John sighed. “I went several decades without fainting from using magic and now you want me to pass out twice in two weeks?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Let the world die,” John said. “Evacuate who we can before the end.”
“And doom thousands to death on this world and millions or billions more on the next planet.”
“He has a point, John. It's time to take action,” Ashley said.
“All right, all right.” John landed in a field a kilometer from the super ship. “Let's head outside.”
The three exited the Dauntless and stood there. A fierce wind whipped past them as it whipped toward the gravity well. It was a reverse whirlpool, only the air was the water.
“Can you cut a door in the hull?” Derek shouted over the roar of the wind.
John nodded. He ran back into the ship and came out with a black sword. “Here goes everything!” He held the sword aloft and his eyes glowed white. At first nothing happened, but then Derek saw a stream of sunlight defying physics and bathing John and the black blade in light. The blade turned white and melted. John held it in place with his will alone. “It's ready,” he said.
Together the three reached the hull of the enemy super ship. Ashley and Derek remained further back as John approached. He stabbed the blade toward the organic hull of the ship. As the blade neared the hull the light held within dimmed. The blade distorted to Derek's eyes and moments later it shattered. The energy field containing the molten metal tore apart and streamed up toward the gravity well. John stumbled back. “Well, that didn't go well!”
Shit.
“John, you need to use the light itself. The blade isn't fast enough to reach escape velocity.”
John closed his eyes and nodded. “I needed a good nap anyway.” He opened his eyes and looked toward the sun. “I need you now.” He raised his arms toward the sky. The sky turned black.
Derek blinked, trying to make sense of what happened. Moments later, however, the sky was lit again by a funnel, a whirlwind, of light swirling down toward John. He was drawing the light of the world toward himself. Derek had heard the tales of this from legend and seen a digital reproduction of a painting depicting it once in a textbook in school.
The light swirled around John. It filled him and showed his bones through his clothing. Light streamed out of every orifice. In between his upraised hands a ball of light formed. Derek activated his helmet to shield his eyes from the intensity of the light. He looked over and found Ashley covering her eyes with her arm.
The light flowed through John's now-translucent hands and pooled between them. He stretched his arms out further as the ball of light grew. Then, when it seemed no more light could fill him or the ball of light, the ball floated to the front of John and continued to grow as light streamed from John's hands into the ball of light. A miniature sun now floated in front of John.
Moments after the miniature sun formed, a beam of light lanced out and connected with the hull of the enemy super vessel. The light splashed against the hull, with some being carried away by the massive void shield encircling the ship. In the center of the point where the beam of light connected with the enemy hull a dark brown armor was revealed. The armor turned from brown to dark brown and burned.
The lance of light expanded and the burning area grew. It's working!
John grunted and the light seemed to grow stronger. The lance doubled in size, now the height of a man and as wide. The enemy hull melted and the light burst through into the interior of the ship. The darkness of the enemy void shield warped around the new hole as the light faded and the ball of light dissipated in a burst, the funnel of light evaporated and the light across the sky was restored in an instant. John stumbled but Derek caught him before he could fall. “That good enough?” he asked as he slumped to the ground and sat breathing heavy.
“Yes, dear,” Ashley told him as she came up and rubbed his back. “Rest.” She turned to Derek. “You said reinforcements were on the way?”
“Yes,” Derek said, scanning the sky. “They should be here any…there!” He pointed toward a large transport coming in for a landing next to the Dauntless and deactivated his helmet.
The transport ramp lowered and several dozen Marines marched out and headed for Derek and the others. The leader deactivated his helmet, revealing the youthful face of Ethan Edgerton. “Hello, Mother. Father.”
“Hey, son,” John said weakly.
Ashley's eyes grew wide. “Ethan!” She gave him a long hug before he gently disengaged. She looked up at him. “I looked for you during the battle but it was too crazy out there.”
“We were in a hurry to get back up to the fleet. You heard about the enemy boarding our ships, yes?”
Ashley nodded. “Yes, yes, we heard.”
“Well, they even tried to board the Nightblade. They failed.”
Ashley turned to Derek. “You asked them here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
"He told me my dad was about to do something suicidal, or near enough, and that we attacked this thing from within. I figured it was too good chance to pass up."
“Well, we are glad you're here. The hull is breached,” Ashley pointed to the enemy ship.
“Did you bring explosives?” Derek asked.
“Enough explosives to cripple this thing.”
“Shall we get started then?” Derek asked.
“Lead the way,” Ethan extended his hand.
"Wait," Ashley said. She lifted her arms and the ground rose in front of her, forming into the shape of three dozen golems. "Let these go first," she said.
Derek stood back as the golems marched toward the hole in the hull on the enemy vessel. They passed through the gap with no difficulty.
"Let's go," Derek said, leading the way for Ethan, his Marines, and Ashley.
“Ethan, will you leave a Marine behind to watch and protect John?” Ashley asked.
Ethan nodded and pointed at one of his Marines. “Vordant, stay with my father.”
The directed Marine came to stand by John.
Derek and Ethan and the troops entered the ship. The inside of the vessel matched the organic look of the outside of the vessel. Derek ran his hand over a part of the bulkhead. Cold, damp, like moss.
