Lanatek appointed Xikubair, one of the Karillian officers, as captain. He explained to the rest of the Karillians that they will be transferring over to the Leif Erikson and to take the Doletitheus back to Karillia and not to ask any questions. The former crew of the Crytore were busy preparing for their departure, and all gathered in the lower cargo hold of the ship. There they waited for Jhahnahkan to open up the vortex for them to cross over to the Leif Erikson.
Luanren and Lanatek were the first to cross over followed by the remaining crew of the Crytore. Luanren ran over and threw her arms around Jhahnahkan as she wept with joy that her son was all right.
Jhahnahkan, being only slightly drained by the energy required to transfer so many at once, staggered somewhat at the onset of Luanren. She held him up by his arms for a moment until he regained his composure.
“Why did you hide the truth, Mother?”
“I did what I had to do to protect your father,” Luanren said, sobbing on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, my son. I never meant to hurt you. Can you forgive me?”
“That is all in the past now—or future, depending on one’s perspective,” Jhahnahkan said, smiling back at his mother.
His grin made her smile and then just cry just a bit more as she looked up at him and said how proud she was of his accomplishments.
“Always the kidding one….As your mother, I have always wanted to tell you how proud I was; now I get to,” Luanren said, holding him in her arms.
With the last of the Crytore crew transferred to the Leif Erikson, Xikubair of the Doletitheus departed Ackturrian orbit and headed for Karillia. Jhahnahkan gave the order from the cargo bay to set course for sector 523 and to put all available power reserves into the phosphorus shielding to prevent them from being detected by any scans.
Lanatek, Luanren, and Jhahnahkan made their way to the bridge tower while the rest of the crew followed their instructions to familiarize themselves with the ship systems for each of their duties they would normally perform.
Lanatek and Luanren briefed Jhahnhkan on all the events that had taken place. They began by telling him of escaping his brother to their encounter with Panru on the Telenian. They told him of their apparent time travel that occurred after the Crytore’s core detonation and then being captured by the Zelinite. They finally told Jhahnhkan of the terrible fate that brought Tamika seeking Ackturra and the Rune.
The door opened up, revealing the Leif’s bridge and Jhahnahkan’s ragtag crew.
“This is your bridge crew?” Lanatek asked as he rubbed his chin. “We need to get my people up here now.”
Jhahnahkan interrupted Lanatek midsentence. “My crew stays,” he said with authority. “These people have been through a lot with my arrival on Earth. They are very devoted and faithful. They left their lives to come with me, and they have already learned the functions of this ship much faster than even our own people could have learned. They stay.”
“Have these crewmen ever seen battle before? Will they be able to handle it?” Lanatek questioned.
“I trust my life with these people. They have always come through.”
“Yes, they have,” Helen said, stepping forward.
“And who is this?” Lanatek again questioned as he stooped down and peered in the old woman’s eyes.
“You will be mindful, young man. You need to learn respect,” Helen said as she poked Lanatek on the chest with her cane. “Do not question the authority of Jhahnahkan, son of Qiaoshan of the house of Sö’!”
“This is Helen, Jhahnahkan’s grandmother, and you shall do good to listen to this wise old woman,” Kate said with a wink toward Helen.
“Who are you calling old?” Helen answered back.
Lanatek bowed to the old woman and reluctantly agreed to Jhahnahkan’s request while he introduced the rest of his bridge crew.
“We are at full speed, sir,” Rex informed his captain, “And on course to sector 523.”
“Glenda,” Jhahnahkan said, pointing at her com station, “Open a shipwide channel.”
“Channel open,” Glenda said after clicking a few buttons on her console.
“Attention, all crew,” he began, “this is the captain speaking. In just a few minutes, we will be entering the space-time vortex that will send us back to our own time. I do not know what we will find once we arrive. I suggest we all prepare for anything at this point.”
Jhahnahkan sat in his captain’s chair, removed his master crystal, and suspended it out before him and then continued. “The timeline that we were from may not be exactly as we remember it. Tamika and Luanren’s arrival and interaction with the people of this time has broken and altered what we knew.” He continued to address his crew as he focused on manipulating his master crystal. “I advise we all hang on as it could be a rough ride through the vortex as we traverse one thousand years and embrace the timeline changes that have occurred.”
At that moment, Jhahnahkan found himself within the white sphere facing Roth’stavous, and he addressed Jhahnahkan as grandson.
“You already know, Jhahnahkan, the essence of your grandfather resides within,” Roth’stavous began. “I have already told you that, but what I have not told you is that your essence is also a part of me now.”
“I do know, my grandfather,” Jhahnahkan said.
“Once you become aware of the true nature of the power source, you will be able to defeat your brother. The power is within you, not within the crystal. I am simply a vehicle to your own understanding.”
“Yes, my grandfather, I am beginning to understand now.”
“But there is one thing you still must overcome. Do you know what that is?”
“I am unsure.”
“You must come to the complete understanding that you may not be able to save your sister, Tamika.”
“No! I… I know I can.”
“Do not be foolish,” Roth’stavous said. “Once you accept the fact that she may not be saved, you can defeat your brother, and you may have to fight him to the death.”
