by Frank Carey
An image of four Chroma Necrue standing and sitting in an equipment-filled room appeared. "Ah, Murphy. And I see you have Maddy and Nova with you," the Luma leader noted. "I am not familiar with the young one, though."
"Hello, Scinta. You're looking well." Murph replied. He glanced downward. "This is Rayna. So, you're still insisting on satisfying this stupid vendetta."
"It is not stupid! One percent of the Necrue population was Chroma, yet you controlled ninety-five percent of the wealth. You forced our hand."
"Yes, we made mistakes, but we were trying to mitigate them when the Lumas declared war. Your lack of patience led to the death of millions of Necrue on both sides." Scinta looked at Dex. "You are chosen, human!"
"No!" Murph yelled. "I forbid it!"
"Excuse me, but what have I been chosen for?"
"You will fight for the lives of the Necrue. If you lose, you and the Chromas and your precious League will become the subjects of the Luma."
"And if I win?"
"You cannot win."
"Just for shits and grins, what if I win?"
"Name your prize for you will never see it."
"Cool. If I win, the Luma and the Chroma will end this war, immediately. You will end all hostilities. My uncle happens to be the best damn negotiator in this galaxy and he would love to get you and Murph at a table to talk this out. When you're finished, you may even want to join the League. That is my prize."
Scinta stared at him in shock. "You're kidding, right?"
"No. Take it or leave it?"
"You can't dictate..."
"Yeah, I can. You will honor my request or else."
"Or else what?"
"Rayna will order the Amelia to drop her core containment field which will release the drives singularity. That little beasty will consume everything within a light second of it. Be advised that the Amelia is rigged with a shit-load of fail-safes. If you blowup my copilot, then the singularity is unleashed, so I suggest you Luma-up and agree."
"Why do you care about the Chroma? They are not human."
"They are citizens of the League of Planetary Systems. I would willingly die to insure their safety and wellbeing."
Scinta's mantis eyes bore into him, but he didn't flinch. "I agree to your terms. You have one hour to prepare." Scinta and her companions disappeared only to be replaced by Rayna and the other Chroma Necrue.
Rayna ran over, picked Dex up by the lapels and pushed him up against a wall. "Are you completely mad? Their champion will snap your human body in two like a matchstick!"
"At ease, Lieutenant, and put me down," he said.
She did as she was ordered. "I... I'm sorry, sir,"
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in her jet-black eyes. "I thought you Necrue were stoic and all that. Now come to find out you're as emotional as us little old humans. Damn, the things you learn on this job."
"You're about to die and all you can do is make jokes?" she whispered.
"She's right, you're going to die," Murph said while Nova and Maddy examined the crystalline tube.
"What if one of you took my place?"
"Against this thing?" Maddy said. "No Chroma could defeat this creature. The Luma have been very busy."
"Explain," Murph asked.
Nova put her hand on the tube. "They've created a GELF Necrue designed specifically to kill its opponent. This is beyond anything Chroma science could create."
"I can't let you do this," Rayna said while intently staring at Dex.
"What the hell has gotten into you?" he asked. "You signed the same paperwork I did when you enlisted. We pledged to give our lives to protect the League and its people. You do remember manually disarming that beacon while a number of scaly things tried to eat you."
Rayna said nothing as she continued to stare at him.
"Gods, woman, tell him," Nova said while tapping the tube. "He deserves to know."
"She's right, little sister," Maddy added. "Anyway, he's male, so it's not like he could guess the answer."
"Would someone please tell the lowly human male what you're talking about?" Dex demanded.
Rayna looked up at Murph, her eyes questioning him. He nodded. "Tell him."
She looked back at Dex who had raised both eyebrows. "I've been in love with you since Restum. It just happened."
"The man is always the last to know." He looked at her and smiled. "Rayna, I have to do this. Murph, would a stryker have a chance against that thing in the tube?"
