Nova

by Lora E. Rasmussen

  Hit, hit, hit; deflect, hit, hit, dodge; hit, riposte, counter, hit, dodge, hit, hit.

  On and on the exchange went, with neither Human nor Karukai gaining advantage.

  Serros issued a quartet of strikes to the Varda, aimed for her temple, injured abdomen, right pectoral, and left foot, yet each was deflected by fore–arm, shin, or elbow.

  Finally, a single blow smashed into the Karukai’s rib–cage, yet the Varda moved with the strike, minimizing the impact, even as her left palm smacked into Avara’s injured thigh.

  Breath ragged and eyes burning with fatigue, close to half a hundred blows were launched and deflected or diffused in the space of a bare minute, yet still, Serros couldn’t seem to break the stalemate. Avara could say with absolute certainty that she had never before encountered an enemy with such skill and ability.

  With a start, she realized that for the first time, Captain Serros had truly met her equal in an adversary, both in combat and Arca Enhanced ability.

  And then everything changed.

  Seeking to break their impasse, Captain Vael summersaulted backward, and with the action having gained the fraction of a second she needed, pushed both palms outward towards Avara, once again attempting to devastate her opponent with a K–Blast.

  Yet this time, Vael didn’t have surprise in her favor.

  Avara used that same moment to call up a K–Shield, absorbing the impact even as the Karukai recovered, and in that instant, Avara demonstrated the deep level mastery claimed by Arca Savants alone.

  Almost as if sucking in the Karukai’s spent power, Avara dropped her K–Shield and then, pulling power both to and from within herself, released her own blast of night–blue kobalt powered force.

  The onslaught slammed into Vael like lava overrunning a settlement, carrying all those caught within the pyroclastic flow.

  Serros couldn’t see where the Karukai Captain had landed, but she did see the trail of shattered clone–tanks stretching far into the back region of the warehouse that marked the Varda’s wake.

  “K’llan?” Avara called wearily as she activated her DSP and after a starting run, leaped over to the durexium walkway the Vosaia was laboring at.

  “Almost have it!” K’llan answered as Avara skidded to a stop right before her, speed barely reigned in before colliding with the power core and Vosaia both.

  Quickly scanning her CPA, Avara announced urgently, “K’llan, we have only a minute and twenty–one seconds left until the first power–core detonates from the feedback.”

  “I know; almost there.” She answered, pushing at the lever.

  Motioning her aside, Avara again exerted her Arca born strength and, as it groaned into place, K’llan quickly triggered the final rheostat–keys to release.

  “Done!” She announced.

  “Great work! Out, now!” Avara responded.

  Time slowed to a crawl as she and K’llan streaked up the warehouse stairs and through Outpost J2’s corridors. After several seconds of travel they were forced to come to a full stop, practically smacking into a side–wall as they came upon a locked doorway.

  “Can you hack it?” Serros asked, taking up a guard position. They had run into more than one Karukai scientist yet so far, the duo had been entirely ignored. Not really surprising, given that most of those who remained were clearly more concerned with ensuring their safety than stopping the two infiltrators.

  “I don’t know.” She answered, and Serros could hear the frayed quality in K’llan’s voice.

  “One minute.” Avara announced quietly as her companion worked.

  “I cannot bypass; someone jury–rigged it to the point of no return.”

  “Fine.” Avara said, moving in front of K’llan. “Plan B, then.” The Shield Operative swiftly unclipped no less than three K–Grenades and, thumbing the timed detonation trigger, hauled K’llan with her around the corner.

  Five, four, three, two, and… there!

  The explosion took out the rigged door and seven or so feet of adjoining walls on either side as well. Without pausing to watch the dust of their handiwork settle, the two again raced off. Avara could practically hear the seconds ticking by in her head like a drum of imminent doom heralding the Reaper’s arrival. Along the way, three Karukai guards made to stop them only to be taken down by a score of bullets and two launched kicks. The soldiers were left to bleed out before oblivion or blood–loss took them, whichever was first.

