He rolled quietly off the bed, silently cursing himself for not having his sidearm handy. Glancing back, he caught Breeah’s eyes fixed on him, like lasers. Through hand signals Jon indicated the intruders inside their quarters. Breeah furtively climbed down from the bed, and reached for her weighted lariat belt. It was the only thing resembling a weapon in the room, and in Breeah’s hands it was lethal.
He crept up to the bedroom door, crouched down, and signaled for Breeah to stay back. He focused on the sound of their footsteps, attempting to locate their positions. An ice-cold fear coursed through his veins. They were moving toward Anki’s room. He had to act.
His door slid open and he streaked across the room. The nearest Diakan heard him first. But Jon hit the alien before it could train its weapon on him. He smacked the barrel upward, sending several energy bolts into the ceiling. His other hand shot forward, thrusting iron fingers into the Diakan’s large eyes.
The Diakan brayed loudly, as Jon gouged. Warm fluids spurt out all over Jon’s hand, and he tasted acrid bile come up in his throat.
Alerted, the other Diakans turned and opened fire. Jon had managed to strip the weapon from his victim, and dove behind a nearby couch.
Energy bolts ripped into the fabric as he hit the floor. The couch wouldn’t hold up against the Diakan weapons. He had to keep moving.
A Diakan rounded the corner catching Jon off guard as he tried to relocate. Before the alien could pull the trigger, two weighted balls hit him. They swung a rope around his neck with such force that they knocked the Diakan to the ground. Breeah.
Taking full advantage of the reprieve, Jon fired his weapon. The Diakan convulsed as several energy bolts smashed into his body.
The remaining Diakans fired at his bedroom door, where Breeah had just been. Fearing for her life more than his own, he jumped up in plain view and fired his weapon. He hit one of them, and it careened backward. But there were three more. Jon dodged as they returned fire. Energy bolts narrowly missed him.
These Diakans were good. Without his abilities, Jon knew he wouldn’t stand a chance. Hell, he was still struggling, even with his enhanced speed and strength.
Lunging behind a counter, he heard a thud. He stood, fired a few more rounds, and dropped behind the counter again. Something was wrong. He only saw two Diakans this time. Where was the third? Was it trying to flank him? Jon listened, trying to differentiate footsteps from the sound of weapon fire.
Another thud.
Only a single weapon firing now. Jon couldn’t hear the other two Diakans. He took a chance. Noting the location of the shooter, he raced out from behind the counter and drew a bead on him. If the two others were waiting, he was dead.
He fired his weapon. Blue energy bolts burned through the Diakan’s forehead, leaving a perplexed look on its face. The Diakan dropped its weapon and fell to the floor.
Jon scanned the room, looking for threats, but didn’t see any. He listened, but heard nothing. He smelled, but only found the stench of death.
Spying Breeah peeking through the doorway, he signaled her to remain hidden while he cleared the room. Shortly after, he found the two unaccounted for Diakans. Both lay on the ground with Reiver darts buried into their backs. They were still alive, but unconscious.
“Clear!” said Jon, keeping his weapon trained on the prone Diakans. He turned to look at Breeah as she walked out of their bedroom. “I didn’t know you had darts back there.”
“That is because I did not have any,” said Breeah, staring at the two Diakans as she approached.
“Then who-”
Jon and Breeah both turned and looked toward Anki’s bedroom. There, in the doorway, stood little Anki staring back at them.
“Anki, did you do this?” said Breeah.
Anki straightened her back, beaming proudly. “Yes.”
“Where did you get the darts?” said Jon, trying to grasp what had happened.
“They are my training darts,” said Anki. “Grandfather has been teaching me how to throw them. He has also shown me how to coat the tips with tranquilizer. He says I have gotten very good.”
Breeah stepped up and hugged her daughter. “Your grandfather is correct, child. You have developed great skill. How do you feel? Are you frightened?”
“No. I’m not frightened. I was afraid that they would hurt you, and Jon.”