“Which way?” Derek asked.
“That way,” Ethan pointed to the right. “Follow the drumming of the constructs.”
The group moved in the direction Ethan dictated, rifles ready. The tromping of the golems acted like a beacon, leading them on.
What were they looking for? Structural braces of some sort or a control center? Derek wasn't sure, but his muscles tensed. Where were all the Krai’kesh?
Minutes later a distant roar echoed from the constructs. There they were.
The Marines exited the winding hallway they had traversed and were met with the sight of dozens of Krai’kesh skitterers fighting the constructs in a circular chamber.
One construct fell backward and three skitterers charged through the gap. Derek lined up his sights and pulled the trigger, hurling beams of energy at them. Multiple beams joined him, and the skitterer stumbled and fell.
One of the skitterers closed on Derek. He released his rifle and drew the blade on his back. He blocked the first strike and fought the enemy, striking a killing blow to the chest.
The other Marines drew their swords and waded into the melee, using the gap created by one construct to get at the skitterers.
The group of Krai’kesh died in short order. Three Marines and two constructs were down.
The group continued. Derek covered his ears as a loud screech rang out. An alarm? Perhaps.
“There goes the element of surprise,” Ethan said. He increased his pace and exited into a tunnel.
I hope we’re going the right way.
The constructs took up the rear this time as the group continued. The group emerged into a larger chamber.
A pillar of black shimmered in the center of the chambe
r. At the base of the pillar a large pool of nothingness swirled, sucking dirt and rocks and other material into itself. Was that the source of the gravity wave affecting the moon?
Four control panels were located around the pillar of darkness. Krai'kesh reminiscent of the commanders stood behind the panels. They did not look up.
“I think we found it,” Ethan said. “Spread out, we have company.” Portals materialized throughout the chamber. Krai'kesh commanders stepped out, two dozen of them.
“First squad, set the explosives. Everyone else, hold these bastards off. Constructs, hold the door behind us.”
The constructs clustered into the doorway, forming an impassible barrier.
Derek tightened the grip on his sword and faced off against two Krai'kesh commanders at once. He stabbed the first one and slit the throat of the second one.
A Krai'kesh commander stabbed one Marine as they placed explosives. Derek ran over and fought the commander, killed it and snatched up the remaining explosives. They had to destroy that chamber.
A deep thud emanated from the line of golems. Something was trying to get through the barricade.
More portals opened. More commanders arrived, this time with skitterers. They were overwhelming the federation forces.
Derek shot one of the Krai'kesh at a terminal in the head. The gravitational vortex shook for a moment. Derek set explosives but was interrupted by two skitterers attacking him. He killed them and finished planting.
Two other terminals were empty and the gravitational field in the center shook like a string of a balloon during a storm. One Marine strayed too close to the gravity stream while it was in flux. They were caught in the stream and disappeared into the void.
Derek raced to the last terminal, stabbing the operator there. Upon their death the gravity stream whipped around and dissipated. Derek breathed a heavy sigh. Thank God they stopped it.
“Everyone to my location!” Ethan shouted.
Derek dodged enemies and made it to Ethan's side. Half a dozen Marines formed a circle along with Derek and Ethan. “How are we going to get out of this one, sir?” Derek asked.
“Watch,” Ethan said. “My parents aren't the only powerful mages in our family.” He pressed a button on a detonator and the explosives scattered around the chamber exploded.
Derek covered his head by instinct, but the rush of heat never came. He uncovered his head and witnessed a wall of fire outside a bubble. Ethan had summoned a shield to protect them.
Only smoke remained seconds after the explosion. Sunlight streamed through one wall of the vessel while the cries of wounded Krai'kesh echoed in the eerie silence.
“There's our exit,” Ethan said. “Let's go!” He ran toward the exit but was blocked by two Krai'kesh commanders in charred armor. He drew two black blades and cut them down while barely slowing.
The group of Marines exited the enemy ship and oriented themselves toward the Dauntless.
More Krai'kesh streamed out of the main entrance of the super ship and through holes in the hull. They headed straight toward the Federation forces.
“Ashley, we've got company!” Derek said over the comm.
“Get aboard!” she replied. The ramp to the Dauntless lowered.
Derek and the remaining Marines ran aboard and the ramp closed. “Go!” Derek shouted as he raced to the cockpit.
A scratching sound reverberated through the ship.
“We’ve got hitchhikers!” Ashley shouted.
“Can you get into space and shake them off?”
“I’ll try. Just hope they don’t pierce the…” a loud pop echoed through the rear of the Dauntless. “Shit. They pierced the hull.”
A commotion sounded in the back of the Dauntless. Derek unstrapped and looked. Ethan was pulling his sword from the hole where a Krai’kesh had tried to breach. Already the hole was closing. “That’s a neat trick,” Derek said. “The self-repairing hull.”
“Nano-fiber in the hull can repair small breaches like that. John insisted on it, though it cost an arm and a leg.”
“Good thing you have so many arms and legs to spare.”
“Ha. Not as much as we used to. Okay, let's go get the Governess.”