  Finally, Captain Serros could see the main glass entryway doors ahead of them, clearly locked, as well as two final guards standing between life and death. With thought and emotion issued and echoed in such a way that Avara wasn’t sure which one of them had voicelessly initiated the idea and who had agreed, Avara and K’llan again called upon their Arca Enhancements. The action wreathed their bodies in protective, midnight colored armoring one final time.

  Neither woman slowed nor made a move towards their harnessed weapons. They simply barreled straight through the two soldiers with bone–breaking force and then with a running, fist–first leap, dove through the portal. A cascade of glass followed their wake like comet tails as they landed on the grass–covered Dantis turf.

  Rolling to their feet in a synchronous move reminiscence of gymnasts at play, the two continued their run one final time.

  The concussive blast that ripped the air and space behind them only further propelled their flight, even as fire and soot shot towards the planet’s triple suns like volcanic spume intent on claiming the stars themselves, almost appearing to ignite the fragile tendrils of waking dawn.

  At last, with the two half–stumbling to the ground in relief and bone–deep weariness, Avara and K’llan collapsed atop the refreshingly cool, green–gray grass, arms locked about one another’s shoulders as tears of joy and triumph washed a path through grime and spent blood.

  Sitting with K’llan, mission complete, knowing she was nothing short of a bloody mess but that both of them were alive and well, Avara found herself thinking that no moment had ever been more beautiful.

  CHAPTER 29

  The dozen or so remaining Karukai personnel that had made it out of the main beehive building before it blew, quickly grabbed what they could from the facility’s ancillary structures, and then ran north along the river as fast as their feet could carry them.

  After the fantastic destruction of the facility’s prime structure, still spitting and smoldering with flame, smoke, and cracking debris, not a single soldier or scientist of the Eternal Imperium seemed willing to engage the two Nova Officers or the now armed, thirty–five freed slaves. Reviewing the eclectic but eager group of people, Gorath, Human, Vosaia, Braxien, Shiraneth, Irdoi, Zirgesh, and Mymren alike, Captain Serros thought escape to be a wise move for the fleeing Karukai.

  While loosing cries of unadulterated joy, the ex–prisoners surrounded Avara and K’llan as they made their way over, slapping their backs, pulling them into rough hugs, and over and over again, with a basic humility and depth of feeling that threatened to lance Avara in place for its sincerity, each expressed their heartfelt gratitude.

  “Captain Serros, Lieutenant Z’arr, this is Major Ca’rrakk. Do you read?”

  Fighting the suddenly even higher swell of emotion, after sharing a look with K’llan, Avara struggled for a second and then when she was sure she had at least somewhat mastered herself, responded. “It’s good to hear your voice, Ca’rrakk, and glad you finally made it.”

  “Ha–ha!” Hearing Ca’rrakk’s growling chuckle filled Avara with a sense of place, a sense of home. “You ready to stop vacationing and get back to work, Captain?”

  “I suppose I can be torn away.” Avara replied. “Though I have some new friends to bring aboard.”

  “Friends that will be residing in the brig or guest quarters?” The Senor Science Officer queried.

  “The latter, though I do think an expeditious retrieval would be best.” Avara responded, her tone deliberately nonchalant.

  “Ah, making friends
again, I see. I’m reading a sizeable explosion on my scanners. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?” The Gorath probed, voice rumbling with humor once more.

  “You know the Captain only too well, Ca’rrakk.” K’llan answered before Serros could, her soprano lighter than it had been in weeks.

  “You couldn’t keep her out of trouble, then?” Ca’rrakk joked with his friend.

  “I am only one Vosaia against a force of nature.” Z’arr responded, lilac eyes dancing as they linked with Avara’s.

  “Suffice to say, Lieutenant Z’arr and I have the inside track on that story.” Avara added, shooting a playful “you’ll pay for that later” look at K’llan. “How far are you out, Ca’rrakk?”

  “About two clicks; you should see me coming north by north–west right now.”

  Serros was just able to make out the smudge of an approaching shuttle against the morning sky as Carrack continued, “Captain, I am overjoyed to have found you, for more reasons than the obvious.”

  Feeling a shard of ice insert itself into her chest as foreboding swept through her Synergy enhanced psychic senses, Captain Serros asked “What’s the situation, Major?”

