Equilibrium of Terror: Part 1 (Splintered Galaxy Book 3)

by Eddie R. Hicks

  “Yeah, I did,” she said. “You’re not here to enforce it, are you?”

  “Absolutely not, my superiors do not know I am here right now.”

  “Why are you here then, huh?”

  “I wanted to see you,” he said in his deep and charismatic voice “I really enjoyed our talk the other day.”

  “I enjoyed it too,” she said. “I haven’t had anyone to speak with since leaving Earth other than co-workers.”

  “Did you leave behind a family?”

  “My daughter and husband.”

  “Husband?” There was a slight change in the emotion in his voice. He sounded almost disappointed.

  “I don’t know what became of them, if the Hashmedai got them or they moved on with life without me. I’m hoping the latter since it’s all I can do right now.”

  “I had a wife once.”

  “Really?”

  “I had to leave. Being a ranger, traveling to the frontlines was something she couldn’t handle. She didn’t know if or when I would be returning home. I just wish I had been enlightened beforehand, it would have saved her a lot of problems.”

  Jainuzei’s story sounded awfully familiar to Alisha. “My ex-husband, he joined the army, and went to fight a war overseas,” she said. “He was gone for too long, never called, never wrote, my daughter and I couldn’t handle it, it tore us apart. I had to leave.”

  “Ah, so your daughter was from a previous joining?”

  Joining, mates, marriage, the galaxy had all sorts of names for couples and their romantic unions. “She was born with my first husband, then we split, then it was Jake, the one who went to war. We split.” She paused as sadness started to form inside of her. “Jason was my third. Sadly, I’ll never know what became of him.”

  “Jake,” Jainuzei mumbled to himself.

  “Yeah, don’t get me started on him. He’s an interesting fellow I’ll give him that. But yeah, that’s my life in a nutshell.”

  “Well since living with my people, you should be aware of our religion?”

  “I am.”

  “Did you try praying to the gods? Asking for guidance? A better life? The answers to your questions?”

  “Honestly, I’ve avoided religion, well Earth based ones to be fair.”

  “Considered attending the temple?” he said. “At least with an open mind to spirituality, this isn’t the same as total religious devotion if you aren’t ready for that commitment.”

  Her hand raised up brush a lock of her black hair back. “Will you be taking me there?” she asked.

  “I can,” he said and smiled.

  Rather than placing her hand back down, her fingers began to fidget with her hair.

  Minutes later, the tram plunged into the tube that traveled through the ocean beneath the ice. Jainuzei’s eyes zeroed in on the aquatic life and the dark and thick layer of ice above. “These undersea tunnels,” he said. “They bring back memories of a time I’m certain the gods did not want me to die.”

  Jainuzei was indeed a man full of interesting stories, stories Alisha had a compelling desire to learn more. To learn about other things that he experienced living life on the other side of the galaxy. “Tell me something about you I don’t know, Jainuzei.”

  … … …

  ►► Alisha’s apartment, Courelia lower levels, Rasi

  ► Barnard’s Star system

  “Vynei!”

  “Yes boss?”

  Eicelea’s tiny hand pointed at a knowledge network news article on her data pad. Vynei walked over to the couch where she sat to look at what had piqued her interests.

  “This is it. I told you coming here would be worth it!” Eicelea handed him the pad as he got close. “Look at the contents of this data pad, new ruins have been excavated on Oyuri.”

  His eyebrow rose. “We’re leaving already?”

  “Just to get a look at the place and lay claim to digging and exploration rights,” she said. “Discovery awaits us! And we will be the ones in the history books of this system that uncover the secret knowledge the Lyonria left for us.” She pushed off the couch and walked toward her room. “Now gather your equipment, the Abyssal Explorer will be our ride there!”

  … … …

  ►► Abyssal Pelican, Rasi orbit

  ► Barnard’s Star system

  Destiny, while handcuffed, was pushed into a dark box by two rangers, who promptly left, locking the sliding doors behind her. Blue light from the ceiling was the only means of illumination, but it wasn’t enough light for Destiny to see who sat a desk on the far end of the room.

  It was woman judging by the sound of her voice, but that’s all Destiny was able to tell, other than the fact they spoke to her in Radiance.

