“I don’t believe they were from here in the first place,” said Miira, seeming to gain more confidence. “Just like the Erinyie are not from this galaxy.”
“The Great See’er said nothing about another galaxy. She referred to them as one of the first races. Why would she call them that if they weren’t from our galaxy?”
“The term ‘first races’ could be used symbolically, too. Perhaps your Great See’er does not know where they were from.”
“She’s not my Great See’er. Anyway, she’s usually pretty good with this sort of thing. But I’ll humor you. What makes you think this?”
“Archaeological evidence.”
“That could mean anything. Can you be more specific?”
“It is the culmination of my studies. Would you like me to catalog every source I have ever consulted for you?”
“No, of course not.” Jon smiled. Miira seemed to come out of her shell when sharing her research. He liked that. It was her playground, and she was queen of the hill. “Okay, you’re the expert, how did they do it?”
“How did they do what?”
“Travel from another galaxy to ours, and back?”
“They built the jump gates for the younger races of this galaxy. But these jump gates are not the limits of their abilities. I believe they have their own jump gates capable of linking galaxies together.”
Jon struggled to wrap his mind around what she just told him. “Do you mean to tell me that these Builders have some kind of intergalactic empire?”
“I do not know if they would consider it an empire. Their influence spans galaxies. As does the Erinyie’s. The Builders are the light. They bring hope, and progress. The Erinyie are the darkness. They bring hatred and despair.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “I thought we were talking about alien races, not mysticism.”
“I am merely quoting the descriptions found in the ancient texts.”
“Do you believe them?”
“I believe that the Erinyie seek to dominate the universe, while the Antikitheri seek to nurture it.”
“Interesting. I’ll tell you what I think. I don’t know about the Builders, but if the Erinyie support the Juttari, then they are evil enough for me. What I’m getting from all this is that they are at war with each other, on an intergalactic scale. Correct?”
“Yes. They have always been at war. They compete for influence among the younger races of the universe. Sometimes they even intervene, as is the case with your people.”
“The Erinyie intervened alright. Now we just need to get the Builders on our side. So, you’re saying that when we get to their region of space, we won’t find them. Instead we’ll find an intergalactic jump gate?”
“And a guardian.”
“What the hell is a guardian?” Jon said in frustration. The story just kept getting more complicated.
“It protects the intergalactic gate. If we find the guardian, we have found the gate.”
“Wonderful,” Jon said sarcastically.
“The guardian will not let us pass unless it thinks we are worthy.”
“How does it make that decision?”
“I don’t know.”
“How is it you know everything else, but not how to get the guardian to let us through?”
“There is scant information on the guardian. You must understand, nobody really knows what is out there. No Dvorkan could have traveled that far.”
“Then how do you know that any of your information is correct?”
“I believe the information was seeded in our culture, as well as yours, and the other younger races. I have studied several sources from alien races who ascended to the Empire. Every race seems to have some version of these stories. The Builders left them knowing that when the time came, we would uncover their clues, and seek them out.”
“That kind of makes sense, in a weird way. Without the jump system, we would not have the means to reach their space. But they left us the jump gates, and they must have known that one day someone would figure out how to use the jump gate technology, and install it onto a ship.”
“It is logical,” said Miira. “A race would just need to be advanced enough to understand how.”
“Okay. If your research is correct, we need to first find the guardian, and then convince it to let us enter the intergalactic gate.”
“Yes.”
“How do we find the guardian?”
“You do not find it. It finds you. At least that is what the mythological accounts state.”
“I thought you said you used archaeological evidence?”
“Myths are often used in archeology. They aid greatly in the interpretation of the archaeological record. Think about it. Wouldn’t races like the Erinyie and the Antikitheri be looked on as gods, or demons? Their abilities would seem like magical powers to our primitive societies.”
“I guess they would. Do you have a lot of myths about the Builders?”
“Yes. Which is why my research fell into ridicule. Nobody believes they really existed. They are portrayed as magical beings in our mythology. Often, they appear as gods. I believe that magic was merely advanced technology. In studying all the old stories, I filter out the talk of magic, and try to decipher the actual historical account.”
“Interesting. How accurate do you think your research is?”
“I don’t really know. This will be my first opportunity to test it.”
“That’s fair. We will head to our destination and hopefully we’ll find this guardian.”
“I think we can do better than that. Based on my research, I believe that the gate is in a system dominated by a red giant star.”
“That should help narrow things down. AI, is there a red giant star within the region of space where the Builders are supposed to reside?”
“Yes, Admiral. There is one red giant identified within those search parameters,” said AI.
Jon smiled at Miira. “Send the coordinates to Commander Henderson.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
Jon opened a comm with Henderson. “Commander, AI will be sending you a new set of coordinates. Adjust our heading accordingly.”
“Understood,” said Henderson.
“Now we just need to answer the guardian’s riddles,” Jon said to Miira.
“What riddles?”
“It is a story from our own ancient mythology. A sphynx, which was a type of winged monster, stood outside a city and asked each traveler a riddle. If the traveler answered incorrectly, he would die.”