  *

  “Capturing transponder designation now.” Lieutenant Claudius Chopa announced into the too staid quiet of the QS Excalibur’s Bridge. Every officer stared at the Holo–View as if mesmerized, watching the colossal Karukai Dah’hakar Class Dreadnaught knife through space towards their position. “She’s reading as the TS Sh’tal.”

  Mierda!

  Commander Marcus Perez didn’t need Diana’s next words to inform him what the name of that vessel was or what it meant to the just ninety or so souls aboard ship, but he forced himself to remain outwardly impassive, to do his job as Adeline did hers.

  “That’s… the TS Sha’tal is the Flagship of the Karukai First Fleet. It is typically commanded by the Military Triarch of the Karukai Triarchy. Current intelligence names that individual as one Admiral Artah Vael.” Diana efficiently snapped out. And who could blame her for the faint quiver in her voice, for the pause?

  “The TS Sha’tal is thirty minutes from firing range, Commander Perez.” Chopa reported a second later.

  What were they supposed to do against a one–hundred gun ship, the pride of the Karukai Fleet? What the Hell was he supposed to do against those odds?

  “Commander, the dreadnaught is hailing us.” Lieutenant Rygel inserted.

  Forcing himself to speak around the papery taste in his mouth, Marcus responded “Open the channel, Dane.”

  The holo–projected view of the ship was immediately replaced by the 3D image of a standing Karukai who was, Marcus almost absently noted, absolutely striking. Her skin was the color of polished porcelain and her large, almond shaped eyes were rich garnets that bespoke an aggressive, relentless intelligence. Her features were strong yet decidedly beautiful, from a willful, straight nose to carved chin and feathery, arching brows.

  She was wearing the crimson–traced, deep black uniform of a Karukai Senior Officer, her eight crescent Admiral’s pips gleaming in her ship’s light.

  “I am Admiral Artah Vael of the Flagship TS Sha’tal, Military Triarch of the Karukai Imperium. Why have you attacked the Karukai vessel, the TS Watcher, QS Excalibur?” Her voice was not what Perez expected. There was no posturing, no arrogance, and her tone was quiet, almost hard to hear; yet there was no missing the confident surety she projected.

  Choosing his words carefully, Marcus responded “I am Commander Marcus Perez, Executive Officer of the Excalibur. After proposing several times that we part ways amicably, Captain Cyan Ner’kai of the Watcher demanded that we surrender our vessel under threat of destruction. Clearly, we did not choose to surrender.”

  “Clearly.” Admiral Vael repeated, a note of grim humor is her voice.

  Plunging on, Marcus added, “After the engagement, we again offered to peacefully go our separate ways, and as you can see, we ceased our attack.”

  “Yet still you remain in–system, Excalibur.” Vael probed, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Where is your Captain, Commander Perez?”

  Caught off–guard at the query, Marcus barely stopped himself from issuing a half–stutter as he responded “Captain Serros is indisposed at the moment, Admiral.”

  “Now, now; you did not lose so famous a Shield Operative as Captain Avara Serros, did you?” Vael asked, eyes twin spear points even though her tone remained light.

  “No, of course not.”

  “Tell me, does your missing Captain have anything to do with the explosion I am reading from the surface of Dantis?”

  Shocked, before he could think better of it, Marcus answered with a genuine response. “What? Explosion?”

  Avara!

  “Mm?”

  Attempting to recover, Marcus added “Our sensors have detected no explosion.”

  “We shall see. I suggest you remain in system while we review the situation and gather data. Admiral Vael out.”

  “Commander, the vessel is now twenty–minutes away from firing range.” Chopa announced.

  Just as the final word left the Navigation Officer’s mouth, there was a sudden scatter–point of light as several explosions ripped into view just larboard of Excalibur’s position.

  “Commander!” Rygel exclaimed, whipping his head towards Marcus. “A single line message from the Sha’tal: “A fair warning, in case you were considering departure.”

  So much for accurate firing range intelligence.

  “Even though we do not have the range to return fire, we’re still quick enough to outmaneuver her and leave the system if we need to.” Lieutenant Commander Adeline commented, her dark eyes bleak as they met Marcus’s own.