Murph looked at Maddy who shook her head. "No, Dex, not a chance. As for the League Navy against Luma ships?" He shook his head.
Dex took Rayna's hands. "I am the only thing standing between peace and war between the Lumas and the League. I cannot--will not--fail. Anyway, the four of you are going to have to come up with an alternate plan in case I'm wrong."
She nodded. "What about the two of us?"
"You and I will have a nice dinner to celebrate your promotion and discuss our future. Does that work for you?"
She nodded again. "Do you love me?"
"If I told you, it would throw my game off, and right now, we can't afford that. All I can do is tell you to keep the faith. Can you do that?"
She nodded, then leaned over and kissed him before disappearing in a flash of light.
Dex looked over at Murph and his companions. "Any last words of wisdom?"
"Kill your opponent quickly," Nova said. "The longer you wait, the longer they have to kill you."
"I really need to get a copy of 'Necrue for the Hopelessly Clueless.' I thought your race was all Zen and peaceful like."
"Good luck, Dex," Murph said as he, Maddy, and Nova disappeared. Dex turned to Trudy and Renfrew and ordered them to position themselves where the wall and ceiling met at opposite sides of the room. He then verbally set them to observe-only mode. Next, he ordered the rats to patrol and observe. Finished, he said out loud. “Hey, Scinta, how about we get this show started?”
CHAPTER NINE
A locker opened in the wall near Dex. Inside was a katana blade, a long wood pole, and a black karategi, or martial arts uniform. There were hooks where clothing could be hung. "Prepare yourself," Scinta commanded from a hidden speaker.
"Fine, but I want my suit cleaned and pressed--no starch--by the time I finish." He disrobed, then donned the uniform. "Hey, Scinta, while you're at it, could you wash the Amelia and give her a nice polish?"
"I find your insolence irritating."
"I find your insolence irritating," Dex muttered under his breath. "And I find your choice of perfume revolting, so there." He took the sword, withdrew the blade from its scabbard, and tested its feel and balance. "Nice." He returned the blade to its sheath, then strapped them across his back from right to left.
Next, he picked up the wooden rod, which resembled a Japanese bo staff. He picked it up and ran through some quick exercises to check its balance. Satisfied, he turned to the crystal cylinder where his opponent slept. "Scinta, is my opponent sapient?"
"What does it matter, human?"
"Why are you afraid to tell me?"
"Yes, if you must know. She is sapient."
"And what is her take if she kills me?"
"Her take?"
"Her reward, her compensation, what does she get out of all this?"
"Other than the personal satisfaction of silencing your prattle?"
"Now, you're getting the hang of it! Yes, other than that."
"Freedom. We remove her implants and return her to Luma society a hero."
"Damn, you do have a heart. Come in here and let me give you a hug."
"Dex! What the hell are you doing?" Rayna said. Dex looked over and saw an image of the Galagu’s comm shack projected on the wall. There an angry Rayna stood with her arms crossed.
"I'm trying to bond with Scinta. Scinta! Are we bonding yet?"
"No, human, though I am getting a headache listening to you."
"Damn, you and the Chroma are related. Rayn
a tells me that at least once a day."
"I do not!"
Dex smiled. "Yes, dear. So, Scinta, is my hour almost up?"
"Almost. Do you not believe in a creator?"
"Actually, I do."
"They why are you not begging it to deliver you from certain death."
"He's busy running the universe. Do you believe in a creator?"
"Actually, I've met her."
"That's right, your kind are millions of years old. Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes."
"When do your kind plan on growing up? This revenge shit is pretty infantile."
"How dare you?"
"Let me put it to you another way. How about you come in here and take your champion's place? It's you who seems to have the problem with the Chromas, so why not deal with it like you had a set?"
Scinta roared. The tube retracted into the floor as the echoes died, revealing the person inside. Dex stepped back as the creature walked out onto the floor and glared at him. She was over six-feet-tall with claws, fangs, muscles with muscles, and a metal tail tipped with something dripping liquid. She stood there with a large sword in her right hand which she randomly wind milled.
