“Get down to the ground,” yelled Segarra, gripping his seat, his knuckles white, his forehead covered in perspiration.
Mya squeezed his arm, closing her eyes tightly.
“I’m not making this up. We don’t have much time,” screamed Segarra.
“Weapons lock is on.” Anderle was panicking. “The Chinese aircraft just let one loose.”
“Fly to the floor, pilot. Go, go! They are likely shooting an air to air missile, not an air to ground, meaning the closer to the ground you get the more chance the guidance will stop tracking you and track something else. An air to air doesn’t have top attack capabilities,” shouted Segarra.
Anderle tilted the helicopter even more. “Oh no, we’re going to crash.”
Drew held on to the straps around his shoulders as hard as he could, his fingers chaffing against the seat belt’s polyester webbing. He held his breath, his eyes wide.
“Pull back, pilot, and land,” instructed Segarra.
Drew couldn’t help it. He needed to know, needed to see what was about to happen, whether it be their doom or a miracle. He gulped when he turned and peered out of the cockpit window. The municipal airport’s tarmac was coming up fast, as if the ground was moving toward them as fast as the helicopter toward it.
Anderle screamed, waving his arms in the air.
“Not funny, Anderle. Stop,” said T-hacker.
Anderle cracked up, pulling back on his control stick, grabbing his belly in the process. “God, I feel like a dick. It’s not April Fools’ Day, but I got you three in the cabin so good. Damn, I wish it was April Fools’ Day so bad.”
Segarra’s nostrils flared and the muscles in his arms flexed, making the veins pop. He licked his lips, looking away from Drew. “Are you telling me, pilot, that you were fucking with me the whole time?”
Anderle brought the helicopter into a slow hover, lowering onto its skids. “Yeah,” he chuckled. “The planes were real, but the weapons were all dummies. They’re all on our side. I asked them to put on a show, just for shits and giggles. Cool right?”
“Don’t you ever –” Segarra leaned back against his seat, refraining from saying anything else.
“And, Mr. Segarra, if you try to do anything to us while we refuel...well...don’t. We have things setup to really hurt your daughter. You remember, the bomb? We’re hackers. We embedded it in her underwear, shirt, and pants,” said Anderle as he opened the cockpit door and stepped out of the chopper.
Drew thought it was the dumbest lie.
Segarra appeared to take it for truth. Perhaps he had to. He was her dad. That’s what dads did.
Segarra’s hand shook as he combed Mya’s hair with his fingers. He looked into Drew’s eyes. “Whitefish is the new beacon of hope.”
Drew tilted his head. “Then tell me why we can’t go there.”
Segarra scooted up in his seat. “Because of me. You take me, and you bring a shit show to a good place, a place that is keeping the revolution alive. It started out as the US resistance against the Chinese, but since these space ships have been dropping through the atmosphere and obliterating cities, it has become the central hub for planetary resistance. You take me to Whitefish, and all enemies change their target to all those good people in that city, because that’s where I’ll be.”
“Why would that happen if you show up?”
“Because I have something they want. Something I was trying to hide from them. Now they probably know I’m with her. And where I go from now on, they will also know that she will also be there.”
“Who is her? I don’t comprehend.”
He glanced down at Mya and then back at Drew. “You’ve seen my daughter’s powers, I bet. But Anderle isn’t telling you the entire story about my daughter.”
36
Planet Taiyo, Sector 9 ~ Galactic Arm, Milky Way Galaxy
Jaxx took another cautious step, eyeing the forest, sensing the Agadon was near, safe, and angry as hell. He had gotten the upper hand and sensed no one got the upper hand with this guy, this blue freak of nature.
A crackle pierced the forest.
Jaxx stopped and listened. He needed to know why and how this Agadon was like him. Was the Agadon part Atlantean? Did he have some human in him? Was there an even bigger glitch in the AI-based system in his hardwired brain?
He dipped his head to avoid a low-hanging branch. He was nearing the fire, the crash site.
He unholstered his phaser, holding it at his side, ready for the blue human-looking piece of shit.
“Welcome, Kaden Jaxx.”