  “Sorry, no comprende,” Destiny said.

  “So, it is true,” the woman said in English stepping out from the shadows and into the light. “You are human.”

  Destiny saw a Linl woman with an Asian like appearance. There was a network of psionic implants along her arms, and upper body. She wore a wide and long sleeveless white coat with a black bikini like halter and a pair of tight fitting pants.

  “Sit down,” the psionic woman spoke.

  “I’ll be fine—”

  Destiny’s speech was cut off by the sudden and unexpected force of power that moved her body toward a chair directly in front of the psionic woman. The psionic might of the woman held onto Destiny, her body was picked up and forced to take a seat. “I said, sit down.”

  “If you’re going to kill me, do it now, I don’t have all day.”

  “Have you ever experienced a psionic enhanced interrogation session?” There was nothing but silence and discontent gleaming from Destiny’s face upwards to her captor. “Not surprising. Few humans have from what I gathered living amongst your people.”

  “Yeah? And who the fuck are you supposed to be?”

  “I am Sinzihea,” she said. “But since you are human, you can call me Dianna Lee.”

  CHAPTER 14

  ►► Imperial vacation lounge, New Paryo

  ► Uylanni system

  ► Fifty years ago...

  The last body of the basement security detail fell to the ground. His exit wound was the size of a fist. Jainuzei was able to see Henylea and Xyniea through it. Ten blood-soaked Hashmedai bodies were spread out all over the floor. All were equipped with plasma rifles, and therefore were either too weak or too young to be a warrior or a guardian. Jainuzei wasn’t keen on the idea of fighting this bunch. There was, after all, no honor in slaying an adversary that was probably too afraid to fight you in the first place.

  Xyniea on the other hand was the complete opposite, not only was it her idea to ambush them, but she was the one that singlehandedly landed seven kill shots. Even if they fail this mission, those kills plus the guardian she killed at the frozen lake would net her a promotion to second class ranger. Every Hashmedai killed without you or your team taking major casualties put you one step closer.

  The deadly trio stepped away from the bloody massacre they created, leaving behind foot prints of blood on the dusty stone-cold floor. Their search through the basement led them to a ramp, at the end of the ramp a small door with a triangle shaped window. White light beamed through it along with the cheering voices of Hashmedai children at play.

  Jainuzei signaled Henylea and Xyniea to stay back as he silently walked in front of the door to gaze out of its window. Yominv was right, the door before him led directly into the mansion’s courtyard. Jainuzei saw five perhaps seven Hashmedai children hurling snowballs from behind snow forts they’d built. One of the youths caught his attention. Could it be? He scanned the child in question, then ran a facial recognition search. The computers within his helmet sent a transmission to the Radiance fleet, conducting operations elsewhere in the system. Cached information from the Radiance knowledge network was accessed ten minutes later when the signal finally arrived then transmitted back to Jainuzei after another ten minutes. The target scanned w
as none other than, “Prince Akeia,” Jainuzei said while transmitting a copy of his findings back to his team. “And if he is here...”

  “Then the imperial family is as well, Rezeki, Y’lin, Akeia and Kroshka,” Henylea said. “Four targets, this is it, our mission, slay the Hashmedai imperial house.”

  Henylea hastily ran toward the door, the barrel of her rifle pointed toward the window. “I have a clear shot sir,” Henylea reported.

  “Stop,” Jainuzei said, forcing her rifle to lower. “He is an unarmed child.”

  “If I cannot kill him, I shall cut off his cock,” Henylea angrily said to Jainuzei. “That demon child growing up to reproduce will only make this war continue longer.”

  “We have our orders sir.” It was Xyniea stepping forward to take Henylea’s side. “I highly doubt that there is another group of four targets here that are more valuable than the imperial family,” Xyniea said, gazing down the sights of her rifle at the boy laughing with his friends. “There are only four of the imperial family left alive. If they die tonight the empire is finished, along with this war without end.”

  “I will not slay a child, let alone Y’lin who is young, I will not do it,” Jainuzei said. As much as he hated the entire Hashmedai race like everyone else in Radiance, he strongly felt that rules should be followed while their crusade continued, rules that would allow those that were weak to become strong so that they could die a glorious death on the battlefield. By his hands. This thought brought Jainuzei to his next point. “Rezeki however, if he is willing to arm himself and fight, I will fight him. And win.”

