“True, true indeed. However, you still could win that battle.”
“Darnash tells me that no one has ever defeated the Boreshog.”
“Ah, good,” Laboolaron said with raised finger, “Well, then you are already up to speed on how the games work. That shall make your efforts all the more honorable.”
“Swell...okay then. We have the no talking thing, and the kneeling thing going on. Are there any more rules we should know about?” Race asked, quoting his words with his fingers in the air.
“Do not offend the Emperor.”
“Great. Got it...so, can we have his audience already?”
“That will be all, Jamilkon. I shall take them form here,” Laboolaron motioned with his oversized hand.
“Yes, my Lord,” Jamilkon said before leaving.
“Right this way,” Laboolaron waved.
The three were led before a grand throne. They stood before the gold inlayed and ornate seat where the Emperor ruled. A large, exceptionally hairy Antarian occupied it. He clutched a shiny scepter with an unusual purple colored orb made from an unknown Antarian jewel with one hand, the other resting on the arm of the throne. Something green oozed from his snarled teeth.
He raised his scepter in the air, held it there a moment, and then hammered it down onto the floor. Sparks arched from the head of the scepter when the end struck the floor, spreading up and showering down upon the entire reception hall.
Laboolaron motioned the two Humans and the lone Eridonian forward. Each of the three dropped to one knee before the Emperor.
“God you’re ugly,” Race spat.
“You will be silent!” Laboolaron raised his hand to swat Race to the ground.
“Wait!” Dumakas instructed, “Do not strike him. It is alright.”
“My Lord...”
Dumakas turned to Race, but addressed his right hand man, “I like this one. He has spunk. I know you instructed them to not speak. He spoke regardless of his warning. The sign of a warrior. He shall fight well in the games.”
“How can you possibly say that?” Race asked, “I just insulted you!”
Dumakas roared with laughter, “You wanted to offend me, but you see, what is ugly to one species is another species’ beauty. I thank you for the gracious compliment.”
“Great, just great.”
Dumakas leaned closer to the three, “I am Lord Emperor Dumakas of the House of Serintin, son of Thumakas, son of Gorax the Great.”
“Uh, I’m Lord Race of the house of Jennings.”
“You do not carry the title of Lord.”
“Fine, fine...I’m Race of the house of Jennings. This is my Navigator, Danielle of the house of Cooper.”
Malcom stood, “I am Malcom of Epsilon Eridani, and I am finished with this charade. May we now get on with this?”
“Ah, the Eridonian. Excellent. Excellent.”
“My Lord,” Laboolaron said, tapping an earpiece, “I must speak to you...in private.”
“Nonsense, what you need to tell me, can be told before our new friends.”
“Very well, my Lord. I just received word that our fleet had an engagement with the Earthling vessels.”
“Casualties?” Dumakas asked, “I’m sure there were casualties on their side?”
“They destroyed Lord Thelix’s corsair, significantly damaged two of our battle cruisers, and twelve fighters...the fleet captain was taken by surprise. They had to jump back to Antares. They did not record any damage to the Human’s ship. They barely made it away with the damage they sustained in the battle…”
“Well, well...” Dumakas said. He raised his scepter in the air, and plunged it back to the floor once more, “...that changes things now, does it not?”
Race turned to Danielle, “Darn. And we were doing so well at making friends and building new alliances and everything, too.”
“Silence!” Laboolaron’s voice boomed, “Do not talk unless spoken to!”
“Sorry big boy,” Race rose and turned to Laboolaron and pointed at Dumakas, “…but I thought the Emperor here asked me a question.” Race looked straight at the Emperor now, “Anyway, what’d you expect? You did attack us first. Now, when our fleets come home from their conquests, they will come here,” Race pointed to the stone floor, “…after an appropriate celebration, of course.”
“We never attacked you! We were not even aware of your kind until now.” Dumakas looked around the hall, as if searching for someone.