“I can save them both. It is the infected crystals that have caused them to do evil. Once I heal the crystal infection, they can be saved from the evil they are doing.”
Roth’stavous abruptly interrupted Jhahnahkan, “You will be defeated if you go into this battle with false hope, my grandson. Put away those feelings. Bury them down deep inside or you will not be victorious. Do not think of yourself or them, but think of the greater good. Think of your friends who are depending on your success. Think of Katie, who bears your child.”
“My child? What do you mean my child?”
Helen and Kate both entered the sphere at the same time and joined Jhahnahkan at his side.
Katie looked up at Jhahnahkan and gave him a big smile. “It’s true, my love. I am carrying your child.”
“It is a miracle that she can conceive,” Helen said, looking at Katie with promise. “You will make a great mother. Trust me. I know these things.”
Tears began to well up in Jhahnahkan’s eyes as he learned the news. “What Roth’stavous says is true. I may have to kill my brother. I have to let go of trying to save Tamika.”
“I did not say it could not be done, my grandson. I am merely saying that you must let go of the fact that she may not be saved,” Roth’stavous said as the sphere began to dissipate. “Now go, travel back to your own time. Face the truth. Look for the answers that are within.”
Jhahnahkan, Kate, and Helen once gain found themselves back on the bridge of the Leif Erikson as they stared out the front of the ship as they entered the vortex that would send them back the their future.
As they crossed through the time expanse, Jhahnahkan thought about his sister and what Roth’stavous had said about letting go. He thought about his brother and the possibility of facing him in battle, a battle to death. How could he kill is own brother? Even after all the things that have been done, he still loved him. Knowing that he was his half brother changed nothing about his feelings. He thought about
Kate and the news he had not even began to fathom. How could he bring her into battle when she was with child—his child? He thought about Helen. What was to become of her? He thought of his entire crew—Rex, Glenda, the Russell brothers, and the doctor. They hadn’t even seen battle before now, yet he resisted Lanatek’s suggestion of running the ship with the former Crytore crew. What were they going to find on the other side of the time vortex? What changes would they notice, and what changes would go unnoticed? All of this was about to be revealed as the ship passed through the vortex and exited at the other side.
The Leif Erikson returned to normal space, its engines still blazing toward sector 523. Jhahnahkan regained his composure, his master crystal still suspended out before him and slowly tuned like a top. He looked around the bridge crew and counted everyone and discovered everyone was still there.
“Rex, what is our current position? Glenda, what do you hear on the com channels?”
Rex turned his chair around to face his captain. “We seem to be in your time now. We are just minutes from our set course.”
“The com channels are full of chatter… orders being relayed... They are originating directly ahead of us. It seems like several ships are on course for the same place.”
Kate monitored her council and interrupted Glenda. “Yes, we have several ships that the scanners have picked up. They originated from Ackturra. They are cloaked by some kind of network. Our scanners can scan through the net.”
“It’s my brother!” Jhahnahkan said with a start. “I feel his presence. He is also aware of me through my master crystal. They are linked together.”
“Oh, brother,” Jhahnahkan heard inside his head, “brother, I know you are there somewhere.” Jhovahkan was talking in his mind. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”
“He is taunting me,” Jhahnahkan said. “Computer, increase the phosphorus shielding.”
The computer answered back that the shielding is at maximum power.
Jhahnahkan concentrated on his brother and answered him back. “I’m right here, my brother. I have returned to avenge my father’s death. You or your mother, Ghaia, will not get away with this deceit. I am not afraid to face you, my brother!” he said with hate in his voice. “If you are so powerful, why can you not come and find me?”
“You will have to wait. I am on my way to destroy a fleet of Zelinites that are trying to infiltrate our main jamming station,” Jhovahkan said.
Kate came to Jhahnahkan’s side, took his hand, and gave him a squeeze to give him support. “You are in contact with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” he quietly answered, “I must face him. I must stop him with his plans.”
“I hear your every thought now, my brother. You must be very close to me,” Jhovahkan said in his mind. “Just watch, my brother. We are about to commence our attack.”
He grabbed his crystal and cupped it as if he was trying to prevent his brother from hearing his next orders.
“Lanatek, you must take command of the ship. Do everything you can to prevent the attack. Kate, stay here with Luanren and the rest. Do not leave this ship no matter what. I feel this is the safest place for you. Don’t risk putting our child in harm’s way.”
Lanatek quickly took over command and began to bark orders to the bridge crew. “Tim and Chuck, I hope your skills are trained up enough. I need you to fire a burst pattern out in front of the ship. Spread them out to expand a couple thousand feet apart and detonate them simultaneously. I am betting that will temporarily take down their net of protection. Kate, once those ships are visible, I need scans on their ship signatures. There are some among Jhovahkan’s fleet that are loyal to the southern clan and oppose Jhovahkan. Glenda, if they match what I am looking for, then send them this coded message: ‘Turn on him now.’ They will then open fire on the Kalentun and we can capture the fleet’s flagship.”
Kate wrapped her arms around her lover. “Where do you think you are going, mister?”
