Daniel walked closer to the holo-projection. Something got his attention and he ran back to his console and fiddled with the controls. The holo-image zoomed and focused on the name of one of the bigger ships. The letters were distorted through the resin-like material but they were readable nonetheless. It read “Titan.”
“This is the first fleet. First Admiral Zenakis’ fleet.”
“Daniel,” said Sarah, “what’s the first fleet?”
“Right, sorry, I sometimes forget we met you after the demise of the Star Alliance. The first fleet was—” Daniel corrected himself “—IS the biggest fleet we had before the Obsidian obliterated us. We’ve always assumed it was destroyed during the initial attack, even though it was the largest and most advanced fleet of the Star Alliance. I still can’t believe they’re here.”
“We have to find a way to rescue them.”
“After all these months I’m not sure anyone will be alive on board.”
“We don’t know that. That material could have them in a state of suspended animation, for all we know.”
“With all due respect, Captain, that’s just wishful thinking.”
Then Sarah had a flash of a crew she knew nothing about, frozen inside a bridge that was unknown to her but definitely a part of the Star Alliance. She saw an old man with a white beard, his expression frozen, mouth wide open, probably in the middle of giving an order. He had deep-blue eyes and a scar on his left cheek.
“Is the first admiral a white-bearded, blue-eyed man with a scar on his left cheek?”
Daniel’s jaw dropped. “How the hell can you know that?”
“They’re trapped. I don’t know if they’re alive, but I just saw him in my head.”
“How is that even possible?”
Chris took a few steps and put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.
“Mom has Fury DNA as a result of her pregnancy with me. She has latent Fury powers inside her. For the time being she can’t control them, though.”
Sarah moved to stand next to her son and Daniel. “We need to try to rescue them. Even if they haven’t survived whatever this is, we have to get our hands on these ships.”
Sarah saw that Daniel wanted to argue with her statement, so she amended her words. “Look, Daniel, I’m sorry if I sounded cold just now. I’m not saying that they’re dead. In fact, my instincts tell me they’re not dead but frozen somehow. But with our numbers gravely diminished, we could use another thirty-plus ships in the fleet right now. We must be extremely careful, however. The last thing we want is to add the Hope to that collection of trophies, whomever it belongs to.”
Daniel nodded gravely. “Agreed.”
C H A P T E R
VIII
Commodore Adonis Saroudis hadn’t slept in almost two days. And it was not for lack of trying. His mind simply couldn’t be put to rest. Earth had been taken away from them, and while he had confidence that Gaia and Spiros would keep Gaia 2 at bay, he feared that it was only a matter of time before she took control of the planet.
What would happen then?
If Gaia 2 couldn’t be reasoned with—and all evidence seemed to point towards that conclusion—then what would she do? If she saw the human race as the cancer of the planet, as their Gaia used to in her first days of existence, she could enslave humanity to do her bidding; or, worse, get rid of humanity altogether. The thought sent a glacial shiver down Adonis’ spine.
He dreaded the call he had to make now. While the Obsidian Empire was now an ally, Adonis still harbored hatred towards them and their emperor. Still, desperate measures and all that. It was not as though Saroudis had much choice.
He opened a channel and established a link with the Obsidian homeworld. Adonis flinched when the face of the emperor appeared on the holo-screen.
“What can I do for you, Commodore Saroudis?”
Adonis hesitated before resigning himself to playing his cards open on the table.
“Hello, Emperor. We are on our way to Alpha Prime; whatever is left of the fleet, anyway.”
“Like you, we suffered terrible losses during the last engagement. I’m not sure what it is you need me for, but if it’s ships, I’m afraid it’s not going to be possible.”
“Look, am I right to assume that at the very least your shipyards are still intact? And probably churning out new ships as we speak?”
There was a pause as the emperor considered what he was about to say next.
“Yes, our shipyards are still intact, for the time being. We’re expecting the Furies to attack them at some point, though. Every ally of the Earth Alliance is now their enemy. I won’t lie to you. My advisors are pushing for me to break our alliance. Their thinking is that perhaps if we keep to ourselves, we can weather the storm while we rebuild a large fleet to defend ourselves with, if needed.”
Adonis grew furious as he heard the words, but he tried to keep his composure and not show any anger.
“I understand your position but, if I may, I believe that would be a terrible mistake. Now, more than ever, we need to stay united. On our own we don’t stand a chance.”
“I seriously doubt we stand a chance as allies either. You were there too, Commodore, when we fought that Fury super-destroyer. You know as well as I do that our weapons are inefficient against it. Perhaps if we disappeared from their radar, the Furies would leave us alone.”
“No, Emperor, they won’t. The Furies harbor an unprecedented hatred for this galaxy.. They have been dreaming for thousands of years of coming back and enslaving or eradicating any species that isn’t Fury. So whether it happens today or in a few months, they’re coming for us, and we stand a better chance of defending ourselves if we stay united. There is strength in numbers. I’m sure you agree with that.”
