The Rising Darkness (Space Empires Book 1)

by Selby, Caleb

  Darion shook his head. “Disgusting.”

  “Makes me sick,” Reesa said with abhorrence in her voice as she watched several teenagers throw stones through a convenience store’s front window and then climb in. “There are people all over the planet right now just trying to survive, and here you have people taking advantage of the situation and stealing from their neighbors.”

  Kebbs looked at the scene in profound disappointment, rather than contempt. Having been in their situation prior to his incarceration, he felt an affinity toward them, regardless of their heinous actions.

  “Look!” said Darion in awe. “There goes someone with an armful of new data pads. Hope he doesn’t trip over the curb and hurt himself.”

  “I hope he falls and breaks his neck,” Reesa said.

  “And look over there,” Darion said pointing. “She has more shoes then she’ll be able to wear in a lifetime!” he said, watching the woman struggling to haul two heaping bags filled with shoes, purses, and other novelties taken right off of the racks of a nearby store.

  “I have half a mind to walk right over there and...” Kebbs said as he took a step toward three punks trying to break the front windows of a music boutique.

  “Wait!” Reesa said, grabbing Kebbs’ arm before he got too far. “Do you guys hear that?”

  Kebbs and Darion stopped and listened.

  “Hear what?” Kebbs asked.

  Reesa didn’t have to answer. A blood-chilling scream from somewhere much further down the street rang out, followed by another, and then another. Each sounded closer than the preceding one.

  “Something’s going on,” Darion said, as he pulled out his gun.

  “You think?” Reesa shot back sarcastically as she withdrew her own weapon from the holster and removed the adapter.

  “Krohns?” Kebbs asked.

  “Not sure,” Darion answered, “…but probably. Let’s stick close to the buildings and keep our eyes open, eh?”

  “Well, I was going to close mine but thanks for the tip,” Reesa said.

  “She likes you,” Kebbs quietly jeered and gave Darion a light elbow.

  Darion rolled his eyes.

  “You keep this close now,” Kebbs reminded, patting the pouch tied around Darion’s waist.

  Darion nodded and checked the pouch. “We’re good,” he said reassuringly.

  A dozen mighty roars suddenly trumpeted all around, but still no Krohns were in sight.

  Kebbs swung his lydeg automatic from off of his back, slammed down on the primer, and removed his adapter ring. “I’m ready for them,” he said as he eyed the street.

  They had only taken several more strides when it all broke loose. Krohns, from multiple directions, suddenly charged the exposed looters who didn’t stand a chance. The reptilian beasts bounded over each other in a vicious frenzy to reach the fresh meat that was so obligingly vulnerable.

  “We should do something!” Darion exclaimed as he brought his weapon up.

  Kebbs grabbed his arm and held him back. “There’s nothing we can do for them Darion. We have to think of protecting ourselves, for the sake of our mission, if nothing else.”

  “I can’t watch,” Reesa said, turning away from the screams and thrashings offered by the plunderers, now victims.

  “What are we going to do then?” Darion asked, reluctantly stepping back into the shadows. “We can’t fight our way through that.”

  “Hurry! In here!” Kebbs said, pointing to an open door of an already trashed clothing shop.

  Without protest Darion and Reesa piled through the doorway behind Kebbs as quickly and quietly as they possibly could.

  “Did they see us?” Reesa asked as she helped Darion lean a heavy cabinet against the door.

  “I don’t think so,” Kebbs said as he peered out the front window. “Looks like they’re preoccupied right at the moment,” he added while he watched in disgust as Krohns, their snouts covered in fresh blood, continued to feed on their still living prey.

  Darion and Reesa joined Kebbs in the front room and looked out.

  “The door is secured,” said Darion.

  “Well, at least a little more than it was,” Reesa clarified. “It wouldn’t really take much to knock it over still.”

  “Let’s hope they don’t go building to building then,” Kebbs said as he lowered the butt of his rifle to the ground and leaned against a counter.

  Reesa sat down near a corner of the large front window and withdrew a small canteen from her belt. “There’s something I don’t understand,” she said after taking a small sip.