  “Fine, you deal with Rezeki,” Henylea said. “We shall deal with the rest.”

  “Don’t forget about the guards,” Xyniea said.

  She had a point. The mansion was still surrounded with snipers on the rooftops and warriors and guardians on the ground. After taking all this into consideration, Jainuzei revealed the plan of action. “We shall strike when Fiesei and everyone else gets here,” he said. “They shall provide enough distraction for us to run in and carry out divine justice.”

  “Agreed,” Henylea said. “May the gods’ light shine upon us.”

  Jainuzei proceeded to communicate with Fiesei, informing him of their discovery and plan.

  … … …

  ►► Abyssal Justice, on approach to New Paryo

  ► Uylanni system

  Melted and twisted metal floated past the Abyssal Justice, a heavily armed Radiance assault cruiser - And the lead ship of the Radiance fleet besieging the Uylanni system. The fleet had been a significant presence in this system for the last eighteen years, capturing the inner planets from the Hashmedai, only to lose them, then regain them. The inner planets were rich in mining recourses, and so provided material for the Hashmedai here to construct or repair ships. A few other smaller planets had farming colonies that provided fresh food to the Hashmedai living throughout this system, especially New Paryo, a heavily populated Hashmedai colony mostly filled with civilians.

  The battle for control of the inner planets intensified over the last two months, to the point where it appeared that the Hashmedai may lose these planets and their resources permanently. As such all Hashmedai ships in the area were ordered to join the battle to drive out Radiance, leaving New Paryo minimally defended. It was a calculated risk, but the actions of Radiance suggested to the Hashmedai, that New Paryo would fall after the inner planets had since Radiance had many chances to strike it, but ignored it.

  It was all part of General Ary Hilemei’s plan.

  Striking New Paryo right away held too many risks, namely the five command ships that were in orbit. Each one had a full-sized fleet of Hashmedai warships docked inside it. For every ship they would destroy or badly damage, a new one could be built sometime later from the inner planets, or in the case of a damaged one, repaired. Hitting the inner planets not only cut off the Hashmedai in this system from needed resources, but eventually forced the command ships in orbit around New Paryo to leave and join the inner world fight. All the while, Whisper agents convinced the emperor that morale was slipping away on New Paryo, and that he should visit it as often as he could, to encourage people not to be afraid, especially when they were drafted into coming becoming soldiers or ship’s crew.

  Hilemei stroked his beard upon seeing Fiesei’s holographic projection conjure in front of him. Hilemei sat in the commander’s chair aboard the Abyssal Justice’s main bridge. A few crew members were taken away with burns to their arms and face, the recent battle with the Hashmedai was slightly harder than Hilemei had planned.

  “Are you certain?” Hilemei asked Fiesei.

  After a two-minute communication delay he said. “Yes sir.” Fiesei’s hologram flickered, the recent battle had damaged shipwide holographic projectors. “We have visual confirmation. The imperial family is here.”

  “We are only a few minutes away,” Hilemei said. “Ensure that no ship from that compound leaves, understood?”

  “Understood, sir,” he said, and with that, Fiesei’s hologram vanished.

  “Helm, set a course to New Paryo,” said Hilemei.

  “Yes, sir,” said Ensign Gab Rixea.

  Hilemei stood to face Ure Karklosea, the lead shipboard psionic. “Karklosea,” Hilemei said. “Fiesei went in without any psionic aid, should things go astray.”

  “I will be ready to assist them sir,” she said, brushing her blonde hair back, newly cut short as he recalled. “However, I have never been to this world, so my teleport in may be inaccurate.”

  “Do your best, we won’t have time for your mind to scan the surface,” Hilemei said, then sat back down in his chair. New Paryo came into view from the forward window of the bridge, a lightly defended white globe, all alone in the night. “May the gods’ light shine upon us.”

  … … …

  ►► Imperial vacation lounge, New Paryo

  ► Uylanni system

  “Team six in ready for battle,” Mil Celei said over Jainuzei’s communicator.

  “Recon team, are you ready?” asked Fiesei.

