Unable to fall back to sleep, James decided to get out of bed. He pulled himself up and checked the clock on the wall – 32YU. James did not know what in the void it meant. He then checked his own wristwatch – 13:00. It would have been early morning on Zona Nox.
James felt a pang of sadness. It was bound to happen eventually. He had felt so angry over the loss of his home that he had not had any time to mourn.
‘No use crying now,’ he muttered to himself. So, he fought down the urge to brood and moved towards the bathroom. The room was the usual affair – a shower, basin and toilet. The latter was usable by humans, but like most Exanoid chairs, had a highly crooked back.
James approached the basin and turned on the hot tap. The room temperature in this building was always maintained at a constant rate, but James was used to much hotter climates. The bowl full, James submerged his face. He lifted his head and, with blurry vision, reached out for a towel. He found it and rubbed his face.
As his vision cleared, he froze. In the reflection of the basin mirror, behind him by only a hand-span, was a pale white creature with pointy ears and sharp underbite fangs.
James reacted purely on instinct and swung his arm around, attempting to surprise the beast so he could follow through with a sharp jab to the solar plexus. His arm was caught with ease and he soon found himself hoisted off the ground.
‘Your strength is lacking, Boymancer, but I do respect your reflexes.’
It suddenly dawned on him.
‘Krag-Zot!’
‘Yes, who else would it be?’
James did not answer as Krag-Zot lowered him onto the ground. As he landed, James suddenly realised that he was wearing nothing but boxers. The Areq did not seem to notice or care.
‘So,’ James panted, ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’
‘I am your faithful vassal. What more reason do I need to shadow my liege?’
‘Some way of respecting your liege,’ James muttered, rubbing the spot where Krag-Zot had gripped him.
‘I will not harm you, but I will defend myself when I must. Think of it as a simulation of a proper assassination. A genuine assassin would have killed you by now. Then where would I be?’
James grunted in amusement.
‘I’m not a galactic threat. I doubt any assassins are coming after me.’
‘On the contrary, Boymancer, you have already begun to make waves in this galaxy. Do not forget that the Lector has pledged himself to you. This is no mere fancy. One of the power brokers of the Empire has sworn to serve what seems to be a simple teenage Trooper. No, you are much more than just that. You have a potential in you; a well of power which could topple societies. In the days to come, you will realise that not only the Warp will serve you, but entire peoples.’
James raised his eyebrow sceptically. ‘How do you know this?’
The Areq smiled slightly. ‘I have lived for many centuries. You tend to learn a little thing about prophecy in that amount of time. I may be wrong, but I believe the gods’ have great plans for you.’
James left the bathroom with Krag-Zot in tow. His section of the apartment was partitioned off from the rest, so James did not have to worry about the others seeing the Immortal. Only Marshal currently knew that Aven and Krag-Zot were allies of James. The rest simply believed that they had managed to escape the Lectorate ship through the virtue of Marshal and James’ combat skills.
‘Regardless, I will need your help.’
‘I am yours to command, my liege.’
James thought for a little bit for questions to ask, but only one came to mind.
‘Earlier, I was standing on one of the walkways when I sensed what seemed to be a Warp pull. It seemed to emanate from below.’
‘Yes, I know of what you speak. I feel it too.’
‘How is that?’
All Warpmancers can feel the pull of Warp. That is what makes us what we are. While others may train themselves to use this art, they will never naturally feel its energy. They aren’t like us. The crystals below this city, the same crystals which cover this entire planet are concentrated Warp energy. This must be the first time you have encountered so much, and as a result you are feeling what we refer to as the Hunger.’
James nodded. ‘How did so much Warp energy form here? I knew it was an energy mining world, but there must be a reason for the large concentrations here. Warp isn’t a natural mineral. It ain’t like steel or oil.’
They were now looking outside of the apartment at the crystals below. James felt a slight tug, but was not as lightheaded as the day before. Krag-Zot didn’t speak for a long while. James glanced at him every so often. The Immortal’s face was blank of emotion.
‘This planet – Nova Zarxa you call it – was Resh.’
‘Resh? Your homeworld?’
‘Was. This was my homeworld, a long time ago. Now…now even the rock itself is different.’
James didn’t need clarification. Resh had been blighted by the Imperial Council approximately one-thousand years ago. If Nova Zarxa was Resh, then that meant…
‘So, this is what will become of Zona Nox?’
Krag-Zot nodded.
‘Then it seems we both lost home worlds to the same enemy,’ James said, sadly.
‘It seems so, Boymancer. It seems so.’
Krag-Zot had left an hour after his sudden arrival. Well, James presumed that 33YU was an indication of an hour passing. Honestly, he did not know what in Extos was going on. The Immortal had left in an almost impossible fashion as James attempted to seek him out a few seconds later to find him completely gone. His exit was the same as his entry – inexplicable.
Before then they had spoken of many things, but spent equal amounts of time in complete silence, merely staring out at the crystals. They had spoken of philosophy, their home worlds and what James planned to do with his life.
‘I don’t know,’ James had replied, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to even be doing today.’