Jaxx halted, eyes darting left and right. His phaser spun out of his hands and crashed against a tree.
Laughter filled the forest. Laughter that wasn’t human.
“Where are you?” asked Jaxx.
“Over here.”
Jaxx turned, seeing a figure in a dark blue robe, hood draped over his face.
“I’ve been waiting a long time, Jaxx. You are in the prophecies. You are loved by many. Hated by more. Yes, you have some allies, but a plethora of enemies. And I’m one of them.”
“Who are you?” questioned Jaxx.
“I’m someone not in the prophecies, someone more powerful than you in every facet of life, in every way of being, someone who deserves a place in our galaxy’s Akashic records, records of everything that happens in our galactic life.”
“I know what the Akashic records are. You don’t need to patronize me.” Jaxx shifted from one foot to the other, watching and waiting for the robed man to make a move.
The Agadon waived a hand and the ground in front of Jaxx exploded, lobbing clumps of dirt at him. Ineffectual, but startling.
Jaxx covered his face with his arm, to shield his eyes, then brought it down and wiped off the dirt. “What do you want?”
“I wanted you to follow me and you did. Why did you follow me, Jaxx?” The robed man shoved off the tree and floated forward, gently landing on his feet just a few feet from his avowed enemy, Kaden Jaxx.
“I –”
The man put his hand up, interrupting Jaxx. “I know why. You wanted to know how I can do what you can do. Now you want to know how I can do even more than you. Isn’t that a little naive, though, Jaxx? You thought you were the only one in the galaxy who has these powers?”
“I’m not – ” Jaxx stopped himself. If this guy assumed that Jaxx thought he was the only person in the galaxy with these powers, then all the better.
“You’re not the only one?” The man took another step forward, shaking his head. “Your thoughts reveal too much.” He looked up. “Rrriivkahh. Is that how you say her name?” He lunged forward, pushing out with his hands, throwing an energetic force against Jaxx, hitting him square on the chest, picking him up, and tossing him against a tree.
“Ooomph!” grunted Jaxx, sliding down the trunk and onto his backside. He pushed himself up, bringing up all the energy he could muster and any emotion he could dig up – the anger, the pain of being abused by Slade and being shot by Fox while inside Underfoot Black. He pushed his palms outward, moving energy like it was a toy and chucked it at Taz.
Taz sliced the air with his hand, dissolving and dissipating the energy to a mere breeze. He laughed. “I’m not as easy to push around, am I, Jaxx?”
The Agadon jumped and spun in the air, performing a flying back kick, focusing his energy through his legs and out his feet.
Jaxx went into a defensive crouch. The energetic kick landed against his side, toppling him over. He rolled on the ground, holding his abdomen, cringing in pain. He tried to get up, then a sharp, unforgiving knife lunged into his lower back. He yelped like a dog as a burning sensation riddled his body. He arched and fell on his stomach, reaching for the knife, a knife he needed to pull out of his lower spine. It wasn’t there.
The knife had been ethereal, energetic, causing no blood, only pain. He took a deep breath and spun around to his feet, his arms up, hands in a fist. He’d fight until his last, dying war cry.
Taz leaned back against a tree. “It’s just energy, Jaxx. See?” The Agadon showed his palms, then twirling his hands like he was a magician. “It sure felt like a dagger, huh?”
Jaxx touched his lower back, nodding, sweat dripping off his chin.
Taz clapped his hands loudly and Jaxx lifted off his feet again, slamming onto his back. He slid ten feet across the forest floor, closer to the Agadon.
Taz sighed. “I thought you’d be more of a challenge.” He walked slowly toward Jaxx. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. You bested me in our starfighter battle, but how well did you do on the ground? Not so good, Jaxx. Not. So. Good.”
Jaxx quickly crawled backward, closing his eyes, conjuring up energy, heating his hands until he couldn’t take it anymore. He yelled, lashing out, throwing the energy through his palms and at Taz.
