Blackwing: Rise of a New Empire (The Blackwing Trilogy Book 1)

by L. S. Mercer

  They followed the prisoners all the way to the work camps, but as they stepped out to continue, a Kharan hopped in front of Damon to stop him.

  “Blackwing!” Growled the Kharan.

  “Gregor!” Damon shouted, trying to sound happy to see him.

  The Kharan smiled at him, he was missing most of his teeth, making Copper gag aloud.

  “Drago is going to love this.” Said Gregor, crunching his knuckles against his waist.

  Damon winced at the sound.

  “Look, Gregor, I’ve got some urgent business.” He stammered.

  Gregor began advancing.

  “We can work it out, yeah?” Asked Damon.

  “Yep.” Said Gregor, drawing out the word.

  “Wahooo!” Screamed Copper, who’d climbed atop the stall next to them.

  Copper jumped and landed on Gregor’s head. He began slamming into it with a strange piece of metal that he must’ve fashioned into a hammer.

  While Gregor was distracted, Damon pulled his pistol out and fired two shots into his chest with lightning speed. Gregor fell backwards and landed hard against the ground.

  “Bad idea.” Muttered Damon.

  All of the guards from the work camp had seen him shoot, they were now running over to get him.

  “Copper, it’s time to go!” He shouted and took off running.

  Copper followed suit after noticing what was happening.

  The two dipped and dived around the carts and through the alleys to escape the guards, easily doing so after only a few minutes.

  “Now what?” Asked Copper as they came to a stop.

  “Well.” Replied Damon, gasping for air. “Now we go back to the ship.”

  Copper gave him a strange, confused look.

  “Already?” He asked.

  “Yeah.” Replied Damon. “A prisoner isn’t going to be a secret weapon for the Kharan.”

  Copper continued to stare blankly at his master.

  “It means there’s nothing left to do.” He clarified.

  “Ah.” Said Copper. “Race you!”

  Copper took off running back in the direction of the spacedocks.

  Damon sighed as his little friend ran away and began his walk back to the docks.

  21 Dirt racer- Most commonly found on the planet Voore. Dirt racing is a sport of gambling, much like horse racing, but with fast vehicles that have a close resemblance to motorbikes.

  Chapter 9

  The Kharan work camp was much nicer than being in a Voore prison. Adrian found it easy since fatigue didn’t really affect him any longer, although Helen wasn’t very thrilled with the situation. The camp was a cardis mine where they’d stick any human caught breaking the law, or even any human unliked by the Kharan for that matter.

  “This is ridiculous.” Muttered Helen.

  Adrian didn’t hear her, he was focused on his former rescuer, who was mining across from them.

  “Adrian?” She asked, snapping her fingers. “What are we going to do?”

  “What?”

  She repeated her question.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this handled.” He whispered.

  Adrian mentally smiled to himself, thinking of all the different ways he could cause a bloodbath.

  “Helen?” Asked a voice from the right of them.

  Both Adrian and Helen both turned.

  “Saia22?” Asked Helen, her eyes going wide.

  Adrian turned his body fully toward the woman now, surprised by the name.

  “Like Queen Saia?” He asked.

  Saia gave him a look of concern. Adrian assumed she was slightly intimidated by him or something.

  “Yes.” Replied Helen.

  Helen took a step towards the former Queen, but Saia took a step back and looked over at the overseer of the camp.

  “You have nothing to fear from him.” Said Adrian, almost sounding angry.

  Saia moved past Helen and stood in front of the hulking cyborg.

  “Who are you?” She asked.

  Adrian remained silent, unsure of whether or not he should reveal his identity.

  Just as he was about to speak, a loud grunt came from the overseer as he jumped down into the work pit. The overseer, a big, fat Kharan, started bounding over to their location, whip in hand. He went straight for Saia, but Adrian stepped in the way and stared silently at the guy.

