by Chris Fox
"Noted." Nolan leaned around the corner, just long enough to fire a small volley of missiles. The detonations caught three Ganog, all in a line. The closest was only forty meters away, and Nolan was forced to duck back into cover to avoid the explosion.
Burke's best command voice barked over the comm. "Captain Nolan, this is Major Burke. Demetrius is inbound, nineteen seconds. Sitrep."
It still amazed Nolan how much Burke had changed since Ganog 7.
"We've got at least thirty hostiles at the crash site, and three vessels incoming. There are half a dozen or more three minutes out. They know we're here now, and are doing their damnedest to make sure we can't leave." Nolan turned his mech, sprinting into the foliage.
Trees exploded around him as the Ganog fired a barrage of plasma in his direction. He took hits to the rear armor on his booster, but the booster itself still registered as functional.
"Sit tight. Help is on the way." Burke's words were punctuated by a familiar sound: the whine of Theta cannons. A volley of super-bright synthetic stars shot by overhead, punching into the Ganog cruisers. Three of the lighter ones simply detonated, and one of the heavy cruisers took a hard hit to the aft engine. "Alpha Company has been deployed."
Nolan spotted mechs moving through the treeline, each firing their particle cannons. The blue beams cut down the Ganog around the crash site, and the defenders used the distraction to rally. A massive female in black armor brought her axe down on the back of an attacking Kthul, then shot another Kthul in the face with a plasma pistol.
An answering volley came from the surviving Kthul cruisers, which ignored the Demetrius. Instead, they focused on Alpha Company. Nolan saw at least two mechs caught in a barrage of scarlet pulses. The one on the right detonated specularly, the explosion dooming his neighbor as well.
"They're trying to keep us from the crash site long enough to land more kill teams," Nolan cautioned over the comm. He opened up his external mic, setting the volume to max. "Ganog defenders, this is Captain Nolan of the Coalition. Your position is compromised. Leave your ship immediately, and fall back to the southeast. Our men will screen your position."
Nolan knew that giving that order undercut Burke's authority, but Burke wasn't close enough to communicate directly with the Nyar defenders. Nolan was. He charged in their direction, firing a hipshot that caught a Kthul in the arm. Nolan juked right, barely dodging the return fire from the Kthul's companions.
"Nolan speaks true," Kokar's voice boomed through the forest. "We leave now, or not at all. Come, make for the safety of the human battleship." Kokar paused only long enough to see that his people were following, then plunged into the trees.
Most of the Ganog followed, though Nolan noted that the massive female was the last to do so.
"All right people," Nolan said, keying the squad-only frequency. "Let's fall back to the Demetrius. Do what you can to keep the Nyar alive."
Nolan sprinted into the forest, making for the battleship that was descending into a clearing in the distance. Its guns were chewing up any Kthul who got close, but things were going poorly for Alpha Company. Nolan counted at least four smoking wrecks, and one mech had lost a leg. It was pulling itself along the ground, trying to make it back to the docking bay.
Nolan guided his mech into a run, pausing next to the damaged mech. He heaved it over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, aware of his own mech's hydraulics straining at the weight, then ran toward the Demetrius.
He sprinted up the ramp and into the hangar bay as explosions lit the forest behind him and the last few surviving mechs staggered inside.
28
THE FIRST ARCANOTOME
Khar watched over Aluki's shoulder as she guided the cloaked cruiser over the magma field. Lava geysered into the air, forcing her to change course. She wove around the pillar of superheated rock, which reminded Khar of the tendrils around a sun's corona.
"There," Halut said, pointing to the west. "There's a building there, under the crust. It looks like the tip of a broken spire."
Khar peered at the area Halut had indicated, spotting a bit of white. The top of a spire had broken off, and only the jagged tip poked from the hardened black rock.
Zakanna moved into the doorway next to Khar. She'd taken the time to bathe; her fur was now immaculate. "If that's a spire, the lava must be hundreds of meters deep."
