really track her now, as he claimed? If so, how? He let slip that the Mystics had tracked her through the Astral Plane somehow.
So much to learn and do.
She needed to speak with Womi as well, and find a way to heal him further. The Kahn-Dar were experts at traveling through various dimensions. Perhaps he could advise her and instruct her further on how to manage exposure to the Astral Plane and any others. How to avoid detection.
“Zoa,” Jia said, when they sat down to make plans. “That should be our next destination. It is the nearest, possible Driathan Sentry world–my world. Yet the enemy is searching much further out into the unknown. From what they said–they were closing in on another of my people. We can’t know which one yet.”
“But they have not found it, yet” Baeven said. “If they had, the Driathan alarm beacons would have sounded. The enemy could be lying, or simply mistaken. We cannot panic and lead them straight to you all by rushing around in haste. That will only make things worse, Jia, and put your people even more at risk.”
Naero had so many questions of her own. They spoke freely of things she had so little knowledge of. “Guys, I think the G’lothc spirit called Korleth Tulkas mentioned something about the imminent capture of another Driathan, like Jia.”
“Naero,” Baeven said. “You need to know. Jia is not just another Driathan…she is The Driathan. More than a leader. Jia is…sacred to her people, in many ways that cannot be described or easily put into words.”
“Baeven, how many Driathans did the Drians create, and where are they? Why must they all hide or sleep, or whatever it is that they are doing? The enemy seems to want them more than anything else. If they were the cause of the Great War, what did the enemy want with them? Korleth spoke of capturing and torturing, taking them apart somehow to learn their many secrets. What secrets? What could such a captive reveal to the enemy?”
“Too much,” Jia said. “The secrets of the Drians are contained within each of us, just as mighty as those of the KDM within you. The Drians and the Kexx were very different, but in spirit, they were like brothers and sisters. Both advanced races controlled and protected many secrets. Advanced tek were just part of them. Their knowledge and wisdom were their greatest achievements.”
Naero paused a moment. “The enemy wants something specific from the Driathans.”
“The enemy desires all things. But my people are very strong. Our miraculous, android bodies are the pinnacle of artificial life and creation–virtually indestructible. We could resist such efforts to torment and break us for a very long time. Yet in the end, the G’lothc were the peerless masters of the Darkforce, and pain and destruction. No doubt they would be able to devise a way to break even the Driathans, to destroy our minds and souls, and take over our bodies for their own purposes, once and for all.”
“Is that their primary goal then?” Zhen asked. “To conquer and take over the Driathans to make use of their immortal bodies?”
“That indeed would be a major victory for them. But the goals of the G’lothc and their allies have always been numerous and complex. They made mention that their attempts to take over and possess the minds and bodies of other sentients have fallen far short of their expectations. Under their control, their hosts burn out and break down after a short time and become unreliable. The Darkforce destroys all that it touches. Yet they still continue to conduct such foul experiments, on a wide scale from their own words.”
Naero shuddered to think of that.
“That’s only one reason they want the Driathans, then, Jia? To use their bodies as indestructible, undying hosts for their dark and vile spirits?” But I sensed it–they instinctively hate all other sentients and see them as their foes–their prey. And they are actively seeking to capture, enslave, or destroy any of the remaining advanced races: they specifically mentioned the Yattai, the Oden, and our Mystics. They tried to capture all three of the Mystic High Masters. All are at risk.”
“Khai is half-Oden and half-Spacer, from Clan Williams,” Baeven said flatly. “He is a formidable foe. The Champion of the Oden, wielder of the Cosmic Blade, Yii. He shall come to be known as the Great Swordsman, an important part of the Cosmic Prophecies. I never put much stock in them, but the first Sword of Legends actually exists now. That much cannot be denied.”
“Baeven, I’ve heard mention of such things–like they were fairy tales, but I don’t have any idea what most of that means.”
“First, a little history, Naero.” Baeven smiled and stared straight up, still resting and recovering on his nanobed
“As their last Enforcer, the High Mystics sent Nerrek, Khai’s father after me before he disappeared. Nerrek and I clashed and fought each other to a draw several times, until the Mystics realized that if they kept after me, all they’d accomplish, would be to drive me into becoming the very monster they feared. Vane still ranted that I would become one of those anyway–the fabled Great Destroyers that they always mutter about, in the same breath with the Cosmic Prophecies. Mystics everywhere are said to be obsessed with all of these dusty old Cosmic legends–legends older than even the Kexx and the Drians.”
