by Tripp Ellis
They held up in the hallway at the edge of the flight deck. Ray had a clear view of the Osprey. It was just as they'd left it. An entire company of troops stood in formation, awaiting the arrival of the Empress. There was no way to get to the Osprey without drawing a great deal of unwanted attention.
32
"All the good uniforms are taken," Nard said, looking over the pile of dead guards in the holding cell.
“We’ll just have to make do,” Vlaax said. They pilfered what was left of the uniforms and got dressed.
They looked somewhat out of place dressed as Imperial Soturi. It was rare to see an alien species in uniform, though it wasn't specifically against regulation.
The uniform Nard put on was three sizes too big and had a gaping hole in the chest. "I look ridiculous."
“And that's unusual, how?"
“You're a funny guy. You ever think about doing standup?” Nard's voice was thick with sarcasm.
“Grab a rifle and let's get out of here," Vlaax said.
They exited the cell and moved to the main hatch. They slipped into the hallway and marched down the corridor, weaving through the maze of passageways.
“Do you even know where you are going?" Nard asked.
"I've been on a destroyer before."
They passed by other sailors, getting odd stares every now and again. They headed aft toward the reactor compartment. As they turned the corner, they passed by a lieutenant commander who scowled at them. His face crinkled up like he had smelled something foul. He stopped in his tracks as Vlaax and Nard kept moving. He watched them take a few steps, then called out, “Excuse me, Corporal."
Vlaax and Nard kept marching, oblivious.
“Excuse me, Corporal," the Lieutenant Commander shouted, annoyed. He was a tall skinny guy, with a long Roman nose and dark hair.
Vlaax finally realized the officer was addressing them. They both stopped and spun around to face the Lieutenant Commander. His name tag read M. Wilcox.
The commander approached them slowly, his eyes fixed on Nard's uniform. He stared at the hole in Nard's shirt. He looked like he was going to have a conniption fit. He reached his arm out and hooked his finger into the gaping hole, pulling the fabric toward him. “Do you mind explaining this to me, Corporal?"
Nard swallowed hard and shrugged.
“There was a mixup with the laundry,” Vlaax interjected. "They brought back the wrong uniform and it was torn up like that."
“Thank you, Sergeant. That was informative. But I asked the Corporal.”
“Yes, sir. Like he said, there was a mixup with the laundry,” Nard said.
“Any self-respecting Soturi wouldn't be caught dead in a uniform in this condition. You are a disgrace to the Soturi Corps, and by default, the Navy.”
“Yes, sir."
“Find an appropriate uniform immediately, or I swear to God, I will space you. Have I made myself clear, Corporal?"
“Yes, sir," Nard said, doing his best impression of a Soturi.
“Carry on,” the Lieutenant Commander said. He spun around and marched away down the corridor, muttering under his breath, “Damn So Corps.”
Nard muttered to Vlaax. "I told you I looked ridiculous."
VLAAX AND NARD reached the reactor room and stepped inside. The control technician glanced up at them from a console.
“Routine security check," Vlaax said, trying to sound official.
The reactor tech nodded and brought his attention back to the control panel.
The room was a cavernous space, three decks high. Four tokamaks filled the area. They looked like giant steel doughnuts—electromagnetic containers for the plasma that was heated to over a million degrees. Piping and conduit cluttered the compartment. The heat exchangers and turbines were in the next compartment, as well as the cooling system. The engine compartment was beyond that.
Vlaax didn't know a lot about plasma physics, but he knew blowing up one of these reactor cores would be catastrophic. He circled one of the units, pretending to inspect it. As he strolled around the far side of the reactor, out of sight of the technician, he placed one of the thermal charges. He set the timer for 30 minutes, then strolled to the next reactor and placed another charge. As he set the timer, he felt the barrel of an assault rifle press against the back of his head.
"You want to tell me exactly what kind of security inspection this is, Sergeant?" the technician asked.
Vlaax turned around slowly and smiled. "Excellent work, Petty Officer Bowen," he said, looking at the technician's name tag.