“I must take Jhovahkan out of this equation. I am going to face him alone, just him and me.”
“And your two master crystals, I might add, and by the way, if you didn’t even notice, you have begun using contractions,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, I must say I haven’t even thought about that. They are just coming naturally now.”
Jhahnahkan stepped off to the side and waited for the right time to act. Lanatek gave the order to fire the weapons spread and instructed the rest of the crew to stand by.
Tim and Chuck assembled the weapons array and instructed the computer to fire at the designated target. The ship fired a spread of five torpedoes out in front of their ship. They quickly traveled to their destination where the computer sent a signal to detonate. The screen lit up with a fiery red blast from every missile exploding. A faint reddish shadow began to appear that revealed Jhovahkan’s armada, the carrier situated just below the Kalentun with five support destroyers surrounding the flagship.
“The net has been broken. Scan those ship signatures,” Lanatek ordered.
“Scans are coming in now, sir,” Kate said.
Lanatek looked over Kate’s shoulder at the display console and instructed Glenda to send the message. “There are three of these ships that are on our side!” Lanatek said with a shout.
“Message sent, and it seems they have received it,” Glenda answered.
As they looked on before them, they saw two of the destroyers break formation as well as the carrier below. They regrouped and began to fire upon the Kalentun. The carrier launched a hundred fighters and started to swarm the other three destroyers, who also began to fire upon the attacking ships.
“Sir, I’m picking up another ship incoming from the other side of the sector,” Kate said.
“I’m picking up a message,” Glenda said. “He says he is Panru from the Telenian. They are coming to join us.”
The Telenian blazed into the area, firing all their weapons at the northern clan ships. Now, Jhovahkan’s armada had split, and the crystal net had been compromised as the battle in the sector was no longer about wiping out the approaching Zelinite ships en route to take over the jamming station. They were now battling with themselves over who was the lead force, the northern or southern clan of Ackturra.
The approaching Zelinite fleet turned and fled the area, not wanting to get in between the two fighting factions. They decided to let them battle it out and return to Zelinite. They thought it would be better not to cause more conflict in this region of space; the Zelinite hoped that Ackturrians would destroy this jamming station so communications would be restored. It would be the demise of the Ackturrians’ own war machine that had been waging war on every planet in this solar system for the last thousand years that would undo a thousand years of terror.
Jhahnahkan took the opportunity of confusion to take action. He held his master crystal out before him and concentrated on forming a vortex while thinking of his brother. He didn’t want to suppress the feelings of hate he had for his brother right now. Though he did still love his brother, he continued to increase his anger to feed into the vortex.
The maelstrom opened before him, and he ran inside, closing it behind as he left the bridge of the Leif Erikson.
* * *
Chapter 15
The Crystal Caverns
Ackturra
Year: 2983
Jhovahkan sat in his command chair and began to give evasive orders as his own fleet began to turn on him. The three remaining destroyers were ordered to protect the Kalentun at all costs.
He pressed the release button on the master crystal tuner console, which then opened at the top, exposing the luster of his master crystal. He reached inside and disconnected it from the device, knowing that the control net would be taken completely down.
He watched in dismay as his plans of victory over the Zelinites were turning into an all-out civil war between the north and south clans of Ackturra.
“I knew this day would eventually be u
pon us.” He spoke with anger in his voice. “Jhahnahkan will pay for this. It is his entire fault!” he shouted as he stood from his command chair.
He looked out from the bridge of the Kalentun and saw his fleet firing weapons at one another, missiles exploding, and fighters darting in and out among his ships. There wasn’t too much damage as their armor and shields kept their ships intact for the moment.
“Sir,” his tactical officer said, “the Telenian is entering our sector.”
“Good,” Jhovahkan said. “With Panru on our side, we will have the advantage.”
The Kalentun began to rock and sway with the energy weapons discharge on their hull.”
“They are firing at us?” Jhovahkan exclaimed in confusion.
“Yes, sir,” the tactical officer shouted, “they have joined the southern clan’s movement.”
“That is impossible!” Jhovahkan barked. “My master crystal would have alerted me of his deceit. I trusted him with the command of the Telenian.”
Jhovahkan did not even have a chance to finish his sentence when a vortex suddenly appeared on the bridge of the Kalentun. It was Jhahnahkan coming to avenge his father’s death.
Jhovahkan looked over at his brother and saw his face displaying anger in his eyes and his teeth gnashing as he rushed toward him. The vortex remained open and traveled with him as he approached him. Jhahnahkan grabbed his brother, taking him by surprise with a mighty shout like a war cry as if he entered battle. With both arms, Jhahnahkan connected with his brother in a half tackle, which took Jhovahkan off-balance. Jhahnahkan carried them both off into the moving vortex. The bridge crew looked on as the two brothers disappeared from the ship as the vortex closed almost as fast as it had opened.
Their captain was now missing, which caused complete chaos on the bridge of the Ackturrian flagship. Jhovahkan’s first officer took command and continued with fighting off the southern clan’s attack by commanding them to fire on any attacking ship.
Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure) Page 24