‘A plan is always needed in life,’ Krag-Zot had replied, ‘those with a plan for their life always go further than those without. Even if those plans do not come to fruition, it is better to have one than none.’
James still pondered this now. What would he do now? Back on the Lectorate ship he had been consumed by a desire for vengeance, but that fire had now shrunk to a flicker. He still hated the Council, but his rage was not as it once was. James had always been directed in his life. He might have claimed independence and did exercise his autonomy, but he had always had some sort of power to tell him what to do or a goal that needed fulfilling. Even when he was leading his squad across Red Sand, he was being led by the eventual goal of reaching Fort Nox.
What was his goal now?
James’ brooding was interrupted by the sound of a stifled yawn as one of the other residents of the apartment woke up. James stood up from the window seat which had been occupying for much of the morning and exited his quarters.
Sgt Yobu stood in the centre of the room, his normally neat military cut hair dishevelled. The Trooper Sergeant stood idly in the middle of the room, his eyes closed with his hand attempting to catch a yawn. James had never seen him more casual. Yobu was usually highly meticulous, loyal and almost robotic in his military stature. This sign of humanity was quite reassuring. Even robots can get tired.
‘Good morning, Sergeant,’ James called.
The Sergeant opened his eyes wide and quickly turned to salute.
‘Sir!’
James waved the formality away. ‘We’ve been fighting side by side for weeks. No need for that. My badge might be larger, but we are equal on the field.’
‘Forgive me, Captain, but we are not equal. Your skill far surpasses mine. I do not salute you out of military formality, but out of respect.’
James was truly taken aback, but before he could stutter out a thank you, they were interrupted by Marshal.
‘You’re up early…’
‘Void if I know,�
�� James chuckled, ‘I don’t know how to tell the damn time here.’
Marshal laughed a genuine laugh. James hadn’t heard one for quite some time. It was refreshing.
‘Zarxian time is odd. Their day contains 42 human standard hours, but their equivalent to midnight would be 25YU.’
‘Very odd,’ James concurred, ‘but they must think our time eccentric.’
James turned to Yobu, who was a native Zarxian.
‘I got used to Zona Nox time quite quickly, but many of my squad mates never got the hang of it,’ the Sergeant replied.
James snorted in amusement. ‘No wonder it was so easy to bypass patrols. You guys couldn’t figure out the time.’
‘Pardon?’
‘Nothing, nothing.’
In James’ favour, his awkward remark was forgotten as they heard a knock on the door. Marshal answered it to reveal the members of James’ crew, excluding the aliens.
Ryan stood at the fore, with Grugo and Leroy behind. Six men now stood in the metallic apartment, and James could not help but feel a degree of sadness. The group had once been much larger. For some reason, James felt all the deaths now. He remembered all the men who had died under his command.
‘We never had any real time to pay our respects to those who died on Zona Nox,’ James explained as his crew members found places to sit around the room. Many of them nodded in agreement.
‘Now that we have found some respite, we should remember the fallen.’
James had only given one funeral before. Death was a passing fact in the world, one so common and minuscule that it did not warrant notice. Yet, James felt that his friends deserved remembrance.
‘Corporal Tavish,’ Sgt Yobu announced, breaking the silence, ‘and Private McCallister.’
His head was bowed and his face dry, but James knew that the Sergeant felt pain. He had held it in for so long and continued to do so.
‘Briar, Mennis and Porter,’ Grugo added. His head, too, was bowed.
More names came: Jherad, Ethran, Dean, Vick and Tim - some of whom James did not know, and some of whom still filled him with guilt.
‘May they find happiness and peace - wherever they are.’
The room was left in a tense silence, one which James could not abide. Too much had been left unsaid. Somebody needed to say it. Better it be him.
‘I was their Captain, I chose them and they died under my command. Their deaths are mine to bear.’
‘James, that is not how anyone should remember them,’ Ryan interjected, ‘it is unfair to blame their deaths on yourself. For you and for them. They chose to follow you. You did not pull the trigger and you did not order them to the grave. Soldiers die in war. Void, people die all the time. It is demeaning to take away a man’s free will by stating that you caused their deaths. Do not let them be remembered as cannon fodder, but as men who died fighting.’
Everyone nodded in agreement. Leroy looked down as he did so. Wet stains were growing on his shirt and pants as tears fell. Each person felt some sort of loss from the past weeks, but with Ryan’s speech, James felt a little bit more at peace.
But the meeting was not finished. James had one final thing to say.
‘So, here we are.’
Most of the group looked up.
‘It’s not Fort Nox, but it’s something. I was tasked with bringing you to safety and as we have reached the end of our journey. I am saddened, but relieved, to say that this is the end of our journey. The survivors of the X51, few that there may be, are here. We have fought long and hard, but I must say that if I was to do it all over again – I would not choose another group of men. I am proud to have been your Captain.’
There was a period of silence as James concluded. No one uttered a word as they stared at James and then slowly rose as one. All of them stood facing James, rigid and silent. As one, they brought their hands to their foreheads and saluted.
James’ eyes moistened, but he didn’t cry. His comrades – friends, stood saluting him with all their devotion. Never could he have asked for more.
