Star Guild Episodes 10 - 18 (Star Guild Saga)

by Brandon Ellis

  “All I see is Starbase 45.” He scanned the map, trying to find another blinking light. “Is that it?”

  “Yes, now press on it and the coordinates will show up on the Course Module Drive—like I said.”

  Devon creased his brow. “Starbase 45? Are there 45 starbases?”

  Kalista rolled her eyes. “Really? Can we have this conversation another time?”

  “I think Devon asked a reasonable question,” said Chase, his hand on the hyperdrive lever just below the digitally displayed coordinates of Matrona.

  “There are more than 45. Many of them are Starbases in waiting...and you'll probably ask what that means, so here goes.” She closed her eyes, not wanting to continue, but did anyway. “Starbases are put together with biological organisms already intact and ready to go.”

  “Biological organisms?”

  “Yes, humans, animals, plants, etc., but I didn't create this shit, so don't get mad at me.”

  Chase nodded his head, understanding the Nankuani plans a little more. “So, once they destroy our starbase, another one is waiting to replace it?”

  “Yes, and with other humans. The first batch of humans on a starbase are highly brainwashed and do exactly what we want, but with time, your race becomes less and less intoxicated with our brainwashing and thus we add chemicals in your food and water. Eventually that too starts to wear off from generation to generation, when the new technologies your race creates starts to drown out or remove those chemicals, either by accident or on purpose.”

  She took a deep breath and continued. “So, by the time you all start questioning authority—questioning the Prime Directors, questioning life's meaning, you name it—we start all over. Sometimes it takes about 1200 to 2000 years, but your people somehow learned and started to uncover the truth much faster. In fact, you know your famous Fleet Admiral Revel Sune? Well, he had it almost figured out. And—well, you know what happened to him.”

  Chase glanced down. “He was my uncle's mentor.”

  “Your uncle?” asked Kalista.

  “Fleet Admiral James Byrd. He probably thinks we are dead.”

  “Or just missing,” said Devon.

  “Admiral James Byrd, huh?” Kalista smiled. “I like that guy.”

  “You met him?”

  “Nah, just watched him over the vid channels when he was indicted and put behind bars. Guild'n miracle that he escaped.”

  “Yeah,” said Devon. “And what really happened to Admiral Sune?”

  “Well, what did they tell you on the vid channels?” asked Kalista.

  Chase jumped in. “I was just a kid, maybe ten years old. It shocked everyone when he died. We were told he had a malfunction during a deep space exploration of some type. His starship collided with an asteroid. No one survived.”

  Kalista held in a laugh. “Yup, that's what I thought, and no, that's not what happened. He was getting closer and closer to the truth, went against orders and jumped to a system where the truth was staring right in his eyes, then the truth riddled his ship with everything it had.”

  “The truth is the Nankuani,” said Chase.

  “In a way, yes. And in a way, no. The truth is simple, but long.” She bit her tongue, stopping herself from saying more. “I'll tell you about it later.”

  Chase didn't want to hear any more, but couldn't hold back another question. “Back to the starbases; so, once you end a starbase a new starbase arrives?”

  “In about a year or so we replace an extinct starbase, but sometimes extincting a starbase doesn't work as planned, so we have many backup plans.”

  “If Payson is dead, there’s another backup plan?” asked Devon.

  “Yes, but who knows if it's still on. The Knights Templar are involved with your starbase, so I'm not sure about anything anymore.”

  Chase put his hand on the hyperdrive lever. “Thank you for that—and hold on to your britches.”

  ∞

  Tranquil's elevator touched down and Crystal looked up to the underside of the starship, seeing the opening to the bridge.

  Shan grabbed her arm and stepped off the elevator platform, pulling her with him. “It's a ghost city here. No one is here but us and our friends under the headquarters.”

  “Tranquil mentioned the same,” she said.

  “Yes. It's usually busy on Lumus II. It feels like everyone who used to live here is now off planet.”

  Thun stepped between them. “Let's check anyway.” His small but wide feet took three steps for every one of Crystal's.