“You took prisoners. That is an attack, an act of war.” Race stood with his hands on his hips.
Malcom rose and stepped forward, “And you attacked my ship. That is how I came to be standing before you now.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Dumakas had found his bravado. “I was beginning to like your kind. I figured you’d be different than the others, but I think I may have been wrong.”
“So what now?” Race shrugged, “Guess we’ll have to miss your games.”
“The games do not start for several hours. You will sit at my side and watch how the games are played. Then you will have a turn in five days before you prove yourselves as a worthy species. I give you three days to acclimate, and to learn how to fashion your weapons for the arena.”
“Okay, then. We’ll be sure to come back for that now. We’ll just be on our way now,” Race turned to exit, but was stopped by two large Antarian guards blocking them.
“Hey, you said we would have free reign on Serintin until the games?”
Dumakas struck his scepter on the floor, shooting more sparks, “That was before you attacked an Antarian vessel. Take them back to their cell!”
“Wait, what? No, you can’t do this. We need to learn,” Race begged, “You must let Malcom help us with our training.”
“You will be given ample time to train, and yes, the Eridonian will be allowed to help you to learn the art of sword fighting...Now take these revolting Humans from my sight.”
“Oh, sure,” Race said, as he was man handled from the Emperor’s presence, “You can insult me. Go ahead...makes no difference to me, you can keep on doing that all day long.”
Laboolaron closed the double doors with a bang and escorted the group back to their holding cell.
As soon as their cell door slammed shut and they no longer could hear the guards, Malcom stepped over to Race, “I was not able to tell you sooner, but I have made contact with one of my counter parts, Artemis.”
“Great news!”
“Yes, they are attempting a rescue. We need to do everything we can to make ready.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Artemis tells me that your Captain is going to jump his ship into the gas stream from Lebencha, and dispatch a rescue ship full of Marines to Serintin. Once we take-off, they’ll jump back into the energy field and signal them for our pickup.”
“See? I told ya Cap’n’ Fitz would send help.”
“Yes, it is assumed that the Rocinante will not be detectable by the Antarian scanners so long as it is within the energy field that surrounds the gas stream.”
“What about the rescue ship?”
“The hope is that they are small enough to be mistaken for an echo on the scanners. Your…bluff about multiple fleets set this up very well. The Antarians will be looking for a lot of large ships. One small ship will not be dealt with quickly.”
“Let’s hope so, Malcom. In the meantime, we’ve got to figure a way out of here.”
“That’s going to be quite the challenge. I cannot affect all of the Antarian minds from within one of the dampening fields. We’ll need to find a weaker spot and capitalize on it. If I can get them to turn down the dampening field, we might have a chance to fool them.”
“Fool them?”
“Yes, I can play a telepathic trick on them to make them think we’re not here.”
“But we really are?”
“Yes, they merely do not see us, making it easy for us to make our getaway.”
“Then, once we’re outside of this complex and ca
n get some distance from the dampening field, we call for pickup.”
“Precisely.”
________________________
The Rock
Betelgeuse Sector
________________________
Artemis closed her eyes. After a moment, a smile bloomed on her face.
“What’s up with you, Artemis?” Jed asked, watching for any movement from the Antarian.
“I just made contact with Malcom. They’re all alive and well.”
“Excellent news!”
“It was only for a few moments, but it was enough to know they’re being held on Serintin. They were on their way to see the Emperor. Apparently, there are weak areas in the telepathic barrier that we can penetrate.”
“Did you get anything else?”
“Malcom instructs us to proceed with our rescue plans. They will attempt to make a getaway, and send us their pickup coordinates.”
“Alright. Doctor?” Jed asked, “I’ve got a mission briefing to attend. Keep this Antarian under heavy guard, and let me know when he wakes up.”
“You’ll be the first to know, Captain.”
Jed shook Doctor Lambert’s hand and exited the medical bay.