Breeah stroked Anki’s long brown hair. “My brave little Reiver. Are you upset?”
“No. I don’t think so. They were bad.”
The door to Jon’s quarters suddenly slid open. Jon wheeled around, leveling his weapon at the new intruders.
“Don’t shoot!” said one of the Marines rushing in.
Jon lowered his weapon and let the security team come in.
“Come now, child,” said Breeah. “That’s enough excitement for one night. Let’s get you back into bed.”
“Yes, Momma. Goodnight Jon.”
“Goodnight little one.”
Chapter 3
General Calledonius stood on the bridge of his flagship, looking down at the planet Kem through the main viewscreen. UHSF warships dominated the space surrounding the Kemmar home planet. Once the heart of the mighty Kemmar Empire, Kem was now a conquered world.
The Kemmar government had surrendered. They had even gone so far as to execute their own emperor, in a spectacularly gruesome fashion. A transitional government now ran the planet, consisting mostly of UHSF personnel, along with a couple of Diakan advisers.
The Diakans love to advise, Calledonius thought.
Sitting up in space, Calledonius was more interested in the military operations on the surface. The Kemmar had been ordered to disband their military, and turn over all weapons to the UHSF. While they had made quite a show of surrendering large weapon stockpiles, Calledonius knew they were holding out. This was quickly confirmed when the inevitable insurgency reared its ugly head.
The Kemmar, for all their faults, were a race of warriors. Would any warrior stand idly by while an alien force occupied their home world?
Humans under the Juttari had behaved the same way, and eventually won their freedom. However, it had taken five hundred years, and help from an alien race.
Calledonius had no intention of letting this insurgency last that long. It would be put down quickly. Efficiently. Ruthlessly. His occupation force included ground troops on every continent, backed by air, and orbital support.
The Kemmar were warned well in advance, that insurgents would be disposed of mercilessly. That could mean orbital bombardment, and collateral damage. The Kemmar were not merciful when they invaded human worlds. Calledonius thought it only proper that he return the favor.
General Calledonius felt it particularly important that uprisings on the home planet be completely crushed. The Kemmar Empire consisted of many star systems. Many worlds. Those planets could not be inspired by an uprising on the home planet.
The Kemmar were also ordered to release all slaves. Like the weapons, Calledonius knew that there were many poor souls still held in captivity on the surface. He felt it his personal responsibility to see every last one of them freed, especially the humans. In fact, he had issued a directive stating that any Kemmar found to be still involved in slavery would be summarily executed.
The amnesty period during which the Kemmar were to release slaves had passed. UHSF ground troops were still finding slaves daily, then executing their captors. Calledonius didn’t understand it. Why would the Kemmar risk death to hold onto their slaves?
“Salvation One is leaving Kem orbit, Sir,” said Captain Madox.
“Thank you, Captain,” said Calledonius. Salvation One was a retrofitted passenger liner, assigned to take the freed slaves back to colonial space. There they would be processed, and returned to their homes. They had retrofitted several ships for this task, yet still they worked overtime.
At first he’d hoped those rescued could be rehabilitated. But the vacant eyes of the very first batch of human slaves had indicat
ed otherwise. The Kemmar had been slavers for centuries. They were experts at what they called “conditioning”. The amount of psychological and physical trauma these people were forced to endure was unthinkable. How could someone find peace after such an experience?
He didn’t think it possible, but they had to try. Even if these people never recovered, at least they would be with their own kind. They wouldn’t have to fear the snarls and fangs of the Kemmar ever again. That was something, he reminded himself.
They may have won the war, but it was still a difficult situation on the ground. Even with orbital support, his soldiers never knew how or when an insurgent would strike.
There was no other option, though. With these Erinyie in play, who knew what turn the war would take? If the Kemmar learned of the Erinyie, they might feel emboldened to rise up in greater numbers.
Then again, how much damage could they do? Their military had been destroyed. Sure, they had hidden weapons, but they had no ships. Calledonius had half a mind to just pull out his troops and just have his ships occupying the system. That would be much easier.