  “What’s that?” Darion asked, taking the canteen from Reesa and resting up against the sill, being careful to avoid a direct line of sight with the Krohns.

  Reesa motioned out the window. “These Krohns seem like a bunch of wild animals, not a race of space-faring imperialists. Am I missing something?”

  Kebbs nodded in agreement. “I was actually wondering the same thing. I was expecting at least to see them dressed in some sort of combat gear with actual weapons, transmitters, and stuff. These things are just a bunch of overgrown, hungry lizards.”

  Darion nodded. “Every time we’ve ever faced the Krohns in a land battle, we’ve lost. So there’s not been a lot of information gathered on their tactics and strategy. But one thing we have learned, or at least formed reasonable theories on, is that there is a sub race of Krohns that goes into battle first.”

  “I take it that these are the lower versions?” Reesa asked.

  Darion shrugged. “They’re like attack dogs, expendable scouts meant to stir up trouble ahead of the main, more sophisticated force of Krohns...or so the theory goes.”

  “I see,” Reesa said. “And do they...”

  “I hate to interrupt story time but I think they’re about to stir up some trouble,” Kebbs said as he quickly hoisted his rifle back in his hands.

  Reesa and Darion turned back to the window and nearly fell backwards at the sight of a massive Krohn standing frightfully close to the large and painfully thin pane of glass.

  Seeing a Krohn so terribly close was terrifying! Of course, each had seen images of the bipedal reptiles in the past, but seeing edited images broadcasted over the cortex in the comfort of one’s living room and staring up at one through a storefront window were night and day differences that no one had ever wanted to compare.

  “Stay still,” Kebbs whispered. “Their eyes respond more to movement than to shape...or is it the other way around?”

  Reesa looked at Darion with a terrified expression. Darion wished he could calm her but he was pretty sure that he was more terrified than she.

  The Krohn’s ugly snout rubbed against the window, leaving a path of moist residue on the previously clean pane. It stood there staring in for several moments longer before it turned and slowly tromped away.

  All three breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  Darion offered a nervous smile. “That was ridiculously unsettling.”

  “You think?” Reesa said turning sharply to Darion. “That was the most horrifying thing I’ve ever had to do! Even worse than wearing heels for two days!”

  Darion smiled.

  Kebbs chuckled and shook his head and was just about to add a smart comment when the departing Krohn turned sharply back toward the window and charged. Before any knew what was happening, the reptile effortlessly leaped through the glass, and in smooth stride, chomped down hard on Kebbs’ chest with a resounding ‘crack’ that echoed throughout the room.

  Reesa screamed at the sight of spraying blood and the massive creature attempting to feed on her cousin. “Kill it! Kill it Darion!” she yelled over as she tried to reach for her own weapon which had been knocked out of her hand by the creature’s flailing tale.

  She didn’t have to repeat herself. The creature had barely touched the glass before Darion’s pistol was already drawn and firing. Over and over again he shot the beast at point-blank range and shot after shot seemed to have no effect. He d
idn’t know how many shots he had poured into the creature before it finally released Kebbs and turned to face the nuisance.

  Without thinking twice, Darion raised his gun to the reptile’s neck, which appeared to have thinner scales than the rest of its body. He squeezed the trigger once more. The pile of colossal muscles encased in armored scales dubbed a “sub race” of the Krohn war machine, slumped to the ground in a ‘thud.’

  “Kebbs!” Reesa yelled as she ran over to her bleeding cousin. “Are you ok?”

  “Get it together, Reesa!” Darion yelled, pulling her up by the shoulder. “They’re coming!”

  “We’re going to die!” Reesa yelled back. “We’re finished!”

  Darion turned to Reesa and grabbed her face with both of his blood stained hands. “Listen to me! We’re going to be fine! Let’s get through this and we’ll be on our way. We’ll be fine!” he finished and handed her a pistol.

  “Just aim for their necks,” he added as if he had done this hundreds of times before. “Their scales are the weakest there,” he said, followed by a clean shot that brought another of the vicious beasts down. “See, nothing to it,” he said and fired at another, missing horribly.

