Into the Fire Part II: To End All Wars (Universe in Flames Book 10)

by Christian Kallias

  “I second that,” said Argos to break the ice. “Not that anybody asked or even cares.”

  “I care,” said Chris.

  Argos smiled.

  “Chase is right,” added Argos. “We can’t afford to second-guess ourselves. Spectre Arakan will throw everything he has at us, and we must be prepared to do the same. It won’t be easy; as a matter of fact, I doubt everyone around this table will survive what’s to come. I know we’re all thinking it, so I thought I’d say it out loud.”

  “Well, you’d know something about that,” snorted Sarah.

  “Sarah,” reproached Chase.

  Argos got up.

  “No, Chase; that’s alright. She’s correct. I’m directly responsible for where we are today. I made poor choices in the past and let my personal feelings and thirst for revenge cloud my judgment. I’m trying to right my wrongs, but I have no illusions, my soul is forever stained with the deaths of millions of people. It’s something I have to live with, today and until the day I die. But, if that day is today, I’ll fight for what I believe in. And, I believe in this cause; I was misled to think the Furies were my future. Deep down I think I always knew it wasn’t the case, but I allowed myself to believe in that lie. I’m sorry for the pain you all had to endure because of that. In fact, I don’t understand why you didn’t put me in front of a firing squad.”

  Nobody spoke, but Chase could feel anger boil up inside Sarah and Poseidon. He understood that Sarah might never trust Argos; she had no reason to. He had put both her and her clone through hell. As for Poseidon, he still hadn’t grieved for his brother or his entire planet being destroyed. Something told Chase that Poseidon had no idea until now that Argos’ choices were the reason they arrived at this point. Chase knew he needed to calm everyone’s spirits.

  “Look,” said Chase. “Argos may have started this war, but he’s redeemed himself. He has saved my life more times than I can count, and I don’t ask you to like him or forgive him as I have. I ask that you trust me, as I’ve always had your best interests at heart from the very beginning. I trust Argos, and there’s no one else I’d like on my side going forward.”

  “We trust you,” said Sarah. “We always have and always will.”

  “That’s all I ask. Don’t let anger or vengeance cloud your judgment. Especially not now. We can’t afford to be distracted by anything, we need to focus on our goals, or we will fail, and you all know what that would mean. The Furies would kill everything and everyone in their path. We can’t let that happen. And as much as I hate to admit it, Argos is correct. It’s entirely possible that not everyone will survive. We can’t think about that now because if we do, it will paralyze us from doing what must be done.”

  Poseidon got up and left the conference room without saying another word. Thor followed him outside.

  “Not the answer I was hoping for,” sighed Chase. “But, we need to stay united, or we don’t stand a shadow of a chance.”

  “Chase is right,” said Altair. “We’ve come this far, survived multiple near-death scenarios, and now more than ever, we need to unite and deliver the final blow. I know I’m also one with a more than colorful past, and you have no reason to trust me either. Like some of you, there was a point in my life when I wanted nothing more than Argos’ head on a platter. He enslaved my people and used the Obsidian Empire to do his bidding. But, I’ve learned from my own mistakes, and I can tell that he has as well. The Argos standing in front of you is not the same man he was; just like I’m not the same person I was before all this started. Look at the positive things that this conflict between two brothers has brought us. The Earth Alliance is growing and we have united once mortal enemies into a formidable coalition that has the power to bring down the worst scourge this universe has ever faced.

  “Without the events that brought us here, there would not be an Alliance to take on the Furies; they simply would have picked us off one by one; the humans of Earth, the Droxians, the Olympians, and even the Asgardians. There’s no changing the past, but we can grab the present with both hands and make sure we build the future we want for ourselves and our children.”

  Daniel clapped his hands, and soon after, the others followed.

  “Poseidon, wait!” shouted Thor as he ran after the Olympian.

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Leave me alone.”

  “Then don’t talk; but, please, listen.”

  Poseidon turned around and shot his friend a cold look.

  “I take it you didn’t know that Argos was behind everything at the beginning of this.”

  “I didn’t. I— I feel like I want to kill him with my bare hands.”

  “That’s understandable, after all that you’ve lost. Your brother, your world.”

  “And yet, he’s Chase’s right arm. Which makes me question my role in all of this. I’m not sure I want to be a part of this anymore.”

  “Don’t, Poseidon; we need you. We need all hands on deck to make this work.”

  “How can you ask me this? Don’t answer that, it was rhetorical, and I’ll tell you why. Your world is still here, you didn’t lose your brother and your family, so of course, you don’t have any reason to hate Argos as much as I do right now.”

  “But that’s the thing, Poseidon, if it weren’t for him, at least partially, my world would have fallen, my father would have been killed, and I probably wouldn’t be standing here talking to you.”

  “You don’t know that. The Furies would still be trapped in their alternate dimension, and none of this would have happened.”

  “Be that as it may, we have no way of knowing what would have occurred once they were finally released. For all we know, Argos brought them at the best possible time for us to survive their onslaught. All I know is that fighting by his side I could feel that he was willing to sacrifice himself to save others, just like his brother. That’s the kind of ally we need in the battle to come, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Poseidon grunted. But deep down he was madder at himself for failing to kill Arakan and not saving his world. He knew that he was misdirecting his anger toward Argos, it was easier to blame someone else for one’s faults than face one’s inner demons.