They could establish a network of spy satellites for surveillance, controlling the skies with drones and atmospheric fighters. In his opinion, this made much more sense, than boots on the ground. But the transitional government didn’t want the insurgency to gain momentum, and he suspected the Diakan advisers were behind this line of thinking. So, for the time being, his troops would remain on the surface, hunting down insurgents.
Chapter 4
The sight of Sergeant Gilmour’s combat suit lumbering up the street may have produced the odd growl, and baring of sharp teeth, but for the most part the Kemmar were smart enough to get out of his way. “Keep your eyes open,” he told his team. “Any one of these fuckers could open up on us at any minute.”
“If they’re stupid enough to,” said Corporal Blake, who stalked up the street just behind his right flank. “They’ll end up getting this whole neighborhood glassed.”
“I say we just flatten it anyway. They would do the same, if our roles were reversed,” said Private Lansdowne, who came up the rear with Private Santos.
“Just stay alert,” said Gilmour. An atmospheric assault fighter streaked by. Just above them, a small group of strike drones hovered silently keeping watch. Gilmour’s suit could tap into the drones diverse surveillance system within moments . Their energy weapons were also comforting, as was the large rail gun in his hands.
“Maybe the furry bastards took their toys and went home,” said Blake. “We are pretty scary looking.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Gilmour.
“Second story window on your left, Sarge,” said Santos.
Gilmour looked up, pointing his rail gun at the window. Something moved, but he couldn’t make out what it was. “Did you see a weapon?” he said.
“No,” said Santos. “Just movement.”
“Sending in a drone,” said Gilmour, highlighting the window through his weapon, and activating a drone.
The drone swooped in, positioned itself directly in front of the window, and shone a powerful light. The feed from its camera, displayed on Gilmor’s visor.
“See anything, Sarge?” said Blake.
“Negative, just- Wait, there is-”
A blaze of light surged through the window, burning into the floating drone. As the craft blew apart in a tiny explosion, small flaming fragments rained down toward the street.
“Shit!” yelled Gilmour, as they opened fire on the window. “Activating drone swarm.”
The remaining drones raced toward the opening, firing energy weapons. There was no return fire as they disappeared into the building in pursuit. Gilmour watched through his visor as energy bolts indiscriminately ripped through the room. But there were no Kemmar. Whoever had been there had fled.
He was considering sending the drones to search the building, when weapons fired behind him.
“I’m hit!” came Santos’s voice, over his comm.
Turning, he saw Santos stumbling away as energy bolts bit at his heels. He joined his team in returning fire at a window on the opposite side of the street. He pulled up Santos’s vitals on his visor, noting to his relief, that the combat suit had suffered most of the damage.
He found himself suddenly falling backward as his own combat suit took a direct hit. Energy weapon fire began to erupt from other windows. He and his men scrambled for cover. He ordered the drones to return to the street, and engage the assailants.
In short order the drones shot out of the building, guns blazing. They split up. Each drone targeted a different window, sending a maelstrom of blue energy bolts ripping through it.
Another drone blew apart as a blast came in from behind.
“First attacker is back,” said Gilmour, spinning around to fire on the original window.
“Shit, there’s more of them,” said Blake, as enemy fire shot out at them from more windows.
“Fuck it, I’m calling in an orbital. Make sure you’ve got cover.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” said Blake.
“Valkyrie, hostiles have us pinned down. Requesting orbital strike,” Gilmour said through his comm.
“This is Valkyrie. Identify the target.
Gilmour pointed his weapon at the building across the street. “Hostiles are inside the building I am currently lighting up.” Doubling as a targeting device, his rail gun transmitted the location of hostile forces to the ships floating in orbit.
“Target identified. Stand by for orbital strike.”
