Scorpion - The Rae Wars

by Kyle Mata

  “Then don’t say anything.” Theron put a single finger over her lips. “Let us enjoy the night and see if we can’t start from where we left off. The past is behind us now.”

  “I guess you’re right.” She stepped back and slipped an arm under his. “Shall we head to the ceremony now?”

  “Indeed, we shall, Dae.”

  They left the homestead. It had gotten dark since they arrived; the sun was just dipping below the horizon, making the gold valley glow dimly one last time. Intricate and equally ornate street lights flickered to life, creating an ambiance that was accentuated by the polished buildings. Outside was Karr; he turned when he heard the door open. His head visibly dropped to look at Daena’s arm looped under Theron’s. Karr could observe an entire room without moving his helmet and betraying where he looked.

  Daena wasn’t sure why, but her heart sank when she saw him.

  “They won’t let you into the ceremony dressed like that, friend.” Theron said. Karr stared at the Knight for a long few seconds. Then he stalked off into the dark. Theron looked at Daena with a shrug. But Daena could not meet his eyes, not while she knew Karr was watching. She felt guilty. Karr saved her life and this was how she repaid him? But then she grew angry with Karr. Why couldn’t he just use his words? Why couldn’t he just tell her he didn’t want her to go?

  He did.

  She remembered what Mory had said, but it didn’t matter. Humanity may not even exist much longer, and she was in a dress worth more than all the raumgeld she had ever seen in her entire life. She wasn’t going to let Karr ruin her night. “Let’s go. I see Roux and Thomas up ahead.”

  There was a tree covered cliff that overlooked the ballroom where the ceremony was being held. Karr sat atop it, cradling his rebuilt MAGE rifle. He watched with his HUD set to ten-times magnification as the guests from several factions trickled in. He could not wrap his head around the fact that so many smart people were getting dressed up, having a fancy dinner and dancing when the fate of humanity was at risk and an incredibly daunting enemy was knocking at their door.

  He looked up into the sky and wondered how many Nyrotsi, Coalition, and Mason warships sat in orbit. All in one place, grouped together as one big target. Karr should have sniped Tavington from his vantage point, right then and there, as he almost had sniped the fox Rae, Krixen. But Thomas said he had a plan, and he had to trust that. Thomas and Roux were among the first to enter. Thomas had his dark gray Nyrotsi dress uniform, sporting brand new captain’s rank. Roux looked great beside him in a red dress and her hair down around her shoulders.

  He watched as Daena walked up the carpet to enter the ballroom. He had hardly noticed her dress back at Theron’s place, which was unusual for him, but he noticed it fully now. Her emerald dress matched her eyes perfectly; it had a high slit up her thigh and her back was bare, but the rest of the dress was modest and elegant, to Karr’s relief. He thought she was an angel in battle armor, his very own valkyrie. And in the dress, she was breathtaking. He didn’t know how to handle the fact that she was on the arm of a Knight. The Shadowri had always considered the KON to be goody-goody wannabees. They were just men and women who cared about appearance more than practicality. They claimed to be warriors, yet they have avoided every war since their founding, hiding behind a made-up ideology of remaining neutral to help everyone. There was an ancient military proverb from the Murphy’s art of war doctrine that said, ‘No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.’ Yet Karr could practically see himself reflected off the shiny armor of all the Knights. He knew they trained often but wondered if any of them had ever seen a battle. If any of them had ever lost a friend, watched them bleed out in their arms. He wondered if any Knights ever got their armor dirty. He wondered if Theron could keep Daena safe.

  Once everyone had entered and the large doors closed, Karr heard the ceremony begin, thanks to the blare of brass instruments. He waited for a few moments to ensure no one uninvited tried to sneak in past the guards, as he had spotted at least three vulnerabilities in their security procedure, which he planned to exploit and gain entrance into the ballroom—invited or not.

  CHAPTER 22

  DEEDS NOT WORDS

  Just as Theron and Daena stepped inside to join the social period prior to the actual dinner, Theron turned and pulled a magnificent jeweled necklace from a small hard pouch on his armor belt. It shined brightly in the light of the ballroom.