  A low hum turned Crystal's attention toward the sky. Another orb-like ship was coming in for a landing.

  Thun gripped his axe and the rest of the Dwarves took defensive positions. “It's the Nankuani, here to fight.”

  Shan shook his head. “Nay, it's Starship Swift.” He looked down at Crystal. “More of your friends have arrived.”

  Thun rested his axe on his shoulder. “I'm not waiting for them.” He ran up the steps and into the headquarters, followed by his brother and the rest of his men.

  “I guess they can meet us inside?” shrugged Crystal.

  “It's best we're with the dwarves. We calm them down,” replied Shan.

  “Me? Calm? You must be speaking for yourself,” quipped Crystal.

  Shan met Crystal’s eyes with a steady gaze. “Don't underestimate yourself. There is a calm beneath the emotional storm that surrounds you. In quietude, you can feel it at anytime you wish.” He nodded toward the steps leading into the headquarters, which looked like a gorgeous palace. “Come with me. Let's be the calm for our small friends.”

  Crystal placed a foot on the first step, noticing how deep and long it was, obviously built for the Nankuani, or as she liked to call them—Drags. She leaped from step to step, wondering how the Dwarves made it up so quickly.

  They entered through the main doorway, which arched over fifteen feet high and was white stone with wave designs inscribed around its entirety. It was beautiful, but Crystal didn't have time to study each intrinsic detail surrounding the door, the entryways, or anything else. Then she saw the main hallway.

  It had arched ceilings as well and the hallway walls came to her chest. Built on top of these walls were columns that were set about every ten feet from each other. On the other side of the walls the palace opened up to large rooms with marbled desks, HDC's on every one, all very neat and tidy. Large crystals taller than Crystal stood next to each desk and connected to thick golden wires going into each HDC unit.

  Before she could ask what they were Shan turned the corner, and Crystal briskly picked up her pace. A loud bang stopped her in her tracks.

  “What was that?” She moved around the corner, then leaned against a doorway that led into another large room. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  In the middle of the room Harak was slamming his giant hammer on the marble floor.

  “This is Lien-L's office,” said Shan.

  Another Dwarf came alongside Harak and plunged his pickaxe into the ground. Chunks of ebb flooring crumbled beneath his hefty swing. They kicked the broken chunks to the side and continued to whack away.

  The office could easily hold a hundred people and Crystal wondered why someone would need such a big room. There were doors leading to other areas of the office, some she could clearly see found their way outside and to a beautifully cultivated courtyard with green shrubs, small trees, and flowers surrounding a pond.

  “Who is this Lien-L guy?” questioned Crystal, watching the Dwarves pulverize the floor, wondering how this could have possibly been a good strategy.

  “He is high royalty in my race, though he doesn't visit his home planet much...if at all. As you know, I'm Nankuani and he is the Nankuani King's son—one of a few. He, and a few others, have taken it upon themselves to fix our home planet's atmosphere. To make a long story short, he is the mastermind behind your slave race and the mining operations we have around the universe.”

  Another clang and the sound of falling rock
tumbling into a cavernous hole echoed in the office. Thun and Harak extended their hand into the floor's new opening and pulled someone up from beneath. It was King Bilrak.

  The King leaned down and pulled another Dwarf up and then another.

  “They dug the tunnel right beneath Lien-L's office?” asked Crystal.

  “That they did,” replied Shan.

  “Let's get blood!” shouted Bilrak, axe in hand, moving past Crystal and out of the office. He glanced behind him, seeing more Dwarves being pulled out of the opening. “Hustle!”

  “They aren't here,” muttered Crystal.

  “Who isn't here?” grunted Bilrak.

  “The giants you seek.”

  “Then who is that?” Bilrak moved into a defensive stance, axe held over his shoulder as if he were about to swing.

  Crystal spun around to see a throng of humans rounding a corner. Were they humans? The one in front, a woman distinct as any warrior she'd ever seen, stood her ground with a bow in one hand and a clip of arrows in the other.

  Crystal unsheathed Soul's Eye from her baldric.

  “Nyx,” said a male voice, “stand down.”