“I see. There is no evidence that the Builder’s guardian will ask us riddles, or kill us.”
“Then how will it know if we’re worthy?” Jon said with a chuckle.
“Are you mocking me?”
“No, not at all. It’s just a joke.” Jon made a mental note that despite her size, Miira did not have thick skin.
“Forgive me. I’ve been ridiculed so much that I am quick to take offense.”
“Don’t worry about it. Wait until you meet my friend Seiben. Now there’s a guy who can’t take a joke.”
Miira smiled. “I look forward to seeing your planet.”
“So do I, Miira. So do I.”
Chapter 41
“Smaller circles, child,” instructed Breeah.
Anki let the weighted balls of her lariat belt drop to the floor, as beads of sweat stung her eyes. She wiped her brow with her free hand, and looked back at her mother in frustration. “I cannot make them any smaller.”
“Yes, you can,” said Breeah.
“It is not possible.”
“It is. If I can see them, then so will your opponent.”
“Show me a soldier on this ship who can stop my lariat.”
Breeah laughed. “Is that what you measure your skill against? I need to take you to your grandfather’s ship, so you can compare skill against other Reivers. Perhaps you need to see a Kemmar again? Or an enemy Chaanisar soldier? Do you think they will be so easy to overcome?”
&
nbsp; “No, they won’t, because they will be armed with energy weapons. My lariat will be useless against them.”
Breeah exhaled slowly. “We wear the lariat belt around our waste so that we are always armed. Is an energy weapon preferable? Of course. If we have one, we use it before we use the lariat. When the Diakans attacked us in our quarters, you used your darts. They are ranged weapons, and you used them exceptionally well. They are also preferable. But what if you do not have access to any other weapon? You will always have your lariat belt, and another important advantage. Surprise. Your opponent will not expect your weapon, nor your expertise. These advantages have saved my life in the past, and they may save yours in the future.”
Anki stayed quiet, even though she felt the anger pulsing through her body.
Breeah studied her with a mother’s knowing eye. “You must make your circles smaller. Observe.”
Anki watched closely as her mother stepped forward, letting her own weighted lariat belt hang loosely from her hand. Despite her frustration, she always appreciated a demonstration of her mother’s ability. She always marveled at how her face instantly changed, the muscles in her jaw tightening, her eyes turning to steel. She was no longer her mother, but a Reiver warrior, as lethal as a coiled viper.
Anki paid close attention to her mother’s arm, watching for the slightest movement that would telegraph her strike. Anki noted how her breathing eased, how her body relaxed, yet remained poised for action.
Without warning, her mother burst into action, and the lariat became a blur. Anki knew not to follow the weapon. It would be futile to try. Instead, she zeroed in on the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, just as she was taught.
Large movements are the mark of a beginner. To the trained eye, they are like screams, shouting out their intent. As one advances in ability, those movements become smaller, and smaller. Her mother’s movements, for example, were practically imperceptible. They were all in the wrist, and even then, they were no more than tiny flicks. Yet through those tiny movements, the weighted balls swung at sizzling speeds, with enough force to crush a man’s skull.
One might expect her to put on an acrobatic display, throwing her body around in a demonstration of her prowess. But that was not the lesson she tried to teach. Instead, she casually walked forward. Her lariat established a menacing perimeter, however, threatening injury, and even death, to anyone foolish enough to approach.
Moments later, as effortlessly as her display began, it came to a stop. The warrior left her face, and her mother returned. “Do you see?”
Anki crossed her arms in front of her chest and said nothing. She knew her mother was right, but did not want to admit it.
Breeah’s face softened. “Do not confuse pride with skill, child. Wishing that something wasn’t so, does not change its reality. Your opponent will not flatter you, and praise your accomplishments. He will seek out your weaknesses, and use them to take your life. You have trained long and hard, and your skill is great, but training never ends. You can always learn, always improve. This is our way.”
“I understand, mother,” Anki said, dropping her arms to her side. Had she become proud? Was that why she felt defiant, even though she could clearly see that her mother was right? Why didn’t she feel the same way when her grandfather trained her? It was all very confusing.
Anki cleared her mind, and readied her lariat. She narrowed her eyes, and visualized an enemy. A vicious Kemmar soldier baring its teeth. Her jaw tightened, and her body went taut. Her imaginary enemy snarled, and she attacked. Yet the Kemmar anticipated each move, and sidestepped every strike.
She pursued it with more fury, more force. Still the Kemmar evaded her. Still it taunted her, baring its razor-sharp teeth. At that moment, she became aware of her wrist’s movement, and she understood. Relaxing her arm, she allowed the lariat’s momentum to do the work.
With that one small change, the weighted balls came around and crashed through the imaginary Kemmar. It vanished, and she heard her mother’s voice.
“Yes! Like that! Well done, child!”
Anki slowed the lariat, and caught it. She turned to her mother with a bashful smile.
“How did that feel, child?” said Breeah.
“It felt right,” said Anki. “I’m sorry for being stubborn, mother.”