‘A…at ease.’
They ended their salute by bringing their right fist to their heart and then to their side.
‘Captain, I will follow you to the grave, if you will let me,’ Grugo exclaimed.
This shocked James more than anything else, but before he could reply at all, Ryan spoke.
‘I have been given a job with Grag-Tec, but I will continue to help you any way I can, Captain.’
This was followed by Leroy. ‘I have never been one for loyalty to anything but a gang, but I will do the same as Ryan. You need help, Cap’n and I will give it.’
Marshal said nothing and only nodded at James. A nod of approval which meant more to James than most.
‘Why?’ James asked, his voice a hush.
It was Grugo who answered. ‘You did more on that Xank ship than just help us survive. There’s something special about you and I want to help you do whatever you are planning. Our home’s dead. This galaxy let that happen. This galaxy needs change. I want to be a part of it.’
With that, the group said their goodbyes and promised to keep in contact. As James went over to Ryan to shake his hand, the big man only looked at James’ petite hand with amusement and instead took him in a big hug.
‘You’re going to make big changes. I just know it.’
James didn’t reply. One by one, everyone left until only Marshal and Yobu were left besides James.
‘Well,’ Marshal said, as he stood up from his chair, ‘I better get going to see my family. Their ship should be docking in a few minutes.’
‘Best of luck, we must stay in contact.’
Marshal gave him a knowing look and indicated for him to go off to the side, away from Yobu’s hearing.
‘Your aura is growing; you’ve noticed that, haven’t you?’
James nodded.
‘I would suggest you control it, but I sense some danger approaching. You are going to need followers if Smith is correct. Grugo and Ryan are right; you are going to change something. I don’t know what it is, but the fact that you are one of the first human Warpmancers in centuries is proof of that already.’
Marshal left after that, leaving only Yobu to stand silently with James in the now almost empty apartment. Even the alien pop music next door had stopped.
The sergeant placed a hand on James’ shoulder.
‘It’s time to go meet up with the fleet.’
“Corporations are to companies what stars are to planets. Companies practice their business on a planet, while corporations span entire systems. It is highly common to find planets totally under the control of a single corporation.” – Extract from “Wealth of the Galaxy” by Jherin Kura'kaia
Chapter 3. Agent
Lying before Danny Marzio was a white blotch in a sea of black. The gigantic snowball was the legendary Nova Zarxa – a planet jointly owned by the human Troopers and the alien corporation, Grag-Tec. Even as an isolationist mob boss, Danny could not help but learn a lot about the corporate world. Its only real reason for existing was crystal mining, which Grag-Tec owned the sole monopoly over. In exchange for security, they allowed the Troopers to maintain a base and city on the planet. The air was toxic, and the temperature was too cold for comfortable living. Terraforming was out of the question, however, as it would eliminate the crystals that were the lifeblood of Nova Zarxa’s economy.
Instead of living on the surface, which was covered with icy crystals, the entire population inhabited skyways and large skyscrapers. The capital, Nexus, was basically a huge plat-formed city on stilts, somewhat reminiscent of Titan City.
Past that, Danny knew very little about the internal struggles of Nova Zarxa. It had never been his business or desire to have anything to do with the planet.
‘Oh, how things change,’ Danny muttered as he gazed out the space station window. Occasionally, a smaller ship would race past the window. Some bore the Aegis symbol – a red globe representing Mars �
� while others bore other symbols as they sped straight towards the planet. Many more just floated idly around in orbit. Ships like these were what Rob had grown up in.
Danny felt a tinge of sadness at that thought and soon fought it down. He knew he would have to get over it. He was supposed to be a sociopathic criminal and killer – not one to cry over the deaths of annoying kids. Yet he could not help but feel melancholic. Rob didn’t deserve to die. Many of Danny’s previous henchmen also didn’t deserve to die, but for some reason Rob’s death continued to stick with him. Maybe it was that he was just a boy. A good boy living in a bad world. Maybe it was a change in Danny himself. All he knew was that he could not get the death of Rob Starkin out of his head.
Ships of all shapes and sizes continued to fly past Danny’s viewing window, a special compartment of his residence on the Aegis capital ship – the Athena.
The Athena was a custom Olympian Class Hive Ship. It had been constructed in the skydocks of Mars and was the pride and joy of the corporate fleet construction industry. It was a monolithic starship, capable of warp travel between systems without the need to find an appropriate gravity well. It was a gravity well.
The ship was the HQ and base of operations of the head administration of the Aegis Corporation. Contrary to popular belief that Aegis’ intelligence operations were directed from Mars, the Athena played host to the true workings of Aegis. Thousands of Aegis employees, soldiers, mercenaries, syns and officials lived on the ship. Housing and amenities were provided in the residency wing while two hangars were stationed in each wing. There were four outer wings with one main pillar. These being residency, Intel, military and agricultural. The pillar hosted the central command.
Danny sighed. The enormity of the structure often left him speechless. The ship itself seemed to be larger than some districts of Galis.
Rise of the Defiant: Book Two of the Warpmancer Series Page 2