“Understood,” said Gilmour. “Incoming!” he announced to his team. Soon a screeching sound tore through the street, as successive blue lightning bolts pummeled the building. They burned through the roof, and burrowed through each floor, before punching into the ground. The shelling continued until only the exterior walls stood, when one final strike reduced even those to rubble.
“That there is a thing of beauty,” said Blake.
“Sure is,” said Gilmour. “Deploying drones to original target, to flush out the remaining shooter.”
The drones zipped across the street back through the window. This time they found their target. Gilmour watched the Kemmar inside futilely fire his weapon. The drones anticipated his fire, and evaded it. A split second later, multiple energy blasts tore through the Kemmar’s body.
“Target is cooked,” said Gilmour, as the drone video feed displayed the Kemmar corpse. “Move out.”
The UHSF soldiers stepped out into the open and continued lumbering up the street. The UHSF drones returned to their positions, hovering overhead, providing a lethal bird’s eye view. They had several more hours left in this shift. How many more Kemmar would try and take a shot at them?
Chapter 5
“Tallos says they were General Dathos’s men,” Jon said to Kevin, the two of them standing in front of the holodisplay in the mountain complex’s operations room. “It seems Dathos left a few behind when he escaped.”
“Damn, Dathos took plenty of ships with him when he left,” said Kevin. “How many conspirators are there?”
“I don’t know. We have to assume that we haven’t found them all.”
“This is bad timing, with you leaving on this mission.”
“Diakan Intelligence is taking a close look at everyone. If there is even the slightest bit of suspicion, they’ll act.”
“Another purge?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“The Diakans don’t mess around.”
“No, they don’t. At any rate, it should prevent any other incidents while I’m gone.”
“How far away are these… what do you call them again?” said Kevin.
“Antikitheri. Just call them the Builders. It’s easier,” said Jon, understanding Kevin’s frustration.
“Right. The Builders. That is easier to remember. How far do you have to go to find them?”
“Well, that’s the tricky part. The See’er didn’t give me an exact l
ocation. It was more of a region of space. But we’re talking a good ten thousand light years.” Jon activated the holodisplay, pulling up a holomap of the galaxy and zooming in on the region he was referring to. “It’s in this region here,” he said pointing to the three-dimensional display.
“Ten thousand light years?” Kevin said wide-eyed. “That is just crazy. And that region is pretty big too.”
“I know.” Jon had the holomap zoom out to show the jump gate network. He highlighted four gates. “We can shave about four thousand light years off the trip by using the jump gates, but the rest we’ll have to do with the jump system.” He then superimposed a line on the map, showing the most direct route.
Kevin studied it intently. “Six thousand light years?” he said finally, shaking his head. “You do realize that that’ll take at least a month each way.”
“At least,” Jon agreed. “Maybe longer. Nobody’s ever gone out that far, so we have no idea what we’ll find.”
Kevin’s demeanor became heavy. “With all due respect, Sir, you can’t leave for that long. We need you here. Especially with this new threat.”
“Sure I can.” Jon smiled. “That’s why I’m putting you in charge.”
Kevin stumbled backward hooking his thumb toward his chest. “Me? You’re leaving me to run the UHSF?”
“Relax Kevin, you won’t be alone. First Colonel Brock remain, as will General Kallos.”
“General Kallos? Who the hell is that?”
“A Diakan. Tallos left him in charge of the Diakan fleets while we’re gone. From what I understand, he has a tremendous amount of experience. Anyway, between the three of you, you’ll figure things out.”
“I don’t know what we can do against these black ships. Our weapons are useless against them. Even AI was helpless.”
“All the more reason that I have to go find these Builders. They’re our only hope. And if what the See’er showed me is correct, we should have some time. When Tallos nuked their city, it triggered the Erinyie intervention. They ignored our invasion of the Widow’s Triangle and Meybaris, because they were only occupied systems, without large Juttari populations. They took back the Widow’s Triangle, and I fully expect them to take back Meybaris. But then they will likely sit back and let the Juttari fight. It should give us a window of opportunity to find the Builders.”
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