  “Any word from Ca’rrakk?” He asked, feeling like his still–beating heart was slowly being pulled outside of his chest as he asked the question.

  “Not as of yet; he should have made contact by now.” Diana answered.

  “Picking up a lot of back–channel communication between Watcher and Sha’tal, Commander.” Dane Rygel noted, gray–blue eyes narrowed in speculation. “Coded, so would take days to break of course, but they’re definitely talking a lot.”

  “Repair and systems status?” Perez inquired as he stood from the Captain’s chair, unable to be still any longer.

  “As complete as can be without a week’s fine tuning.” Adeline answered. Minutes trickled by as Marcus watched the looming vermilion vessel purposefully come ever closer. Minutes in which Marcus felt utterly frozen and trapped by the situation and available options.

  He couldn’t leave Avara, his sister not of blood but in every single way that mattered; more than birth ever could. And, he couldn’t hope to win out against a Dah’hakar Class Karukai Dreadnaught. Any attempt would be suicide.

  Hearing the measured tread of footsteps, Marcus was anything but surprised when Diana, standing so close to him that their shoulders brushed, quietly asked, “Marcus, what are we going to do?”

  What were they going to do? Indecision was not a partner he was used to dancing with. Yet he didn’t have any choices that he could see, save the one he had no desire to select. Feeling like he was signing his own execution warrant, Marcus made himself turn his head and meet Diana’s gaze, forced himself to speak. “Diana, we have to…”

  “Commander!” Lieutenant Rygel’s excited voice cut his sentence like a machete hacking into an overgrown thicket. “We have a single Karukai Stinger moving astern and closing in on Excalibur and it’s… it’s being trailed by the ES2!”

  “What?” Perez cracked out.

  “The Stinger is about eleven minutes from our position, Sir.” Lieutenant Chopa reported.

  “Ghost Squadron moving to intercept. Sending the command to hold fire until ordered.” Diana reported, having half–run, half–jumped back to her station.

  “The Stinger, it’s hailing us, Sir.”

  “Open the channel, Dane.”

  “This is Captain Avara Se
rros. It would be appreciated if you did not blast us out of space, Excalibur.”

  There was no way Commander Marcus Perez could ever mistake that voice for another’s, all humor and cool confidence, steel–wrapped with smooth velvet in one. “Avara! It’s about damn–well time, Captain!”

  “It’s good to hear your voice too, Marcus.” Avara answered, and he could feel the warmth and love she felt for him in her tone. “You can yell at me later, but for now, I understand we have a bit of a situation on our hands.”

  “The situation is we need you back, on board, and Excalibur out of system now!” He rapped.

  “Yeah, I see her, and we’re at full throttle. Ca’rrakk’s just a minute or so behind.” Avara answered.

  “Captain, Commander!” Dane Rygel blurted. “The Sha’tal is hailing us.”

  “Take the hail, Marcus. Rygel, patch audio through to the Stinger, receive only.” Avara ordered.

  “Yes, Captain!” As the Comm Officer answered Serros, Marcus thought that in this moment, despite the gravity of their predicament, Dane resembled nothing less than enthusiastic puppy.

  Admiral Artah Vael’s visage appeared, once more projected in front of the view–port. “Commander Perez. After having spoken with the Watcher’s Executive Officer and reviewed relevant data, it seems much of what you said holds true, except,” Vael inserted, a cold light suffusing her narrowed eyes for the first time since they had interacted, “for a few critical pieces, not the least of which is the spy that seems to be rendezvousing with you in a Karukai Stinger right now, as we speak.”

  “That is…”

  “You will surrender your ship and the occupants of that Stinger and shuttle on course to you,” Vael interrupted, “or I shall be forced to destroy your ship and all aboard.” Gaze never wavering, the Karukai Admiral added, “I guarantee fair treatment. You have ten–minutes to decide.”

  “Well, I see you’ve been making friends too, Marcus.” Avara remarked lightly over the channel, breaking the heavy dread that held the crew in thrall after the Karukai Admiral had cut communication.