  “Look,” added Thor. “You don’t need to like him, just don’t doom others because if it. You won’t forgive yourself if you do.”

  I’ll never forgive myself anyway.

  “Thank you, Thor. You’re a good friend. Right now I just need to be alone for a while. I’ll see you on the battlefield.”

  Athena and Sarah stayed behind as everyone else left the conference room.

  “I’m sorry that your brother-in-law hurt you in the past,” said Athena. “It must not be easy for you, but he’s no longer a bloodthirsty monster. Deep down I’m sure you know that.”

  “You don’t need to apologize for Argos. I know Chase trusts him and that’s good enough for me. I just can’t see him as my brother-in-law, not now, perhaps not ever. No offense, Athena.”

  “None taken. Argos told me what he did to you. It disgusted me, but at least he had the good sense of cloning you after feeling Chris inside you and resurrecting you.”

  “Except, he did that because he could use my son to further advance his nefarious plan, not because he felt compassion for either of us. Linking my thoughts with my clone was also something he could have spared me from. Even though I wasn’t the physical recipient of the subsequent torture, I still felt and experienced it as if it was happening to me. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”

  “I understand.”

  “Honestly Athena, I don’t think you can. But we don’t have time to argue about old wounds. I have a lot to prepare before we arrive on Erevos, so if you don’t mind, I should be going. Maybe we can talk more about this later if we both survive.”

  Athena’s eyes narrowed.

  “You’re not seriously considering going to fight Spectre Arakan in your current condition, are you?”

  “What condition would that be? Your
other son already tried to convince me not to, so I’ll save you the trouble of trying to talk me down: I’m fighting with the rest of my family! End of discussion.”

  “Does Chase know you’re going to battle with an unborn child inside of you?”

  Sarah’s eye grew wide, and she felt like she was hit by a thunderbolt. She stumbled in finding her words.

  “What— What did you just say?”

  “You don’t know you’re pregnant again, do you?”

  Sarah couldn’t believe her ears; was she pregnant? It would explain why she felt sick lately. It also made more sense as to why she felt the way she did in the time chamber. Perhaps it wasn’t even her fear and anxiety she was feeling, but the baby’s. The gravity and time dilation was probably having a negative effect on its health, and Sarah’s fear that she would die if she returned inside was not her own. She must have picked up on her baby’s fear. It all made sense now.

  “How do you know? Are you certain about this?”

  “I am one hundred percent sure, yes. A little girl is growing inside of you as we speak. She’s only a few weeks old, but I can sense her life force already. I’m surprised Chase hasn’t.”

  A little girl?

  Tears filled Sarah’s eyes and streamed down her face.

  “Chase didn’t say anything, and I don’t think he would have hidden this from me. So I don’t think he knows either.”

  “Female Olympians are better at sensing these things, plus Chase is only part Olympian. It is rather early in your pregnancy so maybe that is why he wasn’t able to detect it. Not to mention that he’s had a lot on his mind lately.”

  “You can say that again…” Sarah let the words hang for a moment. “What the hell am I supposed to do, now?”

  “Perhaps you should sit this one out.”

  Sarah thought about it. Learning that she was pregnant with a little girl made her incredibly happy, but that emotion was quickly replaced by fear and anxiety. She never expected it, and the timing was less than ideal, to say the least. But she had seen herself piloting a soul ship in her vision; she knew she had a role to play today, and she still wasn’t willing to let Chase and Chris risk their lives on their own. They had agreed that they would do this as both a family and a unit.

  Chase would insist that she stay behind if he knew she was pregnant. Of that, Sarah had no doubts.

  “We can’t tell him,” she said.

  Athena shot Sarah a surprised look.

  “You can’t be serious?”

  “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. You have to promise me that you won’t tell him. I will when the time is right, but just not right now.”

  “I don’t know, Sarah. I don’t think this is right—”

  “Athena, I beg you, don’t say a word. Chase can’t be distracted anymore than he needs to, not now. You and I both know it. For the first time, he’s determined to go forward no matter the cost, if we add a baby to his thinking, he may very well…” but she couldn’t finish her sentence.

  “He…may reconsider going on this mission, or be too distracted.”

  “None of which we can afford.”

  Athena sighed. “As much as I hate having to hide the truth from my son, I think you’re right. I’m sorry. I thought you knew. I shouldn’t have said anything. Now I wish I hadn’t.”

  Sarah, too, wished her mother-in-law had stayed silent. But now she knew, and she would have to deal with the burden of that news on her own. No one could know, not Chase, not Chris, nobody. Everyone needed to stay focused on what needed to be done, Sarah included. So, she tried to disconnect emotionally from the love for her unborn child, a love she already felt growing in her heart and soul.

  “I had no idea, but now that I know, it makes sense,” said Sarah.

  “Chase told me about your fear returning to the time chamber.”

  Sarah nodded.