Naero rested her c
hin on her hand and placed her other hand under her elbow as she paced. “I knew Khai before. I knew he was an Oden, or least half Oden. What are they in fact? I keep hearing about them, but I can’t find any more specific information.”
“The Oden are an enigma within themselves–unique, like all the Cosmic races,” Jia said through The Darkstar. “Their homeworlds are also hidden. Most of the advanced races keep to themselves, concealed to a high degree. The Oden are extremely ancient. It is said that they even existed at the end of the last universe before this one. And as such, they are by their very nature, invulnerable to virtually anything from ours.”
“I’ve noticed that ability in Khai. Very handy, I’d say.”
“Yet they are still mortal, they can be overwhelmed and destroyed by raw force and power.” Baeven noted. “For that matter, they live only slightly longer than Spacers. They are not immortal, like the Yattai. We briefly discussed the substance called Ur-metal, Naero. It exists only in very small quantities throughout existence, and is very rare–like some kind of super-alloy.”
Naero nodded. “Khai and others told me that Ur-metal is the cumulative remnants–the fragments from all of the universes before ours. And that besides its raw Cosmic might, it is the only substance that is capable of doing direct physical harm to an Oden–or other higher-functioning Cosmic entities. The Mystics used all that they had acquired to produce Yii.”
Tyber scoffed a little in uncertain disbelief. “I agree with N. It all sounds like fables and fairytales, if you ask me. I would not believe any of them, had I not witnessed firsthand what that sword and its wielder did to those enemy fleets and armies. The Enforcer obliterated them all–in mere moments.”
“They are not fables,” Baeven said. “Naero is correct. Khai’s sword Yii was fashioned from nearly all of the Ur-metal that was known to exist. And its forging has been foretold, for eons.”
Naero stopped pacing and put her hands on her hips. “What if we get the sword away from Khai? Can we use it to defend ourselves against him?”
Baeven shook his head. “No. It doesn’t work that way. He and the sword are one. He can merge with it. He can even conceal it within himself at will, if need be. It would never harm him. But if you were able to harm him, you harm the sword, and vice-versa.”
Naero sighed. “A lot of good that does anyone, when we can’t harm either one,” S’krin said. “From what we’ve seen, they’re both indestructible.”
Baeven smiled his grim smile. “Yes indeed, and hence our problem. Together, he and that sword are nearly invincible.”
“He boasted that he could track me on the Astral Plane,” Naero said. “So, what do we do, just scurry about and wait for him to bag us all?”
Zhen shook her head. “We have to warn everyone about these new enemies and what they’re up to. Not just the biowar attack. These terrible beings can take over the minds of others–even Spacers from what you said, N. Obviously, they’ve already infected and influenced all of the Gigacorps. How much further does it go? What about the Alliance? Joshua Tech? What if they infiltrate Spacer Intel, the High Command, the Elders–even the Mystics? What if they’ve already done so?
Naero, the G’lothc were masters at shapeshifting and destroying their foes from within. They taint and poison all that they touch.
So, how do we detect and fight them, Om?
As yet, none of us know the answer to that.
Naero snorted out loud. “And Intel and the Mystics are going to listen to us? To me? To Baeven? They’re going to believe the ravings of a bunch of renegades and outcasts like us? Not until it’s too late, I’d say.”
“We still have to make the attempt,” Jia said.
Baeven announced. “I’m preparing several secret messaging drones and sending them to those whom we know that we can still trust. Anything you want to tell your Aunt and Uncle, Naero?”
Naero’s mouth dropped open for an instant.
“So much has happened, I had nearly forgotten. Oh, Baeven, at least I got to see and hold the twins. They were so beautiful.”
Baeven looked truly sad for an instant at her words.
Naero hoped she’d live to see them all again someday–all her family and friends. “So I ask again,” she said. “What is our enemy up to? We know they have long-term plans to subjugate and destroy any other advanced sentients–anyone with the power to oppose them in any way.”
“Shalaen,” Zhen said, turning pale. “She’s Yattai. She is in as much danger as you all are. The enemy tried to capture her once before.” Z looked at Tyber and her lower lip trembled.
Baeven looked at Zhen, and his face softened for just an instant.
Perhaps like Ty and her, he had been young and in love and afraid once as well.
“We are all in danger,” Baeven said. “And we shall all face such threats together, united. The G’lothc are very thorough and relentless. They will crush and exploit anyone to serve their ends.”
