Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison 4: Empires at War (Part One)

by Thomas A. Wright

  The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison

  Empires At War

  Book 4

  Part 1

  Written by Thomas A. Wright

  Edited by Rochelle Deans

  Copyright 2017 ©Thomas A. Wright

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  For my brother-in-law, Timothy Peter Kompier. For almost a half century, you helped mold young minds as a teacher, principal and athletic coach, not to mention a teacher of life lessons. Achievements of this magnitude cannot be measured with scale, rule or weight. There is simply no way to measure all the lives you’ve enriched through caring, dedication and love. Throughout history, there have been heroes of every kind imaginable, but they wouldn’t own the title of hero without the unsung heroes who taught, mentored and led them to water. Even if, at times, it meant forcing them to drink.

  I would like to thank Jesse, Larry, Stan, Sawyer, Lori and Harry for their suggestions and proofreading. Helping correct errors, providing pointers and boosting morale: it’s all very much appreciated.

  A very special thanks to Rochelle Deans. Without her correcting, coaching and questioning, all of you would be saying “huh?” instead of just her. I am sure it all made sense to me at the time. Hell, you’ve all read the other books. It gets crazy up in there sometimes. Thankfully, I have her to straighten it all out.

  I want to thank all of you who have been a part of The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison, whether you just discovered the books or have been there from the beginning. I am thrilled and thankful with all the comments and support for the series.

  I hope you enjoy Empires at War Part I. I am already at work on Part II, along with two other books to be released in 2017, Blood of the Damned and a sequel to Saving Grindrod. I’m doing my best to work with deadlines and meet the goal of publishing four books this year.

  Remember to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads once you’ve finished reading. It is the very best way for me as an author to gain readership. Your reviews matter.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  The wind and rain pelted their bodies as they made their way across the icy platform. They had planned their escape for weeks. Squeezing her hand hard enough to break her fingers, the young boy pulled the girl along. Fear fueled every difficult step. He knew that if he lost her in the storm, she would die. This knowledge kept him going. Their clothing was torn by the wind and they were soaked to the bone; other than the death grip she had on his hand and her tired steps, there was no indication of life from the girl.

  The boy had acted quickly after finding out their master wanted to be alone with the girl. They had no choice but to leave. After the invasion, their new master had praised their ability to evade capture. After he caught them, of course, it meant little. How could he not think they wouldn’t try to escape? How could he think they would call anyone master?

  The beasts were not far behind, followed closely by the guards. He had heard it said that the beasts were descended from sea creatures. Warped by science and now able to walk the earth. They were now disposable soldiers, abominations fit only for causing fear and destruction. The guards, red-skinned bastards who cared little for the beasts that protected them, pushed them forward into the driving storm without mercy. He knew the sky would explode soon. The air would crackle and strike the behemoth machine that was destroying their world. He was counting on this, and he didn’t have to wait long.

  The boy had prepared for just that. He had visited the power plant operation in the belly of the machine they had been living on. They were wearing special clothing to protect them from stray power currents and from the celestial power he was expecting. He had stolen boots and gloves, but the suits would be too much—a larger hiding space would be needed for them. The beasts and guards would not be so lucky if they were too close to the platform when the strike came down. A beautiful blue fire danced along the rails and decking of the platform down below. Drawn to the ground, it would not help.

  The chase continued. They would have eventually reached the lower shuttle bay, but they had been cut off and so were forced to climb upward. The idea of freedom seemed to wither with each metal step, but the muffled sounds of their pursuers kept their feet from coming to a halt. There was no going back now.

  ****

  Looking back over her shoulder, the girl couldn’t see the guards or the monsters that followed. She forced the boy to stop and pulled him close, putting her mouth right next to his ear. The storm was deafening and her voice was weak. “We have to get inside and take our chances.”

  He shook his head no and pointed to the sky.

  “What about the storm?”

  He gestured to the storm around them and then to her, then grabbed her hand with renewed energy, even as the storm seemed to grow stronger. They ran again for the stairway to the next level. She pulled back on his hand again when they reached the first step to the next level.

  “We must go inside,” she said insistently, though her voice was mostly swallowed by the wind. “We can find somewhere to hide.”

  He started up the steps. She heard their pursuers catching up with them and paused, then followed after feeling the pull on her hand. He had kept them alive from the beginning, and she had to trust his judgment. Even if its aim was random, the storm was the only ally they had. She was afraid it wouldn’t be enough.

  The landing platform was the highest point of the structure. It was also a beating ground; there was no protection from the storm’s fury. The rain hit so hard it stung, and they kept their heads low to protect their eyes. He pulled her along, desperately looking in all directions. She realized after a moment of confusion that he was looking for the shuttle that should have been parked there.

