by Reg Franklin
Athlé composed herself as Jennifer downloaded the data. Forgoing the usual elaborate hairstyle of her people, she’d adopted a simple braid, which she fidgeted with nervously. Everything depended on her actions right now. As Jennifer finished, she asked “Tell me more of yourself? We have a long journey, and I would know of the near-humans, why you hate them so.”
Jennifer sighed as she brought their ship into formation with the rest of the fleet. “I don’t hate them, exactly. I don’t even know most of them. My hate is mostly reserved for their leader, their creator.” Athlé raised a curious eyebrow. “The Alphites are not a natural race. They’re genetically modified humans. We heal incredibly quickly, stop aging, or at least do it at a very slow rate, and begin developing the mental powers.”
“What of disease? Are the Alphites immune to illness?”
Jennifer looked at Athlé, she seemed strangely insistent on knowing that. “So far, yes. But diseases can mutate after all. Why?”
Athlé looked away. “I have a child.”
Jennifer inhaled sharply. “I didn’t know you were married.”
A tear escaped Athlé’s eye. “I am not. He was a trader, and his ship was destroyed. By the Relex.” She turned back to Jennifer. “Trëa is all I have left of my husband. That,” she managed a rueful smile, “and an overly protective brother of my husband.” She pointed at the nearby Pride of Xaod. “Captain Vren. But Trëa is ill, and I do not wish to lose him.”
Jennifer closed her eyes. “Dealing with Paul Stragdoc is not something you want to do. Trëa might be saved, but the cost will be high. Besides, the modifications might not be compatible with Xaodi biology.”
“All ships, this is Admiral St. George. As you know, we’re embarking on a mission of mercy. Cynosure Ma’ald is accompanying us to persuade the Relex to join us, but it will only work if we can drive the Vandle off. So let's do precisely that, and blow those pale bastards into the cold vacuum. Countdown to launch, t-minus one minute, mark.”
“The Admiral is a noble man.” Athlé remarked.
Jennifer nodded, busy bringing her superluminal drive online.
“You care for him?”
That brought a grin to the Alphite’s face. “Just as a friend. Besides, I’ve saved his life enough times that I’d hate to see all my hard work go to waste.”
---
Paul stood at the edge of the city, where the bulk of the Vandleifdulus forces were crashing into the rich earth of Numenor. Neuromancers surrounded him, waiting for his command. He was dressed much as he’d been the day of the attack on Derverstand, as he’d been the day long ago when he had destroyed the London embassy.
Shin, the pyromaniac, was humming an old song nearby. Well, just one line over and over, about setting the night on fire. Gregor Isan had chosen to bring an old fashioned sword to the fight, and he ran a finger along the edge impatiently. “Do they feel pain, my Emperor?”
Stragdoc smirked. “Feel free to find out.” Other Neuromancers were outfitted with various weapons. One carried a pair of displacement rifles, another was wearing a pair of bandoleers festooned with grenades, bragging that he was going to send them into the creatures’ gullets before telekinetically pulling the pins. Many carried no additional weapons, intending to rely solely on their mental abilities. All told, there were a hundred or so, plus Stragdoc.
He estimated that there were likely a thousand Vandleifdulus now charging.
In Stragdoc’s opinion, this would be a slaughter.
“Shin, feel free to warm up our guests.” Stragdoc called. There was an answering giggle and a line of fire exploded across the enemy ranks. They screamed, whether in outrage or pain, he couldn’t say. “For Numenor! For the Empire!” Stragdoc shouted, now levitating himself above his elites.
As one, they bellowed in response. “FOR THE EMPEROR!” And charged.
Alien bodies began flying across the battlefield, telekinetically propelled at high speeds. Other, less deranged, pyrokinetics began systematically igniting Vandleifdulus, then flinging them into their fellows for maximum damage. Stragdoc saw Gregor dodge a six-fingered fist, grab it with his mind, and sever the fingers with his blade. And Stragdoc grinned at the carnage and called it good.