Zhen spoke up again. “I know. They really planned to use that advanced biotoxin to destroy most of the Gigacorps and their human populations, the Spacer Clans, and all the known races. Just think. What if we hadn’t stumbled upon it?”
“That plan is still in effect,” Naero said. “And if our spyfixers do not complete the task given to them, some of that original plague might still break out. Our foes plan on crushing and dominating everyone, eventually.”
“That is why we must go to Zoa,” Jia said. “From there, I can link with all of the other Driathan sentry worlds throughout the galaxy, and we can learn all the information that they have gathered and observed. It must be one of our sentinels that our foes are closing in upon. We must learn who their quarry is, and go to his or her rescue.
“I’m not arguing against that,” Naero said. “But I’m just trying to understand. Where are the Driathans? Why don’t they fight? What are these sentry worlds, and what are they protecting? How can they be in such terrible danger, if they are all hidden away where no one can find them?”
“That’s just it,” Jia said. “If they capture one Driathan and break him or her, they can use the information they gain to expose all the rest of us and hunt us down, one by one. Each of the sentinels only control part of the truth.”
“And what is that truth?” Naero said.
Baeven cleared his throat. “That the vast population of immortal Driathans are currently helpless–and ripe for the picking. They sleep in a self-induced stasis, hidden within their lost homeworld, the sacred world of Ur-Jahal. If the enemy takes them all over–our foes will become immortal.”
“Okay,” Naero said. “Very well. To Zoa it is then. So, you are telling me, that there are millions of helpless, immortal, indestructible Driathans asleep on some lost world somewhere–just ripe for the picking by our worst enemies–who plan on destroying and possessing them?”
Naero clenched her fists. “Well I tell you what, all of you. None of us are about to let that happen. Not on our watch. The enemy is moving with all of these sinister plans of theirs. I say we keep on exposing, uncovering, and disrupting them as best we may. Whose with me?”
All present shouted in the affirmative.
35
When the others had all gone, Naero sat beside Baeven.
“Uncle, the time has come. Tell me what happened on Janosha with your alien artifact statue. Tell me why you were declared an outcast and sentenced to death by our Mystics?”
Baeven frowned and sighed. “Oh, Naero. That seems so long ago now. I had so little free will in the matter.”
“I know,” Naero said, taking his hand. “A very similar pattern of events ensnared me, I’m guessing.”
“I told you not to go near that, thing, Naero.”
Naero smiled sadly. “Like you, Uncle, I’m afraid I was given very little choice.”
“I haven’t had time to ask you very much about your ordeal, Naero.”
“We haven’t had much time for anything, but now we do.”
“Did y
ou really kill High Master Vane?” he asked.
She looked down. “I did. I’m not proud of it. It was an accident, really.”
“Good. Vane needed killing. That vicious old bastard. He’d lived too long as it was. That was his problem. Life meant nothing to him. Did you know that he stole the body of one of his adepts who died accidently? The jerk did it to replace his own. That’s how he lived so long. Too convenient, I always said.”
Naero thought she might be shocked, but found that she wasn’t. Vane had mentioned some such, once.
But then…how did Vane take over the body of another without it wasting away on him? Even the G’lothc had not been able to perfect that trick, not even over millions of years of trying–at the expense of other sentients.
“Tell me what happened with you and the artifact on Thanor-4,” Baeven said.
Naero thought her eyes might pop out of her head and fly around.
“Haisha! No way in hell, Uncle! You are going to sit right there and tell me your story first–every bit of it–and then and only then will I tell you mine. You owe me that much!”
Baeven laughed. “I guess you’re right.”
*
Naero, you need to remember that I was a Mystic prodigy. I left to train on Janosha before the age of ten. Master Vane did not like me much, and he was very hard on me. Like you, he was fearful of me and my abilities. Yet there could be no denying that my powers were very strong, even from the very beginning. No one understood the alien artifact on Janosha, and until I came along, it remained dormant.
Each year I trained hard and my power grew.
Eventually, the artifact began giving off more and more strange Cosmic energy readings from time to time–readings that were very frightening in nature. No one understood what was happening, least of all myself.
Even for the strange world of Janosha, with all of its bizarre energy flows, the energy readings on that artifact were terrifying to all who attempted to study it.
Several Mystics and adepts who tried to examine the artifact were slain, or maimed, or driven mad in terrible ways.
Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury Page 32