  Jainuzei took one last look at Henylea and Xyniea, they both nodded yes. Xyniea still didn’t have her helmet on, and he was glad for that, as he could see the wickedness burning in her brown eyes. “Ready for battle,” Jainuzei said. “May the gods’ light shine upon us all.”

  Seconds later, Jainuzei gazed out the window into the courtyard. The Hashmedai began to run with a sense of urgency, taking up a defense placement. Yelling in the Hashmedai tongue echoed, then weapons fire. A deadly symphony of magnetic rifle fire and plasma rifle fire played, then a chorus of plasma melee weapons cutting away at their intended targets followed.

  Jainuzei kicked in the door and the trio entered the courtyard to spray bullets with fatal results. Jainuzei aimed his rifle up toward the snipers on the rooftops, while Henylea and Xyniea gunned down the children and the warriors that failed to protect them, turning the snow forts a dark pink color as blood and body parts splattered across it. Most of the snipers that Jainuzei could see were dead, their blood dripping toward the snowy courtyard below them. He turned around, having noticed the dead children and grimaced. Akeia however was not one of them, he was quickly taken away by a guardian. Akeia and his protector ran toward the entrance, Henylea took notice and pivoted toward them, her rifle locked into the two fleeing Hashmedai.

  Suddenly her body was pushed to the ground with Jainuzei on top as he screamed, “Sniper!” It was a lie. The guilt within his heart forced his hand in the matter.

  “Gods damn it sir, I could have gotten them!” Henylea shouted as they returned to their feet.

  “You’re welcome,” Jainuzei said quietly to himself.

  “This way!” Xyniea shouted as she ran toward the entrance Akeia had escaped through.

  Henylea and Jainuzei followed while five Hashmedai warriors jump jetted over the walls, and into the courtyard. All five of them charged their plasma great swords, and chased them with the sound of hatred in their
battle cry.

  … … …

  “We should have never had you come here milord,” Iolysta said as she and Rezeki ran down the dark hallways. Legions of Hashmedai guardians and warriors ran past them in the opposite direction, all of them with their swords drawn and changed.

  Bullets shattered a set of windows Rezeki and Iolysta were walking past, the fragments of glass raining down on them had no effect as tiny blue ripples of light were seen with each piece of glass hitting them. Iolysta extended her psionic shields to protect them. The corner of Rezeki’s eye revealed the carnage in the courtyard, panic gripped his mind as he remembered Akeia was there playing. He stopped to look for signs of his son. Nothing.

  “Iolysta, Akeia was out there, please find him and Kroshka!”

  “We must get you to safety—”

  “That’s an order! Find my son and daughter now!”

  “At once, milord!”

  Iolysta’s psionic gifts caused her to levitate then float out the shattered window toward the courtyard below. Two heavily armored Hashmedai approached Rezeki as he watched Iolysta leave. They were equipped with the same heavy combat armor guardians wore, but armed with plasma polearms. The imperial guards.

  “Please come with us,” one of them said. “The transport is this way.”

  … … …

  Two guardians joined the five warriors that entered the courtyard. Their shields deflecting the bullet storm, Henylea, Xyniea and Jainuzei released as they backed into the hallway leading into the courtyard. A tractor beam mounted to the sword of one of the guardians attempted to pull Henylea away, her shields held, preventing it from pulling her, though the force of the beam drained her armor’s battery quickly.

  “Gods damn it!” Henylea shouted, leaping back into cover within the hallway.

  “We need to keep moving!” said Xyniea.

  “Not with them behind us in these halls,” Jainuzei said, continuing to fire in hopes that their combined weapons fire would drain the batteries of the guardians, resulting in their arm mounted shields failing.

  Massive white fire balls fell from the skies, exploding on top of the Hashmedai, incinerating their bodies and melting their armor turning the snow into hot steam. The blast was so intense and sudden all three of them had to shield their faces from the light. When the light and heat faded away, a female Hashmedai psionic appeared, and hovered over piles of smoldering flesh and metal. She had blue skin and long black hair. Jainuzei saw the psionic smile and wink at Xyniea, while Xyniea returned the gesture. Why would a Hashmedai psionic turn on her own people during a time like this? Jainuzei couldn’t figure out who was more dishonorable at this point, that psionic, or Xyniea.