He telekinetically grabbed one of the aliens, restraining it and dragging it towards himself. “Can you hear me, Lavnabren?” He laughed. “Do you hear your death-knell coming for you?” He cocked his head as his hostage screamed at him. “Or do you not understand me with Codex being dead?”
The Vandleifdulus went suddenly rigid in his grip. +I UNDERSTAND MORE THAN YOU KNOW, LITTLE MORTAL. MISTAKE FROM AN ILL-BEGOTTEN WORLD. KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT SIMPLY DEALING WITH LAVNABREN, AND I SHALL WIPE REALITY CLEAN OF ALL SUCH FILTH.+
Stragdoc’s grin expanded. “Oh, so you are there. And better beings than you have tried to kill me. Your toys are nothing more than industrialized maggots, and easy enough to kill.”
+AGREED. THEY ARE FAILURES.+
Now that was an unexpected response.
+BUT ALL LIFE IS A SERIES OF FAILURES. AND SO I SHALL LET MY...SISTER...WIPE THIS GALAXY CLEAN, AND START FRESH. G’HA TOL P’NATH!+
With that, the Vandleifdulus he was holding twisted its body violently, snapping its neck with a violent crack. “Sister?” Stragdoc mused, releasing the corpse. “Well, that is interesting now, isn’t it?” An explosion caught his attention; the Neuromancer with the grenades had been caught by one of Shin’s pyrokinetic blasts, detonating his ordinance, annihilating a goodly number of invaders. Neuromancers were pulling back, dragging injured with them. Despite their efforts, only a third of the aliens were destroyed. Gregor was still playing with his victim, Shin sending blasts that were doing damage to both sides.
His grin morphed into a snarl. “If you want something done right…”
---
Hst-ur-Dra observed the battle from the relative safety of D’ah-kho-Rfy, his eyes still burning angrily. The relay that had been installed into one of the invasion ships had worked perfectly, converting his words into mental impulses transmitted through the disgusting Vandleifdulus. How he despised all of them. At least his...sister’s (how he loathed to call her that) progeny served his purpose. The planet of psychics had to be purged before they discovered Quordex’s failsafe. He glanced at another monitor, confirming that the Relex were also being exterminated. His gambit with the ambassador had paid off at least partially, keeping the little monsters from joining the others. To be fair, they were putting up a terrific fight against his forces, no Vandleifdulus had touched the surface of Relex Prime yet. But they were running out of bodies, it was only a matter of time before his genocide of them could begin in earnest.
Behind him, +HOW DO THE CHILDREN FARE?+
The treacherous Prelt turned to face Lavnabren. Her bloated bulk filled the rear of the chamber. Before Quordex had vanished, he’d made some modifications to his favored creation. Before, she had appeared much as other Vandleifdulus, only taller. Now, she was partially grafted into a device designed to boost her powers of communication with her childer, as well as basically keeping her permanently fertile to the point where her body was laying massive clutches of eggs every few hours. +Ask them yourself.+ Aster sniffed.
+YOU MOCK ME?!+
+...yes.+ He turned away from the screeching thing. Something was happening on the near-human world. Their so-called Emperor was...glowing. +Increase audio!+ he demanded, seeing the other’s lips moving.
“...as he fell from Heaven LIKE LIGHTNING!!”
Aster was forced to take a step back in shock as the near-human launched himself towards the Vandleifdulus, energy crackling from his form, jumping crazily in all directions, tearing through the invaders. Some were decapitated, others seemed to melt under the onslaught. The energy gathered around the other creature’s forearms, which he now wielded as swords, swinging wildly at the Vandleifdulus. Limbs and heads flew.
+WHAT?+ Lavnabren screeched.
+I...have no idea!+ Aster was reeling. He’d
demanded the attempted bombardment and invasion of this Numenor world to prevent them from discovering the Vandleifdulus’s psionic weakness, but this…
A signal chimed from the monitors observing Relex Prime. Aster’s slit of a mouth dropped open in shock as human, Gieron, Yoth-y’n, Par’virer, and Xaodi ships began piling into the system.