The Agadon flinched for a moment, then snorted. “That was a good one. It almost felt like a really hard, but noble baby’s slap.” He jumped, doing a back flip, landing on his hands and feet. The ground instantly stirred and Jaxx was thrown straight up into the air. He twirled head over heels, belly flopping onto the soil, knocking the wind out of him. He rolled to his side, sucking in as much air as he could, his spasming diaphragm making it difficult.
The Agadon withdrew a long sword from underneath his robe. “I like the old fashion way of killing, as well, Jaxx. Don’t you? There’s such a satisfying crunch, when steel meets bone through flesh and gristle.”
Jaxx pressed his hand against the soil and pushed onto his knees, coughing. “Don’t...”
“Don’t what?”
A branch cracked and the Agadon went rigid, his arms stiff at his sides. “He doesn’t want you to hurt him anymore.” It was Abdu, his paws aimed directly at the Agadon.
“Unwrap me, you filthy Leonian,” yelled Taz.
Abdu leaned over and helped Jaxx up, still keeping one paw on the blue-man. “As you wish, my robed friend.” Abdu dropped his arm and Taz went limp, falling to the ground.
Taz threw off his hood, revealing a bald, blue man snarling, with blood-shot eyes. He windmilled his arms, thrusting energy at Abdu.
Abdu stood his ground, not moving an inch. He put his hands together and bowed. “If you leave now, I will let you live. If you don’t leave now, then I will defend myself and my friend. You will not live through that exchange.”
The Agadon backed up, moving slowly toward a throng of bunched trees. He slithered through them, disappearing into the shadows.
Abdu grabbed Jaxx’s arm and pulled him to his feet. “We better get going before he brings some of his friends.”
They rushed through the forest and entered the meadow, the grasses stirring in the wind.
Jaxx looked at his hands. “Why didn’t my powers work on him?”
“You and that Agadon have one thing in common. You think the energy that courses through you and out of you is power, and only power. You think the power is to defend yourself and do harm to those you’re defending yourself against. You and your mortal enemy have no idea what Chi truly is.”
Jaxx reached his Air Wing and patted its belly. “But, still, the power has always worked to defend myself before.”
“Yes, against those that don’t know what it is or how to properly use it. Chi is the equilibrium in nature, in the body, and in every living thing in the Universe. Without it, you would not live. You think of it as power, as if it was solely created for that purpose and that purpose alone. Don’t be mistaken, Jaxx. Chi is what’s in between. The middle way, the calm between the joy and the storm. The center between up and down, the medium between left and right. It’s the fulcrum for all of life.”
“What do I do with that advice?”
“You do nothing.” The lion smiled. “Or, you do everything. The only way to allow negative Chi to affect you is by allowing negative Chi to affect you. It needn’t. It mustn’t. I didn’t allow the Agadon to feed off of me and throw me across the forest. Why? Because I use the middle path, the way Chi is meant to be harnessed and used.” He tapped Jaxx’s third eye with his claw. “Use the calm in the middle of the storm. It’s always there. It’s the basis of all Chi.” He put his paw on Jaxx’s chest. “You just have to find it.”
“Yeah, finding it is the mystery. I don’t even know where it comes from.” He stepped up on his craft’s wing and pulled himself up into the cockpit.
“Remember, Jaxx. You don’t have to think of negativity to use your Chi to defend yourself. In fact, if you use the images and memories of love, you’ll pack a little more punch. Light negates darkness. It’s not the other way around and never has been.”
Jaxx nodded his head. “Can you teach me how to do this?”
An explosion filled the air and the lion glanced up. “If we can survive this, then yes.” He glanced over his shoulder, giving out a thunderous roar.
The forest shook and a combat-mech walked from the tree line and onto the meadow.
“Until then, we have a fight to win.” The lion turned and ran toward his mech.
Jaxx shut his cockpit window. “Time to kick some ass.” He lifted into the air and rocketed toward the battle.
37
Edge of J-Quadrant, Starship Atlantis (Slipping Further Away from Jupiter)
Slade stood on one leg, the other leg up in a kick, a hundred-pound bag in one hand and a seventy-five-pound bag in the other hand. He was motionless, eyes closed, concentrating on perfect equilibrium.