~
“Alright! Listen up!” Major Phillips paced in front of the pilots, “You all did an exceptional job out there today,” Phillips paused for the deep-throated chorus of “Hoo-RAH!” “…but we have a long way to go before we’re ready for another attack. With the exception of the crew selected for the rescue mission, all units will continue training when not sleeping or flying CAP.”
Rene raised her hand from the front row of the auditorium, “Major?”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Do we know who will fly the covert ops rescue mission?”
“I have made my recommendation to the ship’s Captain.”
“Can we volunteer?”
“That will be completely up to the Captain, Rene.”
“As I said, we’re going to continue running drills. We can shave a few more seconds off of the launch times. If we can get two or three seconds for each fighter launch, that relates to two full minutes of air time for our fighters. That can make a huge difference in keeping an enemy away from our bunks.”
Just then, Captain Fitz entered the back of the auditorium.
“Attention on deck!” Major Phillips shouted, sending every pilot to their feet.
“As you were,” Jed strode to the front of the room.
Major Phillips gave the Captain a salute, and then shook his hand. Stepping to the side, he yielded the podium to Jed.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, resting his hands on the sides of the podium, “I know that the Major has praised your performance in your first combat. I must add that you all did a great job out there today. Hoo-RAH!”
The chorused “Hoo-RAH!” echoed through the room.
Jed’s eyes scanned the room, making contact with each of the pilots as he spoke, “As you know, three of our own are being held captive by the Antarians. We are planning a rescue mission to the Antares star system. Our target is the third moon, called Serintin, of the fourth planet, Lebencha. Our plan is to jump the ship into the energy stream which carries the gas stream from the gas giant to the moon. It will be a rough ride, with a lot of turbulence from the gravity wells of the gas giant and its moons. We can hide undetected in the gas stream, but we can safely stay there for just two minutes. While we are spooling our jump drive, we will launch the rescue mission. Three Marines, two pilots, and our Eridonian will be aboard an Area Combat Ship. That will give us enough room for the three passengers on Serintin. Artemis will go in hopes that she will make contact with Malcolm, Race, and Danielle. It is our theory that we will be undetectable within the energy stream that surrounds the gas flow. Once our jump drive has spooled, we will jump out of the sector and wait. The assault team will perform an atmospheric jump to Serintin, land on the surface and attempt to make contact. The Rock will be waiting in the wings for a signal. When we receive it, we’ll jump back into the energy stream, recover the support ship aboard, and then jump back to the fleet. It is a risky operation. Survival is not guaranteed.”
Rene shot up to stand at attention, “I volunteer to pilot the support ship, Captain.”
“Captain,” Eric shot up next to her, “I’d like to volunteer as well, Sir!”
Within seconds, every pilot had done likewise.
Jed raised his hands, motioning to the pilots, “Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you all for your service, and your desire to be on this very important and dangerous mission. However, I will be hand picking the team that will be on the rescue ship. We need the right crew on the rescue mission, and we need the right crew to remain on the Rock. Captain’s Simon and Jones, I think you both would be a good fit for this mission. In consultation with the CAG, I have concluded that you two are a ‘must have’ on the Rock. Your talents, abilities, and experience will be best used flying CAP while we wait for the return signal.”
“Hoo-RAH!,” Rene straightened in her chair a little more, “Sir. We won’t let the Rock down, Sir!”
“Hoo-RAH!” Jed answered with pride. “I’m counting on it, Captain Jones. Bravo Leader and his crew will fly this mission.”
“Captain Hopkins is a great choice, Sir,” Major Phillips added.
Once more the room erupted with “Hoo-RAH!”
“I agree, Major. Hopkins is flying the Chief to the Aga. When they return, I want their ship reinforced for extreme stresses. There will not only be a lot of turbulence to deal with, but Serintin’s gravity is greater than Earth’s. They may also need to use some evasive maneuvers.”
“Aye, Sir. They should be departing the Aga in a few more minutes. We’ll be ready, Sir!”