Chapter 17 - Bittersweet Reunions
“Good news and bad news, sir,” Zigana began. “Which would you like first?”
“The good news, please. We could use some of that,” Martin said.
“The Dauntless just informed us the enemy super ship has been neutralized from within. Our scans are confirming the gravity wave has disappeared.”
Martin hung his head. “Praise God. And my wife?”
“The Dauntless is heading to rescue her now, sir.”
“What is the bad news then?”
“The damage done by the enemy vessel is irreparable, sir. The moon was pulled far enough out of orbit it’s descent toward the planet’s surface is inevitable.”
“So then we failed?”
“The decay in orbit is more gradual now than before, sir. There is time to conclude evacuations.”
“Let’s hope my wife sees it that way.” Martin shook his head. “How many enemy ships are left?”
“A dozen, sir. The fleet is focusing on them.”
It’s only a matter of time. “What’s the status of the enemy boarding parties?”
“The mess hall and crew quarters have been cleared, sir. All available personnel are in the engineering bay fighting the remnants of the Krai’kesh forces.”
“Keep me apprised of the situation.” Martin tried not to think what would happen if they reached the engine room and destabilized the core.
“Of course, sir.”
***
“Well, that’s not good,” John said.
“What is it?” Derek asked.
John pointed at the display. “The moon is still falling. Slowly, but surely.”
“Shit. Is there anything we can do?”
“I can’t stop a moon,” Ashley said. “We have to evacuate.”
“Tell that to Martin’s wife,” John said.
“I will,” Ashley said. “She may be stubborn but this time she’s met her match.”
The Dauntless came in for a landing at the fortress. The Shadow Watch Guards ushered Ashley, Derek and John inside.
Governess Felicity Rigsby stood before a display showing the planet and surrounding space. Advisers crowded around the panel. “Ah, so my husband sends his Eternals to negotiate on his behalf?”
“We’re not really ‘his Eternals,’” John began. “Also, we prefer the term…”
Ashley shushed him. “Felicity, your husband loves you and is concerned about you. I would expect my husband to do the same as Martin in this situation.”
Felicity ignored the emotional plea. “I’m sure by now you’ve noticed the moon descending on my planet?”
“Yes, we destroyed the vessel which was causing it. But we saw the damage has been done.”
“I can’t leave until my planet is safe.”
“Governess, evacuations are already underway. We have time now to evacuate the entire planet, including you. Please consider coming with us now.”
“Not until every possible person is off the planet.”
“Gee, you might have met someone as stubborn as you,” John whispered to Ashley.
Ashley glared at John before smoothing her face and smiling at the Governess. “What if we compromised? You come with us to the population centers and help evacuate the people. Then we get you off-world once the last civilians are away.”
“How do I know you won’t trick me and fly straight to the Independence?”
“Your guards wouldn’t let that happen, would they?”
The Governess looked to her hulking Shadow Watch Guards and back to the trio. “Fine, we will go with you.”
The Governess didn’t know they had Marines, or Ashley’s son, aboard their ship. Her Guards might be tough but Ethan would chew them up and spit them out if push came to shove. But Ash
ley and John wouldn’t try to double-cross the Governess, would they?
Within minutes all the personnel within the fortress had evacuated and were seated in the rear of the Dauntless. They took off and headed toward Eligar City, the capital and place where most survivors of the initial attacks were gathered for evacuations.
Transports by the dozens were in varying states of flight around Eligar city. Some were on the ground where refugees packed in like sardines, while others were taking off, in flight or landing. “Quite an operation,” Derek said.
“A moon falling on your planet is a good motivator,” John said, “to get your ass in gear.
***
“What are the merchant ships doing, Captain?” Kimberly asked.
“They’re moving toward us. They’ll be within firing range in five minutes.”
“Do you think they’ll fire?”
“If we try to interfere with them leaving through the shadow gate, yes.”
“Can we stop them from going through?”
Captain Marchenko shrugged. “We’re only trying to delay them, so it’s possible we could hold them off and survive this, but I wouldn’t bet on it if I were a betting man.”
“Oi’ll take that bet,” Corbin said from his place in a navigator’s chair.
The Captain gave Corbin a look and arched his eyebrows.
“Wha’?”
“Unless you plan on being my navigator,” the Captain gestured to a woman standing near the entrance to the bridge, “I suggest you make way for the person whose job it is to steer this ship.”
"Oh, right." Corbin looked at the woman. "Sorry ‘about that', lassy." He vacated the chair and came to stand next to Kimberly.
“Sir, we are detecting void portal activity coming from beyond the merchant fleet,” the Tactical Commander announced.
“Why would the interdiction fleet shift in over there?” the Captain asked.
“They wouldn’t,” Kimberly said.
“We are detecting Imperial signatures, sir. Twelve capital ship signatures.”
“Bloody hell,” the Captain swore.
“Oi imagine they’re not droppin’ in ta have a chat,” Corbin said.
“Brilliant deduction,” Kimberly said wryly. She cast a worried glance at the sensor display. “Can we hail them?”
Eclipse: Book Two of the Dark Tide Trilogy Page 17