  Nyx face reddened, her eyebrows creasing. “Those Dwarves are long ago enemies to my people. They don't deserve a stand down!”

  By now hundreds of Dwarves had arrived in Lien-L's office and were poised behind Crystal, ready to pounce on anyone and anything.

  A man waved his hand in front of Nyx. “Let's not make an issue where there is none.” He wore a robe and folded his hands inside his sleeves. He approached King Bilrak, bowing. “I'm Thomas Berard of the 8th Order of the Melchizedek and member of the Knights Templar. We are here to help you.” He looked directly at Crystal. “I see you have Soul's Eye. You are of the bloodline—and so is she.” He pointed to Eden standing in the crowd, looking rather sheepish.

  Crystal narrowed her eyes. She had seen Eden before but couldn’t place her. “You are here to help?” she said doubtfully to Thomas.

  “We are here to assist,” he replied.

  The Dwarves gasped, then a commotion ensued, as a creature covered in blue fur, tall as a Nankuani, came around the corner and hurried over to Thomas.

  Thomas understood something in the creature’s eyes and worry overtook him. He thanked the creature and faced Crystal, his voice strong and stern. “My friend Jantu has just informed me that we need to leave the building as fast as we can.”

  Bilrak squeezed the grip of his axe handle, his knuckles whitening. “Not until I find some enemies to slay.” He then scurried around like a madman, searching the open doors leading into offices but finding no Nankuani.

  “Jantu's intuition is rarely wrong. I'd suggest we follow his advice,” said Thomas.

  “Father!” yelled Thun. “Come here. A note with your name in our writing, but I don't know what the rest says.”

  Bilrak pushed his way into Lien-L's office, bumping several Dwarves aside. Thun gave him the note. Bilrak scanned it but the language was not his own.

  Shan swiped the note from Bilrak's hand. “It's in my language.” He read it, his face turning from interest to terror. “Everyone out of the headquarters this instant!”

  A rumble overtook the building and the ground started to shake, then buckled as if something was coming up in several different places from below. Jantu and the rest of his Sirian friends, along with Thomas and the Fae, rushed into Lien-L's office—the last place Crystal thought they should go.

  Nyx leaped over an empty portion in the floor and found a position near the middle of Lien-L's office and held up her fist, chanting, “Amil iluuve, olofantur ilqua leneeme lyaa varya!”

  A breeze, gentle and sweet, swirled in the room, then bright lights flashed and Nyx fell to her knees, her eyes closed, muttering more Fae words.

  A moment later a concussion lifted the ground and rock and ebb spurted upward. The ceiling and walls cracked, then toppled, crashing down on everyone below.

  ∞

  Devon rubbed the back of his head and rolled away from the back cargo wall. “Next time, warn me a little sooner before you pull the hyperdrive lever.”

  Chase was awash with amazement and only nodded at his friend's request. His eyes were wide and his jaw gaped. “Devon, I can't really explain where we are, but it's beautiful.”

  “Do you see Starbase Matrona?” asked Devon, walking toward the cockpit, squeezing one eye shut as a piercing headache started to take hold.

  “Uh, yeah,” replied Chase.

  “What do you see?” asked Kalista, still on the floor and weary from the jump.

  “I see a large planet. I mean, large. It has a lot of orange and green, plus some blue that the last planet we visited had. Was it called Opus?” Chase shrugged off the question. It wasn't important. “But wow, the nebula swirl off in the distance is gorgeous. I can't keep my eyes off it.”

  Kalista palmed her forehead, saying, “Please don't be planet Aurora. Are there two moons, one large yellow one with silvery rings and one that is small and reddish in color?”

  “Yes. Those are moons? They're both bigger than Lumus,” responded Chase.

  Devon leaned his head against the headrest of the co-pilot chair. “Why don't you want to be here, Kalista?”

  “This is a Knights Templar stronghold where Kien's Alliance is, and all that Melchizedek bull crap and Brotherhood of Light nonsense, blah, blah, blah...” She raised her head, then dropped it back on the ground. “I don't want to be here.”

  “Would they want to kill you here as well?” asked Devon.