“I know you will, Major. Dismissed!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
________________________
Antares Star System
Third Moon Serintin
________________________
The door to their cell creaked open revealing Jamilkon silhouetted against the outside light.
“It is time. The Emperor summons you.”
Race pushed up from his seat against the wall and offered a hand up to Danielle. “Gee, you don’t have to hold your games up on our account.”
“The Emperor requires you to attend the games so you may witness the blood lust first hand.”
“Well then, let’s go big guy. Lead on.”
Jamilkon herded them down a corridor toward the arena grandstands.
Race walked alongside Jamilkon. Looking around, he noticed they were alone and decided to take advantage of their current situation. He lunged at the Antarian, punching him full force in the stomach, doubling him over. That’s when Danielle jumped into action and landed on his back. She began pounding her fists against his head. Race slugged him several more times, taking him to the ground. Danielle reached for the flailing Antarian’s sword. Grabbing the sword by its large handle, she needed both hands to get a grip. The blade began to draw from its sheath when they heard a familiar voice boom out, “STOP! Or I will snap the Eridonian’s neck!”
Danielle froze mid-swing and Race stopped mid punch. Both looked at Malcolm, held off of the floor by Laboolaron’s oversized hands around his neck.
“I will kill him, and then you will have to train yourselves for the games,” Laboolaron laughed. “Maybe I should kill him anyway, just to make it interesting?”
Danielle jumped off of Jamilkon’s back, “Okay, okay,” she cautiously motioned, “we’re stopping. You can blame me for this. I’m the one who started it...”
“Race shot a glace toward Danielle, “No, wait! What are you doing?”
“Shut up, Race! You’re not going to cover for me! I started the attack, don’t listen to him. It was me!”
“Okay, I will believe your story. Weak female you may not be after all. I like a female with courage!” Laboolaron smiled, showing his crooked fangs. Then he dropped the Eri
donian, sending him stumbling a few steps forward.
Laboolaron offered his hand to the fallen guard, but Jamilkon refused and got to his feet on his own, “I am sorry, my Lord,” Jamilkon bowed.
“My old friend, you should be sorry. How dare you fall for this trickery.”
“It is these...Humans...they are...different.”
“Yes, well, I suppose that may be true.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” Jamilkon stood to his feet only to see Laboolaron draw his sword and pierce him in one smooth motion. His face grimaced as he became aware of the cut through his torso. Jamilkon looked down, his large hands instinctively wrapped around the blade, trying to stop the blood pouring out of the wound that was pooling around his feet.
Laboolaron wiped the tip of his finger over Jamilkon’s bloody hands, brought it to his lips, and licked the rich, red-colored, blood from his finger. “Yes, Jamilkon. You’re punishment for this infraction is, of course, death,” he smacked his lip three times, “Hmmm, not bad.”
Jamilkon squeezed his eyes shut with pain. The Emperor’s second to the throne made him suffer a few moments more by moving the blade left, then right. With a grin, he lifted the hilt and let the dying Antarian slide from his sword. Jamilkon fell to his knees and looked up to Laboolaron. “Today, your blood lust is quenched, my Lord,” then he collapsed, dead, to the floor.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Laboolaron said, his eyes fixed on the two humans as he wiped his blade on Jamilkon’s garment. “What’s the matter? You get squeamish at the sight of blood?”
“Not on your life, Laboolaron,” Danielle spat.
“My, my, we are becoming a feisty one, aren’t we?”
“I will take a creep like you on, any time, any place, pal!” Danielle boasted.
“Oh really now?” Laboolaron said, returning this bade to its sheath.
“You name it, Laboolaron. Just let us have five minutes with the Eridonian first.”
“Come,” Laboolaron motioned, his teeth sprayed green ooze as he grunted, motioning them to move on, “The games are about to begin, shall we?”
“Uh, sure, why not,” Race glanced from Danielle to the dead Antarian to Laboolaron.
Warlords Saga Page 15
