by Aaron Hubble
The man started to protest, but stopped. Wrapping the child tighter in his arm, he touched his free hand to his forehead and turned to follow the mass of people trying desperately to get out of the city. The Eldest watched them go and said a specific prayer for the pair. He then turned his attention to the many surrounding him, offering encouragement and directions. This was what he could do, it was his offering today. Some fought. Some led. The Eldest encouraged. It was what he was best at.
He looked at the mass of Ma’Ha’Nae around him. So many, he thought. With each passing minute, their chances dwindle.
Glancing upward he could see a water line traced around the edge of the dome. So, the humans had succeeded in draining the lake, and Alam was hidden from the world no more. He searched the crowd for the other elders. Moving as quickly as his aged legs would allow, he gathered those he could find.
“Brothers and sisters, there is nothing else we can do for our people but pray. Will you join me? Will you offer up a prayer of praise to the Unseen One for what He has done for us for hundreds of years, and ask Him to continue to provide for and protect our people?”
Silently they grasped hands and formed a circle. In turn each of them prayed or sang a song of praise to their god.
An explosion rocked the city and flung the Eldest to the ground. He experienced a moment of disorientation. He felt something wet on his forehead and reached up. His hand came away red. His ancient joints protested when he pushed himself to his feet. Around him people screamed and cried. To him it sounded like the death throes of a doomed people. His heart sank.
A cracking sound echoed through the city. The Eldest looked up at the dome. It crackled, its electricity and nanotubes straining to remain a cohesive structure. For five hundred years the dome had sheltered the people of this city from the outside world and now an enemy from another solar system had brought about their demise.
The entire dome rippled. A collective gasp escaped the mouths of the people. The shield solidified for a moment, but then white light exploded over its surface and a terrible rumble shook the city. The shield pulsated. The Eldest grasped the hand of Tulan, his oldest friend on the council. She smiled at him and took up the hymn that had been interrupted and watched as the dome lost all color and then disappeared, and the water of Lake Keali rushed toward them. The Eldest closed his eyes and gave his spirit up into the hands of the only one who could save him in the life to come.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Aereas - On the shore of Lake Keali
As Jondon clicked off his comm, an explosion made the ground shake, and he looked toward the lake in time to see the amber dome of his home disappear and the water rush into the spot it had occupied. Horror filled the pit of his stomach and his head swam.
Alam had finally been taken.
“No!” he screamed as he imagined the thousands drowning in their homes.
After five hundred years of hiding, it had been found and destroyed in a matter of minutes. Water swirled and eddied over the area where Alam had been. He looked on, a feeling of utter helplessness gripping his heart. People still streamed out.
Frantic, Jondon ran to the exit, heedless of the bullets flying around him.
“Quickly!” he roared. “Get out of the tunnel, the dome is down!”
He reached the mouth of the exit just in time to see the white surge rushing up the tunnel, sweeping people with it, tossing and tumbling them in the rocky tunnel and against the walls and floor.
“Into the forest!”
Jondon sprinted. In front of him a little girl, no more than four stood alone crying under the fronds of a giant fern. Jondon scooped her into his arm as he ran. She screamed into his ear, but all he heard was the sound of the water as it rushed out of the entrance and into the forest. Jondon strained for higher ground.
The peal of gunfire behind him made him risk a glance back. He saw what he’d feared from the beginning. The human aircraft were now beginning to swarm.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Aereas - Over Lake Keali
“Ensign, target and fire into that group until I tell you to stop. Helm, circle them until there are none left.”
“Aye, sir,” came the crisp responses. Captain Advik Saxena was impressed. The crew had been thrown together fast, too fast, but the trip from Earth had afforded them time to come together as a unit. Situations like this would prove whether they had truly become a cohesive crew.
Saxena gripped the armrest of his chair as the ship accelerated. Below him the troops they’d just dropped off were engaging CPF soldiers they’d seen swarming a small group of people. Now, they were hurtling toward a group of Valkyries circling one area of the forest.
“Sir, there are two Helix fighters tailing a Valkyrie and firing upon it. We’ve intercepted communications between the two ships indicating the Valkyrie has been commandeered by native resistance.”
Saxena paused for a moment and then issued a decided command.
“Let’s help that Valkyrie out. Helm, full power to thrusters, and cycle up the forward cannons.”
“Forward cannons are hot sir,” the ensign reported.
Saxena pointed toward the forward screen. “Fire, ensign.”
The dull thud of the ship’s cannons reverberated through the decking. Only a couple of weeks ago, he’d been part of the Continental Peace Federation and now he was their enemy. It was a quick change, but he’d never truly been loyal to the CPF; it was just a job.