  “Worse. They'd want me to join them in ridding the universe of scum, you know, scum like me and Y'taul. I'm more of a loner, not to be pushed into any groups.”

  “Would they force you to join?” asked Chase.

  “No. And, it doesn't matter. I'd only disappoint them. So it's not happening.”

  Devon turned in his chair. “Can they heal your leg?”

  “They can and they will. They have healers just like on Iburun. So, I guess you’d better get me down there and we will see what happens.”

  “Alright. We're going planet-side,” said Chase.

  “You'll probably be the only humans there,” replied Kalista. “There are Beings that live there you have never seen before.”

  “Do they have ten heads and twenty legs or something? Slime coming off them?” wondered Devon, half-joking.

  “None of that. We live in a biped universe. Most sentient beings in this universe walk on two feet, have two arms, and have one head. I haven't met intelligent beings that don't match that description.”

  “Starbase Matrona is here, so I'm guessing I'll see plenty of humans,” noticed Chase.

  A beep on the HDC announced an incoming message, then a view of a spacecraft that Chase had never seen before materialized on the HDC screen. “What is that?”

  “I don't know. Care to describe?” said Kalista.

  “An orb-like ship has just left Aurora's atmosphere. It's fast and...” The HDC screen changed. Chase was now watching the ship docking with Starbase Matrona, then it was swallowed up into the starbase. “Well, it's now inside Starbase Matrona.”

  “Probably picking people up and dropping everyone off planet-side,” said Kalista. “They are evacuating the starbase. Looks like you guys have a new home.”

  The HDC beeped again. “It looks like a dozen of those orbs are now headed to Matrona.” Chase scratched his head. “When one of those ships leave Starbase Matrona, we're following it back to planet Aurora.”

  “Yeah, they wouldn't care. But don't ever try that on any other planet not run by the Knights Templar or you'd be blasted out of the sky,” advised Kalista.

  “I'm moving closer to the starbase.” Chase pressed forward on the control stick, slowly and steadily pushing the Starhawk nearer to his old home. He nudged Devon. “Was any of this in your paintings?”

  Devon shook his head. “I think things have drastically changed. I saw none of this in my visions. Maybe my visions a
nd paintings were warnings instead of prophecies?”

  Their ship inched onward, closing in on the starbase.

  “Didn't some of your paintings come true?” asked Chase.

  “Yes, some of them.” He pondered in silence. “No, I'd say most of them have come true. But now everything has changed. One of my last visions was the painting I did where everyone on Matrona was dying a putrid death. Wasn't my best work of art.”

  “What are you two talking about?” fumed Kalista.

  Chase remained quiet, thinking.

  Devon sighed. “Nothing important, really.”

  “Sounds important to me,” remarked Kalista. “And fair is fair— it’s a reasonable question.”

  “Well, I went under the psuedo-name Robert Rose and I was a famous painter back on Matrona. A lot of what I painted came true, but the visions seem to have stopped coming true...I think.”

  Chase nudged Devon's shoulder. “You said the last thing you painted was everyone on Matrona dying?”

  “One of my last, yes.”

  “How are we sure that the Bagodotoxin wasn't actually released through the air channels?” worried Chase.

  “You mean batrachotoxin,” corrected Devon. “And, I don't know. We don't know if it was unleashed or not.”

  “Oh, Guild.” Chase made a fist and gently pressed it against his temple. “Since most, if not all of your paintings came true, then we may have a starbase full of dead people.” He lurched forward. “My uncle is still on there.”

  Devon dropped his head. “My entire family is there.”

  “I'm heading into the docking bay,” said Chase, pushing the throttle forward and easing the control stick to the left. He clicked on the com link, patching it through to Matrona. “Starbase Matrona, do you read? This is Prime Overseer Chase Byrd. I'm requesting permission to land.”

  Nothing but static could be heard on the com link.

  He repeated himself. “This is Prime Overseer Chase Byrd. Requesting permission to land.”

  After a few moments of silence, he flicked at the com link with his finger, just in case it might help. “Starbase Matrona, do you read? Is everything okay in there?”