"That isn't necessarily a bad thing," Khar mused. "It will have preserved the buildings themselves. We saw something similar on one of the Tigris worlds. Ancient Primo ruins were sealed for millennia, their inner chambers completely protected from the ravages of time."
"Mmm, I will set down on that lava shelf. It seems stable." Aluki guided the craft smoothly down to a flat stretch of black volcanic rock. It was duller than the surrounding shelves, hinting at its age.
The cruiser rumbled to a halt. Aluki unbuckled her harness, hopping down from the pilot's chair. Khar started back up the corridor, but had only made it a few steps when the entire ship lurched. He caught himself against the wall as the ship tilted wildly.
"Mmm, not so stable!" Halut shrieked from the cockpit.
Aluki tumbled past Khar, and he shot out a paw to seize her by the scruff of her suit. He pulled her to safety.
Zakanna landed nimbly across the corridor. "We're in free fall," she yelled, seizing the bulkhead.
"Hold on!" Halut said.
Straining to hold Aluki--she was surprisingly heavy--Khar risked a glance into the cockpit.
Halut had gotten an arm onto the pilot's chair, and was struggling against inertia to pull himself up. Khar had no idea how far they could fall before reaching the bottom, but doubted they had much time.
The Whalorian gave a titanic bellow, pulling himself into the pilot's seat. He snapped the harness in place, then seized the controls. The ship continued to drop for a few moments more, then halted abruptly. Stone tumbled all around them, banging off the viewport as it rained past.
The ship righted, and the viewport turned to face a magnificent ivory spire. It was nearly identical to the one where he'd met Zakanna, and at its peak had probably been just as tall.
Halut guided the ship lower, settling near the base of the spire. Everyone held on for a good thirty seconds, waiting for the ship to lurch again. Finally, Halut turned off the engines, and everyone relaxed.
"Mmm, thank you," Aluki said, patting Khar's arm. "Our bones are more brittle than yours. I would not have survived that fall."
"You're welcome, little one. You are a strong ally." Khar nodded respectfully to her, the nod he reserved for warriors.
"We're fortunate to have you, Aluki," Zakanna said, smiling warmly. She glanced behind her at the viewport. "Shall we see what we've found?"
"How long do we have?" Khar asked, starting for the cargo bay.
"What do you mean?" Zakanna asked.
"Won't your world's satellites pick up the tectonic disturbance?" Khar asked over his shoulder, slapping the button next to the ramp.
The door slid up, and the ramp began to extend. A wall of heat blasted into the ship, not enough to harm them but certainly uncomfortable to everyone not currently in an artificial body.
"There is no such monitoring, at least not that I'm aware of." Zakanna recoiled before the heat. "I do not believe Utfa possesses any way of detecting our arrival, but I could be wrong."
"It's possible the Void Wraith might be monitoring, but they'd be unlikely to do so unless ordered," Khar allowed. "We may be fine, but just to be safe I'd suggest we be as swift as we are able."
"Agreed," Zakanna said, nodding.
"Mmm, it is best we stay with the ship, I think," Aluki suggested. "Until you've determined it's safe."
Khar looked to Zakanna, who nodded. Aluki looked back at Halut, giving him a wicked grin.
"We will inform you of any threats, but will not disturb you otherwise," Khar said, smiling as he trotted down the ramp. He burst into a full run and sprinted across the hardened magma. Heat shimmers twisted the air,
blurring the spire even as it grew larger before him.
Zakanna glided to perch atop a narrow twist of black rock, laughing. She eyed him mischievously, then sprinted toward the spire's entrance.
A race, then? Khar poured on the speed, dipping into his power reserves. He leapt from rock to rock, narrowing the gap between him and Zakanna. He'd nearly caught her when she leaned into a sprint and zipped ahead through the entrance.
Khar grinned, slowing as he reached the entrance. "You were toying with me."
"Maybe," Zakanna said, still smiling. Her fur was a soft pink. She looked around her in wonder, eyes wide. "This place is the truest representation of our people still in existence. Our culture has changed and evolved, and everything we know about our beginnings is layered under myth now."