Dex backed away and circled while spinning his staff. "Dex! Use your blade before she kills..."
He raised a finger to his lips and shushed his copilot. "Rayna, I'd really like to avoid any bloodshed if possible."
"Then you will die," the GELF said in a voice like thunder.
"What's your name?"
"Trin..." She leapt at him without warning, but instead of landing on top of him, she only found empty air. She turned and found Dex on the other side of the room in a defensive stance, his staff randomly wind milling.
"You missed," he said.
###
Cal dropped her cup while the others opted for gasps.
"Computer, playback last fifteen seconds of vid recording," Murph commanded, "at one-tenth speed."
The computer did as it was requested. The ratbot recording the action was behind and to the right of Trin. She leaps in slow motion at the motionless Dex. When she is half-way to where he is standing, he moves to his right so quickly that his image blurs. By the time she lands, he is already across the room in a defensive stance.
"How in the hell...?" Maddy said. "Computer, calculate Dex's terminal velocity."
"Working... Value displayed."
Nova whispered. "Is he part Katalan? Humans can't move that fast."
"He just did," Murph said. He reached over and tapped commands into Rayna's keyboard. "His service record says he's full-blood human with regressive..."
"What is it, Murph?" Rayna asked.
"He has a set of regressive Olympian Immortal genes."
Nova slapped her forehead. "Of course he does. He's an ancestor of Gabriel Adon whose grandfather is an immortal. But those genes are recessive, they're not expressing themselves."
"Doesn't Gabe have gnarly reflexes?" Rayna asked.
"Yeah, and no one knows why," Nova replied. "The League doctors have never been able to correlate Gabe's capabilities with his immortal lineage. Come to think of it, Dex's aunt, General Marta McMurphy, has some gnarly reflexes as well."
The image on the screen went split screen as something of interest occurred in the arena feed. "It looks like Dex has engaged Trin," Nova said.
###
Dex's only advantage was his speed and that would wane soon due to fatigue. Trin, on the other hand, had strength, claws, and what Dex assumed was a venom tipped tail. The real kicker was her intelligence. He watched her as she analyzed his movements while looking to predict his next move. Dex moved to his right while swinging his staff in an attempt at taking out her left knee. He had a chance to pull it off if she went right.
She went left and hit him in the middle of his chest, throwing him into the wall. What he hadn't anticipated was the level of flexibility her tail had. She twisted its tip an impossible amount so that it embedded its tip in his right pectoralis major muscle. She pulled it out while he slumped to the deck as the venom took hold.
Rayna screamed as Trin raided her hands in victory while her tail tip danced in the air in front of her.
The victory dance was short-lived as Dex, in one fluid motion, leapt straight up into the air, unsheathed his sword, sliced off the tail tip, throwing it across the room, and sheathed his sword while knocking Trin across the room with his staff. He leapt at her and continued his attack, beating her with his staff and fists while refraining from using his sword. Finally, she fell to the ground and raised her hands in defeat. Dex just stood there, staring at her, one hand holding his staff while the other gripped his sword handle as if he was deciding on how to deliver the coup de grace.
###
The comm shack was now filled with off-duty crew and the four Necrue. As Dex pressed his attack at blinding speed, the audience gasped, all that is except for Rayna. She opted to watch in utter horror. In seconds, it was finished with Trin cringing in defeat and Dex standing there, blood dripping from his wound while he decided what to do next.
"We've seen this once before," Murph said.
"Shit. The bar, almost twenty years ago when that human saved that Goranthi," Nova added.
"Damn," was all that Maddy could say.
Rayna just stared as the corners of her mouth lifted in a tiny smile.
CHAPTER TEN
Dex looked down at the fallen Trin, then knelt next to her. "Do you yield?"
She nodded. "Yes. Please, be swift with your sword..."