  The Kharan stopped moving. He seemed unsure of how to handle such a large prisoner.

  “Do you fear me?” Mocked Adrian as he took a step towards the overseer.

  The Kharan grunted again as if he didn’t know how to speak the human language.

  At this point, the entire pit had stopped working and were now watching Adrian closely, waiting for him to make a move.

  “Make your move.” Hissed Adrian, full of joy at the Kharan’s hesitance.

  Thinking he was sly, the Kharan quickly clicked the button on his side to activate the shock belt that had been added to Adrian as an extra precaution. Nothing happened.

  Adrian proceeded to stare at the helpless Kharan, who’d now begun to tremble slightly.

  “My turn.” Said Adrian.

  He raised a finger at the Kharan and clicked it as if he were pulling a trigger. The Kharan flew back, startling everyone, including Helen.

  “How?” Whispered Saia.

  Helen shrugged in response.

  The Kharan got back up and tried to run back to his station. Adrian was too fast for him though, using his powers to yank the Kharan to the ground and effectively pinning him down.

  “Told you this would be fun.” Said Adrian, as he began to walk over to the overseer.

  Walking slow, it took him a bit to get to his target. He wanted to make a show of things, as always. As he arrived, he knelt down on the ground next to the Kharan.

  “I didn’t want to kill you, to be honest.” He whispered in the creepiest voice he could. “But now we have an audience.”

  Adrian stood back up and turned in a full circle to make sure that everyone was watching.

  “Poor Ostillions.” He said. “My people.”

  The prisoners all exchanged glances with each other while Adrian turned to look at Saia.

  “My Queen.” He said, bowing his head.

  Saia and Helen both moved closer to Adrian as he spoke.

  “What has happened to you.” He asked.

  “Ostillion is no more.” Replied Saia.

  “You are wrong.” He said, allowing a genuine laugh.

  Saia raised her eyebrow at him.

  Adrian turned back to the Kharan and used his power to snap his neck.

  The entire pit flinched at the sound.

  “Ostillion will return.” He hissed. “As a new power.”

  “What?” Asked Saia, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing or witnessing.

  “I will lead you all back to glory!” He roared.

  The lights around them flickered violently as his anger sent waves through the pit.

  “Under my rule.” He whispered, almost to himself. “Ostillion will become the Ostillion Empire, the newest, and greatest power in the galaxy!”

  Many of the prisoners cheered, but some seemed terrified after witnessing his power, as they should be.

  Joy filled within him as he finished his mini-speech. The thought of building an empire gave him hope of launching his ultimate plan of revenge against the Voore.

  After the speech, the prisoners hid the body and returned to work. There was a debate between the Queen and Adrian about whether or not it was necessary to start an empire, but Saia knew that there would be no reason to argue with him. If he desperately wanted something, all he would really have to do is take it by force.

  “I’m just saying, it seems a little, dark.” She said.

  Adrian stared at her, disappointed in her morals.

  “Ostillion fell because it was weak.” He spat. “I’m not weak.”

  “We know that Adrian.” Added Helen, drawing a map of the pit with
in the dirt at their feet.

  “Decency is not a weakness.” Argued Saia.

  “Then why are you here?” He asked.

  Saia went silent.

  “He might have a point.” Said Helen. “Maybe in this day and age, there are no good guys.”

  “There are though, we could join the Alliance.” Said Saia, having not thought of that before.

  “The Alliance is weak as well.” Mumbled Adrian.

  He knew that if they sided with the Alliance, he’d never get the fleet he desired, but at the same time, he didn’t want to force his people into serving him.

  “How are they weak?” Saia argued.

  He could tell that she sensed another motive within him.

  “Because they don’t attack!” He snarled, losing his cool. “They only defend that damn outpost and leave everyone else to die!”

  Helen nodded, earning a look of disappointment from Saia.

  “What about a vote?” Asked Saia, after careful consideration.