Khar took in the majesty of the place, the high vaulted ceiling abruptly cut off by a wall of black rock. It wasn't dissimilar to the spires currently in use, but instead of floating islands the place was more conventionally structured. Each island was connected to the outer ring by a slender bridge.
"Those bridges hardly look strong enough to hold up these islands," Khar mused. "Yet they've done so for many millennia, apparently."
"Built for form and function, as I'd expect," Zakanna said and started for the closest bridge. "I think that island would have been reserved for greeters. We no longer use them for an entire spire, but most families still employ one."
"Greeter?" Khar asked, following her up the bridge. It was less than a meter across, and would be even more dangerous for a Ganog.
"It was their responsibility to make sure guests were properly attended to. Greeters would wash their visitor's feet, and allow them to take their ease while waiting for an audience with the host," Zakanna explained, taking sure steps up the bridge despite the width. She reached the top and stepped off to the right to give him room to join her.
A literal labyrinth of tall shelves awaited them, covering the island in a maze of narrow walkways. Three paths led into the shelves, which were covered in strange cylindrical objects. Khar approached one and picked it up cautiously. "Are these...scroll cases?"
"They are," Zakanna said, moving to inspect one. Reverently, she ran a hand along the case. "These predate the discovery of arcanotomes, I'd imagine."
"Why are the shelves laid out like that, and what lies at the center of the maze?" Khar asked, scanning ceaselessly. He didn't trust this place.
"I don't know. My people have forgotten this place's existence. I couldn't even begin to guess why they built what they built." Zakanna took a trio of quick breaths, flaring all four nostrils. She leapt into the air and kicked off a shelf. Two more kicks took her to the top of the shelf, where she landed lightly.
Khar followed, not nearly as gracefully. He pulled himself over the top of the shelf and rose into a crouch next to Zakanna. "Clever idea. This will be much faster than navigating the maze."
Zakanna picked a path across the shelves, angling toward the center of the island. She paused at the final row and waited for Khar to catch up.
He trotted up next to her and peered down at the center of the maze. "What am I looking at?" he asked, studying the strange blocky contraption. Six black cables snaked from the box, but they weren't connected to anything.
"I believe we've discovered one of the first arcanotomes." Zakanna turned a worried gaze to Khar. "We should get Aluki."
29
INSIDE THE TOME
"Mmm, I concur," Aluki said. "This is some sort of primitive arcanotome." She peered inside the end of one of the cables that snaked from the strange contraption. "Since the device is immovable, I imagine seekers would have utilized it to learn whatever they needed, then unplugged."
"Fascinating," Zakanna said, inspecting another cable.
"Is it possible, then, that connecting to this device would allow us to see into the enemy's data stores?" Khar asked. "That kind of intelligence would be invaluable, particularly right now. We might be able to learn what defenses they've placed around the spire, and more specifically the beacon."
"True." Zakanna pursed her lips. "I don't like the idea of it--entering their world. We don't really understand that world, though it's something I doubt they'd expect us to attempt."
"Mmm, how would we connect though?" Aluki asked. "None of us have been outfitted to utilize a tome, unless there's a facility somewhere here to install one. Halut is still exploring. I could ask him to keep an eye out for such a device."
"I can connect," Khar volunteered. He picked up one of the cables. Its dull surface seemed to absorb the thin light filtering from the holes in the rock above. "This is, ultimately, Void Wraith technology. My nanochrons can easily adapt to fit this. I'm not the best person to explore data archives, but I can at least perform the procedure."
Zakanna shot him a wide smile, then composed herself, looking to Aluki. "What do you think, lore keeper?"
Aluki gave a wide baleen grin. "Mmm, that's a title I'd never expect to hear from Ganog lips, much less from an empress. I believe there is much value to be had in forging a connection. We could learn vital information, something we desperately need."
"What are the risks?" Khar asked.