  It wasn’t. His grip on her hand went limp. His shoulders slumped and his knees weakened. She held onto his hand, hoping he could stand steady, for she didn’t have the strength to pull him back up. They stood in the spot where the shuttle should have been. She watched him as he turned his head, looking off into the thick black night.

  He finally stopped searching and faced her. She saw everything he felt in his face and eyes. It was clear to her he felt defeated, and now it was her turn to reassure him.

  “It’s ok,” she said, hoping he could hear. “We have accomplished more than any of our people. We never gave up.” He nodded, and then she saw his eyes move to something just beyond her shoulder. She knew what he was looking at and turned to face their pursuers, her heart beating faster.

  Two of the tentacle monsters moved in on them. The red guards, four in total, were right behind, str
uggling against the wind but pulling closer with every step. The boy stepped forward toward their pursuers. There was nowhere to run; she looked around for an escape route, but felt foolish for even trying. With a gentle shove, she moved him over and stood by his side. She clenched her fists and faced the approaching attackers. The wet hair plastered to her cheeks didn’t hide her anger and determination, though her face was half frozen from the storm.

  Something brought the beasts to a halt, maybe a command that was lost to their ears through the wind. She had seen the beasts before, but had never gotten used to it. Their mouths were waist-level and like the beaks of birds. They could crush bone like it was freshly baked bread, she knew. The rain made them shine in the storm and their eyes had a sinister gleam. The red guards were too far to be seen clearly, though she knew it was a trick of the weather. They weren’t far at all. They were yelling over the storm; the words that made their way through the sleet gave every indication that they would enjoy watching the two escapees die. Their faces, closer now, were angry and rain dripped from them. She smiled enjoying their discomfort. A terrible crash shook everything and the blue lightning danced.

  A movement in the sky, a shadow darker than the black itself, fell soundless suddenly behind the guards, hitting the deck and quickly standing up. It moved like a ghost within the storm, seeming to pass between raindrops. It became a blur of motion the storm could not touch, and the attackers had barely registered its presence when it came for them. A red guard’s body fell forward, its head rolling away from the group. The guard next to him fell to the deck moments later, his head twisted at an unnatural angle. The third guard raised an arm in defense and the arm immediately fell away. His mouth opened to scream, but before the storm could swallow the noise, something entered his gaping jaw and exited, almost too fast to follow, silencing it forever.

  The beasts sensed something, or maybe the head rolling past them was enough to alert them that something had changed. They began turning around, but they were large and their movements were not graceful, needing multiple steps to adjust, especially in the storm. There was a flash of light. One beast collapsed mid-step, a spray of blood and tissue stretching out behind it. The storm cracked the sky with a bright, momentary threat, jealous of the sound of death. The other beast began backing away from the demon that had fallen behind them. The girl smiled weakly and wiped the wet hair from her eyes. The scene was terrifying, but seeing the pursuers perish somehow made her feel safe, even surrounded by the wild storm.

  The fourth guard was frozen in fear. The second beast found its courage and moved forward, faster and more sure of itself. Its four tentacles were reaching out to grasp the shadow, when the figure moved and threw the fourth guard into the monster’s path. Instinct made the beast grab the guard instead of the dark figure, and in a blink the shadow reached out.

  This time there was sound, sound that even the storm could not silence. Lights flashed from the shadow’s arm; there was a whine and a crack, and the guard and beast both fell to the deck, the guard rolling off the beast and onto his back. Bones protruded from a hole in his chest. His eyes were open, staring blankly into the black. The rain filled his eye sockets and rolled down his cheeks; it mingled with blood and ran across the platform.

  The girl stood holding her breath, frozen in fear. In a few moments, their pursuers had been killed, and now their killer walked slowly toward them. Her eyes locked on the shadow’s chest, where an evil sigil smiled. Flames danced within its eyes, and now she knew the face of death. Two steps away, the figure stopped. The depth of its black armor was only surpassed by the night sky.

  Her knees buckled, and before the boy could grab her, the figure did. Her body never hit the cold, wet platform.

  Chapter 1

  She woke suddenly, sitting straight up in her bed and screaming, the hold on her broken. The terror in her dreams had vanished but was not forgotten. Tears running down her face, she held her shirt tightly against her, hand over her heart as if it would jump out of her chest. She clutched her bedding with the other hand out of reflex. Sobbing uncontrollably, she reached for the com laying on the table next to her bed.

  “Benjamin!” she screamed into the com. She stood, her legs shaking, trying to steady herself on the table with both hands. Looking around wild-eyed, part of her knew where she was but another part needed reassurance.

  Benjamin burst into her room wearing only a pair of shorts, the heavy ornate door thrown back with such force it damaged the wall. He ran to her side, it was the middle of night on Xanlos.

  ****

  “Binda, what happened?” I asked, walking toward her. She met me halfway, wrapping her arms around me. Taz alerted the others even though the door and damaged wall had already done so.