Breeah stepped up and put her arm around Anki’s shoulder. “It is to be expected, child. Stubbornness is one of the many obstacles a warrior must overcome. You have done well today. Come, let’s find Jon and share a meal.”
Chapter 42
“Jump complete.”
The battle group arrived at their final destination, a system with a red giant star and several planets in orbit around it. Short of this enormous star, the system seemed unremarkable.
“Report,” ordered Jon. “Are there any contacts?”
“Negative, Sir,” said Petrovic. “Preliminary scans and sensors reporting all quiet.”
Jon looked over at Miira, who stood like a great blue monolith beside him. He had asked her to join him on the bridge just before their final jump. Whatever they found, her knowledge might prove useful. “I don’t see any sign of a guardian.”
Miira stared stoically at the viewscreen. “Perhaps you need to take action first?”
It was as good a guess as any. Guardian or not, if an intergalactic gate did in fact exist, Jon wanted to know about it. “Initiate a blind jump gate activation sequence. Let’s see if this gate responds like the others.”
“Initiating sequence,” said Henderson. “Sending out pings in all directions.”
Jon waited patiently for the activation sequence to take effect. Depending on how far the gate was from their current location, it could take some time for the ping to reach it. Still he was hopeful. If this didn’t work, they would have to expand their search beyond this star system. That was a time-consuming proposition that Jon desperately wanted to avoid.
Minutes turned into hours, and the bridge crew became visibly restless. It had been a long journey. Over six thousand light years, and several diversions along the way. They couldn’t possibly return empty handed, yet that was an ever-present possibility.
“Picking up jump gate activity,” said Henderson.
Jon breathed a sigh of relief. “On screen.”
The viewscreen shifted to reveal the largest jump gate Jon had ever seen. A regular gate was large enough for several starships to travel through simultaneously. This jump gate was easily more than three times that size.
“Alright, this is it. Let’s see where this portal takes us. Helm, take us in. One quarter light.”
The Freedom’s engines came to life and it advanced, the battle group keeping pace alongside.
“Contact!” said Petrovic. “One of the moons around the fifth planet just broke orbit.”
“What? Is it a ship?” said Jon.
“Unknown, Sir,” said Petrovic. “I mean, it must be, but I’m not picking up any energy readings. It is on an intercept course.”
“Sound General Quarters. Put it on screen.”
The main viewscreen transitioned away from the jump gate to zero in on what looked like nothing more than a normal moon, except that it was moving toward them.”
“It is the guardian,” said Miira. “Activating the gate must have brought it to life.”
“Picking up energy fluctuations,” said Petrovic. “They’re off the charts.”
“Is it a weapon?”
“No way to confirm, Sir. I’ve never seen anything like- Reading a massive energy discharge. It’s firing!”
“From this range?” said Jon. Considering the distance between them, it would be surprising if the contact’s weapons could reach them.
On the screen, a massive surge of blue energy erupted from the moon, and raced through space toward Jon’s ships.
“Evasive action,” said Jon, as the energy beam advanced. He hoped the beam couldn’t reach them, but wasn’t going to bet on it. The Freedom changed course, and the energ
y beam did something Jon thought impossible. It turned. They changed course again, and the beam turned again, zig zagging through space at terrifying speed.
“Initiate emergency jump,” ordered Jon.
“Jump system is not responding,” said Henderson.
“Is it depleted?”
“No, Sir. Jump system is at fifty percent. We should be able to jump.”
Jon opened a comm with Chief Engineer Simmons, as the energy beam closed in on their position.
“This is Simmons,” came the response through Jon’s comm.
“Chief, what’s going on down there? We need that jump system.”
“I can’t explain it, Sir. It appears to be working properly, only we cannot jump.”
“Can you fix it?”
“We’re trying, Sir, but we don’t know what’s wrong with it.”
“Commander Henderson, contact the other ships in the battle group and advise them of our situation. Tell them to jump away to safety.”
“Sir, the rest of the ships are reporting the same problem. None of them can jump,” said Henderson.
Jon looked down at his tactical display to see that the energy beam had almost reached them. It was too late.
“Brace for impact,” said Jon, and the crew hastened to secure themselves.
The beam hit, and began to expand. It stretched out until it enveloped the Freedom, and all the other ships in the battle group. As it did, all ship systems started going dark.
“We’re losing power,” said Henderson. “All systems are being shut down.”
Jon’s comm link with Chief Engineer Simmons had been disconnected. He tried to get her back on, but the comm didn’t respond. “Are the comms down too?”
“Yes, Sir,” said Henderson.
His console went dark, as did all the rest of the consoles and systems on the bridge. The main lights were next to go, but the backups kicked in, providing enough light for everyone to see. The luminescent strips shone without need of the ships power. They would last for at least a full day before they needed to be replaced.
Jon’s feet rose off the ground and he had to grip his console to keep from floating away. He reached up, grabbed Miira’s arm, and pulled her back down before she too drifted away. “The antigrav has gone offline. You’ll need to hold onto something.”
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 149