  Reesa looked back at Kebbs, locked her jaw and fired a salvo into the midst of several advancing Krohns striking two in the chest slowing them for just a moment before they continued their hunger driven charge.

  “It’s ok,” Darion said trying to encourage her. “Just be patient and place your shots.”

  “Shut up!” yelled Reesa. “I don’t use patience when things are trying to eat me!” she screamed as she motioned to the charging Krohns. She brought her pistol back up to the window in anger and fired two more shots in rapid succession, each round finding their intended target and bringing down two Krohns.

  “Not bad,” Darion said nodding at the dead Krohns in the street.

  “Look out!” Reesa yelled as a Krohn leapt from several yards back, toward their position.

  Darion had barely turned to see the blitzing Krohn when a burst of firepower from behind smashed the Krohn squarely in the chest, nearly ripping the beast in half and sending up a spray of hot blood.

  Reesa and Darion turned to see Kebbs propped up against a beam, with his rifle in hand. He was obviously in a great deal of pain, but managed a smile before bringing his weapon back to his shoulder just in time to kill two more charging Krohns.

  One by one the three companions picked the reptiles off with sniper like proficiency until the last one fell in the middle of street letting off a terrible roar. The charge had been stopped.

  “Nice work boys,” Reesa said as she stood to her feet. “Now let’s get out of here before their friends come looking for them.”

  “Get down!” Darion suddenly yelled, pulling Reesa by the arm.

  Reesa landed hard on her knees. “What’s your problem?” she asked harshly.

  “Here’s where it gets bad,” Darion whispered, looking out across the street.

  “Worse than this?” asked Kebbs, nodding to his gushing chest wounds and then chuckling. “I need to reset my expectations I guess.”

  Reesa brushed a strand of greasy, sweat soaked hair out of her face. “We need to get him stabilized,” she said followed by a laser shot smashing into the wall above her head.

  Darion quickly looked around the room. He knew Reesa was right, but he was fast running out of options. A moment later, a barrage of laser fire from alcoves, roofs, and windows across the street compelled them all to cower close to the floor for dear life.

  “I think they’re moving up on us,” Darion yelled as he noticed the massive creatures running back and forth in the hazy smoke outside. “Reesa, four on the left! Four on the left!”

  “I see them!” she answered and fired at a group of Krohns carrying shoulder-mounted rockets trying to get a clean shot into the storefront. “Take that you ugly dinosaurs!” she screamed as she brought down one after another with perfect shots.

  “Look out!” Kebbs struggled to yell after spotting a rocket launched from somewhere across the street.

  Reesa ducked just as the rocket hit the ground in front of the store, sending up a wave of fire, smoke and debris.

  “Everyone ok?” asked Darion between gasping coughs.

  “I’m fine!” Reesa said as she crawled over the dead Krohn and back to the two men. “I thought I got them all but I guess one got lucky.”

  “Kebbs, you all right?” asked Darion.

  “Shoot!” Kebbs screamed.

  Darion turned abruptly and saw a Krohn soldier, tail waving wildly, as it stood in the window. Lines of saliva dripped from the creature’s open mouth. The beast brought a rod type weapon to its shoulder and was about to fire when a single shot hit him in the chest, startling but not seriously hurting him. His reptilian blood red eyes looked up in rage to see Darion standing several feet away holding a smoking pistol.

  “Hey, Ugly!” yelled Reesa as she too trained her gun on the Krohn. The Krohn turned to face her just as she fired a clean shot into the creature’s fleshly neck, sending it falling backwards out of the store and into a pool of blood outside “Darion drop!” Kebbs yelled as he brought the rifle up.

  Darion fell to the ground just as a Krohn lunged at him from outside. Kebbs planted a solid shot into the creature’s head with his powerful rifle, nearly severing it.

  Another Krohn jumped in behind and took a snap at Darion’s foot but was brought down quickly by a well-placed shot from Reesa.

  “There are too many!” yelled Darion as he climbed over the fast piling Krohn carcasses in an attempt to retreat deeper into the shop. “We need to get out of here!” he shouted and then fell backward over a thick rug, dragging it with him.