“A few weeks ago I would have agreed with you. The Earth Alliance was a force to be reckoned with and we were proud to be part of it. But understand this: right now we’ve both been defeated. Our forces are just a shadow of what they once were. We’ve lost a large part of our fleet in helping you defend Earth. I don’t know if I can convince my people that it is still in our best interest to be part of this Alliance.”
“I thought you were emperor. Unless I’m mistaken? Or have Obsidian laws changed? Doesn’t your word mean anything? You don’t have to convince them, you can just tell them what to do. Look, Emperor, I don’t want to have to beg, but you’re an intelligent being; unless I’m mistaken about that, in which case you should tell me right away.”
The Emperor growled but quickly regained his composure.
“You make a good point, Commodore, but I wasn’t lying before. Since we barely have enough ships to defend our world, I don’t see that we can spare any.”
“We both know that if the Furies come to your world with just one or two of their super-destroyers, they’ll wipe you out, whether you have ten, twenty or one hundred ships ready by then.”
The emperor frowned and Adonis decided to push more. “We don’t only need ships, Emperor, we need to rebuild shipyards around Alpha Prime, so that we can also regrow our own fleet. That means we need manpower just as much, if not more than ships.”
“Let’s assume I’d be willing to provide you with this assistance. What would the Obsidian Empire have to gain from this?”
There we go, always looking for an angle to exploit. I shouldn’t be surprised.
“Well, the terms of our Alliance dictate we help each other whenever possible, without any personal gain or preferential treatment for one of its members.”
“And right now I’m telling you it’s not convenient, Commodore. But for the sake of argument, let’s say I’m willing to take the risk and go against my advisors, tell them that we’re going to help you whether they like it or not, and provide you with ships and personnel. I think it would only be fair that we gain something in return for this gesture. At least in the long run. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Adonis had to fight the urge to insult the emperor and shut down the link. But he
wasn’t in a good bargaining position right now, and getting ships and manpower from the empire would go a long way to quickly rebuild the shipyards they so desperately needed.
“What is it you’d like, Emperor?”
“Access to your technology. Weapons, shields, the works. We both know you are now infinitely more advanced than us in that regard. You always had the edge before, but we had the numbers. That is, until we allied ourselves with the Zarlack. Which was the biggest mistake I have ever made as I almost handed the empire to Argos in doing so. But now that this is all in the past, we need better tech on board our ships. You know it makes sense, Commodore, and it will help the war with the Furies too.
“At our current technology level, we merely stand as cannon fodder for you in our engagements. We’re just there to present the enemy with more targets. We can’t possibly hope to cause any sort of serious damage. If we possessed the same level of technology you currently hold, we would become a more formidable ally, and you know it.”
Yeah, one that could one day turn against us and use our own weapons to finish the job you started in the first place.
Still, Adonis pondered the words. Even though he knew this could come back and bite them in the ass one day, he had to deal with the current set of problems. And that meant not being obliterated like gnats when the next wave of Fury ships came to visit them. In that regard, the emperor was one hundred percent right. Their ships weren’t that powerful to begin with. They used numbers to compensate, but after their major losses and at their current tech level, the Obsidian Empire wouldn’t be able to help them make a serious dent in a battle against the powerful Furies. So the answer, as scary as it had seemed at first, now seemed obvious.
“Granted. We’ll give you access to our latest technology, but I have conditions.”
The emperor’s face lit up with shock. He probably never expected that Saroudis would cave in to his demands. “Very well, anything you want. If at all possible, we’ll provide it.”
“We need at least ten ships to protect the new shipyards we’ll start building right away. Since we are to share our technologies, find a way to bring a few of your shipyards around Alpha Prime as well. We’ll modify them to integrate our own technology so you can build similar ships. We also need men, and I mean tens of thousands of them. Building an armada in a matter of weeks is now our top priority, and it should be yours too. In exchange, you’ll have full access to our database; our engineers will train yours and teach them how to build better weapons and shields.”
“That sounds more than fair. I’ll make it happen right away.”
“What resources do you have stockpiled? The Droxians were generous in giving us the quadrinium we need to build the shipyards and ships but, as you know, their world has suffered the heaviest losses in the Alliance. They need these resources as much as we do. While we have enough to get started, I doubt Droxia will be able to provide all we’ll require when we’re up, running and firing on all cylinders, so to speak.”
“Resources are one thing we have to spare. Ever since the misguided alliance with the Zarlacks, we have stockpiled them, Commodore. Since we broke the alliance with them and stopped aiding them in building their behemoth destroyers, we have amassed large quantities of quadrinium and other resources.”
“That’s very good news. Then to prove you’re serious about this, make sure the ten ships you’ll send us are fully loaded.”
“Perhaps we should also consider building a jumpgate between our worlds, like you did before with the Droxians?”
“The Droxian gate was destroyed.”
“Yes, and I’m sure in time the Furies will try to destroy another one too. But our engineers have found a way to enhance the stealth abilities of our ships. Perhaps we could use that same tech to shield the gates so that, at the very least, they don’t show in long-range sensor scans.”
Now we’re talking.
With a jumpgate they could very well exchange ships and resources much more quickly. Plus Alpha Prime was nearer to the Obsidian homeworld than Droxia was.