Honestly, he didn’t care who he worked for as long as they let him keep flying this magnificent bird.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Aereas - Over Lake Keali
Evie rolled the Valkyrie and put it into a sharp dive. The ship quaked under the strain of the maneuver. Explosions sounded just above her head. Running toward them had surprised the pilots of the fighters, but they’d recovered quickly, forcing her into a desperate and dangerous gambit. She wasn’t sure how many more times she could narrowly avoid destruction before it caught up to her. More importantly, she wasn’t sure how much more of this type of flying the ship could handle. The strain of these high force maneuvers could easily tear the ship apart.
But what choice did she have?
The quick dive had given her several more seconds of space, but the superior speed of the fighters would eliminate the breathing room soon. Desperately she searched the landscape below for someplace she could shake them. The mountains with its valleys seemed the only option left to her, but they would undoubtedly catch her before she reached any safe place.
She had to try.
Pulling hard on the controls, Evie flattened the dive and banked the craft toward the mountains. As the ship straightened out, she cried in surprise as a monster ship filled her forward window and then roared overhead. Glancing at her instruments she saw the icons representing the Helix fighters disappear, one after the other. The new icon wheeled around and followed her, catching her in no time and taking up a position over top of the Valkyrie.
Her comm crackled to life. “Unidentified Valkyrie, this is Captain Advik Saxena of the R3 ship Harbinger. Our weapons have you targeted and unless you identify yourself in ten seconds we will destroy you.”
Evie scrambled for the comm and opened the channel to the new ship. “Harbinger, this is Evie Kreg, formerly of Earth and now a member of the Ma’Ha’Nae resistance on Aereas. Do not shoot. Repeat. Do not shoot. I am attempting to aid the natives of this planet against the CPF.”
The comm brought her the captain’s voice once again. “Understood, Ms. Kreg. Our weapons are standing down. Would you care to join us in clearing the skies of a little trash?”
Evie grinned. “It would be my pleasure, Captain.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Aereas - On the shore of Lake Keali
Andy watched, stunned, as a ship he’d never seen before streaked overhead with dreadful thunder. The others around him stared until Shepherd barked at them.
“Forget that. We still have a
job to do!”
Andy tried to focus on his job. He was still a CPF soldier no matter what was taking place in the sky above him. He needed to fight and survive. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths and then waited for orders.
“Dillon, take half of the company to the north of this group of indigenous. We’ll push them toward you and the clearing with firefly grenades. Go.”
Andy nodded and jogged away from Shepherd. Putting on the face of a warrior, he fully intended to carry out the duties required of him.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Aereas - On the shore of Lake Keali
The precious time the mystery ship’s attack had bought Jondon had already disappeared.
Above him the trees burned. He heard the whistle of another human incendiary grenade. The whistle was followed by a sharp pop and then the rain of flammable accelerant set the canopy ablaze.
He smelled smoke followed by a sharp pain in his arm. Jondon quickly shook off his jacket and beat at his smoldering shirt with one gloved hand. Around him people frantically searched for cover. Some rolled on the ground trying to extinguish their burning clothing. People ran in all directions. Any hope of getting them to safety had gone up in flames like the tree tops.
Gunfire erupted ahead and he saw a squad of human soldiers emptying their weapons into the fleeing Ma’Ha’Nae. They’d been chased into a firing squad, and there was no way around the trap.
So, here it would all end.
Just to the north of the shores of what had been his home, he would most likely die. He and what was left of his people. They’d been simply overwhelmed and caught unprepared for what the humans had planned. They were a determined and well organized army, he had to give them that. Still, he wished it wasn’t ending this way.
Kneeling, he sighted down his rifle, determined to make the few remaining bullets in the magazine count. The breeze picked up around him and then turned into a full storm of leaves and dry grass. Dirt was thrown into a whirlwind of confusion. Shielding his eyes against the onslaught, Jondon looked up to see a Valkyrie circle the soldiers and begin pounding them with the under-mounted guns. Several figures hung out of the side doors shooting rifles at the squad of humans.
Their attention diverted, Jondon was able to sight on several of the soldiers and watch them drop at each squeeze of the trigger. The squad broke up and disappeared into the forest. The remaining Ma’Ha’Nae, ventured a look toward the sky, but kept running away from the fighting.
A second shape rushed overhead and Jondon heard explosions from the air above him. Am’Segid legends spoke of celestial beings, angels of a sort, who would come to the aid of righteous men at the behest of the All-Knowing One. While the ships didn’t look like any angel he’d ever imagined, there was no doubt they’d been sent from heaven.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Aereas - On the shore of Lake Keali
Calier coughed to clear his throat of the noxious smoke surrounding them. Warily, he followed the thick man in front of him. Through the haze he saw his friends pointing their weapons at several humans who were doing the same. Tense words were being exchanged in different languages.
Calier stopped beside Maltoki. “Do you know who they are or what they want?”
Maltoki shook his head, but kept his weapon trained on the man in front of him. “I can’t understand what they’re saying, Professor, but they’re human. That’s enough not to trust them.”