  “Do you like it?” He asked Daena. He held it in his hands, on display for her to examine. It was a made of a rare crimson-gold found only in the rings of the gas planet Crimllore and featured an emerald gem polished to a brilliant shine.

  “It’s magnificent; it must have cost a fortune.”

  “It wasn’t so bad. I bought it on Gardenia. I planned on giving it to you years ago but never had the opportunity. The gem reminded me of your eyes. Would you like to wear it?”

  “I would love to.” She turned and held her hair up, so he could place it around her neck, which he did with the utmost gentleness. She turned once it had been locked. “Well, how do I look?”

  “Beautiful, of course—oh, and the necklace looks powa, too.” Theron said with a witty grin. Daena laughed and took his hand. Theron began mingling with powerful politicians and introducing her to each of them. She wondered if events like this would be in her future as a senator.

  The social period had ended, and everyone found their seats as the trumpets played on either side of the grand hall. Each table was beautifully decorated with expensive platinum flatware and fine china. Colorful chandeliers hovered delicately in the air at various heights. At the top of the domed ceiling was a large pure glass window, a rarity in the year 1090 AE. Through the window a pristine and unpolluted night sky was visible. Each star sparkled like a diamond sprinkled among the armada overhead. Everyone inside gave off an aura of political power, wealth, and royalty. Roux couldn’t believe the roster of this event; several Nyrotsi fleet admirals, the Coalition Ulti-Senator and Viceroy of the first district were all in attendance—not to mention the nearly hundred Coalition senators and governors, several tier one and two members of the Mason’s guild and various other leaders from powerful independent worlds. She only recognized a few, such as the Executive President of Fordia.

  Thomas was used to such events; his family had dragged him to plenty as a child. He joined the military in hopes of avoiding such occasions, but the officer life of the military was just as political as any government. Thomas felt he might be singled out due to the simple fact he was the lowest ranking officer in the building, and elder naval officers never pass up an opportunity to mentor. Roux and Daena, on the other hand, were just doing their best to fit in, having no official reason to be there.

  Theron had not taken his eyes off Daena since they had arrived; he looked at her as though she were the empress of the universe. Even when the Queen of the Order of Nebula thanked Theron for setting up such a tight security force with his legion, he had to tear his gaze from his date in order to accept the praise. He squeezed her hand under the table and smiled at her. She smiled back and blushed. She was genuinely flattered, and it did feel good to see some of the female—and even a few male—political leaders look at the handsome Theron, then at her, and turn green with envy.

  Music began to play and slowly couples began to make their way toward the dance floor. Thomas surveyed the room like a hawk, hoping to find Tavington and confront him about the Rae and his alleged involvement with them, as well as the whereabouts of the Dominar. But the esteemed admiral of the second fleet seemed to have vanished.

  “You know, it’ll probably be easier to spot him from the dance floor,” Roux said hintingly. Thomas smiled at her and stood, offering the Mason pilot his hand. Together they headed toward the dance floor. With their exit, Theron and Daena were left alone at their side of the large round table. Theron turned toward Daena and took her hands in his. They were a familiar fit.

  “So, Dae, do you wish to tell me why I n
eeded to get you into this ceremony? Not that I mind, of course, I am merely curious.”

  “Actually, it’d be easier for us both if I didn’t at the moment,” Daena replied, lightly squeezing his hands. But she continued to look around the room for Tavington.

  “Very well, I trust your judgement. Then perhaps I can apologize?”

  “For what?” She said, bringing her focus back to the Knight.

  “For my actions, so many years ago. I realize we were both too young and had only known each other for a short while, but my heart knew as soon as I laid eyes upon you that I loved you. And this love has withstood the test of time, as I have never loved another. I know I shouldn’t have proposed so soon, and the pressure of taking you away from your home was too great. I’m so sorry I lost you, I’m sorry for it every day. But I don’t believe in coincidence; fate has brought us together, across this massive galaxy to this single spot, and we are together again. Haven’t you missed me at all?”