  A smile entered Adrian’s mind, he felt that his power would win the majority.

  “I’m fine with that.” He agreed.

  * * *

  There was little time left before the change of guard, so the Ostillion people gathered for their vote. With Adrian on one side and Saia on the other, it was time for their speeches. Saia was first, so she stepped out to address the people that had always been hers.

  “My fellow Ostillions.” She started. “The time for our people will come once again, that is a promise. But I urge you to be patient and wait until the Alliance comes to rescue us. Starting an empire from the ground up can take generations, something that very few of you would ever get the chance to see. Continue to follow me, and I will do my best to ensure your survival, follow the machine, and you risk the extinction of the human race.”

  Aela stepped back again as she finished with her speech. Only a few people from the crowd clapped after, making Adrian feel much more confident.

  Adrian stepped forward.

  “If anyone knows anything about surviving, it’s me.” He said, almost in a whisper.

  The entire crowd leaned in as if they were children, ready to hear an adult telling a story.

  “I was placed into a pulse chamber, my skin melting off of me like butter, and I survived. I forced my way into a transport ship and even off, yet I bare no marks of combat.”

  He paused, leaning himself over a boulder in front of him.

  “My name is Draxis, which in the Voorian language means death.”

  A few gasps erupted from the crowd at the sound of the name.

  “Do you want a leader who sits in a tower, looking down at her people and giving orders from the safety of her capital building? Or maybe you want a leader who isn’t afraid to lead from the battlefield, unafraid to die with his people.”

  Saia looked to the ground, her expression filled with guilt.

  “I can give you an empire, all I need from you is your assistance.” He said. “That’s all.”

  “What if they fail?” Shouted Sebastian from the back of the crowd.

  Adrian clenched his fist at the sound of his voice.

  “You forgot to tell them what you’d do if they failed you.” He said, pushing through the people to get to the front.

  Adrian turned to him and slowly walked over until they were face to face.

  “I let you live after you failed me.” He whispered. “Don’t forget that.”

  “Yes, but you’ve caused chaos everywhere you’ve been since we left the execution room!” He shouted.

  For the first time since his change, Adrian kept his cool. Every part of him wanted to rip the puny doctor into pieces for his betrayal, but he knew that would send the votes pouring into Saia’s lap. Instead, he turned back to the people to address them again.

  “I’m not a good man.” He said. “But I’m honest.”

  Sebastian raised his eyebrow, unsure of how to feel about the situation.

  “I will seek revenge and probably ravage planets. But in the end, everything I do will benefit the people of Ostillion, or shall we call it the Ostillion Empire.”

  Many of the people still cheered and clapped for him, even though he basically just admitted to them that he was evil. In his mind, sometimes to get what you need, you have to do some evil deeds for the ultimate good. That’s what his father had always taught him.

  The guard buzzer rang, signaling that it was time for a shift change. It was also time for their revolt to begin, now or never. As the new Kharan came to relieve the nonexisting one, he immediately turned around and ran back through the gate. Adrian assumed he was getting more guards so he jumped on top of the boulder to address the people one more time.

  “It’s now or never!” He shouted. “Those with me, go to the other side of the pit. Those who are too scared, stay here with your Queen!”

  The majority of the people went to Adrian’s side at once, leaving Saia with only a handful of faithful followers.

  “I hope you get to the Alliance.” Said Adrian to Saia before walking away.

  Helen and Elias followed Adrian, while Sebastian remained with Saia as well, which was for the best.

  A handful of Kharan burst through the gates, all wielding polearms. The people charged them while Adrian stood back and waited to see what would happen. He allowed them to tussle for a moment until he got bored, then he used his power to slam the few remaining enemies into the walls of the gate. Instructing the people to take the guns, Adrian took the lead once again and they walked out of the pit and into the main camp.

  There were what seemed like tons of Kharan everywhere, ready to face them once they’d gotten through the others. This made Adrian chuckle to himself, he knew that they were no match for him.