Someone brushed past Calier and he saw Cullen insert himself in the middle of the standoff.
Cullen addressed Calier. “Do you still have the translator?”
He nodded, inserting the earpiece.
“I’ll talk to my people and you translate to yours.”
Calier watched the blond-haired man who’d helped him up take a step toward Cullen. “Are you CPF?”
“Yes. Well, I was. My recent actions may cause them to rescind my membership. Cullen McPhall.”
“Bobby Hughes, R3 ground forces commander.”
The two men shook hands and Cullen explained the situation.
“What are you doing on Aereas?” Cullen asked.
“We’re here to lend aid to anyone who might be resisting the CPF on this planet. I’ll assume that’s this group.” Bobby nodded toward them.
“It is.”
“I just got word the rest of my troops are driving the CPF into the forest and are in pursuit. We’re going to move in that direction.” He looked at Maltoki and Ammaya and then back at Cullen. “You’re all welcome to join us. We could use a guide if you’re willing.
Cullen turned to Calier. “These people are part of a resistance movement on my planet. They are the enemies of the human group who invaded your planet. They’re here to help, but they could use our help right now going after what is left of the CPF. Are any of your people willing to lead?”
Calier translated for Ammaya who nodded her agreement.
“They say they’re glad to help,” Calier relayed.
The human commander nodded, stepped toward Calier, and held out his hand. Calier looked at it, but let it hang in the air. He wasn’t ready for friendship or whatever this was yet. He turned away from the man and looked at Ammaya. “You go. I’m going to stay behind with Berit.”
The human dropped his hand and addressed them. “We need a place to evacuate the civilians. A place to set up a base from which to run operations. Any ideas?”
Calier eyed him. He wasn’t sure how much to say. Yes, these people had showed up just in time to save them, but could he trust them?
Did they really have a choice?
“I might know a place,” Calier said, the translation unit parsing the speech into the human tongue. The human commander nodded.
“I’ll leave the details to you then.” He turned and spoke to his men and then waved them toward the forest.
Calier handed Ammaya the translation device. “Here, you’re going to need this.”
Ammaya nodded, and Calier watched the group of unlikely allies jog into the trees leaving him standing alone. Calier looked around him. Bodies lay scattered on the ground. He started to shake. Calier raised his trembling hands. They were sticky with the blood of another man.
A man he’d killed.
He leaned against a tree and retched.
For once, they’d won the day, but there was a dark foreboding in Calier. In the pit of his stomach he knew before this war was over he would look over many battlefields and lament the loss of those he loved.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Aereas - On the edge of Sho’el Forest
Andy sat strapped into one of the jump seats of the Valkyries that had survived the battle over the lake. A trickle of fresh blood worked its way out from beneath the fingers he had pressed against the wound on his upper arm. They’d barely escaped. Most of them hadn’t. Those who didn’t die around the lake were picked off one by one by their pursuers. He’d gotten a look at some of them and he was sure they were R3.
He wasn’t sure how R3 had managed to get here, but this changed things. There was now a hardened fighting force to contend with. Even though the underwater refuge had been destroyed, R3 would show the natives how to fight and survive when they were outnumbered. That was what they were good at.
Andy cursed. This was supposed to be an easy mission. The whole initiative was supposed to be a sure thing with little resistance. It had been up until this point. Now they were in for a real fight.
He needed some sleep. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the head rest. Everything had gone sideways today and Andy tried to clear his mind. As he began to relax, the face of Evie entered his head and for once, he let it remain.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Aereas - Gadol City
Admiral McPhall had always enjoyed looking at the ocean. Even on another world it still held the same power over him.
An ocean was something that couldn’t be controlled. Men could sail across it, they could borrow the motion of the waves to c
reate energy, and they could harvest the creatures living within it for food. Man could do a lot with the sea, but stopping its relentless power was one thing that would forever remain outside of their grasp. Should the ocean rise up in a ferocious storm, there was really nothing that could be done but find shelter and wait out the tempest.
Just hours ago, he would have said he was the storm-bringer. This planet was his for the taking. That was no longer true. Now, the old soldier’s sense of foreboding told him he was standing in front of a storm bearing down with pent up fury.
It was too early to know anything concrete, but all that really mattered was R3 had shown up to save the day for the natives. Now, they were facing a true war where the combatants knew each other well. This had the potential to last for a long time, and called for a whole new strategy. Manufacturing facilities needed to be set up immediately to repair and replenish the tools with which they would wage war against this new resistance. It would take a mighty effort to feed the beast, but the admiral was unwilling to loosen his grip on this planet. His orders had been to take it and ready it for humanity. That was what he intended to do.
There was a phenomenon on Earth where two storms converged into one super storm with more fury and destruction than any single storm could pack. The CPF would be a storm as well. He’d never achieved his ultimate victory of crushing R3. In a way he felt as if he’d run away from them to this planet, but now fate had brought his old foe back to him.