  “Of course, I have, Theron, but—” Theron quickly and gently put a finger over her mouth.

  “No, no buts. I will not rush you nor ask for any decisions nor commitments from you, Dae. I have learned that lesson, and I have learned it well. But I can see you are troubled—you have been since the moment you landed, probably even before. I just want you to know that whatever, or whoever, is troubling you, I can and will help you however I can.”

  “Thank you, Theron,” Daena said quietly.

  “Know that you can ask anything of me, but I only have one question for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “May I have a dance?” Theron stood, offering his hand. Daena smiled and took it as he swept her into his arms. While he wore armor, it was not as fully encompassing as Karr’s; it was as elegant and handsome as the man who donned it. The couple made their way to the dance floor and a fluid, enchanting song began to play. The song was a rich blend of fast and slow, loud and quiet, soft and hard. As Theron twirled Daena about, Daena could not help but feel reconnected to the man. He had grown up—they both had. When they had first met, they were young and immature; now, however, Theron was successful and determined, and he seemed to truly care about her.

  They danced and danced. Daena thought a formal ceremony for such an occasion was ridiculous at first, dancing before deciding the next steps that humanity would take against a largely unknown enemy did not pass any simple logic tests in her eyes. After a short time, though, she was lost in the music. Her every move was perfectly complemented by his. Before she knew it, the music had ended and they were the only two on the dance floor. All eyes were on the couple as Theron pulled her into a close embrace with ease and leaned in. She knew this would eventually happen and had spent all night planning a way to avoid it, but now she wasn’t sure what she would do.

  Their lips were centimeters apart when Theron whispered something into her ear.

  “Not here, not like this. I want our first kiss to be ours, not the audience’s, no pressure from prying eyes. But know I love you, Daena Staal.” He spun her outward in an extravagant display of his dancing prowess. The room burst into applause and they both bowed.

  A second burst from the brass horns prompted everyone to return to their seats. Roux was smiling weakly at Daena from across the table; she wanted to be supportive of her new friend, but she secretly wondered when Karr was going to whisk Daena away from the suspiciously romantic Knight.

  Thomas was still scanning the room, frustrated that Tavington had vanished. He figured the admiral had lured everyone here as a trap. He was about to comm Karr and move to plan B when every head in the room turned toward the entrance.

  Admiral Tavington entered. Normally he would have a Nightfang guard detail, but he entered alone and walked slowly toward the front of the room. He stepped up to a grand diamond and gold podium, and the dull roar of conversation in the room quickly died down to silence. He looked visibly distraught. He glanced over the assembled crowd with a face full of immense sorrow. Tavington, one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, appeared to have been crying just before he entered; his eyes were red and his face was slightly puffy. The crowd was quiet before, but now a pin drop could be heard.

  “I’m—I’m so sorry…” Tavington said quietly. “I’m sorry… for all of this. It’s just—they took them.” Tavington began to weep quietly but quickly pulled himself together enough to continue. “The Rae, the aliens who have brought us together and have also torn us apart… They took my wife, my son, and my baby daughter, Polly. They have demanded I do terrible things, forward their wretched plots, in order to see them returned safely.” Tavington had tears streaking down his face. He was the epitome of remorse. “I’ve done evil things—awful things. I may have doomed humanity entirely. I’ll suffer for several eternities for what I have done. But I ask, what would any of you have done? I tried to say no. I tried to work for the greater good, for humanity, and they immediately slaughtered Gregory, in front of my own eyes. They killed my only son.” Tavington sobbed deeply and heavily. Minutes earlier Thomas had wanted to throttle the man, but now his heart went out to him. “The last move in their dreadful chess game that they required of me was to gather you all here, and just seconds ago, they killed my wife and my daughter, despite my following their every order. Oh, how I wished you hadn’t come. How I wish you would have declined. I’ve doomed us all, and for what? I am so sorry…” Tavington put his head in his hands and sobbed loudly. Then he looked up at the ceiling and cried out, “I’m so sorry, Rosaline!” Then he un-holstered his engraved Nyrotsi-Star sidearm—awarded to fleet commanders on their fifth year of command by the Dominar—and shot himself in the head.