"Mmm, I don't know." Aluki gave a shrug. "We have no idea how this technology works. My people have done well to preserve what knowledge we have, but have never deciphered an arcanotome. Both times our people procured one, the Ganog slaughtered millions in retaliation."
"Then I will discover them," Khar said, wrapping his paw around the end of the cable.
Nanochrons pooled in his palm and enveloped the end of the cable. He snapped erect as sudden energy flooded his nervous system, the last biological part of him. He relaxed a moment later, as the pressure eased.
"I believe I have forged a connection. The sensation is...dizzying. The data is located in a temple, and I am not alone."
Khar could see two worlds: the ancient spire library, and a dark, vaulted room. It looked much as the spire did, with shelves of scrolls piled in the cubbies on the shelves. Ganog moved between them, occasionally plucking out a scroll for examination.
There was very little light, filtering down from a high mist where the ceiling should be. It made this place shadowed and mysterious, no doubt intentionally.
A deep thrumming came from the center of the library, washing over Khar like the bass of some mighty drum. He kept his head down, hurrying through the stacks as he attempted to trace a path toward the center. There would be no vaulting to the top of the shelves, not here. He wanted to avoid notice, as much as possible.
Thankfully, if any of the Ganog had noticed him they did not react. Each seemed fixed on their own task, to the exclusion of all else. They moved robotically, as if they had little control over their own actions. Khar circled around another, making his way up a row of shelves.
When it ended, he was suddenly spilled into a room with a wide, empty dais, like the empress used. Atop that dais floated a ball of black energy, pulsing and rippling. Streams of purple pulses flowed from the ball and zipped off in all directions. To the Ganog, he imagined.
A Ganog voice rumbled behind him. "You should not be here this fully. How is this possible?"
Khar turned slowly, tensing as he recognized those milky eyes. Utfa stared hard at him, all four nostrils flaring suddenly. He'd changed since Khar had last seen him. More of his fur had fallen out, and only a few wispy strands remained.
"You are the alien who attached himself to Zakanna. Is she with you?" Utfa gave an evil grin, his wispy fur darkening to a predatory brown-black. His robes shrouded him, completing the ghastly image.
"Perhaps. Perhaps she pillages the secrets in this place, while you waste time speaking to me," Khar taunted, giving as nonchalant a grin as he could muster. "You don't really expect me to tell you, do you?"
"No matter," Utfa said, his cruel smile broadening. "I will carve up your mind and devour your secrets. You will tell me where she is. You made a mistake, entering the tome."
Khar considered his options, not liking the short list. He could fight, with no understanding of the rules of this place, or he could flee. The latter seemed the safest course. He willed the nanochrons to sever the connection, gasping reflexively as the second world vanished.
His last view was of Utfa's shocked face, reaching out to catch Khar.
"What happened?" Zakanna asked, eyes wide with concern.
"Utfa was there. He saw me. Talked to me." Khar shuddered. "I do not think he knew how I was there, or where I was coming from. I left as quickly as I could, in case he had some way to glean information from my mind."
"Mmm, a wise precaution. A frightening experience, but perhaps one that will not harm us," Aluki mused. "Utfa doesn't know which world you were on, though he may have figured out that we made it back to Imperalis. Even if he did, this is a very large world. There are many places to hide. He will never find us."
"I hope you're right," Zakanna said, staring up at the light filtering through the holes above. She looked at Khar. "At best we're no closer to a plan. At worst, we will be forced to flee."
"Perhaps, and if it comes to that we will run," Khar said. He rose to his feet, giving her a confident smile. "But I do not think things are so dire. We have suffered a setback, true. But we have a safe place, filled with ancient lore. Let us see what can be gleaned. If we cannot find an answer, then I will brave the tome again. One way or another, we will learn what we need to know."
30
MORE GUARDS
Utfa's eyes snapped open, and he rose slowly from his supplications. He pulled on his heavy robes, donning the hood as he stepped from his chambers. Agitation, with undertones of confusion, rippled through what remained of his fur.