The petty officer looked confused.
“While I commend you on your instinct to follow up on my inspection, I must note in my report that you failed to obtain the proper authentication for my inspection when we first arrived. You didn't ask to see any paperwork, and you didn't make any attempts to contact your superior officer. I was able to place these dummy charges with ease. If this had been a real terrorist plot, the ship could be destroyed by now. And it would be your responsibility. I can say that Lieutenant Commander Wilcox will not be pleased with your ineptitude.”
The technician looked worried. He knew what an anal-retentive, uptight jackass Wilcox was.
“You’ll probably be demoted,” Vlaax said.
The petty officer clenched his jaw, frustrated with himself. He lowered his weapon. “Is there any way you could leave that out of your report? I just got promoted, and the extra pay is coming in handy. My wife's expecting again and—“
“Your personal matters are not of my concern. You jeopardized this ship, and potentially the entire Navy." Vlaax sighed. He eyed the petty officer for a moment. “I suppose I could leave that out of my report and let you off with a warning.”
“I would appreciate that, Sergeant." The technician smiled.
Vlaax put a hand on the man's shoulder and walked him toward the control terminal. "We can't be too careful in this day and age. Potential terrorists are everywhere. And they will likely try to infiltrate Navy ships disguised as sailors or Soturi.”
Vlaax let the man walk several paces ahead. Then he shot him in the back with his plasma rifle. The technician flopped to the deck with a smoldering crater in his back. Vlaax had no compunction about wasting the technician. Vlaax was a borderline sociopath. Besides, it needed to be done, and he had no love for the Imperial Realm.
He grabbed the technician’s body and dragged him into a nearby storage compartment. It was time to get out of there. In less than half an hour, the Excelsior would be space debris.
33
Lord Maldovan waited on the flight deck for the Empress to arrive. When the Royal shuttle landed on the deck, the Empress descended the ramp, surrounded by her personal praetorian guards. She was a striking woman. High cheekbones, brilliant eyes, and short dark hair that framed her square jaw. She looked ageless. She wore black battle armor, adorned with gold filigree, and a flowing red cape trailed behind her. In her left hand she carried a case that presumably held the other shards.
Maldovan knelt before her. "My Lady, it is an honor to once again be in your presence."
She motioned for him to rise. “You may dispense with the pleasantries. Give it to me.”
Maldovan produced the glowing shard and handed it to the Empress. Her eyes widened as she clasped it. She stared at it, transfixed for a moment—a look of elation on her face.
Ray watched from the edge the flight deck. He was sure that he could get off at least one shot, sniping at the Empress. But with several hundred troops on the flight deck, one shot was all he was going to get.
Ava could see in his eyes what he was thinking. "Don't."
"Why not? This might be the only chance we get. And don't go getting all sanctimonious on me."
“For one, it's suicide. And two, she has all five crystals. She is incredibly powerful."
“Not more powerful than a plasma bolt.” Ray began to lift his weapon, but Ava put a hand on the barrel, stopping him.
“Yes. More powerful th
an a plasma bolt.” She was once a very powerful Oracle. The only person to ever leave the order after taking her vow.
Ray heard the clatter of boots against the deck, echoing behind him. He craned his neck to see several assault rifles aimed at his head. He forced a smile. “Lord Maldovan asked me to escort the prisoner to the flight deck.”
“Did he?” a Soturi said. “Funny how he gave me the same order.”
Ray’s grin faded. He handed over his assault rifle, and another Soturi took his pistol.
“Move!” The squad leader shouted, nudging him onto the flight deck.
As they arrived before the Empress, she took great delight in Ava’s presence. “You must be the Oracle.”
Ava said nothing.
“You are truly gifted to have come this far,” the Empress said. “Don't feel bad about your inability to protect the shard. You made a valiant effort. But you cannot fight destiny.” The Empress's piercing eyes surveyed Ava. “I sense that you could become very powerful indeed, under my guidance.”
Ava just glared back at her.