He removed his hand from his weapon's hilt and reached down to take her hand. "I told you. I’m trying to avoid death today."
As he helped her up, the wall opened and Scinta stormed in. "Kill her or forfeit the match." In an instant, Dex had the leader of the Luma pinned against the wall with Trin's tail tip hovering less than a millimeter from her throat. "You want someone to die today? Then I choose you. Any last words?"
"Release me!" she choked out.
"Counter offer: yield."
"Never!"
"Trudy! Renfrew. Safeties off! Protective level five. Tailed one is a friendly. Initiate!"
The two bots leapt from their perches on the ceiling and landed in front of the room containing the remaining three Luma’s while activating their blaster units.
"I say the word and my bots start carving. You want death? You want bloodshed? Then I'll give it to you. Now, yield!"
"I... I yield!"
"And I have your word Trin will not harmed, and she will be returned to normal?"
Scinta nodded. "Please, don't kill us."
Dex nodded back. "Bots, stand down and return to monitoring." Trudy and Renfrew deactivated their weapons and returned to their perches on the ceiling. Dex lowered Scinta to the ground then threw the tail tip to Trin. She turned it over in her hand.
"Why aren't you dead?" she asked calmly.
"I'm not a Necrue. All your venom did was turn my stomach. You assumed that poison was poison and that I was dead."
"You knew this and took my dart deliberately."
"If only. No. I hoped you would zig, but instead, you zagged. By all rights I should be dead. I guess it just isn't my time."
"Nor mine, human."
Four flashes of light announced the arrival of the Chroma Necrue. While Rayna tended to Dex's wounds, Murph and the other Chroma's had a talk with the Lumas while Trin watched. When Rayna finished, she recalled the Amelia. "People, I've had a long day. Can I trust you to figure this out without any bloodshed?"
"I will see to it, Dex," Trin said with a glare at the two groups of Necrue. "You have my word."
With a tip of his imaginary hat, Dex let Rayna help him to the airlock and the Amelia."
###
Dex woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat up and took stock of his wounds. The puncture wound was sealed, and his bruises drastically reduced in size and number, so he assumed Rayna had gotten
him into the Amelia's medbed before putting him into his bunk.
"Computer, how long have I been asleep?"
"Forty-eight hours. The medbed has healed your injuries. You are fit for duty."
"Why thank you, computer. What's happened since I went to sleep? Synopsis, please."
"Four Space Patrol ships arrived and are now patrolling the area. Two Space Command cruisers are babysitting the five Luma ships. Ambassador Irithyl and his wife, General McMurphy, are overseeing negotiations between the Luma and Chroma Necrue. General McMurphy has request she be informed when you have regained consciousness. May I proceed."
"Yeah, tell her I'm up and ready for an ass-kicking. What about the Pela family?"
"Scinta has gifted them the Arena ship as part of the treaty negotiations. Captain Fala is pleased, to say the least."
"Now, the hard part. Computer, Location of Lieutenant Meer?"
"Lieutenant Meer is in the forward lounge."
Dex got slowly to his feet and made his way to the closet where he donned a fresh flight suit. Happy, he left the room and made his way to the forward lounge where he found Rayna fixing breakfast. "Hey, sleepy head. How do you feel?" She helped him to a seat and handed him a cup of coffee.
"I feel great. Thank you," he said as he took a drink. "I honestly didn't know you can cook."
She held up a cookbook. "I found this in the ship's library."
He took it and thumbed through it. "So how goes the family reunion?"
She handed him a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast. "Good. Murph and Scinta have ironed out their differences while Maddy and Nova provide comedic relief. Dex, how can you move that fast?”
He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve always had fast reflexes, and they seem to get faster as I get older, but I have no idea why.”
“Um, there is one more thing?"
"You mean about us?"
She blushed. "You can blush? Really?" he asked.
She cuffed him. "Yes, silly, I can blush. And yes, we must discuss us, but that's not the one thing."