  “I give you the chance to let us leave.” He said.

  The Kharan all changed laughter and brandished their weapons.

  “No?” He asked. “Okay.”

  In one master stroke, Adrian used his energy to pull the beams done from above, smashing all of them like tiny bugs under a boot. The Ostillions stared in surprise at Adrian’s power, making him confident of their loyalty. As they exited through the main gate, Adrian and the others all took a moment to soak in their relief before devising a new plan to escape.

  “I’ve scanned the hangar documents.” Said Elias, transferring them into Adrian’s head.

  Adrian was amazed that he was even able to receive them and scan through them robotically to find what he wanted.

  “This is cool.” He muttered.

  Elias nodded at him.

  “If you can see it, there is only one ship big enough to take us all off the planet.” He said. “It’s called the Eradicator.”

  As Adrian located the document, an image of the ship popped up on his screen. It was a big warship outfitted with Class-10 lasers.

  “That’s going to be an easy steal.” Said Helen.

  Adrian and Elias both turned to look at her.

  “That’s my ship.” She said, grinning from ear to ear.

  22 Saia- Sigh-Ya

  Chapter 10

  Back on the ship, Damon felt relieved. If Drago had discovered him, they’d all have been honest.

  Eager to leave the planet, he went straight to the cockpit and signaled for the Eyres to take their positions.

  The ship fired up, but it wouldn’t budge from the dock.

  “Alloy, stay here while I go see what’s wrong.” Said Damon.

  Alloy nodded at Damon as he jumped into the captain’s seat.

  Damon walked back. to the engine room to check on the landing locks and find out what was wrong with them. As he got there and opened the maintenance box, he realized that the light was on, implying that the ship was ready to disengage. Not knowing how to fix it, he clicked the communicator and contacted Alloy.

  “Hey, try and disconnect again.” He said.

  The ship made a loud screech but remained stationary.

  “Nothing.�
� Grumbled Alloy.

  Frustrated, Damon angrily kicked the side of the box. It was so annoying to him that he didn’t know how to fix it because he was an amazing starship mechanic.

  “Having issues?” Asked a voice from behind Damon.

  Every part inside Damon’s body froze as chills ran down his spine. The accent of the voice made the character unmistakable. As Damon turned around, he saw exactly what he thought he would, Val’Drago.

  Drago chuckled as he passed through the doorway of the engine room.

  “Val.” Stammered Damon. “How’d you?”

  “It’s my ship.” Interjected Drago.

  “Right.” Whispered Damon.

  Drago quickly made himself at home and started to walk about the room, unconcerned with any intention to escape that Damon could have. He analyzed everything within the engine room that he could, almost as if he were searching for something specific.

  “Y-y-you know.” Stuttered Damon, unable to hide his discomfort. “We could let bygones be bygones.”

  “We could.” Muttered Drago.

  Damon didn’t like the way he said it, plus it looked like a light bulb had suddenly lit up in Drago’s mind, making him much more uncomfortable.

  “So, what now?” Asked Damon.

  Drago smiled at him an produced a sharp whistle, causing Damon’s heart to sink.

  Three hulking Kharan’s marched into the room at their leader’s call, holding both Copper and Alloy by the throats.

  “Come on Val!” Shouted Damon. “They’re just kids!”

  “Just kids.” Repeated Drago.

  A tint of guilt seemed to mold his face for only a second before he replaced it with the same, emotionless stare that was usually on it.

  “Do what I say, and no harm will come to them.” Said Drago, snapping his fingers.

  The Kharan led the Eyres out of the engine room and what sounded to Damon like out of the ship.

  Damon’s eyes narrowed.

  “What do you want from me.” He asked.

  Drago smiled and sat down on a toolbox in the corner, causing dust to fly up and float about the room.

  “It’s simple really.” He replied, flicking at a clump of dust on the toolbox. “I just want information.