  “It would make sense. While the sensors would detect a safe setting for gravitational forces and adjust to every one of us; they probably lacked the sensitivity to detect your unborn child. If you had trained in the room any longer, your baby could have died.”

  “Yeah, I realize that now.”

  “Listen, Sarah, I’ll do whatever I can to protect you on the battlefield. I want my granddaughter to live.”

  “I can take care of myself, but thank you for the thought. Don’t put yourself in jeopardy for me, please. You also have to think of your family. Your sons, as well as Menelas.”

  “He would understand as it’s his grandchild too.”

  “You cannot tell him.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  20

  Onboard the Victory, Chase, his friends, and his family stood on the bridge, while Daniel sat in the captain’s chair. Chase, with an intense look, gazed through the main viewport at the hyperspace streaks. In a few minutes, the Earth Alliance fleet would jump out of hyperspace.

  He couldn’t help but worry that this could very well be the last time they went into battle like this, at least all of them together. He would do anything to minimize the casualties amongst his loved ones, but he knew many people would lose their lives today. Ships would be lost, and fighters would perish on the battlefield. He hated this feeling, but he had accepted that there was no turning back. This war needed to end, today.

  Chase? asked Argos. Can I have a word with you?

  Sure thing; what’s on your mind, Brother?

  I wanted to thank you for what you said earlier. I don’t know that I deserve it, but you really make me feel like I belong by your side, and I won’t let you down, ever. Even if I have to give my life to protect yours.

  You’re welcome. I meant every word, and you deserve your second chance. I’m very proud to have you fight on our side. I wouldn’t have it any other way, in fact. But please don’t focus on protecting me. We need to be victorious today, no matter what happens, that’s our goal. If I should fall, I’m counting on you to strike the final blow that will end this war.

  Chase could sense the emotional explosion that his words had on his brother’s heart and soul.

  Thank you for trusting me. I— I don’t know what else to say.

  Chase glanced at his brother and smiled. There was no need to say anything else. The two of them had come a long way, each in their own manner. Argos, once Chase’s nemesis, was now his strongest ally. And, for Chase, it felt good having a family. At the beginning of his journey, Chase had often felt alone and lost in the world. He had friends, like Daniel and other fellow pilots, as well as people that took on the mantle of being a surrogate family; but now he had a real one. A brother, parents, a wife, and even a wonderful son.

  The future now seemed clear to him. Today was the day they would end this war. Would they win? Or would they perish? He didn’t know, but there was no going back. They had come too far, lost too many, and sacrificed too much.

  “How long before we jump?” asked Chase.

  “We’ll jump into orbit around Erevos in less than five minutes,” said Daniel. “You may want to board the soul ships soon.”

  Chase turned around and looked at his friend.

  “Very well. Take good care of my ship, will ya?”

  “You got it. Give them hell.”

  Chase winked at him. “I intend to.”

  He then turned toward his fellow soul ship pilots. “It’s time for us to go. Remember, while we progressed tremendously in terms of energy pool and power, we can’t waste it on destroying Fury super-destroyers. If they’re blocking our way, let’s bring them down, but our priority is destroying Erevos. We can always deal with the remaining fleet afterward.”

  Chris and Argos nodded.

  “Is that why you kept the time chamber running?” asked Sarah.

  Chase smiled. “Yes, we have no idea how much power will be required to send the planet back into the other dimension and then blow it up. We may need the regen tanks, and well, we may simply not have that opportunity outside of the t
ime dilation chamber.”

  “Smart,” said Daniel. “But I would feel better if we didn’t go into battle with a literal ticking time bomb.”

  “Yanis assured me that as long as the chamber runs, we have stronger shields than the rest of the fleet, thanks to the extra energy being generated by the white hole. But don’t take any unnecessary risks. If at any point the shields are lower than fifty percent, back away from the main engagement and recharge, which should also happen faster thanks to the extra energy being recouped from the chamber’s artificial white hole. Micro-jump away if you have to.”

  “I don’t like the idea of leaving the rest of the fleet.”

  “I know, Daniel, but those are your orders. Understood?”

  “Understood. Good luck.”

  “To us all.”

  Chase extended his arm. “Grab it. I’ll teleport us to the ships.”

  “Should you waste precious energy like this? We can all fly there pretty quickly,” said Chris.

  “Don’t worry, son. Teleporting, especially such short distances, doesn’t consume as much energy as it used to before.”

  Chris, Sarah, and Argos all touched Chase’s forearm.

  “See you all when we see you,” said Chase.

  Before Daniel could answer, they had teleported from the bridge.

  When the Victory exited hyperspace, Daniel was surprised there were no other ships nearby in orbit.

  “What the hell is this?” he said out loud, not expecting an answer. “Are they cloaked?”

  “No energy signatures detected, Captain,” said his tactical officer.

  I don’t like this. That makes no sense unless they sent their fleet somewhere else. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter, if we have a clean shot at Erevos, we should take it.

  “Give Chase the green light to launch the soul ships.”

  “They’ve already exited the launch bays.”

  Daniel smiled. “Of course they have.”

  But something didn’t add up, and Daniel didn’t like it.

  The soul ships launched and were on their way to Erevos.