“-repeat, this is Cynosure Athlé Ma’ald of the Xaodi, on behalf of the Earth Alliance Forces, Relex Prime, we come to your aid. Vandleifdulus forces, if you understand me, we give you one chance to withdraw, or you can embrace the void you desire! Again, I repeat, this-”
+KILL THEM ALL! ENACT FATHER’S WILL!+
+Be silent!+ Aster dug through his implanted memories, trying to find some way to salvage this situation. Only then did he notice that the near-human had found his observation device.
“Hello little monsters.” He grinned. “Guess what we can do now? Triangulate your signal. Found you!!”
+CUT THE SIGNAL!+ Aster screamed, claws clutching the console in front of him.
+WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!+ Lavnabren tried to pull herself forward, stymied by her enhancements.
In orbit around Relex Prime, Vandleifdulus vessels were falling en masse. +RETREAT TO D’HA-KHO-RFY NOW! ALL FORCES PULL BACK TO THE CRADLE NOW!!+ Aster bellowed.
+WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU BASTARD, THE VOID’S WILL MUST BE SATISFIED! AND THE WILL OF THE VOID IS THE WILL OF LA-+
The remainder of her shriek was cut off in a gurgle as Aster spun and drew a Prelt weapon, shooting her in the head, killing her instantly. She would eventually regenerate thanks to the machines she was part of, but at least she was silent for a time. Hopefully by the time she returned to life, Aster would have made the necessary changes to his own form, and she would be useless.
Time to end this.
33.
“Jennifer, if you don’t mind me saying, you fly like an absolute maniac.” Athlé gasped. The Nadhezda was spinning through cannon fire from the largest Vandle ships, opening fire briefly before changing targets and spinning away again.
“Comes with limited precognition. I can just barely sense where the shots will be coming from.” Jennifer grunted, but a grin on her face broadcast how much fun she was having. “Not enjoying yourself, Athlé?”
The Cynosure responded with her own grin. “Did I say that?”
The arrival of the Earth Alliance had given the Relex time to regroup, and now the bulk of the Vandle forces were sandwiched between the two factions. Human, Xaodi, and Relex fighters were weaving through the larger enemy vessels, blasting needlers into atoms. Athlé hit the comms switch. “Vandleifdulus! I give you one more chance to surrender and return to your Queen!” She paused. “Lavnabren! If you can hear me, call off this assault and discuss terms.”
The comm pinged from the John Alex. “Cynosure, I don’t think she can. Sounds like Quordex ripped out the parts of her mind that make her rational.”
+Quite correct. And I have finished the job.+
On all EAF vessels, commanders stared in shock at their communications equipment. But only a few recognized the voice. St. George was the first to respond. “Aster? That you?”
+Do not use that disgusting shortening of my name. I choose a new one as did my father and my late sister did. I now dub myself according to ancient prophecy the Soulshrieker.+
Zath’s voice now cut in. +You cannot be serious.+
Rage filled the other Prelt’s voice. +Do not think to judge me, Tzth-to-Urdo. You disgust me and disgrace the Prelt. Vandleifdulus were created to defend our people. You treat them as a disease.+
Athlé entered the conversation. “Hst-ur-Dra, cease your assault on Relex Prime, perhaps we can negotiate-”
+Tell me, Xaodi woman, did the Relex negotiate when they conquered your world? Your species had promise once, but now you wallow in decadence and bitter dreams of revenging past wrongs. And the Relex only desire to be favored slaves to a dark power once more. Humans? You expand and destroy. Gieron? Interested only in combat. You all disgust me.+
“Last chance, Aster, surrender now. Because we’ll find you.” St. George’s voice was grim.
+I hope you do. In the meantime, perhaps you’d like to see how I punished the Opkohc for their sin of cowardice? K’yt-gha rweh!+ The line went dead. Perhaps that last phrase was a command to the ships orbiting Relex Prime, for they began breaking away from battle, accelerating to superluminal.