"I can see the disapproval in your eyes. But soon you will come to realize the true power of the Crystal. A power that the Oracles squandered for eons. One that I have been destined to control.”
The Empress handed the case to one of her guards, who opened it and held it out to her. The other four shards had been assembled. Their luminescent glow shone over the Empress’s face and twinkled in her eyes. Only one piece of the puzzle was missing—the shard she held in her right hand.
The Empress grasped the nearly complete Crystal from the case and lifted it high overhead. She shouted to the troops that filled the cavernous flight deck. “Behold. The Crystal of Creation. The supreme power in the Universe.”
Her ominous voice reverberated throughout the chamber, almost like some kind of deity. She slipped the shard into the slot, completing the Crystal. The shards seemed to fuse into place, seamlessly with a spark of energy. The Crystal glowed brighter than it ever had before. The Empress held it overhead, focusing on its energy.
Ava eyed the Crystal with trepidation. She knew the only way to stop the Empress was to control the stone. But the power contained within the Crystal was an order of magnitude greater than anything she had ever experienced before.
Ava closed her eyes and tried to channel the energy of the Crystal. The amount of energy she felt was overwhelming, all-consuming, and euphoric. It was easy to see how a person could become intoxicated by the power of the Crystal.
The lucent gem glowed with increasing intensity. The light became blinding, washing out the faces of those who stood on the flight deck.
Ava could feel the mental tug-of-war between her and the Empress as they each fought to control the power of the Crystal. But it was a force that was uncontrollable. It contained all of the power in the Universe. It was like holding the origin of the cosmos in the palm of your hand. The energy of a billion suns.
Ava felt like she was losing the battle. Doubt crept into her mind, the power of the Crystal began to consume her.
34
“Doubt is the obstacle that stands between you and success.” The words of the Great Mother echoed in Ava’s mind. Doubt is a distraction. It leads to fear and worry. It robs the mind of focus.
Ava pushed all traces of doubt and insecurity from her mind. She trusted in her ability and the teachings of the Oracles. She refocused and gradually took control of the Crystal.
Soon, it was the Empress who was overwhelmed. The glowing Crystal peaked in intensity, like the explosion of a thermonuclear device. Bolts of energy arced from the Crystal as it exploded, striking almost every living thing on the flight deck. The troops toppled to the ground, smoke wafting from their bodies.
The Crystal shattered back into the five shards. The once blinding light faded. The Empress and Lord Maldovan lay on the deck, motionless. Ray and Ava were the only two who remained standing.
“Nice work, kid,” Ray said. He knelt down and scooped up the five shards from the deck. He tossed them into the case that lay nearby and sealed it.
He could see Vlaax and Nard race onto the flight deck from a nearby hallway. Ray looked at his watch—if Vlaax had been successful, the reactors were going to detonate any minute. “I think it's time to get out of here."
Ava nodded.
Ray took her hand and they raced toward the Osprey, stepping over the smoldering bodies of the troops. They sprinted up the ramp, and Vlaax and Nard followed behind.
Ray dashed into the cockpit and slipped into the pilot seat. He flipped switches and pressed buttons on the console. The Osprey powered up and the control panel came to life. The massive thrusters wound up, distorting the air behind them. Ray engaged the vertical thrusters, and the Osprey lifted off the deck. Ray throttled up and blasted out of the bay.
Lord Maldovan stirred, sitting up, dazed. Somehow, he had survived. The Excelsior rumbled as the thermal detonators exploded deep in the belly of the ship. The destroyer went black without power. A moment later, the emergency lighting came up. Alarms sounded. An automated voice blared over the klaxons. “Warning: reactor core damaged. Coolant system malfunction. Temperature critical. Explosion imminent. All hands evacuate ship." The warning repeated over and over again.
Maldovan staggered to his feet. He stepped to the Empress and knelt down, scooping up her motionless body. He hobbled across the flight deck to the Royal shuttle. He trudged up the ramp, closing it behind him. He set the Empress in a seat and strapped her in, then stumbled to the cockpit. He powered up the shuttle, and within moments the craft was gliding out of the bay.