  The echo of the shot faded and shocked silence hung in the air as the once proud Admiral’s body unceremoniously fell to the floor. Blood covered the expensive podium and wall behind.

  The silence quickly erupted into chaos. Women and men alike screamed in utter terror. Everyone was suddenly running for the door, which suddenly flung open. Two Knights were tossed into the center of the room; they were headless.

  Several Rae entered, brandishing various melee weapons, and they began to cut the party-goers down like cattle. The few Knights in the room drew their swords and charged the Rae, some fought with a clash and clang of metal on metal. Two Knights were slain immediately, leaving the Rae to return to their slaughter.

  Theron drew his sword and rushed Daena toward the back of the ballroom so he could better protect her; there, they met up with Thomas and Roux. Thomas held a heavy pistol he had stashed away in his jacket.

  “Good evening, humans! Where is the one they call Daena Staal?!” A jaguar Rae with piercing yellow eyes roared at the crowd, as it kicked a Knight woman it had just impaled off its spear.

  “Give us Daena Staal and the rest of you may live.” The politicians all looked around desperately, as none of them had ever heard of Daena Staal before. Despite several of them being introduced earlier, most had forgotten her name thinking she was merely a trophy wife of one of the Knights. Some more Knights arrived and engaged the Rae, buying the guests some more time, but due to the fighting being so close to the front entrance, anyone who attempted to flee was quickly cut down, including the Coalition Viceroy. All the ceremony-goers could do was watch helplessly and cringe as, one by one, the Knights—their only hope—were felled.

  Daena looked at her friends with wide eyes and mouthed ‘ME?’ with a point at herself. “What do they want with me?”

  “I don’t know, but don’t you dare do some heroic nonsense and turn yourself in, Daena. You heard what Tavington said,” Thomas said. He tried to comm Karr to no avail. “Comms are jammed. We’re on our own.”

  “Theron, what do we do?” Daena asked, clutching his hand.

  “I think there’s only one thing to do…” Theron said, his face steel and confident, sizing up the alien foes. Daena looked on in awe as the Arch Knight strode toward the jaguar Rae and yelled.

  “Stop!” The fighting stopped, an
d everyone turned toward Theron.

  “Let these people go!” Theron demanded, pointing his sword.

  “You have our demands; I’ll kill you next.” The jaguar Rae growled.

  “Daena Staal is right there.” Theron said, and pointed back at Daena. The crowd parted as if forced back from his gesture. A wide-eyed Daena stared back in shock as the entire crowd looked at her. Thomas put himself in front of her. The jaguar Rae trudged forward toward Daena and Thomas, brushing past Theron without conflict. Theron looked down at his feet.

  As the Rae approached, Thomas fired his pistol repeatedly. The Rae’s shield shimmered as the rounds were harmlessly disintegrated. The Rae easily flung Thomas aside, sending him crashing into a table.

  “We have been looking for you. You will come with us.”

  Suddenly, a section of the glass dome window shattered and a black shadow dropped into the room, landing with both feet on the shoulders of the jaguar Rae, crushing it.

  Karr stood from the crumpled Rae, his matte black armor dirty and covered in his foe’s dark blood. He stabbed the jaguar Rae through the stomach for good measure. The yellow eyes looked up at him with pure rage before the light faded.

  The Shadowri said nothing and turned to face the other enemies.

  The remaining Rae charged at Karr. Karr kicked the spear from the Jaguar beneath him up, caught it, adjusted his grip, and hurled it. It impacted a raven Rae and sent it flying back where it was then pegged to the wall. The remaining two ran to meet him. The gold Rae and the black-armored Shadowri were a blur of motion as they parried and sliced at one another. Thomas dashed forward, past the fray and at Theron.

  “Give me that damn sword,” Thomas said, yanking it out of Theron’s hands. He ran forward and stabbed one of the Rae through the back, giving Karr an opportunity to decapitate the last Rae with a decisive slice.