“Good,” cheered Andrea. She had her holographic data pad in hand, studying the graphs, lines, and numbers, and assessing Slade’s mental, physical, and emotional state.
Slade was hooked up to electrodes, sending information to half a dozen computers around the room.
Andrea typed on her pad. “I’m finding it’s a balancing act, Slade. You can control these powers. It’s all about your emotions and intent. It doesn’t matter if it’s anger or love, as long as your emotions are extreme and focused. What are you feeling now?”
Slade’s arms shook and sweat beaded down his neck. “The weight of each bag is different. It’s difficult to hold still. I have to focus on both sides of my body at the same time. Put more weight in the seventy-five-pound bag, Andrea.”
She took a few paces forward, observing Slade, looking him up and down. “Your legs are fine. Your stomach isn’t shaking. It’s just your arms. Change focus.”
Slade kept his head straight and opened his eyes. “Change my focus to what?”
“To your arms.”
Slade bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, remembering all the times Rivkah evaded him and his team, screwing up Slade’s plans to use her as an expert pilot, as an ally. He grunted, imagining Rivkah being ripped to shreds by a squad of beady-eyed, slobber-toothed Eridans in the Forrax constellation. His arms strengthened, balancing out, and for the first time, the bags felt like feathers.
This power, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and his muscles firing twice the speed of a power lifter and without fatigue, pushed a smile to his lips.
Andrea walked over to a computer and pressed several buttons. She stepped back to take a better look at the monitor that hung on the wall just above the holographic keyboard. She put her finger to her lips and grinned. “You’re controlling the energy much better. Your heart rate is normal. Your blood pressure just slightly above where it needs to be.” She let out a happy chuckle. “You’re doing just fine.”
Slade dipped his head. This just fine was exactly what he’d hoped for, exactly why he slipped Jaxx’s blood into his own arteries. He was powerful, perhaps stronger than just about any Being in the universe.
He laughed and pictured himself taking Jaxx and Rivkah by the neck, squeezing until their eyes popped out.
His heart beat faster, his blood pressure rose, and his hands started to shake.
“What are you doing?” asked Andrea. “Stop!”
The bags ripped in half, the heavy rocks cracking against the floor. Slade slipped forward, as if a mighty force had ju
st escaped from him and pushed him down. He landed on his stomach and let out a grunt upon impact.
“How I’d love to do that to them,” said Slade, shoving his palms on the floor and doing a back flip, landing on his feet. He grinned. “Whoa. Did you see that?”
Andrea nodded. “You lost control, Slade. That’s not what we’re attempting to do. Stay focused. You know better than that.”
“Fuck what we’re attempting. I’m figuring this shit out faster than even you imagined. Hell, this energy probably works better through me than Jaxx. There is nothing wrong with that.”
Andrea lowered her head, keeping her eyes on Slade. “Now, listen. If you don’t control this, you put me and everyone else on this ship in jeopardy.”
Slade slapped his hands together, narrowing his eyes. He couldn’t care less who he put in jeopardy, as long as it wasn’t himself or the mission to Callisto, or his plan with Kajka Okbak to kill all the politicians on the ship. “Got it, doc.”
She crossed her arms at her chest and leaned back in her stance. “Do you?”
A buzz sounded at the door and it slid open.
An elderly man in his mid-seventies stood steely-faced in the doorway. He nodded. “Colonel Slade Roberson.”
“Senator Ken Furr, how did you get access to this room and the code to the door? How did you get past my troops?” Ken must have forgotten about Slade’s threat – that he’d be slaughtered in front of his doting wife if he tried any more pranks.
“Colonel, you’re under arrest for violating the Starship Atlantis by-laws and deceiving the interim government.” Ken gestured behind him and stepped aside. Two military police walked past him, one with a rifle, the other with hand-cuffs. Those were his troops no more than a half an hour ago. They had turned on him.
Slade backed up. There was no point denying what everyone knew, but he sure as shit wasn’t going down for doing what needed to be done to secure his own future.
“We have more than enough evidence to convince ten juries of your wrong-doings. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Slade.”
Atlantis Quadrilogy - Box Set Page 64