Or perhaps it had been the command for what appeared nearby: a massive asteroid with several metallic, pentagonal shapes clamped onto it. Vessels of some sort surely, for the asteroid began accelerating. As one, the pentagons released their hold on it, pulling away, and accelerating from the battlefield.
On board the Alex, Chris swore loudly. “How long before that thing hits the planet?”
Jemma listened to her earpiece. “According to Astrophysics…” She swallowed. “Less than three hours.”
He swore again. “Okay, anyone got any ideas? Can the Relex evacuate quickly enough?”
+Never.+ Zath’s voice was horrified. +Even with our help. There are simply too many.+
+I...might have an idea.+ Lami entered the bridge. Her eyes were pale white. +Jennifer...do you think that you could...push it?+
Jennifer gawped at her comm system. “Something that big? Lami, there’s no way I cou-”
+What if your power were amplified. Through me.+
Jennifer swallowed. “I’ve never tried something so large, Lami. I don’t know what that could do to you.”
+I understand. But will you try? Even if it hurts me, one life for billions of Relex seems a fair exchange.+
Jennifer closed her eyes. “Athlé, contact the Relex, tell them we’re going to try to save them, but begin evacuating in case it doesn’t work. Admiral St. George, permission to come aboard?”
“Granted. Do you think you can do it?”
“I dunno, but I’ll be goddamned if I let Aster get away with this again.”
---
“St. George, move the ship around the asteroid, I’m going to try to push it to a position where it would pass through Relex Prime’s orbit.” Jennifer stood on the bridge, Lami next to her. Athlé was over by the Admiral’s chair. “Lieutenant, how far will I need to shove that thing so it misses the planet?”
“According to astrophysics, as little as a five degree shift in trajectory should be more than sufficient.”
“Okay.” Jennifer took a deep breath. “Lami, are you ready?”
The Prelt turned to face her. +As I can be.+ Her eyes shifted to blue. +Jennifer, if this...hurts me. I do not hold you responsible. That is what the God of the Bible says, yes? Forgiveness is something to be treasured?+
“As is bravery.” Christopher saluted her.
+Then let us save these people.+ Lami stood tall and held out her hands. Jennifer grasped them tightly and began concentrating on the rock, trying to see it as Lami would. Through Lami’s eyes. She was looking at it through two sets of eyes. Jennifer shut her own eyes, now solely looking through Lami. Not wanting to hurt her friend, Jennifer sent a short burst of telekinetic energy through her.
Jemma, from somewhere behind her. “Picking up a small seismic disturbance on the surface. No appreciable change in trajectory.”
+Jennifer. Do not be afraid. Please. Save the Relex.+
The Alphite woman swallowed. “I’m sorry, Lami.”
+Do not be! Prove to this false Aster that he is nothing but a petty tyrant! What Athlé would call an ‘asshole’!+
Jennifer couldn’t help but laugh at the curse emanating from the peaceful Prelt’s mouth. “Okay Lami. But I’m still sorry.” With that, she began pouring psionic power through Lami at the asteroid.
Lami’s head rolled back, her eyes glowing brightly. Jemma checked her instruments. “Asteroid is moving! Trajectory is altered by two degrees! Three!”
Lami’s body began shuddering as she continued to channel the power Jennifer was running through her. “Lami? Are you okay?”
>
+Finish it!+
Jennifer gritted her teeth and pushed as hard as she could. Lami screamed and collapsed, Jennifer falling to her knees, breaking contact, her head swimming. She heard Jemma shout “Six degrees! Relex Prime is out of its trajectory!” But was more concerned with Lami, as were most of the witnesses on the bridge. She crawled towards the Prelt woman.
“Lami?” Then, mentally, Lami?
The alien’s eyes opened a fraction. +Did...we…+
Jennifer nodded, tears falling from her eyes. “Yeah. We did. You okay?”
+May...be… Tell Jonathan...he is my friend.+ Lami lapsed into unconsciousness.
“Get her to a medical bay, now!” Chris shouted.