From the Osprey, the ISS Excelsior was a small speck in the star field as it exploded. A billion pieces of debris showered into space. Twisted, mangled bits of bulkheads, body parts, and avionics. The wreckage would tumble into space for all eternity.
Even at a distance, the blast nearly enveloped the Osprey. Ray rocketed away at full thrusters. “This thing is fast," he said impressed, and slightly disappointed. “Faster than the Valkyrie.”
“Don't worry,” Ava said. “The Valkyrie has a certain charm that this thing will never have."
Ray grinned.
“But it did save our life,” she added.
“I think you had more to do with that than anything." Ray winked at her.
“What about us?” Vlaax asked. “Don’t we get some credit?”
“I had my doubts, but you came through,” Ray said. He opened a comm channel and sent an encrypted transmission to the Valkyrie.
Grace appeared on the display and looked pleasantly surprised. “I thought we were going to have to come save your ass."
Ray smiled. “Now why would you think something like that? We handled things just fine. Piece of cake. No trouble whatsoever, right?"
Ray looked to his ragtag crew for agreement. They all took his side.
“We've got all five shards. The Empress is dead. Just an average day of saving the galaxy,” Ray said, feigning modesty.
Grace's eyes narrowed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“Honest,” Ray said.
Grace looked like she still needed proof.
“Meet us at Gamma Epsilon 9. I'll tell you all about it."
The transmission ended. Ray leaned back in his seat. “Gamma Epsilon 9 has a good market. I’m going to sell the Osprey. We can all split the proceeds equally, if that's agreeable? That ought to leave me with plenty enough to pay off Nicotero, pay for the damages to Nero’s apartment, and settle up with my traffic altercations. ”
Vlaax looked stunned. He and Nard nodded excitedly. “It seems I owe you an apology. It was a pretty crappy thing for us to turn on you like we did.”
“You blew up the Excelsior,” Ray said. “I figure we’re even.”
“You broke us out of jail. You didn't have to do that.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank Ava.”
Vlaax gave her a nod of appreciation. Ava smiled back at him. “If memory serves, I saw a man on
Alpha Draconis with the same tattoo you have on your hand.”
Ray perked up.
“Older guy. Long gray hair. Went by the name Stryker.”
“You’re not messing with me, are you?" Ray asked.
"No.”
“How long ago?”
“Maybe six months ago?" Vlaax shrugged.
Ray was visibly affected by the information. His face flushed and he was seething with anger.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the significance?” Vlaax asked. “Did this guy steal from you?”
“In a manner of speaking. When I was a boy on Caster Andromeda, my parents were slaughtered, and my little sister kidnapped. The man responsible had this tattoo on his hand." Ray displayed the back of his hand. “I've been looking for him ever since. I got this tattoo so I’d never forget it. It's also a convenient way to show people.”
Ava’s eyes brimmed as she listened to Ray tell his story.
“I don’t know if my sister is even still alive, but I promised myself I'd find her and kill the man who did this."
Vlaax and Nard were moved. They actually seemed to empathize with Ray.
“You are an honorable man, Ray Dakota,” Vlaax said. “If I can help you exact revenge on your foe, then I am at your service.”
Ava had a pensive look on her face. “I know I should probably encourage an attitude of forgiveness, but I say we make a trip to Alpha Draconis.”
Ray chuckled. He programmed in the jump coordinates to Gamma Epsilon 9, then he engaged the slide-space drive. Within a few hours, they’d reach their destination. But they had an even greater journey ahead of them to hide the Crystal from those who would use its power for evil.
The Empress was still alive. The Realm was far from defeated. Ray couldn’t turn his back on the fight any longer. He knew if the galaxy was ever to be free again, it would take a strong resistance. And he was ready to do his part.
THANK YOU!
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please consider reviewing on Amazon—a simple “Loved it,” or, “Hated it,” would be appreciated.