  “Look!” exclaimed Reesa as she pointed to a hatch on the floor that had been previously obscured.

  Darion quickly shoved the rest of the rug away and yanked the door open. “A service hatch!” he announced with hope building in his voice.

  Reesa fired several shots blindly out the window before looking back to Darion for direction.

  “Go down and see if there is a way out,” said Darion. “I’ll go get Kebbs.”

  Without hesitation Reesa lowered herself through the hatch.

  Darion crawled back to the front of the shop firing blindly through the front window as he went. “Ready to go?” Darion asked as he fell to the ground beside Kebbs.

  Kebbs grabbed Darion’s arm and held it firmly.

  “No, no,” Darion corrected, repositioning Kebbs hands. “Put your arm around my neck like this...”

  “I’m not going with you,” Kebbs said, holding tighter.

  Darion looked at Kebbs in dismay.

  “Looks good!” shouted Reesa as she reemerged from the shaft. “There’s a way out!”

  “Of course you’re coming with us!” said Darion as he once again tried to prop Kebbs up.

  “No!” Kebbs said, pushing Darion’s arms off. “I’m dying Darion. I’ve already lost too much blood to stand on my own. It’s only a matter of time before I lose consciousness too.”

  “Then we’ll carry you!” Darion answered. “Reesa get back up here! We need to carry Kebbs down the shaft!”

  Darion had barely finished calling for Reesa when another Krohn jumped through the breach and let off a terrible hissing roar. In the blink of an eye, the Krohn pounced at Darion, throwing him against the wall. He was about to take a bite of Darion’s arm when a shot from behind struck the creature in the face, sending him to the ground in a loud thrashing thump. Darion picked up his own gun just in time to fire a shot into another Krohn’s neck as he, too, was preparing to jump in through their fast deteriorating fortress.

  “We’ve got to move!” Darion said as he struggled to get to his feet. “Come on!” he said as he tugged on Kebbs arm. “Reesa where are you?” he called back out.

  “I’m right here,” Reesa answered after firing several more shots out the window. “I’ll get his feet and you get him there und
er the arms. Careful of his wounds.”

  “No!” Kebbs yelled as he pushed Darion’s hands off one more time. “You won’t be able to make it ten feet down that shaft dragging me!”

  “Then we stay here and die together!” Reesa announced and turned to fire several more shots out the window, bringing down another Krohn by chance.

  “I’m not about to let all the work we’ve done be wasted by a meaningless shootout!” Kebbs protested. “We can’t fight the entire Krohn army ourselves! We have the mission to think of! We have our people to think of!”

  “We aren’t going!” Reesa screamed as tears filled her eyes.

  “Listen to me!” Kebbs said, grabbing Reesa’s arm and pulling her down. “There are bigger things at stake here than my life. Make me proud and finish what we’ve started,” he entreated and let go of her arm.

  Tears were flowing freely down Reesa’s face as she threw her arms around Kebbs’ neck and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you,” she said as she stood to her feet.

  “I love you too, kid,” Kebbs said as he held her hand. “Take care of Darion ok? He’s helpless on his own,” he added, managing a smile.

  “Watch your self!” Darion yelled as he fired two quick shots out the window to scare off several Krohns contemplating the tradeoffs of jumping in and eating a fresh Namuh or getting killed.

  “Yeah that’s right you ugly lizards!” Darion yelled. “You stay out!”

  “You need to go,” Kebbs said patting Darion’s leg. “Take care of Reesa for me. She’s not a bad person once you get through her armored exterior.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Darion said touching Kebbs’ shoulder.

  “And Darion,” Kebbs added, as Darion stepped away. “I am sorry about your brother. Perhaps someday you can find it within your heart to forgive me.”

  Darion froze in his tracks; momentarily forgetting that Krohn weapon fire was racing passed his head. He turned and locked eyes with the bleeding man he had once called friend, many years ago. “I already have,” he answered before following, Reesa who was already descending the rungs of the service hatch, tears flowing all the way.

  Kebbs sat back against the beam, weapon in hand, blood flowing freely and a serene expression on his face.