“That’s a very good idea, Emperor. Thank you for proposing this.”
“I’ll have two fleets of ships sent to Alpha Prime at once, Commodore.”
“Two fleets?”
“The first with men and resources, so you can start building your own shipyards immediately. How does fifty thousand men sound? To start with.”
That sounds about ten times what I thought you’d provide.
“It sounds good, Emperor, it sounds very good.”
“The second fleet will come with even more men, and a jumpgate.”
“How long will it take to have the jumpgate built?”
“We have been building a network of jumpgates for months, Commodore. We’ll simply reposition the nearest one at Alpha Prime. The second fleet will have it dismantled and brought to you in less than two days. Then one more day and we’ll have the jumpgate operational.
Am I dreaming?
Part of Adonis wanted to argue with the emperor for not disclosing all of this information as part of their membership in the Earth Alliance, but right now it was simply too good to be true, and he couldn’t care less about that technicality.
“But, Commodore, I expect nothing less than full disclosure of your technological advancements in exchange for all of this.”
“You’ll have it, Emperor, I give you my word.”
* * *
The Euphoreon’s shuttle landed at the coordinates provided by Ares. It landed a few hundred yards from Zeus’ temple. Chase was taken by the view the moment the shuttlecraft doors opened. They had landed in the middle of one of Zeus’ many gardens. It was teeming with life. Birds of all kinds in all the colors of the rainbow, bunnies, foxes, cats as well as some other animals Chase had never seen before. The entire place felt like a paradise. The lush, colorful and beautiful vegetation was adorned with many fountains made of the whitest and shiniest marble Chase had ever seen.
It was simply the most beautiful place Chase had ever set foot on. A group of purple-green butterflies came around the party as they stepped out of the shuttle. This accentuated the feeling of eeriness even more.
A direct, stony path led straight to Zeus’ temple.
“Zeus knows how to tend to his place,” said Chase absently, still looking in awe all around him.
“Yes,” answered Ares. “Father always had a flair for making everything look utterly perfect. At least on the surface.”
“I don’t follow,” said Chase.
“You’ll understand soon enough.”
“It’s all well and good. The place is pretty. We get it. But shouldn’t we go talk to the head of the Olympian people now?” asked Argos, his voice filled with impatience.
Chase sighed. Something was off with Argos today. At first he’d felt that he could trust him, but his attitude of late was peculiar at best. He would need to keep an eye on him.
“Tactful as always, Argos. I don’t know what’s up with you today, but I’d appreciate it if you’d let me talk when we meet Zeus. The last thing we need is for your manners to put a dent in the negotiations.”
“Whatever,” said Argos.
“No! Not whatever. You’ll either comply with my terms or you’ll stay here in the shuttle. So make your choice now.”
Beads of sweat ran down Argos’ forehead. Something was amiss. Chase tried probing his brother’s emotional state but hit a wall. It was the first time he couldn’t read someone’s emotional state since he had acquired that power. No doubt Argos was blocking him, which meant he had something to hide. If Chris’ life wasn’t on the line, Chase would push the issue to get answers right now. But for the time being he would have to suffer Argos’ bad mood.
“So?” Chase pressed.
“I’ll keep my mouth shut,” said Argos coldly.
“That would be a first. Let’s go then.”
“About time,” added Argos.
Chase shook his head in dismay.
/> As they walked towards the temple, the sky turned dark blue impossibly fast. A thick layer of clouds appeared out of nowhere, hiding the hot rays of sunlight that were shining on the party only a minute ago. The sky soon turned black and thunder rolled in the distance.
“That can’t be good,” said Chase.
“Father likes to intimidate unwelcome guests.”
Lightning struck on both sides of the path and Chase jumped in surprise. “I have to say it’s working.”
“Never mind that, Chase. He’s testing your resolve. Just keep walking. If you ignore it maybe Father will get bored of his welcoming show.”
The once full-of-life, eerily magical place had turned into a nightmare of darkness, punctuated with lightning strikes as they hurried along. With each and every step they took, thunderbolts struck at their side, sending rock and soil flying all around them.
I don’t like this one bit.
They were only fifty yards from the entrance of the temple when it started raining. For the first few seconds it was light rain, but it soon turned into a storm.
“I don’t think he wants us here,” said Argos.
“Very astute,” added Ares.
“Whether he wants us here or not is irrelevant. He will listen to what I have to say.”
“Let’s hope he’s in a listening mood,” said Ares.
Chase never expected this to be a cakewalk, but he had to admit that whatever tricks Zeus was using to intimidate them were working. The precision with which the lightning was striking a yard on each side of the path in sync with Chase’s every step was a testament to Zeus’ powers and perfect control over the elements.
Still, Chase was determined to have his voice heard. He would do whatever it took to strike an alliance with the Olympian. If Zeus could be convinced, he would certainly be a powerful ally.
Or an equally powerful enemy if we fail.
The thought was not a pleasant one, but they couldn’t back down now. They had come this far; Chase wouldn’t let rain and thunder stop him now.
Shadows of Olympus (Universe in Flames Book 6) Page 12