  “Benjamin, they’re coming. I’ve seen it,” Binda said, her voice thin and trembling.

  “What? Who is coming?” I asked, holding her tight to me and stroking her head.

  Binda nudged me aside, looking directly at Taz, who had arrived quickly behind me.

  “Tazleaha, listen to me,” she said, her voice rising with each word. “I’ve seen them. They will take everything, then destroy what is left of the planet. I saw fire rain down on our worlds!”

  Taz went to Binda and held her, uncharacteristically soft. She lowered her head and whispered in Binda’s ear. I couldn’t make it out, but clearly she didn’t want to be heard. Binda couldn’t help herself; her breathing was still labored, her mind not thinking straight.

  “Khalnalax,” she whispered. Taz let go and stepped back, her face frozen.

  “What the hell is a Khalnalax?” I asked. I heard a sharp intake of breath and found Nedra standing nearby. I hadn’t heard her arrive. She wasn’t always easy to read, but I saw it in her eyes—fear—and Nedra wasn’t scared of shit. “I need to inform Xamand,” she said quickly and headed for the door. Others were arriving, moving around her.

  “Wait!” Taz yelled. Nedra stopped and turned toward her. “Binda, I need to know the truth of how this information came to you. You understand, don’t you? I cannot make an announcement of this proportion on a dream, even though I believe you.”

  Binda took a long, shaky breath before explaining. “Among the royal houses of Trillond there are those born with the gift of telepathy like our E’Aria,” she said. “They speak and listen with their minds, a coveted gift that has been closely guarded. There have been other special abilities which have manifested in my people over our long civilization, but most have been eradicated out of fear.” She turned to me. “Benjamin, your people would call me a seer, if what I’ve read of your history is correct.”

  “It carries a death sentence on Trillond, does it not?” Taz asked.

  “Yes,” Binda said. “I have been fortunate that my visions come in the form of dreams. I think sleep calms my mind more thoroughly than when I am awake.”

  “So you can always say you had a bad dream if anyone noticed you having an episode,” I said, hoping I had correctly read between the lines.

  “Yes, but understand this. I have not had many of these dreams—only a handful in my life thus far—and those I’ve had, I have never spoken of. As Benjamin says, I let the chips fall.”

  “I think the queen believes you, Binda, but she is going to need more information,” Adeen said. “Her word will put hundreds of systems on point. How detailed was your dream? Are there any details that could be irrefutable?”

  My old commander… ever the officer, I thought as I watched Adeen question Binda. If she could, she would jump in Binda’s ear, rummage around inside and organize her brain for her.

  I guided Binda over to her bed and sat her down, though Adeen looked ready to keep questioning her. Taking a pitcher of water, I poured her a glass. “Just relax,” I told her. “We will work it out. We believe you and that’s all that matters. We’ll talk again in a little while.” I turned to everyone. “Ok! Out now. Get the hell out of here and leave her be. Move it!”

  “You order
me to leave?” Taz said, obviously not done talking to Binda.

  “You order me to leave,” I repeated in a whiney voice. “You heard me, now go.”

  Everyone was out the door except Taz. She stood with her hands on her hips, trying to make me think I was in trouble. How far would I need to travel to find a woman who didn’t look at me like that?

  I picked her up, hugging her against me and quickly walking out before she could wriggle away. Stopping outside the door, I dropped her and gently pulled the door shut, leaving Binda in peace and quiet. Taz stood stiff as a board.

  “She needs to rest first, Taz. Then you can grill her. It has to be hard to see worlds razed to the ground. You get that, don’t you?”

  “She might forget important details,” Taz replied.

  “I don’t think so. Not Binda,” I said. “Look, I don’t know how this dream thing works, but I know her. Give her some time and she will give you something organized and concise.”

  “She has never received the proper training, which is why the visions come in her dreams. Had she been born Allond or Cjittan, she would be relaying the information to us,” Taz said.

  “Doesn’t help, does it? Why don’t you spend your time filling the rest in on what scared the hell out of Nedra, the steadiest member of my crew?” I told her.

  Taz conceded. “Come with me,” she said. “We will review the archives with a select few of my people and all of yours.”

  ****

  I stood at the front of the room watching people enter and mingle. Taz had asked for my crew to be present but I left most of them out of it. Binda, Natalia and Genius were the only members I brought along.

  Binda walked up next to me but didn’t say a word. I put my arm around her shoulders and gave her what I hoped was a reassuring hug as we watched a large group of Cjittan enter the room. The number of people worried me. I recalled Taz saying she didn’t want to make a big announcement. Though she was queen of about a bazillion people, it would only take one set of flapping lips to get the rumor mill turning. With about thirty present, it was good odds one or more would talk to the wrong person.